Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss the TikTok ban, Supreme Court, and more. Dave is focused on Expanding Science Knowledge. 

Jokes:  

All generalizations are false, including this one.

— Mark Twain

---

What do you get when you cross a chicken with a skunk? 

• A fowl smell!

Rumination has nothing to do with rum, rummy or a nation that loves both.

---

What do you call a guy lying on your doorstep? 

• Matt.

Time may be a great healer but it’s a lousy plastic surgeon.

---

Why do nuns have problems with disposing of their clothing?

• Because old habits die hard

---

What’s the best thing about elevator jokes? 

• They work on so many levels.

Remember, if you misspell armageddon it’s not the end of the world.

---

What is Intermittent fasting?

• Driving between speed cameras

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: Expanding Science Knowledge

I was recently reading the November/December 2024 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the “Guest Editorial” column, written by Emily Adah Miller and Ayca Fackler.  They wrote an article entitled, “Expanding Science Knowledge Through Expansive Science Teaching.”  

To prepare students for future scientific endeavor and to be scientifically literate world citizens, teachers must challenge the status quo, pushing the limits of science education by using local place to contextualize and increase science understanding.

http://k12science.net/expanding-science-knowledge/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Live Supreme Court Feed
  • https://wng.org/podcasts/legal-docket-the-courtroom-artist-and-the-pursuit-of-justice-1734233264  
• PowerSchool Breach
• Assessment season

The Social Web

Keep Indiana Learning‬ ‪@keepinlearning.bsky.social‬

Registration for TIE-IN 2025 is open! Educators, explore the “behind the scenes” of industries across the state to see what employers are looking for in new hires & the jobs your students may have someday. Stipends available upon completion! Register now! buff.ly/3DzH4ED

‪Rick Wormeli‬ ‪@rickwormeli.bsky.social‬

As you do some prof reading over this holiday, consider how you will process and apply it instead of just highlighting it or simply grunting, “Hmm, that’s interesting,” and move on, never to retrieve it again. Here’s a piece w/some ideas on that: www.amle.org/just-did-som…

Ken Burns  @KenBurns

Our next film, The American Revolution, will air on @PBS starting Nov. 16. Leading up to the broadcast, we’ll have a national conversation about this important event and how it helped define us as a people – and changed the world. More info is here:  https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1877402515198623744/9Y71_Ln3?format=jpg&name=medium  

Lucy Worsley @Lucy_Worsley

Tonight on @BBCTwo on 9 – I’m in the very room at the@TowerOfLonwhere Guy Fawkes was interrogated after being caught trying to blow up the Houses of Parliament. This week on #LucyWorsleyInvestigates, we investigate THE GUNPOWDER PLOT! https://bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00

Lucy Worsley @Lucy_Worsley

NEWSFLASH! It’s a new year and a new life for me … if you’d like to join me on my latest adventures in the past, subscribe to my brand-new newsletter! lucyworsley.substack.com  

MiddleWeb  @middleweb

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP – Six Keys Unlock Innovative Instructional Change. Successful school innovations have clear vision & purpose, full collaboration & a commitment to monitor & adjust. Ron Williamson and @BarbBlackburn  share 6 keys. #edleaders #educoach https://middleweb.com/51702/leading-  

‪Rick Wormeli‬ ‪@rickwormeli.bsky.social‬

ICYMI, here’s my latest piece w/ideas on what to do when you have an extra 15 minutes in a lesson or at the end of the year after testing is done & students are less focused. Let’s use the time well, in substantive activities that advance student learning and creativity. www.amle.org/when-the-les…

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the Day is ‘uhtcearu’ [ucht-kay-aru, with the ‘ch’ as in the Scottish ‘loch’]: Old English for ‘the sorrow before dawn’, when you lie awake in the darkness and worries crowd your mind.

Strategies:  

How Students Learn to Be Generous Listeners

https://www.middleweb.com/51719/some-ways-we-might-teach-generous-listening/

Resources:  

Book:  The Queen Like Closet

Free book of recipes and an example of language back in the day . . . 

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14377

ClassQuiz

Can use Markdown to create. 

Free. Open source. 

Privacy Policy

https://classquiz.de/docs/privacy-policy

Follow on Mastodon: https://fosstodon.org/@classquiz 

‪https://classquiz.de/ 

A Collaborative Math Classroom that Works

https://www.middleweb.com/51715/a-collaborative-math-classroom-that-works/

Web Spotlight: 

OATutor

OATutor revolutionizes personalized education by offering an open-source, adaptive learning platform tailored to every course by utilizing leading edge GenAI research. Whether you’re a teacher, researcher, or student, OATutor provides the tools you need to succeed.

Completed:

• OpenStax Elementary Algebra
• OpenStax Intermediary Algebra
• OpenStax College Algebra

In Progress: 

• OpenStax Statistics
• OpenStax Physics

https://www.oatutor.io/ 

ActivityWatch

ActivityWatch is an app that automatically tracks how you spend time on your devices.

It is open source, privacy-first, cross-platform, and a great alternative to services like RescueTime, ManicTime, and WakaTime.

It can be used to keep track of your productivity, time spent on different projects, bad screen habits, or just to understand how you spend your time.

https://activitywatch.net

Ansel Adams

In 1943, Ansel Adams (1902-1984), America’s most well-known photographer, documented the Manzanar War Relocation Center in California and the Japanese-Americans interned there during World War II. For the first time, digital scans of both Adams’s original negatives and his photographic prints appear side by side allowing viewers to see Adams’s darkroom technique, in particular, how he cropped his prints. Adams’s Manzanar work is a departure from his signature style landscape photography. Although a majority of the more than 200 photographs are portraits, the images also include views of daily life, agricultural scenes, and sports and leisure activities (see Collection Highlights). When offering the collection to the Library in 1965, Adams said in a letter, “The purpose of my work was to show how these people, suffering under a great injustice, and loss of property, businesses and professions, had overcome the sense of defeat and dispair [sic] by building for themselves a vital community in an arid (but magnificent) environment….All in all, I think this Manzanar Collection is an important historical document, and I trust it can be put to good use.” The web site also includes digital images of the first edition of Born Free and Equal, Adams’s publication based on his work at Manzanar.

https://www.loc.gov/collections/ansel-adams-manzanar/about-this-collection

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about break, competencies, learning, and more. Dave expands upon teaching. 

Jokes:  

Why did the burglar hang his mugshot on the wall? 

• To prove that he was framed!

What do you call a religious man who talks alot but doesn’t say anything?

• A hot air friar

Coffee was just voted the best drink in the nation.

• But it was unfair, there were absent tea ballots.

---

What kind of tea is hard to swallow?

• Reality

My friend who works as an upholsterer was in a bad accident.

• Right now he’s recovering in a hospital…

A person may have five thousand LinkedIn connections and not one soul to water their plants while away.

---

I just broke my guitar. 

• It’s okay, I won’t fret

My complimentary hotel breakfast did not tell me I looked nice even once.

---

Do you know what the death rate around here is?

• One per person

---

Not to  brag, but I remember 2024 like it was last week.

---

---

---

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Expansive Science Teaching

I was recently reading the November/December 2024 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Note” column, written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.  She wrote an article entitled, “Expansive Science Teaching Practices.”  

Expansive learning theory, rooted in activity theory, provides a framework for how learners create new knowledge and practices for novel situations.

 http://k12science.net/expansive-science-teaching/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Back to Work
• Competencies
  • Real world based
  • Moodle tracking
  •  Learning Plans in Moodle
• Curriculum vs Resources
• Keybow2040

The Social Web

Dru Tomlin@DruTomlin_AMLE

Get the  @FearlessSchools  podcast now! We are now live on Apple Podcasts. Like, subscribe and share! Help us spread the word.

OER Project @OERProject

Looking for fresh world history instructional ideas and great conversation? Check out OER Project’s Age of Exploration Community Board! Let’s share strategies, insights, and spark discussions on this pivotal era in history. https://tinyurl.com/3a8fyrrt

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the Day is ‘hunch-weather’ (19th century): weather so cold it makes you hunch your shoulders when you walk outside.

MiddleWeb  @middleweb

REVIEW: Creating Classrooms Where Students Feel Included. Belonging in School is packed with evidence-based modules, actions & strategies that will create a place where students feel included and teachers want to stay, writes NBCT Ruth A.S. Miller. https://middleweb.com/51680/creating

‪Dr. Kerryane‬ ‪@drkerryane.bsky.social‬

This.

Always telling my college students that success in anatomy is all about memorization-you have to actually know the names of structures. To do that requires practice with repetition & time in between. That’s it. Then you can develop understanding of rlships and physio concepts. #AnatomyEdu 🍎

‪John Warner‬ ‪@biblioracle.bsky.social‬

Reply to  John Warner

Writing should be hard, but it’s that difficulty that ultimately makes it “fun” and a way for students to develop self-regulation, self-esteem, self-knowledge. It’s an amazing vehicle for personal development. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/blog…

Hart Wilson‬ ‪@riversidehart.bsky.social‬

What versions are you moving from and to? I have an extensive “what’s new” doc for going from 3.11 to 4.1 that you’re welcome to adapt. docs.google.com/document/d/1…

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

Five Conversation Starters for 2025

• What are some things you’re most excited about for 2025?
  
• Is there anything you’re nervous or worried about for this year?
  
• What’s something you’d love to learn or try this year?
  
• What’s been on your heart lately? Is there anything you’ve been thinking about?
  
• What qualities do you admire in others, and which ones would you like to develop in yourself?

National History Day

A National History Day^® (NHD) project is your way of presenting your historical argument, research, and interpretation of your topic’s significance in history. NHD projects can be created individually or as part of a group. There are two entry divisions: Junior (grades 6–8) or Senior (grades 9–12). After reading the Contest Rule Book and learning about the annual theme, you’re ready to dig in!  

https://nhd.org/en/

Open Historical Map

OpenHistoricalMap is an interactive map of the world throughout history, created by people like you and dedicated to the public domain.

https://www.openhistoricalmap.org/#map=5/51.468/-0.088&layers=O&date=1925-01-04&daterange=1825-01-01,2025-12-31

How To Help Kids Use Devices Responsibly

In this episode of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast, I sit down with Jordan Shapiro, author of The New Childhood: Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World. We tackle one of the most pressing challenges for parents and teachers today: how to help kids develop healthy relationships with their devices. From cell phone bans to managing screen time, we dive into the heart of the frustrations many adults face when navigating technology with children.

Whether you’re a parent worried about your child’s constant attachment to their phone or a teacher managing the disruption devices can cause in the classroom, this episode is for you.

https://www.coolcatteacher.com/how-to-help-kids-use-devices-responsibly

Web Spotlight: 

Postpone Your Pleasures

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/postpone-your-pleasures/681019/ https://archive.md/xC1vo 

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Troy and Shawn talk about Common Courtesy, pedagogy around Social Studies, some jokes, and more. Dave not only is a Gem, but shares a Gemologist perspective. 

Jokes:  

I used to be a banker, 

• but I lost interest.

What do you call a convicted criminal going down the stairs? 

• Condescending

As we were driving down the road, Sweet Caroline came on the radio. I said to my son, Little known fact, Neil Diamond used to be called Neil Coal. Until the pressure got to him.

---

if you like telling dad jokes and you’re not a dad.

• You’re a faux pa.

---

I used to work at a stationery store.  But, I didn’t feel like I was going anywhere.

• So, I got a job at a travel agency.  Now, I know I’ll be going places.

---

I failed my fire safety course when I was asked what steps I would take in case there was an explosion.

• Really large ones was an unacceptable answer apparently.

---

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

---

Did you know that you can be a world famous writer in only two steps?

• Choose a selection of words 
• Put them in the correct order

---

---

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Gemologist

I was recently reading the November/December 2024 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the “Career of the Month” column, written by Luba Vangelova.  She wrote an article entitled, “Gemologist Nathan Renfro.” 

Gemologists study and assess the properties, quality and rarity of gemstones.  They can work in jewelry stores, appraisal firms, gemstone trading companies, or laboratories.

 http://k12science.net/gemologist/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Books
• Family Time
• Social Studies Enrichment Curriculum
  • Politicraft Article
  • Michigan Youth in Government
  • Scenarios – Foundation for Teaching Economics
  • Memorization Resources:  https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/year-of-memory-work/  

The Social Web

Cult of Pedagogy  @cultofpedagogy

Even the best-laid plans can fall apart. This week I interview Claire English from The Unteachables about how to get your classroom management back on track.  https://t.co/Lo7PtvW5GU  

Randy   @Randy_Man_h

I found the route that my parents took to school and back.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1872821807138652310

John R. Sowash  @jrsowash

Student Skills Checklist: Help students master essential tech skills with this comprehensive checklist, tailored for all grade levels:  http://chrmbook.com/back-to-school-survival-kit-13-classroom-templates-every-teacher-needs/ 

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

A few potential words of the day: Joblijock: a disturber of domestic peace (small children, cantankerous uncles, etc). Yule-hole: the furthest notch in your belt that you need to resort to at Christmas. Confelicity: joy in other people’s happiness.

Susie Highley  @shighley

This article also shares many of the benefits for those who do read. (Also connected to fewer readers- loss of certified librarians and well-stocked libraries.)  https://www.upworthy.com/teacher-reveals-the-really-obvious-reason-teens-no-longer-read-its-not-just-the-phones  

Quote from the article:  “Adults have lowered the bar for how much you should read as a teenager so far that the bar cannot be found.”  

‪Gerard Elwood‬ ‪@gerardelwood.bsky.social‬  

The annual release of State Papers reveals details of events from 1994 to 2004, including Boris Yeltsin’s Shannon Airport mishap and government disputes over Israeli arms deals. 📜🇮🇪

www.rte.ie/news/2024/12…  

Christopher Harris‪@principalh.bsky.social‬

Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops.

#education #teachers #EduSky

Resources:  

86 Stories of Progress from 2024

https://fixthenews.com/86-stories-progress-2024

Create Art or Modify Images

https://openart.ai/home

Three Keys to Being A Great Teacher

https://blog.acthompson.net/2024/12/three-keys-to-being-great-teacher.html

Image Accessibility

Enhance the accessibility of your course images with our intuitive tool. Designed to effortlessly generate alt text and detailed descriptions, as well as extract text from slides and images that are not accessible, our tool simplifies the creation of inclusive content. Just upload your image and hit ‘Create Image Details.’ Within seconds, you’ll see the generated content appear on the right side of the screen. Need to tailor the descriptions further? Easily add more specifics with the ‘Add Details’ option and generate updated descriptions to perfectly meet your needs.

This tool currently utilizes the GPT-4o model provided by OpenAI. We are using their API platform, which ensures the data sent is not retained or stored to improve their training or models.

https://asuo-ai-labs.streamlit.app/Image_Accessibility

Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools List

Web accessibility evaluation tools are software programs or online services that help you determine if web content meets accessibility guidelines. This page provides a list of such tools.

https://www.w3.org/WAI/test-evaluate/tools/list

Public Domain Day

January 1, 2025 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1929 are open to all, as are sound recordings from 1924!

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2025

Web Spotlight: 

AXIS The Culture Translator

Top issues among teens for 2024

3. Gen Z’s Response to the War in Gaza: At the close of 2023, most conversations around the October 7 attack on Israel were still centered around the hope of getting Israeli hostages back

2. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: Even though concerns about smartphones and social media aren’t new, the publication of The Anxious Generation by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt seemed to represent a tipping point.

1. “Brain Rot”: Oxford declared “brain rot” to be their word of the year, which refers to the “supposed deterioration” of someone’s brain, caused by engaging with “trivial or unchallenging” (as Oxford puts it) online content.  

The Unteachables Academy 

“You want to run your classroom with calm confidence, but oh boy you know that is easier said than done! That’s where I come in. I’m passionate about providing the training, resources, and support needed to transform the behaviours and culture of your classroom, so you can get back to teaching! Have a browse of how you can have me in your corner.”

https://www.the-unteachables.com

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss Moodle Update, Greek God Projects, Drones, and more. Dave asks “Why”?

Jokes:  

We all know Albert Einstein was a genius

• but his brother Frank was a monster.

---

I stayed up all night wondering where the sun went.

• Then it dawned on me.

---

Werewolves are notoriously hard to find…

• Otherwise they’d be known as Therewolves.

---

My movie about the ceasefire…

• Is on its last day of shooting.

---

What kind of bug can you wear?

• A Yellow Jacket

What do you call it when the crew gives the Captain the silent treatment?

• A Muteny

Did you know that now is a good time to buy Angel’s Wings?

• There on Clarence

---

It’s time for people to stop looking up and complaining every night. 

• There’s no reason to DRONE on and on about it.
• I won all the trophies at the Janitor Association Awards.
• It was a clean sweep.

---

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Asking Why

Recently, I had the pleasure of reading the November-December 2024 issue of “The Science Teacher,” a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

Within this issue, I encountered the “Right to the Source” section, authored by Michael Apfeldorft. His article, titled “Joyfully Asking Why,” provided insightful information on a list of questions compiled by Carl Sagan and his wife, author/producer Ann Druyan.

In the mid-1990’s, Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan conceived of an interesting way to help young learners confidently ask questions and think about the world around them.  Carl and Ann compiled a list of 150 questions to develop a book series, where the title of each book would begin simply with the word WHY?   To download this manuscript of questions, please, visit:

https://www.loc.gov/item/cosmos000083

http://k12science.net/asking-why/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Break Plans
• How Did You Handle the Day Before Break
• Sweets!

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘apanthropist’ (18th century): someone who dislikes company and desires to be left alone.

NJAMLE  @NJAMLE

Happy Holidays from NJAMLE! We wish everyone a wonderful and restful break and a Happy New Year!

Figen  @TheFigen_

So smart Grandma.  https://x.com/i/status/1870248833868874027  

‪Bronwyn Desjardins‬ ‪@bronwynwritehttps://x.com/i/status/1870248833868874027s.bsky.social‬

Just leaving this here #EduSky

Glow Scot  @GlowScot

Looking to create a Christmas quiz for your learners? You can make your own quizzes for learners to complete using H5P in #GlowScot Blogs! Take a look at these examples for some ideas! https://ow.ly/yqAW50UsoVs  @H5PTechnology   #glowspotlight

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/h5pexamples/examples/

Rebecca Gulka‪@yesyoucanteachthat.bsky.social‬

“No, but Rebecca, Google just told me that penguins are mammals’ is why I teach literacy, ok

Matt Wolfe  @mreflow

We’ve been seeing a lot of amazing video models over the past couple weeks from the big companies. But let’s talk about open-source for a minute. LTX Video is generating 5-second videos and it’s taking only 4-seconds to generate them… And you can do that locally on a consumer-grade RTX 4090 GPU! It’s especially good at image-to-video conversion. …And because it’s open-source, the community is helping to improve upon it and iterate off of it, so we’re only going to see this model get better and better. LTX Studio is an ongoing partner and sponsor of mine and I’m super excited to see what they, and the open-source community, build with this technology!

Strategies:  

Gateway to Grammar: Question Tags – What Are They and How Do They Work?

https://www.wrightenglish.com/blog/gtg-questiontags2

Resources:  

Framadate

Useful for collecting information for scheduling. AND, can also collect information in a grid. Privacy forward. Open-source. 

https://framadate.org/abc/en

Trinket.io

Python that runs in the browser

https://trinket.io/python

Web Spotlight:

No Phones?! Now What? Catching Kids’ Attention

https://www.middleweb.com/51606/no-phones-now-what-catching-kids-attention/

The carbon impact of artificial intelligence

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-020-0219-9

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI in education, oven mitts on trees, and more. Dave reads science. 

Jokes:  

Where do birds meet for coffee?

• Nest Cafe

---

What do you get if you copy a mockingbird 1,999 times?

– 2 Kilo Mockingbird

---

I can’t find a German who knows the square root of 81.

---

Not to brag, but I fall between being a genius and a complete idiot.

---

I accidentally took my cats meds last night. 

• Don’t ask meow.

Did you know you should always take an extra pair of pants golfing? 

• Just in case you get a hole in one.

The average height of an Imperial Stormtrooper is about 5’11”, or 180cm for a Metric Stormtrooper.`

---

I’m ashamed to say I haven’t cleaned my mirror in years.

• It reflects badly on me.

---

My great grandmother used say that things were better in Russia before the revolution, but I think she was being Tsarcastic.

---

They say, “Dress for the job you want,” which is why I just shuffled past your cube in my bathrobe and slippers. 

---

Have you heard about the owl sanctuary job opening? It’s all night shifts but they’re all a hoot over there.

---

I’m not a fan of the 1970s female solo singers because of how vain they are. 

• They are a bunch of pre-Madonnas.

---

ME: I thought Tom Jones was a dead English singer, but he’s alive and Welsh.

WIFE: You write some awful jokes.

ME: It’s not unusual.

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Reading in Science

k12science.net/reading-in-science

Recently, I had the pleasure of reading the November-December 2024 issue of “Science Scope,” a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

Within this issue, I encountered the “From the Editor’s Desk” section, authored by Patty McGinnis. Her article, titled “Reading in the Science Classroom,” provided insightful information on the science of reading.

Reading plays a pivotal role in all disciplines, and science is no exception. If you are seeking reading-based strategies to incorporate into your classroom, The California Academy of Sciences offers several before, during, and after active reading strategies that can assist students in comprehending science texts. To access these active reading strategies, kindly visit:

https://www.calacademy.org/educators/active-reading-strategies

To listen to this podcast, please visit:

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/k12science/id/33998732

Reports from the Front Lines

• Grades
• Prohibited Technologies
• Oven Mitts on the Tree
• Spatial Images of YIG
• Diffit
• Self Paced Learning

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘librocubicularist’ (early 20th century): someone who loves nothing better than reading in bed.

Etymology of the day is ‘jargon’, from the old French ‘jargoun’, meaning ‘the chattering of birds’.

AMLE  @AMLE

AMLE relies on volunteer committee members to guide the work of our association. If you are passionate about middle level education and want to volunteer your time to advance your profession, consider applying for one of AMLE’s constituent committees! http://amle.org/get-involved

NJAMLE @NJAMLE

#NJAMLE2025 Annual Conference Call for Presenters! Interested in presenting at our annual conference on March 19th at Brookdale Community College? Submit a proposal here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc1N-XYAZaNavbqBwDomDlL18wOXdYDD_oLFqn3SewfVsrnfQ/viewform  Submissions due by December 15th!

PUNS  @ThePunnyWorld·  

This morning, I was walking down the street and I was hit by a violin, then a clarinet, and then a french horn! I think it was an orchestrated attack.

‪Hart Wilson‬ ‪@riversidehart.bsky.social‬

For my fellow Moodlers, a couple of presentations from the true US Moot held each summer In Helena, MT, the justly famous Mountain Moot. Here’s my first from 2022 when we were still on 3.11: My Favorite Moodle Hacks (presented to audible gasps and the odd “shut up!”) docs.google.com/presentation.

Asterija Rudienė

oestrdoSnp5 e 51etc38D418fea5Pi6ma r14 2bm9923:m90Mttm1m14u36

AI Tool to Help your Students Understand Any Video, in any Language, in seconds!

Theodosis KarageorgakisAI for Teachers

oestrdoSnp5 e 51etc38D418fea5Ai6ma r12 2bm9913:m90Mttm1m14u96

Wayin AI Link:  https://youtu.be/qVJ7X_Z-YoI  

Strategies:  

Zoom In on Reflection in Math Problem Study

There are four seemingly simple but powerful steps in Word Problem Workshop that engage every learner in problem-solving.

Step 1: Launch – Prepares students to make sense of the problem and take the first step toward a solution.

Step 2: Grapple – Gives students time to dive into the problem, take risks, and learn through trial and error as they work through their solution pathway.

Step 3: Discuss – A student-led discussion where 2-3 selected students share their strategies, allowing everyone to consider different approaches.

Step 4: Reflect – Offers time to review the experience of solving and discussing, helping students solidify and apply their new learning to future problems.

https://www.middleweb.com/51542/zoom-in-on-reflection-in-math-problem-study/

Take good notes

Facts are important, but facts don’t create learning. Stories do.

A story fits into (and changes) our understanding of the world. Good teachers are storytellers, and storytellers are teachers.

Notes, then, aren’t recitations of facts. They’re story prompts. A good note reminds you of a story that you already understand.

​​https://seths.blog/2024/11/take-good-notes-2/ 

Using Student Discourse to Increase Engagement

…when students are compliant, it is because the adult is doing all the work or talking. A simple yet powerful strategy to move from compliance to engagement is discourse through turn & talk. 

Student discourse, the interaction and exchange of ideas among students, is a vital component of learning. When students engage in meaningful conversations, they are not only actively constructing knowledge but also developing essential competencies for academic and personal success.

https://esheninger.blogspot.com/2024/11/using-student-discourse-to-increase.html

Resources:  

NotebookLM on Project 2025

https://www.speedofcreativity.org/2024/11/28/notebooklm-on-project-2025/

Why School?

Twelve years ago (!), TED Conferences asked me to write an ebook about my thoughts on the state of education and schooling in that moment. It actually sold pretty well, (probably because the price was $2.95). Recently, TED took the book off of its list and offered me the copyright, which I gladly accepted.

That means I can share it freely…so for anyone interested, here you go!

Twelve years feels like a long time given how quickly things seem to be changing, but as I’ve reread what I wrote, there is so much that still holds true today. Back then, the emphasis on interrogating “why?” was on the affordances of the Web. Today, there are a whole bunch of things going on right now that should prompt us to ask the “Why School?” question with even more urgency. But it is interesting how the underlying systems, structures, and practices of school remain largely unchanged.

Anyway, if you’re looking for something to do…enjoy. Would love to hear your reactions.

​​https://media.licdn.com/dms/document/media/v2/D4D1FAQEnZmrKGd7OUA/feedshare-document-pdf-analyzed/feedshare-document-pdf-analyzed/0/1731337686524?e=1733961600&v=beta&t=WcV1EbgMj0QN5qaLQKEROD_CMpZUy0hV8g0PdUMgcEU 

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Australia Bans Social Media Under 13

What it is: Australia just passed a bill effectively banning social media for children under the age of 16.  

Why it could just be the beginning: As we’ve previously reported, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt strongly argued in The Anxious Generation that age 16 should become the enforceable minimum age for social media use. As Reuters puts it, Australia’s ban “sets a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.” 

MiddleWeb Article

https://www.middleweb.com

The Six Characteristics of Effective Praise by Barara R. Blackburn

1. Positive
2. Reinforces High Expectations
3. Appropriate
4. Independence is Promoted
5. Sincere
6. Effort and Progress are Noted

Consider supporting MiddleWeb:  https://middleweb.substack.com/about  

Web Spotlight: 

Bongo

https://www.puzzmo.com/puzzle/2024-12-07/bongo

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AMLE conference observations, blue ribbon schools, and more. Dave is thankfully giving us Food Scientist information.

Jokes:  

How do flat earthers travel?

• On a plane

I went to a pet shop the other day and ordered a dozen honeybees. When I picked them up there were 13, they said that the last one was a free bee.

---

My editor dislikes my use of contractions but it’s what it’s

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I have so many good telegram jokes that just don’t work in today’s media. Stop.

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Yesterday a clown held a door open for me. 

• I thought it was a nice jester.

My old math teacher was arrested today.

In his home was a protractor, a calculator, and ruler.

He was arrested for carrying weapons of math instruction.

---

There’s a fine line between hyphenated words.

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My dog kept chasing people on a bike.

It got so bad I had to take his bike away.

Then he started barking and wouldn’t shut up, so I gave him his bike back.

Because his bark was worse than his bike.

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How do you know how heavy a red hot chili pepper is?

Give it a weigh, give a weigh, give it a weigh now…

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In the coming weeks I plan to make a revolution to become a better proof reader.

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Food Scientist

I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of “The Science Teacher,” a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Career of the Month” section, written by Luba Vangelova.  She wrote an article entitled: “Amy DeJong, Food Scientist.” 

Food science is an applied science that combines chemistry, engineering and microbiology in efforts to bring safe, tasty and nutritious food from farms to consumers.  Amy DeJong is a process development engineer assigned to a research and development team at Mars Wrigley in Chicago.

http://k12science.net/food-scientist/

Reports from the Front Lines

• AMLE 
• Perplexity
• Downie 4 & BBC 4 is a beautiful thing 
• MacWhisper

The Social Web

‪Heather Lieberman‬ ‪@heather527.bsky.social‬

I love reading to my students and thankfully google meet lets me read to all of them at the same time in both buildings! Happy Thanksgiving 🦃 #edusky #educators #principal @eduskyteam.com

‪Alice Keeler‬ ‪@alicekeeler.com‬

Use my Bingo Add-on to create individual Bingo sheets for each of your students. alicekeeler.com/codedbyalice

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘librocubicularist’ (early 20th century): someone who loves nothing better than reading in bed.

Miguel Guhlin‪@mguhlin.bsky.social‬

Free ebook – Peachey, N. (2024). AI activities and resources for English language teachers. British Council. doi.org/10.57884/DKK… #EduSkyAI https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/resource-books/ai-activities-and-resources-english-language-teachers 

Wesley Fryer, PhD (he/him)@wfryer@mastodon.cloud

I signed up for & started the free #KQED #MediaLit course “Analyzing Media Messages: Bias, Motivation and Production Choices”

https://teach.kqed.org/p/analyzing-med

Strategies:  

A Look Back: Student Examples Of “Explain It To Me Like I’m Five” Projects

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2024/10/27/a-look-back-student-examples-of-explain-it-to-me-like-im-five-projects/

Resources:  

(Almost) Every Type of Cognitive Bias Explained

Among the 200+ biases that exist, many are simply variants or subcategories of others. Some are duplicates, like the bizarreness effect and humor effect, while others complement each other, such as optimism bias and pessimism bias. Others aren’t exactly cognitive biases but rather basic cognitive principles or logical fallacies.

Download 1,600+ Publications from the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Books, Guides, Magazines & More

Now, at the MetPublications digital archive, we can read a great variety of the books, guides, and periodicals it’s put out for more than a century–from a 1911 catalog of the museum’s collection of pottery, porcelain, and faïence (which refers to pottery of the tin-glazed variety) to — as of this writing — the latest issue of the Met’s Bulletin, on Mexican printmakers including Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco. They and the more than 1,600 publications that lie between them are free for you to explore, some readable online, and some downloadable in PDF form.

https://www.openculture.com/2024/11/download-1600-publications-from-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art.html

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has put online 492,000 high-resolution images of artistic works. Even better, the museum has placed the vast majority of these images into the public domain, meaning they can be downloaded directly from the museum’s website for non-commercial use. When you browse the Met collection and find an image that you fancy, just look at the lower left-hand side of the image. If you see an “OA” icon and the words “public domain” (as shown in the example below), you’re free to use the image, provided that you abide by the Met’s terms.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection

Redirect Detective

Redirect Detective is a free URL redirection checker that allows you to see the complete path a redirected URL goes through.

Some of the many uses for Redirect Detective are:

• See where an affiliate link goes to and what affiliate network is being used.
• Check if those bit.ly links (or similar URL shortners) redirect to a legitimate site.
• Check your own redirects to ensure they work correctly.
• Check to see if your redirected domain correctly redirects to your new domain.
• See at what point in the redirection path cookies are being set.
• Avoid being tracked by not being redirected via adware/tracking sites.
• Discover just how many redirects certain sites use. You might be surprised to how many.

https://redirectdetective.com

Web Spotlight: 

Why We Knock on Wood

Why We Knock on Wood, and the Origins of 7 Other Superstitions

10,946

I animated 30 frames a day for 1 year.

Set at 30 frames a second, each second represents 1 day.

All audio was sourced from videos taken with my phone from the year of daily animation.

Fold paper. Insert lens. This $2 microscope changes how kids see the world

https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/11/24/g-s1-35181/microscope-lens-students-foldscope

AMLE Research:  Effective Strategies for Building an Engaging Culture of Success

Effective Strategies for Building a Culture of Success

David Yeager, Ph.D. – 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People

Neuroscientists have discovered that around age ten, puberty spurs the brain to crave socially rewarding experiences, such as pride, admiration, and respect, and to become highly averse to social pain, such as humiliation or shame. As a result, young people are subtly reading between the lines of everything we say, trying to interpret the hidden implications of our words to find out if we are disrespecting or honoring them. Surprisingly, this sensitivity to status and respect continues into the mid-twenties. In his first book, 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People, acclaimed developmental psychologist David Yeager, Ph.D. (FAN ’16) helps adults develop an ear for the difference between the right and wrong way to respect young people and avoid frustrating patterns of miscommunication and conflict.

Yeager explains how to adopt what he terms the mentor mindset, which is a leadership style attuned to young people’s need for status and respect. Anyone can adopt the mentor mindset by following a few highly effective and easy-to-learn practices such as validating young people’s perspectives (rather than dismissing them), asking them questions (rather than telling them what to do), being transparent about your beliefs and goals (rather than assuming that they will accurately guess your thoughts), and holding them to high standards (rather than coddling them). Yeager’s pioneering research and interventions have shown these practices reduce a wide variety of behavior problems, including school dropout, unhealthy eating, stress, purposelessness, mental health problems, and more.

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk get “wordie”, talk about what it means to be a middle schooler, and more. Dave addresses misconceptions. 

Jokes:  

The guy who invented the snooze button, did he invent anything else?

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Giuseppe was a rising star as a trapeze artist until he was let go.

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If I was a superhero I’d be known as Typo Man. 

• I write all the wrongs.

Today my wife said I would love to go to the south of France one day. I replied: That would be Nice.

---

Just received a mind-controlled calculator for my birthday.

• Not the greatest present but it’s the thought that counts.

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Where did people hang out during medieval times?

• At the knight club.

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Starting your day with running is a great way to make sure your day can’t get any worse.

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We argued all day over what to call a medieval soldier.

• But it was getting late so we called it a knight.

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First rule of Thesaurus Club:

• You do not talk, speak, chat, deliberate, confer, gab, or converse about Thesaurus Club.

---

Last time I went to the gym I hopped on the treadmill.

• But people were looking at me funny so I decided to run instead.

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I gave my friend 10 puns hoping that one of them would make him laugh. 

• Sadly, no pun in ten did.

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Jiujit’su: (Noun):

1: The gentle art of folding clothes while people are still in them

2: Involuntary yoga

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Addressing Science Misconceptions

I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science and Children, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Science 101” section, written by Matthew Bobrowsky.  He wrote an article entitled: “Q: How Can I Address Science Misconceptions Using Phenomena-Driven Instruction?” 

A phenomena might just be the best way to address misconception because research has shown that misconceptions are very persistent, and merely teaching the correct information doesn’t automatically remove the misconception.  

http://k12science.net/addressing-science-misconceptions/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Conferences and Such
• Security
• Workflows
• Vendors

The Social Web

RUTH BUZZI  @Ruth_A_Buzzi

I heard our clocks have to go back next month, and I can’t even remember where I bought it.

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘laughter-lit’ (19th century): animated and restored by laughing alongside others. That is what @JaneyGodley gave to many of us.

Still one of my favorite stories.

The ‘h’ in ‘ghost‘ is a historical hiccup. William Caxton, having first practised his trade in Flanders, brought Flemish typesetters back to England to help set up his printing press – they lobbed an ‘h’ into English ‘gost’ because their own native word was ‘gheest’.

AMLE  @AMLE

Middle School Journal Call for Manuscripts! Seeking Papers on Instructional Strategies and Assessments in Middle Level Education Teacher Preparation See full details here  https://ow.ly/7vWK50TVUp5 Submit by Nov 18, 2024!  

Pat Sajak  @patsajak

I hate to sound like an old grump, but I’m tired of all these smart-alecky kids on Halloween. The only proper response when I hand out a treat is, “Thank you for the liverwurst, Mr. Sajak.”

Strategies:  

Teaching After an Election

• Know your community
• Know the policy of the school

https://cteresources.bc.edu/documentation/teaching-during-a-tumultuous-election-year/teaching-after-an-election

Random Groups for Math Discovery and Practice

Random grouping in math class has so many benefits: it gets students working with other students, it helps prevent students from being left out, and it encourages students to talk in math class.

https://www.middleweb.com/51449/random-groups-for-math-discovery-and-practice/

Resources:  

BBC Bitesize

Loads of practical steps for music-making and inspiring examples from famous musicians and artists.

https://www.musicmark.org.uk/resources/bbc-bitesize-ks3-music/  (Requires a VPN)  

AXIS The Culture Translator

Baking Brits

What it is: Dylan Bachelet, Gen Zer contestant on The Great British Baking Show, is being called “The Captain Jack Sparrow of Baking” and compared to the Dread Pirate Roberts online.

Why it’s pretty accurate: The Great British Baking Show is a long-running reality show where bakers of all ages and backgrounds compete for ultimate glory. For many, the show is like watchable comfort food, and the antics of co-host Noel Fielding (who once played scaly manfish Old Gregg) are by turns hilarious and absurd. The 12th season is halfway over as of today, and Bachelet is still fighting his way to the top. Viewers appreciate his creativity, humility, and pirate-adjacent sense of style—as well as how his unique blend of culinary influences (with an Indian mom, a Japanese-Belgian dad, and a gap year spent enjoying Southeast Asian cuisine) continues to impress the judges.

Dudes Posting Their W’s@DudespostingWs

Men are simple creatures:  https://x.com/i/status/1852349895497142369  

AMLE Middle School Journal:  What’s It Like Being a Middle Schooler Today?  

“The purpose of middle school is to make a strong enough foundation where you can build from it, through high school and, more importantly, through life. To keep adding more stories until you are in or beyond the clouds. One extremely important thing to remember is that you are not alone. You don’t have to make your own foundation by yourself.”  

See more at https://www.amle.org/student-sound-off/  

Presidential elections provide opportunities to teach about power, proportions and percentages

• Topic 1: Ratio
• Topic 2: Minimum and maximum
• Topic 3: The shape, center and spread of data
• Topic 4: Gerrymandering

https://theconversation.com/presidential-elections-provide-opportunities-to-teach-about-power-proportions-and-percentages-238152

Take The Near Impossible Literacy Test Louisiana Used to Suppress the Black Vote (1964)

https://www.openculture.com/2024/10/take-the-near-impossible-literacy-test-louisiana-used-to-suppress-the-black-vote.html

Guess Where You Are

https://guesswhereyouare.com

Web Spotlight: 

Film Club: ‘Pony Boys’

Two brothers traveled alone from the suburbs of Boston to the 1967 World’s Fair in Montreal by pony cart! Do today’s children need more parent-free adventures?

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/learning/film-club-pony-boys.html

Parents sue son’s high school history teacher over AI ‘cheating’ punishment

The legal complaint said using artificial intelligence to assist in crafting an outline didn’t violate school rules at the time.

The parents of a Massachusetts high school senior are suing his teacher, school district faculty members and a local school committee for punishments he received after he used artificial intelligence tools to research and create an outline for a history class essay. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-paper-write-cheating-lawsuit-massachusetts-help-rcna175669

Password Creation

https://beta.xkpasswd.net

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Frustration Busters, PD, and more. Dave heads out for Fieldwork Fridays. 

Jokes:  

Does Bill Nye have a daughter Dee?

---

What do you call a droid that takes the long way around? 

• R2 detour.

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Karma cafe now serving just deserts!

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The urge to sing the Lion King song is just a whim away.

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As I get older, I think of all the people I lost along the way. Maybe a career as a tour guide wasn’t such a good idea.

---

Animal Fact #25: Most bobcats are not named bob.

---

*Reversing the car* “Ah, this takes me back”

---

I met a microbiologist yesterday. 

• She was a lot bigger than I expected

---

---

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Fieldwork Fridays

I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Interdisciplinary Ideas” section, written by Katie Coppens.  She wrote an article entitled: “Fieldwork Fridays: Connecting Scientific Learning to Nature.” 

Each Friday, in what are referred to as “Fieldwork Fridays,” the author brings her students outside to apply what they learned that week in class to the environment around them.

http://k12science.net/fieldwork-fridays/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Presentation “Thanking Your Past Self”
• Prepping for student experience – MYIG
• Book Study
  • Bird Watching

The Social Web

Ann Morgan  @A_B_Morgan

My seven-year-old asked for a dictionary this week. We went to the bookshop today to buy one. She walked home hugging it, pausing every so often to look up a word, grinning as though she had been given a book of spells, the key to wonders.

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

I’m writing today about kennings in Old English. Essentially these are two word-metaphors that were used instead of concrete nouns, and they are exquisite. A ship was a ‘wave-horse’, the sea was a ‘whale-road’, the mind was a ‘thought-chamber’, and the sun was a ‘sky-candle’.

Mr H5P  @mrh5p

How to create a ‘Sort the Paragraphs’ activity in #H5P To see the finished example and more tutorials, check out http://mrh5p.com and subscribe to the H5P Builders newsletter. https://mrh5p.com/h5p-examples/how-to-make-a-sort-the-paragraphs-activity-with-h5p/

  #instructionaldesign

Strategies:  

AI Image Generation in Education

https://blog.tcea.org/ai-image-generation-in-education/

Ten ways to boost learning in class with pictures

https://ditchthattextbook.com/dual-coding

Resources:  

 HTML for People

https://htmlforpeople.com

Why we are teaching science wrong, and how to make it right

“An outcome confirmed in hundreds of studies: students gain a much deeper understanding of science when they actively grapple with…questions than when they passively listen to answers”: 

https://www.nature.com/articles/523272a

Web Spotlight: 

The Ada & Zangemann Movie

Released as an Open Educational Resource, under a Creative Commons By Share-Alike Licence, it tells tells the story of the famous inventor Zangemann and the girl Ada, a curious tinkerer. Ada begins to experiment with hardware and software, and in the process realises how crucial it is for her and others to control technology.

This fascinating story, by Matthias Kirschner and Sandra Brandstätter, encourages children, especially girls, to tinker with hardware and software and encouraging them to shape their own technology.

https://fsfe.org/activities/ada-zangemann//movie

Why Do Students In My ELL Newcomers Class Appear To Be Acquiring English So Much Faster Than In Past Years? Here Are Some Possible Answers

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2024/10/05/why-do-students-in-my-ell-newcomers-class-appear-to-be-acquiring-english-so-much-faster-than-in-past-years-here-are-some-possible-answers/

AXIS The Culture Translator

English or Spanish?

What it is: A TikTok trend started by @alfonsopinpon_ involves saying to strangers, “Excuse me, English or Spanish?” Then, after the stranger answers, the speaker says, “Whoever moves first is gay,” and films how long they stand still.  

How it works: The initial question, “English or Spanish?” helps lower participants’ guard. “Why would someone be asking my preferred language?” unsuspecting subjects might think. The follow-up comment, that “Whoever moves first is gay,” is maybe the last thing they expect to hear—and many people instantly freeze. The surreal result resembles the “mannequin challenge” from a few years ago, and is sometimes soundtracked by a slowed down version of the song “Static” by Steve Lacy.

Random Thoughts . . .  

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