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Sandi Donnelly

@sandiad

Learning development, teaching, libraries & too much TV

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01.03.2025
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Latest posts by Sandi Donnelly @sandiad

A collage of nine images featuring prints, a cushion, a mug, a T-shirt and a phone case.

A collage of nine images featuring prints, a cushion, a mug, a T-shirt and a phone case.

I know I keep banging on about my designs but it’s not easy being a small business at the moment.
Take a look at my wares and please repost.
gailmyerscough.co.uk
Thanks!

24.02.2026 19:54 πŸ‘ 206 πŸ” 189 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 12
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Quit ChatGPT: right now! Your subscription is bankrolling authoritarianism | Rutger Bregman As a historian, I’ve studied the major consumer boycotts of history. We can take down ChatGPT and send a powerful signal to Silicon Valley, says author and historian Rutger Bregman

Very convincing call to cancel your ChatGTP subscription if you have one. There are very good reasons, it's painless as there are alternatives, and it may form part of an effective boycott!

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

04.03.2026 13:18 πŸ‘ 43 πŸ” 31 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 2

MSM news so boring & joyless - all repeating the same points in a bid to point score & failing miserably when faced with @zackpolanski.bsky.social who remains articulate & doggedly cheerful in response to every dull point they make. Why can't they be curious & explore why Hannah got the votes

27.02.2026 13:55 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Petition: Invest in brain cancer and give rights – turn terminal into treatable Brain cancer is the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40, 87% with a high-grade brain tumour diagnosis die within 5 yrs, and yet it gets just 1% of the national spend on cancer.

Sign and share, let’s get this to parliament

15.02.2026 16:43 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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β€œIf you’ve lived in Greater Manchester all your life like I have, or you came here yesterday β€” if you’re part of our community and you’re mucking in, you’re one of us.”

Our candidate for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, rejects the demonisation of immigrants and calls for politics that unite.

13.02.2026 19:01 πŸ‘ 447 πŸ” 145 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 11

"Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them." Attributed to
Margaret Atwood

10.01.2026 10:49 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Donate to Duvet Know It's Christmas, 2025, organized by Rhodri Marsden Unbelievably, it's the 15th year of this thing. What is it? Improbably, the nig… Rhodri Marsden needs your support for Duvet Know It's Christmas, 2025

Unbelievably, #DuvetKnowItsChristmas generates such good will on social media that over the years we've raised somewhere approaching a quarter of a million quid for homeless charities. If you can spare a bob or two, sling some to Centrepoint, and here's the link: www.gofundme.com/f/duvet-know...

24.12.2025 19:35 πŸ‘ 858 πŸ” 581 πŸ’¬ 18 πŸ“Œ 70
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Donate to Help combat misinformation about migrants, organized by Nazek Ramadan Every day we see an increasing level of misinformation regarding migration bei… Nazek Ramadan needs your support for Help combat misinformation about migrants

If you are angry, upset, disappointed etc in the way in which migrants are demonised and dehumanised then please support @migrantvoice.bsky.social winter campaign and help them combat the hate and hostililty, by ensuring migrants' voices are heard loud and clear.

www.gofundme.com/f/help-comba...

07.12.2025 08:52 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A presenter at ALDcon25.

A presenter at ALDcon25.

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 >> https://aldinhe.ac.uk/research/facilitate-a-webinar #LoveLD

01.12.2025 14:44 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Gaining Clarity
Mixed media abstract, 12"x12"
By Nicole Simmons
2024

Artist statement: "Gaining Clarity is an abstract piece shaped entirely by presence. I worked on it slowly, layer by layer, only after meditatingβ€”curious to see how stillness might shift my creative process. The result was softer, less rigid, and more intuitive than my usual pace. This piece is a reflection of what can emerge when we quiet the noise and let clarity rise on its own terms"

Attempt to describe: colours include blue, white, black, pink, sand, green, yellow, orange, brown. Blue/white/black shapes, lines, & swirls make me think of moving water & the constantly changing skies - maybe because I live near Morecambe Bay & the Lake District. It feels a very organic painting with yellow, sand, brown, pink shapes around what feels like water to me. But I can imagine that in different light on a different day & in a different headspace it could be something different that I feel, see, imagine.

https://ko-fi.com/nicolesimmonsart
www.nicolesimmonsart.com

Artist statement: "My art is a practice in presenceβ€”an invitation to pause and feel what’s often overlooked. Through layered texture and intuitive color, I explore fleeting moments, emotions, and the beauty of the now. Each piece is a reflection of something I chose to notice and honor, a way of expressing life as it is."

Gaining Clarity Mixed media abstract, 12"x12" By Nicole Simmons 2024 Artist statement: "Gaining Clarity is an abstract piece shaped entirely by presence. I worked on it slowly, layer by layer, only after meditatingβ€”curious to see how stillness might shift my creative process. The result was softer, less rigid, and more intuitive than my usual pace. This piece is a reflection of what can emerge when we quiet the noise and let clarity rise on its own terms" Attempt to describe: colours include blue, white, black, pink, sand, green, yellow, orange, brown. Blue/white/black shapes, lines, & swirls make me think of moving water & the constantly changing skies - maybe because I live near Morecambe Bay & the Lake District. It feels a very organic painting with yellow, sand, brown, pink shapes around what feels like water to me. But I can imagine that in different light on a different day & in a different headspace it could be something different that I feel, see, imagine. https://ko-fi.com/nicolesimmonsart www.nicolesimmonsart.com Artist statement: "My art is a practice in presenceβ€”an invitation to pause and feel what’s often overlooked. Through layered texture and intuitive color, I explore fleeting moments, emotions, and the beauty of the now. Each piece is a reflection of something I chose to notice and honor, a way of expressing life as it is."

Inspired by your Frosty Twilight, I took a punt on Gaining Clarity which drew me in online. So pleased I did - your gorgeous work is now in UK & love the textures, strokes, colours & the back story - thank you!

30.11.2025 19:08 πŸ‘ 40 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 1

ChatGPT’s signature writing style is everywhere now, and I hate it. It reminds me of when we tried mixing all the beverages at the soda fountain in middle school. We didn’t actually create the perfect drink, we just made a cloying monstrosity that lost everything good about its constituent parts.

19.11.2025 17:17 πŸ‘ 2048 πŸ” 360 πŸ’¬ 67 πŸ“Œ 35
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Very excited to announce that tickets are now available for the book launch of my new book on Beatrix Potter. Taking place at the University of Cumbria’s Ambleside campus, 2-4pm on Saturday 10 January, further details and booking link can be found here: www.trybooking.com/uk/events/la...

19.11.2025 18:42 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2
Post image Post image

The Home Secretary says "we have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world"

That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims

17.11.2025 15:51 πŸ‘ 941 πŸ” 484 πŸ’¬ 43 πŸ“Œ 39
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AI Is Hollowing Out Higher Education Olivia Guest & Iris van Rooij urge teachers and scholars to reject tools that commodify learning, deskill students, and promote illiteracy.

β€œWhile the AI industry claims its models can β€œthink,” β€œreason,” and β€œlearn,” their supposed achievements rest on marketing hype and stolen intellectual labor. In reality, AI erodes academic freedom, weakens critical reading, and subordinates the pursuit of knowledge to corporate interests.”

15.11.2025 17:24 πŸ‘ 2921 πŸ” 1048 πŸ’¬ 101 πŸ“Œ 85

β€œWe are told that AI is inevitable, that we must adapt or be left behind. But universities are not tech companies. Our role is to foster critical thinking, not to follow industry trends uncritically.”

01.11.2025 22:45 πŸ‘ 473 πŸ” 166 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 2
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Expelling legal migrants is a move straight from the Idi ... Katie Lam’s plan for expulsions opens the door to curtailing the rights of us all

observer.co.uk/news/columni...

26.10.2025 07:13 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

There are a lot of cowards in elite positions. There is a lot of courage in civil society. People aren't just taking career risks--though the spate of recent resignations and denunciations might rep. that--they're taking physical risks confronting ICE. They're organizing. Suing.

24.10.2025 15:00 πŸ‘ 643 πŸ” 117 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 15

Can’t decide what to buy on Prime Day?

Try: absolutely nothing, and then go support indie bookstores instead πŸ“š

07.10.2025 14:23 πŸ‘ 7804 πŸ” 2799 πŸ’¬ 63 πŸ“Œ 157
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Large Language Muddle | The Editors The AI upheaval is unique in its ability to metabolize any number of dread-inducing transformations. The university is becoming more corporate, more politically oppressive, and all but hostile to the ...

YES! THIS on GenAI!

Please read this absolutely splendid piece of writing that had me cheering, a little bit weepy, and writing in the margins:

"An extraordinary amount of money is spent by the AI industry to ensure that acquiescence is the only plausible response. But marketing is not destiny."

29.09.2025 19:07 πŸ‘ 1187 πŸ” 516 πŸ’¬ 21 πŸ“Œ 54

When I was a teenager there was a bus direct from my hometown in Germany to London - we had a British army base, and this direct bus connection was one of the benefits of that. One summer I went on that bus to go volunteer in an old people's home in Southend-on-Sea. I had just turned 18 and was... 🧡

29.09.2025 12:32 πŸ‘ 874 πŸ” 404 πŸ’¬ 22 πŸ“Œ 118
A globe made out of world maps.

A globe made out of world maps.

Free online event for #ALDinHE members: Supporting our international students by supporting our staff with Amy Coryat, Learning Development Manager (International), UWE Bristol. 30 September 2025 12... aldinhe.ac.uk/product/events/supporting-our-international-students-by-supporting-our-staff #LoveLD

19.09.2025 12:07 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

@zoejardiniere.bsky.social

16.09.2025 22:43 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Questioning AI Resource List Excellent summary of major problems with companies’ focus on AI written by expert in machine learning: https://ludic.mataroa.blog/blog/i-will-fucking-piledrive-you-if-you-mention-ai-again/ Another g...

If you need any sources on AI being shitty, I've been collecting and compiling them: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

29.04.2025 19:04 πŸ‘ 1442 πŸ” 503 πŸ’¬ 81 πŸ“Œ 41
"EVENTS" written on a notepad on a desk. There is also a tablet, keyboard, plant, pencils, clock, notebook & sticky notes.

"EVENTS" written on a notepad on a desk. There is also a tablet, keyboard, plant, pencils, clock, notebook & sticky notes.

We invite you to attend an ALDinHE Events Working Group drop-in session, Thursday 10 July 1-1.30pm, where you will have the opportunity to learn more about the Events Working Group, its purpose, and how you can become invol... https://aldinhe.ac.uk/product/events/events-working-group-drop-in #LoveLD

06.07.2025 10:11 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Stories of Hope: Reimagining Education Bringing together a diverse range of educators and practitioners, this collection showcases real-world innovations that challenge the status quo and offer glimpses of a more humane and inspiring educa...

#LoveLD Our co-edited book: Stories of Hope: Reimagining Education is out now - freely available from www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.116... - and dedicated to my wonderful partner Thomas Burns: "In loving memory of Tom Burns who teaches us to dance with hope and joyful practice even now."

02.07.2025 14:46 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Many people I meet don't know the history or meaning of the #neurodiversity movement or #neurodivergent paradigm. It's not a criticism tbh understandable given it's been very, very changed from its intent. So here's a short guide for when you're talking about #inclusion and neurodiversity ⬇️

20.06.2025 10:25 πŸ‘ 91 πŸ” 38 πŸ’¬ 11 πŸ“Œ 11
ALDinHE Summer Fair in July 2025 poster.

ALDinHE Summer Fair in July 2025 poster.

Let's not end #ALDcon25 here! The whole of the LD Community are invited to our July Summer Fair - online. Join us for our "Get Involved in ALDinHE" month with taster sessions, events, training, a lunchtime quiz and lots more! https://aldinhe.ac.uk/summer-fair #LoveLD

18.06.2025 14:15 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Great to meet Rachel in person at #ALDCON25 #Greenwich

18.06.2025 17:10 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Annual General Meeting (AGM) - ALDinHE Date:Β Thursday 12th June 2025

#LoveLD The ALDinHE AGM 12 June 2025 3-4.30pm.

Visit aldinhe.ac.uk/about-aldinhe/agm for details.

Contribute your views on ALDinHE to our padlet: padlet.com/ALDinHEcommu...

See what other people say about our Association there!

09.06.2025 12:03 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

A6 heard someone who'd been a student 40 years ago who has gone back to uni recently talk about how much content he thinks students have to cover now & there's no time for thinking - Slow Learning movement needed? #LTHEchat

21.05.2025 20:03 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0