We had some difficulties posting Podcast 89. All shouldwork now, the link below and iTunes. Thanks to all of those listeners who provided feedback. Enjoy the show.

Jokes:

Today in English we learned absolutely nothing about killing mockingbirds.

I went to a tough high school. In biology we used to dissect custodians.

School is where you always try to do your best-except when your friends are watching.

Teachers deserve a lot of credit. Of course, if we paid them more, they wouldn’t need it.

Back-to-school sales get me all excited. Of course, pretty much any sale gets me all excited.

School is very important. Everyone should get at least a high school education–even if they already know everything.

You know our education system has problems when Hallmark comes out with a new line of “Easy-to-read” graduation cards.

My kids have everything they need to go back to school—except the right attitude.

The best part of going back to school is seeing all your friends. The worst part is that your teachers won’t let you talk to them.

Shout outs:

Susan Mulcaire – The Middle School Student’s Guide to Ruling the World
www.middleschoolguide.com

From the Twitterverse:

• bhsprincipal Great overview on how to create your own PLN RT @tweetmeme Thank You PLN | Teacher Reboot Camp http://bit.ly/3WIMB
  
• mayfieldc I remember when stage 4 scared me, but I managed. “Stages of PLN adoption” http://bit.ly/hI7p2
• mayfieldc Curriculum and lessons to teach copyright: http://bit.ly/Z1WdX
• mayfieldc The ultimate GoogleMap scavenger hunt: http://bit.ly/fvbZm
• mayfieldc Let your students run for congress: http://bit.ly/1uJQQ
• MsCLanger Thank you all for such a warm welcome… and lovin the excellent resources – Keep it up! @bbarreda – Let’s talk curriculum!  (Note:  She’s a new user, feel free to follow.)
  
• hickstro Prepping for three upcoming episodes of Teachers Teaching Teachers. Up this week, student choice and inquiry: http://bit.ly/OOsdG (This is Troy Hicks of CMU.)
  
• mguhlin Over 800 Videos in Core Content Area Instruction http://ff.im/-8Ojqq
  
• johnharrison1 Twitter is changing how ed nonprofits raise funds for good causes. @donorschoose in Fast Company http://bit.ly/1aDtqT
  
• lthumann “Just Google” – a parody of “Beat It” by Michael Jackson http://tinyurl.com/2am3r4 (considering using this at the NJEA convention)
  
• brasst http://twitdraw.com/jr3tss @chamada Thinking this could be very useful for tutoring and homework questions in math #twitdraw
• plivings RT Chris Lehmann’s call for participation in EduCon http://bit.ly/boSO1 thinking of attending/presenting this year …

Advisory:

Advisory idea:
1.  The Middle School Student’s Guide to Ruling the World!* by Susan Mulcaire

2. Video – Silent Beats
Video on Prejudice. Interesting point of views. If we don’t teach kids literacy beyond the printed word, we are doing them a disservice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76BboyrEl48

Webspotlight:

A Three Story Intellect! BLOOM’S TAXONOMY and Costa’s Levels of Questioning
http://wwwstatic.kern.org/gems/AVID/NoelleCombsInquiryLesson.pdf

Molecular Workbench
http://mw.concord.org/modeler/

Awesome Highligter:
http://www.awesomehighlighter.com/

What’s on our Mind:

NMSA09

Michigan Finalists for National Teacher of the Year.
Nate Childers             Hart Middle School                     Rochester Community Schools

Sandusky Schools
Secondary science/health teacher
Middle school principal

News:

National Subject-Matter Standards? Be Careful What You Wish For

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/09/23/04brady.h29.html?tkn=QQQF7DtpOD4Av9Mp%2FladSCvhRcONy4acLzJG

The promise of technology and change, so far, has fallen short at Philadelphia’s School of the Future.

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/09/30/05future_ep.h29.html?tkn=Z[OFt1k7urdzHekhD%2FWbBZWenSpHHAb%2Ftq2C

 

 Podcast 89: "Whatta We Gonna Do Brain? Same thing we always do Pinky" . . . Middle Schoolers take over the World!: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jokes:

What’s a pirate’s favorite TV show?  E ARRRRRRRrrrrrrgghhhh!
3.14159% of sailors are Pi Rates …
September 19th is also National Cheeseburger Day.  (All the pirates will be at HAarrrdee’s.)

Pirate Name Generator
Shawn’s pirate name: Frownin’ Tad Hacke
Troy’s pirate name:  Cowerin’ Joe Smythe

Shout outs:

From the Twitterverse:

• Frideswidel Starting to feel the excitement of first day back with kids. Anybody else not get any sleep the night before “The First Day”?
• goSmithsonianEdSmithsonian Weekend Events: Nighttime Artworks and a Fiesta! http://bit.ly/2WzmgR via @AddToAny
• sharon_elinMath teachers: check out 3Divinci w/Google SketchUp for teaching geometry etc.: http://is.gd/3recV via @rmbyrne‘ s rich & loaded blog
• sharon_elinDigital Cheating page from the The Parent Summit 2009 in San Antonio: http://bit.ly/11HUOt
• mguhlin GoogleApps Changes Web Publishing Policy http://ff.im/-8lZ1O

Webspotlight:

Ten Totally Random Tips for Teachers:
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2009/09/ten-totally-random-tips-for-teachers.html

Online Conference:  Smithsonian

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/professional_development/conference/2009/climate_change/index.html

(From AK Jenny)

Lesson Plans for Literacy:
http://www.readwritethink.org/

What’s on our Mind:

Mindset by Carol Dweck
http://www.mindsetonline.com/

Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
http://www.danpink.com/

Start of school:

Advisory:

Advisory idea:
1.  Pirate Name Generator
Shawn’s pirate name: Frownin’ Tad Hacke
Troy’s pirate name:  Cowerin’ Joe Smythe

2. Video – Silent Beats
Video on Prejudice. Interesting point of views.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76BboyrEl48

3.  Word Teasers: Idioms
The Word Teasers idiom edition has a “skit” activity that could make for a quick energy game to get kids ready for the day.  Visit them at http://www.wordteasers.com/.

News:

Bait & Switch – Vouchers

For almost two decades, Milwaukee has been home to the country’s oldest and largest voucher program—a beacon of hope for voucher supporters who want to use public dollars to fund private schools. But Milwaukee has now become the latest in a string of setbacks for vouchers.
The Milwaukee study reaffirmed what public school supporters had argued for years: that the problems afflicting urban schools are grounded in economic and racial segregation and the power structure’s willingness to abandon central cities because they are disproportionately populated by low-income people of color.The Milwaukee study follows a number of disheartening developments for voucher advocates.
There is little evidence that voucher or choice programs have succeeded in fostering the emergence of high-quality options.”
Similarly, it is only common sense that voucher students take the same standardized tests as public school and charter students, and that each voucher school release its results, just as public schools provide a school-by-school breakdown. Regardless of the shortcomings of the test, and there are many, such a requirement is essential if all schools that receive public dollars are to be treated equitably.
While private voucher schools cannot discriminate in admitting students with special needs, they are only required to give students those services that can be provided with minor adjustments. As a result, voucher schools have few special ed students.

http://rethinkingschools.org/archive/23_04/bait234.shtml

Blocking Facebook – Balance
Last week, we made a conscious decision to block Facebook from being accessed on our network. …while arguably brimming with educational potential, is most often used for nothing more than recreational interaction among participants.
Rather, it’s a matter of fighting for balance and the cognitive attention of our students.
http://www.techlearning.com/blogs/23300

The Dragon of Chaos (and How to Slay it)
Tips for getting the school year off on the organized foot.
http://cossondra.blogspot.com/2008/11/mighty-dragon-of-chaos-when-you-are.html

 

 Podcast 88: It's : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jokes:

With four daughters and one son always dashing to school activities and part-time jobs, our schedule was hectic.

To add to this, we kept running out of household supplies.

I instructed them all to let me know when they used the last of any item by writing it down on a note pad on the refrigerator.

As a reminder, I wrote at the top: “IF WE ARE OUT OF IT, WRITE IT DOWN.”

When I checked the pad a few days later, to my delight I found the following message:

“MOM, YOU MAY BE A BIT OLD-FASHIONED, BUT YOU ARE NOT ‘OUT OF IT.”‘

Things Mom Would Never Say

“How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?”

“Yeah, I used to skip school a lot, too”

“Just leave all the lights on … it makes the house look more cheery”

“Let me smell that shirt — Yeah, it’s good for another week”

“Go ahead and keep that stray dog, honey. I’ll be glad to feed and walk him every day”

“Well, if Timmy’s mom says it’s OK, that’s good enough for me.”

“The curfew is just a general time to shoot for. It’s not like I’m running a prison around here.”

“I don’t have a tissue with me … just use your sleeve”

“Don’t bother wearing a jacket – the wind-chill is bound to improve”

Shout outs:

From the Twitterverse:

• Frideswidel Starting to feel the excitement of first day back with kids. Anybody else not get any sleep the night before “The First Day”?
• JohnMikulski The best part of another school year is getting new shoes.
  
• mrichme If anyone is looking for an ASUS netbook woot.com has an excellent deal today $149.99. http://bit.ly/nrheW
  
• annemareemoore come see our students experience Indigenous Culture http://bit.ly/JM9Zl. Feel free to add your comment at http://bit.ly/xqtZL
  
• russeltarr The 7 Most Impressive Libraries Throughout History: http://tinyurl.com/mkbl44
  
• rrmurry “Teaching Naked” at 7th grade level — it works and is great. End class one day w/video to discuss next day. http://e4z2m.tk
  
• AngelaMaiers: Soungle.com – Royalty Free Sound Effects (FX) Library for Download http://ow.ly/oWMc
• AngelaMaiers: 100 Mobile Tools for Teachers – Tips – Mobile Maven http://ow.ly/oDRA
• gardenglen intriguing idea why 2 not teach fractions from Penn State 60 sec. Lectures: http://url.ie/2exj
  
• deangroom and finally today “Smart learners will find teachers who speak their own language” – go with honour ppl
  
• http://www.worldhistoryblog.com/2009/09/free-medieval-history-courses.html

NMSA Goal Setting

Webspotlight:

Book Suggestions:
http://www.toreadnext.com/

Middle School “Dos and Don’ts”
http://www.teachersfirst.com/20/getsource.cfm?id=7594

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/08/three-student-planners-organization.html

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives:
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vLibrary.html

What’s on our Mind:

Mindset:

The Graphing Calculator Story:  http://www.pacifict.com/Story/  Video:  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7497796873809571567#

1.  How do your regional coordinators stay in contact with you?
2.  Are you a member of your state’s middle school association?
3.  Have you ever attended another state’s middle school association annual conference?
4.  What did you do to survive the first day of school?
5.  Reading a book called “Readicide” at the moment.

 

 MSM- 87 Back To School Special: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download