Summary:
Shawn and Troy talk about AI in the classroom, gamification of writing, and more. Dave focuses on the Museum.
Jokes:
My Laptop keeps singing “Hello”.
- It’s a Dell
In a perfect world, shopping mall disputes would be settled in Food Court.
Getting a salary for being a subject of sleep research is my dream job.
You’ll never hear a billionaire say, “I feel like a million bucks! “
Why can’t you put two half dollars in your pocket?
- Two halves make a hole, so your money will fall out.
Really understanding why Yoda chose to die, instead of answering more of Luke’s questions.
Parallel lines have so much in common.
- It’s a shame they’ll never meet.
You can say “Have a nice day” without any problem, but using the phrase “enjoy the next 24 hours” can sound slightly threatening.
I just bought an answering machine.
- What should I ask it?
Findlater, Saskatchewan, Canada
Middle School Science Minute
by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com)
K12Science Podcast: Museum Educator
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 the section, “Career of the Month” written by Luba Vangelova. She wrote an article entitled, “Museum-Based Educator Tammy Cook-Endres.”
Museum-based science educators encourage curiosity and hands-on learning about science. Depending on their areas of expertise, they may work with children, adults, or people of all ages. The field of museum education is most suitable for people who have some teaching experience, enjoy working with people, and can inspire a love of science.
https://k12science.net/museum-educator/
Reports from the Front Lines
- My Short Answer
- Curriculum & AI
- ClassWise
- Cell Phone Bill: HB 4141 (Michigan Legislature) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4141
The Social Web
I love how the word ‘atone’ wears its heart on its sleeve. It began as ‘at one’, because to atone is to bring back unity. Atonement is really ‘at-one-ment’. In the same way, ‘alone’ began as ‘all one’.
This one from Carl Hendrick really has me thinking — and valuing the time spent reading it: The Algorithmic Turn: The Emerging Evidence On AI Tutoring That’s Hard to Ignore https://open.substack.com/pub/carlhendri
Ron King @mthman.bsky.social
Good morning from a 29° #PNW #PNWONDERLAND
Eric Curts @ericcurts.bsky.social
Back home from another amazing FETC! It was so wonderful to get to learn with so many amazing educators, catch up with old friends, and make new ones. All of the resources from all of my sessions can be found at www.controlaltachieve.com/2026/01/fetc… #EduSky #FETC #EdTech
Strategies:
Plan, Learn & Present Faster with NotebookLM and Gemini 3 Together
1. Streamlined Research and Information Synthesis
2. Professional-Grade Content Creation
3. Enhanced Learning and Training Tools
4. Competitive Analysis Made Simple
5. Integration with Gemini for Interactive Outputs
6. Customization and Accessibility
7. Applications in Marketing and Strategic Planning
https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/notebooklm-gemini-integration-2026/
Resources:
Two Truths and AI
Two Truths & AI is an interactive digital literacy game for grades K–12 that teaches students to identify AI-generated content and develop critical media literacy skills. Through an engaging, 60-second challenge, students try to distinguish between real and AI-generated movie posters. It’s a fun way for students to test their AI detective skills, while also building their critical thinking muscles.
https://www.commonsense.org/two-truths-and-ai
Visual Guides for Educators
Part of the work I do focuses on simplifying complex educational ideas, synthesizing research and practice, and turning them into clear, classroom-ready visuals. I design these posters to support teachers, educators, and researchers who want quick, reliable references they can actually use.
Below is a sample of the visuals I created this year. Each one distills a concept, framework, or strategy into a format that works for professional learning, teaching, and discussion.
Please note all visuals and guides shared here are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International License and may be used for educational purposes only. Selling, redistributing for profit, or other commercial uses are not allowed.
https://medkharbach.com/visuals/
LangGuesser
Guess the language’s country by its accent
Reach My Teach
Web Spotlight:
Trevor Muir
One of the great gifts of the 21st century is that you never have to be bored again. All you have to do at a red light or in line at the grocery store is pull out the supercomputer in your pocket and pass the time with emails, headlines, or puppy videos.
And one of the great curses of the 21st century is that you never have to be bored again.
My Short Answer
Short Answer is grounded in research based best practice in formative assessment and writing instruction. Our theory of change below explains how teachers and students can use Short Answer to improve learning outcomes. This theory guides the development of Short Answer. You can read more about it below and check out our efforts to study this theory in our efficacy portfolio.
AXIS The Culture Translator
Slang of the Week:
Choppelganger
A hybrid of two words, choppelganger combines the slang term “chopped” with “doppelganger.” If someone is “chopped,” it means they’re unattractive or undesirable (a definition you can find in our updated Parent Guide to Teen Slang!), and a doppelganger is someone with an uncanny resemblance to someone else. Put together, choppelganger basically means someone who looks like someone else but is uglier, like a cheap knock-off. So fathers, if someone calls you Brad Pitt’s choppelganger, it might not be a compliment.
Random Thoughts . . .
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