Sign in

Rebecca Tickell

@rebeccatickell.bsky.social
936 followers 866 following 887 posts

"It's all grist to the mill." Education for the win. Questioner. Educational researcher and consultant. Alum of HMC, University of Oxford. Also tooting (rarely) on Mastodon rebeccatickell@qoto.org

PostsRepliesMedia
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
September sunshine is so nice if you can get it. Enjoying the last few days before we head into autumn. #Mdina (the silent city) #Malta #Photography #Stone #Limestone #Gateway
Main gate, Mdina, Malta. Honey-coloured limestone, arched entrance, flanked by two stone lions atop limestone pillars.
050
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Best thread I’ve read on Bluesky for ages
010
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Yes, the Green Cross Code Man visited us in primary school too - I had my photo taken with him (sadly, the photo is long gone) #StopLookListen #MayTheForceBeWithYou
010
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
NASA picture of the day today is a real 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿beauty! This is a composite image of the ~5000yo Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis. The amazing Giuseppe Petricca has only gone and photographed the Sun at noon there, every few days, for a whole year. #Dedication 🔭🧪👌 ℹ️: science.nasa.gov/image-articl...
The imposing Callanish Stones stand talk with their shadows spanning out across the glass.  It's a super clear sky, but looks cold. Above the central stone is a strange figure-of-8 shape of dots.  This is the location of the Sun, at noon, on various different days across the year.
6644191394
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Amazing archeological museums in Istanbul - if you get the chance to visit this beautiful city then they’re a must do. The Basilica Cistern is very impressive too.
The Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, arches, columns, water, reflections.
011
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Sam Johnson @analoguelass.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Sometimes you come across gates almost hidden from view - a portal to a hidden realm - half frame photograph printed onto mulberry paper. The photograph was made using my Pentax 17 and Ilford HP5 developed with DD-X. #believeinfilm #halfframedriday
A 6x4 black and white half frame photograph of a small wooden gate printed onto delicate mulberry paper. The gate was almost hidden from view, sparking a sense of mystery and wonder.
1212612
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Natalie Bennett @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
What a terrible thing to defund. Sure, improve access, but don't end the youth parliament! #democracy - it would be a good idea: we need a world where everyone makes politics what they do, not have done to them @younggreens.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UK Youth Parliament looks set to be axed
Some say scrapping the parliament for 11 to 18-year-olds would be a blow for democracy, while others say it is overdue.
66519
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Lego Lost At Sea @legolostatsea.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Fragments of people's lives, washed up on the beach.
Miscellaneous beach finds laid out on a black background. Among the colourful finds featured are false nails, finger prickers, toy soldiers, toy animals, fake flowers and foliage, a plastic nose, Lego, a soy sauce fish and a covid test kit.
12455117
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Nicolas Hénin @nicolashenin.net · 17/09/2026
Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!
180140476469
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I can’t understand why the panic. Biology teachers are more than qualified and capable of teaching this *new subject. They may need some additional training and time to get used to the new specs but 🤷 *it isn’t really new
030
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
This is a real Z for Zachariah moment. Is #AI is the new nuclear threat to humanity? I want to know more about the how. It’s quite the claim. In our tech-connected and controlled world we are hugely vulnerable; however, some pockets of our spp would still remain. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
AI staff 'genuinely frightened' for humanity's future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBC
It comes as the AI firm's boss has called for the technology's development to be slowed down, citing "serious" risks.
000
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Things I was frightened of as a child: 1. Quicksand 2. The Croglin Vampire 3. Going blind (from playing with fireworks) 4. Spiders 5. Escalators 6. The Witch’s Hat (how was this ever allowed?) 7. Nuclear war 8. Opening the front door without checking who was there first youtu.be/rAjWdYQ0h38
youtu.be
Door Chain PIF
YouTube video by It's Sam!
010
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
England’s Pisa 2025 results might look impressive on the surface, but the data needs to be handled with care, and settling for stable scores after a pandemic decline isn’t very ambitious, writes @cbokhove.bsky.social
tes.com
Are England’s Pisa 2025 results really worth celebrating?
The latest Pisa international study has sparked many far-reaching claims that stretch what the data tells us - and England’s scores in reading and maths aren’t worth writing home about anyway, says…
022
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Damon Young @damonyoung.com.au · 04/09/2026
This Finnish guy has been teaching himself Sumerian, and sent a cuneiform tablet to the British Museum to check his progress. They just emailed him that they've sent him something in the post. I'm now thrilled and excited for a total stranger! Clay tablet mail! www.reddit.com/r/Cuneiform/...
a photo of a hand holding a cuneiform tablet
11554911487
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
DIMORPHODONS @dimorphodons.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Mary has introduced me to this game where you have to identify where and when ancient artefacts are from, and despite having seen every episode of Relic Hunter more than twice, I cannot.
anthropeum.com
Anthropeum
A daily game that challenges our understanding of human cultures. Ten objects. 5,000 years of human history. Guess where and when each artifact was made. See how you rank.
72811
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences @pnas.org · 03/09/2026
Soundscapes of ancient forests are made possible through reconstructions of the sound-producing structures of insects from the Jurassic period. These ancient relatives of today’s katydids lived in what is now Inner Mongolia, China. In PNAS: ow.ly/xee550ZISxP
02824
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I love #England in the #Summer time, it can’t be beaten. All I need is a bowl of strawberries and a glass of Pimms and I’m set ☀️ #BlueSkyArtShow #River #Boat #Church #Green (photo taken a few summers ago, not sure it would be this verdant right now) #Photography
Rowing boat on a river with three young people in it, on the far bank in the distance is a church tower and spire, trees and shrubs - mid and foreground - are framing the scene (Stratford-upon-Avon)
0170
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Amazingly talented artist. I saw some of Yayoi Kusama’s work just over a couple of weeks ago at the National Gallery of Victoria - her influence lives on #Ripples @ngvmelbourne.bsky.social
Yayoi Kusama ❤️ Polka dot - black on yellow - sculpture at NGV, Melbourne, Australia
000
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
000
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
A Giant Strangler Fig in Tamborine National Park #Australia Breathe in that #RainForest air #ForestFriday #EastCoastKin #Photography #Nature #Tree
A Giant Strangler Fig in Tamborine National Park Australia
0202
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Andrew Lawrence @ndrew.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
i love when they recover some 3000 year old clay tablet and its something totally relatable like “i hope this tablet finds you well but the group project is a disaster…”
10064401369
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
First visit to #Australia 🇦🇺 has given me the chance to see #koalas and #kangaroos in the wild 🐨 🦘 Feeling very fortunate right now. Currently in #Melbourne and working my way #East up the coast #GreatOceanRoad #12Apostles #Wildlife #Photography #Nature #EastCoastKin
040
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Our education system is designed to sort people into groups. With this in mind, why then are the vocal middle classes so afraid of sorting young people into vocational and academic groups at age 14? It happens anyway (exam outcomes; poverty etc.) Investment in vocational pathways? Absolutely.
000
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Edward Elderman @elderman.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
David Hockney (British, b. 1937): Garrowby Hill, 1998. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Oil on canvas, 60 x 76 in. l 152.4 x 193
171472193
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
It may be that the #Big Blue Bear in #Denver is looking for picnic baskets #BlueSkyArtShow #Photography #Cityscape #Sculpture @blueskyartshow.bsky.social
The Big Blue Bear in Denver peering into the windows of the Conference Centre; trees in foreground
0170
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Air conditioning. Are you contemplating it? “The machines keeping the financially comfortable cool make everyone else's nights worse; and as wealthier households cool their rooms, the rest fall further behind. A thermal divide, opening street by street.” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
How the UK's extreme heat is shifting the conversation about air-con
Should we embrace air conditioning despite its costs and consequences, and how much should we spend on adapting homes versus cutting carbon?
000
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
I know it’s political spin and it’s early days, but I am liking this start from Andy Burnham a lot. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0...
bbc.co.uk
Andy Burnham giving speech on social care in England - live updates
Louise Casey, who is currently chairing a review, told the BBC earlier that care sector users should not face "constant battle lines between who does what and how".
041
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Nicolas Robert @robertsnickc.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
‘Gray and Gold.’ #Painting by John Rogers Cox (1942) #art
533000376
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Just catching up with the news to find out that Ronnie Le Drew, puppeteer extraordinaire, has left this mortal coil. Goodnight Zippy 🌈
theguardian.com
Ronnie Le Drew, puppeteer behind Zippy and David Bowie’s goblins, dies aged 78
Canadian-born British operator, president of the British Puppet Guild, died after a ‘short illness’
010
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
‘Great Inventions, 1961’ Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope Artist: Robert Ayton
Illustration from the endpapers of the revised edition of the book showing a detailed illustration of the dish set against a striking dark pink ground
231141366
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
You’ve been murdered. Who do you want on the case?
static.klipy.com
Powerpuff Girls: Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup Flying
Alt: Powerpuff Girls: Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup Flying
010
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
After 🌍’s next mass extinction event, I think it’s time for kingdom fungi to take centre stage. We can’t dig up the future just yet* but it would be equally fascinating to look forwards as well as back. *maybe quantum computers could help us with this (before our spp - as we are now - 👋s g’bye)
020
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
The Lotus Temple in New Delhi offers all visitors a moment of #Quiet contemplation in the rush 🇮🇳 #BlueSkyArtShow #Photography #Temple #Bharat #India #Peace 🪷 @blueskyartshow.bsky.social
The Lotus Temple and brick pathway in New Delhi 🪷
0150
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Well I think @countbinface.bsky.social winning Clacton is a possibility given that (a) the main parties aren’t running against Farage, (b) England loves a Boaty McBoatface outcome, (c) Reform only won 46% of the votes at the last election, and (d) he has done diddly squat for his constituents.
static.klipy.com
Funny Dancing Trash Cans Animation
Alt: Dancing laughing bins: these bins* are amused by the prospect of a Clacton win by their leader #CountBinface *as the English are obsessed with their bins (e.g. bin day is a much discussed subject here) a bin-win is a possibility
050
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Wil Eelsing @wileelsing.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Bethan's Rock is a small grey stone on display at Poole Museum in Poole, England. It was donated to the museum in 2019 by a five-year-old girl named Bethan, and it has since attracted significant attention on social media and become the museum's most famous object. - Wikipedia
20872001139
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Mark Braggins @markbraggins.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Haha, nice one @privateeyenews.bsky.social !
Extract from Private Eye: Bluesky also banned

THE government confirmed today that, despite being left off the initial list, Bluesky would be included in the social media sites banned for under 16s.

Said a Downing Street spokesman, "We're determined to protect impressionable teen minds from being exposed on Bluesky to friendly polite
conversation on topics ranging from the albums of Miles Davis to classic 70s Hollywood movies and the best era of Doctor Who."

He continued, "Filling teenagers' impressionable young minds with this genial chat is no way to prepare them for the hellish Al future that awaits them."
181414502
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Richard Littler @richardlittler.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Congratulations to Andy Burnham for winning The Masked Singer.
Andy  Burnham with Count Binface and fox candidates
422645539
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Earth is an oasis in the desert of space. If aliens 👽 arrived here we’d definitely know about it, and not in a good way. People also claim that they’ve seen ghosts 👻 – but that doesn’t mean that ghosts are objectively real. (Extraterrestrial life - likely, but that’s a different thing)
bbc.co.uk
Does the UK have a blind spot on UFO sightings?
A campaigner is calling on the government to resume investigations into alleged encounters.
000
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Love #DavidHockney – a visit to Salt’s Mill is now on the cards this weekend. Bradford is so very different to California, but the loneliness is still a central feature of his work.
David is Hockney (1962) B&W illustration from Grimm’s Fairy Tales: A black cat leaping (The Boy Who Left Home to Learn Fear)
020
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Good news! Ministers have finally given green light to new #NaturalHistory GCSE. We’ve campaigned so long for this! Big hats off to tireless advocate Mary Colwell 🙌 Now our young people will have a chance to get to know & love the natural world, to feel awe & wonder, & gain skills to protect it 🌷🌳🦡
theguardian.com
Natural history GCSE to teach teenagers to plant wildflower-friendly gardens
Long-awaited course to examine human effects on natural world and explore everyday ways to aid biodiversity
391220372
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
D r e a m k i d @dreamkid83.com · 15/05/2026
This is what wearing sunglasses after midnight in the 1980s sounded like… #80s #nostalgia
1317136
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
A place I’ll never forget visiting; #Growth has many faces. #Thailand 🇹🇭 #Photography #Growth #Buddha #Roots #BhodiTree #Ayutthaya #Time #BlueSkyArtShow @blueskyartshow.bsky.social
Sandstone Buddha head wrapped inside holy Bodhi tree roots at the ancient site of Ayutthaya #Growth #BlueSkyArtShow
0443
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
000
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Why is their need greater than anyone else’s? Unbelievable sense of entitlement. The flack they’re going to get from this article* will likely eclipse the “boos” they received from the hikers waiting patiently in the queue for the summit. *British 🇬🇧 readership www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Charity hikers booed for dodging queues at summit of Yr Wyddfa
The pair say they were jeered when they avoided queues as they just wanted to tap the trig point.
000
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Public service announcement for those suffering from *the heat* in the UK: Move away from the cubes and opt for ice spheres instead SA:V (once a biology teacher always a biology teacher) @chatbiology.bsky.social
static.klipy.com
Funny Cat Licking an Ice Ball
Alt: Ginger and white cat staying cool by licking an ice ball
011
Reposted by Rebecca Tickell
Yorkshire Wolds Weather @yorkswoldsweather.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Sunset At The Yorkshire Coast. 20°C. Herring Gulls.
320425
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
I’d like a reasonably priced air con solution that is powered by solar – panels and battery in a fully self-contained setup – why is this so difficult*? Capturing a block of cold morning air in the 🏠 is working for now. *possibly something to do with energy companies and their shareholders
000
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
This made me smile. It’s a good thread – click and read through. Hallucinated references are are definitely becoming an issue in some #EducationalResearch journals
010
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
One of my favourites Can’t quite believe it’s 31 years old, but then again … Yes (I can) #90s #Indie
030
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Great fun, but I agree it was absolutely brutal.
010