Dr Susan D Blum's Avatar

Dr Susan D Blum

@susandblum.bsky.social

Writer, observer, educator, anthropologist, sourdough baker, gardener, linguistic anthropologist. Obsessive about the planet, politics, justice, health. Fascinated by humans. Photo by jan_huber on unsplash

4,936 Followers  |  1,982 Following  |  1,432 Posts  |  Joined: 08.08.2023
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Posts by Dr Susan D Blum (@susandblum.bsky.social)

Era Speaker Series: A Priest, a Scientist, and a Humanist Walk into a Classroom
YouTube video by Institute for Educational Initiatives Era Speaker Series: A Priest, a Scientist, and a Humanist Walk into a Classroom

"A Priest, a Scientist, and a Humanist Walk into a Classroom"--or to least we had a conversation about learning! (I'm the humanist)

With Ji Son, Louis DelFra, and others at the U of Notre Dame, Inst for Educational Initiatives, Center for Educational Research and Action.

youtu.be/ec0LbZq4ChA?...

21.02.2026 21:08 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Is Pedagogy a Moral Project? Theologians Weigh in on Ungrading

Is pedagogy a moral project? Check out my latest Substack post! susandblum.substack.com/p/is-pedagog...

12.02.2026 20:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.

No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientistβ€”because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.

Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

06.02.2026 09:09 β€” πŸ‘ 47145    πŸ” 19333    πŸ’¬ 1350    πŸ“Œ 795
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The Polycrisis How to Face Teaching in 2026

Here's my latest Substack post, titled "The Polycrisis: How to Face Teaching in 2026." open.substack.com/pub/susandbl...

#education
#pedagogy
#polycrisis

11.01.2026 15:24 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I'm so honored that you are engaging with my book! @cornellupress.bsky.social

09.01.2026 14:11 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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My Favorite Thing: Talking to Students About Their Learning β€” Grow Beyond Grades Susan D. Blum, editor of the book Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) , shares how she uses conferences to consult learners in their full humanity (as much as ...

I love that I am finally comfortable with all my students, even the ones who have been challenging for me, for reasons that may have only to do with me and not with them. @susandblum.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/my-favo...

07.01.2026 21:37 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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My Favorite Thing: Talking to Students About Their Learning β€” Grow Beyond Grades Susan D. Blum, editor of the book Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) , shares how she uses conferences to consult learners in their full humanity (as much as ...

The world of ought sometimes beckons to the world of is, and change toward practices that work requires a vision of what that would be. @susandblum.bsky.social growbeyondgrades.org/blog/my-favo...

07.01.2026 21:39 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Democracy, Debates, December On a good day....

Democracy, Debates, December: On a good day....(My latest Substack post)

Democracy requires disagreement, disagreement requires debate, and debate requires practice: the role of education.

susandblum.substack.com/p/democracy-...

02.12.2025 00:15 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Dr. Susan Blum Talks Schoolishness and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning Listen now | In this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I sit down with Dr.

I had a wonderful conversation with @Trevor Aleo about my latest book, #Schoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning, and you can listen to us on his podcast, Conceptually Speaking. open.substack.com/pub/trevoral...

25.11.2025 12:28 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
View of Schoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning by Susan D. Blum | Radical Teacher

I just came across a new review of my book Schoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning. The reviewer, Jake Mattox, appreciated the wide reading in multiple areas that accompanied my manifesto/tirade/prayer. radicalteacher.library.pitt.edu/ojs/radicalt...

02.11.2025 16:26 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Or you could have one with #GenAIResistors

01.11.2025 11:49 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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October 19, 2025 All last week, Republican leaders tried to portray the No Kings protests scheduled for Saturday, October 18, as β€œHate America” rallies.

@hcrichardson.bsky.social writes, "What is left when a system loses the give and take of politics is force."

October 19, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...

20.10.2025 14:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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This is what democracy looks like. #NoKings

18.10.2025 23:22 β€” πŸ‘ 89015    πŸ” 28857    πŸ’¬ 2307    πŸ“Œ 1845
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Fascism | Holocaust Encyclopedia Fascism is a far-right authoritarian political philosophy. Learn about the history and principles of fascism and its implementation in Nazi Germany.

AntiFa = Anti-Fascist. If you’re opposing this, you’re ProFa, = Pro-Fascist, or possibly Anti-Anti-Fascist. I know where I stand.

encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/a...

09.10.2025 10:56 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

2/2 But heartbreaking, for those of us who still believe in the ideals of learning-with-others.

08.10.2025 12:06 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

1/2 The absurd conclusion of all this GenAI stuff is faculty creating courses entirely w AI; students completing assignments w agentive AI; faculty grading w AI. No humans need be changed in this process. No learning will be required. Easy peasy.

#GenerativeAI

08.10.2025 12:06 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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School Story Lab

My student-led team, schoolstorylab.com, has just rec'd IRB approval for this yr’s project, an inquiry into READING. (We built on @liznorell.bsky.social's survey.) It will take less than 10 min. & is open to ANY STUDENT in ANY COUNTRY, 18 years or older. Plz share widely!
forms.gle/yscpm2vubiEH...

06.10.2025 16:40 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

We've had evidence of this for ages, right? Frankly this feels like those endless UBI studies where they all demonstrate UBI works but that's not the answer the people in charge want to hear so nothing changes.

29.09.2025 23:41 β€” πŸ‘ 615    πŸ” 179    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 2
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Magic Wand Dreaming of What Higher Education Could Be

The world we desire will not come about unless we dream it first. Here are some thoughts about higher education.

#highereducation

open.substack.com/pub/susandbl...

29.09.2025 13:47 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Promise??? 😬

27.09.2025 16:06 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Last Days Of Social Media | NOEMA Social media promised connection, but it has delivered exhaustion.

www.noemamag.com/the-last-day...

β€œThe last days of social media might be the first days of something more human: a web that remembers why we came online in the first place β€” not to be harvested but to be heard, not to go viral but to find our people, not to scroll but to connect.”

20.09.2025 10:43 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image 18.09.2025 12:45 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Release the Epstein Files. They are filled with disgusting depravity but we need to know

16.09.2025 23:39 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I'm not sure it saves time but it makes the work more meaningful.

12.09.2025 23:09 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Ungraded Classroom: Feedback, Reflection, and Authentic Learning The Ungraded Classroom: Feedback, Reflection, and Authentic Learning [Ricci PhD, Carlo, Riley PhD, Gina] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Ungraded Classroom: Feedback, Reflection, and Authentic Learning

This new book, The Ungraded Classroom, edited by Carlo Ricci and Gina Riley (with a foreword by @susandblum), has just been published! It has many examples, beautifully and honestly presented, of ways educators have included ungrading in their classrooms. www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQHZKJZ...

11.09.2025 00:46 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

If the Democrats wanted to win, they would do whatever they needed to do to convince Mira Nair to do all of their video campaigns

08.09.2025 23:26 β€” πŸ‘ 450    πŸ” 80    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 2
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β€œBoth of them.”

02.08.2025 04:33 β€” πŸ‘ 20962    πŸ” 11674    πŸ’¬ 461    πŸ“Œ 768

Lying brazenly is a job requirement in this dictatorship

08.09.2025 12:02 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New mRNA Cancer Vaccine Delivers Stunning Results, Sparks Universal Treatment Hopes A new mRNA cancer vaccine wiped out tumors in mice and may offer a path toward a universal treatment.

FIRE RFK Jr!! WE WANT THE CANCER VACCINE!!!
β€œNew mRNA Cancer Vaccine Delivers Stunning Results, Sparks Universal Treatment Hopes”
Story below

06.09.2025 22:39 β€” πŸ‘ 529    πŸ” 278    πŸ’¬ 15    πŸ“Œ 14

On the belief that I should not allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good, I got a Pfizer covid vaccine rather than waiting for Novovax. I’m afraid they are going to take them away in Indiana, b/c of our administration’s fealty to the orange menace, so I decided not to wait

07.09.2025 22:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0