Jokes:

***

To Whoever Stole My Copy of Microsoft Office,

I will find you. You have my Word. 

***

***

***

What do you call a mouse that swears?

***

I started reading a horror novel in braille. 

Something bad is about to happen, I can feel it. 

***

I got thrown out of the local park. I was lining up squirrels by height. 

Apparently, they didn’t like me critter sizing…

Advisory:

 Starfish

One Outfit – 100 days

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/21/teacher-julia-mooney-sustainable-fashion-one-outfit-100-days/1917538002/

Middle School Science Minute  

Middle School Science Minute: Phases of the Moon

I was recently reading the November/December, 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 “Disequilibrium” section. The title of the article, within the section was “The Phases of the Moon,” written by Cole Entress. 

Middle-level students most commonly suggest that the phases of the moon are caused by the Earth’s shadow.  In fact, the Moon is illuminated by the Sun in much the same way as the Earth—that is, one side of it is continuously in the path of the Sun’s rays. 

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

From the Twitterverse:  

The Modest Teacher@ModestTeacher

We have a student whose name is Logan, except it’s spelled, “Login”. …like you “login” to your computer. Parents…enough with trying to be cute with your kids’ names.

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

Some teachers buy a box of Girl Scout cookies from a student. Good teachers buy a case of cookies. Great teachers donate enough money to a student’s troop so that cookie sales are unnecessary. Elite teachers’ lessons are so fun and engaging that there’s no need for scouting.

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

Don’t be upset if there is a shortage of subs in your building. It just means that they’re not many teachers out there on your level of awesomeness.

Dave Schmittou EdD@daveschmittou

This weekend, spend time building relational capital with those who matter most. Like a car driving through a ditch, build momentum now to help you get to the other side. Spring will be hard. Plan for success now.

Joy Kirr@JoyKirr

Replying to@SteinbrinkLaura

Glad I checked out my “feed” instead of just the hashtags and lists I like to follow… Twitter has gotten so huge; it’s gotten harder to stay connected to PEOPLE.

Will Richardson@willrich45

“There is no cure for curiosity.” —Dorothy Parker Yet, more often than not, we in schools seek a cure. “Right” answers. Limited choices. Narrow curriculum. Grades. If we really want curiosity, we need to give it more space instead of trying to cure it. #justsayin (h/t@hjarche)

Dr. Debbie Silver

Fail Chart:  

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  Look for your host Todd Bloch to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Resources:

Wayne State University series aims to help you refine your language

https://www.freep.com/story/news/education/2020/01/06/wayne-state-words-improve-vocabulary/2823618001/

https://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/

Michigan Department of Natural Resources has a new Shipwreck App

With about 1,500 shipwrecks in Michigan waters, this new interactive map makes it simple to explore them. It offers information on each wreck including: the level of difficulty for diving to the wreck, whether or not you can canoe or kayak to it’s location, how it sank, and a description of the ship. 

Trey Kennedy – Middle Schoolers Part 4

Parents and teachers will totally get it.  Not sure the kids will. Which makes it funnier.  

https://www.facebook.com/treynkennedy/videos/376632619672035/

Web Spotlight:  

TWO STATES. EIGHT TEXTBOOKS. TWO AMERICAN STORIES.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/12/us/texas-vs-california-history-textbooks.html

The 100 Worst Ed-Tech Debacles of the Decade

http://hackeducation.com/2019/12/31/what-a-shitshow

Articles of Impeachment

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:

Coders:

“Every day, the feuding codebreakers had cryptic cross words.”

****

“How much does it cost to buy a large singing group?”

“A choir?”

“Okay, fine… how much does it cost to ‘acquire’ a large singing group?”

****

“A courthouse is where you can play indoor tennis.”

****

“Only a nickel for an embroidered pinwheel? 

Good buy, crewel whirled!”

****

My doctor was giving me a hard time about my health. To get back on his good side I bought a puppy and named him ‘Five Miles’.

That way, when I went to see my doctor I could tell him, “I walk five miles every morning!”

****

Advisory:

55 times people had no idea what they were looking at

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Making Science Come Alive with Clouds – Part 2

I was recently reading the November/December, 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 “Integrating Technology” section. The title of the article, within the section was “Making Science Come Alive with Clouds,” written by Marile’ Colo’n Robles, Jeffrey Bouwman, and Caryn Smith-Long.  This is the second podcast in a two part series. Part 1 focused on the GLOBE Observer app and the second part will focus in on Investigations with the GLOBE Observer app taking place at Shumate Middle School in Gibraltar, Michigan.

The new GLOBE Observer app allows the general public to make observations of clouds, map out habitats of disease-causing mosquitoes, measuring tree height, and identify land cover from any mobile device.

From the Twitterverse:  

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

Administrators must give ample time to their special education teachers to write IEPs. A single “IEP Day” is insufficient for all they need to do. It’s like giving them a five dollar gift card to Saks Fifth Avenue or a coupon for 10% off at Hammacher Schlemmer.

Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.@dbc_inc

FREE Pajama PD! #DitchSummit = NOW! Read Dave’s latest blog w/a guest appearance from #DitchBook #DitchHW author, @jmattmiller (And #TechLAP in 2020!) https://daveburgess.com/the-return-of-pajama-pd/ Sign up info inside. #tlap #LeadLAP #dbcincbooks Dave Burgess @burgess_shelley @burgessdave

Massimo@Rainmaker1973

This giant elephant toothpaste experiment has been conducted by Nick Uhas and David Dobrik and it’s possibly one of the biggest reproduction of the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide [full video: http://ow.ly/vX8o30q3Etc] [more about the experiment: http://ow.ly/D87r30q3Eth]

J.C. Derrick@jcderrick1

The new #EffectiveCompassion feed is now live! You can listen to the trailer and subscribe here:

Kristina A. Holzweiss #HackingSchoolLibraries

My grandmother passed away from Alzheimer’s. Years ago, she left home and was lost for hours before a policeman found her. She didn’t understand English. Please record a video about your loved one using @Flipgrid and create a #qrcode bracelet for them. It could make a difference.

Simon Henderson@simjhenderson

The education system in #HongKong continues to be viewed as a threat. Whether its liberal studies or teachers not being sufficiently patriotic. In the end, children will likely be affected, limiting their personal development & potential. Art 29, Convention Rights of the Child.

Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪 @XinqiSu

#THREAD HK Education Minister said the authority will adopt harsher measures on teachers arrested and complained in protest-related incidents to “correct mistakes”. Around 80 teachers were arrested in #HKProtests and 123 complaints on teachers were filed to the Buro.

Fixing Education@FixingEducation

Educators, enjoy your much deserved break. For the next couple weeks, you will be able to… •Use the bathroom when you want •Wake up at a reasonable time •Drink coffee when it’s hot •Go out to lunch •Sit down occasionally

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  Look for your host Todd Bloch to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

Resources:

Students’ Civic Online Reasoning: A National Portrait

The results—if they can be summarized in a word—are troubling

Question 1 How do students across the United States perform on assessments of civic online reasoning? 

Overall, students struggled on all of the tasks. 

The Website Evaluation task had the highest proportion of Beginning scores, with 96.8% of students earning no points.

Nearly all students floundered. Ninety percent received no credit on four of six tasks.

Education moves slowly. Technology doesn’t. If we don’t act with urgency, our students’ ability to engage in civic life will be the casualty.

Our results are sobering.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License

https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/gf151tb4868/Civic%20Online%20Reasoning%20National%20Portrait.pdf

Planets to Scale

https://xkcd.com/1071/large/

Mind Missions – Language Arts & Social Studies 

Social Studies instruction is enriched when students are given opportunities to experience the people and challenges of the past. In our lessons, students develop a deep understanding about historical people and events by constructing solutions to solve their problems. Mind Missions encourage students to interact with history as they learn it.

At the same time, Mind Missions develop skills critical for the future – encouraging creativity, developing problem-solving ability, and strengthening teamwork skills.

Sample:  https://mindmissions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Forge-Feet-Sample-Lesson-1.pdf  

Web Spotlight:

Native, But Not Adept

https://one-to-oneinstitute.org/one-to-one-institute/native-but-not-adept

I became part of the alt-right at age 13, thanks to Reddit and Google

https://www.fastcompany.com/90438818/i-became-part-of-the-alt-right-at-age-13-thanks-to-reddit-and-google?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email#annotations:XEdhuh-ZEeqm_tdozkPKmg

New Data: Students Who Read On Tablets Score Poorly In Reading

https://www.forbes.com/sites/helenleebouygues/2019/12/12/new-data-students-who-read-on-tablets-score-poorly-in-reading/#7336cde74d08

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:

Shop assistant: How about this one?

Psychic: That shirt is too small.

Shop assistant: You didn’t even try it on?

Psychic: I’m a medium.

***

Teacher: “How much is half of 8?”

Little Johnny: “Up and down or across?”

Teacher: “What do you mean?”

Little Johnny: “Well, up and down makes a 3 or across the middle leaves a 0!”

***

Me: “I just burned 2000 calories in 20 minutes.”

Friend: “How?”

Me: “I forgot to take my brownies out of the oven.”

***

Two guys went to a local pancake house that served real Vermont maple syrup but charged extra for it.

So the guys went to a supermarket, bought their own Vermont maple syrup, and brought it to the pancake house.

They didn’t want to get caught, so they were forced to pass the bottle between them… syrupticiously.

***

A guy gets shipwrecked and washes up on a beach.

The sand is dark red. He can’t believe it. The sky is dark red. He walks around a bit and sees there is dark red grass, dark red birds and dark red fruit on the dark red trees. He’s shocked when he finds that his skin is starting to turn dark red, too.

“Oh no!” he says. “I’ve been marooned!”

Advisory:

Fact or Fiction?

Use some of the useful tips to share with the students. Have the students create alternative, fictional purposes for those items. Then have them present to the class and let the class vote. 

For example:

Soda Can tabs:

• They’re designed to swing around so you can keep your straw in place. 
• They’re are designed to replace the tabs on a zipper. 
• They’re designed to be pulled off and used as a fishing hook.

https://living.alot.com/home/40-common-household-items-with-a-surprisingly-useful-purpose–17180?s=4

9-Year-Old Kid Who Kept Getting In Trouble For Doodling In Class Gets A Job Decorating A Restaurant With His Drawings

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Making Science Come Alive with Clouds – Part 1

I was recently reading the November/December 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 “Integrating Technology” section. The title of the article, within the section was “Making Science Come Alive with Clouds,” written by Marile’ Colo’n Robles, Jeffrey Bouwman, and Caryn Smith-Long.  This is the first podcast in a two-part series. Part 1 focuses on the GLOBE Observer app and the second part will focus on Investigations with the GLOBE Observer app taking place at Shumate Middle School in Gibraltar, Michigan.

The new GLOBE Observer app allows the general public to make observations of clouds, map out habitats of disease-causing mosquitoes, measuring tree height, and identify land cover from any mobile device.

From the Twitterverse:  

Richard Byrne@rmbyrne

Proof that nothing good comes from comments on YouTube videos.

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

Explicit instruction is simply bad teaching. It stifles the student’s imagination and encourages the pompous teacher to show off what they know. Explicit instruction is ineffective. No one learns from explicit instruction. I am not sure how I can make myself any clearer.

Dennis Dill@DennisDill

Want to check your teacher-student relationship … stand in the hall during class change and say nothing. Will the kids initiate the “Hi” … do kids that are not in your class say anything to you? How many kids are late to your class? Reflect often. #CrazyPLN

Apple Education@AppleEDU

If it rains, open your umbrella . If it’s sunny, put on sunglasses. To plan for the unexpected in code, use an if statement.⁰⁰ Get your students coding with our free #HourOfCode Facilitator Guide! #EveryoneCanCode⁰⁰ #CSedWeek https://apple.com/education/docs

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

While we are at it, what [in the world] does it mean when teachers are told to “take a risk”? Unless there is a chance of doing something that leads to a bad evaluation, you’re not exactly taking a risk.  

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

Good morning class! Let’s recite our daily class self-affirmations: I have grit. I have a growth mindset. I am 6’8”. I am an NBA All-Star. I am going to Harvard on a full scholarship. I am immune to the limitations of the laws of physics. I am like Chuck Norris. Only better.

Dave Burgess@burgessdave

Have you allowed “groupthink” to limit your ability to create transformational change? Are you sure that door of opportunity is locked? Maybe you just need to Try the Door:   

https://daveburgess.com/try-the-door-overcoming-groupthink/ #tlap #LeadLAP  

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  Look for your host Todd Bloch to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

Google Earth Creation Tools

How to Find Historical Comics and Create Lessons With Them

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2019/12/how-to-find-historical-comics-and.html#annotations:Offl8hkPEeq8hZOq0GeyTg

Resources:

Understanding Comics

This is a wonderful comic on understanding comics. 

http://mm12.johncaserta.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Understanding%20Comics%20(The%20Invisible%20Art)%20By%20Scott%20McCloud.pdf

How Learning Happens

Ton of resources about, well, how learning happens. 

https://www.edutopia.org/how-learning-happens#annotations:VxD7vBkXEeq3188R7zbKzg

Web Spotlight:

Texting really is ruining personal relationships

Our increasing preference for texting over email and phone calls creates a higher quantity of interactions, but it decreases their quality, harming our relationships.

…missing the human contact and learning that comes from true dialogue.

…encourages passive — or more often passive-aggressive — behavior, what I call “hit and runs.” Typing on a screen invites impulsive responses. 

…Written words can hide a great deal of emotion,

…texting enables more frequent contact, it also can be used to curtail conversation. The best example of this is the egregious way texts are used as preemptive apologies, as in the reflexive “sorrys” that accompany notes one is running late

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/texting-really-ruining-personal-relationships-ncna1097461#annotations:uHERghlHEeqxlHPqefzT_w

Deep Learning and the Curriculum Disconnect

I see school learning in 3 buckets. 

• Introductory Learning directed and chosen by the adult…Taking advantage of the skills and interests of teachers
• Mandated Learning (basic reading, math which could be embedded into other learning) ….the curriculum
• Deep Learning and deep learning tasks chosen by students. 

http://ideasandthoughts.org/2019/11/29/deep-learning-and-the-curriculum-disconnect/#annotations:TidUFhkREeqReztKyLIbCQ

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes

I just started a new job at a factory making chess pieces.

• This week I’m on knights!

***

***

I entered my first marathon and finished first!

• Two steps into it I stubbed my toe and finished, first.

***

A Washington reporter was awakened by her husband in the middle of the night. “I think there’s a thief in the house,” he said.

• “No doubt,” she said sleepily. “And there are a handful in the Senate, too.”

***

What do you call someone who can’t stick with a diet?

• A desserter.

***

I had a crazy dream that I weighed less than a thousandth of a gram…

• I was like 0mg!

Advisory:

Pinterest Fails

Pinterest provides the model. Sometimes, they even give you the recipe. What happens if you don’t follow the recipe? What happens if you are missing out on some background or details.

https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uuuploads/pinterest-craft-fails/pinterest-craft-fails-15.jpg

Middle School Science Minute  

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

I was recently reading the November/December, 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 “From the Editor’s Desk” section, written by Patti McGinnis, the editor of Science Scope.  The title of the article was “Moving Up the SAMR Model.” In this article, we learn about the SAMR Model for the use of technology.  SAMR is an acronym for:

Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition.

From the Twitterverse:  

Marvin Olasky @MarvinOlasky

At holiday gatherings, go ahead and tell those funny, wild or inspiring family stories. Their lessons can be beneficial over time for children. “If I had to leave the children with one or two stories, what are the ones I would want them to know?” https://wsj.com/articles/the-secret-benefits-of-retelling-family-stories-11573468201?shareToken=st4eff87ff22544c958b32b782d0d586c5 via  @WSJ

Nick LaFave @NFLaFave

40 teacher recommended math apps http://buff.ly/2tJb2Bb #EdTech #mathchat

Tony Vlachakis @tvlachak

Using Dystopian Novels to Teach Bill of Rights One teacher offers a guide to help students compare the freedoms lost in dystopian novels with the freedoms secured by the Bill of Rights. https://buff.ly/33zzLFI by

@edutopia

Gen (Ret) Rob Spalding @robert_spalding

The beginning of the end of freedom is the banning of speech.

Fixing Education@FixingEducation

I am tired of people telling teachers: “You knew what you were getting into” (I didn’t know my salary would be stagnant for the last 8 years) “If you really love being a teacher, your pay shouldn’t matter”

“Must be nice to leave your job at 3 and have summers off” (I do?!)

⁩The Modest Teacher@ModestTeacher

The Black Friday deals teachers really want: A substitute teacher when they’re gone A pass to go pee whenever needed A copy machine that doesn’t jam at the most inopportune times A 1000 pack of dry erase markers A renewable Jean day ticket Happy shopping!

MiddleWeb@middleweb

NEW: Design Your Tests with English Learners in Mind.

@TanELLclassroom#ell #ellchat #scichat #mathchat #sschat #engchat #educoach@Larryferlazzo @Seidlitz_Ed

Expert Tan Huynh on how to support ELs on summative tests AND accurately assess content knowledge https://middleweb.com/41698/design-y

Charles Mok 莫乃光@charlesmok

Almost 9:1 ratio of victory for “opposition” vs pro-Beijing. Stunning! Hong Kong Democracy Backers Win Big as Voters Flock to Polls A surge in voting, especially by young people, allowed democracy advocates to win many more seats on local councils.

https://t.co/WaugKy36Gg?amp=1

Hong Kong Free Press @HongKongFP

In Sai Kung’s Sheung Tak constituency, a particularly long queue of voters outside the polling station zigzagged multiple times on Sunday morning. Photo: Apple Daily. #hongkong

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  Look for your host Todd Bloch to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

7 Things People Think or Say that Reinforce Mediocrity

http://www.davidgeurin.com/2019/12/7-things-people-think-or-say-that.html

Resources:

How to Recognize a Toxic School Culture Before You Get the Job

Cook Something Up In Social Studies

Chefs cook up Ancient Babylonian recipes.  You could too, or rather, your students could?  

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/11/16/779930201/eat-like-the-ancient-babylonians-researchers-cook-up-nearly-4-000-year-old-recip?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

Web Spotlight:

 Congratulations Nick Peruski Miliken Award Winner!

Science Says the Most Successful Kids Have Parents Who Do These 5 Things

A handful of recent studies indicate the important things which parents should focus on.

https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/science-says-most-successful-kids-have-parents-who-do-these-5-things_4.html

Wondering What Happened to Your Class Valedictorian? Not Much, Research Shows

…followed 81 high school valedictorians and salutatorians from graduation onward to see what becomes of those who lead the academic pack. Of the 95 percent who went on to graduate college, their average GPA was 3.6, and by 1994, 60 percent had received a graduate degree.

Nearly 90 percent are now in professional careers with 40 percent in the highest tier jobs. They are reliable, consistent, and well-adjusted, and by all measures, the majority have good lives.

But how many of these number-one high school performers go on to change the world, run the world, or impress the world? The answer seems to be clear: zero.

Research shows that what makes students likely to be impressive in the classroom is the same thing that makes them less likely to be home-run hitters outside the classroom.

Many of the valedictorians admitted to not being the smartest kid in class, just the hardest worker. Others said that it was more an issue of giving teachers what they wanted than actually knowing the material better.

…schools reward being a generalist. There is little recognition of student passion or expertise. The real world, however, does the reverse.

https://money.com/money/4779223/valedictorian-success-research-barking-up-wrong/#annotations:uI2t6gigEeqGNXfAgwgVjg

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes You Can Use:

Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?

Michelle, is the commander of a Coast Guard cutter. When she gave her dad, Bob, a tour of her ship, he was impressed with the neatness of all decks. However, when Michelle brought Bob to her house, he couldn’t believe the disorganization.

“Why is everything in its place on your ship,” he asked, “but your house is such a mess?”

Michelle replied, “My house doesn’t take 30-degree rolls.”

A man went into a store and bought a self help audio book…

It was called “How to Handle Disappointment”…

It was empty.

Interviewer: “How do you explain this 4-year gap on your resume?”

Me: “That’s when I went to Yale…”

Interviewer: “That’s impressive. You are hired.”

Me: “Thanks. I really need this yob.”

My wife and I run a small restaurant where we often name our specials after our employees, dishes like “Sally’s Chicken” after our maître d’ who gave us the recipe, and “Rod’s Ribs” after a waiter who had his personal style of barbecue.

One evening after rereading the menu, I broke with this tradition and changed the description of the special we had named after our chef.

Despite her skills and excellent reputation, somehow I didn’t think an entrée named “Salmon Ella” would go over big with our customers.

Doctor: “Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?”

Patient: “Good new please!”

Doctor: “Well, we’re naming a disease after you…”

A woman was shopping for something to wear to her 50th high school reunion when a group of teenage girls came into the same shop to try on dresses for their school formal.

“Gross,” complained one girl loudly to her friends, “this dress makes me look 40 years old!”

“May I have it?” called out the lady. “That’s just what I’m looking for!”

A boxer complains to his doctor about insomnia.

Doc: “Have you tried counting sheep?”

Boxer: “Yes, but whenever I get to 9, I stand up.”

Kid: Did you hear that there is a report of snew tomorrow.

Teacher: What’s snew?

Kid: Nothing much, what’s snew with you?

Forget about the past, you can’t change it.

Forget about the future, you can’t predict it.

Forget about the present, I didn’t get you one.

Which rock group has four guys who can’t sing or play instruments?

• Mount Rushmore

Advisory:

Who Did You Help Today?

Mentors

Sensory Path

After spending countless hours, and seeking advice from physical therapists, occupational therapists, and autism experts, we have designed true “Sensory Paths” that utilize a series of movements to decrease behaviors while increasing cognition. 

https://thesensorypath.com/#annotations:fIaFZgbiEeqDbx_oynuD-g

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Serendipitous Science Part 2

I was recently reading the September, 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 “Science-Based Serendipitous Events” written by William Sumrall, Hannah Robinson, and Kelle Sumrall.  In this article, we learn about the numerous examples of serendipity in science and how to use them to help students teach their classmates about historic scientific inventions.  In this second of a two part podcast series, we look at the lesson design and some interesting serendipitous events in science, such as:

• Penicillin
• Sugar Substitutes
• Microwave Oven
• Coca-Cola
• Potato Chip
• Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the Twitterverse:  

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

Excellent teachers spend a substantial amount of time in school. If you see daylight entering or leaving the building, then you’re simply not a dedicated teacher. If seeing the sun is that important to you, there’s plenty of time to catch up on weekends and in the summer.

⁩Dave Schmittou EdD  @daveschmittou

Understand the total context behind this tweet: It’s no coincidence that when we started proclaiming “Always do what’s best for the kids” that we began to have a teacher shortage. Doing what’s best for kids does not have to be in contrast to what’s best for adults.

TeacherGoals@teachergoals

*Two more weeks until Thanksgiving Break *Teachers:

Jennifer Bond @teambond

5 new thank-you books will be sent to the #FreedomCenter at Detroit Metro Airport from the #DesignTech kids at@CliffordSmart. #wleced@WalledLkSchools#OtherPeopleMatter

Larry Ferlazzo @Larryferlazzo

Eat Like The Ancient Babylonians: Researchers Cook Up Nearly 4,000-Year-Old Recipes

Eat Like The Ancient Babylonians: Researchers Cook Up Nearly 4,000-Year-Old Recipes

Written on four tablets, three of which date back no later than 1730 B.C., the recipes are considered to be the oldest known. And they taste pretty good, says a scholar who recreated them.

npr.org

Todd Bloch @blocht574

So my advisory class wants to know: are there any thanksgiving songs? #Thanksgiving … no ready for Christmas music #mschat 

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  Look for your host Todd Bloch to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development. 

Resources:

Overlap Maps

An Overlap Map is a map of one part of the world that overlaps a different part of the world. Overlap Maps show relative size.

Make an Overlap Map! Choose from the menus then click on the arrow below.

http://overlapmaps.com/#annotations:rF72KAMZEeqsCgMaesn_Kg

LOC – Maps

https://www.loc.gov/maps/

Trace

https://www.stickermule.com/trace#annotations:PDFykgYZEeqEjh86iyF7QQ

Web Spotlight:

ISTE Acquires EdSurge News

“EdSurge is joining the ranks of nonprofit newsrooms. Today the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) announced that it has agreed to acquire EdSurge, in a move that leaders of both organizations say will provide a stronger financial base to continue to produce EdSurge’s journalism, research and other services about the intersection of technology and education.”   

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-11-06-iste-to-acquire-edsurge-in-move-to-nonprofit

Leaders Don’t Hide Behind Data

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/leaders-dont-hide-behind-data/#annotations:CRJ7TgfrEeqf7QMKj-CPAw

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

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Jokes You Can Use:

Middle School Girl to Middle School Boy:

Would you like to be the sun in my life?

Boy: Yes

Girl: Good. Stay 92.96 million miles away from me.

What lights up a Soccer Stadium?

• A soccer match. 

Why do seagulls fly over the sea?

• Because if they flew over the bay, they’d be bagels

Why did the mushroom get invited to the party?

• Because he was a fungi

What do you call birds that stick together?

• Vel-crows

What did the ocean say to the shore?

Advisory:

Meditation Can Alter Our Perception Of Time, Study Finds

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/meditation-can-make-time-feel-like-it-moves-faster-research-shows#annotations:lNuAoAJsEeqTTmfzLz6FBg

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Serendipitous Science Part 1

I was recently reading the September, 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 “Science-Based Serendipitous Events” written by Jill Nugent.  In this article, we learn about the numerous examples of serendipity in science. There were so many examples, that I decided to do a two-part series.  Part 1 deals with the discovery of Teflon. Part 2 will do with a short summary of many serendipitous events.

From the Twitterverse:  

Dr. Mary Howard @DrMaryHoward

Thank you Stephen Krashen for sharing this wonderful 2005 article he wrote with JoAnne Ujiie: Junk Food is Bad For You, but Junk Reading is Good for You

@skrashen

http://sdkrashen.com/content/articl

⁩

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

Principals: whenever a veteran teacher comes to you in despair saying that they are not respected or appreciated, remind them that their reward for 30 years of teaching was 30 years of teaching.

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

Teachers, be sure to post your learning objectives in the hallway for the students who cut your class so they don’t miss anything.

Doug Robertson@TheWeirdTeacher

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen children play leap frog…

Rick Wormeli@rickwormeli2

We did at my house when our kids were young, but Leap-unicorn is a little rough. Leap-Dalek ‘even rougher.

Dominic Helmstetter

BBC World Service@bbcworldservice

1/8 The fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November, 1989, was one of the most significant events of the 20th century. But why was the Wall built in the first place

#BerlinWall30 #BerlinWall  https://twitter.com/i/status/1193129374322757632  

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  Look for your host Todd Bloch to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

Record Your Directions

Presentation Recording

I would twist this one an do this in Moodle. Using the Workshop Module, the students could complete their presentation (recording is simply a button) and submit it. Students would provide feedback to the student using a rubric. 

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/larry-ferlazzo/larry-ferlazzo-using-a-three-two-one-speaking-activity

Resources:

Justice Map: Visualize Race and Income Data

How can I use Justice Map?

1. Visualize race and income data for your neighborhood, county, state, or the entire US.
2. Share a custom map with your friends.
3. Journalists, bloggers, activists, and others can create maps for their online or print publications.
4. Map makers can add race and income layers to their maps.
5. Spatial Analysis. Advanced mode lets you compare who lives within 1 vs 5 miles of a location (and more!).

http://www.justicemap.org/

KidCitizen

https://www.kidcitizen.net/episodes-blog

Student-Driven Differentiation

Book review from Middle Web

Web Spotlight:

Righting A Wrong: Japanese Americans And World War II Poster Exhibition

https://www.sites.si.edu/s/topic/0TO1Q000000MC9SWAW/righting-a-wrong-japanese-americans-and-world-war-ii-poster-exhibition

Why I’ve Stopped Using Teachers Pay Teachers

Advisory:

 Social Media Survival Kit

http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol15/num03/the-social-media-survival-kit-every-student-needs.aspx

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Gifted and Advanced Learners

I was recently reading the September, 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, “Gifted and Advanced Learners.” She discusses how closing the achievement gap means focusing on growing all students, including our nation’s brightest.

From the Twitterverse:  

NCTE @ncte

We’re 10 days away from the National Day on Writing. If you’re teaching eighth or eleventh-grade students, this is a great time to introduce the prompts for the 2020 Student Writing Awards. Learn more here: https://www2.ncte.org/awards/student-awards/ #WhyIWrite

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC @Pfagell

“Complaining is a violent move to inaction—it replaces the need to act. Let the uncomfortable feeling—the one that would otherwise lead you to complain—spur you to take productive action. Go ahead & complain—but go directly to the cause of the complaints.”  https://t.co/xb0kHlRhH7?amp=1  

Fixing Education @FixingEducation

Why Are Teachers So Tired All The Time? Research shows we make about 1,500 decisions a day! The constant requirement to ‘be on’ becomes DRAINING to our brains and bodies. It is called ‘Decision Fatigue.’

Doug Robertson @TheWeirdTeacher

I tried to get a reservation to the library. But I couldn’t. They were… … … All booked up

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC @Pfagell

“Moms. They love you and take care of you. But one thing they can’t do is remember celebrities’ names. Now there’s the Mom Celebrity Translator.” This is hilarious. ⁦

@nbcsnl   https://youtu.be/JcviVDizlJ0  

Dr. Mary Howard @DrMaryHoward

The problem I see with scripted curriculum is that we fix HOW and what you teach but we give teacher little room to use their professional judgement. If you have a script and take away professional judgment, you have the worst of both worlds. P David Pearson #ILA19 #G2Great

⁩𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 @DrBradJohnson

Admin, next time you plan to evaluate a teacher, ask them to invite you when students are presenting projects, or teaching a class. Education shouldn’t be about the teacher putting on a dog & pony show for an evaluation. Its about the students engaged in their own learning.

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  Look for your host Todd Bloch to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Resources:

2020 Census (Statistics in Schools)

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sis/2020census/2020-resources.html

Web Spotlight:

Laziness Does Not Exist

*Warning, there is a fair bit of swearing in the article. 

There are always barriers. Recognizing those barriers— and viewing them as legitimate — is often the first step to breaking “lazy” behavior patterns.

If you look at a person’s action (or inaction) and see only laziness, you are missing key details.

https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01#annotations:u62UeOqpEemiwE-UdrRXaw

Jokes of the Day

My nerdy friend just got a PhD on the history of palindromes.

• Now we call her Dr Awkward

***********

I asked Siri why I was still single.

• She turned on the front camera.

***********

They all laughed when I told them that one day I would discover the secrets of invisibility.

• If only they could see me now.

***********

Gravity is one of the most fundamental forces in the universe. What do you get when you remove it?

• Gravy

***********

I struggle with Roman numerals until I get to 159.

• Then it just CLIX.

***********

What is a web developer’s favorite tea?

• URL Grey.

***********

It’s a five minute walk from my house to the pub.

It’s a 35 minute walk from the pub to my house.

• The difference is staggering.

***********

I told my wife that I’ve always had a bit of a thing for Beyoncé.

“Whatever floats your boat”, she said.

• I said, “No, that’s buoyancy”.

***********

Cardi B has a sister who’s a fitness instructor.

• Cardio O

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