Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 5d

I wrote a short piece for the Observer on the attacks in Manchester.

observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

My son recently found a swastika drawn on the pavement at...

The Manchester attack didn't come as a shock. The only surprise is it hasn’t happened sooner

observer.co.uk

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Pedro De Bruyckere @thebandb.bsky.social · 7d

The end of the illusion: Microsoft punctures its own medical AI hype

Microsoft’s own research shows that medical AI models like GPT-5 often achieve high benchmark scores for the wrong reasons, relying on shortcuts and fabricated reasoning. theeconomyofmeaning.com/2025/10/01/t...

The end of the illusion? Microsoft punctures its own medical AI hype

Learn how Microsoft research reveals the gaps in medical AI benchmarks and the failures of popular models like GPT-5.

theeconomyofmeaning.com

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Becky Allen @profbeckyallen.bsky.social · 11d

New on 100% Assessment Substack: Target Grades - Useful or Unhelpful? 100assessment.substack.com/p/target-gra... @head-teach.bsky.social

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Pedro De Bruyckere @thebandb.bsky.social · 18d

For AI, “almost safe” is not safe enough

OpenAI & Apollo cut hidden AI misbehaviour from 13% to under 1%. Impressive? Yes. Sufficient? Absolutely not. For AI, ‘almost safe’ will never be safe enough. theeconomyofmeaning.com/2025/09/20/f...

For AI, “almost safe” is not safe enough

Explore AI safety and deceptive behaviour in recent studies that reveal critical insights about AI misbehavior and covert actions.

theeconomyofmeaning.com

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Tom Rogers @rogershistory.bsky.social · 20d

New podcast version of my @ttradioofficial.bsky.social show Monday: SEND policy in Europe, Personal development in schools >>> teacherstalkradio.podbean.com/e/send-polic...

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Mike Hobbiss @mikehobbiss.bsky.social · 28d

“wisdom which will encourage you to think more deeply about learning, rather than just creating ‘lessons’.”

Such lovely recent feedback for www.amazon.co.uk/How-Teach-Ps...

This was exactly what @paulclinepsy.bsky.social and I were hoping to achieve.

#UKEd
#Edusky

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Katie Finlayson @learnwhatyoulive.bsky.social · Sep 6

Session 4: @thebandb.bsky.social on the sober side of AI. A really clear articulation of what AI and LLMs do - and don’t - and what we might want to worry about. A lot that coincides with my own thinking on this and that I am very glad to see others are considering.

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Mike Hobbiss @mikehobbiss.bsky.social · Sep 6

@profcoe.bsky.social and Raj Chande at #REd25 There are a *small* number of teachers who we can currently say are statistically (with 95% confidence) better or worse than average for student results… but even the ‘best’ teachers have individual classes who have negative progress, and vice versa!

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Paul Cline @paulclinepsy.bsky.social · Sep 4

Looking forward to another great day at rED#25 on Saturday - session timetable, as ever, making it hard to choose!
If you'd like to hear how @mikehobbiss.bsky.social and I have tried to taken an evidence-informed approach to developing independent learners, come and see us in M20 for session 3!

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Katie Finlayson @learnwhatyoulive.bsky.social · Sep 3

Really pleased to see this level of interrogation into an issue that is more complex than headline soundbites often give credit to. I'd recommend anyone who is or will be involved with teenagers - in school or as a parent - reads it.

Jon Severs @jonsevers.bsky.social · Sep 3

📢Is Jonathan Haidt right about smartphones and screens?

Months of research and interviews (including with Haidt) went into this investigation.

Critics are clear Haidt has gone beyond the data; he says he's speaking the truth.

You decide who's right.

www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

Is Jonathan Haidt right about smartphones?

In ‘The Anxious Generation’, Haidt makes the case that social media and smartphones have ‘rewired’ today’s teenagers, but his critics say the evidence tells us something very different - and that bann...

www.tes.com

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Katie Finlayson @learnwhatyoulive.bsky.social · Aug 29

Repost of this one - @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social and I chatting about home education, why people deregister, what the benefits of home educating are, and how the fundamental structure of school is, when you think about it, a little bit weird.

teacherstalkradio.podbean.com/e/what-can-w...

What can we learn from home schooling?: The Late Show with Ben White | Teachers Talk Radio

Ben White is joined by Katie Finlayson for a thoughtful conversation about home education. With 15 years of experience educating her own children—and supporting thousands of families across the UK—Kat...

teacherstalkradio.podbean.com

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Aug 29

Really enjoyed this - left me with lots to think about!

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David Didau @didau.bsky.social · Aug 2

NEW: Why beliefs about free will matter
We praise students for making good choices as if every child had equal access to self-control, foresight & calm.
But free will isn’t a level playing field. It’s a skill. And schools can either build it, or punish its absence.
open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...

Why beliefs about free will matter in education

After a short break, It’s Your Time You’re Wasting is back!

open.substack.com

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

7. Our response reflects who we are.

“It’s frankly pretty scary when you’ve watched a large language model do something you used to think you were brilliant at.” “The people finding this most difficult are questioning their own intellectual identity.”

7/8

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

6. This isn’t a fad — it’s structural disruption.

“The increase in productivity… is on a scale I didn’t believe was possible.” But hype around speed of change is exaggerated. “This is a 20-year thing, not a 2-year thing.”

AI is already changing how white-collar work gets done.

6/8

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

5. A viable “AI chat buddy” is coming — especially for language based subjects.

“In the very near future, we’ll get to the point where there’s a free or very cheap kind of chat buddy that students can use to get help with their homework.”

6/8

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

4. A number of young people are worried about their future.

“Both of my children have very negative views about large language models… I think they worry about the future.”

Coders, illustrators, lawyers, accountants could be the modern equivalent of typing pools quite soon.
5/8

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

3. AI - It’s brilliant — for learning or avoiding learning.

“If you want to use it to help you avoid learning, it’s also brilliant..It’s very easy to just..produce the work with minimum effort.”

AI makes learning easier — but faking learning easier still. That’s the real schooling dilemma. 4/8

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

2. To think clearly, step outside the school frame.

“When you think about AI, the best thing to do is just start by thinking about learning in a situation that’s not a school.”

AI already supports real learning — if you’re motivated and self-directed. But, schools aren’t starting from there…(3/8)

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

1. AI will probably change what happens in schools.

“To anyone who thinks this is just a fad… I can promise you that it already is [changing] when it comes to all white-collar jobs.”

AI isn’t just a classroom question. It’s reshaping the world schools work in prepare students for.

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

Enjoyed interviewing @profbeckyallen.bsky.social for @ttradioofficial.bsky.social on AI and Schooling last month. The discussion threw up lots to think about (1/8)

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

We also explored assessment theory, homework, and why schools (and teachers) will remain a fundamentally important regardless of the impact of AI…

Hear the whole episode on Apple, Podbean, Spotify or YouTube via the catalogue below (Episode 6) docs.google.com/document/d/1...

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Classroom Chronicles Catalogue

Show 1: With teacher, school leader and author Martin Griffin In this show, Martin shares thoughts on the powerful role stories and storytelling plays in schools. We also explore the importance of ‘t...

docs.google.com

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

7. Our response reflects who we are.

“It’s frankly pretty scary when you’ve watched a large language model do something you used to think you were brilliant at.” “The people finding this most difficult are questioning their own intellectual identity.”

7/8

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

6. This isn’t a fad — it’s structural disruption.

“The increase in productivity… is on a scale I didn’t believe was possible.” But hype around speed of change is exaggerated. “This is a 20-year thing, not a 2-year thing.”

AI is already changing how white-collar work gets done.

6/8

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Ben White @benwhitewaldenkent.bsky.social · Jul 16

5. A viable “AI chat buddy” is coming — especially for language based subjects.

“In the very near future, we’ll get to the point where there’s a free or very cheap kind of chat buddy that students can use to get help with their homework.”

6/8

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