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Nicholas Carr's 'Superbloom' — Julian Girdham

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Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · 13d

Fortnightly 192 is out in the morning.

Free sub link:
juliangirdham.substack.com

Fortnightly 192:

Nicholas Carr’s Superbloom, Rachel Cusk’s novel Parade, Caoilinn Hughes’s short story ‘Two Hands’, Kyra Davis Lurie talking to Alan Alda about élite Black Americans in the 1940s and Gatsby, James Marriott on the decline of reading, Daisy Christodoulou talking to Ian Leslie on the associated ‘stupidogenic society’, Conor Murphy on Shakespeare in the curriculum, Mary Oliver’s poetry, Timothy Snyder on Ukraine.
And still more.

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Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · 21d

(New). On Nicholas Carr's 'Superbloom: how technologies of connection tear us apart.'

"We spend our days sharing information, connected as never before, but the more we communicate, the worse things seem to get."

www.juliangirdham.com/blog/nichola...

Nicholas Carr’s ‘Superbloom’ is a comprehensive and highly readable commentary on how modern technologies have damaged our social relations.

The night Robert Redford met Dickie Rock, and other moments from a Hollywood giant’s life

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Reposted by Julian Girdham

Donald Clarke @donaldclarke.bsky.social · 22d

“The night Robert Redford met Dickie Rock, and other moments from a Hollywood giant’s life.” Me on a great (and also on Robert Redford).

www.irishtimes.com/culture/film...

Redford, the actor, Oscar-winning director and godfather of the indie movement, died as one of the true supernovae

www.irishtimes.com

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Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · 22d

(New). On Nicholas Carr's 'Superbloom: how technologies of connection tear us apart.'

www.juliangirdham.com/blog/nichola...

Nicholas Carr's 'Superbloom' — Julian Girdham

Nicholas Carr’s ‘Superbloom’ is a comprehensive and highly readable commentary on how modern technologies have damaged our social relations.

Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · 25d

Yes indeed, very questionable: though some of us have considerable doubts that the relevant authorities will address that. Sunk cost...

Molly Twomey, William Wall, Michael Longley, Culture Night, Fintan O'Toole on Easter 1916, Deborah Levy, Alan Jacobs, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Emma Smith and more.

Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · 26d

Fortnightly 191 is now out:

Molly Twomey, William Wall, Michael Longley’s final book, @fotoole.bsky.social on Easter 1916 with @ppfideas.bsky.social, teaching 'Othello' via @clanavtra.bsky.social, Deborah Levy, Alan Jacobs, @tom-richmond.com on AI.

juliangirdham.substack.com/p/191-carob-...

191: Carob of Cyprus ink

Culture Night 2025 - St. Columba's College

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Reposted by Julian Girdham

Clare,Navan & Tralee Education Support Centres @clanavtra.bsky.social · 26d

📢 Post-Primary TYEnglish Teachers!

➡️ TY English Ideas

📅 Tues 16 Sept 2025 | ⏲️ 7–8pm |

💻 Zoom | 💰 FREE

🗣️ Claire Cotter shares creative TY strategies: 🎶 songs, 🎬 film, 🎙️ podcasts, & project-based learning to spark curiosity!

👉 zoom.us/webinar/regi...

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Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · 27d

This time next week, a free Culture Night talk/tour at St Columba's College, Dublin 16.

Friday 19th September, 6.30-8.30pm.

Interesting architecture and history! No booking required.

www.stcolumbas.ie/2025/09/05/c...

The College is once again delighted to take part in Culture Night, on the evening of Friday 19th September. No booking is required. Come for an hour-long architectural and historical tour of our fasci...

www.stcolumbas.ie

What three things from cognitive science should every teacher know? With Dr Carl Hendrick

Reposted by Julian Girdham

Adam Boxer @adamboxereducation.bsky.social · 27d

New episode!

This week, @amymayforrester.bsky.social and I are joined by one of education's premier thinkers - @carlhendrick.substack.com. Carl has so many great insights on cognitive science and how it is best communicated.

Must listen, tune in and share!

open.spotify.com/episode/0JW7...

open.spotify.com

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Reposted by Julian Girdham

Clare,Navan & Tralee Education Support Centres @clanavtra.bsky.social · 28d

Julian Girdham delivering an extremely interesting webinar tonight on ‘Othello’ for Post Primary English Teachers. Always a pleasure to work with Julian. @sccenglish.bsky.social

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Reposted by Julian Girdham

Brian Merchant @bcmerchant.bsky.social · Sep 3

I'm looking for stories about how AI is killing creative work, and I'd love to hear from you—artists, writers, illustrators, actors, designers, editors, voice actors and narrators—if your job or practice has been hit. This is going to be a big one.

[email protected]

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Reposted by Julian Girdham

Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.bsky.social · Sep 7

In this short piece, I lean on embodied cog sci to argue that we should refuse & resist llms in education (pp. 53-58) unesdoc.unesco.org/in/documentV...

"the classroom is an environment where love, trust, empathy, care & humility are fostered & mutually cultivated through dialogical interactions"

But what iseducation? Embodied and enactive cognitive sciences remind us that knowledge is not something discrete that an individual possesses and passes down but an inherently dynamic and evolving endeavour that develops in the process of embodied, curious and engaged interaction through dialogue. The pinnacle of cognition, particularly ‘human knowing’, is inextricably interwoven with interactions we engage in

with each other and the physical, cultural and social world we inhabit, ‘so much so that individuals are not thinkable outside of their interactions and embeddedness in their (social) world’ (De Jaegher, 2019). Dialogic models of knowledge and education emphasize that interactions between a student and teacher and/or peer provide ‘scaffolding’ for how that child understands the world. The always in flux, active and continually transforming nature of human cognition necessitates that education be fundamentally an ongoing activity. Far from the reductionist view whereby ‘formal knowledge’ can be packaged and acquired from an LLM, the classroom is an environment where love, trust, empathy, care and humility are fostered and mutually cultivated through dialogical interactions

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Musa Okwonga @okwonga.bsky.social · Sep 7

"I spent decades saying, ‘Come on, it’s got to be more complex than this.’ But I think it’s not. I think that almost everything can be explained by this deep hatred that the majority of white Americans have for black Americans. It’s the only thing that makes sense.” inews.co.uk/culture/book...

Lee Child: 'I'd rather be a multi-millionaire than a credible author'

The best-selling author on abandoning America, his utterly fascinating writing process (which involves exactly 90 days and zero planning) - and his aim to write one more 'Jack Reacher'

inews.co.uk

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Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · Sep 7

(New) On Michael Longley's last book before his death, 'Ash Keys', and how school leaders can benefit from reading poetry:

www.juliangirdham.com/blog/michael...

Michael Longley's 'Ash Keys: new selected poems' — Julian Girdham

A review of Michael Longley’s Ash Keys: new selected poems, originally published in Leader magazine from the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals.

Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · Sep 3

In one week:

Webinar - An Introduction to Teaching ‘Othello’.

Date: Wednesday 10th September

Time: 7.00pm - 8.00pm
Target Audience: Senior Cycle English teachers
via @TraleeESC @ClareEdCentre @NavanESC

Free registration:
zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Poster for webinar 'An introduction to teaching Othello', Weds 10th September, 7pm.

Fortnightly 190 — Julian Girdham

Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · Sep 1

At the start of this academic year, the Fortnightly has returned.

Florence Knapp, Adrian Lester on Othello, R.C. Sherriff, Anne Enright and Joseph O’Connor on John McGahern, essays on Leaving Certificate English, Oscar Wilde's trials and more.

www.juliangirdham.com/blog/fortnig...

The Fortnightly returns after the summer holidays with edition 190.

190: All things begin in dreams

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Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · Aug 31

FYI @conorsmurf.bsky.social

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Reposted by Julian Girdham

Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · Aug 30

Fortnightly 190 is out:

Florence Knapp, Adrian Lester on Othello, R.C. Sherriff, Anne Enright and Joseph O’Connor on John McGahern, essays on Leaving Certificate English, Oscar Wilde's trials and more.

juliangirdham.substack.com/p/190-all-th...

Florence Knapp, Adrian Lester on Othello, R.C. Sherriff, Anne Enright and Joseph O’Connor on John McGahern, essays on Leaving Certificate English, Oscar Wilde's trials and more.

190: All things begin in dreams

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Reposted by Julian Girdham

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · Aug 30

"Walk on air against your better judgement."

Seamus Heaney's grave is located in a corner of the graveyard adjoining St Mary's parish church in Bellaghy, close to that of his parents and other members of the family.

Seamus Heaney who died on this day 2013.

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Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · Aug 30

Fortnightly 190 is out:

Florence Knapp, Adrian Lester on Othello, R.C. Sherriff, Anne Enright and Joseph O’Connor on John McGahern, essays on Leaving Certificate English, Oscar Wilde's trials and more.

juliangirdham.substack.com/p/190-all-th...

Florence Knapp, Adrian Lester on Othello, R.C. Sherriff, Anne Enright and Joseph O’Connor on John McGahern, essays on Leaving Certificate English, Oscar Wilde's trials and more.

The Fortnightly from Julian Girdham | Substack

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Julian Girdham @sccenglish.bsky.social · Aug 29

The Fortnightly returns from its holidays tomorrow.

Florence Knapp, Adrian Lester on Othello, R.C. Sherriff, Anne Enright and Joseph O’Connor on John McGahern, essays on Leaving Certificate English, Oscar Wilde's trials and more.

Link for free sign-up:
juliangirdham.substack.com

The Fortnightly is about thinking, writing, reading, teaching & more. Every 2 weeks in the school term since 2016 - on Substack since 2024. Always free, but contributions are most welcome, and paid co...