iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Honestly, a prominent spelling error on the AI memo is just bad writing. It's too on-the-nose. We've got to replace the showrunner for this season, because they are really jumping the shark.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I learned as an adult that my mother believed I was going to go to seminary and be a preacher when I was growing up. I was blown away and laughed so hard... But now, every so often... I am editing our podcast and I hear it. Yeah mom, it indeed could've gone that way.

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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Shot: "We asked 37 top academics and researchers who study education to rate a range of ideas for both effectiveness and cost, on a scale of 1 to 7." Chaser: "The panel included: Dominique Baker..." LOL y'all I read so many papers to complete this survey on k12 www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

nytimes.com

30 Ideas for Fixing U.S. Schools, Ranked by Experts

Math and reading scores are in a decade-long slump. We asked three dozen experts: What could turn things around?

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Man... Walker is just such an incredible get for the Kansas City offense. What a strong runner. I would hate to line up across from that man.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

This is it right here. Heuristic judgements in contexts when the intellectual shortcuts are simply not justified.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

#AcademicSky #EduSky Is anyone particularly up-to-date on Cognitive Load Theory? What's the state of critiques these days? Are there any good (recent) citations for whether CLT is still appropriate for practitioner consideration based on current knowledge?

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Man... The Packers look awful. I'm not sure this team has ever played together before at all. So out of sync.

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Matt Seybold @mattseybold.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Okay, so I think AI detection is a bad strategy in education for a variety of reasons, starting with the fact that it's a tool that breaks solidarity between students & teachers. It aligns professors with for-profit tech companies against naughty students. I don't like that dynamic. 1/4

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I listen to a lot of metal, and honestly... this is absolutely incredible. Made my night at about 1:43. Thanks for sharing Karen.

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Iris van Rooij 💭 @irisvanrooij.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"Please Don't Use AI for Reviews" -- by @ffassnacht.bsky.social (repost from LinkedIN)

This goes out to everyone but particularly also to early stage researchers:

Please do not use AI if you get invited for review papers for a scientific journal. There are several critical problems related to this: 1. It is not allowed to upload unpublished work to LMMs (copyright problems) 2. Be aware - editors will in 98% of the cases know that you used AI and it leaves a very bad impression on you 3. Be aware that editors would be perfectly capable to ask a LLM themselves if they would be interested AI's opinion. 4. An AI-review will force the editor to invite another reviewer and delay the process heavily. 5. Trust in your own capabilities - conducting reviews is actually also a good way to learn. Even a statement like "I cannot follow your thoughts in this section" may be helpful advice to the authors to improve their work. AI will not give such advice and is typically also not great at spotting problems in the experimental set-up.

So please - if you do not have the time to really review a manuscript or you are not capable of reviewing the manuscript adequately, just decline the invitation. Thanks!

AI-free artwork created in MS paint.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Can confirm. I swear to Crockett my second born has read her entire school library already. Literally the whole thing. Here she is reading at dinner as I type this.

Over the shoulder photo of a kid reading a Kindle in a restaurant.

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Joshua Goodman @joshua-goodman.com · 22/09/2026

Excited to present an overview of our prior work on "Heat and Learning" and on new work on "Air Pollution and Learning". Join us by Zoom! Grateful for the opportunity @edsustainable.bsky.social is providing to have these discussions at the intersection of environmental and education policy.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I just finished the analysis for my first preregistered study, and let me tell you... I might be hooked. Preregistering studies is pretty great, I guess.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Not only is it incredibly common, but caregiving is significantly associated with things like school engagement and sense of belonging. We covered this a couple years ago in a collab with the awesome School Spirits podcast if you'd like to learn more: twopintplc.com/podcast-epis...

twopintplc.com

082 Stimulus Complexity & Student Caregiving - Podcast Episodes - Two Pint PLC

A collaborative episode with the School Spirits podcast on the impact of stimulus complexity & student caregiving responsibilities.

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Stephen Nuñez @socio-steve.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Gotta check for accuracy and I can definitely clean up the headers and such but this is pretty good start for less than an hour of work.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Show Harrison the door. Seriously.

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Simon Kuestenmacher @simongerman600.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

This amazing little tool simply draws all streets in any city you want. As examples here are the town I grew up in (20k residents) and the city I live in (5M residents). Have a play with it. The exported screenshots make great desktop backgrounds. Source: buff.ly/2uht4vJ

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I've gotten about 10 hours into Star Wars Zero Company, which is basically XCOM in a galaxy far far away. I certainly have my thoughts on the technical and strategic design of the game... but the vibes are right. It is so much fun to play because the vibes are right. They understand the fiction.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I have hosted a podcast about reading and discussing papers for 10 years. This is a bad future. Good papers tell you what you need to know, often before you realize it. If I only get answers to the questions I already want to ask... my ability to learn from those papers will diminish. #AcademicSky

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Incredible news today to learn CAUSE has been named a finalist for a Metropolis Planet Positive Award for Innovation in Research for 2026. What an amazing project and a genuine honor to see it recognized in this way. #AcademicSky

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

using longitudinal PSAT data on nearly 10 million U.S. high school students... A year of observed pollution exposure reduces learning by 0.04-0.06 standard deviations, or 14-19% of typical annual score growth. The damage comes almost entirely from moderate pollution days www.nber.org/papers/w35670

nber.org

Air Pollution and Learning

Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I am an educator trained in quantitative research who now studies the performance of school design. I work as a Senior Design Researcher for DLR Group as an education specialist. Check out how design research fits within an integrated services firm: www.dlrgroup.com/design-resea...

dlrgroup.com

Design Research

Design research underpins our firm's work, helping clients confidently guide, make, and measure impact with credible insights and data.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I produce and co-host an education research podcast that releases new episodes on the 12th of every month. We started season 10 with guest host @dccmath.bsky.social talking about approaches to grading & the impact of even brief training in note-taking. #EduSky twopintplc.com/podcast-epis...

twopintplc.com

115 Collaborative Grading & Deep Notetaking - Podcast Episodes - Two Pint PLC

David Clark joins to discuss collaborative grading approaches and training students in metacognitive note taking.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Okay, so... so far... offense looks a little better than last year.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Hey, how'd dem Cowboys do tonight?

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

It's true. A remarkable amount of my career can probably be traced back to me asking some version of "Where did that number come from?" in various contexts.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

This game has been a mess... But what a block. Well done young man.

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Institute for Replication @i4replication.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

1/ What is the prevalence of personally identifiable information (PII) in author-collected data publicly shared in the social sciences? We audited 327 replication packages from 11 leading journals in economics, political science, and psychology Answer: surprisingly high 🧵

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

A legendary artist and a paragon of humanity. Speak of her often, and always speak first of how she was a wonderful person.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Reading today's paper has confirmed for me that, if I were to do a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, I would probably examine class structures/grading systems. I LOVE reading papers about people's class structures and grading systems.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

One top paper of Season 9 was a study of motivational messages before exams. Encourage students! It is that simple. Motivational messages did some good before assessment. Find an authentic way you can reassure students to improve their performance. #EduSky www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.com

Motivational messages from teachers before exams: Links to intrinsic motivation, engagement, and academic performance

This mixed-method study explored teachers' motivational messages before exams and their impact on students' intrinsic motivation, engagement, and acad…

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Hands down one of my favorite things about doing this podcast has been that I have excuses to reconnect with friends and colleagues each month as I have random thoughts while reading these papers. 10 out of 10. Reach out to that person.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Optimist: The cup is half full. Pessimist: The cup is half empty. Design Researcher: The client asked for a ladle.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

See also: "this randomized controlled trial.... [found] Students who used ChatGPT scored significantly lower on the retention test.... AI assistance may ease initial learning, it appears to undermine the effortful processes needed for robust learning" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.com

ChatGPT as a cognitive crutch: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial on knowledge retention

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence into higher education has outpaced empirical understanding of its effects on fundamental l…

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I produce and cohost an education research podcast that releases episodes on the 12th of every month. This month is our annual review of the most noteworthy papers of Season 9! Check out the best of motivation, feedback, and evaluation. #EduSky twopintplc.com/podcast-epis...

twopintplc.com

114 Season 9 in Review - Podcast Episodes - Two Pint PLC

A look back at top research of the year, including the importance of philosophical coherence and grading practices.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Installed a higher power laser in my workshop last weekend (got a UV laser - great fun). I've been having trouble getting my existing software to run laser cuts (instead of engraving)... Today I discovered Rayforge! Where have you been all my life?!? rayforge.org

rayforge.org

Free Open Source Laser Cutter Software | Rayforge

Rayforge is free open-source laser cutter and engraving software for GRBL-based machines. Design with AI, simulate in 3D, and control your laser — the LightBurn alternative.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Investments in school facilities ARE NOT separate from investments in learning.

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Michael Ralph @michaelcralph.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

My child won the family game of Pitch at her aunt's house and then had a book talk about her read thus far of Farenheit 451. Other child put together most of a business plan for her start up this weekend. Sitting here quietly beaming with pride on the ol parenting front this evening.

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Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

US scientists: Going into fall 26, how are you thinking about things? Following Fall 24 events and a tumultuous spring 25, I remember a convo with a colleague in which we agreed we just needed to wait things out until fall 25 and we'd have some clarity about the landscape (eg for funding). /1

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Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

The evidence about AI in education remains terrible as a basis for policy or practice. As schools in some places come back from summer next week (oh Scotland it's too early), here's a wee roundup on just how truly woefully AIED research has stood up and why educators shouldn't call on it 1/

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