Category: Technology

Who do smartphone bans actually work for? A view from a different research perspective

Smartphones are disappearing from schools worldwide. Sometimes completely, sometimes partially. According to UNESCO, many education systems have, in recent years, decided to limit or ban their use. This is also becoming a reality closer to home, in Flanders and the Netherlands. Various reasons are cited. In France, the original aim was to protect teachers’ privacy.… Read More Who do smartphone bans actually work for? A view from a different research perspective

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AI lesson planning: this study shows a problem, but not the right one

Do AI tools create better lesson plans than teachers? Many educators would instinctively answer ‘no’. Some will hope ‘not yet’.  But I think: is that actually the right question to ask? A recent study by Trust and colleagues seems to confirm the simple negative answer. The researchers asked ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot to generate more… Read More AI lesson planning: this study shows a problem, but not the right one

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AI broke our exams. Are oral exams the fix? Hold your horses…

There is something irresistible about solutions that feel both old and new at the same time. Oral exams, for example. Centuries old, once the norm, then largely abandoned, and now suddenly back in the spotlight. Not out of nostalgia, but out of necessity. Since the rise of generative AI, a familiar reflex keeps popping up:… Read More AI broke our exams. Are oral exams the fix? Hold your horses…

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Everyone Uses Everyone in the Manosphere

I have been a fan of Louis Theroux for a long time, and of his brother as well. Since his early documentaries, he has had a rare way of working: friendly, almost naïve in appearance, yet remarkably persistent. He asks questions that sound simple, but are often difficult to avoid answering. So when his new… Read More Everyone Uses Everyone in the Manosphere

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AI fatigue: I’m Getting a Little Tired of AI

Artificial intelligence is everywhere. That will not surprise anyone. Large language models such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini or Claude have quickly become part of our daily digital landscape. Students use them. Teachers use them. Policymakers use them. And those who don’t sometimes feel a subtle pressure to at least give them a try. I… Read More AI fatigue: I’m Getting a Little Tired of AI

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Why 89% positive studies on AI in education actually tell us very little

I remain cautious about AI in education and, for now, also about the research around it. Not because I am against AI, but for a different reason. A recent review by Edison Marino Cerón Salazar and Diana Carolina Burbano González helps to explain why. At first glance, the conclusion looks impressive. As many as 89%… Read More Why 89% positive studies on AI in education actually tell us very little

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Why MrBeast Gets Education Wrong (A Short Rant About a Familiar Myth)

I have to be careful now, as some of my kids used to be fans of MrBeast, but what he’s saying in this video, which I found in this tweet, is close to complete nonsense. I’ll ignore the learning styles claim he casually throws in. No, you are not a visual learner. That discussion is… Read More Why MrBeast Gets Education Wrong (A Short Rant About a Familiar Myth)

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The $65,000 AI School, Revisited: Inside the AI Classroom That Promised Too Much

When I ranted last year about the two-hour school day that costs $65,000, I assumed, or better, I hoped, I was reacting to the usual hype cycle. Big promises. Glossy videos. Confident founders. And that familiar “schools are broken, we fixed them” vibe. What I did not have back then was a detailed look at… Read More The $65,000 AI School, Revisited: Inside the AI Classroom That Promised Too Much

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Funny on Sunday: A Gift From The Geeks

Found this cartoon here. Check here for more Funny on Sunday.

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The digital divide is often not where we think it is

The digital divide – and its effect on reading – is often framed as a question of access. Those with fewer resources have fewer devices and less bandwidth. Those with more resources have more technology. It sounds simple. Too simple. And it ignores a common mistake in how we think about inequality called Gap Thinking.… Read More The digital divide is often not where we think it is

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