From our Close Readings podcast series ‘The Man Behind the Curtain’: novelist Tom McCarthy joins @moonjets.bsky.social to discuss the machinery – narrative, theoretical, economic and literal (those windmills) – which underpins Cervantes’ ‘Don Quixote’. Listen free: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Check out my recent publication (co-authored with my mum!) which explores how #aphantasia is often widely understood as a deficiency, a disorder, or dehumanising. Such understandings were common in social media posts, but also in scientific literature in the field. (1/4) doi.org/10.58544/ims...

FUNDING CALL: Undisciplining Seminar Series 2026 The Sociological Review Foundation is inviting proposals for in-person, hybrid or online seminars that explore the transformative potential of sociological thinking. Theme: Who & what is sociology for? Deadline to apply: 31 January buff.ly/VOwOmYt

The world capitulates. 150 countries agree plan to stop global companies shifting profits to low-tax jurisdictions, but US companies will be exempt from 15% global minimum tax. They make profit we fund the cost. The race to the bottom will accelerate.

Another scheme to have a university in Milton Keynes fizzles out. To lose one putative university may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose four (?) looks like carelessness.

Want to get on your LD soap box this year? Do you have research to share or want to facilitate a dialogic discussion about LD? We're looking for 30-60 minute online sessions for ALDinHE's LDat3 programme. Submit your proposal >> aldinhe.ac.uk/research/fac... #LoveLD #EdChat #LTHEchat #studychat

what’s happening is so transparent

Put a platter on! One of the many marvellous 78rpm LPs didgitised by George Blood and others. Treat your ears and enjoy... archive.org/details/geor... #Music #Historic #LPs #Records #Collection

Donald Trump: “That’s all right. That’s not a bad term” bsky.app/profile/atru...

Denmark's prime minister tells Donald Trump to "stop the threats" about taking over Greenland. King Donald wants to expand his empire and be the master of the universe, create mayhem and destroy NATO. The US isn't a reliable ally. Europe must take charge of its own security.

"These cycles of change leave casualties — redundancies, burnout, broken teams, lost careers — and yet the organisational narrative presents each wave of disruption as noble, necessary and progressive." 👇

#LoveLD The stress, burnout and illogic of permanent (educational) revolution: www.linkedin.com/pulse/always... Thnx #RoyHanney

#LoveLD The stress, burnout and illogic of permanent (educational) revolution: www.linkedin.com/pulse/always... Thnx #RoyHanney

#LoveLD - love #LTHEchat and this Weds 8-9 in Blue Sky - let's check out what the #OfS are doing now: lthechat.com/2026/01/05/l... Follow the hashtag - join the conversation!

#Becomingeducational A conversation with Copilot around living with grief becomingeducational.wordpress.com/2025/12/29/b...

The article that I cowrote & linked in the thread tackles this. But all of my work on the topic emerges from frustration that most commentary on education limits discussion to the tech (a losing battle) & not the political &economic project of the AI industry. I get at this here tinyurl.com/yarmcjes

The Nokia N900 Updated For 2025

Love @LondonMetUni Preparing for Study course for our international students - starting 5th Jan 2026: preparingforstudy.blogs.londonmet.ac.uk/2025/12/19/o...

The transitions from Academic twitter to other social media platforms by academics and HE institutions. How can we make it better? A keynote at the #SocMedHE25 by @andytattersall.bsky.social

Summing up academic social media - how institutions stayed on board a sinking ship - in late 2022, in one image - from my #SocMedHE25 keynote

The changes in the attention span makes educators find different spaces to develop learning. A presentation by Emily Conyard #SocMedHE25

Things have been shitty, making it hard to write, but I managed this post and I'm pretty happy with it thesiswhisperer.com/2025/12/11/m...

A simple 8 word headline to remind us all that, yes, The Spectator really is as bad as you might expect for a periodical once edited by Boris Johnson and now under the stewardship of a certain Michael Gove.

A postscript of sorts to yesterday's #LTHEchat about loneliness. I had a conversation once about what it would be like to attend a conference where nobody talked to you. For me it wouldn't be a big deal, perhaps comparable to going to the theatre & really not liking the play 1/2

Over at our YouTube Channel we've put up 11 poetry workshops to help people of any age write poems. So far they've had in total 355 thousand views. www.youtube.com/c/MichaelRos...

#LTHEchat Finding a new tribe - feeling connected with some great new people (new to me!) - and holding a space to think and talk about my passion with other passionate people! #edchat #studychat #LoveLD #creativeHE

📣 Calling my BlueSky followers - would you like to join the #LTHEchat organising committee? To express your interest, please complete this very brief form in @suebecks.bsky.social post below ⬇️ @buxiduan.bsky.social @kathrynsidaway.bsky.social

A big thank you to all the hosts & everyone who has participated this term, & thanks to the #LTHEchat organising team for Sept-Dec 2025 @tavoer8.bsky.social & @charlottemarshall.bsky.social,& mentor @dradamtate.bsky.social. The baton passes over to the new team in 2026 We’ll be back on 7th Jan 2026

Thanks, Bianca, for this interesting topic that I feel is related to. It was a great topic for the last LTHEchat of the term. Thanks to all participants for sharing ideas and thoughts and realise that we are the same boat (but maybe in different seats) #LTHEChat

Are you interested in becoming a member of a future #LTHEchat organising team? We are looking for open practitioners, educators and students, who would be interested in joining a future organising team. If this is you, please complete this expression of interest. docs.google.com/forms/d/17DA...

A big thank you to the amazing #LTHEchat organising team @charlottemarshall.bsky.social, bsky.app/profile/tavo... and mentor bsky.app/profile/drad.... In January please welcome back @drchrism.bsky.social who will mentor the new incoming team.

I'm not sure if this will help, but I share an office with four more colleagues, and from time to time we try to practice the 'We Listen and Don't Judge' approach. At the beginning, we were kidding about it, but then the conversations had more meaning to all of us and we understood others #LTHEChat

#LTHEchat A very big thank you to @bianca-f-o-x.bsky.social and everybody for tonight's chat. I realise that you are highlighting what I fear will be an emerging and growing problem in HE - #loneliness #isolation - unless some of your excellent suggestions are enacted.

Thank you to @bianca-f-o-x.bsky.social and to everyone who participated this week. #LTHEchat

A6 Ideally provide each a mentor. Schedule group meetings to meet others that are new. #LTHEchat

A6 A buddy scheme that can guide them during that transition, a network of colleagues who are on the same journey, a community of practice, and training. Offering different spaces for people to engage, face-to-face, online (synchronous and asynchronous) #LTHEChat

A6 Have a mandatory mentoring system and a network for early and transitioning staff. Staff belonging is important, hiring staff is expensive. #LTHEChat @bianca-f-o-x.bsky.social

#LTHEchat A6 Mentoring, supportive PGCert that builds cross-disciplinary bridges and highlights things like this chat... introducing new staff to research groups within and outwith the uni - reminding people of the jiscmails - more organisations offering mentoring as with @aldinhe.bsky.social ?

My biggest concern with staff as with students is that we can't offer support if we don't know there's a problem and somebody is suffering in silence #LTHEchat 2/2

#LTHEchat A4 @aldinhe.bsky.social offers a mentoring scheme for institutional members. So if people are struggling within their institutions, personally or professionally, there is real support available - and it can make a real difference. So please do reach out!

#LTHEchat A5 As HE becomes ever more transactional and cost-effective, is there really any care for this sort of humanity? It never seemed to exist at senior levels, and the spaces for informal human contact are not just being eroded but hacked away - you are highlighting an emergent issue!

I've led a biannual LTA orientation event for 20 years now for my college/faculty aimed at new lecturers/associate lecturers/grad assitants who are teaching. It provides those attending the opp to meet others who are new, people that can support them in their role and the leadership team #LTHEchat

That is a good idea. I recall that during the pandemic, a Wellbeing Buddy scheme was introduced to help us overcome the challenges. But then they stop this scheme. It was a good one as I was paired with someone different in my school #LTHEChat

During covid a small group of created a support network using WhatsApp and zoom. We are presenting 'Connection in a Time of Crisis: How a WhatsApp Group Became a Lifeline and Community of Practice' at SocMedHE25 next week #LTHEchat socmedhe25.wordpress.com

A3 - I had a tribe! I organised and connected with a group of like minded staff across the institution and they would catch up with my for coffee, check in with me and generally support me when I felt lost. #LTHEchat

#LTHEchat A4 New staff used to get a mentor who wld be caring & supportive - discuss work - possibly coffee/lunch.... Now, hopefully, there is our PGCert which is active, interactive if online: breakout discussions, cross-disciplinary peer observations of practice with meetings. We hope this works.

A2 - When I worked in a team with multiple layers of senior leadership that wanted strict control and little autonomy. #LTHEchat

#LTHEchat A3 Reaching out to make friends - feeling the fear and doing it anyway: asking people to come to lunch/have coffee - being interested in what other people were doing - introducing myself & my role in meetings and asking if people wanted to get involved. As a fundamentally shy person ...

#LTHEchat A2 In a group where I had that impostor syndrome. Fortunately that happened to be a very humane and supportive group - where I could raise my own insecurities - which surprised people - and the feelings changed. I think other spaces would not have been so undertanding and supportive ...