An introduction for students in my operating systems course for community college students As a Computer Information Systems (CIS) major, you’re already familiar with operating systems like Windows and macOS. They’re great for desktops, but when you look behind the curtain of the world’s digital infrastructure—from massive cloud data centers to the smartphone in your Read More
A post for my students preparing for the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam 129: Cloud Computing Learning about cloud computing can feel like learning a new language. You’re bombarded with acronyms (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, VPC, EC2… what?!), abstract concepts, and a whole new way of thinking about technology. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But here’s the Read More
AI was recently asked about the potential of using facial recognition technology on campus. That caused me to return to my folder of “old stuff” I maintain and to revise a blog post I had abandoned almost 5 years ago when the pandemic caused the issue to be forgotten by those who had me thinking Read More
This post originally began with discussions of an article in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence with my colleagues. We were talking about AI an teaching, and the article “Shaping integrity: why generative artificial intelligence does not have to undermine education” by Tan and Maravilla which was published in 2024 ( https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2024.1471224) captured much of my thinking. Read More
160: An Introduction to IT Networks While you might often think of large corporations or government agencies when considering network security, the truth is, some of the most critical and challenging networks to secure are right under our noses: school IT networks. These networks are essential infrastructure, connecting students and teachers to data, information, and Read More
As school returns, I am hearing comments about “intelligence” return to my media feeds and in chatter amongst people who purport knowledge of teaching and learning. This seems a good opportunity to post again on the dubious evidence if IQ as it is commonly understood. For decades, IQ tests have shaped perceptions of intelligence, often Read More
Many are familiar with the observation that (for example) outside of the mathematics classroom, students are less able to solve mathematics problems than they are in the mathematics classroom. Also, when asked to perform mathematics on a test, a student may score well, but when given a real-world situation (even in a word problem closely Read More
Metacognition is the process by which individuals think about their own learning. It is often described as an internal dialogue as it is a process in which the learner makes meaning of what has happened in his or her brain. While teachers can provide prompts and other tasks to facilitate reflection, metacognition is largely an Read More
We often see learning as absorbing information, but what if teaching became a dynamic journey of problem-solving? Problems are far more interesting and informative than learning outcomes for motivating students. At its core, effective teaching embraces the “problem-centered principle,” stating learning flourishes when students acquire knowledge and skills by tackling real-world problems or tasks. This Read More
I was recently asked to comment on curriculum, specifically for community college students. Here is my response: Creating and implementing authentic curriculum is a complex and often unpredictable endeavor, especially when compared to relying solely on textbooks or highly prescriptive sources. Authentic curriculum is designed locally, tailored to specific populations, goals, and community resources, yet Read More