What about LaPlace's Demon??

Just in case you're curious...

Random readings in philosophy and physics brought LaPlace's Demon to my attention. Simply put
"In the history of science, Laplace's demon is a hypothetical "demon" envisioned in 1814 by Pierre-Simon Laplace such that if it knew the precise location and momentum of every atom in the universe then it could use Newton's laws to reveal the entire course of cosmic events, past and future."
(from "LaPlace's Demon" on Wikipedia)

The existence of both the ability and such a being is both terrifying and oddly appealing. I'm not so sure that I'd want that much knowledge...or the responsibilty and dread that would accompany it.

We learn better together

I just attended a celebration to commemorate a year's worth of success in our campus mentoring program. Individuals who are dedicated to improving teaching have worked diligently to assist both experienced and inexperienced instructors in refining their craft and supporting students. These are skills that can't be learned from a book, and working in the isolation of the classroom with only periodic student evaluations can't possibly provide the feedback to drive improvement. It must by dialogic, it must be reflective, and it must be directed at figuring out what makes the greatest difference for student achievement.