MSM 703: Improv, Sense of Play, Fun
Summary:
Shawn and Troy talk about AI, screen limits, end of year and more. Dave invites us outside to learn.
Jokes:
I asked the surgeon, ‘Can I administer my own anesthetic?’
The surgeon said, ‘Go ahead, knock yourself out.’
Archaeologists have discovered an oil stain that might be more than a thousand years old.
- It is Ancient Grease.
Did a little mechanic work today.
- Put a rear end in a recliner!
In a knot contest, is the score always tied?
Video games are great, they let you try your craziest fantasies.
For example, on The Sims, you can have a job and own your own house.
Hearing reports that Sting has been kidnapped.
- The police haven’t got a lead.
Might wake up early and go for a jog.
Might also win the lottery… odds are about the same.
I’ve dedicated my whole life to finding a cure for insomnia. I won’t rest until I find it.
A lamb, a drum, and a snake fell off a cliff.
Baa, dum, sss.
Marry a zombie.
They always make you dinner.
My cat knocked over my grandmother’s ashes. The Roomba got to them before I did, and now it beeps at me until I give it a Virginia Slim.
My wife asked me to take out a spider instead of killing it. Took him out for coffee. Nice guy, web designer.
Middle School Science Minute
by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com)
K12Science Podcast: Why Learn Outdoors?
I was recently reading the March – April 2026, issue of Science and Children, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.
In this issue I read an article written by Mary Starr, Jordan Sherry-Wagner, Carrie Tzou, Megan Bang, Shirin Vossoughi, and Anna Lees. They wrote an article entitled “Place Matters.”
Outdoor learning is not simply a change in instructional setting, but a shift in relationships among children, educators, families, and the socio-ecological systems they inhabit. Outdoor learning, when historicized and relationally grounded, becomes a practice of responsibility, connection, and future-making.
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/k12science/id/41538065
Reports from the Front Lines
- 2. 5 Days
- Shawn’s plans for the 12th
- PD Extra Day
- Senior Walk
- Genius Week
- Apple Event
- Transition
The Social Web
MiddleWeb @middleweb.bsky.social
This free summer Math Summit looks great. 3 days of practical support. 30+ K-12 Math Experts (including some of MiddleWeb’s most-read contributors). #edusky #iteachmath #mtbos #mathed www.collaboratedwithjuliana.com/summit
Do you (or someone you know) have the vision, experience, and passion to provide strategic leadership for AMLE? AMLE is now accepting nominations for two open positions on our Board of Trustees! Learn more and apply by June 30th: amle.org/getinvolved
Nominations for AMLE’s Educator of the Year are due July 15th! Gather inspiration from Katrina Hill (2025 honoree), and review the 2026 nomination requirements: 👉ow.ly/QpVM50Z7h7x
Do you (or someone you know) have the vision, experience, and passion to provide strategic leadership for AMLE? AMLE is now accepting nominations for two open positions on our Board of Trustees! Learn more and apply by June 30th: amle.org/getinvolved
Brickfield Education Labs @brickfield.bsky.social
Moodle Tip: Replace ‘Click here’ with descriptive links like ‘Download syllabus (PDF)’. #Accessibility #BrickfieldTips
Strategies:
Edutopia: Increasing Engagement with Improv Games
In school, students often feel pressure to produce polished answers or perfect test scores, so improv offers something increasingly rare: permission to play, fail, experiment, have fun, and try again.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/improv-games-high-school-english
KidProv: http://improvsmart.com/kidprov/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/645210.Improvisation
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4szkMUKGvk&pp=ygUZSW1wcm92aXNhdGlvbiBCcmFkIE5ld3Rvbg%3D%3D
Web Spotlight:
Teen boys are choosing AI girlfriends over real-life relationships — with disastrous consequences: expert
When Tech CEOs Make Predictions About AI, Remember They Are Trying to Dictate the Acceptance of Their Product
https://the21stcenturyprincipal.blogspot.com/2026/06/when-tech-ceos-make-predictions-about.html
The Screen Time Excuse: Why Blaming EdTech Isn’t The Solution We Are Looking For
https://www.ajjuliani.com/blog/the-screen-time-excuse-why-blaming-edtech-wont-fix-our-problems
Why School Phone Bans Aren’t About Kids
https://www.newsweek.com/school-phone-bans-nber-teachers-students-11914244
Largest-ever study of school cellphone bans finds mixed results
It’s the Teacher That Matters Most in Teaching and Learning, Not Screens, Not AI…That’s The Lesson Needed for School Leaders in All These Screen Ban Efforts
https://the21stcenturyprincipal.blogspot.com/2026/06/its-teacher-that-matters-most-in.html
AXIS The Culture Translator
Lunch Shaming
What it is: “Lunch shaming,” a form of bullying where classmates will secretly take photos of their peers eating lunch and share the images on social media, is reportedly on the rise, with 14% of elementary students and 18% of middle and high school students reporting being bullied in the cafeteria in the last month.
Why it’s a thing: It is a truth universally acknowledged that mid-bite, nobody looks glamorous. The Wall Street Journal reported that the shaming tends to fall into two categories: the lonely eater (caught eating alone) and the ugly mouthful. As a result, some kids have stopped eating lunch at school altogether. One 18-year-old told the WSJ that one of his good friends was biting into a turkey sandwich—then, a camera flash. After the photo circulated the school during their freshman year, they did not eat in front of anyone again for years. When one school district in Washington implemented a full-day phone ban, staff noticed an increase in the number of middle-school students eating lunch.
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