Podcast 86: “No! I will not read the intro:” Set the Standard, Pass the Test, Crush the Opposition! – We’re a Toddler Now!

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Jokes:

Son: I can’t go to school today.
Father: Why not?
Son: I don’t feel well
Father: Where don’t you feel well?
Son: In school!
Teacher: You missed school yesterday, didn’t you?
Pupil: Not very much!

Father: I hear you skipped school to play football.
Son: No I didn’t, and I have the fish to prove it!

Pupil (on phone) : My son has a bad cold and won’t be able to come to school today.
School Secretary: Who is this?
Pupil: This is my father speaking!

Father: How do you like going to school?
Son: The going bit is fine, as is the coming home bit too, but I’m not too keen on the time in-between!

Teacher: Class, we will have only half a day of school this morning.
Class: Hooray!
Teacher: We will have the other half this afternoon!

Teacher: Why were you late?
Pupil: Sorry, teacher, I overslept.
Teacher: You mean you need to sleep at home too?!

From the Twitterverse:

Webspotlight:

Have text read out loud:
http://www.readthewords.com/

Fair Use Copyright Chart:
http://www.irvingisd.net/one2one/Cloning/fair_use_copyright_chart.pdf

Idea Finder:
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/index.html

News:

Should students be paid to perform on tests:

http://education.nationaljournal.com/2009/08/should-students-be-paid-to-lea.php

Ohio high school tightens computer security after cheating scandal

Posted by Andrew Welsh-Huggins/Associated Press August 05, 2009 22:48PM

More than half of the seniors at a top Ohio high school who took world studies tests last spring were involved in a cheating scheme that prompted school officials to cancel graduation ceremonies. School officials traced the cheating to a tech-savvy student who figured out a school computer password, and the district has tightened its computer security in the wake of the scandal.

The school also will emphasize ethics to all students in the school year beginning Aug. 26. That includes updating the student handbook.

But Holden acknowledged that the ethics message might not be enough to stop some students from cheating and others from turning a blind eye.

All of society is becoming more accepting “of a degree of dishonesty,” she said.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/08/ohio_high_school_tightens_comp.html
Cheating Survey:  http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/national_world&id=6532050

Wisconsin does away with standardized test

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/08/27/wisconsin-dumps-standardized-test/
City schools increase training for substitutes:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09239/993542-53.stm

Crowd Source Grading:

http://macmomma.blogspot.com/2009/08/is-it-crowdsourcing-or-shirking.html
http://www.hastac.org/blogs/cathy-davidson/how-crowdsource-grading

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:
NMSA News:

  1. NMSA’s Annual Conference:  NMSA ‘08 Technology Focus Video.  NMSA ‘09 Invitation Video:  Indianapolis, IN Conference  November 5-7, 2009.  Individual Registration is now open.
  2. ATTENTION Michigan Association of Middle School Educators & Friends: MAMSE is putting together a bus for the trip to the National Middle School Association’s Annual Conference in Indianapolis, IN this fall.  Ride down to the conference in a luxury bus.  With all the conversations with middle school teachers on the bus, I wonder if we could call this a mini-MAMSE conference?  There’s nothing like getting together with people who love the people we love:  our students.  Getting together with folks like that is energizing and priceless.  Email Teresa Sutherland for information and details.  Don’t forget to mention you heard about it on Middle School Matters.
  3. Dan Pink is keynoting the conference.  Here’s a teaser at TED.
  4. NMSA 09 Housing Information now available.
  5. NMSA 09 Conference Connection:  Stay connected before, during, and after the conference!  Start your packing lists for the conference using packwhiz.com!
  6. Bob Spears does an interview on the Evolution of Advisory on NMSA’s podcast.

Other News:

  1. 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.
  2. The U.S. Government has posted a paper on how schools should treat the H1N1 virus should there be an outbreak during the school year.
  3. The Ohio Middle Level Association will hold their annual conference February 18 & 19, 2010.  Jack Berckemeyer will be keynoting.
  4. The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Annual Conference is coming up March 4-5, 2010 in Dexter, MI.  MAMSE will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary!
  5. The Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators is holding their Annual Conference October 8-9, 2009.
  6. Theater Education Opportunity:  Eastern Michigan University’s Quirk-Sponberg Theater has announced their Fall 2009 Season.

    “The Prince, the Wolf and the Firebird”
    By Jackson Lacey
    Directed by Pam Cardell
    December 4, 5, 10, 11 at 7PM
    December 5, 6, 12 at 3PM
    School Matinees: December 9 and 10

  7. Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.
  8. Classroom 2.0’s Ning Blog:  Archived content is available.
  9. Second Life:
    • No Events specified.  Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled.  See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details.
    • Video:  Educational Uses of Second Life

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