The Vicious Cycle and the Path Forward

Over the past several weeks, I’ve explored some of the most pressing challenges facing education today:

A perfect storm of shortages, inequities, and student needs.

•  The exodus of teachers leaving classrooms under unsustainable conditions.
  
  
•  The student mental health epidemic straining schools beyond their capacity.
  
  
•  The funding chasm that entrenches inequity.
  
  
•  And the double-edged sword of technology, offering promise but also peril.

Each of these issues is daunting on its own. But the reality is far more complex: they are deeply interconnected, feeding into one another in a vicious cycle.

How the Cycle Works

•  Teacher shortages grow worse when educators are asked to shoulder the mental health needs of students without adequate support.
  
  
•  Underfunded schools struggle most, unable to provide competitive salaries, enough counselors, or updated resources.
  
  
•  Students suffer from learning loss, stress, and disengagement, which fuels chronic absenteeism.

And the cycle repeats, leaving both teachers and students trapped in a system straining at its seams.

Breaking the Cycle

If these problems are linked, then the solutions must be too. Experts and educators point to several key levers of change:

•  Increased and Equitable Funding: Reform formulas so that resources flow where they’re needed most, not just where property wealth is highest.
  
  
•  Investing in the Teacher Pipeline: Raise salaries, improve working conditions, and create mentorship pathways to make teaching a sustainable career.
  
  
•  Expanding Mental Health Services: Significantly increase the number of school counselors, psychologists, and social workers, while embedding social-emotional learning across the curriculum.
  
  
•  Strategic Technology Integration: Implement AI and other tools thoughtfully, ensuring equity and ethics guide their use, and that they support rather than replace human connection.
  
  
•  Community-Based Solutions: Engage families, nonprofits, and local partners to address absenteeism and provide wraparound services that schools cannot shoulder alone.

The Path Forward

The challenges are immense, but they are not insurmountable. What’s required is a holistic, equity-focused strategy that acknowledges the interwoven nature of these issues. Piecemeal fixes will not do.

If we can increase support for teachers, expand mental health services, reform funding, and thoughtfully integrate technology, we can transform this cycle of strain into one of renewal. One where teachers are empowered, students are supported, and schools once again become engines of opportunity.

The future of education, and of the students in our classrooms, depends on our ability to face these challenges together.

Poll on LinkedIn

The Double-Edged Sword of Technology

When schools face mounting challenges, from teacher shortages to funding gaps, it’s no surprise that technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), is being held up as a potential lifeline. Advocates promise AI will personalize learning, reduce teacher workload by automating administrative tasks, and give students immediate feedback that enhances engagement. In theory, it’s a powerful tool for modernizing education and closing achievement gaps.

But like any tool, AI is a double-edged sword. Its potential is real, but so are the risks.

The Promises of AI in Education

• Personalized learning: Adaptive systems can tailor instruction to individual student needs, offering a level of customization that’s hard to achieve in crowded classrooms.
  
  
• Efficiency gains: Automating grading, attendance, or scheduling could free teachers to focus on what matters most—teaching and mentoring.
  
  
• 24/7 support: AI-driven tutoring or chatbots can give students help outside of school hours, expanding access to learning.

These innovations hold promise, especially for overburdened schools. But the story doesn’t end there.

The Perils of AI

• Data privacy: Student data is highly sensitive, yet many AI tools rely on massive data collection. Without strong safeguards, privacy risks multiply.
  
  
• Algorithmic bias: AI reflects the data it is trained on. If that data carries social or cultural bias, the technology can unintentionally reinforce inequities rather than reduce them.
  
  
• Erosion of human connection: Education is not just about content delivery, it’s about relationships. Overreliance on AI could diminish the critical bond between teachers and students.
  
  
• Access inequities: Implementing AI requires funding for devices, infrastructure, and maintenance. Well-funded schools may thrive while under-resourced schools fall further behind, widening the digital divide.

Walking the Line

Technology should be a bridge, not a barrier. The key is not whether AI belongs in schools, but how it is implemented:

• Equitably, ensuring access for all students, not just those in wealthy districts.
  
  
• Responsibly, with transparency around data use and safeguards against bias.
  
  
• Complementarily, enhancing human teaching rather than attempting to replace it.

The Human Factor

At its best, AI can give teachers back valuable time and give students more individualized learning paths. But it cannot replicate empathy, mentorship, or the creativity of human connection. Education’s heart is still human, and technology must serve that, not the other way around.

As we look to the future, the challenge is balance. AI can be a powerful ally in addressing the “perfect storm” of issues facing education, but only if we wield it thoughtfully, ethically, and equitably.

Posted to LinkedIn

The Widening Chasm: Inequitable Funding and Its Consequences

Beneath almost every crisis in American education lies a persistent and uncomfortable truth: our schools are not funded equitably. Public education relies heavily on local property taxes, which creates vast disparities between wealthy and low-income districts. The result is a widening chasm where some schools thrive while others struggle to provide even the basics.

The Cost of Inequity

Schools in low-income communities face a cascade of challenges tied directly to inadequate funding:

• Difficulty attracting and retaining qualified teachers due to lower pay and fewer resources.
  
  
• Limited access to mental health professionals, despite rising student need.
  
  
• Outdated technology and instructional materials that leave students unprepared for 21st-century skills.
  
  
• Facilities in disrepair, unsafe conditions, and overcrowded classrooms.

Meanwhile, better-funded districts can offer advanced courses, competitive salaries, modern facilities, and robust student support systems. The difference is stark and unfair.

Zip Code as Destiny

Too often, a student’s educational opportunities are determined not by their talents or potential, but by their address. This funding gap perpetuates cycles of inequality, as under-resourced schools struggle to break through the barriers of poverty and systemic inequity. Students in wealthier districts enjoy pathways to college and careers, while their peers in underfunded districts face an uphill climb from the start.

The Digital Divide

Perhaps nowhere is inequity more evident than in access to technology. During the pandemic, many students in low-income districts lacked devices or reliable internet, widening already-existing learning gaps. Even now, some schools can invest in 1:1 device programs, while others can barely keep computer labs functional. In a world where digital fluency is essential, this divide places underfunded students at a lifelong disadvantage.

The Broader Impact

Inequitable funding doesn’t just harm students—it undermines communities and the economy. Schools are pipelines to the future workforce. When they fail to provide equitable education, the workforce becomes less skilled, innovation slows, and inequality deepens.

Toward a Fairer Future

Addressing inequitable funding requires more than small adjustments. It demands systemic reform:

• Revisiting funding structures so that state and federal support offsets disparities created by property-tax dependence.
  
  
• Prioritizing equity in policy, ensuring that students with the greatest needs receive the greatest support.
  
  
• Investing in technology access, so every student has the tools to succeed in a digital world.

Education is meant to be the great equalizer. Yet today, inequitable funding is turning it into a divider. If we want to prepare every child for the future, we must commit to funding schools not based on wealth, but on need.

Posted to LinkedIn

A Generation in Distress: The Student Mental Health Epidemic

The mental health of students has become one of the most urgent challenges in education today. Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among young people have skyrocketed over the past decade, and the disruptions of the pandemic only intensified the crisis.

Educators see this reality every day. Students are overwhelmed, disengaged, or simply absent. Teachers are left trying to balance instruction with emotional triage, often without the training or resources to meet the scale of the need.

The Scope of the Crisis

Recent research paints a stark picture:

• Anxiety and depression among adolescents have risen sharply, with millions reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
  
  
• Suicidal ideation is alarmingly high, now one of the leading concerns in youth health.
  
  
• Behavioral challenges and chronic absenteeism have increased as students struggle to re-engage with school life.

These aren’t isolated statistics. They reflect lived realities that shape classrooms across the country.

Schools on the Front Lines

Schools have become the primary setting where these challenges surface, but they are not designed or staffed to serve as mental health clinics. A severe shortage of counselors, psychologists, and social workers leaves many students without professional support. In fact, the recommended counselor-to-student ratio is 1:250, yet the national average is closer to 1:400, and in some districts, it’s far worse.

Teachers step into the gap, but the strain adds to their own burnout and further destabilizes the classroom. The result is a cycle of stress: students’ struggles impact teachers, and overwhelmed teachers are less able to provide consistent support for students.

Mental Health and Academic Success

The link between mental health and academic performance is undeniable. Students who are struggling emotionally find it difficult to concentrate, complete assignments, or even attend school regularly. Chronic absenteeism is rising nationwide, and behind those numbers are countless students whose emotional well-being is directly tied to their academic setbacks.

If we ignore the mental health crisis, no amount of curriculum redesign or test preparation will close achievement gaps. Emotional well-being is a prerequisite for learning.

Toward a Comprehensive Response

Addressing this epidemic requires a systemic approach:

• Invest in mental health professionals within schools, such as counselors, social workers, and psychologists trained to meet student needs.
  
  
• Integrate mental health into education policy, recognizing it as foundational to academic success.
  
  
• Support teachers with training and resources, so they are not left carrying the full weight of this crisis alone.

Partner with families and communities, extending support networks beyond the classroom walls.

The Stakes

This generation is growing up in a world of rapid change, digital overwhelm, and societal pressures unlike any before. Their resilience is remarkable, but resilience alone is not enough. They need structures of care that match the scale of their challenges.

If we want students to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally, we cannot afford to treat mental health as an afterthought. It is the foundation upon which all learning is built.

Posted to LinkedIn

The Exodus from the Classroom: A National Crisis

The teacher shortage has reached a critical tipping point. Across the United States, schools are scrambling to fill vacancies, often with underqualified instructors or by cutting courses altogether. The result? Larger class sizes, diminished support for students, and a growing threat to the quality of education itself.

This is not simply a staffing issue—it’s a systemic crisis with far-reaching consequences. When teachers are stretched thin, morale drops, burnout accelerates, and individualized instruction disappears. Students lose the stability and expertise that only experienced educators can provide, and the achievement gap widens.

Why Are Teachers Leaving?

The reasons behind this exodus are complex, but the patterns are clear:

• Stagnant wages that fail to keep pace with inflation, leaving many teachers struggling to make ends meet.
  
  
• Challenging working conditions, including overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, and the expectation to “do more with less.”
  
  
• Erosion of respect for the profession, where teachers feel undervalued and unsupported in both policy and culture.
  
  
• Mental health strain, as educators absorb not only instructional responsibilities but also the role of counselor, social worker, and crisis manager.

Who Feels the Impact Most?

While all schools are affected, the hardest hit are those serving low-income communities and students of color. Research shows these students are more likely to be taught by inexperienced or uncertified teachers. The result is a double burden: the very students who most need stability and expertise are the least likely to receive it. This inequity entrenches systemic disparities and limits opportunities for the next generation.

The Bigger Picture

This shortage doesn’t exist in isolation. It intersects with the student mental health crisis and chronic funding inequities, creating a vicious cycle: fewer teachers mean more pressure on those who remain, which drives more teachers out. Schools with fewer resources are least able to break the cycle, leaving their students at even greater risk.

A Call to Action

Solving the teacher shortage requires more than quick fixes. It demands a cultural and structural shift:

• Competitive compensation that reflects the importance of the profession.
  
  
• Investment in working conditions: manageable class sizes, access to resources, and realistic expectations.
  
  
• Respect and recognition for teachers as professionals, not just placeholders in a system.
  
  
• Support for mental health, both for educators and the students they serve.

The exodus from the classroom is a national crisis, but it is not inevitable. With commitment and coordinated effort, we can rebuild teaching into a profession that attracts, supports, and retains the educators our students deserve.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Education shapes every future workforce, every community, every generation. If we fail to act, the cost will be measured not just in test scores, but in lost potential.

Posted to LinkedIn

A Perfect Storm in Education: Teacher Shortages, Mental Health Crisis, and Funding Gaps

The American education system is standing in the eye of a storm. Not one, but several major crises are converging, teacher shortages, a growing student mental health crisis, and chronic funding inequities. Each one alone would be daunting. Together, they form a cycle that threatens both the academic growth and emotional well-being of students.

Teacher Shortages: A Profession in Peril

Teaching has always been demanding, but the profession is now facing an exodus. Burnout, low pay, and lack of respect have driven many educators to leave the classroom altogether. The pipeline of new teachers is drying up, creating ripple effects across every subject area. When schools can’t fill positions, students lose access to stable, experienced educators, the foundation of learning.

Mental Health: The Hidden Curriculum

At the same time, students are wrestling with unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression. The pandemic accelerated existing challenges, but the recovery has been uneven. Teachers are often the first line of support, yet many feel unprepared or overwhelmed when tasked with managing both instruction and mental health concerns. This dual role only deepens burnout.

Funding Inequities: Old Wounds, New Urgency

Layered onto this storm is a funding system that has long favored some communities over others. Schools in wealthier districts continue to thrive while those in lower-income areas struggle with fewer resources, outdated materials, and inadequate facilities. Funding disparities don’t just shortchange students, they also leave teachers with little support, further driving attrition.

The Cycle of Strain

These challenges are deeply interconnected. Underfunded schools can’t hire or retain teachers. Stressed teachers have fewer resources to support students. Struggling students require more intensive interventions that already-stretched schools can’t provide. The cycle feeds itself, widening gaps in both achievement and well-being.

Moving Forward

There’s no single solution to this storm, but there are clear places to start:

• Invest in teachers through better pay, professional respect, and sustainable workloads.
  
  
• Support student mental health with trained professionals and systemic strategies rather than leaving teachers to carry the burden alone.
  
  
• Address funding inequities so that a child’s ZIP code doesn’t determine the quality of their education.

Education is the foundation of our future workforce, democracy, and communities. Allowing this storm to continue unchecked risks more than just test scores, it jeopardizes the next generation’s ability to thrive.

The question isn’t whether these issues exist. The question is: will we face them with urgency, or wait until the storm has done irreversible damage?

Posted to LinkedIn.

From Data to Decisions: Turning Educational Metrics into Action

Education today generates more data than ever before. Learning management systems track logins, time on task, and assignment submissions. Digital platforms capture engagement, completion rates, and click-throughs. Assessments produce endless rows of scores and averages.

And yet, for all this data, one of the biggest challenges I see is this: information doesn’t automatically translate into action.

I’ve worked with faculty who feel overwhelmed by dashboards that light up with graphs and charts, but don’t clearly answer the real question: What should I do with this to help my students learn?

Raw data is not the destination; it’s the starting point. The real value comes from interpretation, context, and action. Without those steps, even the best analytics can sit unused.

Turning data into decisions requires three deliberate moves:

•  Clarity: Identify what you actually want to measure. Are you tracking performance, persistence, or engagement? Too many metrics can blur the picture.
  
  
•  Context: Numbers alone don’t tell the story. A sudden drop in participation might reflect technology issues, not motivation. Data without narrative risks misinterpretation.
  
  
•  Action: Data should lead to a concrete next step. If 30% of learners missed a concept, the response isn’t another chart; it’s reteaching, redesigning, or providing targeted support.

I’ve seen the difference this makes. In one program, weekly analytics showed a pattern of students disengaging around week four. Instead of just noting it, the team used that insight to redesign early assignments, add extra instructor check-ins, and strengthen peer connections. Engagement rose, and retention followed.

The lesson is clear: data is only powerful when it is actionable. The best dashboards don’t just report what happened; they guide what to do next.

As AI and analytics grow more sophisticated, this challenge will only intensify. More numbers, more reports, more potential overwhelm. What matters most is not collecting more data, but cultivating the wisdom to ask: What story is this data telling, and how do we act on it to improve learning?

Because at the end of the day, numbers don’t change education. Decisions do.

Poll for discussion: How does your organization primarily use educational data today?

Digital Natives or Digital Nomads? Rethinking How Students Use Tech

We’ve all heard the term “digital natives,” the idea that today’s students are born into technology, fluent in its use simply by growing up with it. But the reality is far more complex.

I’ve seen this in my own home. My two children are both Gen Z, only three years apart, and both grew up surrounded by technology. They were issued Chromebooks and iPads in school, and they’ve had smartphones since they were young.

And yet their approaches to technology couldn’t be more different.

My youngest took to it immediately, navigating apps, experimenting with tools, and embracing digital platforms for almost everything. I had to stop them from “powerwashing” and “rooting” their school Chromebook.

My oldest, on the other hand, still prefers paper and pencil. Notes, assignments, even brainstorming, it all happens offline. He has scores of notebooks he writes in. I’ll grab an old notebook for work and see it filled with recipes; He is now a professional baker.

Neither approach is better or worse, but it highlights an important truth: being part of a generation does not guarantee digital fluency. Proximity to technology isn’t the same as mastery, and comfort with one tool doesn’t mean readiness for another.

This matters in education. If we assume all students are “digital natives,” we risk overlooking the very real gaps in digital literacy, adaptability, and confidence. Some students may require additional support in learning to use technology critically and responsibly. Others may need guidance in balancing their reliance on digital tools with the focus and reflection that sometimes come more easily on paper.

That’s why I think of students less as digital natives and more as digital nomads. Each is navigating their own path through a vast technological landscape. Some settle easily into new tools, while others carry the familiar “maps” of older practices. Both approaches are valid—but both require intentional guidance.

For educators and designers, the takeaway is clear:

•  Don’t assume fluency. Assess it.
  
  
•  Provide choices that honor different learning preferences.
  
  
•  Teach not just how to use tools, but how to think about them.

The real goal isn’t to make every student a tech expert. It’s to help them become adaptable, thoughtful learners—capable of choosing when technology enhances their work, and when it’s better to reach for a notebook and a pen.

Posted to LinkedIn

Beyond Efficiency: Designing for Meaningful Learning in the Age of AI

When new technology enters education, the first selling point is often efficiency. Faster grading. Automated feedback. Streamlined workflows.

And efficiency matters; no one disputes that. But education’s mission has never been just about saving time. It’s about transformation. About helping learners grow in ways that go far beyond speed and convenience.

AI is bringing this tension into sharp focus. Yes, it can summarize readings, generate practice quizzes, or even draft assignments. But if we stop there, we risk reducing education to a checklist of tasks completed rather than a journey of growth.

When generative AI first became widely available, I had a flood of requests: “Put more AI in this.” Or the opposite: “Make my course AI-proof.” What struck me was that these requests rarely had clear direction, or even a shared definition of what “AI in education” should mean. The conversation was focused on efficiency and defense, not on purpose and pedagogy.

Meaningful learning requires more than efficiency, it requires purposeful design.

In my work with instructors, I’ve seen how this plays out. A teacher might ask: Should I use AI to grade essays more quickly? That’s one way to save time. But the better question is: How can I use that saved time to engage with my students more deeply? Efficiency should never be the end goal—it should be the means to richer, more human interactions.

Designing for meaningful learning with AI means:

•  Framing learning goals first. Start with what learners need to become, not just what tasks they need to complete.
  
  
•  Using AI as scaffolding, not shortcuts. Tools should support curiosity and exploration, not replace them.
  
  
•  Creating space for reflection. If AI speeds up some processes, we must reinvest that time in dialogue, critical thinking, and connection.

Efficiency makes classrooms smoother. Meaningful learning makes them unforgettable.

The real promise of AI in education is not automation, it’s amplification. Amplifying human creativity, curiosity, and connection. That only happens when we put pedagogy before productivity, purpose before speed.

The question for all of us isn’t how fast can we make education? It’s how deep, how transformative, and how meaningful can we make it with the tools now available?

Posted to LinkedIn

The Human Before the Digital: Why Tech Needs Empathy to Work in Education

When I was in college, I worked for a tutoring service that helped students with learning disabilities. I got to see firsthand how technology (in the late 1980s) could be used to overcome barriers and allow students to succeed. What stood out to me wasn’t the sophistication of the tools, by today’s standards, they were simple (some Macs and a shared printer), but the impact they had when paired with patience, encouragement, and empathy.

Every year, new technologies promise to “transform” education. From early computer labs to today’s AI-powered platforms, the tools have undergone significant changes. Yet one truth remains: technology alone does not improve learning. People do.

I’ve seen this play out across classrooms, training programs, and professional development. When schools adopt a “tech-first” approach, the results often fall short. A new platform rolls out, but teachers and students feel disconnected. Engagement drops, frustration rises, and the tool quietly fades into the background.

On the other hand, when educators lead with empathy, asking, What do my learners need? What challenges do they face? How can this tool help them succeed? The outcome is entirely different. Technology becomes a support, not a barrier.

Empathy-driven design transforms digital learning in three key ways:

• Accessibility: It ensures tools are inclusive, meeting learners where they are rather than expecting them to fit the tool.
  
  
• Relevance: It connects technology to real problems and authentic experiences, rather than novelty for novelty’s sake.
  
  
• Trust: It signals to students that their needs and voices matter, making them more willing to engage with new approaches.

I think back to one implementation I worked on, where the instinct was to push automation as the “solution.” But after talking with instructors, it became clear their real need wasn’t faster grading—it was more meaningful time with students. By reframing the design around empathy, we used the tech not to replace connection but to create space for it. That shift made all the difference.

The lesson is simple but powerful: technology amplifies what’s already there. Without empathy, it amplifies distance. With empathy, it amplifies connection.

As we step into an era where AI, VR, and analytics dominate the conversation, the real question isn’t what’s the next big tool? It’s how do we ensure humanity guides its use?

Because the future of education won’t be digital-first or human-first, it will be human through the digital.

Posted on LinkedIn

The Next Literacy: Teaching Students How to Ask Better Questions

 We live in an age where answers are abundant. With AI tools, search engines, and digital assistants, anyone can find a quick solution in seconds. The real challenge isn’t accessing information—it’s knowing what questions to ask in the first place.

This is why I believe the next great literacy in education will be the art of questioning.

When students learn to ask sharper, deeper questions, they unlock three essential skills:

Critical Thinking: A well-formed question reveals gaps in knowledge and pushes beyond surface learning.

Curiosity: Inquiry fuels engagement. A good question turns learning into a journey, not just a task.

Resilience: Questions often don’t have immediate answers, and sitting with that ambiguity builds problem-solving skills.

In my own teaching, I’ve seen this most clearly in courses on statistics and research design. Students often come in thinking the “hard part” will be running the calculations or mastering the software. But the real challenge is always the same: Did you ask the right research question?

If the question is poorly framed, even the most sophisticated analysis won’t produce useful insight. But if the question is well-constructed, clear, focused, and meaningful, then the answers, even if imperfect, move us forward. The setup matters more than the output.

This lesson applies far beyond the classroom. In professional contexts, entire projects succeed or fail not because of the brilliance of the final report, but because someone had the foresight to ask, “Are we even solving the right problem?”

In fact, the leaders who stand out aren’t those with the fastest answers, but those who can ask the questions no one else thought to ask. Those questions spark innovation, uncover blind spots, and lead to better decisions.

So how do we teach this literacy?

• Model curiosity in our own teaching and leadership.
• Design assessments that reward inquiry and exploration.
• Use technology, including AI, to show students how to refine their questions, not just how to chase easy answers.

In a time when certainty is cheap and information is endless, the rarest skill will be asking the questions that matter.

Because the future doesn’t belong to those who know all the answers, it belongs to those who ask the better questions.

Posted to LinkedIn

Practicing Intellectual Humility in a Polarized World

Here’s a paradox: the smarter we are, the harder it is to admit what we don’t know.

But intellectual humility, the willingness to say “I don’t know” or “I might be wrong,” is one of the strongest markers of true critical thinking. It creates space for learning, reduces defensiveness, and keeps dialogue open.

Humility doesn’t mean lacking confidence. It means recognizing the limits of our knowledge and staying open to new evidence. This is critical in today’s polarized world, where loud certainty often drowns out quiet truth. The danger isn’t disagreement, it’s the unwillingness to reconsider.

In classrooms and professional training, I’ve seen the power of modeling humility. When an instructor admits uncertainty and demonstrates how to find the answer, students learn two lessons at once:

 1. Knowledge is always growing. What’s true today may be refined tomorrow.

 2. It’s safe to question and explore. Learners feel empowered to test ideas rather than perform certainty.

The same applies in the workplace. Leaders who practice intellectual humility foster cultures where people feel safe to speak up, challenge assumptions, and innovate. By contrast, environments where being “right” is prized over being accurate tend to stagnate.

In an era where certainty is often performed louder than truth, humility is not weakness; it’s strength. The first step to wisdom is knowing the limits of our own knowledge.

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Poll on LinkedIn

Evidence-Based Reasoning: The Antidote to Opinion Overload

Opinions surround us. Social feeds are filled with them. But opinions are not evidence.

I used to tell my statistics students the same thing. “Opinions are fine, opinions are great, but in this class, everything needs to be supported by numbers and evidence.”

Evidence-based reasoning means weighing claims against facts, not just feelings. It’s the discipline of asking: What data supports this? How strong is that data? What’s the counterevidence?

The challenge is that opinions are often easier to consume than evidence. They’re short, emotional, and persuasive. Evidence, on the other hand, requires patience. It asks us to examine quality, not just quantity. A hundred likes on a post doesn’t make it true. A peer-reviewed study with clear methodology is far more valuable than a viral anecdote.

When teaching or designing learning, I often model this by taking a controversial claim and walking through the reasoning process:

• What evidence supports it?
• What evidence challenges it?
• How do we weigh both sides?

This exercise doesn’t just sharpen logic, it builds resilience against the lure of easy answers. Because in complex worlds, the simplest answer isn’t always the truest one.

The workplace needs this skill just as much as the classroom. Decisions based only on opinion—whether in hiring, strategy, or innovation, can lead to costly missteps. Teams that ground their choices in evidence are more likely to adapt, succeed, and earn trust.

Evidence is the compass. Reasoning is the journey. And in a noisy world of competing voices, that combination is what keeps us oriented toward truth.

Posted to LinkedIn

Evaluating Information Sources in a Misinformation Era

 The internet democratized knowledge, and with it, misinformation. Anyone can publish anything. That’s both empowering and dangerous.

Critical thinking requires more than just absorbing content; it demands evaluating where that content comes from. Who’s the author? What’s their expertise? Is the claim supported by multiple credible sources, or only by echo chambers?

Back when I was teaching research design and statistics, I would often take a claim from the popular press and have my students examine it. It did this for undergrads and post-doctoral students alike; it is a fundamental skill. 

This is where I encourage learners to practice “source triage” a simple but powerful framework for separating fact from fiction:

•  Check the origin. Is the source trustworthy? Was it published by a reputable outlet, institution, or subject matter expert?
•  Cross-verify. Can the claim be confirmed elsewhere, ideally across different types of sources? A single viral post is not enough.
•  Contextualize. Every source has a perspective. Ask: what’s the agenda, what’s missing, and what assumptions are shaping this narrative?

These steps may sound straightforward, but in practice, they take discipline. Misinformation often appeals to emotion; it tells us what we want to believe. That’s why unverified memes spread faster than peer-reviewed research. Critical thinkers must slow down, step back, and examine the scaffolding that supports a claim.

And this isn’t just an academic issue. In the workplace, poor source evaluation leads to costly mistakes: acting on unverified market data, misjudging trends based on hype, or making policy decisions from a single anecdote. The skill of weighing sources is as vital in business as it is in the classroom.

Without these habits, even the most intelligent learners and professionals are vulnerable to manipulation. In a world of endless information, the source often matters more than the story.

This post is also cross-posted onto LinkedIn.

Teaching Students to Ask Better Questions

The most powerful skill in critical thinking isn’t having the right answer, it’s asking the right question.

When I work with learners, I remind them that every question is a lever. A small shift in phrasing can move a mountain of misunderstanding. Instead of asking “Is this true?” we should ask “How do I know this is true?” That subtle difference transforms passive acceptance into active investigation.

Asking better questions changes the role of the learner. Instead of being consumers of information, they become investigators, pulling at threads and testing connections. “What assumptions are being made here?” “Who benefits if I believe this?” “What evidence would change my mind?” These aren’t just academic exercises; they’re habits of thought that protect us in a world of misinformation.

Good questioning builds curiosity, uncovers bias, and prevents us from mistaking confidence for credibility. Imagine how different online discourse would look if every viral claim had to pass through the filter of “What’s the evidence?” before gaining traction.

The workplace values this skill just as much as the classroom. Teams that ask sharper questions innovate faster, solve problems more creatively, and make better decisions. In leadership, the ability to probe beyond the surface often matters more than having quick answers.

We don’t need more answers; we need sharper questions. And teaching this skill may be one of the most important investments we can make in education today.

View this post on LinkedIn.

The Case for Critical Thinking in a Post-Truth World

We live in an age where information is everywhere, but wisdom is scarce. A quick scroll online will show you communities still arguing that the Earth is flat, or that the moon landings never happened. These aren’t just quirky debates; they’re symptoms of a deeper problem: a lack of critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking is more than fact-checking. It’s the disciplined process of analyzing, questioning, and connecting information. It’s knowing how to evaluate sources, spot fallacies, and recognize when emotion is trying to disguise itself as evidence. In education, this is not an “extra skill.” It’s a survival skill.

Here’s what I’ve seen work in classrooms and training programs:

• Teach students how to ask better questions. Not just “Is this true?” but “How do I know this is true?”
• Use real-world examples of misinformation. Show how conspiracy theories gain traction and why they feel persuasive.
• Practice evidence-based reasoning. Learners should weigh claims against data, not just opinions.
• Reward intellectual humility. Admitting “I don’t know” is the first step toward learning.

If we want graduates who can thrive in the modern workplace and citizens who can navigate democracy responsibly, we need to make critical thinking a cornerstone of learning. Otherwise, the loudest voices online will continue to drown out the most informed ones.

The truth is out there. But finding it requires skill.

Poll: Which critical thinking skill do you believe is most urgent to teach today?