Notices by Gary Ackerman (garyackerman@qoto.org)

One of the most chilling lines I’ve read all week: “Big Data firms have a powerful incentive to pretend that anonymization works.” #data #digitalliteracy #DataDriven #DataScience #ethics

When scientific definitions and everyday definitions conflict, confusion results.

Am I the only one who is sick of hearing goals stated at the start of presentations? Tell me a story that makes your work relevant and important.

“To judge well, to comprehend well, to reason well, these are the essential activities of intelligence.”
Alfred Binet

One wonders what Binet would say about AI.

“Logic takes you from A to B. Imagination takes you anywhere.” -Albert Einstein

“Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.”
― Adam Smith
I sure wish all of those who advocate for his bastardized economics with such zeal advocated this part of Smith's thought equally.

Competent individuals are seen as a threat and are often disempowered, diffused, or deflected by narcissistic leaders.

35 years in education led me to conclude tests are not for students. They are of limited value to teachers. They are highly valued by managers and regulators.

Ask your students ... and believe what they say... they know much more that your think!

When students ask "Why are we doing this?" Many teachers speculate at their motivation: “Are they trying to distract me?” “Are they trying to get out of doing work?” “Are they challenging my authority?” are all reasonable interpretations of the question.

I fail to see how a career as a business leader leaves a philanthropist more qualified than I am to recommend sound pedagogy, so I am skeptical to the point of cynicism about the pedagogy they promote.

“Scientific questions cannot be decided by majority vote in any case.”
― Stephen Jay Gould

I miss the days when conspiracy theories made people laugh.

Changing one’s mind is a reasonable and responsible action when dealing with technology.

"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits."
--Albert Einstein

“X should not be taught before college” (whatever topic is x and whatever level you choose) is likely to be preached by someone who doesn’t know the topic or the students… at least that’s what I observed over 40 years.

“To kill an error is as good a service as, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.”
― Charles Darwin

I’m amazed at the number of educators upload student work to AI checkers as if they can do what they want with students’ intellectual property.

“It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out.”
― Carl Sagan

If you don’t see your job as a leader as bridging gaps, you are doing it wrong.