Sonya
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mcchristie.com
Sonya
@mcchristie.com
Reader, Writer, Philosopher, Learning Technologist, Geek, Queer. Possessor of at least 2 distinct superhuman abilities. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏳️‍🌈

MA, PG Cert AP, SFHEA, CMALT

https://blog.mcchristie.com
Reposted by Sonya
Let’s talk about AI art.

theoatmeal.com/comics/ai_art
A cartoonist's review of AI art - The Oatmeal
This is a comic about AI art.
theoatmeal.com
October 7, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Reposted by Sonya
RIP Jane Goodall, by all accounts a wonderful woman who loved this Far Side cartoon
October 1, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I was at the #RIDLHE conference at Northumbria today, where a live podcast was being recorded with many of the presenters and participants. Listen here:

www.pedagodzilla.com/ridl-he-conf...
RIDL HE Conference
Here is a compilation of the seven interviews with eight people Mark conducted with participants at the Research in Digital Learning Conference at Northumbria University today (3rd September 2025) …
www.pedagodzilla.com
September 3, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Good article from Helen Beetham in the Berliner Gazette on the actual challenges generative AI presents to higher education, and what we need to do to educate students in the new paradigm.

berlinergazette.de/after-expert...
After Expertise: Why Get an Education When You Can Get a System Upgrade?
There is a widespread belief that ‘humanity has irrevocably ruined the planet’ and that it is time for a higher form of intelligence to take control. The AI industry promises salvation by seeking to r...
berlinergazette.de
July 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by Sonya
-chefs can use ready meals to save time on cooking
-zoos can use stuffed toys to save money on animals
-bars can serve piss and cut out the middle man
June 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
#LearningTechnologist vacancy at Sunderland’s London campus, Senior Digital Learning Manager starting at £54k. Closing date of March 10th. Full details here:

jobs.sunderland.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
Job Vacancy at the University of Sunderland: Senior Digital Learning Manager
£54,354-£58,981 per annum (raising to £54,790-£59,533 on 1 March 2025)Please note that we normally appoint at the bottom of the salary range.Location: Canary WharfAre you enthusiastic about contributi...
jobs.sunderland.ac.uk
March 5, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Good article here from LSE on universities who have ditched the bird site. While it may seem disappointing that it is so few, work like this is needed to put pressure on them to make changes in the right direction.

blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsoci...
UK Universities are reluctant to break a toxic social media relationship
Andy Tattersall presents new data on the extent to which UK universities are continuing to engage with X and shifting their activities to alternative social media platforms. Whether universities sh…
blogs.lse.ac.uk
February 25, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Reposted by Sonya
I don’t think I posted on Bluesky the Dolmen that still stands just around the corner from where I grew up but I didn’t properly appreciate until about two years ago. It is ooooold. #TombTuesday #Dolmen
February 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM
While I'm here posting at the end of the day, I would just like to tell everyone that last week I was invited to speak at our conference for Online Instructors. The OI Conference. The 'oh aye' conference! As a Scot this delighted me more than you can possibly imagine.
February 14, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Ooh, I updated my Bluesky account to point to my own domain using AT Protocol. That's nice, now you *know* it's really me!
February 14, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Reposted by Sonya
Sorry Peter! 💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
YouTube video by Miss PunnyPennie
youtube.com
February 6, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Reposted by Sonya
UK writers: if you haven't yet responded to the government's AI consultation (& don't feel like giving away your copyright), the @alcs-uk.bsky.social have produced some really helpful advice ⤵️
www.alcs.co.uk/news/your-ri...
Your rights are under threat from AI. It’s time to have your say!
The Government recently launched a consultation on AI and copyright. Now is the time to have your say and make sure that legislators hear the concerns of creators.
www.alcs.co.uk
February 3, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Sonya
Really fascinating interview with the great philosopher on gender, Judith Butler. One line really stands out for me, when they describe far right supporters emotion : ‘I call it a nostalgic fury for an impossible past.’

english.elpais.com/culture/2024...
Judith Butler, philosopher: ‘If you sacrifice a minority like trans people, you are operating within a fascist logic’
A leading figure in feminism and gender studies, the thinker welcomes EL PAÍS in California after being voted one of the most influential minds in the world
english.elpais.com
February 3, 2025 at 6:07 AM
I’m really torn on Bluesky vs. Mastodon. I’ve been a fan of Mastodon for years, very aligned with it ideologically, but the harsh truth is that there’s no bugger there. At least Bluesky doesn’t feel like screaming into the void.
February 3, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Useful website for digital services and products hosted in the EU, instead of the US. You know. Because reasons.

european-alternatives.eu
Homepage | European Alternatives
We help you find European alternatives for digital service and products, like cloud services and SaaS products.
european-alternatives.eu
February 3, 2025 at 12:07 AM
This has been a good discovery this morning, and a very useful resource. The #UCU Branch at Queen Mary University of London has been collating a list of redundancies and cuts across the UK HE sector:

qmucu.org/qmul-transfo...
UK HE shrinking
This is a live page of all the redundancies, restructures, reorganisations, and closures taking place across the sector at the moment. Solidarity to all. This sector is vital to the country’s…
qmucu.org
January 29, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Sonya
Today’s a special day—it’s Virginia Woolf’s birthday! 🎉✨

I’m 100% sure you’ve either read or have these on your list:

Mrs. Dalloway - tinyurl.com/ywedb6nr
To the Lighthouse - tinyurl.com/mwu5upr2
Orlando - tinyurl.com/2vxm9njk

Any #VirginiaWoolf fans here? Which of her books do you love most? 📚💙
January 25, 2025 at 3:44 PM
In an effort to be more #BookSky and less tech and ed, I recently finished After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz. A semi-fictionalised history of the lesbian / feminist movement at the turn of the 20th century, and a timely reminder that progress is not linear. Apropos of nothing.
January 21, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Reposted by Sonya
🪦
January 20, 2025 at 7:06 PM
TIL: The government spent / wasted (delete as appropriate) almost £3 million giving public sector bodies ‘free’ portraits of the king.

475 UK HE institutions were offered a portrait, only 35 accepted. The second lowest take up rate at 7.4%.
November 29, 2024 at 12:09 PM
I've just used Sky Follower Bridge in Firefox to find 69 people I used to follow on *that* old site, you know the one with the fascists, and follow them over here. Quick and easy, highly recommend.

addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo...
Sky Follower Bridge – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox (en-US)
Download Sky Follower Bridge for Firefox. Instantly find and follow the same users from your Twitter follower on Bluesky.
addons.mozilla.org
November 28, 2024 at 9:22 PM
Reposted by Sonya
November 24, 2024 at 8:35 PM
Reposted by Sonya
November 25, 2024 at 2:17 AM
Reposted by Sonya
Resist AI? I’m glad people are making the case. I don’t agree with total refusal, but caution, critical literacy, a minimalist approach, and abstinence often. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view... #aieducation #aiedu #edusky #criticalailiteracy #aiforstudents #academicskills #highereducation
Burn it down: a license for AI resistance (opinion)
Resistance is not futile, Melanie Dusseau writes.
www.insidehighered.com
November 21, 2024 at 10:48 AM
About me: I’m Sonya McChristie, a learning technologist working in UK Higher Education. I am currently at the University of Sunderland where I manage the Learning Design Team and teach on our PG Cert HE.

#TEL #EdTech #LearningTechnology #Education
November 20, 2024 at 4:47 PM