MSM 699: Not Just Visiting

MSM 699: Not Just Visiting

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, AJ Juliani, Conferences, note-taking, getting “Clipped”, and more. Dave is out of this world this week. 

Jokes:

Imagine if you walked into a room and there was a long line of people waiting to take a swing at you. – That’s the punch line.


Cleaning windows is a pane.


Last night a cinema near me was robbed of over $1,000.

  • The thieves took one large bag of popcorn, two large drinks and a pack of Skittles.

Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink.


When I was 6, my dad took me into his workshop and said, ‘Son, someday, this awl will be yours.’


My grandfather invented the cold air balloon.

  • It never really got off the ground.

And the award for best neckwear goes to…

Well, would you look at that! It’s a tie!


People make such a big deal about vegans, but I don’t get it. I’ve never had beef with one.


Light travels faster than sound.

  • This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

A quarter-acre of undeveloped land may not seem like much to some people, but to me, it’s a lot.


I bought a new pair of gloves today, but they’re both lefts.

  • Which, on one hand, is great, but on the other, it’s just not right.

I was 16 minutes late for my first math lecture, 8 minutes late for the second, and 4 minutes late for the third. 

  • At this rate, I’ll never be on time.

A friend of mine has a bank account purely for buying raisins. 

  • It’s a current account.

What’s the difference between a literalist and a kleptomaniac? 

  • A literalist takes things literally. A kleptomaniac takes things, literally.


Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: Artemis II

I was recently reading the April 2, 2026, NSTA Blog, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this blog I read an article written by Christine Anne Royce. She wrote an article entitled “A New Dawn on the Lunar Horizon: #WeAreGoing.”

On April 1, 2026, the Space Launch System engines ignited, lift off occurred, and Artemis II headed to the moon. It carried the first four humans to venture into the deep-space proving ground in over a half century.  

https://k12science.net/artemis-ii/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • A.J. Juliani
  • Conference Notes

The Social Web

‪Eric Curts‬ ‪@ericcurts.bsky.social‬

EdTech Links for the Week of 4-6-26 – www.controlaltachieve.com/2026/04/LOTW… 📓 NotebookLM Webinar 🗯️ Graphic Novels Webinar 🎲 AI Games & Activities Webinar 📜 Poetry Projects 💎 New EduGems 🚦 Traffic Lite 🏫 SchoolAI Extension ⚛️ Atomency 🚨 Factile 

💎 New EduGem: www.edugems.ai/gem/gallery-… 🏛️ Gallery Walk Activity – Design engaging, interactive Gallery Walk activities where students move around the classroom to explore bite-sized texts, images, and primary sources

💎 New EduGem: www.edugems.ai/gem/reading-… 🎚️ Reading Level Analyzer – Determine the reading level of a text and help adapt the material as needed to make it appropriate for your students

💎 New EduGem: www.edugems.ai/gem/pbl-gene… 💡 PBL Generator – Design Project-Based Learning (PBL) units that prioritize student agency, sustained inquiry, and real-world connections

🎲 Upcoming Webinar: AI Games, Interviews & Activities for Student Learning www.controlaltachieve.com/2026/04/webi… 🔠 Games, interviews, debates, CYOA, more! 🧒 Whole class or individual 🏫 Any grade or subject 🗓️ Apr 21 @ 3pm ET ▶️ Live-streamed & recorded ✅ Register at link above

‪Ron King‬ ‪@mthman.bsky.social‬

Good morning from the #PNW #pnwonderland

‪AMLE‬ ‪@amleorg.bsky.social‬

Dive into AMLE’s SMS Course! The series lets you explore foundational, research-supported middle grades best practice in a flexible, self-paced, virtual format. Get real results with exercises & reflections throughout to help you embed these principles into your daily practice: amle.org/smsonline  

Resources:  

The Reason You Study Wrong (and why the system never told you)

The strategies that produce the strongest feeling of knowing are frequently the strategies that produce the weakest actual retention.

https://www.ajjuliani.com/blog/the-reason-you-study-wrong-and-why-the-system-never-told-you

AXIS The Culture Translator

Slang of the Week:  Clipped

Getting “clipped” has a few definitions, but we’re going to focus on the idea of someone candidly taking a bad photo of you. With the ubiquity of camera-equipped smartphones, there’s always the threat of someone snapping a picture when you’re mid-hamburger bite, with bad posture, or asleep on an airport bench. “Clipping” is often a harmless way to lovingly poke fun at each other, especially in a world with a “camera-ready” veneer, but, of course, it could also be used to bully someone.

I’m not a Regular Pimple, I’m a Cool Pimple

What it is: Pimples, a longstanding and infamous insecurity for young people, have evolved into an unexpected opportunity for accessorizing. 

Why people are putting stickers on their faces: Pimples are par for the course for teens. Now, instead of crossing their fingers, hoping nobody would notice their blemishes, young people are decorating them. Brands like Starface and Hero Cosmetics rose to popularity during the pandemic, but when in-person rhythms resumed, the patches remained— perhaps because it is easier to resist picking at your skin when you have a nice little sticker on it. And it’s not just teens—adults at the airport, grocery store, or even at work will rock them. While the trend has its haters, it also has influencers cashing in, including Hailey Bieber. Her brand’s newly-announced hydrocolloid patches, debuting next week, come in fun shapes like mushrooms, jelly beans, and bubbles, and retail for $16.  

Z.ai GLM 5.1 Open Source LLM 

GLM-5.1 is our next-generation flagship model for agentic engineering, with significantly stronger coding capabilities than its predecessor. It achieves state-of-the-art performance on SWE-Bench Pro and leads GLM-5 by a wide margin on NL2Repo (repo generation) and Terminal-Bench 2.0 (real-world terminal tasks).  

https://z.ai/blog/glm-5.1

Download at Hugging Face:  https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.1  

Web Spotlight: 

Charcuterie

A visual explorer for Unicode. Browse the character set, discover related glyphs, and learn more about the scripts, symbols, and shapes that make up the standard.

https://charcuterie.elastiq.ch/#1D4E6

How to Deal With Teacher Burnout (Without Quitting Right Away)

https://truthforteachers.com/how-to-deal-with-teacher-burnout-without-quitting-right-away

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 698: My Shirt Says, “Bob.”

MSM 698: My Shirt Says, “Bob.”

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, yes again, vacation, and more. Dave celebrates Citizen Science Month. 

Jokes:

What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?


So a duck walks into a pharmacy and says “Give me some chap-stick… and put it on my bill”


What do you call a romantic dinner on a hot air balloon?

  • An update.

Don’t buy anything from a blacksmith!

Everything they have is forged!


I like the buzz I get swimming a mile off shore. 

  • It’s pretty far out.

I thought about going on an all-almond diet. 

  • But that’s just nuts.

It’s difficult to say what my wife does, she sells sea shells by the sea shore.


To be Frank, I’d have to change my name.


Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: Citizen Science Month

I was recently reading the April 1, 2026 NSTA Blog, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this blog I read an article written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled “Spark Curiosity This Spring.”

Citizen science refers to public participation in science. Opportunities for students to participate in authentic science practices can deepen their understanding of the world. One way to provide such opportunities is by incorporating citizen science experiences in the classroom and schoolyard during Citizen Science Month, this April.  For more information about Citizen science, visit the following websites:

https://scistarter.org/citizensciencemonth

https://scistarter.org/citizen-science

https://k12science.net/citizen-science-month/

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

AMLE@AMLE

Final Call! Today is the deadline to participate in this year’s global Middle School Student Sound Off: submissions must be completed by 11:59 p.m. ET.

Presentation proposals are now being accepted through April 10th for the 53rd Annual Conference for Middle Level Education. Do you have what it takes to present at the largest and most impactful conference for middle level educators in the world?   https://t.co/h1J5TlRMZm  

CETLUWI mona@CETLMONA

Join us for our upcoming workshop: “If This, Then What? Designing H5P Branching Scenarios ”  Build “choose your own adventure” style learning experiences, where student choices lead to different outcomes! Register here: https://tinyurl.com/4y7983uh See the flyer for more!

CETLUWI mona  @CETLMONA

Introducing our “Let’s Deal With It: Teaching Emphasis Series!”   Official Launch: April 1, 2026  12:00PM – 1:30 PM  Kickoff includes: H5P Page Tool Webinar “Teaching with AI” Libguides Exhibition  Happenings all throughout April & May: workshops, seminars & more!

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

As an aside, an unspoken rule in English known as ‘ablaut reduplication’ means we never dally-dilly on the way to a game of pong-ping while the bells go dong-ding. Nor, sadly, do we ever eat a KatKit.

‪MiddleWeb‬ ‪@middleweb.bsky.social‬

Review: CREATE A CLASSROOM OF MATH PROBLEM SOLVERS Word Problem Workshop offers a structured, daily routine that makes math problems less scary by building confidence, connections & wonder into each session. #edusky #iteachmath #mathED @routledgebooks.bsky.social www.middleweb.com/53257/creati…

Strategies:  

8 Ways to Squeeze Writing Instruction Into a Few Minutes

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/quick-writing-lessons

Resources:

Best Deaf Awareness Lessons & Activities

The following free deaf history and awareness lessons and activities highlight the accomplishments of deaf people in the arts, education, sports, law, science, and music.

https://www.techlearning.com/news/best-deaf-awareness-lessons-and-activities

Scholastic TV

Watch Scholastic TV

Now Free to Stream

https://www.scholastic.com/site/ScholasticTV.html

AXIS The Culture Translator

MeaningMaxxing

What it is: Teens are adding the suffix “maxxing” to anything and everything—why?

Where the trend came from: The concept of looksmaxxing, or maximizing one’s looks, was born out of the incel (involuntary celibate) community in the 2010s. What started in a niche online community has now spread far beyond it, and the original meaning of “maxxing” has evolved in the process. What is actually a sinister idea—spending all of one’s resources to fixate on upgrading one’s appearance—has given rise to adding “maxxing” to everything: Chinamaxxing. Matchamaxxing. Friendshipmaxxing. Boyfriendmaxxing. Fibermaxxing. Jestermaxxing. Yogurtmaxxing. You could be drinking a 16-ounce latte and call it “coffeemaxxing,” and nobody would correct you. Which means this suffix is doomed to the fate of most slang these days—to mean nothing at all.  

Web Spotlight: 

“Write In English” Is A New & Free AI Tool I Created That Is A Rough Approximation Of Something That Could Be Very Effective In Helping ELLs

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2026/03/27/write-in-english-is-a-new-free-ai-tool-i-created-that-is-a-rough-approximation-of-something-that-could-be-very-effective-in-helping-ells/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 697: AI – The Wonderful Golden Retriever

Summary:

Shawn and Troy continue the discussion about AI. This time we focus on curriculum. Plus, how technology understanding is lacking. Dave shares some EduGems. 

Jokes:

Does Darth Vader wear… deYodarant?


A chicken and an egg walk into an ice cream shop.

  • The server says, “Who’s first?”

My subscription to Scrabble Club expired.
– Now they’re sending me threatening letters.


How does the Pope pay for things on eBay?

  • He uses his Papal account.

Pythagoras walks into an ice cream shop and says, “Which one is the hypotenuse?”

The server says “y, the long face.”


Dreamed I managed a Midas Muffler.

– I woke up exhausted.


If you are what you eat, Frank must be eating a lot of nuts lately.


How many Kit Kats can Blues musicians eat in one sitting?

  • 12 bars

Boy George’s reptile bites 5 people in one day.

  • He needs a calmer chameleon.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

AI Gems

I was recently reading the March 17, 2026 NSTA Blog, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this blog I read an article written by Christine Anne Royce and Valerie Bennett. They wrote an article entitled “Discovering AI Gems.”

AI Gems are custom versions of Google Gemini that act as specialized AI assistants. Gems can serve as “thought partners” that remember your specific instructional frameworks, grade levels, and pedagogical goals so you don’t have to retype them every time. You can find examples of Gems at:

https://EduGems.ai

https://k12science.net/ai-gems/

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

qtguru or okeowo aderemi  @qtguru

Moodle has commissioned a new marketplace to sell your paid plugins. That’s one revenue stream useful to LMS Developers.

‪Ron King‬ ‪@mthman.bsky.social‬

Good morning from the #PNW #pnwonderland

‪MiddleWeb‬ ‪@middleweb.bsky.social‬

Review: INTEGRATING AI INTO THE HUMAN ACT OF TEACHING. The AI Assist by Nathan Lang-Raad offers a solid starting point for using AI in the classroom “with a human touch,” writes middle school teacher Ralph Covino. #edusky #AIsky #edtech  @ascdofficial.bsky.social  www.middleweb.com/53251/integr…

‪Caitríona Ní Cassaithe‬ ‪@trionacheile.bsky.social‬

Special Event for History Teachers in Drumcondra Education Centre on April 18th – “Mastering Source Analysis: Moving from Comprehension to Contextualisation” – 3 hour workshop plus visit to Croke Park Museum. To register: ecdrumcondra-courses.com/post-primary…

Dana Bui‬ ‪@theeddesigner.bsky.social‬

Branching scenarios make for great assessments: show the implications of the choice, ask questions that allow the student to unpack those implications. Playing with H5P as a way to capture the students’ rationale as they progress through the branching scenario. #EduSky #AcademicSky #EdTech  https://wp.me/peKPOF-bh  

Daily Updates On The Roman Empire

Resources:  

Grade Retention is Bad Education Policy

https://tultican.com/2026/03/22/grade-retention-is-bad-education-policy/

Best Free Fact-Checking Sites for Students and Teachers

  • Debunkbot 
  • Reuter’s Fact Check
  • Associated Press Fact Check
  • CTRL-F
  • Quote Investigator
  • Checkology – Designed for grades 5-12, Checkology is now your one-stop shop for teaching news literacy. Once you register, you’ll find hundreds of free resources — like quizzes, posters, downloadable lesson plans and classroom slides. You’ll also gain access to our interactive classroom, where you can register your students and assign them the platform’s core interactive lessons and other activities. Track student progress using our online grade book, and assign lessons using our teacher dashboard.

https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/fact-checking-sites-for-students

Web Spotlight: 

Famous Fonts

https://www.fontbolt.com

Austria Plans to Ban Children Under 14 From Social Media

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/austria-plans-to-ban-children-under-14-from-social-media-joining-several-other-countries

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 696: That Was An Inordinate Amount of Time

MSM 696: That Was An Inordinate Amount of Time

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss teachers, certifications, AI, and more. Dave shares advice for new Science teachers. 

Jokes:

Whoever’s job it is to perforate these paper towels they just aren’t cutting it


What’s the difference between a fly and a bird? 

A bird can fly, but a fly can’t bird.


The KFC Bluesky account only follows 11 people: the 5 Spice Girls and 6 guys named Herb, because of their ‘secret blend’ of 11 herbs and spices.


So if a bishop and archbishop cross paths, do they have to fight to the death?


People saying boo! to their friends has risen by 85% in the last year.

That’s a frightening statistic.


A ton is heavy, but not backwards.


What part of the bread factory do lobsters work in?

The crust station.


Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: Advice for New Science Teachers

I was recently reading the November 24, 2025 NSTA Blog, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

 In this blog I read an article written by Jason Strohl. He wrote an article entitled “Embrace the Chaos: Advice for New Science Teachers.”

Jason interviewed Madeline Grygiel, a science instructional support teacher for the Richmond (Virginia) Public Schools.  The article shares four keys to successful science teaching:

  1. Redefine what science looks like
  2. Connect lessons to the real world
  3. Collaborate with fellow educators and professional organizations
  4. Remember your “Why”

https://k12science.net/advice-for-new-science-teachers/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Hiring Teachers
  • Lippy ChatGPT
  • Meta Prompts
    • Meta prompt
The only really thing you need to remember is to give AI tools permission to ask you questions. One ‘meta’ prompt that I’ve come across which can be useful is:
    • Don’t answer my question yet.
    • First do this:
    • 1. Tell me what assumptions I’m making that I haven’t stated out loud
    • 2. Tell me what information would significantly change your answer if you had it
    • 3. Tell me the most common mistake people make when asking you this type of question
Then ask me the one question that would make your answer actually useful for my specific situation rather than anyone who might ask this.
  • Only after I answer — give me the output
  • My question: [paste anything here]
  • Marcus Aurelius
  • Vocabulary Support
    • Prefixes, Suffixes, Roots
    • H5P – drag/drop (prefix to the root, and new definition), Glossary, Board, Speak the Word, Context Clues 
    • Moodle – self-paced, groups (Android-iPhone), DOK level, 
  • Macbook Neo

The Social Web

‪AMLE‬ ‪@amleorg.bsky.social‬

Brain science is not a fad! When an entire faculty understands how learning works, collective efficacy rises & students benefit. Glenn Whitman joins our podcast to share guiding principals from his school’s 18-year focus on the science of learning: ow.ly/AStP50YwwTH

‪Eamon Costello‬ ‪@eam0.bsky.social‬

New article from the amazing “Alternatives to Instrumentalist Online Learning in Higher Education” project with Jason K McDonald and James Brunton. I learned so much working with them. “Agentic Online Learning: How University Staff Make Their Work Matter” doi.org/10.1007/s424…

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-026-00634-8⁠�

We found: Their work gave staff a sense of purpose, Their work reflected staff’s senses of identity, Staff coped with challenges that their work raised, Staff confronted work realities by investing themselves, Staff navigated tensions between being the shepherds or originators of work concepts.

We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings, particularly critiquing the trend to fit staff into our theoretical notions of what online education practice should look like. We call on researchers and practitioners to be

‪Eric Curts‬ ‪@ericcurts.bsky.social‬

💎 New EduGem: www.edugems.ai/gem/deca-rol… 🗣️ DECA Role-Play Sim – Interactive practice tool designed to help DECA students prepare for impromptu role-play events #EduSky #EduSkyAI #EdTech #GoogleEDU  

‪AMLE‬ ‪@amleorg.bsky.social‬

Don’t forget! The deadline to participate in this year’s Student Soundoff Contest is 4/3! amle.org/soundoff Students can sound off on their middle school experience by responding to one of our prompts in any format of their choosing, eg: ✅ Artwork or photography ✅ Video or music ✅ Essays or poetry

‪Keep Indiana Learning‬ ‪@keepinlearning.bsky.social‬

Stop searching and start discovering! 💡 Get edtech tips, book studies, fast teacher tips, and monthly shows – all on our YouTube channel! PD that fits your schedule & interests! Check it out! youtube.com/KeepIndianaL… #EduSky

Strategies:  

Suno

Make some music to fit the motivation . . . 

Historian’s Anthem:  https://suno.com/s/ceSPS2Glit3eV9ue  

Washington D.C. Trip:  https://suno.com/s/d933R5KGKCaqHC1K  

Resources:  

Survival of the Best Fit

While Survival of the Best Fit demonstrates how automated decision making can be biased, modern Large Language Model (LLM) based tools can do more than just classify candidates as good and bad. They can summarize work your experience into a resume, generate realistic job descriptions, screen resumes, and even conduct initial interviews. These other tools are based on the same framework where algorithms are trained on massive datasets.

https://www.survivalofthebestfit.com

Web Spotlight: 

Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings

https://www.chalkbeat.org/2026/03/10/third-grade-retention-study-in-texas-shows-long-term-harms-on-graduation-and-earnings

The Most Common Jobs for Women in the 1920s vs. 2020s

https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/most-common-jobs-women-1920s-2020s

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 695: The More They Hide, The More They Are Exposed

MSM 695: The More They Hide, The More They Are Exposed

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Gemini training, AI, teacher cognitive load, and more. Dave takes on AI and what happens if it’s wrong. 

Jokes:

What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?

  • Pumpkin pi

What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?

  • Tinselitis.

I just want everyone to know that Dove chocolate tastes way better than their soap.


“I’m gonna’ whack you with the neck of this old Silvertone guitar!”

  • “Is that a fret?”

How does it feel when you cross a cantaloupe with a herding dog?

  • Meloncoly

Companies that unclog drains must have a good work flow.


Does the name Pavlov ring any bells?


The highlight of my trip to the zoo was seeing an antelope.

  • I’d never seen an insect run off to get married before!

I connected my new phone to the cloud.

  • Then I started getting mist calls.

Sign that states: 
People Are Eating
Children
   In This Area
Please
Leash Your Dog & Clean Up After Them
Thank You

Battery falling down a hole, 
a battery with AA in a quote bubble, a slightly smaller battery with "AAA" in a quote bubble, then a smaller battery with "AAAA", then finally a really small battery with "AAAAAAA" in a quote bubble.

Found it!

Road with a sidewalk next to it. There is a sign at the end of the sidewalk that says "Sidewalk Ends".

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: What if AI Gets it Wrong?

I was recently reading the February 18, 2026 NSTA Blog, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this blog I read the section, “From Chalkboards to AI” written by Valerie Bennett and Christine Anne Royce. They wrote an article entitled “What if AI Gets it Wrong? Teaching Students to Detect Errors and Misleading Models.”

When teachers intentionally surface AI errors, students learn that:

  •   Authority does not equal accuracy.
  •   Confidence is not evidence.
  •   Scientific knowledge is always provisional.

It may be best to integrate AI literacy with disciplinary practices rather than teaching is as a standalone skill.

https://k12science.net/what-if-ai-gets-it-wrong/

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

Google for Education  @GoogleForEdu

Parenting a middle or high schooler in the age of AI? We’ve got you! @Google

and national nonprofit, @aiedu_org partnered up to launch a 10-episode podcast series designed to help parents guide their kids confidently with #AI. Listen here http://goo.gle/3Wo55EN

Mario Nawfal  @MarioNawfal

Replying to  @MarioNawfal

2. AI in the Classroom Students’ worst nightmare is here: AI now decides who gets called to the board. Using advanced neural networks, the system analyses facial expressions and emotions to spot those who may be unprepared or trying to avoid attention.  https://x.com/i/status/1849037253311627517  

‪Susie Dent‬  ‪@susiedentwords.bsky.social‬

Word of the day is ‘fanfaronade’ (19th century): to strut and swagger about as if you own the stage.

‪Eric Curts‬ ‪@ericcurts.bsky.social‬

📓 Upcoming Webinar: NotebookLM for Schools www.controlaltachieve.com/2026/03/nb-w… 🗃️ Add sources 💬 Grounded chat 🔊 Generate audio, video, slides, reports & more 💡 Uses for staff & students 🗓️ Mar 17 @ 3pm ET ▶️ Live-streamed & recorded ✅ Register at link above #EduSky #EduSkyAI #EdTech #GoogleEDU

Resources:  

Dictionary of the World’s Oldest Written Language – Now Free and Online!  

https://www.openculture.com/2026/01/dictionary-of-the-oldest-written-language-free-online.html

Also: 

https://www.pocket-ireland.com/words

More Hidden Google Easter Eggs

https://blog.tcea.org/more-hidden-google-easter-eggs

Most Popular Teacher YouTube Channels of all time – All with free activities

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xXViYtR184LqHV-ieH6PwY5upeDsaYIwwUIeS_UNIj0/edit?gid=438255169#gid=438255169

Just Too Gross

A book of 288 Wicked Wonderful Wordies

A box with the word "clam" written just below the top line.

http://runeman.org/wordies/book/justtoogross.html 

Web Spotlight: 

H5P Awards

Want to see what folks are doing with H5P Content Types?  Here’s a look at some exemplars:  https://h5p.org/the-third-annual-h5p-awards  

When Using AI Leads to “Brain Fry”  

Harvard Business Review does a look at how AI is changing the nature of business.  Does it really offload some cognitive tasks?  

https://hbr.org/2026/03/when-using-ai-leads-to-brain-fry

https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-brain-fry

AI autocomplete doesn’t just change how you write. It changes how you think

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-autocomplete-doesnt-just-change-how-you-write-it-changes-how-you-think

They See Your Photos

Your photos reveal a lot of private information.

In this experiment, we use the Google Vision API to see how much can be inferred about you from a single photo.

See what they see.

https://theyseeyourphotos.com

The world wants to ban children from social media, but there will be grave consequences for us all

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/02/ban-children-social-media-biometic-data-surveilled

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 694: Eyebrows on Fleek!

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about vocabulary, H5P, AI in schools, and more. Dave does data science.

Jokes:

Why do choirs keep buckets handy? 

  • So they can carry their tune

At which school did Sherlock Holmes get so smart? 

  • Elementary.

Did you hear about the shepherd who drove his sheep through town? 

  • He was given a ticket for making a ewe turn.

My IQ test results came back. They were negative.


I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.


If you arrest a mime, do you have to tell him he has the right to remain silent?


I accidentally took my cats meds last night. 

  • Don’t ask meow.

Two silk worms had a race. 

  • They ended up in a tie.

A man fainted on a luggage carousel at the Treetops Airport this morning...He is slowly coming around.

Tire Reference:  https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/22/uniroyal-giant-tire-60-detroit/73414243007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z1138xxu006771e1138xxv005171&gca-ft=243&gca-ds=sophi    

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Misconceptions About Data Science

I was recently reading the January – February  2026 issue of “Science and Children,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “Science 101” written by Matt Bobrowsky. He wrote an article entitled “What is Data, and Is Data Science Really Science?”

In the article, Matt addresses three misconceptions about data science:

1. Data refers only to numbers.

2. Data tells the whole story.

3. It’s computers, not people, who do data science.

https://k12science.net/misconceptions-about-data-science/

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the Day is a reminder of ‘snerdling’: 19th-century dialect for snuggling beneath the covers for as long as possible.

‪Keep Indiana Learning‬ ‪@keepinlearning.bsky.social‬

It’s #FridayFive! 📝 Apply now for the IDOE 2026 Digital Learning Grant! We’re also celebrating new IMPACT Hour sessions, Kevin Dill’s behavior workshop, and our CIESC center construction. Plus, we’re feeling that Indy Final Four energy! 🏗️🏀✨ #EduSky

Friday 5:

‪Eric Curts‬ ‪@ericcurts.bsky.social‬

💎 New EduGem: www.edugems.ai/gem/pe-game-… ⚽ PE Game Inventor – Create fresh, engaging & developmentally appropriate physical education games on the fly based on your specific daily constraints #EduSky #EduSkyAI #EdTech #GoogleEDU

My weekly EdTech newsletter just went out – mailchi.mp/controlaltac… 💎 Gems Webinar 🤝 Job Interview Coach 🎹 MusAILab 🔬 3D NGSS Activity 🌐 Cognates & False Friends 🚗 Carpool Conversations ⚙️ Most Likely Machine 🕹️ Padlet Arcade 🐙 Kira

Strategies:  

Teen Phone Addiction: What Actually Works

Did you know that teens pick up their phones 72 times a day and receive a median of 237 notifications?

Beyond the Screen: Rethinking Teen Phone Addiction.

https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e928

Resources:  

CoSN K12- Innovation Report

Image Whisperer

Media Verification & Research tool, detects AI,

ImageWhisperer doesn’t just output a number. It checks a known fakes database, runs dual AI detection models, looks for SynthID watermarks, performs fifteen forensic tests, applies LLM visual judgment, verifies geographic claims, matches against known events, and synthesizes all evidence into a color-coded verdict with a clear explanation of why.

https://imagewhisperer.org

The Label “Smart” Device Might Not Be a Good Thing: Read Jathan Sadowski’s “Too Smart”

https://the21stcenturyprincipal.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-label-smart-device-might-not-be.html

Are Our Screens and Devices Harming the Very Students We Serve? Perhaps, Here’s a Book to Spark Critical Thinking about Device Addiction in Schools

https://the21stcenturyprincipal.blogspot.com/2026/02/are-our-screens-and-devices-harming.html

Web Spotlight: 

I am a 15-year-old girl. Let me show you the vile misogyny that confronts me on social media every day

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/23/15-year-old-girl-misogyny-social-media-online-abuse

Einstein

Integrates with Canvas (an LMS) to take “watch” all videos, read assignments, write papers, etc.  

Currently a 404 error

https://companion.ai/einstein

Live Webcams Help Kids Notice and Reflect

  • We Teach in Short-Attention Classrooms
  • Middle school is a pivotal moment for learning how to attend. 

https://www.middleweb.com/53130/live-global-feeds-help-kids-slow-down-notice/

Would You Let a Robot Do That for You?

https://www.middleweb.com/53079/would-you-let-a-robot-do-that-for-you/

Random Thoughts . . .  

What Did I Miss?

https://brokenhand.substack.com/p/what-did-i-miss

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 693: B5 to the Conference!

MSM 693: B5 to the Conference!

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about using LLM’s, note taking, jokes, inquiry learning, Spelly, and more. Dave cites Franklin and combines water with Citizen Science.

Jokes:

So you’re saying you weren’t really asking for many? 

  • Just one would have been un oeuf?

What do you call 2 ninjas?

  • A pair of sneakers

What do you do when your bunny gets wet? 

  • You get your hare dryer.

How many apples grow on a tree?

  • All of them

Why do cows wear bells? 

  • Because their horns don’t work.

I am terrified of elevators. 

  • I’m going to start taking steps to avoid them.

Why did the worker get fired from the orange juice factory? 

  • Lack of concentration.

Horse Drawn Carriage is written out above the cartoon image of a horse with a fountain pen and ink drawing a carriage.

Middle School Science Minute  

Facts of Aldophe Sax are presented. 
2 years old, fell out of a second story window and fractured his skull.
6 years old drank boric acid.
9 years old fell off a cliff and broke his leg.
11 years old contracted measles and was in a coma for 9 days. 
Ends with someone clearly didn't want the saxaphone invented.

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

K12Science Podcast: Data and Discovery from the Sea

I was recently reading the January – February  2026 issue of “Science Scope”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “Citizen Science” written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled “Data and Discovery from the Sea to the Science Classroom.”

Students can follow in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin’s study of ocean currents, by participating in the citizen science “Global Ocean Surface Ecosystem Alliance Project (GO-SEA).”  You can learn more about the project at:

https://goseascience.org

https://k12science.net/data-and-discovery-from-the-sea/

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

‪Keep Indiana Learning‬ ‪@keepinlearning.bsky.social‬

Instructional coaches, we see you! 🍎 Take a moment this spring to collaborate and recharge with us. We have great events (virtual + in-person) designed to support your vital work in schools. Learn more & register: keepindianalearning.org/upcoming-eve… #EduSky

‪MiddleWeb‬ ‪@middleweb.bsky.social‬

Review: KEYS TO CREATING A CBE LEARNING SYSTEM. This seminal text by Hess, Colby & Joseph is a comprehensive, practical guide for leaders, teachers & policymakers ready to develop a mastery learning model.  @drkarinhess.bsky.social  #edusky  @corwinpress.bsky.social  www.middleweb.com/53126/creati…

‪Eric Curts‬ ‪@ericcurts.bsky.social‬

💎 New EduGem: www.edugems.ai/gem/job-inte… 🤝 Job Interview Coach – Help students build confidence and competence for the workforce with a friendly and supportive practice job interview #EduSky #EduSkyAI #EdTech #GoogleEDU

💎 New EduGem: www.edugems.ai/gem/mindfuln… 🧘 Mindfulness Break – Quickly manage stress, anxiety, and fatigue with immediate, evidence-based “micro-doses” of mindfulness #EduSky #EduSkyAI #EdTech #GoogleEDU

‪MoodleBox‬ ‪@moodlebox.bsky.social‬

📣 #MoodleBox 4.11.1 is out with #Moodle 5.1+! Install it via #RaspberryPi Imager tool. Thanks

@nmartignoni.bsky.social ❤️ moodlebox.net/en/news/vers… #openedtech #OER

The Guardian‬   ‪@theguardian.com‬

Children’s vocabulary shrinking as reading loses out to screen time, says Susie Dent

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/12/children-vocabulary-shrinking-reading-loses-screen-time-susie-dent?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky&CMP=bsky_gu

Strategies:  

Five Models for Asking Higher Level Questions

https://www.middleweb.com/53033/five-models-for-asking-higher-level-questions/

Resources:  

EdClimb – Micro Inquiry Activities

“We are seeking to disrupt the status quo around how educators receive training and support after they enter the classroom. For too long, teachers and administrators have been reliant on a “one-size fits all model” that struggles to address the variety of strengths, needs, goals, and interests within a single school building. We believe in providing high-quality, research-based, affordable professional development that empowers educators and improves student learning outcomes.”

https://edclimb.com/  or on TpT:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/edclimb  

Spelly

Get instant, detailed feedback on your pronunciation. Our AI analyzes your speech and helps you improve with precise, actionable insights.

https://spelly.online

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 692: What’s In The Teacher’s Lounge

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI in education, social media, student jobs, and more. Dave has part 3 of Data Science Education. 

Jokes:


There are more atoms in a spoonful of water than spoonfuls of water in the ocean.


Coprolites aren’t my favorite fossil but they’re a solid number two.


I do have an old tennis racket you can have.

  • No strings attached.

I’m tired of following my dreams. I’m just going to ask them where they are going and meet up with them later.


Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Data Science Education, Part 3

I was recently reading the November-December 2025 issue of “The Science Teacher”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read a featured article written Matthias Fisher, Cody Pritchard, Zhen Xu, and Joshua Rosenberg. They wrote an article entitled, “Finding Your Way into Data Science Education as a Science Teacher.”

This is the third podcast in a series of three podcasts on the topics of Data, Data Science, and Data Science Education. In this article, the authors aimed to support science teachers without backgrounds in data science. by addressing three major challenges: 

1. The lack of training to teach data science.  

2. The difficulty of designing relevant and engaging data science lessons.  

3. The challenge of teaching data science with limited technological resources.  

In this podcast I address challenge #3 – the challenge of teaching data science with limited technological resources.

https://k12science.net/data-science-education-part-3/

Eileen Award

  • Micah Blachman

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

otacke@otacke@chaos.social

Seems the world will see the new #H5P theming feature on February 23/24 depending on your time zone.

https://

help.h5p.com/hc/en-us/articles

Owen Anderson@resistor@mastodon.online

Glass-breaking hammer. Break glass to access the hammer.

‪DCU Library‬ ‪@dculibrary.bsky.social‬

These quaint sketches illustrating dance etiquette will help you impress your beloved this #ValentinesDay. This guide from the Kildare Place Society will help you hone your dance moves, conduct an effective ‘tête-à-tête’ and manage bouts of fainting.

Melisa Quigley‬ ‪@mquigley1963.bsky.social‬

Good morning, tweethearts. Happy Thursday. Here’s a word of the day I’ve never heard of before. Have you? I think I’ve been a bit wifty at times in my life, what about you? #wifty #wordoftheday

Strategies:  

Resources:

AXIS The Culture Translator

Chicken . . . Banana  

What it is: A new iteration of Gen Alpha’s favorite kind of slang (the meaningless kind) has emerged from a Swedish YouTube channel.

Why it’s… something: If you have managed to make it through the last 12 months without hearing “Chicken Banana,” consider yourself lucky. Crazy Music Channel, a Swedish production team, released “CHICKEN BANANA” in February 2025. A year later, it is still circulating, currently sitting at over 171 million views. What began as a viral dance has shifted into Gen Alpha slang. As much as it may read like AI slop, it was actually made by humans and its origin is sweeter than you’d expect. “With all the bad things happening all over the world, we wanted to do something funny that people could laugh at,” the CEO of the label associated with Crazy Music Channel told Vox (paywall). Like many new slang terms these days, the absence of meaning is the meaning.

Web Spotlight: 

What Powered the World

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/What-Powered-the-World-in-2024__website_Aug14.jpg

We’re still fighting about pandemic-era school closures — but do they still matter?

https://cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/we-re-still-fighting-about-pandemic-era-school-closures-but-do-they-still-matter

Do Some People Really Think Chocolate Milk Comes from Brown Cows?

https://www.livescience.com/59666-do-people-believe-chocolate-milk-from-brown-cows.html

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 691: The Parents Know

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Parent Conferences, and more. Dave examines data science in Part 2.

Jokes:

If you want a job in the moisturizer industry, the best advice I can give is to apply daily.


I was fired from the keyboard factory yesterday.  I wasn’t putting in enough shifts.


Helen Waite is in charge of my complaint department…

if you have an issue with my jokes, you can go to Helen Waite.


Just got a birthday card, opened it up, and a load of rice fell out.

  • It was from Uncle Ben.

Did you hear about the incredibly average philosopher? His name was Mediocrates.


If I were a rapper, I’d be MC Spice. Then I could say, STOP! Hammer Thyme!


Why are robots never afraid?

  • Because they have nerves of steel.

My wife texted me she saw a wolf on the way to work.

My question is how she knew it was on its way to work?…


Who can shave 25 times a day and still have a beard?

  • A barber!

I just got a new job as a street cleaner! Turns out there’s not much training involved, you just pick stuff up as you go along.


This morning, I accidentally ran into the man who once sold me an antique globe.

  • It’s a small world.

Did you hear about the guy who tied his spaghetti together? 

  • He ended up skipping dinner.

I tried taking some high-resolution photos of local farmland, but they all turned out a bit grainy.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: Data Science Education, Part 2

I was recently reading the November-December 2025 issue of “The Science Teacher”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read a featured article written by Matthias Fisher, Cody Pritchard, Zhen Xu, and Joshua Rosenberg. They wrote an article entitled, “Finding Your Way into Data Science Education as a Science Teacher.”

This is the second podcast in a series of three podcasts on the topics of Data, Data Science, and Data Science Education. In this article, the authors aimed to support science teachers without backgrounds in data science. by addressing three major challenges: 

1. The lack of training to teach data science.  

2. The difficulty of designing relevant and engaging data science lessons.  

3. The challenge of teaching data science with limited technological resources.  

In this podcast I address challenge #2 – the difficulty of designing relevant and engaging data science lessons

https://k12science.net/data-science-education-part-2/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Conferences
    • Student Success Meetings
    • Flex Time
    • Drop in Conferences

The Social Web

The OED  @OED

OED #WordOfTheDay: mirabiliary, n. A person who deals in marvels; a collector of marvellous things. View the entry: https://oxford.ly/3O1BZdw

‪Eric Curts‬ ‪@ericcurts.bsky.social‬

💎 New EduGem: www.edugems.ai/gem/educatio… 🗺️ Educational Map Maker – Create a data-rich interactive educational map for any topic with a custom-generated CSV file for Google My Maps #EduSky #EduSkyAI #EdTech #GoogleEDU

‪Keep Indiana Learning‬ ‪@keepinlearning.bsky.social‬

Starting off with a keynote from teacher astronaut Joe Acaba. “Make students uncomfortable – in a good way.” #ExploreWithSally #EduSky

‪MiddleWeb‬ ‪@middleweb.bsky.social‬

Review: AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO GRAMMAR INSTRUCTION. “Not Your Granny’s Grammar is more than just a set of grammar lessons – it’s an invitation to reimagine grammar instruction as lively, meaningful, and integrated with student writing.” #edusky #iteachEnglish https://www.middleweb.com/53072/an-innovative-approach-to-grammar-instruction/  

  ‪Ron King‬ ‪@mthman.bsky.social‬

Happy Blue Friday!! Let’s get another Lombardi trophy  @seahawksofficial.com  #GoHawks #12s

‪MiddleWeb‬ ‪@middleweb.bsky.social‬

WHAT IF EVERY TEACHER TAUGHT MEDIA LITERACY? Media literacy author & consultant Frank Baker shares ideas for working media literacy into lessons across the curriculum. #edusky #medialiteracy  @medialiteracynow.bsky.social  @routledgebooks.bsky.social  #teachersky  www.middleweb.com/53068/what-i…

Strategies:  

Turn Movie Magic Into Literary Analysis With ‘Anatomy of a Scene’

For teachers, these videos become mentor texts and mini-lessons in the crafts of writing and directing, along with analysis. Each “Anatomy of a Scene” gives students an accessible model for speaking and writing analytically about a moment in a text. 

To evaluate learning at the end of our first reading unit using graphic novels, I have my eighth-grade students create their own analyses in the style of “Anatomy of a Scene.” Students read different graphic novels in book clubs, and then they each choose a powerful scene in the texts to analyze, similar to how directors explain the scenes highlighted in the Times series. Above is an example of what the final product looks like.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/learning/lesson-plans/turn-movie-magic-into-literary-analysis-with-anatomy-of-a-scene.html

https://www.nytimes.com/column/anatomy-of-a-scene

Resources:  

Applause Meter

https://scenicandlighting.com/applause

Digital Snacks

Digital snacks are free, no login, browser-based, and low prep.

https://padlet.com/tonyv/digital-snacks-nhsoen1ooi67cit4

Web Spotlight: 

AI Is Accelerating Inequity

You may have heard of the recent (still not yet peer-reviewed) study at MIT that showed that students using Large Language Models (LLMs, such as ChatGPT) to perform writing tasks demonstrated reduced brain activity and showed little retention of the text that was created as a result.  

The pandemic shift will be mild compared to what we may soon see from the ChatGPT generation

https://open.substack.com/pub/thefreemanmag/p/ai-is-accelerating-cognitive-inequality

Here’s Advice I Gave To My Student Teacher Grandson This Week About Student Engagement

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2026/01/22/heres-advice-i-gave-to-my-student-teacher-grandson-this-week-about-student-engagement/

Random Thoughts . . .

5 Things to Know About Today’s Teaching Force

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/5-things-to-know-about-todays-teaching-force/2018/10

You Can Find Us At . . . 

Gen AI Conference at Eastern Michigan University, March 16th

https://www.emich.edu/facdev/events/gen-ai-spring-summit.php

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 690: Bringing Back the Ancient Art . . .

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI in education. Dave has the first part of a three part series on Data Science.

Jokes:

I keep falling off my bike and injuring myself.

  • It’s a really vicious cycle.

What did 50 Cent do when he was hungry? 

  • 58

Thoughts from the desk of someone with a terrible cold…

An empty tissue box…

  • is nothing to sneeze at…

There’s a gang going through our town, systematically shoplifting clothes in size order.

  • The police believe they’re still at large.

Nothing embarrasses a psychic more than throwing them a surprise party.


I can’t figure out why Marvel hasn’t put any advertisements on the Incredible Hulk.

  • He’s basically a giant banner.

I’ve got an addiction to Cheddar cheese.

  • It’s only mild though.

Chocolate comes from cocoa, which is a tree.

That makes it a plant.

Therefore, chocolate is salad.


What do you call a funny mosquito?

  • Malarious!

There’s only one rule in learning English.

  • Their our know rules.

Waiter, this coffee tastes like mud!

  • Yes sir, it’s fresh ground.

I made a pizza with liver. Nobody liked it…

  • So I had to deliver it.

Today’s top fact: 

  • 50% of Canada is A.

My boss at Pixar and I got into a fight over our lack of new movies.

  • But then we made Up.

I started a band called 999 Megabytes…

We still haven’t gotten a gig yet.


I threw a party for all the workers who helped build my house.

The door guy showed up late…

  • but he really knew how to make an entrance.

I have a profound fear of speed bumps…

  • but I’m slowly getting over it.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Data Science Education, Part 1

I was recently reading the November-December 2025 issue of “The Science Teacher”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read a featured article written Matthias Fisher, Cody Pritchard, Zhen Xu, and Joshua Rosenberg. They wrote an article entitled, “Finding Your Way into Data Science Education as a Science Teacher.”

This is the first podcast of three podcasts on the topics of Data, Data Science, and Data Science Education.  In this article, the authors aimed to support science teachers without backgrounds in data science. by addressing three major challenges:  

1.  The lack of training to teach data science.  

2. The difficulty of designing relevant and engaging data science lessons.  

3. The challenge of teaching data science with limited technological resources.  

In this podcast I address challenge #1. 

https://k12science.net/data-science-education-part-1/

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

‪Keep Indiana Learning‬ ‪@keepinlearning.bsky.social‬

Did you catch the latest episode of “Other Duties As Assigned?” It’s a good one where Principal Brent Schwanekamp shares how to “build culture 5 minutes at a time.” Check it out – www.youtube.com/live/3OJuCIr… #EduSky

‪Keep Indiana Learning‬ ‪@keepinlearning.bsky.social‬

“Let’s put educator fingerprints all over AI.” Sounds like a great idea! Check out this fantastic conversation our Innovation Coaches hosted with Author Richard Culatta – www.youtube.com/live/MFg8fXm… #EduSky

‪Dublin City University‬   ‪@dublincityuni.bsky.social‬

How children are thinking about work and careers from a very young age. Piece by Aisling Murray Fleming  @guidance-aisling.bsky.social, Assistant Professor in the School of Human Development

@dcuioe.bsky.social, for @rtebrainstorm.bsky.social. Read more: launch.dcu.ie/4akh91D #RTEBrainstorm

‪Eric Curts‬ ‪@ericcurts.bsky.social‬

💎 New EduGem: www.edugems.ai/gem/story-wr… 📖 Story Writer – Create high-quality, engaging stories tailored to your specific classroom needs and content #EduSky #EduSkyAI #EdTech #GoogleEDU  Infographic:  https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:bojmet4wbfkvvy5tnojvzlai/bafkreiep75t46uqp2iresqidcg4soioulj4g3ymjqnzguowhkpkr2dvjli@jpeg  

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

Antisocial Media

What it is: Remember when your social media feed was mostly made up of people you actually knew? Well, New York Magazine (paywalled) wrote about how algorithms could be making us more individualistic, instead of connecting us like tech companies promised they would.

Why it matters: “Don’t believe everything you see on the internet” was once a common adage from parents to their children, and it is perhaps more relevant today than it has ever been. But as our algorithms become more tailored, each of us grows more convinced that what we are seeing is true, and that it is other people who have been duped. A leaked Meta memo from 2022 laid out its short-form content strategy, aimed at competing with TikTok, which focused on shifting from “social” to “unconnected” content. The results? Today, no person’s algorithm is like another’s; each person’s feed is a unique silo of their interests, political leanings, and everything in between. Instead of being a place to connect with others, social media has become hyperspecific and insular.  

My Short Answer

My Short Answer turns writing into a fun game activity.  5 different games to choose from.  Some are competitive and some are cooperative.  Never thought my kids would request to do this activity, but they do!  www.myshortanswer.com  

Web Spotlight: 

How To Strengthen Your Kids’ Brains in 12 Weeks, According to a Neurologist

https://www.newsweek.com/how-strengthen-your-kids-brains-12-weeks-neurologist-11345528

Finite Eyes: The Book

https://matthewcheney.net/blog/finite-eyes-the-book/

https://matthewcheney.net/books/finite-eyes/

The Secrets Behind 5 Optical Illusions

Optical illusions are more than just magic tricks for the eyes — they’re a fascinating peek into the mysterious workings of the brain. At their core, these illusions are about how we interpret visual information: Our eyes take in light and send signals to the brain, but sometimes these signals get mixed up, leading to perceptions that don’t align with reality. Some optical illusions use contrast, perspective, and light refraction to deceive the brain; others work on a more complex cognitive level, tapping into the subconscious mind.

https://interestingfacts.com/optical-illusion-secrets/

Is Educational Technology All It’s Cracked Up to Be?

https://micahblachman.beehiiv.com/p/is-educational-technology-all-it-s-cracked-up-to-be

World Math(s) Day

World Math Day is a 48-hour global contest that in its 18-year history has brought together over 10 million students who’ve answered over 1 BILLION questions. For 2026, WMD is on March 25 and we’re on a quest to make it the BIGGEST math contest ever!

https://www.3plearning.com/world-maths-day/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Melvindale Youth in Government Draft AI Bill (Very much in progress!)   

Bill No HB 1

Category: 

Delegation: Strong Middle School

Introduced By:  

 This Bill will mandate added restrictions on the use of AI in public schools. 

 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1. Section 1:

2. All students who use AI should be supervised in school so they can only use AI 3-5 times a day. However, if they use it to cheat, they will lose the privilege to use AI. Students who are using AI are encouraging people to cheat like college kids. 

 3. Section 2:

4. If students continue to use AI throughout the year and don’t obey the policy, then AI will be banned on all devices.

5. Section 3: 

6. All kids who use AI should be supervised in school so they can only use AI 3-5 times a day. And if they use it to cheat, they will lose the privilege to use AI.

8. Section 4:

9. The state of Michigan will enforce this.

25% of Harvard students use AI in school

Who or what does it impact: 

It impacts kids who want to cheat.

Background: 

–  Information on its working

Benefits of this bill: 

This bill will benefit all teachers, ensuring that their students do not cheat. 

Drawbacks:

One drawback is that kids will have to get used to not using AI all the time. And with that being said, kids will have to start learning and paying attention more instead of their work on assignments being done for them, and all they have to do is copy something down. Though this may set a repeat in grades, as kids do not pay attention and fail classes.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!