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Thomas J. Tobin

@thomasjtobin.bsky.social
2.1K followers 283 following 732 posts

He, him. #ActuallyAutistic higher-ed quality author, speaker, scholar. Going Alt-Ac | UDL x3 | © Ninja | Evaluating Online Teaching +. Books/book me: thomasjtobin.com

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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 7h
Put this on your calendar for October 1. I'll be talking with @edufuturist.bsky.social at 2:00p EDT on October 1. We'll talk about scaling up UDL across your whole campus, and you can ask questions and be part of the conversation, too. See you there? See you there. See you there!
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
THANK YOU, 500+ PEOPLE! After 1 month, my @oupress.bsky.social book *UDL at Scale* has sold more than 500 copies. Yay! Thank you to everyone who got a physical or e-book copy! Want to see what it's all about? Get one for yourself—and one for your boss, too. www.oupress.com/978080619706...
Book marketing image for *UDL at Scale: Whole-Campus Universal Design for Learning* by Thomas J. Tobin. Volume 9 in the "Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Education" series from the University of Oklahoma Press. See https://bit.ly/UDL_at_Scale. Background image of a nebula in space, lit up in red and pink tones against a starry black sky.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I SEE YOU SHIVER WITH ANTICI ... PATION! October 1! Join me & @edufuturist.bsky.social at 2p ET for the Future Trends Forum. forum.futureofeducation.us/upcoming-for... Then hear the Dead Ideas in Teaching & Learning podcast from @columbiauniversity.bsky.social. ctl.columbia.edu/resources-an...
Promo text from the Future Trends Forum: "Universal design for learning. October 1, 2026. How might colleges and universities best use universal design for learning? This week the Future Trends Forum is delighted to host Thomas J. Tobin, author of the new book *UDL at Scale: Whole-Campus Universal Design for Learning (University of Oklahoma Press)." Square logo for the "Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning" podcast. Illustration of a hanging pendant lamp with its pull-chain switch held by a hand, the lightbulb rendered as a tangled scribble, above the text "Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning," with the Columbia CTL logo in the top left.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Go, Bills!
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Film you've watched more than six times with a GIF
static.klipy.com
Blazing Saddles: Waco Kid's Shaky Hand
Alt: Gene Wilder as the Waco Kid in *Blazing Saddles* says "look at that." Cleavon Little as the sherrif says "steady as a rock." The Waco Kid raises his other hand, shaking wildly: "yes, but I shoot with this hand."
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Today's List ____________ Small project: done. Keynote A materials: done. Keynote B materials: done. Book A review: done. Book B chapter: done. Book C manuscript: done. Inbox: zero. Task List: zero. Pet pussycats time: unlimited. I love my life.
Tom Tobin smiles gleefully and shares a peace sign while relaxing on his bed, curled up with two sleeping black-and-white cats.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Felt cute, etc.
Tom Tobin smiles in his sleep as two black-and-white cats snuggle up to his chest as they sleep, too.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Dear @penguinsnhl.bsky.social, how do you spell that word, again? Pre-season hockey at its finest.
Sidney Crosby sits in the penalty box. The score bug shows a "penality" to the team.The score bug shows a "penality" to both hockey teams.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A huge #ThankYou to the Colleges of the Fenway Consortium for inviting me to keynote their Teaching & Learning Symposium today. We dove right in to knotty questions & ways to meet the Title II deadline by April 2027 by using some advanced UDL techniques. Who wants to do something like this next?
Thomas Tobin appears on a projected screen alongside a visual from his keynote for the Colleges of the Fenway, as 30 colleagues look on in a room at Emmanuel College in Boston.Thomas Tobin appears on a projected screen alongside a visual from his keynote for the Colleges of the Fenway, as 30 colleagues look on in a room at Emmanuel College in Boston.Thomas Tobin appears on a projected screen alongside a visual from his keynote for the Colleges of the Fenway, as 30 colleagues look on in a room at Emmanuel College in Boston.Thomas Tobin appears on a projected screen alongside a visual from his keynote for the Colleges of the Fenway, as 30 colleagues look on in a room at Emmanuel College in Boston.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Your Friday Furballs, Nina (up top) and Ned (ready for his modeling gig).
Two young black-and-white cats lounge atop a carpeted cat tree, with trees and grass visible through the window behind them.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
HELP! WOULD YOU REVIEW MY BOOK? Hey, friends. Want to review my @oupress.bsky.social book *UDL at Scale*? Click the "request review copy" link on the book website to connect with the press and get a copy. And a big ol' thank you in advance from me! www.oupress.com/978080619706...
Book marketing image for *UDL at Scale: Whole-Campus Universal Design for Learning* by Thomas J. Tobin. Volume 9 in the "Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Education" series from the University of Oklahoma Press. See https://bit.ly/UDL_at_Scale. Background image of a nebula in space, lit up in red and pink tones against a starry black sky.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
A REMOTE ED-DEV JOB! Here's a $100K/yr REMOTE instructional designer position with Notre Dame de Namur U in California. Questions? Ask Lia Schraeder @ NDNU. Apply yourself or share this one to your networks. workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/defau...
workforcenow.adp.com
Recruitment
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I did a UDL webinar for @uni-hamburg.de, and they sent me a thank-you letter, some dark chocolate (my fave) and a kind hand-written note. Made my day!
A thank you letter, two chocolate bars, and a notecard from Hamburg, Germany.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
HEY, NOW. ANOTHER UDL PODCAST EP! I really enjoyed talking with Luke Hobson for his podcast recently about scaling up #UDL efforts on campus. Have a listen: this one's a deep cut: 1:08:40! drlukehobson.com/podcast-epis...
Promo image for the Dr. Luke Hobson podcast episode "UDL at Scale" with Dr. Tom Tobin.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
FREE UDL PROF-DEV WEBINAR! Hey, friends. Rob Gray at @unibergen.bsky.social invited me to be on the TeLEd show to share a free 90-minute webinar on #UDL at Scale. Stop by at 8:00a EDT / 2:00p CEST on Monday, September 21. Get the details: www4.uib.no/forskning/fo... See you there!
Image of the TeLEd professional-development series from the University of Bergen, advertising guest Tom Tobin, talking about *UDL at Scale* on Monday, September 21 at 2:00p CEST.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 10/09/2026
what do I know really though, I just want to live on a peaceful, habitable planet, on which all people are treated with dignity
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Hey, Toronto-area friends, go hear this cool workshops. And, everyone, buy this book (I did)!
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
NEURODIVERSITY GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS @sarahesilverman.bsky.social's new book, *Classroom Mindscapes: An Introduction to Neurodiversity for Educators* is coming in the @oupress.bsky.social Teaching, Learning & Thriving series. Follow Sarah . . . & get your copy! www.oupress.com/978080619720...
Tom Tobin looks intently into his copy of *Classroom Mindscapes: An Introduction to Neurodiversity for Educators* by Sarah E. Silverman.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I was there for the original session, and y'all, you will not want to miss this one. Follow Josh and sign up when details come out!
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
We woke up thinking about the long shadow of all the workers’ wins and even their losses. We made it free to watch the short documentary that dominated my life this year. Happy Labor Day. vimeo.com/1224659811/7...
vimeo.com
Power to the People, Y'all [Happy Labor Day]
Power to the People, Y’all is a character-driven documentary that explores aging, legacy, and resistance through interviews with five founding members of the Winston-Salem Chapter of the Black Panther...
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
8 hours for work. 8 hours for rest. 8 hours for what we will.
Tom Tobin holds a cooked lobster.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
NINA SAYS "GET THIS BOOK" That's Nina reading with me. At only 7 months old, & new to online education, she's already a big fan of Susan Ko & Olena Zhadko's *Teaching Online* 5th ed (and so am I). Save when you order directly from @routledgebooks.bsky.social. www.routledge.com/Teaching-Onl...
Tom Tobin holds a copy of *Teaching Online: A Practical Guide* by Susan Ko and Olena Zhadko. His black-and-white kitten Nina looks on from atop her perch on a cat tower.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
My friends are awesome. That's it. That's the post. IYKYK
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Friends in Buffalo, who can help me? New Era has an in-store only Buffalo Bills cap. I want to buy a 9FORTY "flats" wing cap, $38.00. Can anyone stop by their flagship store at 160 Delaware Avenue, Mo-Sa 10-6 and get me one? I'm happy to pay for the hat and shipping. Thank you, whoever can help!
Four New Era ball caps in chicken-wing-sauce orange with embroidered chicken wings (drums or flats) with the Buffalo Bills charging-bison logo subtly incorporated into the wing shape.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Your Monday meow.
Two black and white cats lie sleeping against a human leg. One is stretched to his full length, and the other is curled up like a shrimp, with her head upside-down against his head.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Your Semi-Regular Kitten Update The two acro-cats Nina and Ned have been with us for 20 days, and they are settling in well. We suspect they may be time-traveling assassins, given their ability to melt and re-form themselves. Or they're just goofballs, trading the one brain cell back and forth.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
NEW PODCAST EP HAS DROPPED! Check out Episode 150 of *UDL in 15 Minutes* from @louilordnelson.bsky.social, where we talk "Scaling UDL Campus-Wide." theudlapproach.com/podcasts/epi...
Screen shot of Episode 150 of the *UDL in 15 Minutes* podcast, with text "In this episode of UDL in 15 Minutes, Tom Tobin talks about scaling Universal Design for Learning campus-wide. Tom shares the story of Atlantic Technological University in Ireland, which moved UDL from a grassroots effort to institutional practice through five stages: possible, permitted, supported, rewarded, and expected. Tom and Loui discuss shifting messaging from compliance to genuine support to sustain lasting culture change." Playback controls for the podcast appear below the text.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
To be honest, this is also me.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Thank you to @sunyorange.bsky.social for inviting me to keynote today's Faculty Assembly Day. I am proud of everyone's hard work to lower student access barriers with #UDL.
Tom Tobin smiles in front of a banner for Orange County Community College.Tom Tobin points to a TV displaying a slide that says "welcome to SUNY Orange."
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
New Edition of *Teaching Online*! Friends, this book from Olena Zhadko & Susan Ko is THE gold standard for anyone who teaches with technology. Now there's a 5th edition with lots of new material! And you can save 20% with code 26AFLY3. www.routledge.com/9781032563466
Publicity flyer for the book *Teaching Online: A Practical Guide,* 5th edition, by Olena Zhadko, Susan Ko, and Steve Rossen. Ordering link , 20% discount code 26AFLY3. Teaching Online: A Practical Guide is a comprehensive and accessible guide to teaching online. Whether teaching online for the first time or seeking fresh approaches, Teaching Online: A Practical Guide provides the roadmap, tools, and inspiration for those engaged in designing and teaching of online courses, in any modality—fully online, blended, or enhanced with digital tools. The fifth edition of the bestselling book maintains its reader-friendly tone and exceptional practical advice while presenting the latest
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Hey, hive mind. Been to Tokyo? What are your can't miss things to do and see in the winter time?
Pedestrians wander at night down a street in the Shinjuku district in Tokyo, lit up with colorful signs.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
New Podcast Ep on #AI vs Human Skills Big thanks to Angela Solic & the Rush U CTEI team for hosting "What Skills Must Humans Still Master?" [51:23] in their AI & Higher Ed series. creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/... Have a listen and share your big take-aways, friends!
Web site for Teaching in the CTEI podcast episode "What Skills Must Humans Still Master?" with brief description and short biography of Tom Tobin.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Grateful to @stephanierichter.bsky.social & the NIU CITL team for inviting me to build on their fabulous #UDL efforts. We talked about going beyond Title II & using #AI to support accessible design. Next week is @sunyorange.bsky.social. So glad to celebrate everyone's hard work & good ideas!
Tom Tobin smiles in front of a red "NIU" sign on the campus of Northern Illinois University.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
FRIENDS, DON'T DO THIS. I hosted a webinar. We didn't record it. I just got an email from some AI company, offering to sell me video "chapters" from it. Someone RECORDED MY WEBINAR WITHOUT MY KNOWELDGE OR PERMISSION. Now they're trying to sell it back to me. Bad form. Don't be that person.
Title slide for *UDL at Scale* book-launch webinar, with photo of Tom Tobin against a starry sky with a pink nebula in the middle.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Do your pets help fold the laundry? Neither do ours. #NinaAndNed
Two black-and-white cats lounge on a bed, right next to a laundry basket and stacks of freshly folded towels and washcloths.
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University of Oklahoma Press @oupress.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Out Now! "UDL at Scale: Whole-Campus Universal Design for Learning" by @thomasjtobin.bsky.social is a call to action and a how-to guide and gives campus leaders and administrators the tools to expand UDL's reach. www.oupress.com/978080619706...
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
House of Zoomies Update They've been with us just 48 hours. Kittens Ned & Nina are settling in. They have 2 speeds, "sweet napping kitty" & "Attempted Murder." Nina's a tiny, brave, snuggler. Ned's muscled, foolhardy, reckless. I've said "no" more today than the past 3 months. And it's perfect.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
ICYMI: FREE BOOK-LAUNCH WEBINAR! Join the launch party on Tuesday, August 11 at 3:00p EDT (UTC -4) for my new @oupress.bsky.social book, *UDL at Scale: Whole-Campus Universal Design for Learning.* Sign up at bit.ly/UDLBookLaunch & share this post, too. Want your own copy? bit.ly/UDL_at_Scale
Promo image for a book-launch webinar. Cartoon image of Tom Tobin (a white man with gray hair, glasses, and giant black mustache), saying "Come to my *UDL at Scale* book launch webinar on Tuesday, August 11 at 3:00p EDT (UTC -4)." Text: Register now! https://bit.ly/UDLBookLaunch." Image of a book cover: "UDL at Scale: Whole-Campus Universal Design for Learning by Thomas J. Tobin," background image of a glowing nebula in a starry sky.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Welcome to our home, Ned and Nina! #Caturday
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
ICYMI: MID-CAREER COACHING SEP/OCT 2026! I'll be a coach for the @higheredplus.bsky.social Mid-Career Faculty IGNITE Program, Sep 16 - Oct 28. Ready to reflect, reset, and think strategically? Register now, and share this to your feed, too! www.higheredplus.org/mid-career-f...
Promotional graphic for the HigherEd+ Mid-Career FacultyIGNITE program. A photo of an associate professor sits beside the program information. Text reads: "You've built the foundation. Now thrive in what's next." Mid-Career FacultyIGNITE is a 7-week professional development program for associate professors seeking dedicated time, expert guidance, and a national peer community to move forward with clarity and confidence. Program features include small-group and one-to-one coaching, a national peer community, and mentoring and leadership growth. The inaugural cohort begins September 2026, with early-bird registration available through July 31, 2026. Learn more and enroll at higheredplus.org/mid-career-facultyignite.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
BIG THANK YOU! Today, I shared research results on people's baseline accessibility knowledge with the @educause.bsky.social IT Accessibility Community Group. A huge #ThankYou to hosts Kara Gaulrapp & Eudora Struble & to the 150 colleagues who made it a warm, supportive, and useful conversation.
Title slide for "Accessibility: The Basics" presentation, with photo of Tom Tobin, a white man with gray hair, glasses, and a giant black mustache, and the EDUCAUSE logo.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Mystery Time! Friends, can you solve this mystery? They're black & white, began in Jordan 6 months ago, understand Arabic, came to the US in July, of their original unit of 8 just 2 are left now, apparently have their own passports, & will be coming to our home next week. What are they?
A heavily pixelated image, showing large square blocks of colors: black, white, gray, and various shades of green and tan. It is hard to make out just what this image was a picture of before it was pixelated.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The Most Important Sentence in My New Book Did you miss it? "The author declares that he has not used any type of generative artificial intelligence tools for the writing of this book." Want a book written wholly by a human being? Get a copy: bit.ly/UDL_at_Scale
Image of the top of a page in a book. Text reads "Publication of this book is made possible through the generosity of Edith Kinney Gaylord. The author declares that he has not used any type of generative artificial intelligence tools for the writing of this book, nor for the creation of images, graphics, tables, or their corresponding captions. Copyright © 2026 by the University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Publishing Division of the University. Manufactured in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic," [text ends here at bottom of image].
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Need a Speaker or Consultant? I do events & project work in universal design for learning (UDL), evaluating teaching, career planning, copyright, academic integrity, & leadership development. Find me at thomasjtobin.com. I'm booking for worldwide events Spring 2027 - Fall 2028. Let's talk!
Promo image for Thomas J. Tobin Consulting, LLC. Photo of Tom Tobin in a suit, smiling and gesturing warmly with open arms; Tom is a tall white man with gray hair, glasses, and a giant black mustache. Images of 14 flags from various countries, representing places where Tom has consulted. Text: "Educational developer. Professional consultant. #ActuallyAutistic author & international speaker on quality in technology-mediated education." Images of covers of 6 of Tom's books: *Evaluating Online Teaching,* *The Copyright Ninja,* *Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education,* *Going Alt-Ac: A Guide to Alternative Academic Careers,* *UDL for Further Education & Training,* and *UDL at Scale: Whole-Campus Universal Design for Learning.* Text: "Booking now for Spring 2027 through Fall 2028 events and long-form consulting. Find out more, get the books (including the brand-new UDL at Scale), or book me: https://thomasjtobin.com.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
MID-CAREER COACHING COMING SEP/OCT 2026! I'm a coach in the @higheredplus.bsky.social Mid-Career Faculty IGNITE Program, Sep 16 - Oct 28. Join a small 5-person team with group & 1-1 coaching, on-demand courses, and a microcredential. Register now & share, too! www.higheredplus.org/mid-career-f...
Promotional graphic for the HigherEd+ Mid-Career FacultyIGNITE program. A photo of an associate professor sits beside the program information. Text reads: "You've built the foundation. Now thrive in what's next." Mid-Career FacultyIGNITE is a 7-week professional development program for associate professors seeking dedicated time, expert guidance, and a national peer community to move forward with clarity and confidence. Program features include small-group and one-to-one coaching, a national peer community, and mentoring and leadership growth. The inaugural cohort begins September 2026, with early-bird registration available through July 31, 2026. Learn more and enroll at higheredplus.org/mid-career-facultyignite.
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Rebecca M. Townsend @rmtownsend.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Got mine!!
Book UDL at Scale
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
*UDL AT SCALE* UNBOXING VIDEO! It's here, it's here! Take 1 minute to watch this unboxing video and celebrate the release of my new @OUPress book with me. Get yours: bit.ly/UDL_at_Scale Free book-release webinar 8/11 3p EDT: bit.ly/UDLBookLaunch
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Sarah Rose Cavanagh @sarosecav.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
How like @thomasjtobin.bsky.social to swoop in with just the book we need as we all scramble to make our courses more accessible (should always have been a goal; but the scramble is real). Get yours: www.oupress.com/978080619705...
Author smiles in a warmly lit office while holding up UDL at Scale (book mentioned in post)
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
FREE BOOK-LAUNCH WEBINAR! AUG 11, 3p EDT To celebrate my new @oupress.bsky.social book, *#UDL at Scale,* I'm hosting a book-launch party Tuesday, August 11 at 3:00p EDT (UTC -4). Attend & you could win a copy! Sign up at bit.ly/UDLBookLaunch & share this post. Want your own? bit.ly/UDL_at_Scale
Promo image for a book-launch webinar. Cartoon image of Tom Tobin (a white man with gray hair, glasses, and giant black mustache), saying "Come to my *UDL at Scale* book launch webinar on Tuesday, August 11 at 3:00p EDT (UTC -4)." Text: Register now! https://bit.ly/UDLBookLaunch." Image of a book cover: "UDL at Scale: Whole-Campus Universal Design for Learning by Thomas J. Tobin," background image of a glowing nebula in a starry sky.
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Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Few folks work through the possibilities of big topics—incuding the far-flung or less likely ones—like @neilmosley.bsky.social. Definitely worth 10 minutes of your reading time on #AI in higher ed. Let us know your thoughts and reactions, too!
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