iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

You are *not* a cog in a machine, helping deliver university degrees on a conveyor belt. You are in the privileged position to share a space with young minds that will soon spread out into the world and take with them the seeds you’ve planted. educationalist.substack.com/p/you-have-a...

educationalist.substack.com

You have a voice. Use it!

The Educationalist. By Alexandra Mihai

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

When autumn subltly sneaks in...

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

A basil leaf. Usually tossed mindlessly on our pasta. But a basil leaf can also be art. Printing with it this morning was a joy for the senses. Seeing all the tiny details reveal themselves. Indulging in the strong fragrance released by pressing. Perfect mindful way to start the weekend.😊

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

We are never just one thing. Recently I put some time & intention in developing my creative self. It all revolves around my love of nature as a guide to deepen attention. I use various media such as photography, cyanotype, monoprinting, ikebana & pottery. educationalist.substack.com/p/i-contain-...

educationalist.substack.com

"I contain multitudes"

The Educationalist. By Alexandra Mihai

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Are existing models for recognising & rewarding teaching excellence in HE really working? In my latest newsletter I explore their limitations and share some ideas on how to improve them in the future. Read more here: educationalist.substack.com/p/teaching-m...

educationalist.substack.com

Teaching matters. Let's show it!

The Educationalist. By Alexandra Mihai

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

We need to reflect before deciding to use or to ban technology from the classroom. If we want to support students in developing certain skills, we need to do it intentionally, through course and task design, not by conditioning their classroom experience. educationalist.substack.com/p/to-switch-...

educationalist.substack.com

To switch on, or to switch off, that is the question

The Educationalist. By Alexandra Mihai

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Patience is imposing our own rhythm over the rhythm of the world, not by ignoring it but by taming it with discipline and purpose. Read more on how to help students cultivate patience & perseverance in my latest newsletter: educationalist.substack.com/p/keep-calm-...

educationalist.substack.com

Keep calm & carry on: Patience and perseverance in learning

The Educationalist. By Alexandra Mihai

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Today I tried botanical monoprinting for the first time. It's a lovely way to combine my love of nature with my journey to find new ways of creative expression. Looking forward to learning & experimenting with this new medium!

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

The city noise fades away The inner noise turns into silence Bit by bit The world grows calmer smaller Like wrapped in cotton wool Shades of white melt Into the horizon Infinite Yet confined To what is now.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

"There is not one day that clearly marks when winter ends and spring begins. Spring hides inside winter. We notice it emerging with our eyes, our skin and other senses. We find it in new buds or the warmth of the sun. It exists alongside winter." *** "Tales from the cafe", by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Life is so fast paced, full of distractions & requests for immediate input. Should our classrooms also look & feel like that? Does this help learning? What if we could take back control & set our own rhythm? This is an act of resistance. Are we up for it? educationalist.substack.com/p/slow-learn...

educationalist.substack.com

Slow learning

"The Educationalist", by Alexandra Mihai

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Today I experimented with wet cyanotypes. It was so cool to see that just by using some things you have in your kitchen (vinegar, lemon, coffee, turmeric) you can bring colour & texture. This opens so much creative space! 💙💛🤎

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Loved playing with mimosas today. So delicate and bright! #ikebana

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Merging waters (The Duoro meets the Atlantic) The ocean embracing the river Hungry for it; Absorbing its softness with untamed power. The river forever flowing Towards the ocean; Nor fearing it will be lost but longing to be bigger Different.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Time flies when you have fun- and important conversations!- with inspiring colleagues! Thanks a million @dresdeb.bsky.social @niyamirandabond.bsky.social @flowerdarby.bsky.social and everyone who joined us!

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

"Loneliness and snow became the same thing in her mind, lighter than air, made of nothing; only upon tackling the stuff did you realise it had piled to heavy to yield." ❄️ "The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny", by Kiran Desai

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Reposted by Alexandra Mihai

Beccy Dresden @dresdeb.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Interested in asynchronous learning? Want to find out more about how the people who design and teach it strive to make it meaningful for both educator and learner? Join @anda19.bsky.social @flowerdarby.bsky.social @niyamirandabond.bsky.social and I on Thurs 15 Jan, 1–2pm (UK). Link in Lawrie's post!

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Winter magic ❄️❄️❄️ Seeing my hometown Brașov dressed in a fresh white blanket is such a delight.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Today's snowfall was a real throwback to my childhood. Waking up to the sight of a white blanket and falling snow. Feeling & hearing the fresh snow under my feet. This, for me, is magic.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

In 2025 I was lucky to spend time in some amazing places: Hiking & enjoying la dolce vita in Italy; Soaking up the sun in Malta in spring & in France in summer; Exploring London on my annual visit; Eating my way around South Korea on a food tour in the best autumn weather. Bring it on, 2026!

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Learning does not *only* happen in the classroom. I chatted with @niyamirandabond.bsky.social about how we can scaffold & support students' learning before (and after) class. Watch our chat to get some inspiration from this free @onehe.bsky.social resource: onehe.org/resources/wh...

onehe.org

What is a flipped classroom? – OneHE

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

I belive education is about *people*. In my latest newsletter I argue that we should be intentional in nurturing human interaction in education and resist the false promise of convenience exerted by the sadly ubiquitous GenAI. educationalist.substack.com/p/hello-worl...

educationalist.substack.com

"Hello, World!"... revisited

The Educationalist. By Alexandra Mihai

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

"Survival often depends on a specific focus: A relationship, a belief, or a hope balanced on the edge of possibility. Or something more ephemeral: the way the sun passes through the hard seemingly impenetrable glass of a window." *** Elisabeth Tova Bailey, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

"It is a serious thing Just to be alive On this fresh morning In this broken world." *** Mary Oliver, "Invitation"

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

"What helps is that we are not all crazy and hopeless on the same day. One of us remembers and reminds the rest of us thay when it is really dark you can see the stars." *** "Almost everything", Anne Lamott

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

Coziness is the smell of freshly baked brioche on a cold rainy Sunday.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

"The truth is, we know so little about life, we don’t really know what the good news is and what the bad news is.” *** Kurt Vonnegut, "A man without a country"

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

When using shortcuts, let's consider not only the things we can do, but also the things we can't do anymore. The skills we are missing. The things we stop practicing for convenience. Harder to grasp, yet important.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Agreed. I just wish we deliberately made more space to practice in different courses/ contexts... But this is seldom the case, sadly. "Do" is prefered to "think" in many cases. Also, I feel it works better when they are device-free, even for a short time, in analogue mode.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Yes, had this conversation. I think they appreciate it after a while, but it takes practice, and it does not really happen in many courses, unfortunately, so space to practicr is limited...

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

We are all burdened with so many stimuli and conditioned to act/ respond fast, moving from task to task (efficiency mantra...) that we begin to see *thinking* as a luxury. Students don't see the value of it anymore. They lose patience easily. They seek fast rewards. What can we do about it?

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Walk into the classroom. Give students pens & papers (no, they won't have pens). Ask them to work individually on a reflection task for 10 min. Count until they get bored and start fidgeting. If you're lucky, you reach 5 min. Sad but true. Education became so transactional. #BringThinkingBack

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

What we are trying to do is help students build a toolkit that can help them make all the other courses *about them*. This includes reflection exercises & prompts, coaching, competence development strategies, etc.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

This made my day, after 8 hours of teaching. Reflection from one of my BA students in a skills/ professional development course: "I really liked that this course is *about us*. That's not the case with most of our courses... which is sad." #FocusOnWhatMatters #ReflectivePractice

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

The wet air bearing earthy undertones; Colours fading away. Bare-bones. A shadow of what used to be. Or maybe The essence of everything. A beginning. Step slowly In silence: The earth is resting. Breathe in. Breathe out. Time to pause Recharge So we can be again.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

"Hope is an embrace of the unknown and the unknowable, an alternative to the certainty of both optimists and pessimists." *** Rebecca Solnit

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

"What do we have to hold on to? Only the certainty that nothing will go according to design; our hopes are newly built wooden houses, sturdy until someone drops a cigarette or match." *** Pico Iyer, "Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells"

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Colourful autumn ikebana in my new Korean mini vases.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

10 beautiful days exploring South Korea 🇰🇷 🏞 Walked 130 km through the beautiful landscape. 🍲 Discovered the culture and tasted delicious food. 📸 Took over 1000 pictures. 🍁 Enjoyed the most vibrant autumn weather. Will be back!

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

Going on a food-themed holiday in South Korea be like...

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Have been living in beautiful Maastricht for 3 years now and I never get bored of this gorgeous view on my way to work.

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

"Maybe a self is just a bunch of little stories glued together in some haphazard way that we use to comfort ourselves." *** Siri Hustvedt, "Memories of the future"

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

"When we are stricken and cannot bear our lives any longer, then a tree has something to say to us: Be still! Be still! Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. Those are childish thoughts. Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all." Hermann Hesse

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Alexandra Mihai @anda19.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

"Life meanders like a path through the woods. We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again." *** Katherine May, "Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times"

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