Benjamin Riley

theverge.comOur minds aren’t equipped to handle AIAI is junk food for the mind: easy, tempting and ultimately very bad for you.

I'm again grateful to @theverge.com for publishing my newest long-form essay on the limits of the computational model of the mind, the benefits of understanding both biological and cultural evolution to explain human thinking, and the danger of cognitive hot dogs in education.

artologica.substack.comThe Slop is Creeping InFor the love of art, resist!

now

“I get that AI is quick and easy. But people in the arts should know better than to use it. Arts organizations opting for images that exclude humanity are like trees that yearn to become ax handles. Art people, can you at the very least try not to actively participate in your own destruction?”

Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net

I went off on AI use in the arts 😠

now

(Quote slightly paraphrased to meet character limit)

How about a little thread to provide some context for @larryferlazzo.bsky.social's cryptic comment here, shall we? It's a fairly low-level matter, but speaks to the ethical rot that permeates throughout Alpha School. And connects to Direct Instruction and @ehanford.bsky.social's podcast. THREAD:

Larry Ferlazzo@larryferlazzo.bsky.social

Based on @benjaminjriley.bsky.social ‘s amazing investigative work, tbe question is not “Who on what appears to be the new eduTwitter works for Alpha School?” The real question is “Who DOESN’T work for Alpha School?”

View full thread

youtube.comJoe's Session 2 Academic UpdateYouTube video by Alpha School

As noted in that last tweet of mine, I must go fry bigger fish. But right now, anyone who advocates for Direct Instruction or direct instruction should be asked -- do you have a relationship with Alpha School? Because Joe Liemandt, the CEO, is a big fan of @ehanford.bsky.social podcast.

I have reached out to @ehanford.bsky.social for comment. Intriguingly, she emailed me last week in response to my essay, saying "I think if you listen, you might be surprised." I still don't plan to listen, and nothing suprises me anymore. But I will report how she responds to Alpha's warm embrace.

Larry Ferlazzo@larryferlazzo.bsky.social

View full thread

A source within Alpha confirmed for me that Olivia was visible in the internal Slack communications channels. So, even though I have far more important matters, I popped over to Twitter and put the question to Olivia directly: Does she have a relationship with Alpha School? Part one:

But then finally she admitted what I already knew -- that she indeed contracts with Alpha School. Once again, a fact kept hiddent until forced into the light.

Larry Ferlazzo@larryferlazzo.bsky.social

View full thread

omullins.substack.comIntroducing a Collection of Experiential Studies Demonstrating the Importance of Content and Literacy Integration for Reading ComprehensionThank you to Karen Vaites from the Curriculum Insight Project for her feedback and contributions to this piece.

This morning, I found a comment on my Substack from Olivia Mullins. I honestly don't remember what it said, because her sudden appearance was a yellow flag -- this looked like Alpha Beta behavior. So I checked out her Substack to find out who she was. And saw this immediately:

So, right away I banned Olivia from Substack. Recently, @karenvaites.bsky.social unethically hid from me her relatiobship with Alpha School -- was the same thing really happening twice? Readers, it was.

Larry Ferlazzo@larryferlazzo.bsky.social

Yesterday, I had to go to the bad place to do some investigating of Alpha and its supporters. I noticed this woman was engaging in debate with some of my friends there, about Direct Instruction. I didn't pay attention other than to think, why waste the time?

notesonhope.netHolding onto the Stone and the SandLearning with and for each other

“As we learn, we move between the experience of retreating into our own thoughts and reemerging to test our thinking in the world. And, in doing so, we learn to engage meaningfully as participants in social and democratic ecosystems that depend on each of us but are bigger than any one of us.”

Alicia Stoller@aliciastoller.bsky.social

When we create tunnels of solitary tasks and achievements for kids, untethered from community, we may find that some learning moves faster. But I don’t think we can truly call these tunnels education. In every way, education should enlarge rather than shrink our perspective and our participation.

walterveit.substack.comPetition to Include Cephalopods as Animals Deserving of Humane TreatmentDownload PDF of Petition

The push to treat octopuses and squids and cuttlefish humanely in research is worthy on its own, but scroll down to section VI for a wonderful primer on how these fascinating creatures live. And so many beautiful pictures of them, too.

Dr. Walter Veit@walterveit.bsky.social

Today's newsletter post: Petition to Include Cephalopods as Animals Deserving of Humane Treatment. (please share) walterveit.substack.com/p/petition-t...

I'm beyond excited to deliver this public lecture on What Makes Us Human this Friday, especially because it pays tribute to three brilliant women: @melaniemitchell.bsky.social @celiaheyes.bsky.social @aliciastoller.bsky.social Free to all! Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

youtu.beJoe's Session 2 Academic UpdateYouTube video by Alpha School

Well. Here’s Joe Liemandt, CEO of Alpha School, from just a few days ago, hyping @ehanford.bsky.social on Sold a Story 2. (Minute 2:45) “A great podcast if you care about learning science and how Alpha’s system works, and how it’s just so effective” youtu.be/uPMScL_EMns?...

Hey @ehanford.bsky.social as you predicted, I am indeed surprised! Do you agree with the CEO of Alpha School that what they are doing accords with your reporting?

buildcognitiveresonance.substack.comIndex to The Alpha FileRepository for Cognitive Resonance’s investigative reporting on Alpha School

10h

@ehanford.bsky.social I’m sure you’ve been busy promoting your podcast, so the complete overview to my reporting on Alpha School can be found here. I’ll also reach out via email. buildcognitiveresonance.substack.com/p/the-alpha-...

youtu.beJoe's Session 2 Academic UpdateYouTube video by Alpha School

This amazing video ends with Joe Liemandt hyping Alpha’s partnerships with MIT and Harvard. The scandal octopus threatens to overwhelm me, but I will not be overwhelmed.

Benjamin Riley@benjaminjriley.bsky.social

youtu.beJoe's Session 2 Academic UpdateYouTube video by Alpha School

“We have some of the best direct instruction people in the world who are part of the Alpha team” Amazing

youtu.beJoe's Session 2 Academic UpdateYouTube video by Alpha School

@covingtonedu.bsky.social @mraleosays.bsky.social the video is worth your time!

@karenvaites.bsky.social another invitation to comment! I’ll wait.

youtu.beJoe's Session 2 Academic UpdateYouTube video by Alpha School

@biblioracle.bsky.social and now this

nytimes.comWhat Happened to the Neanderthals? (Gift Article)Scientists now know that they shared many of the sophisticated abilities of Homo sapiens. So why are we the only humans left standing?

18h

Every day the NYT deems one story “The Great Read” and this one? This is a great read.

18h

“Culture doesn’t fossilize” is a phrase I’ve heard in paleoanthropological circles — yes, I dabble — and while that frustrates many, it also allows us to wonder about our human ancestors and how they lived. I find that activity joyous myself.

19h

We are on day three of @karenvaites.bsky.social maintaining radio silence in the face of my reporting on activities at Alpha School that deprived children of their potbelly life saving medical devices. Cat has acquired a tongue it seems.

Benjamin Riley@benjaminjriley.bsky.social

Yesterday I asked new Alpha School employee @karenvaites.bsky.social to respond to my reporting on Alpha School confiscating medical supplies, including epi-pens, from its high school students after sending them into the Texas wilderness. Usually she’s quick to respond on social media. Crickets now!

18h

*potentially, not potbelly, though I’m developing the latter due to reporting rather than exercising

20h

This is true even in matters as seemingly mundane as education policy. A new Chilean government Minister of Ed networks with Milei in Argentina who reaches out to Sir Nick Gibb in England who travels with Carl Hendrick to Austin to visit Alpha School. Ask me how I know. (Don’t, actually, busy)

Tressie McMillan Cottom@tressiemcphd.bsky.social

I'm going to try to do this cleanly. Today's right wing governments are networked to each other. Those networks are well-documented. You can read about them in books. Following the elections in one node of that network is good practice for understanding the U.S. node.

buildcognitiveresonance.substack.comMy mental model of effective instructionPLUS: Forthcoming public lecture on what makes us human; and Curious Questions, a new podcast on AI in education

Earlier today, I weighed in on the Great Instructional Debates of 2026 by sharing my mental model of effective instruction. You can make of it what you will, but make sure to check the reflective and insightful comment left by @biblioracle.bsky.social about his own teaching.

Includes shout outs to @dylanpkane.bsky.social @mpershan.bsky.social @ddmeyer.bsky.social @aliciastoller.bsky.social @cultofpedagogy.bsky.social @dsrussosusan.bsky.social and others who have influenced the pedagogy I practice

And as promised @annieabrams.bsky.social and @jennbinis.bsky.social I hope this at least makes my perspective on scripts clearer, even if we disagree on what they entail

buildcognitiveresonance.substack.comMy mental model of effective instructionPLUS: Forthcoming public lecture on what makes us human; and Curious Questions, a new podcast on AI in education

That is quite the thumbnail for a post that is really about gentle if structured pedagogy.

Another vital thread on learning from what just happened in Brazil. Mass action in 2026 requires navigating our new (and polluted) information ecosystem. We must defeat techno-fascism by redirecting the power of its tools.

Bruno Dies@brunodias.dev

Genuinely I don't know that it comes across to people who haven't been here to watch how almost unbelievable this was, just people taking something that looked impossible and dragging it kicking and screaming all the way to inevitability.

The Left is learning. This thread makes for essential reading on how Brazilians used technology in service of mass action to counter the techno-fascist Right.

Rafa Sales Ross@rafiews.com

I’m not a political journalist, so was gladly surprised at the community I found here last night. To Americans anxious about the upcoming elections, a key thing we learned in Brazil that might help you: DO NOT engage with the far-right online. Don’t share rage bait. Amplify your people. Ignore them.

Sunday morning dilemma: start a new and surely excellent book written by my friend @davekarpf.bsky.social, or continue reading the extraordinary one by @matthewcobb.bsky.social, who I’m hoping to soon befriend?

I’m sad to report that my reading time was rudely interrupted by @biblioracle.bsky.social as we had some kvetching to do

It’s come to my attention that while I was failing to read either of the books I planned to read, the author of one of the books ran his first marathon. @davekarpf.bsky.social can you confirm?

A question that I recur to daily nowadays.

Benjamin Riley@benjaminjriley.bsky.social

Also @karenvaites.bsky.social, care to comment on my reporting that students in Alpha High went on a three-day trip and had all medical supplies confiscated, including epi-pens for some? You expressed concern about Adam Boxer’s single tweet, I invite your reaction to what I’ve reported.

This is insane. @mpolikoff.bsky.social you are not insane. But I am stunned to see this. Perhaps you can make your new boss aware of my reporting? Because if he is aware and still chose to post this now, I have no words. John Arnold is the head of the Arnold Foundation. Made his $$ from Enron.

x.comJohn Arnold (@johnarnold) on XAlpha School is following the Gartman Hype Cycle. Expectations peaked early 2026. Today, there is increasing skepticism. The important question is not where they are today but where they will be in a ...

Link to original tweet and follow ups: x.com/johnarnold/s...

Benjamin Riley reposted

Tressie McMillan Cottom

@tressiemcphd.bsky.social

Ben’s reporting has them shook. That’s a good thing.

Benjamin Riley@benjaminjriley.bsky.social

*Arnold Ventures, apparently it’s been renamed.