MSM 179 Common Core, Bad Baseball joke, and iPad Resources.

/ , , , , , , , /

On Our Mind:

Changing positions
Start of the school year

Eileen Award:

Dr. Tatom:  Thanks for the mention on Twitter!

Advisory:

Permanent Record

http://www.slate.com/id/2301449/

The Secret to Success

https://plus.google.com/117689362923608221663/posts/8v7RBNncmAJ

How many really?

http://howmanyreally.com/

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com)

Part two on lab safety and focuses in on personal safety of students.

From the Twitterverse:

*
drmmtatom #iPad Note Taking Apps Showdown zite.to/nztk9G via @zite #fhucid #hardintech #ccstech @msmattersNBC’s “Education Nation” Summit Begins September 25 #fhuedu610tinyurl.com/3aud82p

Highlights from the 2011 Educational Technology Conference [ETC] in Missoula #fhuedu642 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2011/09/23/highlights-from-the-2011-educational-technology-conference-etc-in-missoula/

Building better teacher evaluations #fhuedu610   http://www.joannejacobs.com/2011/09/building-better-teacher-evaluations/

Virtual Schooling in the News #fhuedu642
*mcleod Scott McLeod
New bookmark: Presenting Learning with Stop Motion Animationbit.ly/qRQKtRNew bookmark: The Myth of Learning Styles bit.ly/qqB1dg
*Mimadisonklein Use Emotion and Technology to Spark Writing nblo.gs/nx17m
*kevcreutz Video – The Last U.S. Veteran of WWI bit.ly/qQmavJ via @rmbyrne #edtech
*laroncarter Having trouble already with classroom management already? My Mission Statement has worked for thousands. http://ht.ly/6dMxt
*congerjan shares tinyurl.com/4yhfdds (Livebinder of tools you never knew you needed!) plurk.com/p/e3tynm
*AncientProverbs Motivational Quotes
What is told into the ear of a man is often heard a hundred miles away. -Chinese Proverbs
*BethRitterGuth RT @mykidcancode: Free Online Lesson Planbook Software for Teachers bit.ly/jbDwyc #engchat

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

Beautiful Teenage Brains

Moody. Impulsive. Maddening. Why do teenagers act the way they do? Viewed through the eyes of evolution, their most exasperating traits may be the key to success as adults.

Thanks to Richard Byrne for the link.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/teenage-brains/dobbs-text

Resources:

Writing Prompts

These are some of the daily writing prompts that I use in class. The prompts and pictures are scraped together from so many sources – forgotten websites, old journals, overheard conversations, the crusty recesses of my hard drive – that attribution is difficult. I’ve tried where I can, but if you know how any of them should be attributed
http://writingprompts.tumblr.com/

YouTube for Teachers

http://www.youtube.com/teachers
http://www.youtube.com/education

iPad App Resources:

In iTunes, go to the iTunes Store (sidebar on the left).
Then select App Store on the bar along the top of the window.
Then select the drop down Education under Categories on the right
(OR-Just to the right of the word App Store on the top will be a small triangle- click that and select Education)
This will reveal App categories for Teachers including:

  • Apps for Teachers
  • Special Education
  • Education Volume Purchasing

Mobile Learning

After reading this report, you’ll know more about:

  • How mobile technology has become a game-changer in education
  • Mobile device best practices from teachers and schools
  • Mobile device management
  • The latest in apps and mobile technology available today

http://www.eschoolnews.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2011/09/mobile_star.pdf

Alternate Assessment Apps for Eighth Grade

Eighth graders need to demonstrate their mastery of skills in English, math and science.
http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3110

Web Spotlight:

Implementing Common Core Standards

Over the next year, the accomplished teachers I met at CTQ will face down these tough questions. They will design—and test-drive in their own classrooms, with their own students—lessons and assessments linked to the Common Core State Standards.
http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/advancing-teaching-profession/09-2011/implementing-common-core-standards

Cheating

Here’s an overview of some of the most shocking instances of teacher cheating, plus a few episodes that may have been overblown.
http://www.propublica.org/article/americas-most-outrageous-teacher-cheating-scandals

Students need to develop Grit

http://edcommentary.blogspot.com/2011/09/teaching-character-strengths-and-values.html

Common Core Maps

From the website:
“Common Core has released a new, Second Edition of the K-12 Curriculum Maps in English Language Arts. The Maps are designed to help educators meet the expectations of the Common Core State Standards, which call for the standards to be “complemented by a well-developed, content-rich curriculum.”

Our draft ELA Maps have received more than three million views since last August. We’ve listened to your advice and have added many new features, including:

  • Nearly 200 new writing, grammar, and research activities
  • Guidance for differentiated instruction
  • Library of seventy digital resources
  • More informational and contemporary texts throughout

Map users can now:

  • Rate and comment on each of the seventy-six unit Maps along with thousands of suggested works, activities, and resources
  • Submit lesson plans
  • Get preferred pricing on Maps services and tools that are under development

Common Core has been inundated with requests for professional development services, more Maps-based curriculum tools, and more Maps, including math Maps. In order to generate the resources needed to respond to these requests, we are offering the opportunity to become contributing members of the Mapping Project for a nominal cost.”

Strategies:

Inside Story Flash Cards

Combine visuals with vocabulary words to help increase retention.
http://www.insidestoryflashcards.com/

Jokes You Can Use:

Years ago, the Seattle Symphony was doing Beethoven’s Ninth under the baton of Milton Katims. At this point, you must understand two things:

1. There’s a long segment in this symphony where the bass violins don’t have a thing to do. Nothing. Not a single note for page after page;

2. There used to be a tavern called Dez’s 400 right across the street from the Seattle Opera House, favored by local musicians.

It was decided that during this performance, after the bass players had played their parts they’d quietly lay down their instruments and leave the stage rather than sit on their stools looking (and feeling) dumb for twenty minutes.
Well, once they got backstage, someone suggested that they trot across the street and have a few brews. After they had downed the first couple rounds, one said, “Shouldn’t we be getting back? It’d be awfully embarrassing if we were late.”
Another, presumably the one who suggested this excursion in the first place, replied, “Oh, I anticipated we could use a little more time, so I tied a string around the last pages of the conductor’s score. When he gets down to there, Milton’s going to have to slow the
tempo way down while he waves the baton with one hand and fumbles with the string with the other.”
So they had another round and finally returned to the Opera House, a little tipsy by now.
However, as they came back on stage, one look at their conductor’s face told them they were in serious trouble. Katims was furious!
And why not? After all (get ready, here it comes…)
It was the bottom of the Ninth, the score was tied, and the basses were loaded.

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

NMSA News:

      • Other News:
  • ISTE Eduverse Talks are the recorded sessions held on ISTE Island every week. Join ISTE in their Second Life conference location for their weekly talks on education.
    • The ISTE Special Interest Group:  Virtual Environments is holding meetings on Mondays from 4:00 – 6:00 pm (SLT) on ISTE Island.

Ohio Middle Level Association:

Michigan Association of Middle School Educators

  • Second Life:
    • Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details.  Check frequently this week as the ISTE Annual Convention is this week.
    • Video: Educational Uses of Second Life