Dr Susan D Blum
LightNews LightNews
banner
susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum
@susandblum.bsky.social
4.9K followers 2K following 1.4K posts

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

Videos
Political science 32%
Sociology 27%
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Dec 19
I've been obsessed with trying to figure out how people can learn well even in alienating systems. My book Schoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning (Cornell 2024) is my latest thinking about it. www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
cover of book, Schoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning, by Susan D. Blum. Image is of a bank of battered gray school lockers with one replaced by vibrant flowers.

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · 11h
Here's my latest Substack post, titled "The Polycrisis: How to Face Teaching in 2026." open.substack.com/pub/susandbl...

#education
#pedagogy
#polycrisis
The Polycrisis
How to Face Teaching in 2026
open.substack.com

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · 2d
I'm so honored that you are engaging with my book! @cornellupress.bsky.social
hunteracert.bsky.social Hunter ACERT @hunteracert.bsky.social · 5d
Today we met for Austin Bailey's Teaching Scholarship Circle centered on Susan D. Blum's book on Schoolishness. We talked abt where we notice schoolishness & alienation in education. Looking forward to reading more next week & to our guest of honor, @susandblum.bsky.social who joins our 3rd session!
where do you notice schoolishness? “the structure of a semester is bizarre” “the idea of preparedness alienates” “this is just for the test; students aren’t taught how to connect learning to tomorrow” “the race to the finish line (to fit in as much as possible)” “Having a text book is the most schoolish thing i can think of” “i struggled a lot in college, so when i started teaching, I identified with my students a lot. it feels alienating for education to be so disembodied.” “issues about grades get so technical that the human relationship in learning gets lost.” “expecting them all to leave with the same set of skills is strange when they come to college with such different skills.” “Students are so overloaded they have less capacity for play and just want to get the points, nothing exploratory or for fun”

Reposted by Susan D. Blum

growbeyondgrades.org
Grow Beyond Grades @growbeyondgrades.org · 4d
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...
My Favorite Thing: Talking to Students About Their Learning — 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 ...
growbeyondgrades.org

Reposted by Susan D. Blum

growbeyondgrades.org
Grow Beyond Grades @growbeyondgrades.org · 4d
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...
My Favorite Thing: Talking to Students About Their Learning — 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 ...
growbeyondgrades.org

Reposted by Susan D. Blum

hunteracert.bsky.social
Hunter ACERT @hunteracert.bsky.social · 5d
Today we met for Austin Bailey's Teaching Scholarship Circle centered on Susan D. Blum's book on Schoolishness. We talked abt where we notice schoolishness & alienation in education. Looking forward to reading more next week & to our guest of honor, @susandblum.bsky.social who joins our 3rd session!
where do you notice schoolishness? “the structure of a semester is bizarre” “the idea of preparedness alienates” “this is just for the test; students aren’t taught how to connect learning to tomorrow” “the race to the finish line (to fit in as much as possible)” “Having a text book is the most schoolish thing i can think of” “i struggled a lot in college, so when i started teaching, I identified with my students a lot. it feels alienating for education to be so disembodied.” “issues about grades get so technical that the human relationship in learning gets lost.” “expecting them all to leave with the same set of skills is strange when they come to college with such different skills.” “Students are so overloaded they have less capacity for play and just want to get the points, nothing exploratory or for fun”

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Dec 2
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-...
Democracy, Debates, December
On a good day....
susandblum.substack.com

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Nov 25
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...
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.
open.substack.com

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Nov 2
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...
View of Schoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning by Susan D. Blum | Radical Teacher
radicalteacher.library.pitt.edu

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Nov 1
Or you could have one with #GenAIResistors

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Oct 20
@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...
October 19, 2025
All last week, Republican leaders tried to portray the No Kings protests scheduled for Saturday, October 18, as “Hate America” rallies.
open.substack.com

Reposted by Michael McFaul, Cas Mudde, Edward Witten , and 55 more

indivisible.org
Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · Oct 18
This is what democracy looks like. #NoKings

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Oct 9
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...
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.
encyclopedia.ushmm.org

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Oct 8
2/2 But heartbreaking, for those of us who still believe in the ideals of learning-with-others.

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Oct 8
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

Reposted by Kris Inwood

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Oct 6
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...
School Story Lab
schoolstorylab.com

Reposted by Susan D. Blum

anniearmstrong.bsky.social
Annie @anniearmstrong.bsky.social · Sep 29
www.psypost.org/students-rate-identical-lectures-differently-based-on-professors-gender-researchers-find/# #AcademicSky - it never ends.
Students rate identical lectures differently based on professor's gender, researchers find
When philosophy students were asked to evaluate identical lectures assigned to men or women professors, their responses varied by gender. The study suggests gender bias plays a role in how teaching is...
www.psypost.org

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 29
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...
Magic Wand
Dreaming of What Higher Education Could Be
open.substack.com

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 27
Promise??? 😬

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 20
www.noemamag.com/the-last-day...

“The 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 — not to be harvested but to be heard, not to go viral but to find our people, not to scroll but to connect.”
The Last Days Of Social Media | NOEMA
Social media promised connection, but it has delivered exhaustion.
www.noemamag.com

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 16
Release the Epstein Files. They are filled with disgusting depravity but we need to know
krassenstein.bsky.social Krassensteins @krassenstein.bsky.social · Sep 16
BREAKING: Rep. Ro Khanna just announced that Democrats now have the votes to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files.

Sept. 23 — the discharge petition will be entered into the record. 7 days later — the House votes.

Reposted by Susan D. Blum

krassenstein.bsky.social
Krassensteins @krassenstein.bsky.social · Sep 16
BREAKING: Rep. Ro Khanna just announced that Democrats now have the votes to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files.

Sept. 23 — the discharge petition will be entered into the record. 7 days later — the House votes.

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 12
I'm not sure it saves time but it makes the work more meaningful.

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 11
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...
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
www.amazon.com

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Anna O. Law, Nandita Sharma , and 39 more

zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · Sep 8
"How Are the Very Rich Feeling About New York’s Next Mayor?"

A Dramatic Reading of The Recent New York Times Dispatch from the Hamptons.

Presented by The Gilded Age's Morgan Spector.

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 8
Lying brazenly is a job requirement in this dictatorship

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 7
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

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 7
An experience at a campus theater production made me think about higher ed as practicing being in society. I know this is not news! But it struck me forcefully, and in a great way. My latest Substack post:

open.substack.com/pub/susandbl...
The rich pleasures—and lessons—of a college campus
Mini-universe, mini-society, humans gathering together, led by art
open.substack.com

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 7
It’s time to shut down the government. Democrats have weeks to prepare about how to make the case to the people. Watch how Pres Bartlet did it in The West Wing.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/o...
Opinion | Stop Acting Like This Is Normal
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Gerald Friedman, Susan D. Blum

mjfree.bsky.social
Morgan J Freeman @mjfree.bsky.social · Sep 7
TRUMP & EPSTEIN ARE SEX TRAFFICKERS!!! I’m gonna post this every day so nobody forgets exactly who Pedophile Trump is and why the Epstein files have suddenly disappeared.

susandblum.bsky.social
Dr Susan D Blum @susandblum.bsky.social · Sep 7
Immoral, plus illegal. Enforced by….karma?