Jokes You Can Use:  

How do you make a water bed more bouncy?

• Add spring water

What do you call a polite man who builds bridges?

• A civil engineer

I just Googled the phrase “missing medieval servant”.

• It came back with “Page not found”.

I’ve written a book about falling down a staircase.

• It’s a step by step guide.

A friend asked me if I knew anything about 1’s and 0’s.

• I told him I knew a bit.

If you aren’t impressed with the picture of the first black hole…

• You clearly don’t understand the gravity of the situation.

I totally understand why people work at fragrance factories.

• Makes scents

A cop pulled me over and asked me, “Where were you between 5 and 6?”

• I replied, “Kindergarten.”

Advisory:

Teach Girls to be Brave, not Perfect

We’re raising our girls to be perfect, and we’re raising our boys to be brave, says Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code. Saujani has taken up the charge to socialize young girls to take risks and learn to program — two skills they need to move society forward. To truly innovate, we cannot leave behind half of our population, she says. “I need each of you to tell every young woman you know to be comfortable with imperfection.”

May be best to be shared with Staff.

How risk-taking changes a teenager’s brain

Why do teenagers sometimes make outrageous, risky choices? Do they suddenly become reckless, or are they just going through a natural phase? To find out, Kashfia Rahman — winner of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (and a Harvard freshman) — designed and conducted an experiment to test how high school students respond to and get used to risk, and how it changes their still-developing brains. What she discovered about risk and decision-making could change how we think about why teens do what they do.

Optical illusions show how we see

Beau Lotto’s color games puzzle your vision, but they also spotlight what you can’t normally see: how your brain works. This fun, first-hand look at your own versatile sense of sight reveals how evolution tints your perception of what’s really out there.

Rube Goldberg Machine

135 Facts

http://mentalfloss.com/article/508255/amazing-facts-people-who-amazing-facts

Easter in European Languages

https://jakubmarian.com/easter-in-european-languages-map/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

OUTSTANDING STEM TRADE BOOKS 2019 – PART ONE

This is the first of a two-part podcast series fostered by reading the March, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the article on the “Outstanding STEM Trade Books for Students K-12: 2019.  In this podcast, I feature three STEM books:

1.  Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact

2.  Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree

3.  Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon

From the Twitterverse:  

MiddleWeb‏ @middleweb

REVIEW: Strategies for Building on Students’ Strengths. @Dr_Armstrong #mschat #educoach #edchat @ASCD In the 4th edition of his Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, Thomas Armstrong offers a practical, balanced approach. #tlap #elachat #ellchat https://www.middleweb.com/40131/strategies-for-building-on-student-strengths/ …

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

A4. Every Thursday our admin team sends a weekly enewsletter with faculty Shout Outs! Once a year for teacher appreciation week, we even ask students to submit their own shout outs to teachers who are making an impact in the classroom. Great way to spotlight great work! #satchat

George Couros‏Verified account @gcouros

It’s Friday GIF Day 🙂 You get an email from your admin that just says, “Come see me at the end of the day.”. In GIF form, share how you are feeling. Go!

Secondary Principals‏ @massp

Would your students benefit from an hour lunch break with built in time to make up assignments & get extra help? Learn about one school’s “half time” program: http://sbne.ws/r/BXYa

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

A3. We’ve rolled out the @oconnellhs “igKnight Academy” – a radical self-guided approach to PD where teachers pursue their passion projects and earn “course” credit for asynchronous learning. Now sleepy PD meetings become collaboration days! Details: https://edrenalinerush.com/resources/igknight-academy/ …

Ditch That Textbook‏ @DitchThatTxtbk

50+ awesome end-of-year ideas, activities and projects Brilliant ideas curated from last night’s #Ditchbook chat https://wp.me/p3bT67-2wo  via @jmattmiller

Eric Curts‏ @ericcurts

Google Tools for English Language Learners https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2018/08/google-ell.html … #GSuiteEDU #edtech

Kayla Weidert‏ @MrsWeidert

Alright twitter, do your magic… our 7th grade geo class needs your help. We are collecting data from around the US about words that are prounced [sic]  differently by region. Please consider filling out this survey! Our goal is 1000 responses! RETWEET away! https://t.co/uy6kTcyrO5  

Karalee Nakatsuka 🐸‏ @historyfrog

John Brown is getting a lot of support for his Raid on Harper’s Ferry. My Ss did a great job creating historical Go Fund Me campaigns. @historysandoval @lantonha @FirstAveMS Happy #FrogtasticFriday

Lee Araoz‏ @LeeAraoz

Genius Hour projects are an awesome way to end the school year with passion-based, student-directed learning!! #satchat My updated collection of Genius Hour resources is here:

https://www.smore.com/8u0qp

Edgar Allan Foe‏ @blacksmoke1033 Apr 18

This cretin has been dropping sticks down our chimney for weeks and today he finally accidentally dropped himself, this is the face of someone who knows they’ve been HAD

Let’s jump right in! How can we build a culture of readers in our classrooms and/or at home? #pd4uandme

Teresa Gross 📝📚‏ @teresagross625

Our librarian does flipgrid videos and then puts them in the stacks as QR codes. The Ss fill out a form, record and submit to her. @PMMSLibrary #pd4uandme

John Faig‏ @johnfaig

John Faig Retweeted Simon Kuestenmacher

Thanks. Where were you when I needed this in the 6th grade (40 years ago).

John Faig added,

Simon Kuestenmacher @simongerman600

The Mercator projection distorts size of countries on a map. This animation compares the real area of countries with the distorted view in Mercator projections. Source: https://buff.ly/2Gx4ydJ

0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Is Your School Schedule Flexible?  AMLE and Elliot Merenbloom

Early leaders of the middle school concept established the goal of flexible organizational structures. But what is flexibility? The answer might include

• The utilization of opportunities to make change
• The absence of rigidity
• An openness to various ways of implementing decisions, programs, or policies
• Recognition of the unique needs of individuals

http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/1018/Is-Your-School-Schedule-Flexible.aspx

Resources:

GREAT – & I MEAN GREAT! – COLLECTION OF SCIENCE EXPERIMENT YOUTUBE CHANNELS

Great – & I Mean Great! – Collection Of Science Experiment YouTube Channels

TEACHING OUR KIDS ABOUT THE NECESSARY WORK TO HAVE AN OPINION

“I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that

I don’t know the other side’s argument better than they do.”

— Charlie Munger

Teaching Our Kids About The Necessary Work To Have An Opinion

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pomological Watercolor Collection

The USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection documents fruit and nut varieties developed by growers or introduced by USDA plant explorers around the turn of the 20th century. Technically accurate paintings were used to create lithographs illustrating USDA bulletins, yearbooks, and other series distributed to growers and gardeners across America.

https://usdawatercolors.nal.usda.gov/pom/home.xhtml#annotations:yIc1xFu_Eemvhns7HcPOOg

Museum of Endangered Sounds

http://savethesounds.info/

Web Spotlight:

Crowd

Be a virtual volunteer!

Anyone can contribute. Improve access to history by transcribing, reviewing, and tagging Library of Congress documents.

https://crowd.loc.gov/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

Science Humor

• Two satellite antennas got married. The ceremony was only so-so, but the reception was fantastic.

• I thought about cutting my sodium intake, but then I was like, “Na.”

• Parallel lines have so much in common, it’s a shame they’ll never meet.

Did you hear about the Dad who taught his daughter the definition of “bargain”?

• She said, “Thanks, Dad, that means a great deal”.

Did you hear about the guy who was looking at Tuxedo’s? He was irritated that the salesman kept hanging around and asked him to leave. The salesman’s response?

• Fine, suit yourself

Seems every morning someone is putting a bunch of celery on my porch.

• I think I’m being stalked.

What do you call friends that you like to eat with?

• Tastebuds

Middle School Science Minute  

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

I was recently reading the February, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read the “Member Spotlight” section where NSTA highlights a middle school science teacher, from across the United States. This month, Michelle Stagnitta is featured. She is a middle school General Science and Living Environment teacher in New York. Her advice for a new science teacher is:

“Use inquiry whenever possible to get your students thinking.”

“The dihydrogen monoxide parody involves calling water by the unfamiliar chemical name “dihydrogen monoxide” (DHMO), or “hydroxylic acid” in some cases, and listing some of water’s well-known effects in a particularly alarming manner, such as accelerating corrosion and causing suffocation. The parody often calls for dihydrogen monoxide to be banned, regulated, or labeled as dangerous. It illustrates how a lack of scientific literacy and an exaggerated analysis can lead to misplaced fears.”

From the Twitterverse:  

John Spencer‏ @spencerideas

My daughter created a sketch-note writing prompt. She’ll be adding music tomorrow. She wrote it, recorded it, edited it, and then decided to scrap it when she didn’t like her voice. Then, she said today, let me record again, and she’ll be posting it.

Richard Byrne‏ @rmbyrne

One of my new hobbies is unfollowing ed tech “influencers” who are clearly only influenced by the companies who pay them. Doing that has tremendously lowered my blood pressure.

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

Slideshows 101: 1. SEVEN words. Max. 2. With kids: Take the age of the youngest person in the room. Double it. That’s the smallest font you’re allowed. 3. With adults: Take the age of the oldest person in the room. Divide it in half. That’s the smallest font you’re allowed.

Maire Cervenak‏ @MaireCervenak

Standardized tests were not created to understand kids, they were created to segregate them.

Gary G. Abud, Jr.‏ @MR_ABUD

Get a head start on your summer reading list this weekend at @BookstockMI. The largest event of its kind pays it forward by making great used books available at great deals, and for a great cause! #michED #AD #Detroit Spread the word!

WeAreTeachers‏ @WeAreTeachers

Use plastic eggs for classroom curriculum! Check out these curriculum ideas using Easter eggs. Plus more ideas here —-> https://bit.ly/2WwVpHi  #ClassroomHack #Upcycling #HandsOnLearning

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC‏ @Pfagell

To kick off a positive cycle, urge teen girls to replace selfies & party pics w/ shout-outs for friends who’ve reached personal goals. Girls want to reciprocate kind gestures, & they learn that loyalty & tenacity matter more than popularity or appearance.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/on-parenting/7-ways-parents-can-teach-girls-to-build-each-other-up-instead-of-tearing-each-other-down/2018/10/29/92550976-c016-11e8-9005-5104e9616c21_story.html?utm_term=.731d3cee440c  

Larry Ferlazzo‏Verified account @Larryferlazzo

Class Invention Project – Including Handout & Examples https://t.co/lVJnI5xb3b  

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

The Science of Drawing and Memory

https://www.edutopia.org/article/science-drawing-and-memory#annotations:1YExlFelEemuMPfneGojSw

Don’t Let Questioning Be Like a Ping Pong Game

https://www.middleweb.com/40018/dont-let-questioning-be-like-a-ping-pong-game/

Resources:

Sans Forgetica

Sans Forgetica is a font designed using the principles of cognitive psychology to help you to better remember your study notes.

It was created by a multidisciplinary team of designers and behavioural scientists from RMIT University.

Sans Forgetica is compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems. Download it for free today, or keep scrolling to learn more about how it was made.

http://sansforgetica.rmit/

Writing A Better Multiple-Choice Question: What Does Research Indicate?

https://theeffortfuleducator.com/2018/09/26/wabmcq/#annotations:maHPMFQXEemv9itslo5ggg

Fold 3:  Civil War Records Free Until April 15th

http://fnote.it/6wzm

Web Spotlight:

Vox Article:  The Dunning-Krueger Effect

There are some interesting quotes to take away from the article and use in class.  A meme generator would be good here. “When arguing with a fool, first make sure the other person isn’t doing the same thing.”  

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/11/18/16670576/dunning-kruger-effect-video?fbclid=IwAR2bJoqcAwxZblRwatoCwVMCkR9NkCcNyO1_na5mfS0WPaTALiykdPxrE7Q

This Program Preps Middle Schoolers for Top-Notch High Schools

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/04/04/this-program-preps-middle-schoolers-for-top-notch.html#annotations:NxfRBlemEemebhdf-ZuWyQ

Launch Michigan

https://launchmichigan.org/press-release-nearly-17000-educators-share-perspectives-in-launch-michigan-statewide-survey/#annotations:KZ1w-FemEemC9Idow2h93g

7 Future Driven Questions to Discuss With Your Team

http://www.davidgeurin.com/2019/04/7-future-driven-questions-to-discuss.html

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

Advisory:

Fancy Shoe Tying

http://digg.com/2019/fancy-shoe-lacing

I've been doing it wrong all my life…. pic.twitter.com/gB5J8N76oN

— Kitt Bob (@bob_kitt) March 17, 2019

Middle School Science Minute  

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

CLIMATE CHANGE PRACTICES

I was recently reading the February, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the article, “Sound Practices in Climate Change Education” written by Peggy M. McNeal and Heather L. Petcovic.  In the article, they identified three broad themes that showcase sound practices in climate change education. They include:

1.  Connecting students with local climate change impacts.

2.  Encouraging students to collect, analyze, and draw conclusions from their own data.

3.  Fostering relationships between climate scientists, teachers, and students.

HTTP://K12SCIENCE.NET/PODCAST/PODCAST/ENTRIES/2019/3/21_MIDDLE_SCHOOL_SCIENCE_MINUTE__CLIMATE_CHANGE_PRACTICES.HTML

From the Twitterverse:  

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

THANK YOU to everyone who’s helped make the #EDrenaline Rush #EggDashChallenge a hit in classrooms around the world! In just one week: 70K+ views! Games in 20 states and 4 countries! Thousands of RTs, likes & shares! Come join the fun! https://edrenalinerush.com/resources/eggdashchallenge/ …

NJAMLE‏ @NJAMLE

NJAMLE Retweeted NJAMLE

Join as an individual or as an entire school. We are #bettertogether. @tinamonte @4theMiddle @sanwoz @JenFitzMath @LynnThompsonELA @C_Requa @StephJWhite14 @kaity_haley @DrFrankRud @MrCorleyMath @JohnFritzky @kedwards51 @JohnFritzky @breicher @BRMSPRINCIPAL @historycomics

Kevin Honeycutt ‏ @kevinhoneycutt

Project this template on the wall at whatever size kids like and let them cut out, adjust, redesign and assemble their own helicopters! Add lights, circuits, apps and other STEAM/TEM elements to let creative learning take flight! #cardboardrules

Kevin Honeycutt ‏ @kevinhoneycutt

Project the template on the wall, trace it and cut it out with kids and let them make their own copy of Amelia’s plane! #paperhistory

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

Have a class of students who can’t get enough @FortniteGame? I made a thing! Turn any close reading (poetry, numbers, historical documents, etc.) into a squad vs squad BATTLE ROYALE! #Fortnite Open source templates here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pVsv4S500RDkYUoYlh7LCRTiHEbLi5FxAXSELfbmDgU …

Melissa Majeski‏ @m0majeski

This strategy encourages students to work together and share thinking. #berkleydifference #iteachmath #kagan #middleschool

Ditch That Textbook‏ @DitchThatTxtbk

Sketchnoting in the classroom: 12 ways to get started Online tutorials @YouTube Channels #HyperDocs Book recommendations #Sketch50 Challenge and more! https://wp.me/p3bT67-2si  via @jmattmiller

Screencastify 🎬‏ @Screencastify

Want to know who watched your Screencast? “Take attendance” with Screencastify and Google forms. Upload your video into a form and require a name submission. Then – easily download all names on one spreadsheet from the responses tab #edtech @GoogleForEdu

MindShift‏ @MindShiftKQED

Parents can relate to their #teens with simple personal disclosures that remind kids that even if technology is different, human emotions are the same. #Parents can bond with their kids by focusing on these similarities @dr_fraga http://owl.li/97mS30odrHK  #edchat #parenting

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Resources:

Mr. N365

Reading prompts and questions – just like standardized tests.

https://www.mrnussbaum.com/readingpassageindex/#annotations:xmhcglI8Eem0hLONab-hkA

100 Writing Prompts

Get a Free PowerPoint with 100 Writing Prompts for Middle School

ReWordify

“I created this site to help more people understand more of what they read.

For ten years, I’ve been teaching English to people who need to work very hard to understand what they read.

My students are interesting, perceptive people who understand (for example) what pollution is, but they don’t understand what chronic, pervasive atmospheric toxicity means.”

I’m a public school teacher, and I pay for this site’s operation out of my own pocket. (Note: it’s not cheap.) Please help me out by using it only for your own personal use or for that of your students.

• Neil M. Goldman

https://rewordify.com/index.php#annotations:RC7C-k_CEemF8qspbu6TXQ

Web Spotlight:

One minute on the Internet

Re

https://infographic.statista.com/normal/chartoftheday_17518_internet_use_one_minute_n.jpg

https://www.statista.com/chart/17518/internet-use-one-minute/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

What do you call it when you take a picture of your favorite bookcase?

• A shelf-ie!”

What do you get when you throw a bunch of books into the ocean?

• A Title Wave

Why did the man take his clock to the vet?

• It has ticks.

Which vegetable should you never take on a boat?

• A leek

Which is faster heat or cold?

• Heat – you can catch a cold.

Passes:

4 Word Challenge

1.  “Time to head back!”

2.  “One student is missing.”

3. Van Gogh is missing.

Advisory:

Reverse Poems

https://www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/reverse-poems/#annotations:tenEzD-uEemkpPsQkgEpGw

Middle School Science Minute  

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

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE: OUTSTANDING SCIENCE TRADE BOOKS 2019 – PART ONE

HTTP://K12SCIENCE.NET/PODCAST/PODCAST/ENTRIES/2019/3/3_MIDDLE_SCHOOL_SCIENCE_MINUTE__OUTSTANDING_SCIENCE_TRADEBOOKS_2019_-_PART_ONE.HTML

This is the first of a two part podcast series fostered by reading the February, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the article on the “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: 2019.  In this podcast, I feature Physical Science three science books:

1.  Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree

2.  Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation

3.  Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species

From the Twitterverse:  

Russel Tarr‏ @russeltarr

As a teacher, I once loved Twitter as a source of sharing ideas and inspiration. Does anyone else feel it’s now more of a soapbox for tiresome virtue signalling?

NJAMLE‏ @NJAMLE

Six More Days Until #NJAMLE19 @KeanUniversity! After @4theMiddle Welcomes Everyone, It’s Time to Get Fired Up with @DrFrankRud who will be #beyondepic. You don’t want to miss the passion and wisdom that the Good Doctor has to share. He even has Gold Shoes for this Gold Medal Day.

Russel Tarr‏ @russeltarr

My lesson starters sorted for next week…

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC‏ @Pfagell

Second grader: “What do you DO when you’re not at school with all of us?” Me: “What do you think I do?” Second grader: “Probably sit somewhere REALLY quiet and eat Party Oreos.”

Richard Byrne‏ @rmbyrne

Two Good Ways to Create Choose Your Own Adventure Stories #creativewriting

https://t.co/xdsA3zfEmY

Bored Teachers‏ @Bored_Teachers

Every single day! (w/ @NicholasFerroni)

Benjamin K. Woodcock‏ @bnjmn_k_wdcck

NEW POST! March is here which means Book Bracket is starting soon! Check out my overview of this student choice activity! #MarchIsReadingMonth #MarchMadness #BookBracket https://benjaminkwoodcock.com/2019/03/09/book-bracket-an-overview/ …

Corinne Galligan‏ @cmgalligan

Interesting idea… How Pineapple Charts Revolutionize Professional Development https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/pineapple-charts/ … via @cultofpedagogy

https://t.co/k4Od4ZhlqM

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Resources:

Jeopardy! Google Slides

Richard Byrne has a neat write up on using Google Slides to create a Jeopardy! game.  Check it out:

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2019/03/get-copy-of-my-jeopardy-gameboard.html

Web Spotlight:

Are Children More Creative?

Watch this with Sir Kenneth Robinson’s seminal TED Talk. Compare and contrast.

It’s Not All About You:  CBC Radio

Reader threatened to sue technology magazine for using what he thought was his image.  But it wasn’t . . .

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.5046925/man-angry-his-photo-was-used-to-prove-all-hipsters-look-alike-then-learns-it-wasn-t-him-1.5046933?fbclid=IwAR1JMv8F2R06fTDm-A3_ao12XEtlZyc5feZra-VmLQsXIowxtmuZ7YPPzSE

Random Thoughts . . .  

Top 15 and Top 5 Podcast on iTunes.

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

“Daddy, did you know that girls are smarter than boys?”

“No, I didn’t know that.”

“There you go.”

******

“The ditch-digger didn’t just quit, he yelled, ‘Take this job and shovel it!’”

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Budburst

I was recently reading the February, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” section, written by Jill Nugent.  The title of the article was “Plant Phenology for Budding Biologists: Study Seasons of Change with Budburst.”  In this article, we learn about the citizen science project – Budburst. Budburst is a national phenology citizen science project that launched in 2007 and is currently based at the Chicago Botanic Garden.  To learn more about this project, visit:

http://budburst.org

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2019/2/28_Middle_School_Science_Minute__Budburst.html

From the Twitterverse:  

Jill Gerweck‏ @jillgerweck

Logged some professional development hours this afternoon diving into @studysync’s Teaching Labs! So nice to have relevant, applicable PD from the comfort of my classroom! #DigitalLearning #ProfessionalDevelopment #PowerUpMMS

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC‏ @Pfagell

11-year-old boy during carpool: “We played Sharks & Minnows in PE, but Daniel wouldn’t tag a single minnow!” Me: “Why? Isn’t that the whole point of the game?” Boy: “Yes, but Daniel says he’s a pacifish.”

Alice Keeler‏ @alicekeeler

Tip: the @nytimes has a weekly “what is going on in this graph” that removes the headline and article so students can just wonder and analyze. It’s wonderful. #wsmi

https://www.nytimes.com/column/whats-going-on-in-this-graph

WeAreTeachers‏ @WeAreTeachers

Someone freed the lion. Okay, now you go.

Donnie Piercey‏ @mrpiercEy

Want to know how your students can create their own Google Expeditions in about 10 minutes? I made a bunch of quick video tutorials to help: Site: https://sites.google.com/view/mrpiercey-resources/geo/tour-creator … Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLvbESajcYXWcZWUKwKG1x6sdlSda8PWC … Tour Creator: https://vr.google.com/tourcreator/  #EdTechTeam #KyGoDigital #EdTech

Screencastify 🎬‏ @Screencastify

Today is HUGE!!We officially have over 10 MILLION users! Thanks for all that you have done to #sharescreencastify. To celebrate, we thought we’d offer 10% off today but ya’ll are too awesome for that – we’re doubling it. Enjoy 20% off an upgrade all day with code “10MILL”

Jennifer Gonzalez‏ @cultofpedagogy

The Cure for Bad PowerPoint: A Review of Presentation Zen @presentationzen http://ow.ly/Sdim30nOS7M  #edtechchat #teaching #profdev #deeperlearning #edtech

Rich Czyz‏ @RACzyz

A3: Here are some alternatives to HW https://fouroclockfaculty.com/2018/08/5-alternatives-to-homework/ … #4OCF #satchat

Mandy Froehlich‏ @froehlichm Feb 28

A1 At the risk of shameless self-promotion, this is what I have created the Hierarchy of Needs for Innovation and Divergent Thinking for. This kind of support has little to do with technology and more to do with creating brainspace. #createedu

Ditch That Textbook‏ @DitchThatTxtbk

Although it may not be possible to actually add hours to our day, we can utilize the resources available to us to spark our imagination and give us ideas for lessons we can use right away….

https://t.co/RdOX64rasQ

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Use Digital Notebooks to Facilitate Book Clubs and Literature Circles at the Secondary Level

Different books appeal to different readers. Many students do not become readers until they encounter “the book.”

One challenge teachers face when students are reading different texts simultaneously is how to cover the standards if every student is reading a different book. While coaching a teacher in Palm Springs, I developed a digital notebook using Google Slides that teachers can use to facilitate a book club or literature circle unit.

https://catlintucker.com/2019/02/book-clubs-and-literature-circles/#annotations:DNrywDh-EemI3Iv9jLTJfQ

Why It’s Crucial — And Really Hard — To Talk About More Equitable Grading

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52679/why-its-crucial-and-really-hard-to-talk-about-more-equitable-grading#annotations:B7ka7Dh5Eemcl_tsOSLHtw

What’s the best way to teach math?

A boy in Lafayette, Indiana, recently thought his struggle with math was an emergency. He called 911 and told the operator he’d had a bad day at school and had tons of homework.

https://whyy.org/segments/whats-the-best-way-to-teach-math/#annotations:wlNwbjhqEemcr_ObEQVGjg

Resources:

Harry Potter

The exhibition was split into rooms that reflected the subjects taught at Hogwarts, like Potions, Divination and Defence Against the Dark Arts, which echo the stories the British Library have shared on our platform through a series of fascinating online exhibits.

https://artsandculture.google.com/project/harry-potter-a-history-of-magic

Read.Inquire.Write

Welcome to Read.Inquire.Write.! Our free, downloadable curriculum creates a process to support middle school students’ argument writing through reading of sources and analysis of complex social and historical problems. Across investigations, students write increasingly complex forms of argument – from interpretations to critiques to counterarguments – with support from disciplinary literacy tools. Use our investigations and disciplinary literacy tools to support your students in the reading, thinking, and writing process, adapting the investigations to meet the particular needs of students in your classroom. Or, use our literacy tools and Library of Congress sources to structure your own investigations of social studies topics you teach.

http://readinquirewrite.umich.edu/

National Online Safety

At National Online Safety, it is our mission to make the internet a safer place for children. We will achieve this through equipping school staff, parents and children with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers and how best to react should an incident arise.

https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/#annotations:bALngDxmEemzjjtag-x75g

Web Spotlight:

Portmanteau & Rhyme Generator

https://www.punchlinedesign.net/pun_generator

Pair Just-right Texts and Reading Strategies

https://www.middleweb.com/39693/pair-just-right-texts-and-reading-strategies/#annotations:_Sbp9jh4Eem5ZqdmCHhjYQ

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

Wall Street Journal photo subtitled:  Why Do Men Refuse To Wear Coats? Yup.  No coat. Much less . . . pants.

**********

When I am told, “You’ll regret that in the morning”, I don’t let it bother me.

Being a problem solver, I just sleep in till noon.

********

Two little boys were at a wedding when one leaned over to the other and asked, “How many wives can a man have?”

His friend answered, “Sixteen… four better, four worse, four richer, and four poorer.”

Advisory:

Flow

Animated core message from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book ‘Flow.’

‘Selfie harm’ and the damage done by social media

…took photos of a group of teens aged 13 to 19, then asked them to spend a few minutes editing the shots using one of the many selfie apps marketed at teens. The result? “People are mimicking their idols, making their eyes bigger, their nose smaller and their skin brighter, and all for social media likes,” he said on Instagram.

https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/17/the-big-picture-selfie-harm-rankin-visual-diet/#annotations:olr-rjOqEem1KF8Bgb8nmw

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Stability and Change

I was recently reading the February, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the section “From the Editor’s Desk” written by Patty McGinnis. She wrote an article entitled, “Stability and Change: Integral to Systems.” The crosscutting concept of Stability and Change is a critical concept centered on understanding change in systems and the application of creating and controlling change.

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2019/2/6_Middle_School_Science_Minute__Stability_and_Change.html

From the Twitterverse:  

Jack Berckemeyer‏ @JBerckemeyer

If we would spend more time in schools dealing with social and emotional needs of our students we would see improvement in overall student success and empowerment!

Terry Hoganson‏ @TerryHoganson

Should all schools get a minimum of one full-time administration/principal regardless of school size? I’m interested to hear thoughts . #edleaders #edu ##education #edchat #leadership Also, should principals teach? We are talking about in my Masters Class.

Eric Curts‏ @ericcurts

Beautiful Audio Editor https://beautifulaudioeditor.appspot.com/  Free online audio tool for recording and editing audio, then save to Google Drive or as an MP3 or WAV file. Works on #ChromeBooks h/t @rmbyrne #edtech #GSuiteEDU

Russel Tarr‏ @russeltarr

Create a Historical ClickBait Headline as a starter/plenary/revision exercise: http://www.classtools.net/blog/create-a-clickbait-headline-as-a-starterplenaryrevision-exercise/ …

Eric Curts‏ @ericcurts

Chromebook Trackpad Checklist https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CZtZF7gVRxwkzHlFnWXgknhBoTzhrPsShg_iBTtNl_M/template/preview … Infographic and checklist on how to use 1, 2, and 3-finger gestures on a Chromebook trackpad. By @dyerksjr1 #edtech #GSuiteEDU #GoogleEDU #ChromeBooks

Krista Venza‏ @kristavenza

So excited to be chosen to present at @AMLE for the fourth year in a row! Jon Treese & I will be presenting a concurrent session on our NEW BOOK, “R.E.S.U.L.T.S.: Promoting Positive Behavior & Responsibility for Learning!” Can’t wait for Nov! #AMLE2019 #AMLE19

     

Michigan Medicine‏Verified account @umichmedicine

Having low vision can make activities like reading, shopping, cooking, writing, and watching TV hard to do. Learn how #lowvision rehabilitation can help: http://michmed.org/Egdx6

Scott McLeod‏ @mcleod

So why are teachers so bad at lesson design? I mean, they’re trained professionals in instruction and lesson/unit planning, right? http://bit.ly/4shifts  #4shifts #edtech #edchat  https://t.co/ANLYTns82z  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1COUR5p1E1gi-r8Hk0WXfYwzVX3Fw6fSNdvHvggVBJMc/edit  

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Experimenting with Math Testing in Groups

Experimenting with Math Testing in Groups

Resources:

Active-Shooter Drills Are Tragically Misguided

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/active-shooter-drills-erika-christakis/580426/

15 Amazingly Creative Book Reports

15 Amazingly Creative Book Reports

Fold-N-Fly

A database of paper airplanes with easy to follow folding instructions, video tutorials and printable folding plans. Find the best paper airplanes that fly the furthest and stay aloft the longest.

https://www.foldnfly.com/#/1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2

What Teachers Need To Know About The Science Of Learning–And What They Don’t

Lately, there’s been a push to acquaint educators with “the science of learning.” But only some aspects of that science actually help teachers do their jobs. Others just waste their time.

…there are two basic categories of learning science: cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology. Some efforts—particularly the Zuckerberg initiative—focus on neuroscience rather than psychology, while others mingle the two. That’s a problem, because—whatever its larger value—neuroscience is distinctly less useful to teachers.

Neuroscience is appealing partly because the data appears to be incontrovertible: just look at how different parts of the brain “light up!” But there’s a lot that brain scans can’t tell us—like whether a student is actually learning anything, or what to do if she isn’t. Changes in the brain may or may not have an impact on behavior.

Cognitive psychology, in contrast, has yielded a number of insights into what makes teaching and learning effective. It’s well established, for example, that students get a bigger boost from quizzing themselves about something they’ve read—or being quizzed by the teacher—than from rereading and highlighting the text.

Cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham has opined that acquainting teachers with neuroscience is “a colossal waste” of their time. Testing expert Dylan Wiliam says he’s unaware of “a single neuroscience finding that helps teachers,” and he’s not sure there ever will be one. At least some neuroscientists agree that cognitive psychology does the intellectual “heavy lifting” when it comes to providing guidance to teachers.           

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2019/02/19/what-teachers-need-to-know-about-the-science-of-learning-and-what-they-dont/#242fb4bc6582

Web Spotlight:

Florida Student, 11, Arrested After Dispute Over His Refusal to Say Pledge of Allegiance

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/19/us/11-year-old-arrested.html

How We Can Fix Faulty Background Knowledge

https://www.middleweb.com/39739/how-we-can-fix-faulty-background-knowledge/

The less flexible the teaching, the more poorly boys read

https://ukedchat.com/2019/01/31/flexible-teaching/#annotations:L9OQpC36Eem8dUe8jWmJhQ

Random Thoughts . . .  

ARVRinED – ISTE 2019 session

https://www.arvrinedu.com/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

And the chair is aghast!

Which days are the strongest?

• Saturday & Sunday (The others are weak days).

As I handed my Dad his 72nd birthday card, he looked at me with tears in eyes and a sniffle.

“You know, one would’ve been enough”.

Advisory:

Purl | Pixar SparkShorts

*Warning, there is some language issues; A BMW joke about “pricks” on the outside, a swear word (ass) in the video

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Best Graph to Use

In this issue, I read the article, “Data Literacy 101: Which is the Best Graph to Use?” written by Kristin Hunter-Thomson.  In the article, she encourages teachers to help students make connections between the words they say when talking about their question or data and the graph types they should consider based on their question type.  She discusses three types of graphs:

1.  Distribution Graphs

2.  Composition Graphs

3.  Comparison Graphs

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Podcast.html

From the Twitterverse:  

TAMS TN‏ @TAMSTN

Call for Presenters – 2019 TAMS Summer Conference – https://mailchi.mp/c7b4b303f496/call-for-presenters-2019-tams-summer-conference …

IMLEA‏ @IMLEAorg

We issued a special bulletin with the links to present at our 2019 Conference, trainings for Schools to Watch & Champions Together, and opportunities to write for our newsletter and nominate staff and students for awards!  https://t.co/RhZ6CIiFv1  

Jason Lay‏ @jlay02

Ninja @PearDeck trick: Customize the slide library. Use the pre-designed slides by Pear Deck, but add your own customizations. Instead of a simple happy/sad face to ask students how they feel, add emojis or memes! #edtech #sharethepear @jmattmiller

Todd‏Verified account @ToddWhitaker

Evaluation has to accomplish three things. Reinforce good practices, reduce ineffective practices, motivate and improve everyone. #satchat

Jessica Lahey‏Verified account @jesslahey

Jessica Lahey Retweeted Robin DeRosa

I’ve said it 10,000x and I’ll say it again: grading portals are one of the most destructive things we’ve done to learning & relationships in a very long time. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/22/well/family/the-downside-of-checking-kids-grades-constantly.html …

Jessica Lahey added,

Robin DeRosa @actualham

My daughter’s public high school uses an app that dings on her phone every time a grade is entered. It’s had Pavlovian effects on her emotional state. She used to love learning. It’s stunning how much the app has contributed to the centering of grades in her experience of school. …

Jill Skala‏ @jillskala

“English teachers willing to defend classics and modern literature must be prepared to give equally spirited defense to serious and worthwhile children’s and young adult novels.” https://bit.ly/2QY0F7B  #NCTE

From the Middle‏ @from_middle

So excited to be presenting with @blocht574 on Connections through Twitter and Podcasts. We hope you join us! #amle #podcasts #mschat #TEACHers

9to5Toys‏ @9to5toys

Amazon slashes $80+ off Apple’s latest 9.7-inch iPad 32GB iPad: Wi-Fi $249, Cellular from $375 https://9to5toys.com/2019/02/09/amazon-apple-9-7-inch-ipad/ … by @aSimonWalsh

ActiveHistory.co.uk‏ @activehistory

“Using Sticky Notes for Silent Presentations!” http://www.classtools.net/blog/sticky-notes-for-silent-presentations/ … #historyteacherhttps://t.co/07hn4LAiQB

Eric Curts‏ @ericcurts

How to Force a Docs Copy WITH Pre-Loaded Comments to Help your Students http://www.controlaltachieve.com/2017/11/force-copy-comments.html … #GSuiteEDU #edtech

Screencastify 🎬‏ @Screencastify

Looking to switch things up? We’ve got 50 different ways to use @Screencastify in our eBook Even better, the ideas come from the likes of @jmattmiller, @ericcurts, @coolcatteacher, and more! Check it out: https://www.screencastify.com/ebook/

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Follow Up On Our ClassDojo Discussion – AI in the School

Marjory Stoneman Douglas uses AI in the school.  

https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2019-01-07/broward-county-schools-to-install-facial-recognition-cameras

Book Reviews

Create a Database Activity in Moodle. You can use the template over at Master Moodle.

How to Talk So Students Will Listen and Listen so Students will Talk

Creating a safe and trusting classroom where students are willing to risk telling me about the hardest parts of their lives is a really important part of their academic success.

How to Talk So Students Will Listen and Listen so Students will Talk

Teaching Introverted Students: How a ‘Quiet Revolution’ Is Changing Classroom Practice

Kasevich, who taught history in middle and high school classrooms in New York City for 25 years, said she has seen school cultures that were one-size-fits-all, geared more for the extroverts than for the introverts.

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/12/27/teaching-introverted-students-how-a-quiet-revolution.html

Resources:

Silent Movie GIFs

Nice resource for finding gifs (or very short clips) to use with students. (*Please note that not all of these may be appropriate for the classroom).

https://twitter.com/silentmoviegifs

99Math:  Engage Students with a Positive Experience in Math

“According to Timmi, the game has already shown results by improving classroom atmosphere and student motivation. “It has also been praised by teachers who think of it as an exciting and inspiring platform,” he said. ‘I’ve watched our game being played in class. It’s heart-warming to see students feel the thrill of solving math exercises and them asking to play it again.’”

A new Estonian invention engages 9,000 students to compete in math online

Foundation For Teaching Economics Summer Professional Development Opportunity

University of Michigan is famous for many reasons. A great school for Economics, University of Michigan’s programs in Business, Accounting, Marketing, Finance, and Management are all ranked in the top five nationally.

U of M is also known for its research and ranked among the top 25 schools nationally, ranked #1 public university for the value and #3 public school with the smartest students!  It has one of the largest alumni networks with over 580,000 students and is home one president, two dozen governors, 3 supreme court justices, eight Nobel laureate and 200 Olympic medalists.

Speaking of sports, University of Michigan has won 390 Big 10 Athletic Championships and houses the largest football stadium in the country!

Sound like a place you would like to spend a week this summer? Check out our application page now to learn more about our program at the University of Michigan and other great college campuses across the country.

UM program will run from August 5-11, 2019

https://www.fte.org/site-spotlight-university-of-michigan/?fbclid=IwAR3oJGZAqwl683HH88hIaoHvHAM7-YDzgLXZGS0WZ1_GNuQry1bBluV3aZM

Web Spotlight:

Connecting Personalized Professional Learning to a Bigger Purpose

Connecting Personalized Professional Learning to a Bigger Purpose

We Can Make Middle School Less Awkward, Here’s How

Middle school staff from across the country recognize that these years are pivotal, striving to provide our young people with the inquiry-based, relevant learning experiences, meaningful relationships and supportive environments that they need to become thriving adults.

Yet, many schools embark on this mission without a critical, untapped resource. A robust body of developmental research that provides insight into how our nation’s middle school teachers can address, and fully leverage, the dizzying changes that our young people experience.

To realize this vision, we must first unpack that robust research, understanding the underlying changes in the brain and the body that young people experience in early adolescence. In doing so, we can create learning spaces that reinforce the unique skills they are developing on any given day—and provide the resources that young people need to flourish.

We Can Make Middle School Less Awkward, Here’s How

Weaving Gratitude into the Fabric of Everyday Learning

http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/1003/Weaving-Gratitude-into-the-Fabric-of-Everyday-Learning.aspx

30 Day Challenge For a Happier Teacher You

30 Day Challenge For a Happier Teacher You

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_fa09SoOeuNNFbSn_OHoSjWkJNKpB-zKLYhWrHBUku8/edit

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!