Finished the week with some teaching prep for #FoundationYear geography. Thinking about how to teach rivers, but more importantly how to help students gain confidence and joy in exploring and reading #Sheffield 's fantastic landscapes

Back to reality and work today after a lovely week in Scotland, seeing old friends and places, and my mind is still a bit blown from the 'new' #rockart, badly photographed below at Dunchraigaig in the Kilmartin Glen

Just re-posting this for those who haven't seen it yet and might be scrollling with their lunch. Please sign and share if you feel able and help us advocate for our unique and accessible part-time degree, known as ELCE against the planned closure by Bristol Uni. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

One of the team is having a chill day in the home office after #Clearing yesterday. We're now closed to new applicants but looking forward to interviewing candidates for @sheffielduni.bsky.social #LifelongLearning foundation years next week.

It's going to be great for student learning, but I'm feeling ancient now that 2015 is a layer on Historic Digimap

Lizzy and Lynsey have also done an amazing talk at #FYNAC25 around AI positive assessment, and how we've integrated this into our Foundation Year programme

Lovely to see Jacqui and Valeria from talking about how the team has worked to make Maths relevant for all our #FoundationYear students #FYNAC25

Excellent first day at the Foundation Year Network Annual Conference talking all things foundation years in Higher Education @foundationyearnet.bsky.social

Phrase of the day for #FYNAC25 "Panic pedagogy" (with reference to AI and assessments)

Good to hear @dkernohan.bsky.social and Lord Willetts recognising the role that #FoundationYears can play in the future particularly for mature students in coming years! #FYNAC25

Getting ready for @foundationyearnet.bsky.social #FYNAC25 this week. I'll be speaking about how we've revised our science assessments to engage with AI, whilst growing our cohort. Basically it takes a village to redesign a programme! currently 22 acknowledgements on the slide.

Fabulous Sunday afternoon helping out the incredible young musicians of Sheffield Music Hub in Weston Park. My first time in a band stand in 30 years of tuba playing!

Last week on Wonkhe: New research from Public First shows that every UK resident is better off due to international students. Charlie Jeffery explains why it’s vital this message cuts through

"At the heart of all of this is one clear message – disabled students are not asking for luxury. They’re seeking the basic conditions needed to study, participate, and succeed." - A fantastic write up of welfare reforms and the HE landscape from DSUK's Hailie: wonkhe.com/blogs/welfar...

This is not like me. I've drafted my #FYNAC25 slides over a week before the deadline! So far got 22 people in the acknowledgements section which shows that doing cool stuff in UK HE right now is a massive team effort, especially if you want to stay sane(ish) whilst doing it.

Came back to work to GOOD news, that incredible colleagues across the #FoundationYear sector have collaborated to pass a motion @ucu.org.uk congress to recognise the importance of high quality Foundation Year provision.

ABERDEEN!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ #COYR #ScottishCupFinal

Interested in returning to education to study pharmacy, nursing, speech and language therapy or orthoptics as a mature student? Join @sheffielduni.bsky.social for their Mature Student Taster to find out more about foundation year entry. 📅 3 June, 10am - 1.30pm 🔗 www.sheffield.ac.uk/education/li...

A permanent, 0.5te, lecturer position on the Foundation Year at YSJ. The team are looking for expertise in modern history, politics, IR. jobs.yorksj.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...

I've been on an intense #TheArchers catch up and have questions 1. Has Pip got a new voice? and 2. Is Laurence (from the cricket team) Larry Lovell, Lynda's old dramatic rival?

Had a first cycle along the trial Northumberland Road cycle lane today. It's great! Thanks @sheffcitycouncil.bsky.social @benmiskell.bsky.social @sheffielduni.bsky.social ! Can it stay forever? I really appreciate how much safer it is both as a cyclist and a pedestrian.

Many students seeking sanctuary feel left out, even after getting into university. This project shows how 'welcome' must go beyond words - and what we can all do to help. 🎥 Watch the video + comic strip: bit.ly/45i0b1M

Tomorrow our members are taking strike action to say no to job cuts! 💪 Join our picket lines from 8:30am, as well as various teach outs from 10am, and a Demo on the SU Concourse from Midday. 📣

So sad that football seems to have trumped biodiversity, inclusivity and girls here.

Best Friday morning at work, double checking the route for our #FoundationYear geography Field trip on Thursday. The Limb brook is at peak bluebell.

I'm old enough and Scottish enough to be very starstruck to see Steven Hendry's back in the Winter Gardens on Saturday #SheffieldLovesSnooker

Important Bank Holiday DIY work, getting ready for @yorkshirewinds.bsky.social workshop with Sheffield Music Hub on Saturday. Points (and possibly some coconut cake) for anyone who can guess the piece

Good Friday eggs- from Tumeric and Red Cabbage. We'll be having these and thinking of Ukrainian friends also celebrating this weekend.

Everything is on fire, but Arthur (who I've had the privilege of meeting on a number of occasions) has made it to the local paprr. www.thestar.co.uk/lifestyle/pe...

We have a bursary to help people attend #FYNAC25 register.oxfordabstracts.com/event/74081?... Please do apply, if you need forms.gle/jERDTecCxnBy...

The goth badgers of Ecclesall have started digging. One of my favourite #SignsOfSpring

Snowdon. First adventure of 2025 done!

Our refugee students are some of our most amazing #lifelonglearning students, but they face a lot of additional barriers, including academic English support and SFE witholding financial support due to partial qualifications from countries people have had to flee.

god forbid women have hobbies

Night time amphibian season has started in #Sheffield with newts at Redmires

Hello Bluesky 👋 Pleased to meet you 💙 We are the charity that operates six of the city’s leading museums and heritage sites in Sheffield - here to share the stories of the city and its people, the very best in art and design and set your imagination soaring. Let’s go! 🚀

I love this account until June 21st

Dishonest charts are coming from all directions, and they're only going to hit harder. Unless we push back. So, an interactive guide: Defense Against Dishonest Charts flowingdata.com/projects/dis...

A valentine's poem for my #FoundationYear students before they go off to their departmental supervisions next week.

Bad news for #LifelongLearning when you look at the mature student numbers here (not borne out in our applicant figures yet 🤞).

Coconut Macaroons, made for lunch with a gluten-free friend. I'd never made them before and it turns out there's a 4:1 sugar:tattie ratio in the fondant. No wonder my teeth are broken from my Aberdeenshire childhood. (A big faff, but would make again, perhaps for taking on a 10 +mile walk).

If you're a brass player in #Yorkshire but can't reach Brass Band levels of commitments, you might be interested in @yorkshirewinds.bsky.social - we're looking for more brass and percussion, and rehearse fortnightly.

Not looking forward to my cycle to work. Clarkehouse road cycle lane is still full of debris (they've been there all autumn), and reports are ingnored. Please help @sheffcitycouncil.bsky.social @benmiskell.bsky.social -stuff like this makes active travel a nightmare.

Lovely Saturday morning stroll over Wincobank hillfort - Europe's Finest Urban Hillfort (according to Sheffield). My first time there since teaching "Conservation Practice and Assessment" to #LifelongLearning students in 2012.

Teaching #FoundationYears well is skilled work and can't be done by "stacking high and teaching cheap". This cut is going to mean some Universities stop doing high quality transformational work with underrepresented groups.

Starting my annual 'its getting lighter' thread, that always helps me with January (and Feb, and March...) blues. 10th Jan, 17.40, the very end of twilight in Sheffield.

Lovely to start the year with the launch of a brand new #FoundationYear programme. Pharmacy with preparatory year - a collaboration between Education and AHPNM @sheffielduni.bsky.social - now recruiting via UCAS specifically for #Pharmacy Technicians www.sheffield.ac.uk/education/li...

Do you know a UK-based wheelchair user who works in a lab and would be willing to user-test our prototype of what is believed to be the first-ever lab coat adapted for wheelchair users? Please share far & wide! Interest form: forms.office.com/e/66FhcQjqRT More info: www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-east/new...

Our first event of the year is a Policy Workshop - "Advocating for Foundation Years within our insitutions" 15th Jan 2-4 pm . Here's the link to join online- meet.google.com/jng-bphx-tnk