It seems you can teach via text… or at least answer students’ questions about how to write spreadsheet formulas sufficiently well that they submit functioning workbooks.

Education “has to meet the problems of today, and the future, not of the past.” - John Dewey

Don’t confuse “better than other options” with “a good solution.”

Paraphrasing Dewey: “Must” indicates a judgement, not a statement of natural relationship.

Is “truth” discovered through observation or created by observation? (scientific observation of course)

Paraphrasing Gould: Fraud isn’t Interesting. Unquestioned bias is.

I overheard an app developer say “is accurate data really our highest priority?” This was in reference to a production tool used to schedule and manage tasks. I’m still wondering about that conversation.

I had a reminder that I’m not a strong screen reader… I miss important details when reading on screens that I don’t miss on paper. I agreed to something I should not have, and now I’m cleaning up the mess.

Gould reminds us that focus on quantitative data gives us the illusion of objectivity. If we don’t question our data we accept the prejudices embedded in its collection.

Expressing new understanding is part of organizing and internalizing knowledge so that it can be accessed and used later… teacher approval of that expression is not essential.

In about 2013, I cleaned out unopened software that had been stored in a school basement since 1995 or so. At least we are not producing so much physical waste anymore.

I just heard someone classify microwave ovens as “technology,” but an electric stove as “not technology.” Should I tell them?

We often hear about failure and how we must embrace it in work and school, but we hear very little about how to respond (ourselves and with students to failure). I suspect how/ when we respond matters, but that is rarely made explicit.

What if deconstructing tasks into parts removes interconnections that are essential to understanding/ completing the task?

If workers/ students lack a feeling of autonomy, they will comply. But that is all.

Divergent thinking may increase one’s questioning of social norms. Perhaps that is one reason education has been reluctant to teach it?

So many technologies to solve math equations… my math education has been replaced with tools.

Dewey: “Certainty is the last thing anyone should hope to find.” At least if that person wants to understand anything.

Paraphrasing Dewey: intelligence is bound in the community. Yeah, he was right. It started in our brains, but surely isn’t entirely there.

So many reasonable and useful forms of and extensions of human thinking are ignored in schools. It’s shameful.

Observation… delusion. We need others to point out which describes our conclusion.

“Scientists rule out wishful thinking and dishonesty.” Now if we can get everyone to behave that way.

If the answer is grounded in deference to authority, it is wrong.

There is no recipe for education… at least if you are doing it right.

My grad school advisor always asked, “what’s the point?” Of the section, paragraph, sentence. I’ve integrated that question into my work since. Take my advisor’s advice.

Taking lots of notes when you interview me is a clear signal to me I won’t be a good fit for the job.

If you change you mind, I know you deserve my attention. If you don’t I assume your are not empirically reasonable… that you don’t believe you can be wrong… and that is just silly.

Efficiency without understanding in education is wasteful.

How much of school is doing things to find out what they already know? -paraphrasing John Dewey when he saw is daughter in a classroom

Great grading scheme. Too bad your students are going to spend all their time available for your course trying to figure it out rather than learning the content.