Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Parent Conferences, Moodle Flow, AI and more. Dave is trading in some books.

Jokes:  

Why did the dachshund sit in the shade? 

• It was a hot dog.

---

I ran into a lamppost yesterday. 

• Luckily, I only sustained light injuries.

---

Why were the middle ages also called the dark ages? 

• There were too many knights.

---

Why were police called to a daycare center? 

• A 3-year-old was resisting a rest.

---

Why are long fairy tales boring? 

• They tend to dragon.

---

Nobody has seen the zamboni driver lately. 

• I’m sure he’ll resurface eventually.

---

Why did I buy a boat? 

• It was for sail.

---

Cowboys used to hang lanterns off each side off their saddles, to help find their way whilst riding at night..

• This is believed to be the earliest form of saddle light navigation.. 🤔

---

I was debating with my friend about who the greatest vampire was.

I said, “The one from Sesame Street”

He said, “He doesn’t count!”

To which I replied, “Oh yes, he certainly does”

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  2023 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Middle School Students

I was recently reading the January/February 2023 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read an article on the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students in 2023. 

Here are the 7 books selected as outstanding for middle school students:

• Antarctica: A Melting Continent
• Oceanarium: Welcome to the Museum
• Salmon: Swimming for Survival
• The Code Breaker — Young Readers Edition: Jennifer Doudna and the Race to Understand Our Genetic Code
• Animal Allies: 15 Amazing Women in Wildlife Research
• How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps
• The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner

http://k12science.net/2023-outstanding-science-trade-books-for-middle-school-students/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

• Parent Conferences
  • In person
  • Remote
  • In the Round, Scheduled
• Moodle Flow
• Webinar

The Social Web  

ChatGPT 2049 @ChatGPT2049

Automated

Holy cow has @OpenAI gimped the ChatGPT tech. It’s almost useless for any sort of creative writing now. I mean, come on.

Peter Forister  @forecaster25

INSANE conditions on Mt Washington, NH. 120mph+ winds and -95°F wind chill. It is above the tropopause, meaning that these are stratospheric winds. Footage from the summit live stream 2:30-2:40pm. #nhwx  https://twitter.com/i/status/1621598650022363142  

Monica Roach  @MonicaRoach15

Hey #vbits ! Did you know that @MergeVR now works with the forward facing camera on Chromebooks?!? Thanks for the info, @lesliefisher!

Susie Dent @susie_dent

Word of the Day (again) is ‘quiddling’ (18th century): busying oneself with trivial tasks as a way of avoiding the important ones.

PUNS @ThePunnyWorld

A shark can swim faster than me, but I can run faster than a shark. So in a triathlon, it would all come down to who is the better cyclist

Sardonicus @Sardonicus@mastodon.social

A cement truck crashed near Winganon, Oklahoma in the 1950s and the mixer was too heavy to move. It’s still there; locals have painted it to look like an abandoned NASAcapsule.  https://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/10/the-

MrBerard@MrBerard@pilote.me

#EduGlow telling 12 year old that Instagram runs on Python, the same language they are using. Also telling them Instagram stands for “Instant Telegram”, the name the company was founded under in Victorian times.

Dr. Sean Munger @seanmunger@metalhead.club

Here are all the paper airplanes I confiscated during the course of *one* 8th grade class yesterday. Why did my Ph.D. program not prepare me for this? 

Strategies:  

Creating a Collection of 101 Creative Ideas to Use AI in Education

Creating a collection of 101 creative ideas to use AI in education

The Art of Self-Pacing: How to Build Playlists that Keep Students on Track

The playlist, or individual rotation model, is a highly effective blended learning model that empowers students to take ownership of their learning by giving them control over the pace and path of their learning. This model presents a sequence of carefully curated learning activities tailored to each student’s unique needs and abilities, allowing them to progress toward specific learning objectives at their own pace.

https://catlintucker.com/2023/01/self-pacing-playlists/#annotations:O4dLUJ9yEe2WJgeQ7nWPjw

this is why we should stop giving homework

The United States must examine the underlying inequities of peoples’ lives, rather than focus on increasing schools’ workloads and lessening children’s free time for mythical academic gains that lead to little change.

At Human Restoration Project, one of the core systemic changes we suggest is the elimination of homework. Throughout this piece, I will outline several research studies and reports that demonstrate how the negative impact of homework is so evident that any mandated homework, outside of some minor catching up or for incredibly niche cases, simply does more harm than good.

I’ll summarize four main reasons why homework just flat out doesn’t make sense.

• Achievement, whether that be measured through standardized tests or general academic knowledge, isn’t correlated to assigning or completing homework.
• Homework is an inequitable practice that harms certain individuals more than others, to the detriment of those with less resources and to minor, if any, improvement for those with resources.
• It contributes to negative impacts at home with one’s family, peer relationships, and just general school-life balance, which causes far more problems than homework is meant to solve.
• And finally, it highlights and exacerbates our obsession with ultra-competitive college admissions and job opportunities, and other detrimental faults of making everything about getting ahead.

https://www.humanrestorationproject.org/writing/this-is-why-we-should-stop-giving-homework#annotations:KyBGWp8hEe2fg2-d8-VHiQ

Resources:  

ONE STRATEGY FOR COMBATTING PSEUDOSCIENCE

written by Miguel Guhlin 

Are you a critical thinker? I am not…yet. The gap between knowing what’s possible and where I’m at spurs me to learn more.

And, wow, what an amazing set of resources I have found!

One Strategy for Combatting Pseudoscience

MacWhisper

Quickly and easily transcribe audio files into text with OpenAI’s state-of-the-art transcription technology Whisper. Whether you’re recording a meeting, lecture, or other important audio, MacWhisper quickly and accurately transcribes your audio files into text.

https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper#annotations:CdFMyKKcEe26GVfusJc_lw

GifCap

Create animated GIFs from a screen recording.

Client-side only, no data is uploaded. Modern browser required.

https://gifcap.dev/#annotations:O7r7WqGWEe2EgTP7XuKyEQ

PEN America Index of Educational Gag Orders

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Tj5WQVBmB6SQg-zP_M8uZsQQGH09TxmBY73v23zpyr0/edit#gid=1505554870

Graphic Organizers

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFMyLVL8e0/VFXNoPFq27ppbHjVlnRYtg/view

Info Wall – H5P

A free H5P content type that allows users to present simple structured lists of information that can be filtered in publishing systems like Canvas, Brightspace, Blackboard, Moodle and WordPress. 

Web Spotlight:  

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Duped

What it is: Products that are “dupes”—less costly alternatives to brand name options—are taking over TikTok and Instagram.

We’ve Lost the Plot

What it is: An article in the Atlantic questions if the line between entertainment and real life has become blurred beyond recognition, suggesting that we already live in a sort of socially-conditioned metaverse.

The Hangout House

What it is: A parent went viral on TikTok for sharing his tips for making his house the house where his teenagers and their friends want to spend time together.

Pranks Destroy Scam Callers- GlitterBomb Payback

Chatham-Kent County Renames Snowplows

Random Thoughts . . .  

Jack Berckemeyer – Nuts & Bolts Conference  

“I sent an update to all the Nuts and Bolts Consultants that I am working on a five year plan to work my butt off then slow my roll. By then I will be 60 (damn Jack you looo great) Traveling is wearing me out, I am beat up and tired. I need to work on some personal self care and start to wind down my 30 year career in education.

So what does this mean, nothing changes in the next 5 years I will still be working with schools, still keynoting and doing whatever I can to help struggling schools and educators. However, by 2025 I will be selling Nuts and Bolts – The Never Boring Conference – if you’re interested let’s chat. NB changed my life and brought me so much joy. All stays the same for this summer, great locations and outstanding speakers. I am just looking for some to either take it on or partner with me.”  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss AI in education, PD, and more. Dave has Ecosystem Dynamics.

Jokes:  

My friend told me he’s going on a trip to Spain, but he doesn’t understand a word of Spanish

• So I told him the most important thing you need to remember is to say Mucho as much as possible, because to the Spanish people that means a lot…

---

While admiring some dinosaur bones in the Museum of Natural History, a tourist asks the guard, “How old are they?”

The guard replies, “They are 73 million, four years, and six months old.”

“That’s a rather exact number,” says the tourist. “How do you know their age so precisely?”

“Well,” answers the guard, “The dinosaur bones were seventy three million years old when I started working here, and that was four and a half years ago.”

---

I seem to be developing an irrational fear of German Sausages.

• I fear the würst.

---

I was having dinner with Garry Kasporov  ..

• and on the table was a checkered tablecloth. It took him 20 minutes to pass me the salt.
• At the end of the meal he offered to pay, and said, “Pass me the check, mate.”

---

Three tons of hair was stolen from a wig factory.

• Police are combing the area.

---

How did the hacker get away from the police?

• She ransomware.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: Ecosystem Dynamics

I was recently reading the January/February 2023 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk” column, written by Patti McGinnis.  She wrote an article entitled, “Ecosystem Dynamics.”  

A healthy ecosystem can be defined as one that “has the ability to maintain its structure and function over time in the face of external stress.”  Managing ecosystems in a manner that creates resilience and long-term sustainability is more crucial than ever.

http://k12science.net/ecosystem-dynamics/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Remote Work
• PD Day
• Science Teachers
• Moving Buildings
• Spear Phishing
• NOLEJ
  • Experience
  • Iran
  • Google Classroom

The Social Web  

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘bayard’ (16th century): one who shuts their eyes to reality and has all the confidence of ignorance.

PUNS  @ThePunnyWorld

I hurt my knee slipping on ice in front of the police station. I went inside to complain but they charged me with a felony

MuhsinBashir( #GPT insider )  @muhsinbashir_ai

10 Best alternatives to #ChatGPT #AI  1. GPT-3 by OpenAl 2. BERT by Google 3. XLNet by Google 4. RoBERTa by Facebook 5. ALBERT by Google 6. T5 by Google 7. CTRL by Salesforce 8. Transformer-XL by Google 9. XLM by Facebook 10. Megatron by NVIDIA

Biosension  @norrad

https://lnkd.in/e7HVUA8D “First up, we’ve got Chinchilla – the GPT-3 killer developed by DeepMind. With 70 billion parameters and four times the data as Gopher, this bad boy is sure to impress. But beware, it’s not quite ready for p…https://lnkd.in/ehQJBEFs

Dissident Teacher  @edudissenter

I’ve been teaching for 25 years. I’m tired of building my own curriculum.

NOLEJ  @nolej_app

Autogenerate eLearning interactives in minutes! 1 – Upload or copy URL to any content 2 – Nolej AI will analyze the semantic meaning 3 – It will generate a plug-and-play ready library of interactives

MrBerard  @MrBerard@pilote.me #EduGlow : getting to send a pupil on their way by quoting #Discworld‘s Lord #Vetinari:
“Do not let me detain you.”

MrBerard  @MrBerard@pilote.me #EduGlow: when an eight grader unpacks for you why he thinks “negative numbers aren’t real” and you gotta admit he’s onto something.

Strategies: 

Tired of the Same Old Professional Development? Let Students Lead.

I formed an after-school student activism and leadership club with a small group of seventh grade students. I wanted this club to be youth-led, so I relied heavily on student conversations to guide our work. One thread that quickly emerged from our initial discussions was teacher practice. Students felt frustrated by their teachers’ lack of focus on building classroom community and supporting students’ self-confidence.

After these discussions, I posed a question to my students: “Do you all want to lead a training for us–your teachers–focused on how we could do better?”

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-01-25-tired-of-the-same-old-professional-development-let-students-lead#annotations:26Tp1pzOEe2eZQsbj8SBdQ

Resources:  

Chrono Photo Game

See a picture, guess the year. Five rounds per game. 

Great to have students develop context clues. 

https://www.chronophoto.app/game.html

The Science of Well-Being for Teens

A recent survey found that 37% of teens say they have poor mental health. This 6-week course aims to curb this mental health crisis by bringing together the best insights from Dr. Laurie Santos’ popular Yale course Psychology and the Good Life. In this course, you will explore what the field of psychology teaches us about how to be happier, how to feel less stressed, and how to thrive in high school and beyond. The lessons along with short weekly ‘happiness homework’ assignments will ultimately prepare you to put these scientific findings into practice. The ultimate goal is for you to feel better and build healthier habits. Parents, teachers, and other professionals supporting teenagers may also find the course beneficial.

Note: This course does not confer Yale University grade, credit or student status.

THE SCIENCE OF WELL-BEING FOR TEENS WAS PRODUCED IN PART DUE TO THE GENEROUS FUNDING OF THE ARTHUR M. BLANK FAMILY FOUNDATION AND THE JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being-for-teens#annotations:FS-5Fp53Ee2eUb9Yh6btdw

Looking Behind the Screen: Critical Media Literacy Gives Us Tools to Understand How Media Shapes Our Perception of Others and the World

https://www.gettingsmart.com/2023/01/19/looking-behind-the-screen-critical-media-literacy-gives-us-tools-to-understand-how-media-shapes-our-perception-of-others-and-the-world/#annotations:d34LLJzTEe2y–9Fk0Rg9g

Free Bingo Cards

The fastest and most popular Bingo Card Generator in the world!

• Create randomized bingo cards for free in seconds with our Bingo Card Generator.
• Print your bingo cards at home to play in‑person, or send out links to play a Virtual Bingo Game – we even provide a bingo caller!
• Choose from ready-made Number Bingo Cards or browse through bingo ideas for all occasions.
• All our bingo cards can be customized (edit the title, background, content). Make the perfect bingo cards for your party or event.

https://myfreebingocards.com/#annotations:ncYHuJzSEe2BGoP_9LxU8A

Letters on our national struggle

by Meagher, Thomas Francis, 1823-1867

https://archive.org/details/lettersonournati00meag/mode/2up

Stephen King’s 20 Rules for Writers

https://www.openculture.com/2023/01/stephen-kings-20-rules-for-writers.html#annotations:z_KBdpwKEe2v2zeGYfNvug

Web Spotlight:  

Geometric Primes

Geometric Primes is a series of posters visualizing the complete set of three-digit prime numbers in a series of styles and only using basic geometric shapes based on squares, circles, and triangles.

Each print contains all 143 prime numbers with 3 digits. Each is represented by an image composed of simple geometric shapes based on its digital root and colors based on its digits. Arranging these images sequentially creates colorful collages of prime numbers based on simple rules.

For each poster, a unique shape was assigned to the digital root of each prime number which is calculated by iteratively summing its digits until one remains. (All known prime numbers greater than 3 have digital roots of 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, or 8.)

https://www.c82.net/work/?id=392#annotations:kLyMvp5_Ee2POwtLDd3sXA

Suzanne Ciani Creates The Soundtrack For A Pinball Machine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r28i-k3mL3o

MINK! — My Mom Fought For Title IX, but It Almost Didn’t Happen | Op-Docs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faL6ERtj5oM#annotations:N959ppwNEe2Oci_m0w17JA

ChatGPT Isn’t the Only Way to Use AI in Education

AI can be a tool to create meaningful connections and learning experiences for children—and may help foster more equitable outcomes.

https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-artificial-intelligence-education-networks/

My perspective on ChatGPT (and creativity and teaching)

http://tjkendon.ucalgaryblogs.ca/my-perspective-on-chatgpt-and-creativity-and-teaching/ 

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

YouTube U

What it is: Individuals can now earn college credit through Arizona State University by watching YouTube videos through a newly-launched program called Study Hall.

Application fees are $25 per course, and once coursework is complete, students can opt to pay around $400 for transferable college credits from the course.  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss the NOLEJ beta, discuss AI, the Social Web, and more. Dave demonstrates why we should demonstrate. 

Jokes:  

A man walks into a dentist’s office and says, “I think I’m a moth.”

The dentist says, “You shouldn’t be here. You should be seeing a psychiatrist.”

The man replies, “But I am already seeing a psychiatrist.”

The dentist says, “Well then what are you doing here?”

And the man replies, “Your light was on.”

---

Did you hear that people in Minnesota are very excited this year?

• Summer is forecasted to be on a weekend!

---

There’s a big difference between a bee from the UK and a bee from the US.

• A UK bee carries pollen, a US bee carries data

---

Ice fishing

• The hardest thing about ice fishing is boring.

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Demonstrations

I was recently reading the November/December 2022 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the “Methods and Strategies” column, written by Christopher Roemmele, Steven Smith, Sarah Nern, Brett Criswell, and Miss Holzer.  They wrote an article entitled, “Don’t Forget the Demo.”  

Demonstrations are defined as the manipulation of materials and equipment for learners to observe one or more aspects of scientific principles or phenomena, providing students with the opportunity for engagement of Science and Engineering Practices and Cross Cutting Concepts.

http://k12science.net/demonstrations/

Reports from the Front Lines  

• Nolej.io – Beta Testers
  • Automatically convert documents (Text, Video, Audio) into dynamic active learning content through the use of our AI. What used to take instructional designers hours, can now be done by anyone in minutes. 
  • 
• AI Art
  • Student Presentations
• Fun with Cron Jobs

The Social Web  

Peter Greene  @palan57

How Can We Teach Writing In A ChatGPT World? Via @forbes

https://t.co/i116LDh291

PUNS  @ThePunnyWorld

Robin: “The Batmobile isn’t starting!” 

Batman: “Did you charge the battery?” 

Robin: “What in the world is a tery?”  

I got into a fight with 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. The odds were against me.

Jason Snell  @jsnell

RIP Twitterrific for macOS.

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘pantophobia’ (19th century): a fear of/anxiety over absolutely everything.

Ray Schroeder  @rayschroeder

A Teacher’s Prompt Guide to ChatGPT – Andrew Herft, Curriculum Advisor at NSW, Dept of Education, Sydney NSW Australia Welcome to this short instructional teachers guide to using ChatGPT. #highered #teachersguide #Chatgpt  https://t.co/LGb7q2AgVw  

Strategies:  

Text Chat Animator

Create realistic fake text chat animations that simulate messaging apps!

Export them for free as a video or GIF to create stories, commercials and memes.

https://chat-animator.com/#annotations:r994OJZ7Ee2hc68e6y3UXA

Strict-sounding teachers less effective in classroom, research reveals

Strict-sounding teachers are worse at inspiring the classroom than their kind colleagues, research has revealed.

https://www.essex.ac.uk/news/2023/01/17/strict-teachers-less-effective-in-classroom

Resources:  

FPV Dive Burj Khalifa Top to Bottom – André Larsen

Diving the Worlds Tallest building, Burj Khalifa has been a big part of my job. Here is one of many dives i’ve done from this building. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccnWu5Ube00

Change Your Life – One Tiny Step at a Time

Advisory idea? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75d_29QWELk

Drawn in 60 Seconds

Important events in history made easy to understand in sixty seconds of animation.

Created by Dr Elliott Watson

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCexA8z6srydx_YruuCKw23A

Web Spotlight:  

The Most Ridiculous and Weird Tech Gadgets From the Last 25 Years

https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/the-most-ridiculous-and-weird-tech-gadgets-from-the-last-25-years/#annotations:t9n_wpjdEe2ErE_uchVHGA

The radical, forgotten experiment in educational integration that changed my life

In 1971, kids from Roxbury and Lincoln spent half the year attending school together in the city and the other half in the suburb. Fifty years later, I tracked down my fellow students to see how it shaped them — and whether something like it could work today.

https://apps.bostonglobe.com/ideas/graphics/2023/01/experiential-learning-boston-lincoln/

Benedict Cumberbatch reads a letter from Kurt Vonnegut at Letters Live, Hay Festival

Part of the ‘Letters Live’ event at the Hay Festival 2014. Recorded in the Tata Tent on 31st May 2014. Benedict Cumberbatch reads a letter by Kurt Vonnegut to a headmaster who had just burned all the copies of a particular book by Kurt in the school’s furnace. This letter is taken from the book ‘Letters of Note’ by Shaun Usher

This was the fifth letter Benedict read of the Letters Live event on this day. This also includes the ‘bows’ at the end, with Rob Brydon, Louise Brealey and all the other readers, and Benedict throwing his rose into the audience.

So sorry its a bit wobbly at times but the chairs were quite rocky!

I do not own the copyright, and thank Hay Festival, Letters Live, Shaun Usher, Simon Garfield, Cannongate books, the readers and all behind the scenes for the most wonderful, enlightening event. Who knew Letters could rock quite so much?! If you’ve not read the books they are DEFINITELY worth a read – Letters of Note by Shaun Usher and To the Letter by Simon Garfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs845wKLldM

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk quite a bit about AI. Dave has some solid and gaseous reporting for us. 

Jokes:  

If your sparkling water loses its bubbles…

• Don’t worry, it’s still water

---

A genie granted me one wish, so I said, “I just want to be happy.”

• Now I’m living in a cottage with 6 dwarves and working in a mine.

---

Today I quit my job at the Donut factory..

• I was really fed up with the hole business.

---

I ordered 2 large fries for lunch today but they gave me…

• 75 tiny ones instead.

---

Did you know that 100 little sheep rolling down a hill is called…

• A lambslide!

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Geologist

I was recently reading the November/December 2022 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Career of the Month” column, written by Luba Vangelova.  She wrote a column entitled, “Geologist.”  

Geologists study the Earth and the forces that shape its solid, liquid, and gaseous components.  The article featured Michael Loso, the park geologist at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Copper Center, Alaska.

http://k12science.net/geologist/

Reports from the Front Lines

• COVID
• Treasure Hunt
• Trained them in 60 Seconds….And for my next trick – StudentQuiz

The Social Web:

Pratham  @Prathkum

Your free AI writing assistant: 1. Chat with super human http://chat.openai.com 2. Write blogs, content with AI http://rytr.me 3. AI spelling, grammar checker http://quillbot.com 4. Content creation superpower http://writerly.ai

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

End the school year with Epic Review Olympics (free templates!) http://ditchthattextbook.com/end-the-school-year-with-epic-review-olympics-free-templates/

#ditchbook

Heather Cooper  @HBCoop_

4 new AI tools for visual content:

1/ Fliki Tweet-to-video app turns your Tweets into videos for YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. Features: • Voiceovers • AI image generator • 850+ voices, 75+ languages Free up to 10 minutes of audio & video per month.  Fliki.ai  

2/ Traw Replayable whiteboard for collaboration. Features: • Share meetings with team • Voice notes Plans: • Free up to 40 mins/meeting and 10 total hours for 10 users • Pro plan with unlimited meeting lengths and users https://traw.io  

3/ Kaiber AI video generator creates videos from text prompts. Plans: • Free up to 50 credits (about 5 videos), watermark • Pro: $120 yearly or $15/month, 1000 credits, no watermark

@KaiberAI

PUNS  @ThePunnyWorld

Who was the builder of King Arthurs round table? Sir Cumference

Tim Allen  @ofctimallen

“It’s easy to be wise after the event.” – Arthur Conan Doyle

NikPeachey  @NikPeachey

Detect GPT https://bit.ly/3CEj7ZE This is a free Chrome extension that detects content created using ChatGPT and other AI. Great for spotting the students who are “cheating”. #esl #efl #elt #tesol #eal #tefl #edtech #edtools  

Jim Weberm  @JimMWeber

The Detroit Lions player intros is like a Key & Peele sketch:  https://twitter.com/i/status/1612267364854239233  

Strategies:  

Highly successful people use this 1 skill to get more from reading, says Northwestern expert

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/12/brooke-vuckovic-how-successful-people-get-more-from-reading.html#annotations:ns6gwpKPEe2oCT-NaMIyeg

Thoughts about the impact of AI text on assessment

https://www.openedtech.global/blog/open-edtech-news-2/thoughts-about-the-impact-of-ai-text-on-assessment-9#annotations:WbpSUJFQEe2tkBdqq5Tbww

Resources:  

Consent Games

Consent has been in the news a lot recently. Unfortunately, one of the reasons consent has been in the news is because some people do not understand – or respect – this fundamental legal concept.

Consent is an important legal concept affects all of us all the time. Although here we are focusing on the meaning of consent as it relates to relationships between people, consent also impacts us in other ways.

So, although for purposes of this site we are focusing on consent between people as it affects dating or sexual relationships, consent still has the same legal meaning in other contexts.

Consent.Games: A Novel Approach to Consent

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Call It Luck

What it is: Lucky Girl Syndrome, also called “LGS,” has been trending on TikTok to kick off 2023. The trend encourages people to believe and say out loud that everything works out for them—claiming that the act of doing so will cause good things to happen.

Hopey New Year

What it is: Gen Z’s top ten New Year’s resolutions looked very similar to, well, most other people’s, according to survey results published by YPulse.

Why do I Model Scale Trees? | River Road ~ Vlog # 152

Modeling a tree makes me a better modeler. A well modeled tree, coupled to support scenery, makes a layout or diorama pop more than any other scenery element in my experience. Sure, they are a challenge, but I never found the path of least resistance advances my skill set much. I would venture to say, most modelers fail to dedicate the necessary time into developing their scenery skill set, yet it seems to pay the greatest rewards. 

In addition, It only takes one well modeled tree to make a dozen generic ones look great! 

Getting Ready for Work

This resource was developed for all post-secondary students preparing for or wanting to learn more about work readiness for work-integrated learning (WIL) and entering the workforce. It covers topics including Indigenous Peoples, communities, and cultural safety; self-management; career goals; workplace essential skills; interpersonal and communication skills; workplace safety; and more. In addition, each chapter includes interactive H5P student activities for you to reinforce and self-assess your learning.

https://collection.bccampus.ca/textbooks/getting-ready-for-work-integrated-learning-bccampus-384/#annotations:Fq09MI-MEe2WgkdLxQwEPA

Word Spinner

Word Spinner offers a free and easy-to use Paraphrase Tool with just the click of button. With many options available to customize your reworded text, and phrases.

https://word-spinner.com/#annotations:5nAsppHcEe2wqGMZM39WzA

Web Spotlight:  

HMH buys NWEA

https://www.nwea.org/news-center/nwea-news/nwea-to-become-part-of-hmh/

https://thejournal.com/articles/2023/01/10/nwea-assets-to-be-acquired-by-houghton-mifflin-harcourt.aspx

Free Browser Extension – Chrome

Explore free to use images from the Library of Congress anytime you open a new tab!

https://labs.loc.gov/work/experiments/free-to-use-browser-extension/#annotations:ehqfFJKBEe2G7sseUePIDQ

Road Signs

Over the years, the MUTCD has been updated to reflect improvements to road safety and rapidly changing technology, since the first edition was published in 1935.

https://www.beautifulpublicdata.com/the-style-guide-for-americas-highways-mutcd/

The True Size of…

https://www.thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTY1OTg3ODQ.MjkwOTgyNA*MzMwODk4MTQ(NDQwMjMxNA~!CONTIGUOUS_US*MTAwMjQwNzU.MjUwMjM1MTc(MTc1)MQ~!IN*NTI2NDA1MQ.Nzg2MzQyMQ)MA~!CN*OTkyMTY5Nw.NzMxNDcwNQ(MjI1)Mg

Seattle schools sue TikTok, Meta and other platforms over youth ‘mental health crisis’

They’ve hooked students into ‘excessive use and abuse,’ the complaint states.

https://www.engadget.com/seattle-schools-sue-tik-tok-meta-and-other-platforms-over-youth-mental-health-crisis-090607723.html#annotations:2i284JBOEe28xC9dDe3xdA

Astronomy Picture of the Day

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230108.html#annotations:pbODHo-GEe2WW2daoUPM8Q

How the Myth of the American Frontier Got Its Start

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-myth-american-frontier-got-start-180981310/#annotations:kQ2WDo-JEe2IhKvr0J7UxQ

Random Thoughts . . .  

Chat GPT as a Motivational Speaker . . . 

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss NOLEJ, a beta program, AI, and more. Dave brings Environmental Justice to us. 

Jokes:  

I said to my son, “I need a battery so I can tell the time.” He asked, “Is it for a clock?” I answered…

• “I don’t know! That’s why I need the battery!”

---

My grandma always used to say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Now, I don’t know if that’s actually true or…

• …just one of Granny’s myths.

---

I thought my new job digging tunnels would be exciting but as it turns out…

• …it’s just boring.

---

This morning I saw a guy dragging a clam on a leash and I thought to myself…

• “Man, it must be hard to walk with a pulled mussel.”

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Environmental Justice

I was recently reading the November/December 2022 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Idea Bank” column, written by Fatemeh Mirghassemi.  She wrote a column entitled, “Getting to the STEM of Environmental Justice: Equity Causes Enrich Student Learning in Science Classrooms.” 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental justice as “…the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”

http://k12science.net/environmental-justice/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Makin’ a MoodleBox
  • Conferences
  • Classrooms
  • Homework
• NOLEJ Beta Expectations  
• AI Art
  • Bias
  • Limitations

The Omniverse  (The Social Web)

Hardmaru  @hardmaru

A #StableDiffusion model trained on images of Japanese Kanji characters came up with “Fake Kanji” for novel concepts like Skyscraper, Pikachu, Elon Musk, Deep Learning, YouTube, Gundam, Singularity, etc. They kind of make sense. Not bad!

Rohit Ghumare | That #DevOps Guy

@ghumare64

Replying to @ghumare64

1. http://cleanup.pictures Remove unwanted objects from photos, people, text, and defects from any picture.  

2. http://copy.ai Get a great copy that sells. http://Copy.ai is an Al-powered copywriter that generates high-quality copy for your business.

3. http://looka.com Design a Logo, make a website, and create a brand identity you’ll love with the power of Al.

4. http://soundraw.io Soundraw is a music generator for creators. Select the type of music you want genre, instruments, mood, length, etc, and let Al generate beautiful songs for you.

5. http://You.com It provides different ad-free services which can be a game-changer in searching. Services like: YouChat YouCode YouWrite YouImagine YouSocial

The Modest Teacher  @ModestTeacher

The sub trying to take attendance.

G. K. Chesterton  @GKCdaily

All sincere poetry is also philosophy, even if it be unconscious philosophy.

SRI & ETTC  @sriettc

Valentine’s Day STEM Challenges. https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/wp-content/upl

Heather Cooper  @HBCoop_

AI Prompt Writing: If you’re writing about a specific topic, include key phrases in the prompt. Example: “Write an outline about the impact of social media on mental health, including the following key points: online harassment and self-esteem.”

Margreta @margreta@mastodon.oeru.org

@cogdog Hi Alan, take a look at our “Time Machine” – built with H5P Virtual Tour 360. The students travel from room to room by finding out which year they are in. shorturl.at/CDER2 #escaperoom #H5P #history

Doug Holton @dougholton

Handout: Open Educational Resources & Open Pedagogy https://bit.ly/oer2023

Links to resources on the basics of finding, using, and authoring #OER resources, textbooks, etc., including info on student-generated resources (#OpenPedagogy).

I’ll add a 2nd page to the handout in the coming weeks w/resources on #H5P & #Pressbooks in preparation for a workshop.

J. M. Guhlin

@mguhlin@mastodon.education

MyNotes: Writing in Middle School Science CER CERCA

Looking for an easy way to introduce students to CER, or Claim Evidence Reasoning approach? You may want to check out this book. Great, easy read.

https://www.

mguhlin.org/2022/03/mynotes-wr

iting-in-middle-school.html 

Resources:  

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Through the Looking Glass

What it is: A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that teens who use social media during their formative years have alterations in their brain chemistry, particularly how they respond to social rewards.

Fragile as Glass

What it is: Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt wrote for the Wall Street Journal (paywall) about what he perceives as a lack of resilience among young people.

QGIS

Create, edit, visualise, analyse and publish geospatial information on Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD and mobile devices

For your desktop, server, in your web browser and as developer libraries

QGIS is a professional GIS application that is built on top of and proud to be itself Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).

https://www.qgis.org/en/site/

DittyToy

Dittytoy allows you to create generative music using a minimalistic javascript API.

The API syntax is loosely based on the syntax of Sonic Pi. You can find the full Dittytoy API Reference here.

If you don’t like reading documentation and want to see sample code, then these ditties give a good overview of the capabilities of Dittytoy.

https://dittytoy.net/?/

Wingfeather Saga Ep. 3

In a fantasy world of wonder and danger, one boy discovers a family secret that may awaken an ancient power or doom them to capture by a nameless evil.  Episode 4 drops February 10th.  

https://www.angel.com/watch/wingfeather-saga

Gresham College Lectures & Videos

https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now#annotations:UEaSQo1eEe2s9r-HXRT5Ug

Dunning-Kruger effect

We all find it hard to admit when we’re wrong. In an increasingly polarised world, it seems as if people are becoming more convinced of their own beliefs and less willing to contemplate other points of view. But could this be to the detriment of our intelligence?

Web Spotlight:  

The epic farewell posts of laid-off employees

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230104-layoff-linkedin-goodbye-posts

Association of Habitual Checking Behaviors on Social Media With Longitudinal Functional Brain Development

Our findings suggest that checking behaviors on social media in early adolescence may tune the brain’s sensitivity to potential social rewards and punishments. Whereas individuals with habitual checking behaviors showed initial hypoactivation but increasing sensitivity to potential social cues over time, those with nonhabitual checking behaviors showed initial hyperactivation and decreasing sensitivity over time. Two primary theories contend over whether hypo- or hyperresponsivity to rewards is more associated with behavior.³¹ The hyperresponsive theory posits that adolescent reward-associated behaviors are associated with greater activation of the ventral-striatal dopamine circuit.^11,24,32 Consequently, adolescents would experience an increased dopaminergic release in response to social feedback and rewards, which further encourages high-reward behaviors. Indeed, compared with children and adults, adolescents show higher activation in the reward system when receiving rewards.^{10–12,24,26} In contrast, the hyporesponsive theory posits that adolescent reward-seeking behaviors may be associated with a deficit in the activity of brain regions associated with motivation.^30,33 This theory argues that repeated exposure to a social reward downregulates dopamine receptors and production, which results in decreased sensitivity of reward circuits. Studies^34,35 suggest that, as adolescents experience fewer or less intense positive feelings from previously rewarding stimuli, they are driven to pursue new appetitive reinforcements through increases in reward-seeking behaviors, which increases activity in dopamine-related circuitry. Indeed, relative to adults, adolescents show less engagement of the VS in anticipation of rewards.^30,36 While for some individuals with habitual checking behaviors, an initial hyposensitivity to potential social rewards and punishments followed by hypersensitivity may contribute to checking behaviors on social media becoming compulsive and problematic, for others, this change in sensitivity may reflect an adaptive behavior that allows them to better navigate their increasingly digital environment.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2799812

Richard Byrne

The First Writing:  The Ancients – A History Hit Podcast

The results of a groundbreaking new study were released today [January 5th] by a group of researchers who believe they have conclusively decoded the earliest known form of proto-writing. 

https://shows.acast.com/the-ancients/episodes/the-first-writing

Pretending at support for technology integration

http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2023/01/pretending-at-support-for-technology-integration.html 

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss what they did over break (including a comic), more on AI, social media, and more. Dave discusses the 5E Learning Cycle. 

Jokes:  

While my wife was in labor, I read her some clean jokes to distract her from the pain, but she didn’t seem amused…

• It must have been the delivery…

---

What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet?

• “Supplies!”

---

My next door neighbour banged on my door at 3 in the morning last night. He’s so rude. 

• Luckily I was still up, practicing the drums

---

How do you make an egg-roll?

• You push it!

---

A friend of mine didn’t pay for his exorcism.

• He got repossessed

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  5E Learning Cycle

I was recently reading the November/December 2022 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Corner” column, written by Ann Haley MacKenzie. She wrote a column entitled, “Direct Instruction: A Healthy Place for Both Science Teachers and Students?”

Direct instruction doesn’t always work. What we know about human learning is that students need exposure to a concept at least five or six times before they can begin to move it into long term memory. Hence the 5E Learning Cycle: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate.

http://k12science.net/5e-learning-cycle/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Break
  • Comic Life by Plasq (Now for Chromebooks!)  https://plasq.com/  
  • MoodleNET 
• Stress of Mega Tests – The Jin Kao and WeChat
• Vacation Responder  

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day, at this point every year, has to be ‘scurryfunging’ (19th century US dialect): the frantic tidying up/attempt to achieve a semblance of order that takes place just before guests arrive.  

Resistentialism is the belief that inanimate objects are out to get you: tables and shop displays bumping into you; toast landing butter-side down; sellotape hiding its end/sticking to anything other than what’s needed.

As part of a Christmas words countdown, here’s a reminder of the ‘lickspigot’(16th century): the friend or acquaintance who never fails to turn up when free drink is available. The food equivalent, from the same century, is the smellfeast.

Terrible Maps  @TerribleMaps

Chances of a white Christmas in Australia

PUNS  @ThePunnyWorld

Why couldn’t the jalapeño do archery? He didn’t habanero.

Lake Superior  @LakeSuperior

Somewhere between Cypress Hill and Snoop Dogg.

Quote Tweet   cat  @thecat854

Replying to @LakeSuperior

How high did you get your waves today, @LakeSuperior?  

Kathy O’Neil  @DestroyAllBeets

Lake Michigan is trending. People don’t know our lakes are huge? They create their own weather and are basically inland oceans. Your lakes aren’t like ours.

Glenn Stevens  @glennrstevens

Not a good beach day in @PetoskeyArea. #Michigan

Not a good beach day in @PetoskeyArea. #Michigan pic.twitter.com/b9wMCszMhX

— Glenn Stevens (@glennrstevens) December 23, 2022

Jason Neiffer Ed.D.  @techsavvyteach

AI-Created Comic Could Be Deemed Ineligible for Copyright Protection

ChatGPT 2049  @ChatGPT2049

Automated.  @DataChaz: Everyone is talking about #ChatGPT and #GPT3, but did you know there was a free, #opensource version of GPT-3 called OPT-175B? No login, no credit card needed! 😉 https://opt.alpa.ai https://twitter.com/DataChaz/statu

ChatGPT 2049  @ChatGPT2049

@jsmasterypro: Build and Deploy Your Own ChatGPT AI App in JavaScript | OpenAI, Machine Learning  @OpenAI https://youtu.be/2FeymQoKvrk https://twitter.com/jsmasterypro/s  

Stephen Reid – Digital Druid  @StephenReidEdu

“The first thing students will use ChatGPT for is to cheat”. Nope, they used it to create a game! 11 year old boy creates #HarryPotter-themed game using AI. I’ve played it, you can too. It’s amazing! https://mpost.io/11-year-old-boys-game-for-chatgpt-is-blowing-up-the-internet/

#PlayMatters #AI #ArtificialIntelligence

R.C. Sproul Jr.@rcsprouljr

I’m not saying it’s windy but it appears the wind has blown Fort Wayne down to the South Pole.  

Mastadon

Nele Hirsch @ebildungslabor@digitalcourage.social

For people who work with #H5P (or want to use it to design their learning opportunities in the future), I’ve blogged two quick ideas.

1. clickable definitions

2. multimedia self-introduction

There’s also a tutorial on exactly how to go about creating a subtitle file for a video or audio (if I don’t want to write the subtitles down manually).

I designed the content as part of a course creation for #adulteducation, but it can certainly be applied to other areas of #education.

Troy Patterson @troypatterson@scholar.social

Students Prioritize Using Moodle

A Comic with instructions on how to create an activity for students to prioritize.

https://troypatterson.me/2022/12/30/students-prioritize-using-moodle/

#Moodle

Facebook:  

Gramma’s Funnies Group:  

Resources:  

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Top Influencers of 2022  #1-20

• 20 Lin Manuel Miranda
• 19 Harry Styles
• 18 Joe Rogan
• 17 Jeffrey Dahmer 
• 16 Mr. Beast 
• 15 Drake 
• 14 Aaron Judge 
• 13 Tom Cruise
• 12 BeReal
• 11 Queen Elizabeth II  
• 10  Kate Bush 
• 9   Tom Brady
• 8   Vladimir Putin
• 7   Fleetwood Mac
• 6   Taylor Swift
• 5   Ye
• 4   Elon Musk
• 3   Pro-life marchers
• 2   School shooting victims
• 1   AI

Public Domain Day

On January 1, 2023, copyrighted works from 1927 will enter the US public domain. 1  They will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon. These include Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse and the final Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, the German science-fiction film Metropolis and Alfred Hitchcock’s first thriller, compositions by Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller, and a novelty song about ice cream. Please note that this site is only about US law; the copyright terms in other countries are different.

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2023/#annotations:0Lu-nIIkEe2uGqPJZkEdWQ

Forever connected: the realities of parenting and growing up online

https://blog.1password.com/parenting-and-growing-up-online-report/

Pepper & Carrot

Free images for educational use. 

https://www.peppercarrot.com/en/files/framasoft.html#annotations:BB2YXoFZEe2s4I-5miBZLg

Teachers Would Make at Least $60K Under New Federal Bill

https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/teachers-would-make-at-least-60k-under-new-federal-bill/2022/12#annotations:qC6mtoB1Ee2kBt9ibQ-PtA

ClipArt ETC

ClipArt ETC provides students and teachers with over 71,500 pieces of quality educational clipart. Every illustration comes with a choice of image size as well as complete source information for proper citations in school projects. All images are appropriate for classroom use. You’ll find no advertisements, pop-ups, or inappropriate links here. A friendly license allows teachers and students to use up to 50 free clipart items in a single, non-commercial, school project without further permission. This free classroom resource is supported entirely by the fees received from the commercial users of the site.

https://etc.usf.edu/clipart/#annotations:_asccm2YEe23BkMcS3vlJA

Web Spotlight:  

Women Who Meant Business

Home

Don’t Believe Everything You See

How School Social Media Accounts Put Student Privacy at Risk

New student privacy research shows that school social media accounts have posted millions of photos of students and other identifiable information, which might be dangerous.

The study’s authors estimate that more than 4.9 million posts have included identifiable images of students on public Facebook pages, and about 726,000 of those posts are thought to identify one or more students by their first and last names. 

https://www.techlearning.com/news/are-school-social-media-accounts-putting-student-privacy-at-risk#annotations:ATMkzIYLEe2adpubr94j-g

Random Thoughts . . .  

Chad Frye – Illustration Guy on the Fundamentals of Math

“Cartoon illustrations? For a middle school math textbook? Unheard of. I remember seeing cartoon drawings in school books when I was in the third grade, but by the time I had arrived to the level of having a different teacher for each subject, school had gotten quite serious. In fact, anything math or science was like learning a foreign language to me. I hated those classes, as they consumed much of my brain’s capacity in a poor attempt to understand anything. It’s no wonder I chose a career path that thrived on poking fun at the world instead of trying to conquer it. To get to poke fun at math seemed like an intriguing prospect, and something that I more than likely would have responded very well to as a seventh grader myself.”  https://chadfrye.com/fundamentals-of-math/  

Grab some Chad Frye Originals:  https://chadfrye.com/store/?fbclid=IwAR1JmlZLE2T_pXnnFTh2S53pV6g29Q3iGjGRiBP8Cuzi6IoRSDdea18dYpY  

January is National Thank You Month – Carol Josel

Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank You!! ~ Dec 30, 2022

When I was a kid…

** If someone opened or held a door for you, you thanked them.

** If someone handed you so much as a glass of water, you thanked them.

** If someone gifted you—even with something you hated—you thanked them, not with a phone call, email or text, but with a handwritten note.

Thoughtfulness was in the air and gratitude, too, for things both big and small. My parents made sure that I followed suit, corralling my big sister and me in the living room every Friday night. Yes, every Friday night for what they called The Penny Game. The rules were simple: Answer a question correctly and get yourself a penny, as in…

~ “What do you say when you need a favor?”

~ “What do you say when you’re given something?”

~ “What do you say when someone is kind to you?”

And on and on it went, along with spelling questions, easy ones like circus and hello, and not so easy gems like Mississippi and their oft-repeated pneumonia.

And it all stuck. Not only am I good speller, saying “thank you” is a thing with me. I even thank my dog Jenny every which way, and she’s deaf!

Laughable, I suppose, in these not so civil, “I deserve” days. Fact is, 95% of Americans believe we have a civility problem. As educator and CEO Ray Williams also discovered:

*** 81% of us believe uncivil behavior is leading to an increase in violence.

*** 70% think the Internet encourages uncivil behavior.

*** 71% believe civility is worse compared to a few years ago.

What constitutes civility? Respect and politeness/good manners come to mind, starting with a simple, “Thank you.”

It matters and not just to me…

Back on July 4, 2021, January became National Thank You Month, thirty whole days devoted to being grateful. Powerful words that imply approval, one of life’s biggest motivators, the force often behind hard work, achievement, and giving back. Power words that open doors and give rise to civility and smiles all around.

So, as you dismantle the Christmas tree or put away the menorah, go old school with me and give thanks often to loved ones and helpful strangers, alike. As Gabriel Andreas reminds us, “The more we look for things to be grateful for, the more there will be.”

~ With thanks for your ongoing support and wishes for happiness and good health in 2023, Carol

Teacher Memes

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about ChatGPT, how teachers could use it, and more. Dave takes us to Mars. 

Jokes:  

Why did the FBI search Santa’s workshop?

• They had probable Claus

---

When I was younger I almost made history

• But I was late so they wouldn’t let me in the class

---

My neighbor thinks it’s rude I spy on his garden

• I’m on the fence

---

England doesn’t have a kidney bank,

• but it does have a Liverpool.

---

I really worry about the future of the calendar.

• It’s days are certainly numbered

---

I just found out why Romans eat so much Dutch sauce.

• Because there’s no place like Rome for the hollandaise!

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Mars On Earth

I was recently reading the November/December 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the “Scope on the Skies” column, written by Bob Riddle.  He wrote a column entitled, “Where on Earth is Mars.”  

The day is coming when a crewed mission sets down on Mars and becomes the second group of humans to be “boots” on another world.  The first group consisted of Apollo 12 astronauts who landed and returned from our Moon.  However, getting to Mars is more of a challenge, as we have learned from the numerous robotic missions sent to Mars over the years.  How will we prepare our astronauts for this mission?

http://k12science.net/mars-on-earth/

Reports from the Front Lines

• AI Art Wrap Up
• Lunch Coverage
• Chat GPT
  • Test questions
  • Lesson Plans
  • Text Books

The Twitterverse/Fediverse  

Bethany Smith  @bethanyvsmith

Fantastic afternoon session on all different ways to use H5P!!! #MootGlobal22

Gretchen  @offgridteacher

Dear school administrators: During the week before Christmas, please don’t make informal observations, document student behavior, and then make teachers create an action plan in response. Speaking from experience, today.

all sunshine and rainbows  @DeeSTEM_Teach

I found out Chat GPT can write Lesson Plans……

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the Day is ‘thermopot’ (18th century): one who downs a prolific amount of hot drinks.

Kim Scheinberg @kims@mas.to

This is not a chart depicting Moore’s Law.

This chart is the CRAYOLA COROLLARY showing that the number of Crayola crayon colors doubles approximately every 18 years.

https://scholar.social/@kims@mas.to/109525496734522042

#mschat thread.  

Strategies:  

24 classroom games to make student learning FUN

https://truthforteachers.com/classroom-games-to-make-student-learning-fun

You Need Chat GPT.  Just Don’t Tell Admin . . . 

So I did a thing.  I want a short “article” on Differentiated Instruction.  I want to put it in that incredible long Charlotte Daniels form that must be filled out after an observation.  So I asked Chat GPT to give me a thing on Differentiated Instruction.  Here’s what I got.  Definitely going to use this somewhere . . . 

Chat GPT – Sample Lesson Plan on Athenian Democracy:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LTHuus1KbfwEP2UxJB3iobFhWjCdLlnGzz8RwIlFISo/copy

Resources:

Tom Lehrer Songs

All copyrights to lyrics or music written or composed by me have been relinquished, and therefore such songs are now in the public domain. All of my songs that have never been copyrighted, having been available for free for so long, are now also in the public domain.

NOTICE:

THIS WEBSITE WILL BE SHUT DOWN AT SOME DATE IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, SO IF YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD ANYTHING, DON’T WAIT TOO LONG.

https://tomlehrersongs.com/#annotations:87nznH2lEe2m2-v-k4ZWaw

THE BEST 5 TIPS FOR MANAGING A DISAPPOINTING REPORT CARD WITH YOUR CHILD | SHARON SALINE, PSY.D. 

1. Listen first, ask questions after

2. Set realistic goals for the next quarter or trimester

3. Make sure adequate support is in place 

4. Avoid punishments and use logical consequences

5. Set up an effective routine for studying at home

The Best 5 Tips for Managing a Disappointing Report Card with Your Child | Sharon Saline, Psy.D.

Standard EBooks

Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-driven project that produces new editions of public domain ebooks that are lovingly formatted, open source, free of U.S. copyright restrictions, and free of cost.

https://standardebooks.org/#annotations:IRO9KkPqEeu1ytMDZLevIg

Sketch & Fetch

Our Science Explosion group wrote a Pictionary game for science. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JixxHJrQhZUguecKPx-c69wVa0DKnmQeCZMEijU59yE/edit?usp=sharing

Felt

https://felt.com/#annotations:Q2kNjG2jEe207icznYPQ8Q

Web Spotlight:  

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Wishposting

What it is: Young people are sharing their holiday wish lists via TikTok under #christmaswishlist2022.

Big Liver Lies

Pilkmas is Here

What it is: A bodybuilding influencer known as the “Liver King” who advocates for an animal-based diet admitted that his muscular physique was actually due to steroid use.

What it is: Lindsay Lohan created a viral trend in a Pepsi ad where she is featured drinking a concoction of Pepsi and milk—a drink known as pilk.

The $100 Trillion Global Economy in One Chart

Wingfeather Saga, Episode 2 

A story with the magic of Narnia and a sweeping epic like Lord of the Rings. Experience the official featurette for Season One of The Wingfeather Saga and stream the series on YouTube and the Angel Studios App this December 2nd. #WingfeatherSaga #BewareTheToothyCows  

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWingfeatherSaga

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about the NCSS Conference, 7th-grade art, and more. Dave drops the SKNOWLEDGE.

Jokes:  

If Schrodinger’s cat was a fugitive from the law would he be wanted > dead & alive?

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Strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet and friends are just enemies you haven’t made yet.

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Geology rocks but Geography is where it’s at!

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Three weeks ago I sent my hearing aids in for repair.

• I’ve heard nothing since.

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Most of the year I have a lot of faith

• Around the holidays I start to become more eggnogstic.

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I remodeled my kitchen.

• I told the carpenters to not go too fast with refinishing the kitchen cabinets. When they asked why, I explained that I am afraid of quicksand.

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Someone asked me what ‘contemplate’ means, I’ve given it a lot of thought

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Making digital art and canvas art is quite easy.

• But paper is where I draw the line.

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Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, yams…. I’ll never forget my roots

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Sknowledge (Snow Knowledge)

I was recently reading the November/December 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” column, written by Jill Nugent.  She wrote a column entitled, “Get in the “Sknow” for Science!” 

The Sknowledge project was formed around the natural curiosity that students have for the outdoors and the snow.  The project goal is to help scientists ground truth winter weather data, one snowball at a time by measuring snow depth, air temperature, and cloud cover, and the ability to make a snowball.  For more information, visit:

https://www.sknowledge.ca

http://k12science.net/sknowledge-snow-knowledge/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

1. NCSS Annual Conference  
2. 10 work days until Christmas Break  
3. ISTE coming to Philadelphia, NCSS coming to Boston, AMLE coming to National Harbor, MD 
4. 7th Grade Art
   1. DIA “You Gotta Have Art!”    
5. Summarizer
6. 10 Amendments Ranking

The Twitter-Feder-verse  

AMLE  @AMLE

We’re loving the festive new #StatsInSchools  @Kahoot game from our friends at the @uscensusbureau. Thanks for helping to make statistics meaningful and fun for students! Check it out https://okt.to/wR8JHT

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘blear-witted’ (17th century): entirely lacking in foresight and clouded in judgment.

Word of the day is ‘growlery’ (1853, from Charles Dickens): a place you retreat to for the purposes of growling, muttering, and letting off steam.  

Heather Cox Richardson (TDPR)  @HC_Richardson

It’s Steven Wright’s birthday. Do yourself a favor and read the tweets in his honor.  

Dr. Joanne Freeman (@jbf1755@mastodon.social)

@jbf1755

Hey! @HerbertHistory‘s podcast has arrived!! #HATM people, unite!  https://t.co/4kFM6aDTDg  

Typical EduCelebrity    @EduCelebrity

Teacher: What was the most useless innovation in schools? Me: The Spork

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

Strategies:  

Games to Improve Executive Functioning Skills

Games to Improve Executive Functioning Skills

Service Project Idea

When filling out your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address:

A Recovering American Soldier

c/o Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

8901 Rockville Pike

Bethesda, MD 20889-5600

Resources:  

Bouncy Balls!  

A fun way to visualize music or monitor classroom noise.  

https://bouncyballs.org/

Desperation Notifications!

Social media platforms are leaning into deceptive design patterns to capture your attention but they’re just contributing to our growing “notification anxiety”

https://stribs.medium.com/desperation-notifications-9a353a96622

Common Sense Society 

Common Sense Society (CSS) was founded as a debating forum in 2009 by a group of American and European university students. The group aimed to explore the ideas, cultures, and geography that have shaped our history in order to best contribute to a future that fosters human flourishing. In doing so, CSS became a celebration of the political, intellectual, and cultural inheritance which constitute our shared civilization.

Home

Examples:  

Protecting the People: Limited and Absolute Governments compares and contrasts the differences between limited and absolute governments and asks, “which system better protects human rights and happiness?”  https://www.commonsensesociety.org/education-arch/protecting-the-people-limited-and-absolute-governments/  

The Ancients and the Founders considers whether the U.S. Constitution overcomes the problems found in ancient governments and asks, “are there problems endemic to every democratic society that are impossible to eradicate?” https://www.commonsensesociety.org/education-arch/ancients-founders/  

Supporting Gifted ELLs:  Effective Strategies for the Social Studies Classroom – Elizabeth Rasmussen, PhD candidate at USF

NCSS 2022 Handouts for Effective Strategies for the Social Studies Classroom session.  

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

AI Did Not Write This Newsletter

What it is: ChatGPT became the internet’s robot darling this week, with curious users asking the interface questions and being bemused, surprised, or creeped out at its high functionality.

A New Lens

What it is: Earlier this month, Lensa became the #1 app in the Apple store’s “Photo and Video” category after releasing a feature called “magic avatars,” customized pieces of AI-generated digital art.

Why it’s an ethical conundrum: Lensa asks users to upload a minimum of 10 photos of their face to its app before it can generate a magic avatar. It then takes these photos and uses open-source tech called “stable diffusion” to produce artwork of the user in several different styles. These attractive-looking avatars are perfect for profile pictures, dating profiles, or just sharing online, and #lensa already has over 600,000 posts tagged on Instagram

Asteroid Launcher

https://neal.fun/asteroid-launcher/

Web Spotlight:  

English Learner Collaborations – Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies 

Language-aware lessons support all students, especially Multilingual Learners who are still developing in English, access primary-source rich learning.  

http://www.emergingamerica.org/english-learner-collaborations

Font Advent

Each day of the advent calendar will feature a different type foundry and highlight some of their most notable typefaces. It will be a highly opinionated and almost arbitrary selection of a few of my favorites from the list.

https://matthiasott.com/notes/independent-type-foundry-advent-calendar-2022

How Christmas became an American holiday tradition, with a Santa Claus, gifts & a tree

Christmas trees and gift-giving on Dec. 24 in Germany did not spread to other European Christian cultures until the end of the 18th century and did not come to North America until the 1830s.

From the onset, all family members, including children, were expected to participate in the gift-giving. Gifts were not brought by a mystical figure, but openly exchanged among family members – symbolizing the new middle-class culture of egalitarianism.

https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/121622_christmas_traditions_op/how-christmas-became-american-holiday-tradition-with-santa-claus-gifts-a160tree/#annotations:Btq-1HgBEe283xfk_DllLw

GPT Detector

This is an online demo of the GPT-2 output detector model, based on the 🤗/Transformers implementation of RoBERTa. Enter some text in the text box; the predicted probabilities will be displayed below. The results start to get reliable after around 50 tokens.

https://huggingface.co/openai-detector#annotations:11Rh7ncJEe2j7w9RO0EDAQ

This Is Where Most of the World’s Soccer Balls Come From

Sialkot, a city in northeast Pakistan, produces about 70% of the world’s supply—including Adidas’s Al Rihla, the official ball of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

More than 80% of the soccer balls made in Sialkot use hand stitching, a laborious process that makes the ball more durable and gives it more aerodynamic stability. The seams are deeper, and the stitches have greater tension than those sewn with machines.

At manufacturer Anwar Khawaja Industries, stitchers get paid roughly 160 rupees—about $0.75—per ball. Each one takes three hours to complete. At three balls a day, a stitcher can earn about 9,600 rupees per month. Even for a poor region, the wages are low. A living wage for Sialkot is around 20,000 rupees a month, according to researcher estimates.

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2022-world-cup-soccer-ball-adidas-al-rihla-sialkot/#annotations:hAFnGG9-Ee2Pggsncjcgyg?leadSource=uverify%20wall

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about computer carts, co-teaching, the Fediverse, and more. Dave is going all 3D. 

Jokes:  

What’s the difference between roast beef and pea soup?

• Anyone can roast beef

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So I invented a steam-powered phone.

• but I kept getting too many mist calls.

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So I told my boss three companies were after me and I needed a raise to stay at my job. We haggled for a few minutes and he gave me a 5% raise.

Leaving his office, he stopped and asked me, “By the way, which companies are after you?” I responded,

• the gas, electric, and cable company.

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In which USA state do the most people have allergies?

• MassACHOOsetts.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Three-Dimensional Learning

I was recently reading the November/December 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk” column, written by Patty McGinnis.  She wrote a column entitled, “Three-Dimensional Learning.” 

The Next Generation Science Standards call for three-dimensional learning, or the intentional integration of disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and scientific and engineering practices.

http://k12science.net/three-dimensional-learning/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Free Computer Programming Carts
  • Lego Option
• Co-Teaching
• Quizlet Alternatives:
  • Flippity – Google Focused
  • Anki – Open source, not particularly pretty. Offers Spaced Repetition. 
  • OpenCards – Based on PPT files
  • StudentQuiz – Gamify questions and answers
  • H5P – Teacher focused.
• Conferences

The Twitterverse….Fediverse Coming Soon  

NJAMLE  @NJAMLE

Our conference on 3/15/2023 will feature: 3 keynotes 1 DJ 5 best selling authors 25 breakout sessions Unlimited networking Edu Stars We just need: YOU! Register at http://NJAMLE.org The first 50 registrations receive a signed copy of a speaker’s book!! Let’s Gooooooo!

  Buitengebieden  @buitengebieden

Having fun together.. https://twitter.com/i/status/1593631994419838979  

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘quafftide’(16th century): a one-word announcement that it’s time for a drink.

PUNS  @ThePunnyWorld

If I ever had identical twin daughters, I’d name the first one Kate… And the second one Duplikate.

Post News Link mentioned in the show:  https://post.news/?r=7oLTU  

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

Strategies:  

MEET ALDO: AMAZING LESSON DESIGN OUTLINE

written by Miguel Guhlin

Ever wish you had an easy-to-follow checklist when designing learning for students? I know I have…often. Some of my colleagues effortlessly design amazing lessons, but I have to plod through each point. But lesson design is something that is critical to ultimate success in the classroom for each student. That’s why I’d like to take a moment to share my latest version of the outline I use. You can also explore this choice board organized with the outline in mind:

https://blog.tcea.org/meet-aldo-amazing-lesson-design-outline/#annotations:bPvBKGPEEe2xABcD962nIw

Resources:  

Our Story: An Ancillary to US History

A US history ancillary/textbook that examines some traditional some non-traditional aspects of American social, cultural, gender, racial, political, and military history. Most chapters include content provided by community college students.

Cover

Open Logic

The Open Logic Project is a collection of teaching materials on mathematical logic aimed at a non-mathematical audience, intended for use in advanced logic courses as taught in many philosophy departments. It is open-source: you can download the LaTeX code. It is open: you’re free to change it whichever way you like, and share your changes. It is collaborative: a team of people is working on it, using the GitHub platform, and we welcome contributions and feedback. And it is written with configurability in mind. 

An Open-Source, Collaborative Logic Text

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

A New Line of Questioning

What it is: A book excerpt in the Atlantic encourages families to chat with elder members about what history has looked like through their eyes.

Why it’s essential: At Axis, we’re always supporting parents by providing conversation starters geared at teens. But as we gather with older relatives for the upcoming holidays, it’s worth thinking about turning the tables a bit and encouraging young people to ask their relatives about their experiences. The Atlantic recommends simple questions about what they could see through their windows growing up, what they spent their summers doing throughout their childhood, and what they learned from their first jobs. 

Song of the Week

“Major Distribution” by Drake and 21 Savage, ft. Lil Yachty: as the second song on the album Her Loss and the second most popular song on Billboard and Spotify, “Major Distribution” is a strange blend of piano, profanity, and pop culture references. The chorus is just Drake muttering the phrase “Go stupid” over and over.

Transcription and links to references inside the song.  

The Wingfeather Saga – Animated Series on Angel Studios Streaming

In a fantasy world of wonder and danger, one boy discovers a family secret that may awaken an ancient power or doom them to capture by a nameless evil… If you love the wit of The Princess Bride, the epic world of The Lord of the Rings, and the deep magic in the Narnia series, you’ll love The Wingfeather Saga.  

Funding Page:  https://invest.angel.com/wingfeather-saga  

https://www.angel.com/watch/wingfeather-saga/episode/eac54be6-e2e5-43f8-870f-3fae75f35a53/season-1/episode-2/official-teaser-trailer-for-season-1

Fediverse

Open Educators on Mastodon

Open Educators on Mastodon

Educators on Mastodon

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1beJHWsuB0MJDMqeg_q8pBRWRdQImY-n8E6PttoJLFaM/edit#gid=2032266685

Web Spotlight:  

Libraries Are Launching Their Own Local Music Streaming Platforms

Over a dozen public libraries in the U.S. and Canada have begun offering their own music streaming services to patrons, with the goal of boosting artists and local music scenes. The services are region-specific, and offer local artists non-exclusive licenses to make their albums available to the community.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d34px/libraries-are-launching-their-own-local-music-streaming-platforms#annotations:SdXUumXoEe2Pj7ckK_PpGQ

BookWyrm

BookWyrm is a social network for tracking your reading, talking about books, writing reviews, and discovering what to read next. Federation allows BookWyrm users to join small, trusted communities that can connect with one another, and with other ActivityPub services like Mastodon and Pleroma.

https://joinbookwyrm.com/

Halloween Between The Wars – Original Recordings 1927-1938

When we think of the great depression of the 1930s, the images which may spring to mind – The Grapes of Wrath, the dustbowl songs of Woody Guthrie – are generally from the 1940s. Popular entertainment of the thirties leaned not on realism, but on escapism. This is the golden age, not only of Hollywood musicals, Fred Astaire & Ginger Rodgers, Busby Berkley routines and screwball comedy, but also of horror movies. So who better to guide us into this mix of Halloween music than Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula from 1931, released the same year as Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and James Whale’s Frankenstein, and a year before the first appearance of The Mummy. Aside from the film clips, we naturally have plenty of novelty recordings, original sound effect records, hot jazz, and to close a suite of particularly morbid blues records.

Halloween Between The Wars – Original Recordings 1927-1938

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2022/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy share some jokes, talk about AMLE, and more. Dave heads to space with Astonomer. 

Jokes:  

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I believe in karma.

• That’s why I feed birds pieces of bread and slices of salami to stray cats. Whatever you give out will come back to you: And I’m hoping that will be an Italian sandwich.

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Did you ever wonder why the public address system is so loud at the supermarket?

• Because they make their money on volume

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Where does a pirate get a new hook?

• At the second hand store

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John beat his addiction to chocolate, marshmallows and nuts.

• But it was quite the rocky road.

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– but what did we call Captain Hook before his hand got bitten off

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Astronomer

I was recently reading the September/October 2022 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the Career of the Month column, written by Luba Vangelova.  She wrote a column entitled, “Astronomer.”  

Her article focused in on Chris Carilli, an astronomer at the National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, where he uses radio-spectrum light captured by a series of antennas to study the early universe.

 http://k12science.net/astronomer/

Reports from the Front Lines

• AMLE Conference Reflections
  • Conference App:  Whova
  • Digital Conference Program  
  • Sessions  

Houston Kraft:  AMLE 22 Keynote – First Day  

• Staying on Twitter or Moving to the Fediverse?

Eileen Award  

• Amber Chandler of Frontier Middle School in Hamburg, NY

The Twitterverse

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘merry-go-sorry’ (16th century): life’s carousel of joy and sorrow.

Word of the day is ‘overmused’ (17th century): wearied by too much thinking.  

Word of the day is the Italian ‘sprezzatura’: a studied nonchalance, implying that something you’ve spent ages on is really nothing all, or responding to a compliment on a carefully-chosen jumper with ‘oh, this old thing?’.  

Erika Garcia @flyingmonkey13

Teachers, What is one thing your principal has done or you wish they would do to make your life easier? I’m looking to be better.

Bryan Shaw  @Coachshawb

Replying to  @flyingmonkey13

Seek out input from staff that don’t usually speak out in front of the group.

StLCardsFan  @KurtBauche

Replying to  @flyingmonkey13

Be visible in the building. Offer to visit a class unexpectedly without the fear of a secret evaluation.  

StLCardsFan @KurtBauche

Replying to @flyingmonkey13

Sit down and eat lunch with the students….and teachers.

Katie HuffMan  @kthuffmanrunsh

Replying to  @flyingmonkey13

I was out this week, sick. She personally reached out to check on me after I submitted my request for two more days. She has SO much on her plate and yet she took the time to reach out and check on me. Meant the world to me.

Don Dowdell @PonderPirate

Replying to  @flyingmonkey13

We have the option to meet with the principal in lieu of submitting planbooks. Conversations include: – How’s the class? – What’s working/not working? – What are you noticing/trying? – What do you need? – How can I help? – How are you? The family? It’s refreshing.

John Meehan (he/him)  @MeehanEDU

We made a thing. Fully editable Google Slides template and 100% free. https://emc2learning.com/get-in-the-spirit-of-halloween-memes/

Happy Halloween! #EMC2Learning

Oliver Tacke @otacke

New #H5P content type 1/4: Transcript https://olivertacke.de/labs/2022/10/2

New #H5P content type 2/4: Portfolio https://olivertacke.de/labs/2022/10/2  

New #H5P content type 3/4: Tabs https://olivertacke.de/labs/2022/10/2  

New #H5P content type 4/4: Timekeeper https://olivertacke.de/labs/2022/10/2  

Secondary Principals  @massp

New Legislative Posting Requirement- Jan.1, 2023: Gov Whitmer has signed HB 5703 requiring schools to post sections of the Michigan Constitution in areas within the district, including the Principal’s office. We’ve created printable resources for you! http://ow.ly/LcCh50Ljifa

John R. Sowash  @jrsowash

As you head back to school, don’t forget about the new Screencast app for Chromebooks. This is a great new tool for creating video lessons and it works great in #GoogleClassroom! Learn more: https://chrmbook.com/screencast-for-chromebook-2/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=jrsowash&utm_content=edtechposts

#teachwithchrome #GoogleEdU #backtoschool22  

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

Students might not read their email, check the online gradebook, follow the instructions on the worksheet or test, or look at the syllabus or classroom rules. But if you put the expectations on the board, they will certainly pay attention to that!

𝗧𝗖𝗘𝗔   @TCEA

Check out these conversation starters that can help you connect with your teens in the classroom. 

Oliver Tacke  @otacke

Not sure what will happen, what channel will survive or be shut down, but I dipped my toes into the fediverse and joined a #mastodon instance. @otacke@chaos.social | thx

@blinry  

Tansu YEĞEN   @TansuYegen

Thanks to Harvard University, you can now virtually enter the Great Pyramid of Giza in 3D and 360º

Thanks to Harvard University, you can now virtually enter the Great Pyramid of Giza in 3D and 360º pic.twitter.com/7ZYVanpZuu

— Tansu YEĞEN (@TansuYegen) November 11, 2022

Armistice Day Poem on Twitter

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

Resources:  

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Good and Scared

What it is: With Halloween on Monday, all things jump-scare and creepy will be trending at their height this weekend. The Guardian explains the neuroscience of why getting spooked can sometimes feel pretty good.

Why it’s helpful to understand: Researchers theorize that tricking our brains into feeling scared, even when there is no perceivable threat, can be a more mature version of children making up stories in the playground. It can serve a similar purpose, too; in moments when we marry our imagination with our fight-or-flight instincts, we play out ways to protect ourselves in a worst-case scenario. We can also experience a cascading euphoria when the adrenaline from being scared wears off and our brains feel they “survived.” We have the true crime media industrial complex and the continued popularity of horror movies as evidence that attest to how deeply our culture longs to feel this tension and release. But what’s entertaining for one person might be truly terrifying for another, and there are certain topics that shouldn’t be exploited for any reason. 

MoodleNet:  Language Arts Listening Comprehension

Here’s a Moodle Question Bank of Listening Comprehension questions

https://moodle.net/collection/9d2bhsgtngn7-listening-quizzes

He saw a classmate get bullied for shoes, so he stepped in with a meaningful gesture

https://www.today.com/parents/parents/buffalo-teens-go-viral-kind-gesture-friend-bullied-rcna54709#annotations:6rCbllylEe2pKl8yugXjog

How A Hollywood Makeup Artist Turns Actors Into Zombies | Movies Insider

Openverse

An extensive library of free stock photos, images, and audio, available for free use.

https://wordpress.org/openverse/

Web Spotlight:  

U.S. lab chimps were dumped on Liberia’s Monkey Island and left to starve. He saved them.

Chimps aren’t supposed to be stuck on their own island — especially one with no food — or mingle with much-weaker humans. But nothing about Liberia’s Monkey Island is normal. It’s a spectacle, an increasingly costly burden and the enduring legacy of American scientists who set out to cure hepatitis B in 1974.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/us-lab-chimps-were-dumped-on-liberias-monkey-island-and-left-to-starve-he-saved-them/2019/12/11/5bb35924-14f5-11ea-bf81-ebe89f477d1e_story.html#annotations:w5N7kGBcEe2bADeawTFY1Q

Random Thoughts . . .  

Fediverse vs Twitter

Who owns your material? We went from Social Networking to Social Media. 

Open Educators on Mastodon

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