MSM

Middle School Matters podcast related information

September 17, 2022

MSM 557: English Teachers Catch On About Week Ten

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about current events, kids settling in, and more. Dave is dynamically focused on earth.

Jokes:

Why do pirates make terrible construction workers

Because their timbers are always shivering

Where do pirates get their cannonballs from?

Target

How come pirates love to go to birthday parties?

For doubloons

What is a pirate’s favorite color?

Not sure, but it definitely isn’t red. They hate being marooned.

How much do pirates charge for corn?

A buccaneer

Where do pirates go for fast food?

Arby’s

Don’t joke about Dolphins.

They have no Porpoise.

Are you sweating while putting gas in your car? Feeling sick when paying for it?

You’ve got the Carownervirus

How do you get a country girl to be interested?

A tractor

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Our Dynamic Earth

I was recently reading the September/October 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the Editor’s Corner, written by Patty McGinnis. She wrote a column entitled, “The Human Side of Our Dynamic Earth.”

Unfortunately, an increasing number and severity of natural disasters has been tied to climate change. While we may not be able to stop natural disasters from occurring, we can educate students about the link between climate change and natural disasters and the necessity of mitigating and adapting to climate change.

http://k12science.net/our-dynamic-earth/

Reports from the Front Lines

Current Events
- Reuters News
- Logical Fallacies
Books Being Removed

The Twitterverse

Vikram Madan (OWL & PENGUIN, BBPP:THE FUNNY BOOK) @artbyvikram

I will be releasing my #OWLandPENGUIN font when the O&P book comes out (Sept 27) along with an activity kit showing kids how to make coloring pages and mini-comics with it. If you have ideas for how kids can use this font, please comment. Made with @calligraphr_com

Lumi @Lumieducation

You can now choose to show the Reuse/Download-, Embed-, License- or Copy- Button for your #H5P in your shared links. https://app.Lumi.education

𝗧𝗖𝗘𝗔 @TCEA

Breaking it all down. https://bit.ly/3aS5zvs via @meagan_e_kelly #edchat #teachertwitter #learning

Susie Dent @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘dumfungled’ (19th century): wearied, befuddled, and just a little used up.

Word of the day is ‘bethink’ (10th century): to take thought and reflect; to return to oneself for a moment.

The Curious Iguana @curiousiguana

The Queue is inspiring fiction. And it’s INCREDIBLE. Read it! https://t.co/nubZi8hsJc

And also music:

https://www.internationaldotday.org/

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Newspaper Clipping

Also:

Clapper Board
Talking flowers
Talking cats
Ninja text

https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp#annotations:OtGAtDOwEe2Qq_vJoyxyPQ

Resources:

Tech Tools

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRy4LnkS9Sr0LSCyrD6tp2DY65wLauEHzchBi3sZg1NwAvFvhhTCX9It2ZsBbZcz7SDrbA4qkxMHY6U/pubhtml?gid=506430650&single=true&fbclid=IwAR22mTm2U4IFHnpbR9KCZJyuVO_oCelRF6m-vYBRBuIR3OnWpNg6cNaSgsE#annotations:OcdcWDReEe22yOtSHe67RQ

15 of The Best TED Ed Riddles to Use with Students in Class

https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/03/6-of-best-ted-ed-riddles-to-use-with.html#annotations:lxsMaDRbEe2tYxeiWtc9mA

CommonLit

CommonLit 360 is 100% free for teachers and students, forever. As a nonprofit, our goal is to pay so teachers don’t have to. Read more about why and how we’re free here.

To access the free curriculum, all you need is your free CommonLit Digital account. To learn more about what CommonLit 360 offers, check out CommonLit 360’s Curriculum Overview.

https://www.commonlit.org/en/library?initiatedFrom=library

Biblionasium

https://www.biblionasium.com/#tab/content-fall-picks

Elections Resources

https://electoral-vote.com/

The website gives an analysis of polls for national races. Nice graphic on the front page to help kids visualize the data. Hover over the state for the numbers behind the analysis.

Real Clear Politics:

Senate Map: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/senate/elections-map-rcp-projection.html

House Map: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/house/elections-map.html

Governors Races: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/governor/elections-map-rcp-projection.html

Web Spotlight:

Ig Nobel Awards

https://improbable.com/ig/2022-ceremony/

Why Some Teachers Don’t Want to Go ‘Back to Normal’

By Daniel Lempres

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-09-15-why-some-teachers-don-t-want-to-go-back-to-normal#annotations:7H7VcjXcEe2ePB8_LBLCZA

The middle school boys thought their teacher was a ‘creep.’ So they tracked how he treated the girls.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/09/metro/middle-school-boys-thought-their-teacher-was-creep-so-they-tracked-how-he-treated-girls/#annotations:jP0scDRgEe2UBrczNFRzSg

Random Thoughts . . .

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

September 10, 2022

MSM 556: Rules Quiz and Your Parents

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about shock therapy for the kids, go on several tangents, share ideas and more . Dave has energy literacy for all.

Jokes:

Did you hear about the middle schooler was sprayed deodorant into the mouth?

Now he talks with a weird axe-scent

My next-door neighbor keeps boasting that his Golden Retriever dog can bring a ball back from nearly half a mile away.

Does that seem a bit far-fetched to you..?

Why should you never scream into a colander?

You’ll strain your voice

My wife and I laugh at how competitive we are.

But, I laugh more

Yesterday I spotted an albino Dalmatian

It was the best I could do for him

What is the most mythical vegetable?

A unicorn

I’ve entered our neighborhoods annual tightest hat competition

Just hope I can pull it off this year..

I’m changing my username to “Nobody”

That way when I post something stupid I can like it and it will say, “Nobody likes this”

I just saw a burglar kick in his own door

He must have been working from home

I was going to rent a Bouncy House this weekend, but it is too expensive.

Mainly due to inflation.

I’m not a fan of elevator music.

It’s bad on every level.

Middle School Science Minute

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

Energy Literacy

I was recently reading the July/August 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the Editor’s Corner, written by Patty McGinnis. She wrote a column entitled, “Energy Literacy.”

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) defines energy literacy as “an understanding of the nature and role of energy in the world and daily lives accompanied by the ability to apply this understanding to answer questions and solve problems.”

http://k12science.net/energy-literacy/

Reports from the Front Lines

Knowing your Tech
Creativity Takes Time

The Twitterverse

Mark Tait @marktait78

Artist formerly known as Prince.

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

I wish King Charles III the best in his leadership. All of the history teachers are hoping it goes better than it did for Charles II.

Susie Dent @susie_dent

Word of the morning is ‘thole’ (14th century): tolerance and forbearance, as towards other people’s feelings and points of view.

Susie Dent @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘finifugal’ (19th century): regretting the end of something, such as a good book, or the summer.

Chris Hladczuk @chrishlad

Make how to search Google mandatory in school:

Dr. Lena Pearlman, LCSW @drlenapearlman

𝗧𝗖𝗘𝗔 @TCEA

Do you teach Social Studies? Yes?!? Save these 11 YouTube channels created just for you. https://bit.ly/3QmCP08 via A Page Out of History #sschat #teachertwitter #edu

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

36 LESSONS FROM MY 36 YEARS IN EDUCATION | JON BERGMANN

36 Lessons From My 36 Years in Education | Jon Bergmann

FlashCards – Flippity

Turn a Google Spreadsheet into flashcards. Here is a great explainer from Richard Byrne. Flippity allows terms to be read out loud. You can include videos and images.

https://flippity.net/

Resources:

Math

Abbott & Costello 7 x 13 = 28

AXIS: The Culture Translator

Into the Spooniverse

What it is: An online community of young women who live with chronic pain, called “spoonies” drew attention this week for the ways they post about their illnesses online. #Spoonie has 867 million views on TikTok.

Beast of Burger

What it is: YouTuber Mr. Beast launched the first brick-and-mortar location of his burger joint at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey.

Song of the Week:

“Tití Me Preguntó” by Bad Bunny: still orbiting the top of music charts alongside Bad Bunny’s other major hit “Me Porto Bonito,” this song is about having a lot of girlfriends, and swapping them out whenever he gets bored. Toward the end, Bunny says he wants to fall in love, but can’t, because he’s addicted to the novelty. The song is almost entirely in Spanish, and the title roughly translates to “Auntie asked me,” as in, “Auntie asked me if I have a lot of girlfriends.” For the (Spanish) lyrics, click here; for a video with Spanish and English side-by-side, click here.

Web Spotlight:

The U.S. diet is deadly. Here are 7 ideas to get Americans eating healthier

the typical American diet is shortening the lives of many Americans. Diet-related deaths outrank deaths from smoking, and about half of U.S. deaths from heart disease – nearly 900 deaths a day – are linked to poor diet.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/08/31/1120004717/the-u-s-diet-is-deadly-here-are-7-ideas-to-get-americans-eating-healthier#annotations:hbKv5iuoEe2fBCMf0c94ag

Girls vs. Stereotypes

Challenge prevailing cultural stereotypes and societal barriers that erode girls’ confidence, leadership and potential.

From August 15 – September 15 we will be launching a topic called, “Girls vs. Stereotypes” and calling for photos of real, confident girls that break barriers and promote gender equality.

How we are going to make it last:

In addition to encouraging more diverse submissions, to combat the societal biases that AI perpetuates in Search, Unsplash is making some tweaks to its algorithm by adding diversity tags to the accepted images which will feature more inclusive photos at the top of Search. Because when you change the algorithm, you change people’s perceptions of what girls can and should look like.

https://unsplash.com/blog/girls-vs-stereotypes/#annotations:7RpxgC6xEe2Sv7tq87iXtw

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

September 3, 2022

MSM 555: Jennifer Fryzel’s Vocabulary Pyramid

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy are back to talk about the kickoff of the school year. Dave addresses societal issues.

Jokes:

What’s the most common doctors in Egypt?

Cairo practors.

The James Webb Space Telescope runs on Linux.

You can’t open Windows in space.

A lovely young couple decided to get married at a library, but couldn’t. Why not?

It was all booked up

There are two words that will open a lot of doors for people.

Push and pull

I was going to cook some alligator for dinner.

Then I realized I only had a croc pot.

Did you hear about the guy who farted in his wallet?

Now he has gas money

What happens in someone slaps you at high frequency?

It Hertz

All snakes are snakes on a plane to flat earthers.

I was wondering why music was coming from my printer.

Apparently, the paper was jamming

When is it ok to drink pop in class?

When you’re plotting points on a coordinate grid because you can go 7 over and 7 UP

Middle School Science Minute

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

Teaching Societal Issues

I was recently reading the July/August 2022 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the Editor’s Corner, written by Ann Haley MacKenzie. She wrote a column entitles, “Teaching Societal Issues in the Science Classroom.”

By incorporating societal issues into our classrooms, we provide students a chance to explore topics in depth, instead of simply glossing over the content. Here are some reasons to include societal issues in science courses:

– These issues justify information included in science courses.

– Societal issues allow students to find science classes relevant to their daily lives.

– These societal issues enable teachers to evaluate student success at application and synthesis of ideas.

– Infusing societal issues defines the teacher’s role to be “facilitator” and relegates the textbook’s / digital learning platform status to “information sources.”

– These issues may allow for increased scientific understanding of concepts, ased on cognitive theories of learning.

http://k12science.net/teaching-societal-issues/

Reports from the Front Lines

Frontloading beginning of the year information:
- Key dates
- Locker skills
- Planners
- Where to go?
- Expectations
Jennifer Fryzel’s Vocabulary Pyramid
Excited to be back

Eileen Award

Mike Maffesoli – topic request

The Twitterverse

Susie Dent @susie_dent

Word of the day is a reminder of ‘ipsedixitism’ (18th century): the assertion that something is ‘fact’ based on one person’s opinion.

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

You’re not a real teacher until you’ve played two truths and a lie with people you’ve known for years.

MiddleWeb @middleweb

Also see @Question2Think‘s article “Students Learn from Inquiry, Not Interrogation.” https://middleweb.com/34000/students-learn-from-inquiry-not-interrogation/

#teachertwitter #mschat #middleschool

Quote Tweet:

𝗧𝗖𝗘𝗔 @TCEA

How to Scaffold Skills for Student Discussions https://bit.ly/3C7mWqH via @middleweb #teaching #hacklearning #edutwitter

Kelly Gallagher @KellyGToGo

As you begin a new school year, you might ask your students this question I learned from

@ernestmorrell: “What does it mean to get better at reading?” Maybe chart their responses.

Paul Allison @paulallison

On Teachers Teaching Teachers tonight, we’d love to hear how things are going for you–if you have already returned! OR what you are planning for the fall! We’ll also include some thoughts on the Habits of Mind. Hope you can make it at 9E/8C/7M/6P at https://kumospace.com/youthvoices?roomId=naOiMUqtMYrPHTxtBACw&zoneId=TTncxGjimPe6MrIQ13RO #nwp

Ditch That Textbook @DitchThatTxtbk

Looking for some ice breakers for those first few days of school? Canva has some fantastic, customizable, ready-to-use activities for you! Get links to these four ice breaker activities along tons of other ideas in our Back to School post https://ditchthattextbook.com/back-to-school

Tobi Emonts-Holley @tobi_emonts

Benjamin Franklin’s daily routine is the ‘hack’ everybody’s looking for:

john johnston @johnjohnston

Examples and more of using H5P that might be useful for #GlowBlog users interested in creating interactive resources @GlowScot https://kitchen.opened.ca/tasting-tour/ a branching presentation using H5P b @cogdog

Save Your Sons @SaveYourSons

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Back to School – Level 8 of Jumanji?

Back to School – Level 8 of Jumanji?

Resources:

How to Open a Combination Lock

Click to access HowToOpenCombonationLock_ENG%20.pdf

Combination Lock Tutorial

AXIS: The Culture Translator

Rainbow Road

What it is: The DEA has warned of brightly-colored pills and powders containing fentanyl that are being sold to young consumers.

Why it’s on the rise: So-called “rainbow fentanyl” has been seized in 18 US states. Drug enforcement authorities believe that these pills are being purposely made to look like candy in order to entice young adults, calling it a “deliberate effort to drive addiction.”

#shtwt

What it is: Researchers at Rutgers University have compiled a report on how members of the online communities promoting self harm find each other and interact on Twitter. The report contains some images that are disturbing and graphic.

Why it’s important to know about: Over the past year, Twitter posts that mention #shtwt (a hashtag that indicates self-harm Twitter) are up 500%, according to the Rutgers’ findings.

Save All

Spaced practice. Free for basic accounts. (Subscription removes a 15 minute delay under certain circumstances).

https://saveall.ai/landing

Make 8 Bit Art

https://make8bitart.com/

LIST OF ARTICLES WITH A CRITICAL VIEW ON OPEN SCIENCE AND/OR THE REPLICATION CRISIS

This is a non-exhuastive, chronological list of over 70 articles that have a somewhat critical view on one or more issues associated with open science, science reform, and/or the replication crisis.

https://sites.google.com/site/markrubinsocialpsychresearch/replication-crisis/list-of-articles-critical-of-open-science#annotations:4a7ThCiWEe2hmC-kfZohsQ

U.S. History Collection

PBS, you’ll need to pick your local PBS station. Lots of resources organized by eras.

https://mainepublic.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/us-history-collection/home/#annotations:G8lEfiMPEe2WsAP7-TlcGg

Science Root Words

Science root words

Kapwing

Kapwing Pro is now 100% free for students and educators. Create learning opportunities, edit video projects, and collaborate on digital content all in one place.

https://www.kapwing.com/edu#annotations:9lRpIBsXEe2UKR8kY1R98Q

Web Spotlight:

H5P On The Web App

Lumi has put their app on the web! Create an account and then create using H5P tools. You can still download the app for off-line creation. You can check out all the tools at http://h5p.org.

https://app.lumi.education/

All The Presidents Cousins

a Bay Area middle schooler has revealed family ties among some of American history’s most achieved politicans.

BridgeAnne d’Avignon was on a mission to trace her own roots and uncovered evidence that each American president — except for one — has a common, very famous ancestor.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/all-the-presidents-cousins/1883245/#annotations:tSREbCq7Ee2GRuvOUaSlYQ

A Lifetime Of Planting Trees On A Remote River Island: Meet India’s Forest Man

Payeng started planting here in 1979, stirred by a freakish site: dead snakes piled on sand in scorching temperatures, perished for lack of shade or tree cover.

Once considered “crazy” by local inhabitants, Payeng is celebrated today as a conservationist. Sitting in a meadow beside his forest, he credits a botanical scientist for nurturing his fascination for the natural world.

Yet India’s Forest Man has lived a life that most people dare not imagine: rising before dawn, paddling across a river, nearly every day, for almost 40 years to replenish nature.

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/12/26/572421590/hed-take-his-own-life-before-killing-a-tree-meet-india-s-forest-man

Random Thoughts . . .

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

August 13, 2022

MSM 554: The Correct Way to Spell GHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEAU

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about summer, starting the school year and more. Dave has the formal, informal science connection.

Jokes:

What do you call a nun who has made it to heaven?

Nun of the above

Which color loves to go boating?

OARange

Which color is the loudest?

Yellow

What happens when you rearrange two letters in nuclear?

It’s unclear

If you are ever attacked by a bunch of clowns,

Go for the juggler

If you are ever chased by a bunch of taxidermists,

Do not play dead

Did you know the toothbrush was invented at Ohio State University?

Had it been invented anywhere else, it would be called a teethbrush

What’s it called when buy cashews and almonds and then resell them at a profit?

It’s flipping nuts

They told me it was foolish to fill the room with nitrous oxide… Well, who’s laughing now.

Here’s a bit of current humor:

I just noticed two large bumps on my car battery.

One tested negative, one positive
I hope it’s not terminal

The adjective for metal is metallic, but not so for iron. Which is ironic.

Middle School Science Minute

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

Bridging the Informal-Formal Science Education Divide

I was recently reading the June 23, 2022 issue of “NSTA Weekly” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the NSTA Blog feature “With, Not For: Why the Distinction Matters” written by Beth Murphy.

It is important to foster collaboration between organizations and schools, providing professional learning experiences for educators, and implementing program evaluation that supports practitioners to do their best work. Collaboration provides the opportunity to bridge the informal-formal science education divide.

http://k12science.net/bridging-the-informal-formal-science-education-divide/

Reports from the Front Lines

Moodle Upgrade
Start of the Year PD
Starting School
New people, new positions, open positions

The Twitterverse

𝗧𝗖𝗘𝗔 @TCEA

Looking for ways to combine #writing and #social studies? You’ll definitely want to use the BIG LIST of Social Studies journal prompts. https://bit.ly/3Qm68k7 via Thrive in Grade Five #sschat #elemchat #edutwitter #ela

Nikki Wilkinson @Wilkinson_STEM

Do you implicitly teach your students how to use the features found in #googleslides? Here is a fun Scavenger Hunt for students to explore and learn how to use #slides. #backtoschool #edutwitter https://bit.ly/3vE4jqw

Susie Dent @susie_dent

A reminder, should you need it, of ‘mubble-fubbles’ (16th century): vague, Sunday-eveningish blues and a slight sense of doom. Feckful (16th century): powerful, efficient, and vigorous. Word of the day is ‘mafting’ (18th century): overpowered by stifling heat and an oppressive lack of air. A reminder, should you be in need of a smile, that eggs were once called ‘cacklefarts’, penguins were known as ‘arse-feet’, umbrellas as ‘bumbershoots’, and sausages as ‘bags of mystery’ because you never quite know what’s in them.

Gina Brown (M.Ed.) @GinaInTech

@DitchThatTxtbk has 20 Back To School Templates to share! Check them out! Two clicks and you have a ready-to-go template to use! Not to mention ALL the other resources @jmattmiller has to offer! THANK YOU! @GCISDigital @GCISD [https://ditchthattextbook.com/time-saving-templates|

Vic Nixon, Ed.D. @VNixon1988

This may save my fellow educators some money! Pass it on!

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Back to School – Level 8 of Jumanji?

https://www.amle.org/back-to-school-level-8-of-jumanji/

Resources:

Webinar: It’s Time for a School Reset Presenter: Jack Berckemeyer

What a year school year we had last year. Teacher tired is real, our students have forgotten the rigor of school and in some cases our schools need a reset to start the school year off. Jack will be sharing practical ideas on how to create a team and school wide reset process. We need to be able to provide consistencies for students and regain our hallways, classrooms and schools. All must mean all as we enter a new school year.

https://my.amle.org/Events/Calendar-Of-Events/Meeting-Home-Page?meetingid={BC9910E2-7717-ED11-8124-000D3A0DE1A1}

Wednesday, August 24, 2022 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Eastern Standard Time

https://my.amle.org/Events/Calendar-of-Events

AXIS – The Culture Translator

The Most Hated Man On The Internet

What it is: A documentary on the rise and fall of Hunter Moore, the “revenge porn king” of the early 2010s, is one of the most watched things on Netflix this week.

Why it’s attracting so much attention: In 2022, most young people understand that any digital photograph, no matter how private its contents, could end up someplace public.

“Search It Up”

What it is: Google’s market research reveals that 40 percent of young people use TikTok or Instagram as their search engine, rather than turning to Google itself.

“Not Gonna Lie”

What it is: The “Not Gonna Lie” app invites anonymous comments from anyone with access to a shared link on social media.

Why some teens are loving it: “Not Gonna Lie” might as well have been invented for teens spending a lazy summer afternoon at home in the air conditioning. NGL is supposed to be a safe space where cyberbullying can’t happen; the developers claim that they use advanced AI to filter out insults, suggestive emoji, and bullying statements. But NBC News tested the app and found that the acronym “KYS” (which means “kill yourself”) still made it through its filter, and the app’s own website says that their Community Guidelines are “coming soon.”

Kapwing

Now free for teachers and students. Video editing and Meme generator.

https://www.kapwing.com/edu

33 Problems with Media

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/problems-with-media/#annotations:I3l5ZPofEeyag2Oxz_F7wQ

Numberless Word Problems

https://numberlesswp.com/#annotations:AYttjASpEe2pbwOrqVW1eA

Web Spotlight:

Make The First Day Count – Video Motivation

I Voted Sticker Contest

Commissioners Ashley Dittus and John Quigley are pleased to announce the finalists for our 2nd Annual Ulster Votes I Voted Sticker Contest. During the month of July, you have an opportunity to select your favorite “I voted” logo. The winning design will be distributed to voters who participate in the November 8, 2022 General Election across the county. We want to thank all of the students who contributed to this project – there were many amazing and unique designs! We are grateful to everyone that helped shape this project.

https://elections.ulstercountyny.gov/i-voted-sticker-contest/

Longest One Word Sentence

“Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.”

https://nowiknow.com/the-longest-one-word-sentence/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

July 2, 2022

MSM 553: Much of Life Blocks Much Of Life is Sorting Blocks

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about summer, reflecting on the past year, tech changes, and more. Dave isn’t working on the Railroad, but has Engineered us some knowledge.

Jokes:

I rode the elevator to the eleventh floor and as I got out, the operator said, “Have a good day, son.” I replied, “Don’t call me son! You’re not my dad!” He scratched his head and said…

“No, but I brought you up, didn’t I?!”

Why did the Mummy’s bakery fail?

He gave everyone the crepes.

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

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

I went to a farmer’s retirement.

The funeral was beautiful.

I got security cameras fitted outside my house.

Just to convince people that I have stuff worth stealing.

I want to open a Jamaican/Irish/Spanish small plate breakfast restaurant

And call it “Tapas the Mornin’ to Ja.”

Where does fruit like to vacation?

In Pear-is

Middle School Science Minute

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

Railway Engineer

I was recently reading the May/June 2022 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, “Railway Engineer.”

Railway engineers design and maintain rail systems used by trains of various types, ranging from long-distance cargo trains to metropolitan light-rail and subway trains. Cassie Gouger is senior director of design within Union Pacific Railroad’s engineering department, in Omaha, Nebraska. She shares her career highlights, career path, and her advice for students.

http://k12science.net/railway-engineer/

Reports from the Front Lines

Summer Time
Kicking off Year 15
Michigan’s Education Budget
- Special Ed
- Teacher Retention
- Security
- Foundation Allowance
PD

Eileen Award

Twitter: David Knox – Hope the new position is going well!

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

Administrators tend to use the teacher who has been in the profession for about 4-6 years as the poster child assistant to push their newest initiative. They’ve been there long enough to know the ropes but are still naive enough to think that they’re doing something important.

Archana @aakhramka

Replying to @cretiredroy

UͶprofessional Development Podcast @unprocast

I’m about to get to the best part of the lesson PA SYSTEM: PLEASE PARDON THIS INTERUPTION

𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 @DrBradJohnson

Why would someone want to work under my leadership? That is a question I often asked myself. I hope current administrators do too.

Ryan Sheehy @sheehyrw

Congratulations to everyone in education that started their new position today! Leadership is not easy but can be so powerful! #BeTheOne #HREdu

Ditch That Textbook @DitchThatTxtbk

The Magic Automatic Lesson Planner with Google Forms http://ditchthattextbook.com/the-magic-automatic-lesson-planner-with-google-forms/

Marvin Olasky @MarvinOlasky

33 Problems With Media in One Chart @ZengerHouse https://visualcapitalist.com/problems-with-media/ via@VisualCap

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

When is a number not a number?

https://gradingforgrowth.com/p/when-is-a-number-not-a-number

Classroom Conversations / Curating “Hot-Button” Conversations

By: Matthew R. Kay

This conversation’s success was not due to special personal ability with facilitation, but to my dedication to this three-step process. First, find a good primary source. Second, make sure you pick the right time to incorporate it. Third, push students toward inquiry through prompting.

https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/curating-hot-button-conversations

Resources:

10 Quotes Famous People Never Actually Said

You’ve seen it before: that photograph of Gandhi, Marilyn Monroe, or Abraham Lincoln juxtaposed with a pithy saying that seems just like something they’d have come up with. Well, in many cases, those phrases are just a little too good to be true. Read on for 10 cases where the famous saying and its supposed author don’t match up.

https://www.interestingfacts.com/quotes-famous-people-never-said/YqFJPVuKogAHE3xu

Coloring Page Generator

Does what it says. Upload a picture and it turns it into a coloring page. Neat slider feature that reveals the original and the coloring page.

https://coloring-page.lolo.dev/

Openverse

Now part of WordPress (previously run by Creative Commons). Images and Audio that is Creative Commons or Public Domain. Great spot to start your search, and your students too.

https://wordpress.org/openverse/

Web Spotlight:

5 teacher organization systems that save me time and restored my sanity

Systems that made sense in my apartment for one did not translate well to a space for multiple groups of 28 students each day.

https://truthforteachers.com/5-teacher-organization-systems-that-save-me-time/

American Battlefield Trust – Live at Gettysburg

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfsbWIraXIl7a6HKSJINUg

Random Thoughts . . .

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June 25, 2022

MSM 552: Mental Health Day

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy share some jokes, summer, and more. Dave brings the pun game to Science.

Jokes:

What did one cell say to his sister cell that stepped on his toe?

Hey, get off mi-to-sis!!!

An amoeba sits down to eat at a restaurant. Across the room, another Amoeba is undergoing mitosis. The first amoeba flags down the waiter and says, “I’ll have what she’s halving.”

A friend asked if he looked special in his bright red shirt.

I told him he looked like one in a vermilion.

I gave my friend a gift certificate for mime school for his birthday.

He’s still giving me the silent treatment.

How do you fix a broken tomato?

Tomato paste.

Why do milking stools only have 3 legs?

Because the cow’s got the udder.

Many people are investing in shoes these days. Some are going for hundreds or thousands of dollars. I disagree with this. Shoes are for wearing.

That’s their sole purpose.

Did you hear about the rancher who had 196 cows?

When he rounded them up, he had 200.

A truly good pun is it’s own reword.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Chemical Puns

I was recently reading the May/June 2022 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Idea Bank” column, written by Nick Thomas. He wrote an article entitled, “Chemicals Gone Funny.”

Using humor in the classroom at any level can be a gamble for teachers and most have probably experienced students collectively rolling their eyes at a corny joke. Puns, of course, frequently elicit that response along with the almost requisite group groan. Yet this ancient and simple form of humor can effectively impart a message if carefully worded, although any attempt at a science pun relies on the teacher first ensuring students understand the scientific principles tied to the humor.

http://k12science.net/chemical-puns/

Reports from the Front Lines

New positions???
Summer Off
MOOSE
Kids and Summer

The Twitterverse

TeacherGoals @teachergoals

Gotta love summer!

Adam Moler @moler3031

The guy who invented the merry go round never met the guy who invented the Ferris wheel. They ran in different circles.

Ditch That Textbook @DitchThatTxtbk

Fun formative assessment: 12 easy, no-tech ideas you can use tomorrow Graffiti wall Sketch artist Quiz maker Sculptor Word puzzler and more PLUS 2 creative ways to use them https://ditchthattextbook.com/no-tech-format

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

How To Create Fake Text Messages

https://chat-animator.com/

Six Ways to Add Rigor by Deepening Thinking

By Karin Hess

What does it look and sound like when your students are doing rigorous work and thinking deeply?

Raising expectations is NOT as simple as assigning difficult texts to read or using higher-order verbs (e.g., analyze, synthesize) to describe what students are going to do during a lesson.

https://www.middleweb.com/47245/6-places-to-find-true-rigor-in-your-classroom/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=6-places-to-find-true-rigor-in-your-classroom

5-Minute SEL Activities You Can Do Every Day – Virtually or In Person

…try these three activities throughout this year: Good News, Mindful Movement, and Hot Seat.

https://www.teacher2teacher.education/2022/01/21/5-minute-sel-activities-you-can-do-every-day-virtually-or-in-person/

Resources:

What’s Going on With This Graph?

Graphs, maps and charts from The Times — and an invitation to students to discuss them live.

https://www.nytimes.com/column/whats-going-on-in-this-graph

Quizdini

Quizdini is shutting down.

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2022/06/quizdini-is-shutting-down.html

New options for styling fonts in Google Forms

We’re adding additional font style and sizing options, and the ability to customize header, subheader, and body text separately in Google Forms.

https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2022/06/new-font-options-google-forms.html

One Pagers Refresh!

The one pagers include a range of distilled research from educational psychologist, edu-Twitter influencers and inspirational teachers.

Jamie Clark (@XpatEducator)

https://www.jamieleeclark.com/blog/one-pagers-refresh

AXIS The Culture Translator

Can’t Find It

What it is: People are expressing dissatisfaction (language) with the way Google’s flagship product, its search engine, has changed over the past few months as it seems to rank sponsored content and ads more highly than before.

Web Spotlight:

Moving Beyond SAMR with the Rigor Relevance Framework

While there are many different frameworks to choose from when it comes to the effective integration of technology, SAMR is typically the one that most people and schools leverage. At face value, it is relatively straightforward while conveying how the use of technology can move from enhancement to transformation.

http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2022/06/moving-beyond-samr-with-rigor-relevance.html

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June 18, 2022

MSM 551: Shouldn’t That Just Be Called Falafel?

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy issue an Eileen Award, reflect on Genius Week, and more. Dave is all-inclusive.

Jokes:

Why did the integers have to quarantine?

Because half of them were positive

Every time my doorbell rings my dog hides in the corner.

She’s a boxer

I prefer warm weather, but

Only to a certain degree

Why did Darth Vader have such a hard time measuring spaceships?

He was using the Imperial System.

Everyone should learn to use sign language.

It’s pretty handy

My air conditioner broke and the parts are on back order for what seems to be forever.

Sorry, I just had to vent

A lady bought a talking parrot, the pet shop promised a “nice” bird and so took it home. However the bird started cussing, once home and so she threatened to put it in the freezer. When it wouldn’t stop, she put it in the deep freezer and left it for about 5 minutes. When she took it out, she asked if he’ll behave. He promised but wanted to know something, what did the turkey do to be put into the freezer and she said that he was a fowl bird!

“So you currently work 9 to 5, Monday through Friday,” said my boss.

“That is right,” I replied.

He said, “Would you be able to work outside those hours?”

I said, “But I might catch a cold.”

What did the amoeba say when his sister stepped on his foot?

My toe sis!

Sorry, but this is a divisive joke.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Inclusive Science Classrooms

I was recently reading the May/June 2022 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Corner” column, written by Ann Haley MacKenzie. She wrote an article entitled, “Inclusive Strategies for the Science Classroom.”

The time is now for more attention to be paid to providing an inclusive environment for all learners. Our STEM pipeline depends on it. Our future as a progressive scientific country depends on it. Our scientific literacy depends on it. Our goal for an inclusive science classroom is to make sure all of our students can bring their authentic selves to school and feel that they belong, while providing engaging, responsive, and stimulating learning environments.

http://k12science.net/inclusive-science-classrooms/

Eileen Award

New Listener – Mike Maffesoli LOVES the jokes section of the show and would like to make requests.

Reports from the Front Lines

Genius Week Review
- Teacher Reflection
- Student Discussion (in Moodle)
Summer Break!
End of the Year Picnic
- Maine-ly Meatball
- Mr. Tuna
- Oysters
MOOSE

The Twitterverse

Richard Byrne @rmbyrne

How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? – A Geography Lesson https://buff.ly/3MtuMga

Senator Sean McCann @SeanAMcCann

I was proud to join a bill package to attract and retain teachers in Michigan led by my colleagues @SenPolehanki and @WinnieBrinks. My bill, Senate Bill 1100, would create a no-cost pathway for support staff members to become certified teachers. https://senatedems.com/polehanki/news/2022/06/16/polehanki-brinks-introduce-a-bill-package-to-attract-retain-teachers-in-michigan/

TeacherGoals @teachergoals

No lies detected.

MiddleWeb @middleweb

HAMMOCK PD: Find a great choice for summer professional reading! Your review book is free. We’ll send it by priority mail. You set your own deadline. https://middleweb.com/1153/review-for-us/

#mschat @AMLE #elachat #scichat #mathchat #gtchat #educoach #leadupchat #crazyPLN #satchat #ntchat #ELLs

Beth Houf @BethHouf

So great to reflect with other leaders on stress busters to prioritize. Moving my body is my number one goal. I’ve gotten away from this and ready to get back at it! #mola36 #LeadLAP

Ditch That Textbook @DitchThatTxtbk

Get 25 FREE Google Drawings graphic organizers AND learn how to create your own http://ditchthattextbook.com/15-free-google-drawings-graphic-organizers-and-how-to-make-your-own/ #ditchbook

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Unraveling a Copyright and Email Scam

Great review of a scam attempt.

(Also, he has 22,000 emails in his Inbox).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE7_sPrzF6w

Design Thinking

Design thinking is a problem-solving process that typically includes the following elements: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

https://www.middleweb.com/47238/teach-design-thinking-to-middle-schoolers/

Resources:

AXIS: The Culture Translator

Song of the Week: “As it Was” Harry Styles’s take on the pandemic world. Lots of “As it Was” in the lyrics. Lots. And even more after that.

160 Oral Language Prompts

This year, in my ELL Newcomers class, we began with students spending ten minutes using their laptops to work on various English-learning sites of their choice.

Then, I would display an oral language prompt on the screen (a question and a sentence-starter as a response). I would model saying it, and then students would write down the question and their response in a notebook.

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2022/06/12/160-oral-language-prompts-i-used-in-my-ell-newcomers-class-this-year/

Web Spotlight:

How Long Would It Take To Count to A Million

So, how long would it really take to count to a million? Out loud, for good measure?

Thanks to a guy named Jeremy Harper, we don’t have to guess. In fact: we got to watch.

https://nowiknow.com/how-long-would-it-take-to-count-to-a-million/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aqCC2PVNcA

BEWARE OF THE UNICYCLING CLOWN

Hyman wanted to measure the “inattentional blindness” — basically, the inability to see things because you’re not paying attention to them — which occurs when our minds are on our phone conversations.

https://nowiknow.com/beware-of-the-unicycling-clown/#annotations:F2XyquzJEeyTp59LA0ywKg

Random Thoughts . . .

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June 11, 2022

MSM 550: Spuddling Along

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Troy and Shawn talk about the end of the year, summer, presentations, and more. Dave is about making scientists from students.

Jokes:

Two fish are in a tank.

One fish turns to the other and says: “Do you know how to drive this thing?”

Did you hear about the burglar who always stole some soap in his crimes?

He wanted to make a clean getaway.

What musical genre are anthems?

Country.

What do you call a Bee that lives in America?

A US B

I just bought a new first aid kit.

I thought that I’d treat myself

Did you hear about the actor who fell through the floorboards?

He was just going through a stage.

A pirate lost his leg. He was able to walk again after getting an iron leg to replace it, but the leg soon rusted and he could no longer walk.

Oh the iron knee!

Where do bad card players go to be “pun”ished?

They go to solitaire-y confinement.

Why could Bill Clinton always match his VP’s dance steps?

He knew the Al Gore rhythm.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Do Students Work Like Scientists?

I was recently reading the May/June 2022 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Science 101” column, written by Matt Bobrowsky. He wrote an article entitled, “What Makes a Great Science Investigation?”

Real-world science doesn’t involve a series of steps, and there’s not always a single correct answer. Real science is exploration and discovery and lots of fun! Scientific investigations are open-ended and can keep being extended or expanded, so too is learning an ongoing endeavor. Isaac Asimov said, “Education isn’t something you can finish.”

http://k12science.net/do-students-work-like-scientists/

Reports from the Front Lines

Graduation
Summer Plans
- MoodleNet
Presentations
- AMLE November – H5P Tools
- ACTEM
  - H5P
  - Moodle
  - Open Source Options
  - OER
Genius Week Radio
- Great way to set the tone, set expectations
Reflections

The Twitterverse

Ian Jukes @ijukes

Tenacity

Megan Basham @megbasham

Here’s what I would like my from punditry class. I would like them to be able to argue that something is bad, even very bad, without resorting the most superlative, hyperbolic terms they can find. When everything is an apocalypse, nothing is.

Megan Basham @megbasham

According to the most comprehensive Department of Education study, roughly 10 percent of K-12 public school students experience sexual misconduct at the hands of a school employee. How much is the media writing about this? https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/resea

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

Gooder.

Dan Van der Vieren @RTBCoaching

Replying to @EduCelebrity

“Good” is not a strong enough adjective in this context. Please provide one that really honors those who desire the opportunity to spend nearly the entire year with students. Thank you for your consideration.

Jenna @jennavd22

Sounds about right. Happy Thursday to all you fellow spuddlers.

Cayne Letizia @CayneLetizia

anyone: “I’m not a teacher but if I were…”

teachers:

Todd Sepulveda @tsepulveda

Chromebook shortcut stickers in @jrsowash session in the Cypress Room!

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Strategies:

Dropdown in Google Docs

Group work
Tracking
Emoji
Rubrics

https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/15-ways-to-use-drop-down-menus-in-google-docs-suls0161/

Resources:

Interesting State Names

https://www.interestingfacts.com/state-nicknames/Ynm4_lm3LQAHz-rV

Flags

There is only one country with a non-quadralineal flag.

https://flagmakers.co.uk/flag-history/nepal/

Gerrymandering

Limit voting rights in 3 easy steps. (And how to teach your students about it.) Gerrymandering 101.

Quick primer. Gerrymandering is the legislative act of creating voting maps that favor your particular political party.

https://historytech.wordpress.com/2022/06/03/so-you-want-to-limit-someones-voting-rights-or-maybe-just-want-your-kids-to-know-more-about-it-gerrymandering-101/#annotations:_FxghuWbEeyjyR8fqvNhlg

AXIS: The Culture Translator

Time to Wake Up

What it is: The state of California will require all public high schools to start classes no earlier than 8:30am.

La Croke

What it is: A viral hack for “healthy” Coke on TikTok requires two ingredients: balsamic vinegar and any flavor of sparkling beverage. Why it’s dividing the internet: The original post about the trend, which apparently was invented by @mandyjones’ Pilates instructor, has over 5 million views. Several famous influencers plopping a splash of balsamic in their La Croix and hoping for the best. People who have tried the fad seem to be divided firmly into two camps: “This tastes better than I thought” vs. “This is absolute internet madness.” If your family is curious, it could be fun to give this one a try together — although with the caveat that there is no clear health benefit to drinking fizzified acid, Coke or no coke.

Slang of the Week

Mid: used on TikTok to describe something that’s simply average, poor, or mediocre; based on a TikTok that went viral in December 2021 in which wrestler Maxwell Friedman was seen declaring, “It’s called the Midwest because every single person who lives here is… mid!”

Web Spotlight:

7 Interesting Facts About Ancient Pyramids

https://www.interestingfacts.com/pyramids-facts/YowCvFuKogAHE3m0

How 6 Sports Teams Got Their Distinctive Names

https://www.interestingfacts.com/sports-team-names/YagaiE7cAQAHtnRG

Nepal has one of the most unusual time zones in the world.

https://www.interestingfacts.com/fact/62968a557ede000008986bfe

Random Thoughts . . .

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May 28, 2022

MSM 548: 135 Critical Voices

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy theoretically discuss the end of the year. Dave finds inspiration with End of the Year activities.

Jokes:

At the job interview, they asked me, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
I told them, “I think we’ll still be using mirrors in five years.”

How many clickbait articles does it take to change a lightbulb? The answer will shock you!

How do you make a water bed bouncier?
Add spring water.

I always knock on the fridge door before opening it, just in case there’s a salad dressing.

Where do dads store their dad jokes?
In the dad-a-base.

I tried to start a professional hide-and-seek team, but it didn’t work out.
Turns out, good players are hard to find.

A cop started crying while he was writing me a ticket. I asked him why and he said, “It’s a moving violation.”

What is the difference between a literalist and a kleptomaniac?
A comma. A literalist takes everything literally. A kleptomaniac takes everything, literally.

I just found out Albert Einstein existed. My whole life I thought he was a theoretical physicist.

Why is it a bad idea to eat a clock?
Because it’s so time-consuming.

Why should you never brush your teeth with your left hand?
Because a toothbrush works better.

I like to spend my weekends playing chess with elderly men in the park. But it’s becoming more difficult.
You try finding exactly32 old guys.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Finding Inspiration as the School Year Winds Down

I was recently reading the May/June 2022 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, “Finding Inspiration as the Year Winds Down.”

This is the time of the year when teachers need a boost of energy or inspiration to help finish the school year. One way of finding that boost of energy is to create space for large-scale investigations and in-depth activities where the students are in the driver’s seat.

http://k12science.net/finding-inspiration-as-the-school-year-winds-down/

Reports from the Front Lines

June 6th Genius Week
End of the School Year Strategies
Meta Cognition

The Twitterverse

Jack Berckemeyer @JBerckemeyer

Parents- As the school year comes to an end-send an email to your child’s teacher and administrator and thank them for keeping your child safe while they are at school. Thank them for teaching the values of kindness and empathy. Tell educators you appreciate them. They need it!

Shake Up Learning @ShakeUpLearning

Teach Like the Tonight Show: Internet Pop Quiz w/ Google Slides (Teacher Ed.) https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/teach-like-tonight-show-internet-pop-quiz-google-slides-teacher-edition/ #edtech

RUTH BUZZI@Ruth_A_Buzzi

I ate a kid’s meal at McDonalds yesterday. I have to say his mother sure overreacted.

Bob Harrison @bharrisonEDU

With the rise of GPT-3 and other text generators, all bets are off on the authenticity and educational value of any written assignment.

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Resources:

50 Best Games for Speech and Language Development

Free eBook!

http://usafiles.net/14X2/The_50_Best_Games_for_Speech_and_Language_Development.pdf

Great Teaching Toolkit

www.greatteaching.com#annotations:-o1GgN1YEeyy2J-cqxS1vA

Web Spotlight:

College Graduates Overestimate Starting Salaries

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/29/study-says-college-graduates-overestimate-starting-salaries-by-50000.html#annotations:s536ZNeiEeyUE7v6EE6W-w

These Words Were Invented by Mistake

https://www.wordgenius.com/how-were-these-words-invented-by-mistake/Xr0yWBPAJQAG8xAP

The Best Commencement Speeches

By Larry Ferlazzo

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/05/15/the-best-commencement-speeches/

How I Finally Stopped Working at Home as a Teacher

https://truthforteachers.com/how-i-finally-stopped-taking-work-home-as-a-teacher/

Random Thoughts . . .

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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May 21, 2022

MSM 547: Romantic AI & Transescents Today

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about relationships with Administrators, remote conferences, and more. Dave kind of gives us the Bird.

Jokes:

My doctor told me I was going deaf.

The news was hard for me to hear.

A century ago, two brothers decided it was possible to fly. And as you can see, they were Wright.

I’m reading a horror story in braille.

Something bad is going to happen, I can just feel it.

Anyone looking to buy a Delorean? Good shape, good mileage.

Only driven from time to time

During my calculus test, I had to sit between identical twins. It was hard to differentiate between them.

Does anybody know where a guy can find a person to hang out with, talk to, and enjoy spending time with? I’m just asking for a friend.

Why did the Invisible Man turn down a job offer? He couldn’t see himself doing it.

I didn’t want to believe that my dad was stealing from his job as a traffic cop, but when I got home, all the signs were there.

I have a joke about trickle down economics. But 99% of you will never get it.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Mark My Bird!

I was recently reading the May/June 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” column, written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled, “Mark My Bird!”

Mark My Bird is a global online citizen science project associated with the University of Sheffield that invites participants to study the how and why of bird biodiversity and change over time by studying bird bills. For more information, please visit:

https://www.markmybird.org

http://k12science.net/mark-my-bird/

Reports from the Front Lines

Moodle Moot UK
Building Relationships with Admin
MOOSE

The Twitterverse

Katie Powell @Beyond_the_Desk

Looking for a fun, easy, but impactful activity? Check out the #HungryHippos #BoredomBusters TikTok: https://tiktok.com/t/ZTdtuMMDN/?k=1 @dbc_inc (featuring Grayson Kitty)

Alice Keeler @alicekeeler

CommonLit: An Online Library of Free Texts https://cultofpedagogy.com/informational-text/ Via @cultofpedagogy

Patrick Calzone @MrPCalzone

Abandoned art project found in the bus loop…I am naming it: “Teaching Middle School in May”

𝓓𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓢𝓬𝓱𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓾 𝓔𝓭.𝓓. @daveschmittou

Principals- Visiting every classroom every day is not instructional leadership if the goal is to simply be seen. That’s your ego. Leadership is support, encouragement, and guidance when and where it’s needed…for them, even if it’s in the shadows and background.

Save Your Sons @SaveYourSons

A great father is a great teacher Here are five critical thinking skills to master and teach to your kids (thread)

1. Pattern recognition Figuring out “what things have in common” Our brains are pattern recognition machines. We constantly analyze the similarities between people, events, and scenarios to make decisions. Pattern recognition is how we deduce danger. It’s also how we prosper.

2. Reverse engineering Figuring out “what’s required” It’s nearly impossible to create anything if you can’t first picture it in your mind. Effective thinkers begin with the result in mind and work backward to determine what steps they need to take. The whole informs the parts.

3. Inference Figuring out “why something happened” We won’t always have all the facts. And a smart person doesn’t always need them. They’re able to analyze scattered facts and make deductions about why and how certain outcomes came to be. You can train this in your kids.

4. Prediction Figuring out “what will happen next” Cause-and-effect runs our lives. We must constantly determine the consequences of our actions. If we can’t deduce an action’s outcome, we can’t make beneficial decisions. And if we make bad decisions, we lead horrible lives.

5. Synthesis Figuring out “what’s important” As an adult you’ll need to sort through masses of information, retaining what’s relevant and discarding what’s not. Our brains are incredible, but they function best when we’re able to focus on what matters and ignore what doesn’t.

Conclusion: The world is full of data. Don’t rely on schools to teach your kids how to think. Everyday events can be used to spur countless conversations about how the world works. As your children get older, scale up the difficulty. Tailor the discussions to their interests.

Todd Finley @finleyt

How to Make Student Thinking Visible–Assess Kids’ Processes of Learning and Depth of Understanding | #students #k12 #edchat #education #teachers #ukedchat #teaching #thinking

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

Resources:

Merlin Bird ID

Merlin is powered by eBird, allowing you to build custom lists of the birds you’re likely to spot wherever you are. Use the filter options to explore birds for different locations or time of year, or switch to show all the species in the Bird Packs you’ve downloaded. Get more from the app with these Merlin Tips and Tricks.

https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

The Kids Should See This

The Kid Should See This is a Webby Award-winning collection of 5,000+ kid-friendly videos, curated for teachers and parents who want to share smarter, more meaningful media in the classroom and at home. And thanks to our members, it’s free and available for everyone.

Selections are grown-up-friendly, too. TKSST champions smart STEAM, history, and culture-focused content by museums, organizations, and creators who celebrate curiosity, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, kindness, and other essential themes for all ages.

Enjoy around 10 to 15 newly-added videos every week, browse the collections, and search topics in the archives. Founded in 2011, The Kid Should See This is curated and maintained by me, Rion Nakaya, with input from my 11 and 14-year-olds.

https://thekidshouldseethis.com/#annotations:2n9tJNC5EeyE1muU8iW5_g

Coco Material

Discover CocoMaterial, the Open Source hand-drawn illustration library with 1,927 images. Customize & download!

https://cocomaterial.com/#annotations:ynnPitUqEey06oupkBwHPA

AXIS: The Culture Translator

Beau Bots

What it is: Chatbots like the Replika app are creating avenues for romantic relationships between people and AI. Replika allows users a limitless chat experience for free, but requires a payment plan to provide a girlfriend or boyfriend experience.

More Than Words

What it is: The terms “algo-speak” and “Voldemorting” have been coined to refer to ways social media posters modify certain phrases to sneak past automated algorithm censorship.

Web Spotlight:

Trent Shelton

Trent Shelton had what can only be described as a failure in his career as a pro football player. But at his lowest point, he found the strength to turn his life around. He joins “CBS Mornings” to share his wisdom.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/former-football-player-turned-motivational-speaker-trent-shelton-says-only-giving-up-is-failure/

What Makes A Good Life?

What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it’s fame and money, you’re not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you’re mistaken. As the director of a 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life.

Random Thoughts . . .

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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