I’m doing a second auction for Patch, a local charity that provides food, cloths and toys for people in poverty. At Christmas time they gift toys to kids who’ve had a referral. What could be more in the spirit of Christmas? This little wren is up for auction to raise money for toys. Please dig deep

It’s the time of year when I do my Christmas auction. This mouse icon is up for auction and it’s to raise money for Shelter Cymru & Doctors without borders. 100% of the money raised will go to these charities on a 50-50 basis.

A new post from me, aimed mainly at GCSE teachers in England and elsewhere. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/12/voca...

"All of this falls apart if humans don't adopt the tech. This is why you've seen Meta cram its lame chatbots into WhatsApp and Instagram. This is why Notepad and Paint now have useless Copilot buttons on Windows. This is why Google Gemini wants to "help you" read and reply to your emails."

Policy elites have expected schools to “solve” alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse, teen age pregnancy, and defending the nation against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Now policy elites and the general public expect schools to increase economic growth... larrycuban.wordpress.com/2023/12/12/w...

God, the world is depressing right now. Here's something good to chase away the viciousness. Win an exquisite piece of embroidery art; and even if you don't win, help brave women doing lovely things in a dark world. If you haven't got £10 to enter, pls share. www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/keep-our-d...

Angel with a lute, by Melozzo da Forli in 1480. It's his day.

Polish to be the most effective language for prompting AI, new study reveals

Nine years after Brexit, Britain is trapped in denial. The arsonists are posing as firemen, and the country’s burning. Latest video: They Got What They Wanted 👉And Still They Moan They Got Brexit So Why Are They Still Moaning? youtu.be/dEfRlWPFsXk

Cup of water and a rose: mundane, yet almost visionary. Useful too if you just need something calming, from Francisco de Zurbarán.

I find the pressure to spend around Christmas quite bleak. But some things are beautiful & do good! I'm proud to be the chair of the charity Makani, which supports women in Lebanon who make exquisite blankets, bags & cushions. Perfect presents for people with taste and heart. oshana.co.uk/blankets

"More empathy” | Malala Yousafzai on therapy, UK deportations and "gender apartheid" #Newsnight www.youtube.com/watch?v=P24kirbKglQ

i hate that AI has now caused me to question the authenticity of cute animal videos online, which is my primary use of social media. i don't even know if this baby penguin actually wore a beret to go buy a tiny baguette in paris

Among many artists Interviewed in the womensart1 book on women innovators of #print, 'Reframing Women Printmakers', is artist Gail Brodholt... 🎁 Womensart books are HERE 🧡 !! bookshop.org/beta-search?...

"We assume they’re de-motivated by difficulty. But research shows they’re de-motivated by the reading instruction.” news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

What can a German studies and gender studies professor have to say about tech and thinking? Quite a bit! Well-written and insightful, with a bit of SV "inside baseball" thrown in. The quotes at the bottom of this page are surprisingly accurate. #BookReview www.adriandaub.com/books/what-t...

i'd like to join the club of critical aunty studies please scroll.in/global/99257...

Frédéric Forest Paris - 1 January 2024

Data centers are receiving billions in state tax exemptions. These centers, many owned by Big Tech giants, are driving up electric bills and sucking up huge amounts of water. AI is boosting the stock portfolios of the richest Americans while everyone else pays the price.

Some myths about the economy are like zombies — they just keep crawling back. Here are the three that eat at me the most. https://youtu.be/j3vbYwZecFU?si=ru-0S4-LC-_N1C5m

"The Right in 2025 Sounds a Lot Like the Nazis in 1925" Today’s far right may know it’s wrong to talk about a “superior race,” so it just frames it as a “superior culture” instead: zeteo.com/p/the-right-...

In Law and Order when a foreign criminal is caught and proven guilty the characters (and by implication the penal system) always insist that the convict goes to jail and pay their debt with society before being expelled. It makes sense in the drama.

New resource: Advent colouring book for Spain and the Spanish-speaking world. Basically an Advent calendar, but has no chocolate, and you get to learn a bit about traditions and celebrations in the Spanish-speaking world over the Christmas period. ideaseducationltd.sellfy.store/p/advent-col...

A charmer. #art #birds

"Taxpayers’ money that could have gone into something infinitely more life-enhancing has seemingly been wasted." The privatization fiction of efficiency hits again. And the people blamed and the people getting rich with taxpayers' money are very different. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

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Big yes to this! You are sending mixed messages if you expect your child to do well in school but you jokingly call them clever clogs. And if you belong to the "knowledge brigade" do not get angry when people quote research you disagree with. Or they politely disagree.

Fascinating account of Afghanistan's Women's Cricket Team which was disbanded when the Taliban took over, the players left in fear and are scattered over the world Interesting example of how sports brings communities together, except when extremists take over a country youtube.com/shorts/rzXZO...

The richest man on earth owns X. The second richest man on earth is about to acquire TikTok and his family could soon own both Paramount and Warner Bros. The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post. See the problem here?

Another new Post as I try to think this through. Has anyone thought this through? whoteacheslanguages.blogspot.com/2025/10/part...

Ive been in educ for 37 yrs. I've learned new tech initially makes u more efficient & saves u time, but then u r given new tasks & that extra time disappears & u have even less time. More responsibilities & less time. No wonder there r so many mental health issues. #EduSky #AcademicSky

Adventure dreaming. #art #illustration

Here is my review of the first edition. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2018/03/book...

'Alphabet' screenprint by printmaker Corita Kent (1965), who also happened to be a US Roman Catholic nun, peace activist and Pop art artist who helped shape the Pop Art movement and was friends with Andy Warhol #WomensArt

SPOILER ALERT: The number one reason for voting Brexit was to "control our borders". "Asked if there were any examples where Brexit has helped the UK 'control our borders', both the Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt and the Director General of the National Crime Agency Rob Jones were stumped.”

Please don't let *15 years of illegal pollution* be the new standard for privatised water My colleague spoke to Ofwat's Head of Strategic Comms on the phone this week They will accept our petition this TUESDAY 22ND October at their HQ ✍️Add your name weownit.org.uk/ofwat

Kudos to the Guardian for reporting on research published in the European Journal of Political Research. Also: how many more studies on this do we need before centrist parties begin to rethink their strategies? www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

If you’re feeling exhausted, flat, low or just a bit sad here’s a painting of some lovely sweet peas to hopefully lift your mood. The antique pink lustre ware jar has the Sailors Farewell on its front, from which this painting gets its title. My perfect husband would grow me sweet peas

Your reminder that Brexit has made the UK £40 billion a year in tax revenue poorer, because taking us outside the EU Single Market has created red tape and reduced trade If we want a quick fix to funding public services, campaign to rejoin the EU #BBCQT

New blogpost - Adaptive and responsive teaching: how it might look in primary languages changing-phase.blogspot.com/2025/10/adap...

Oh it’s #portfolioday! Hi there 👋 I’m an Edinburgh-based illustrator. I love nautical themes, birds and bookish things. I work in Procreate but love a textured analogue feel. Here’s my website with more info and prints available for purchase spyglassillustration.com

Can we just have this sorted please. And then I can go back to posting teaching and learning stuff? whoteacheslanguages.blogspot.com/2025/08/unfa...

I’m opening my diary for Christmas commissions in case anyone is interested? Something special for someone special? A piece of original art just for you. This one, now sold is of a wrench gazing at some cherry blossoms against a 23 carat gold leaf background on acid free linen bound board.

I need a stack of these www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itq3...

Read this through an MFL lens. The rushed first new GCSE leading to the new ideological one. Cowardly bogus ebacc. Baukham review and promotion to ofqual. Pillars and the Ofsted "research review" NCELP hubs in the wrong places. Primary hiatus. A Level yorkshirebylines.co.uk/news/educati...

Dog Sees the Spirits, 1960 by artist and printmaker of Inuit heritage Kenojuak Ashevak #WomensArt

#Linktober 4: Nostalgia Miyamoto on how Ocarina of Time was built to evoke nostalgia, 2003. Source: Nintendo Prime #Zelda #OcarinaofTimeQuote #MiyamotoQuote www.notion.so/12641fe961fd...