Sign in

Alex Ford

@apf102.bsky.social
1.3K followers 572 following 2.4K posts

PGCE Tutor and former history teacher with an American West obsession. All views my own…I think. #UKTeaching #historyteacher #PGCE

PostsRepliesMedia
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 7h
Integrating some of the elements of this fantastic unit into my sources ITE session for next week. Really excited to be teaching this and great to get TIHPS work to a new-teacher audience! @carolinepennock.bsky.social @ciscstudies.bsky.social @kerrylouisehistory.bsky.social
032
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Super exciting to see all these local forums growing!
022
Reposted by Alex Ford
Schools History Project - SHP @1972shp.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Our Yorkshire History Forum will be in Northallerton where our regional adviser @petejackson.bsky.social will be hosting primary and secondary teachers of history on November 16th. Free tickets (thanks Arete Learning Trust!) available here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2001582693...
154
Reposted by Alex Ford
Schools History Project - SHP @1972shp.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
SHP Kent is set to launch on November 19th with the legend that is Jason Todd, tickets available now from store.leedstrinity.ac.uk/product-cata...
154
Reposted by Alex Ford
Schools History Project - SHP @1972shp.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
So much going on from @1972shp.bsky.social at the moment! Regional forums popping up all over the place, a superb SHP Understanding event coming soon at @britishlibrary.bsky.social and resources being developed from older projects!
166
Reposted by Alex Ford
Dr Dave Hitchcock @davehitchcock.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A stone cold banger here too: "The skills our discipline has taught for generations, unfashionable, slow, and cumulative, turn out to be the operating requirements of an AI-saturated information world."
0131
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is a great read and has lots to say about the kinds of history we need in schools too
020
Reposted by Alex Ford
Christine Kooi @christinekooi.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
"...calling a text extruded from an LLM a ‘history’ is, quite literally, a category error. There are far too many deliberations, choices, and cares in the production of a history for it to be something statistically generated, a mere algorithmic derivative." #NoAIintheclassroom #skystorians
1157
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It would be good to know if there are plans to reintroduce vocational history qualifications like the History Pilot course. Had a great time teaching that to a really wide range of pupils. Brought in lots of cross disciplinary stuff, heritage and complex work on significance and interpretations
181
Reposted by Alex Ford
Polly Pallister-Wilkins @pollypw.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The film Meta removed from Instagram… bsky.app/profile/roel...
2190101
Reposted by Alex Ford
Polly Pallister-Wilkins @pollypw.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
For the non Dutch speakers Roel Maalderink made an excellent satirical video about Meta’s pervert glasses and Meta has removed the film from Instagram (film in following skeet) www.ad.nl/tech/meta-ha...
ad.nl
Meta haalt satirische video offline waarin Roel Maalderink kritiek uit op de videobrillen van het techbedrijf
Meta heeft een video offline gehaald van Roel Maalderink en Bits of Freedom, waarin zij op satirische wijze kritiek uiten op de videobrillen van Meta. Maalderink filmt erin Meta-personeel met een vide...
110348
Reposted by Alex Ford
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The TEACHER SURVEY should take 15-16 minutes and asks about your views on the topic and pupil knowledge / misconceptions. It is fully anonymous. york.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... The PUPIL SURVEY is separate because it needs a teacher permission slip to be completed.
static.klipy.com
Aladdin's Genie Demands: Take the Survey!
ALT: Aladdin's Genie Demands: Take the Survey!
134
Reposted by Alex Ford
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Hi #historyteacher people. I am hurtling towards PhD research deadlines and looking for any TEACHERS and PUPILS who might help out by completing a survey about GCSE American West. Aim is to explore pupil metanarratives about Indigenous peoples and US expansion. Thread has more on the surveys.
static.klipy.com
Doc Brown Stoked on Train - Back to the Future
ALT: Doc Brown Stoked on Train - Back to the Future
1814
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This is super interesting. Rev. Samuel Marsden, who is credited as the person who brought Merino to England (he was a parson at Botany Bay) was the curate at the church my wife is now a vicar in. Until recently there was also a small statue to him in Horsforth. @histassoc.bsky.social TH204
152
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Typically great piece from Jane Card on teaching popular interpretations and why this matters. Well worth a look for those seeking to bolster interpretations work ahead of curriculum change @histassoc.bsky.social TH204
183
Reposted by Alex Ford
Katie Hall @katiehall.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Taking part in Alex’s research will be massively helpful not only to him but to the wider community as we move towards looking at reforming history qualifications.
155
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Hi #historyteacher people. I am hurtling towards PhD research deadlines and looking for any TEACHERS and PUPILS who might help out by completing a survey about GCSE American West. Aim is to explore pupil metanarratives about Indigenous peoples and US expansion. Thread has more on the surveys.
static.klipy.com
Doc Brown Stoked on Train - Back to the Future
ALT: Doc Brown Stoked on Train - Back to the Future
1814
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This also contrasts so well with what the Any Human Ever project fails to do. Where Terry wants to help kids wrestle with complexity, AI encourages us to seek simplicity and, in doing so, erases the very people is claims to be rescuing from anonymity. www.andallthat.co.uk/blog/fabrica...
andallthat.co.uk
Fabricating the past: can AI Really help reveal hidden histories in the classroom?
Explore AI in the history classroom. Can generative AI help reveal hidden histories, or are we fabricating the past? Essential reading for history teachers.
011
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Really interesting piece from the fantastic Terry Graham which describes using Tiya Miles’ All That She Carried to wrestle with resistance, survival, historical traces, evidence and the processes of construction. Nice to see the impact of #TIHPS on this too. @histassoc.bsky.social
001
Reposted by Alex Ford
Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I've been devising a resource for @engmediacentre.bsky.social for @poetrydayuk.bsky.social on Thursday 1st Oct - a simple, doable activity fuelled by fabulous poems that take an unusual angle on the theme of 'Wonder'. If you're an English teacher, watch out for it on EMC website - up by Monday!
064
Reposted by Alex Ford
The Wiener Holocaust Library @wienerlibrary.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
📣 Coming soon! In 1894 in Paris, Alfred Dreyfus was arrested and falsely accused of treason. As the only Jewish captain in the French Army, antisemitism underlay his conviction for selling military secrets to Germany...
Exhibition poster showing a mustached late‑19th‑century French officer in uniform with a monocle against a newspaper background and the headline "J'Accuse!", promoting "Press, Polemic and the Dreyfus Affair" (5 Nov 2026–26 Feb 2027) at The Wiener Holocaust Library.
1128
Reposted by Alex Ford
Caroline Dodds Pennock @carolinepennock.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Ditto 30,000 roles in universities in the past three years.
7491180
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
100% agree. Used to have this printed on the wall in my office
251
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
How we handle AI in schools is a massive challenge. We can’t ignore AI precisely because its ethical implications are a live topic. But should we ever turn to AI as a tool in school history? I’d argue “no”, but we need to have this debate @htenuk.bsky.social @histassoc.bsky.social
histassoc.bsky.social
Historical Association (@histassoc.bsky.social)
The Historical Association is the voice for history. For over 100 yrs we have brought, teachers, students, academics and enthusiasts together to explore the past and inspire future historians. We prov...
100
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This is what they should have done from the very first attack on the free press
020
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Fab blog again from @victoriacrooks.bsky.social . Often talk about the importance of being curious and trying to understand the professional decisions teachers make in the classroom. Really helpful read for trainees and mentors alike
010
Reposted by Alex Ford
Victoria Crooks @victoriacrooks.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🚨NEW BLOG🚨 I'm on a bit of a blogging roll at the moment, so in addition to the one on Subject Knowledge from the weekend (uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog/2026/09/19/d...), here is a new one about #ITT #professionalism in #observation uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog/2026/09/21/t...
uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog
The difference between judging and learning: How beginning teachers can make a professional start to observing colleagues in school
Photo by Euvgene PH on Pexels.com Imagine being invited to your Auntie’s house for tea.  She serves up the meal of chicken with a range of side dishes.  You take a bite, chew, realise you are…
242
Reposted by Alex Ford
Victoria Crooks @victoriacrooks.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
🚨NEW BLOG🚨 During #ITT beginning #historyteacher tutorials yesterday, the biggest concern was about developing subject knowledge for #teaching. A very practical blog with tips for how to develop subject knowledge when it feels impossible. uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog/2026/09/19/d...
uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog
Developing your subject knowledge as a beginning teacher: a marathon, not a sprint
Photo by Manuel Camacho-Navarro on Pexels.com At the start of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) year most beginning history teachers have two major anxieties: Will I be able to manage the behaviou…
2115
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Another year, another midnight decorating session 😂😂 The squirrel was so heavy I had to sit in the fridge overnight to stop it melting into a puddle.
040
Reposted by Alex Ford
Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
So much of the right these days have a massive patriotism problem. This guy: - is a tax exile (left long before this govt) - hates his own country while complaining he doesn’t get big enough subsidies from it - laments the manufacturing hit from a Brexit he supported www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Billionaire Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in UK
Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe tells the BBC he thinks the country is "on the slide" and calls for more investment in the North Sea.
1031369460
Reposted by Alex Ford
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Fabricating the past: can AI Really help reveal hidden histories in the classroom? Reflecting on the Any Human Ever project, restoring hidden histories, and the role AI can (or should) play in our classrooms. #historyteacher #ukedchat www.andallthat.co.uk/blog/fabrica...
032
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
This is going to be fab! Don’t miss out
011
Reposted by Alex Ford
Schools History Project - SHP @1972shp.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
We have nearly sold out our SHP Understanding event on Teaching History through an Emotional Lens, at the British Library on Saturday October 10th! But there are still some tickets left from www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shp-unders... come and join us for a really inspiring afternoon.
165
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
youtube.com/watch?v=1Zwt...
youtube.com
This Rock Just Rewrote British Prehistory... (and it's not Stonehenge!)
YouTube video by Adam Morgan Ibbotson
000
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/slavery...
whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com
New database of 13,000 British slave traders goes online | Who Do You Think You Are Magazine
The Register of British Slave-traders, a new online database of 13,000 Britons involved in the transatlantic slave trade, has launched
010
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Fabricating the past: can AI Really help reveal hidden histories in the classroom? Reflecting on the Any Human Ever project, restoring hidden histories, and the role AI can (or should) play in our classrooms. #historyteacher #ukedchat www.andallthat.co.uk/blog/fabrica...
032
Reposted by Alex Ford
FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The Trump administration is spending $84,000 to put up signs outside the Smithsonian accusing museums of ideological bias.
108146
Reposted by Alex Ford
Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
“OpenAI on Wednesday disclosed six new instances in which artificial intelligence systems hid mistakes, made up data and moved files onto the open internet without permission, amid an ongoing industrywide debate about A.I. safety.” www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/t...
nytimes.com
OpenAI Discloses Six New Incidents of ‘Concerning' A.I. Behavior
The artificial intelligence company also released a framework for reporting when its systems go wrong.
1713872
Reposted by Alex Ford
Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 16/09/2026
HEY EVERYONE - NEW REPORT!!! NVIDIA is the largest company by market cap on the planet. But it hides key climate data, while claiming AI is going to be a 'net benefit' for climate. We (8 groups) put together the first ever broad critique of NVIDIA's climate record: ketanjoshi.co/2026/09/16/n...
13867419
Reposted by Alex Ford
Frog and Toad Bot @frogandtoadbot.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
“Blah,” said Toad.
10341121
Reposted by Alex Ford
Caroline Dodds Pennock @carolinepennock.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This is the correct take.
0375
Reposted by Alex Ford
Daniel C. Blight @danielcblight.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
***URGENT PLEASE SHARE*** University of Brighton management have announced today that they ‘give notice of termination of all collective agreements’. This is a fundamental erasure of workers' rights. Management have announced the termination of all contractual documents, which includes:
13597705
Reposted by Alex Ford
ArthurJChapman @arthurjchapman.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I've made use of a powerful question asked once by @uclhistory.bsky.social colleague Dr David Sim in the article ('What do we see and what do we miss when we focus on...?'). Hope that's useful to history educators - @freereed59.net @danlyndon.bsky.social @apf102.bsky.social @nickdennis.bsky.social
132
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Super proud of the eldest this weekend! The board was about twice the thickness we have been practising with. She persevered, calmed the nerves and absolutely smashed it!
160
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Is anyone able to help Caitlyn out? Not taught that course in particular so am hoping I have some lovely colleagues who might be able to point in the right direction #historyteacher
011
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Enchanted forest Olympus 35 RC | Kodak Gold 200 #kodakgold200 #ishootfilm #analoguephotography
020
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Do love a Swedish cathedral! Olympus 35RC | Kodak Gold 200 #kodakgold200 #ishootfilm
011
Reposted by Alex Ford
Andy Mabbett @pigsonthewing.org.uk · 10/09/2026
Any Birmingham folk have a photo of 239 Hagley Road, childhood home of John Wyndham? Demolished circa 2018-2023, and I need a pic for Wikipedia.
1727
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
If you want to know more about why autonomous AI is terrifying , Inside Science are doing a feature on the Hugging Face attacks on Radio 4 now
000