Jokes:  

---

Brevity by Dan Thompson (https://www.gocomics.com/brevity/2020/11/14)

---

How can you tell if your donuts are bored? 

• They get that glazed look….

---

I used to play triangle in a reggae band, but I had to leave. 

• It was just one ting after another.

---

---

---

---

---

Did you hear that they are going to televise the World Origami Championship? 

• It’s on Paperview

---

I’m not always comfortable going to the store. 

• The cashiers are always checking me out. 

---

I misplaced my pizza cutter, so I’m using a Bryan Adams CD. 

• Yep, It cuts like a knife…..

---

Some people ask me where I store all of these jokes. I think that should be obvious….

• In a Dad-a-Base

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Conducting Science Labs in a Virtual World Part 1

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science Scope” a publication for middle school teachers from the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read “The Online Teacher“ column written by Denise Wright.  Her article was entitled “Conducting Science Labs in a Virtual World.”

This is the first in a three-part series on the three strategies for conducting science labs in the virtual world.  

Part 1 — Virtual Simulations

Part 2 — Science at Home

Part 3 — Use of Data Sets

Online science labs can be rich experiences that students enjoy.  Teachers can include labs in online learning by using virtual simulations that include written directions, a screencast explaining directions, and questions for discussion.

Reports from the Front Lines

• When 8th Graders “Repurpose” Google Meet Updates – The Raised Hand  
• Schticky Stuff – Google Meet Room Monitors, Google Meet Room Hostess/Hosts, 
• Failure Rates? – Greenville County Schools 
  • History Hits
• BackChannels
• Checklist Module in Moodle  

Advisory:  

Get To Know Your Students Better

https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-exercises-get-know-your-students-better-and-increase-their-engagement#annotations:Fwn4dCqNEeuqurPfi8w4Zg

The Twitterverse

Karen Vaites  @karenvaites

‘If 38% is our national proficiency rate and it’s also (roughly) the percent of students who learn to read without much effort, we really have to ask ourselves, “What’s the impact of our effort?!”’   

SCAssoc. for Middle  @The_SCAMLE

We are accepting applications for presenters!! Use the link to submit your proposal!! Link: https://scamle.org/event-3961523

Will Richardson-BIG Questions Institute  @willrich45

I think once a year, school communities should have a “‘ Why Do We Do This?’ Day.” Take the most embedded practices, put them on the table and ask that question. And then figure out if they want to live with the answer or change it. Might be eye-opening. #justsayin

Jennifer Gonzalez  @cultofpedagogy

Students are asking teachers to set up school-based @discord groups, but teachers are hesitant because of COPPA, FERPA, CIPA concerns. (Also, creepy strangers..?) It looks like some stuff is in place (link below). Teachers, what concerns do you have?

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm.  

Strategies:  

 56 Ways to Gather Evidence of Student Achievement

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nzhdnyMQmio5lNT75ITB45rHyLISHEEHZlHTWJRqLmQ/pub?slide=id.p

Redefining Annotation

https://ditchthattextbook.com/redefining-annotation-ditch-that-pdf-and-hyper-annotate/#annotations:nM7zdCtQEeujoZsts2gahg

Resources:

Slides Timer

Slides Timer Extension

Summarizing

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jC7CnwsfH28JOutuuTdC1Peh2IncYq1z2btxSA5LIOk/edit#slide=id.ga8f0823e1d_0_0

Digital Notebook

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ux0CZCiJK5WH4x4jM-UMXey97PzrpES8dKM1apJ3eYA/edit#slide=id.ga3c92daea4_0_27

Gettysburg AR Experience – American Battlefield Trust

Step onto the battlefields of Gettysburg and witness history as it happened through virtual recreations and augmented reality technology. Interact with soldiers and civilians who experienced what it was like to be at the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. Be there when President Lincoln gives his famous Gettysburg Address. The Gettysburg AR Experience is now available for FREE via the App Store and Google Play.

https://www.battlefields.org/visit/mobile-apps/gettysburg-ar-experience?fbclid=IwAR1UY5DqaTDIegzL9yFQtqjLtVStOYDE803MyUFfm3c8u7CeX6C-7PAX7XQ

Web Spotlight:  

We Can Help Students with Trauma Face Life More Positively

Mood Weather Report: Learn More About Your Students

Childhood trauma survivors are more likely to feel insecure about their surroundings. Therefore, it is important to record their daily psychological state. To build up confidence and face every day actively, our school asks students to record their “Mood Weather Report” every day.

http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol16/num04/we-can-help-students-with-trauma-face-life-more-positively.aspx#annotations:QVmjrCjXEeustDeRPXYEwA

Are You Smarter Than  Middle Years Kid?

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KfNJYJE9nhcZ90Mq7yyFBGhkI3J_Vw3pedvJFzM83Sk/edit#slide=id.ga3bc1442ab_0_0

15 Second Video Challenge

We invite middle and high school students to create a short video that defines or teaches any of the words in our Word of the Day collection. Contest Dates: Nov. 10-Dec. 15, 2020.

Teacher Mental Health Break:  The Homework Song  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

I did a study on introverts, but I’m keeping it to myself.

---

I tried to write a bio on the Beatles, but I couldn’t get it to…Come Together, Right Now. 

---

I’m writing a blog post on procrastination. But I’ve stopped. Then I circled back. Then I zigged. Then I zagged. 

---

I wrote a blog post on Greed, but I’m not going to share it with you. 

---

If you have the ability to temporarily block an opening and move when someone needs to pass through, what does that make you?

• A door able

---

---

---

---

Do you know what Sin City is? 

• Las Vegas, NV

How about Den city?

• Mass divided by volume

---

Eileen Award:  

• iTunes:  
• Twitter:
• Facebook:
• Diigo:  
• District Email:  

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Using Literature in the Science Classroom

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science Scope” a publication for middle school teachers from the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk“ column written by Patty McGinnis.  Her article was entitled “Using Literature in the Science Classroom.”

The Next Generation Science Standards contain numerous connections to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts as verification of the supporting role that literature serves when learning science.

Reports from the Front Lines

• Parent Feedback
• Due Dates
• The Copy/Copy/Copy Conundrum
• Knowing that the kids are reading, EVERY WORD
• Reset and Go
• Wordsearch

My Evil Twin

Advisory:  

Today’s chat question: what perplexes you about adults?  GREAT conversation starter Wooclap opportunity . . . 

The Twitterverse

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp

Our youngest has declared tomorrow “Snuggle Book Holiday.” To partake you must drink hot cocoa, eat pumpkin dip, and read books by a fireplace or somewhere else warm. Please celebrate accordingly…

Diane Choe Moon @MrsDianeMoon

A colleague shared a video of a teacher putting stickers on her face every time a new student participated. I tried out the idea, and my classes were determined to get as many stickers on my face in an hour! Needless to say, I looked crazy by the end of it!

#whateverittakes

Mrs M Lapinskas  @mrslapinskasmfl

My top favourites for MFL elearning:  Quizlet, Kahoot, Quizizz, Linguascope, Languages online, Language gym, Kerboodle, Spanish Dict, Active Learn, Task Magic – what are yours? #MFLchat

Christie @ChristieNold

So… I can just invite my family into my classroom this Thanksgiving, right? Schools are magically immune?

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm.  Join host Todd Bloch for a scintillating discussion!  

Strategies:  

Why Do Teachers Love Sad Books Like Where the Red Fern Grows?

https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/11/why-teachers-make-kids-read-sad-books.html#annotations:trRFMiTjEeuosH8yiIvCVw

Resources:

Math Language/Content Objectives

https://robertkaplinsky.com/content-and-language-objectives-using-the-standards-for-mathematical-practice/

Formative Assessment

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qzntgblfkrptpau/DVD2.pptx?dl=0

ELL Support

Thirteen Instructional Strategies & Web Tools To Support ELLs In Distance Learning

Web Spotlight:  

Armistice Day Resource – Sabaton, In Flanders Fields

Greenville News (SC) – The Number of Students Failing

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/education/2020/11/11/number-students-failing-greenville-sc-schools-has-tripled-2020/6241547002/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

My TV started playing random Netflix shows. It was weird…

• But I’ve seen Stranger Things

---

People who can’t tell the difference between whole numbers and decimals are missing the point. 

---

My wife asked if I could clear the table. 

• I had to get a running start, but I made it!

---

---

What Do You Get When You Pick a Pigs Nose

• Ham boogers  (yes, I know…Snot funny)

---

What is Yoda’s last name? 

• Layheehoo

---

I told my carpenter that I didn’t want carpeted. 

• He gave a Blank Stair

---

---

---

LumberJack #1: I can cut a log in half just by looking at it. 

LumberJack #2: That’s impossible.

LumberJack #1: I know it’s hard to believe, but I saw it with my own two eyes. 

---

My child will not eat fish, what can I replace it with? 

• A cat. Cats love fish.

---

Someone missed an opportunity. Why is a “randomized clinical trial controlled with a placebo” not called “trick or treatment?

---

A joke doesn’t become a Dad joke until it’s full Groan. (That should be Apparent). 

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Formative Assessment Probes

I was recently reading the September/October 2020 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “Formative Assessment Probes“ column written by Page Keeley.  Her article was entitled “Using Formative Assessment Probes with Real or Virtual Field Trips.”

Using a formative assessment probe prior to a real-time or virtual field trip activates students’ thinking about the concepts and phenomena they will be learning about during their experience.

Reports from the Front Lines

• Google Classroom -> Moodle
• Is it about the kids?
• Who is working hard? (and how)
• Timing (it’s usually hard to get everything in during a “normal” year)
• Substitutes

Advisory:  

Media Multitasking Disrupts Memory, Even in Young Adults

…“media multitasking”—or engaging with multiple forms of digital or screen-based media simultaneously, whether they are television, texting or Instagram—may impair attention in young adults, worsening their ability to later recall specific situations or experiences.

…media multitasking correlated with a tendency toward attentional lapses and decreased pupil diameter, a known marker of reduced attention.

…“We found evidence that one’s ability to sustain attention helps to explain the relationship between heavier media multitasking and worse memory,”

“Individuals who are heavier media multitaskers may also show worse memory because they have lower sustained attention ability.”

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/media-multitasking-disrupts-memory-even-in-young-adults/#annotations:z540oh-fEeu83weTHLtaLA

The Twitterverse

Yong Zhao, Ph.D  @YongZhaoEd

Starting now #edtech #edutwitter Interactive XR Learning Aids in Myanmar and Beyond https://youtu.be/jezseIvBh5Y

JJARC@jaemjenarchive  #JENO

Student’s Self-Introduction in Middle School

Catherine Stolarski @stolarc

Middle school math pedagogy from 1898. #AllenMath #allenlearns #iteawonclass #MTBoS

Don’t forget #mschat on Thursdays at 8:00 pm EST.  

Strategies:  

The Neuroscience of Viewing Your Past Like a Fly on the Wall

…recalling autobiographical memories from a third-person, observer-like perspective (as opposed to replaying a memory through your own eyes) can influence the vividness of one’s recollections.

St. Jacques and Iriye found that adopting a third-person, observer-like visual perspective when recalling autobiographical memories alters the functional connectivity between different parts of the brain compared to when someone recalls a memory in the first person through his or her own eyes.

St. Jacques speculates that choosing to adopt an observer-like perspective when recalling one’s past could have therapeutic value. In closing, she said: “This may be an effective way of dealing with troubling memories by viewing the past from a distance and reducing the intensity of the emotions we feel.”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/202008/the-neuroscience-viewing-your-past-fly-the-wall#annotations:Z5vkUh-bEeuykJurHa6Pug

Resources:

Among Us Template

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1r0IYtaTi8bOoKkP9rdKM6pYV9yP7W1PxF2jmHxt83dc/edit?usp=sharing

Critical Reading: 50 Sentence Stems To Help Students Talk About What They Read

Critical Reading: 50 Sentence Stems To Help Students Talk About What They Read

Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide

Your involvement in your child’s education can lead to better learning results and outcomes. This “Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide” will inform you, as a parent or caregiver, as you monitor your child’s progress as your child accesses and uses technology for learning.

This guide aims to help all parents and caregivers, including those who have limited experience with digital tools, those who are experts with these tools, and anywhere in between. Each section starts with foundational pieces and builds from there.

Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide

Web Spotlight:  

Other Data: 20 Signs You’re Actually Making A Difference As A Teacher

Other Data: 20 Signs You’re Actually Making A Difference As A Teacher

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

---

Whenever Tom Cruise is driving, his car is always on “Cruise Control”.

---

What do birds say on Halloween?

• Trick or Tweet

---

Geology rocks!

---

Geography is where it’s at

---

We all know that Halloween is Dracula’s favorite holiday. But what’s Dracula’s second favorite holiday?

– Fangs-giving

---

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I threw a boomerang at a ghost the other day. 

• I knew it would come back to haunt me. 

---

Why did the witch turn someone into a road? 

• Forgot to use spell check. 

---

Why did the Cowboy adopt the Dachshund?

• He wanted to get a long, little doggie

---

I have a chicken proof lawn. 

• Yep, it’s impeccable

---

What is a skeleton’s favorite instrument?

• Trombone

---

Back in his day, Samuel Morse was considered to be….

• A dashing young man

---

If Watson isn’t the most famous Doctor, then Who is. 

---

Pre means before.

Post means after.

To use both of them together would be…

• Preposterous

---

There is only one thing that scares me about Halloween. 

Shawn says: Which is…

Exactly. 

---

My first time using an elevator was an uplifting experience. 

The second time let me down. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: The New Normal

I was recently reading the September/October 2020 issue of “Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “Current Science Classroom“ column written by Chris Anderson.  Her article was entitled “The New Normal.”

What can we do, as educators, in the face of the worst pandemic in the last 100 years.? It can seem like an insurmountable problem, but in this podcast we share six things that are within our control that can have a positive impact on our school and community.

AND, A SPECIAL “Happy Birthday” to the one and only, the fantastic, Mr. Dave Bydlowski. 

Reports from the Front Lines

• Normalcy setting in?
  • Reading
  • Calendar/Planners/Organization
• Will this be permanent?
• Schools moving back to virtual

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

Is there a cure for the condition that renders students incapable of seeing an assignment posted online until a zero is posted as their grade?  

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC  @Pfagell

This 7th grader’s response to the question: “What do you think is the biggest challenge for middle schoolers right now, during the pandemic?” is Exhibit A of why I love middle schoolers so much.

NJAMLE  @NJAMLE

Middle School Mini-Conference (via http://smore.com) https://smore.com/q3g1y Brought to you by your friends @NJAMLE. We celebrate you the Middle School educator and your consistent grit and resilience. Join us for this live virtual event. #becauseyoudeserveit #njed @AMLE

Nick LaFave  @NFLaFave

Happy Halloween! The EdTech Graveyard: a page to remember EdTech tools that have passed away and provide suggested alternatives to help as you mourn your loss. https://buff.ly/2PA3evA #EdTech #HappyHalloween    #HappyHalloween2020 

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm!  Todd Bloch will have a topic all ready to go and another great discussion will ensue.  

Strategies:  

20 juicy questions to ask students (#5 will REALLY get them talking!)

https://ditchthattextbook.com/juicy-questions/#annotations:hGaeWBYgEeukDeMN8dPRKg

Resources:

IDA Treaties Explorer

While treaties between Indigenous peoples and the United States affect virtually every area in the USA, there is as yet no official list of all the treaties. The US National Archives holds 374 of the treaties, where they are known as the Ratified Indian Treaties. Here you can view them for the first time with key historic works that provide context to the agreements made and the histories of our shared lands.

https://digitreaties.org/

Web Spotlight:  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

---

What is muffins spelled backwards? 

• What you do when the muffins come out of the oven

---

---

I attempted to exercise this morning.

• Didn’t work out

---

So I ate some Skinny pop, that didn’t work out either.

---

How do you fix a broken pumpkin?

• With a pumpkin patch

---

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There once was a king who was only 12 inches tall. 

• He was a horrible king, but a great ruler. 

---

I tripped on a snare drum and hit my head.

• I may have a percussion

---

Kid runs in the room, “I mustache ask you a question, but I’ll shave it for later”

---

How does Mr. Miyagi eat his Babybel?

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Citizen Scientists

 I was recently reading the July/August, 2020 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “Methods and Strategies “ column written by Meredith Hayes, P. Sean Smith, and W. Robert Midden.  Their article was entitled “Students as Citizen Scientists.”

Citizen Science involves individuals who are not professional scientists in authentic scientific endeavors, typically in collaboration with or supervised by professional scientists or scientific institutions.  

Increasingly, Citizen Science is making its way into schools and into science classes in particular.

Reports from the Front Lines

• Classroom culture:  establishing patterns and rhythms in the schedule.  
• “Hi Mr. McGirr!  I’m in class from . . . “
  • On my way to Mt. Rushmore!  
  • The back seat of our new family car!  
• Google Meet 
  • Student Interlopers
  • Students being able to keep the teacher from hearing their conversations in class.  
• These kids have bonded, They are my kids.
• From learning to scroll to advanced features
• Kids being used to what is happening – moderating their own learning
• H5P
  • Dictation
• Talk to the Kids – online vs in room
  • Pragmatics

The Twitterverse

MBL @skiandsurf1964

Ss did research on the French and Indian War and completed this activity “Caption This”. Impressed with Ss creativity, some blended both humor & history. This S took it to another level and wrote in French.  

Fixing Education  @FixingEducation

Maybe we should have potato chip companies determine class sizes in classrooms.

Rjoseph852 @rjoseph852·Oct 7

Let’s reach and teach, not test! The Lost Year Fallacy https://teacherinastrangeland.blog/2020/10/07/the-lost-year-fallacy/… via @nancyflanagan @pepinosuave @blocht574 @pr05bps @pamlpugh   

@casandraulbrich @ncte @mieducation @BirminghamPS @TheJLV

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

Resources:

Together, Apart, and “Among Us” 

What it is: Among Us, a 2018 murder mystery game set in space, is attracting millions of new players.

Why it’s lonely quaranteen bait: Among Us didn’t get a lot of buzz in the US when it was first released, but was featured recently by a few prominent Twitch gamers and is now experiencing a meteoric surge in popularity. The premise of Among Us is similar to any “murder mystery”: Players have to find a randomly assigned “killer,” while the “killer” (who is also a player) bluffs their way out of being found out. The game is rated “E” and none of the “murdery” elements are very graphic in nature, but the game is suspenseful and intense as players test their skills of strategy and social awareness. With teens missing complex peer interactions, it makes sense that this game hits a bit different in 2020. And with a promised sequel now canceled to focus on improving the existing gameplay, more teens will probably be hopping on soon.  – From The Culture Translator – Axis.org  

Online Thinking Routines

Project Zero at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education has created a collection of Core Thinking Routines as part of their Visible Thinking Project. 

Support Online Learning with Powerful Thinking Routines

Web Spotlight:  

These Are Words Scholars Should No Longer Use to Describe Slavery and the Civil War

Let’s face it: a new generation of scholarship has changed the way we understand American history, particularly slavery, capitalism, and the Civil War. Our language should change as well. 

We no longer call the Civil War “The War Between the States,” nor do we refer to women’s rights activists as “suffragettes,” nor do we call African-Americans “Negroes.” Language has changed before, and I propose that it should change again.

 …he rejects “plantations” (a term pregnant with false memory and romantic myths) in favor of “labor camps”; instead of “slave-owners” (which seems to legitimate and rationalize the ownership of human beings), he uses “enslavers.”

 Specifically, let us drop the word “Union” when describing the United States side of the conflagration, as in “Union troops” versus “Confederate troops.” Instead of “Union,” we should say “United States.” By employing “Union” instead of “United States,” we are indirectly supporting the Confederate view of secession wherein the nation of the United States collapsed, having been built on a “sandy foundation” (according to rebel Vice President Alexander Stephens).

 The dichotomy of “Union v. Confederacy” is no longer acceptable language; its usage lends credibility to the Confederate experiment and undermines the legitimacy of the United States as a political entity. The United States of America fought a brutal war against a highly organized and fiercely determined rebellion – it did not stop functioning or morph into something different. We can continue to debate the nature and existence of Confederate “nationalism,” but that discussion should not affect how we label the United States during the war.

http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/160266

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

I started with simple origami. Now I’m into much more complex pieces. 

• You could say that it is a ten-fold increase. 

---

I went to the library to get a book on the fall of the Roman Empire. 

• Turns out that are no pictures of autumn foliage in there though. 

---

Circumnavigating the globe. 

• Is that a one-way trip or round trip?

---

What’s the difference between a politician and an electrician? 

• An electrician will never go for a power grab. 

---

I’m not very active on social media. Seems like people are aggressively trying to grab eyeballs. 

• That sounds pretty messy and painful. 

---

Some friends who are programmers have started a new Beatles-inspired band. They have a new song about a lengthy, convoluted program. 

• It’s called, “The long and winding code”/

---

I have a friend who got hired to during the pandemic to make sure that those entering the school building do not have a fever. 

• It’s temp work.

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Equity for All

I was recently reading the July/August, 2020 issue of “The Science Teacher,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “Notes from the Editor “ column written by Ann Haley MacKenzie.  Her article was entitled “Equity for All: Essential for All Facets of the Scientific Enterprise.”

Under the microscope, the cell being observed does not care who is observing it.  Woman, man, African American, Latinx, Asian, gay, middle-class, hearing-challenged, Native American: why has the scientific playing field not been equal for ALL?  How can we, as science educators, erase inequitable practices in our teaching?

Reports from the Front Lines

• “We’ll have the teachers do it . . . “  
• Availability? 
• NWEA and other tests 
  • Test security & parental units  
• Replicating the Classroom? 
• Learning Process
  • Video
  • Audio
  • Text
• Book Study
  • The Perfect Blend – Michelle Eaton
  • The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12
  • Best Practices for Teaching with Emerging Technology – 50% available online via CC rights
  • Remote Learning Online (Matt Miller – Ditch That Textbook)

The Twitterverse

𝒯𝒶𝓂𝓂𝓎 𝑀𝒸𝐿𝒶𝒾𝓃  @tmclain903

Learn how to create Google Meet breakout rooms for differentiated learning. http://ow.ly/YiIZ50BBgvR @DitchThatTxtbk @jmattmiller #remotelearning #edtech #distancelearning #teachertwitter

Steven Weber @curriculumblog

Chunking An instructional strategy that may be more important now than ever https://youtu.be/hydCdGLAh00 via @YouTube #edchat

Christine Dixon  @christinekdixon

Here’s #6 of @teachseuss & my STEAM Challenges!

  This one is teaching about our National Parks

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQUtnm2pSS5PnaLvBc8E_E-abEffw_HyyMnz1HNPutdTiAj_BOZqdlw722Y6t_RDoR4BQV6fT_v-hQn/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=60000&slide=id.p1

Here's #6 of @teachseuss & my
S🔬T🖥E💡A 🖼M Challenges!

This one is teaching about our National Parks
🏞🏔https://t.co/0Yfv9C5OEn 🏞🏔

🙏Pls share &spread #STEAM learning during #distancelearning💡#BetterTogether #TsGiveTs@Portsprogram @NatGeoExplorers @NatGeoEducation https://t.co/hE7MtOwOgJ pic.twitter.com/TCM039c5xg

— Christine Dixon (@christinekdixon) May 13, 2020

Krista Leh, Ed.D.-C  @Krista_Leh

Educators ~Download our FREE starter set of interactive slides designed to facilitate SEL through connection & collaboration in your classroom!

https://buff.ly/3kNwGdW

#SEL #socialemotionallearning #education #students #connection #collaboration #classroom

Joanne Freeman  @jbf1755

We’ve already jumped the shark. So many sharks. A sea of sharks. Stop.

Giant Gundam Robot:  https://twitter.com/i/status/1309818272934768640 

Yong Zhao, Ph.D  @YongZhaoEd

In 15 minutes, watch #silverliningforlearning MOOCs and Open Education in Southeast Asia: New Models, Fresh Ideas, Untold Hope guests from South East Asia hosted by @travelinedman @chrs_dede @punyamishra @mcleod @shynicola @YongZhaoEd #edtech #edchat https://youtu.be/9e2L54xpNmA 

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm!  Todd Bloch will have a middle school topic all ready to go for copious conversations.  Make this a strategic part of your professional learning.   

Resources:

Foundation for Economic Education – I, Pencil Lesson www.fee.org  

If you haven’t yet downloaded your copy of “I, Pencil” along with an engaging study guide, now is the time! Your free “I, Pencil” Lesson Plan takes your students on an intellectual journey of discovery and intrigue as they glean unforgettable lessons from the unassuming pencil.

When seen through the lens of economics, the how-it’s-made story of the humble yellow writing stick becomes more fascinating than you’d ever imagine..  

https://go.fee.org/e/808113/ipencildownload/xkpp/53928931?h=oHka5taAPJ7VcKs80f5KONqmUiloiAGrf2bJsx8RLDA

Trevor Muir- The Epic Classroom

How have your virtual meetings been lately?  I am holding a FREE webinar this Sunday evening. We’ll be talking about how to have engaging virtual classroom meetings. I’d love to see you there!  And if you can’t make it on Sunday, register anyway and I will send you the video as soon as it is over.

https://event.webinarjam.com/register/26/r409kcv8

Spot The Troll

Each of the following 8 profiles include a brief selection of posts from a single social media account. You decide if each is an authentic account or a professional troll. After each profile, you’ll review the signs that can help you determine if it’s a troll or not.

https://spotthetroll.org/start

Classroomscreen 

Classroomscreen is an online tool that allows you to display the instructions for your lesson in a clear and visual way. Choose from over 12 widgets to support your class activities and help students get to work.

https://classroomscreen.com/learn/

Web Spotlight:  

Selling the Future of Ed-Tech (& Shaping Our Imaginations)

…one could say something similar about education as a whole: our beliefs about it are often unmoored from reality. 

http://hackeducation.com/2020/09/15/future-catalog

How Quickly Can a Girl Go Viral on TikTok?

Teens are making it big overnight, but that kind of fame can be a mixed bag.

This video, uploaded to TikTok in July, has more than 11.4 million views. It was posted by @mooptopia, who emerged from nowhere at the beginning of July and has since become an unexpected star. She now has 2.5 million followers, despite the fact that nothing about her account is remarkable: She’s a teenager in what seems to be an average suburb, where she walks around and dances awkwardly and sometimes growls.

Young people go viral on social-media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram too, but TikTok is unique in how its algorithm pulls oddities out of the blue and pushes them into a main feed seen by millions of people. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/09/tiktok-teens-fandom-mooptopia/616371/

The Kids Have Left the Candy Store

What it is: Research from a UK-based fintech app for kids called RoosterMoney shows that tweens and young teens now spend more of their pocket money on Roblox and Fortnite than previous favorites like candy and books.

Why it’s worth thinking about: Fortnite was released in 2017, and gift cards for in-app purchases in the battle-royale game have topped teens’ wish-lists ever since. Roblox makes fewer big headlines, but the platform for code-based, accessible game design has actually been around since 2006. Users purchase “Robux” to use in the game and, in turn, fund creators—mostly teenagers—who craft different variations of gameplay. As these gaming platforms gobble up your teen’s allowance one dopamine hit at a time, consider how differently your teens may come to view money as they exchange an invisible currency for things they can neither touch nor keep.   

Building an Oasis in the Screentime Desert

What it is: Now that school is back in session and (mostly) happening via Google Meet and Zoom, many families are feeling the “burnout” (language) of a life that feels screen-bound. An advice columnist on Mashable suggests that now is the time to do a “screen-time audit” to cut back on how much time kids spend with their tech.

Why it’s important: A “screen-time audit” takes back control of which activities take place in front of a screen, and shifts activities back to analog counterparts whenever possible. If you’ve got a bookworm on your hands, for example, you might redirect them to bury their nose in a paperback instead of a reading app. Storytelling podcasts you’ve vetted and approved could take the place of time spent watching television. Screens aren’t evil, but our tech was created to be habit-forming (as we pointed out in last week’s review of The Social Dilemma documentary). Even short breaks from screens can improve your family dynamic and the mental health of the teens entrusted to your care.

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

I bought some eggs that were already hatching. 

• They were Cheep

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I bought a cake the other day. It was to celebrate making progress on my To-Do List. 

To Do:

• Buy a cake
• Organize Classroom
• Clean off desk
• Put bulletin boards up
• Restack books

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My kid asked me why the book was so thick. I had to tell her it was a long story. 

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Did you hear about the Mega Concert coming up? It’s an event to support kids with minor cuts and bruises. 

• They’re calling it Band-Aid

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Did you hear about the Nihilist that gave his friend an empty box? Upon being thanked, he responded:

• “Oh, it’s nothing”. 

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Did you hear about the semi truck carrying fruit that overturned on the highway?

• It created a real jam.

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I had to enter a new password the other day. I tried “chicken”, but the site informed me that it had to have a capital. Thus, my new password?

• chickenkiev

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Safe Home Science Instruction

I was recently reading the NSTA Safety Blog, published by the National Science Teaching Association and found on their website at:

https://www.nsta.org/blog/safety-hands-science-home-instructions

On the blog, I read “Safety for Hands-On Science Home Instruction”  written by Kenneth Roy.

The information provided in the blog should be helpful for teachers, students, and parents/guardians in planning for safer home science/STEM activity assignments.  Whether hands-on activities are done in a formal academic school laboratory or out in the field or at home, all modes are a springboard for developing scientific concepts and methodology.  This, however, can be a double-edged sword.  Be aware that school staff and school district leaders have a “duty of care” obligation that extends outside the classroom or laboratory to family members who supervise the students during these assignments at home or in the field.

Reports from the Front Lines

• Family Support
• Tech Support
• “Free” Options
• What Class Looks Like Now 
• Things I learned this week in online learning:  
  • Are there positives to this type of learning?  
    • I have a train of thought, I can actually ride that train.  It now leaves the station with me on that train.  
    • Repetitive teaching reduced.
  • Are there negatives to this type of learning?
    • WXYZ television report teaching the kids how to cheat on a computer test – not helpful.  
    • Chaos in the background
      • TV, little blisters and bothers, I mean sisters and brothers.  
      • I have never taught to any current pop music as my background music to my teaching.  I learned this week that that is no longer true.  
    • Repetitive teaching reduced.  
  • Parents will enter your class, hijack it because they’re adults and you will talk to them before you talk to any children.  And they’re adults.  And they have questions that must be answered now.  
  • If you leave the Google Meet room open well before class starts . . . they will come.
  • If your students are done with work in their current class, they will join your Google Meet to hang out with you and your current class.  OR if it is before school, they will join your room as soon as they think you will open it just to hang out with you while you get ready for class.  And run a 99Math game for them.  Please.  
  • Google Meet Closed Captioning “on the fly” isn’t helpful.  Abdul gets translated into something nasty, consistently.  
  • My students are super helpful with each other – I really appreciate their kindness.  
  • Communication streams turn into a raging deluge once school begins.  The excess of access to a teacher.  Creating a culture of communication with parents, students, and administration is the next big challenge.  
• The New “Snow” day?

Advisory:

Hidden

https://en.dailybee.com/40-genius-little-things-that-were-hiding-in-plain-sight-all

Penny or a Million

If you were offered a penny that doubles every day, or a million dollars, which would you take?

https://www.newtraderu.com/2013/08/19/how-much-does-a-penny-doubled-every-day-for-month-end-up-being/#annotations:BoKvXvIwEeqQzUtVe25Q_Q

Ireland Lacrosse sacrifice place in ‘Medicine Game’ tournament for greater good

Would you make the same choice as part of the team?

https://www.rte.ie/sport/other-sport/2020/0905/1163463-iroquois-nationals-lacrosse-ireland-world-games/

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

Remember laughing at that colleague who flipped their entire curriculum a few years back for wasting so much time? Don’t you feel stupid.

The Modest Teacher  @ModestTeacher

Just an FYI…. Google certification is a marketing ploy.

Dr. Indira Koneru  @indirakoneru

#CCIndia workshop participants also learnt how to generate a #CreativeCommons license & apply to their work (PPT & Word doc) and release as #OER on @SlideShare and transform into #prosumers of OER. https://creativecommons.org/choose/

Savithri Singh and 2 others

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

If you are a teacher with children, the next time a parent lectures you about how to teach better at home, you can lecture them on how to parent better at home.

Bill Maher  @billmaher

I mark the onset of American decline to the moment parents started siding with their children instead of with the teachers. #SideWithTeachers

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.  #mschat on Thursday @8:00 pm.  

Strategies:  

Gaming The Grade: How One Middle Schooler Beat A Virtual Learning Algorithm 

When Lazare’s first history assignment of the virtual school year came back scored 50/100, a resounding F, the seventh-grader was crestfallen. 

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/09/03/online-learning-algorithm#annotations:IAvlDu_hEeqKgo_Tg0XLtA

Looking at a Hokusai picture

http://diamantia-kai-skouria.blogspot.com/2011/03/looking-at-hokusai-picture.html#annotations:mowAwu_uEeqw_IPaeiUi8A

Resources:

AMLE & the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Call for Nominations

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is launching its 26th annual search for exemplary young volunteers. Once again, the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is proud to support this unique youth recognition program–-especially in a year when so many students have had to go above and beyond to continue their volunteer service. I hope you’ll encourage your school to take advantage of the opportunities that it provides.  

https://spirit.prudential.com/?_cldee=ZnJpZGVzd2lkZWxAZ21haWwuY29t&recipientid=contact-7fa4693c4f5bde1196b00050568361fd-8762e9e7558e4c73a30ed754063fe8c9&esid=3c1ed941-f5ed-ea11-8109-000d3a044486

H5P OER Hub

The most important part of our roadmap has long been to finish up and integrate an OER Hub in the H5P authoring tool to facilitate global collaboration. It was also the most requested roadmap item by far on the last H5P Conference. The H5P Core Team has now tasked all developers with finishing up the H5P Hub as fast as possible. It will be an integral part of the H5P authoring tool and allow users to easily share their content with every H5P user in the world! Content shared by others will of course be searchable and repurposable.

https://h5p.org/oer-hub-coming#annotations:N-9c-vFTEeq2D39pvx7bTg

Why people fall for misinformation

How does a fact become a misconception? Dig into the world of misinformation to see how facts can become distorted and misleading.

Disinformation

https://www.commoncraft.com/video/disinformation

Lateral Reading

Credibility training on reviewing credibility of websites. 

Web Spotlight:  

Wawa is Offering Free Coffee for Teachers

Wawa offering free coffee to teachers, school faculty

How Google Classroom became teachers’ go-to tool—and why it’s fallen short

Too often, educators spend their professional development time mastering specific digital tools, rather than broadly applicable best practices. 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90541246/how-google-classroom-became-teachers-go-to-tool-and-why-its-fallen-short#annotations:ZUq1QvBYEeqqtPfzOPMe2g

America Runs on Charli – Axis’s “The Culture Translator”  

What it is: Dunkin’ recently made TikTok star Charli D’Amelio’sgo-to order an official item on the menu.

Why it’s an act of marketing genius: Connecticut native Charli D’Amelio is known for three things: her viral TikTok dance videos, her authentic (and often teary-eyed) Instagram Lives with fans, and carrying an ever-present, mega-size iced coffee. Charli’s favorite drink (cold brewed coffee with whole milk and three pumps of caramel, in case you’re interested) launched as a Dunkin’ menu item on September 9. To market her eponymous drink, a tie-dye clad Charli dances enthusiastically with coffee in hand to a hip-hop song called “The Charli,” which is the perfect TikTok clickbait. If the TikTok enthusiast under your roof is suddenly “running on Dunkin’,” this is why.  

TikTok Fails Its Users, Big Time – Axis’s “The Culture Translator”  

What it is: Over the weekend, footage of a man who live-streamed his death by suicide was edited into harmless-looking TikToks. TikTok’s main “For You Page” algorithm started recommending the posts before it could be contained, exposing countless users to this graphic, heartbreaking footage.

Why it’s a feature, not a bug, of TikTok’s interface: Much has been made over the past year about the possibility that TikTok is used as a tool of Chinese “spyware,” and we’ve yet to know what the outcome of that political battle will be. But perhaps the real hidden danger of the app isn’t its role in geopolitical conflict, but how its algorithms recommend videos they can’t fully comprehend. Young users in the thousands flooded the comment sections of these truly evil posts, and dozens more posted reaction videos on Instagram and other platforms urging viewers to “stay off TikTok” for the weekend, confessing that the footage was “haunting” them and giving them nightmares. When you bring this up to your teen, do it gently, keeping in mind that the posts were deceptively spliced so that they didn’t appear to be upsetting or violent, and your teen most likely wasn’t seeking out the footage. But do ask about what they saw, and if they want to talk about it.  

Singing the Screentime Blues – Axis’s “The Culture Translator”  

What it is: With notifications, texts, and social media always beckoning, teens and adults are looking for a way to send the message that they’re “not available” (language).

Why this thing has legs: If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic restrictions over the past year, it might be this: Being online gets old! While screens continue to be the main source of social interaction for kids who are remote learning, socialization via smartphones can easily become exhausting. And now that notices of all of our obligations come through our handheld devices, people of all ages are looking for ways to “politely disconnect.” We suspect that some forward-thinking app developers will be working on a new auto-reply feature, which can respond to any and all notifications with an “away” message (circa the heyday of AOL Instant Messenger). Until such a thing becomes widely available, ask your teen if they’re sick of their screen yet. Talk as a family about ways to put digital life on “pause,” and try to set an example by doing it yourself for a few hours each day.

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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