MSM 329:  Ratholes, Rants and Misconceptions.

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

Two truck drivers came to a low bridge. The clearance sign said 10 feet 8 inches. When they got out and measured their truck, they discovered their vehicle was eleven feet. The first man looked at the other and said, “I can’t see any cops around. Let’s go for it!”

 

Have you seen the Russell Crowe movie about the cannibal and his mother in law? Gladiator (glad – he – ate – her)

 

It’s time for all bad spellers to untie.

I yell because I care.

Is it true that cannibals won’t eat a clown because they’re afraid they will taste funny?

Pets welcome: children must be on leash.

He who laughs last, has the best lawyer.

I’ve been dieting for 31 days and all i lost was 31 days.

Warning: I have an attitude and i know how to use it.

Don’t do what I say do what I mean.

At the feast of ego, everyone leaves hungry.

I’m looking for the upper taker not the undertaker.

General Custer wore arrow shirts.

The word verb is actually a noun.

It’s not whether you win or lose, what counts is if I win or lose

 

Q: What do you call a snobbish criminal going down stairs?

A: A condescending con descending.

 

“My mom and dad had a baby. It wasn’t my brother. It wasn’t my sister. Who was it?”

Advisory:

 

Finishing the School Year Strong

Students can reflect on these two questions, turning their answers into posters that can be hung around the classroom as reminders and shared with each other:

  • What are three things you can do to help finish the school year strong academically?
  • What is one thing you can do to help your classmates finish the year strong academically?

 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/larry-ferlazzo-how-to-end-school-year-strong

 

Mahara

Version 16 is now available.

https://mahara.org/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Misconceptions

 

I was recently reading the March, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the article, “What We Call Misconceptions May Be Necessary Stepping-Stones Toward Making Sense Of The Work.” It was written by Todd Campbell, Christina Schwarz, and Mark Windschitl. This article highlights a view of science learning uncommon in schools today–one in which teachers and students view misconceptions as useful for making sense of the world.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/4/28_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Misconceptions.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

TED Talks@TEDTalks  

8 TED Talks to help you practice patience: http://t.ted.com/40Bpjoj

 

Savas Savides@SSavides  

Dear Teacher on the Tired Days, http://buff.ly/1N8o7bV

 

Marlena Gross-Taylor@mgrosstaylor  

A3: Great examples of the power of failure! #leadupchat

Famous Failures

elearninginfographic@eLearngraphic  

The Power of Teachers as… http://dlvr.it/LBdn6s  #TeacherInfographics #CollaborativeCurriculumDesignersinfographic

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

 

Strategies:

 

SketchNotes

Sketchnoting for Beginners - Google Slides 2016-04-30 12-34-16

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1a0TgYBEEQlMv6umZJ_g3KLHGOi1Vv40PHsFhjCN3LkE/edit#slide=id.g5f70fb3e7_059

 

RSA

Examples of SketchNotes turned into Animations.

https://www.thersa.org/discover/videos/rsa-animate/

 

The Secret of Effective Feedback

Feedback is only successful if students use it to improve their performance.

…many studies have shown, students often learn less when teachers provide feedback than they do when the teacher writes nothing (Kluger & DeNisi, 1996)

In general, however (and this is what makes feedback so challenging), the main purpose of feedback is to improve the student’s ability to perform tasks he or she has not yet attempted.

In the longer term, the most productive strategy is to develop our students’ ability to give themselves feedback.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr16/vol73/num07/The-Secret-of-Effective-Feedback.aspx

Resources:

Six Brain Thoughts

 

http://crewblog.wpengine.com/6-things-know-brain-learns/

 

Web Spotlight:

 

Get Rid of Grade Levels

 

Essentially, our personalized learning program will be move from teacher-centered to learner-centered classrooms by supporting the following:

  1. More active learning, so that learners are not merely more active through creating, deciding, and so on, but are also more actively learning through the positive review of their experience and the meaning-making this involves.
  2. More collaborative learning, so that learners come to see themselves and others as resources in meaning-making, rather than the teacher being the sole fount of knowledge
  3. More learner-driven learning, so that learners come to drive the agenda as they generate questions, organize inquiry and evaluate their products and progress.

And here’s the big kicker: we have decided to eliminate grades for our learners.

 

Instead of being confined to grade-level classes, students will move in “studios.” Studios will be aligned to grade level standards determined by four teachers (identified as “studio coaches”), but the students won’t know if they are moving up or down. In fact, there are no numbers involved; each studio will be a letter of our program, called EPIC (Empowering, Personalizing, Innovating, Creating).

 

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-04-28-get-rid-of-grade-levels-a-personalized-learning-recipe-for-public-school-districts

 

Random Thoughts . . .  

Moodle FlashCards

Personal Web Site

MSM 322:  I don’t feel like cleaning this up.  No one eats their Wheeties anymore.

Jokes You Can Use:

 

What’s the difference between a Hippo and a Zippo?

Why do scuba divers fall backward into the water?

Have you heard the rumor going around about butter?

Today at the bank, a little old lady asked me to help check her balance. So I pushed her over. Everything’s OK though. The check bounced.

Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It’s very time consuming. Especially when you go back for seconds.

A magician was driving down the street. Then he turned into a driveway.

Two parrots were sitting on a perch. One turns to the other and says “Do you smell fish?”

 

Advisory:

 

The baffling reason many millennials don’t eat cereal

Few things are as painless to prepare as cereal. Making it requires little more than pouring something (a cereal of your choice) into a bowl and then pouring something else (a milk of your choice) into the same bowl. Eating it requires little more than a spoon and your mouth. The food, which Americans still buy $10 billion of annually, has thrived over the decades, at least in part, because of this very quality: its convenience.

 

And yet, for today’s youth, cereal isn’t easy enough.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/23/this-is-the-height-of-laziness/

 

His Smile

She has connected with him and it has made all of the difference in the world. At this point you might be wondering how, why, when? To be quite honest, I don’t know. What I do know is that she has been spending time with him on the weekends. Bonding. Connecting. Having fun engaging in non-school related activities. Even her duty-free lunch period is spent eating with him and a few of his friends. Because she knows that a cafeteria full of students and noise can be difficult for him.

http://www.bamradionetwork.com/edwords-blog/his-smile

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Chemical Cleanouts

 

I was recently reading the January, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Scope on Safety.”  It was written by Ken Roy, director of environmental health and safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, CT.  The article focused in on the safety question of the month, which was: “How often should middle school science labs have chemical cleanouts?”

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/2/25_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Chemical_Cleanouts.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Alice Keeler ‏@alicekeeler

ThingLink – Let Students Figure it Out – http://www.alicekeeler.com/teachertech/2016/01/19/thinglink-let-students-figure-it-out/ …

 

Rich Kiker ‏@rkiker

After years of analysis, Google discovers the key to good teamwork is being nice http://buff.ly/1TFkSZt  #GoogleEDU

Podcast 322 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-27 12-09-19

 

Diane Ravitch ‏@DianeRavitch

Amy Frogge: My 9-Year-Old Will Take Tests That Are Longer than My LSAT Exam http://dianeravitch.net/2016/02/27/amy-frogge-my-9-year-old-will-take-tests-that-are-longer-than-my-lsat-exam …

 

Sue Gorman ‏@sjgorman

U.S. Department of Education Recognizes 13 States and 40 Districts Committing to #GoOpen with Educational Resources http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-recognizes-13-states-and-40-districts-committing-goopen-educational-resources …

 

Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo

How To Use Data – & How Not To Use It – In Schools http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2016/02/response_how_to_use_data_-_how_not_to_use_it_-_in_schools.html … my new Ed Wk post w/ @betamiller @ASCD

Podcast 322 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-27 12-10-21

 

 

Matthew Lynch ‏@Lynch39083

Happier Students, Higher Scores: The Role of Arts Integration http://is.gd/lqY18j  #artseducation #edpolicy

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

Strategies:

 

Strategies for Reaching Quiet, Disengaged, Struggling, and Troublemaking Students

The Quiet Student

The Disengaged Student

The Struggling Student

The Troublemaking Student

 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/reaching-quiet-disengaged-struggling-troublemaking-students-david-cutler

 

Diagnostic Teaching: Pinpointing Why Your Students Struggle

by Terry Heick

 

  1. Fundamental curricular & unit design
  2. Complete all missing or incomplete assignments
  3. Differentiate assessments on non-mastered standards
  4. Isolate and prioritize standards for mastery
  5. Choose new materials/resources that feature more transparent illustration of standard
  6. Daily use of student exit chart
  7. Student goal-setting & progress monitoring
  8. Beyond-the-classroom support systems

 

http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/diagnostic-teaching-why-students-struggle/

 

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/10kQUtJvszYe-5C_suerdfX92vqDyzHkDoNxsiphc_fU/edit?usp=sharing

Resources:

 

3 Reasons Why All Learning is Personal

by George Couros • February 23, 2016 • 2 Comments

Here are three reasons that struck me upon reflection of this experience.

  1. Each individual has their own experiences and acquired knowledge. (Past)
  2. Each person creates their own connections to content based on the reason mentioned above. (Present)
  3. What interests each person biases what they are interested in learning moving forward. (Future)

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/12323

 

4Tests

Tests in 5 Basic areas:

Also have other exams available. There are lots of ads. The questions can be useful examples or good for students to explore. The TOEFL includes Listening questions.

https://www.4tests.com/

 

Web Spotlight:

 

Student Learning Communities (SLC’s)

by dkerr • February 21, 2016

Once a cycle or once every week or two, students will get into their student learning community (grade specific or subject specific, or ultimately, passion specific that isn’t tied to grade level bands or subject areas) and collaboratively reflect on the day to day experience of school.

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/12355

 

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

Open Textbook Post

http://troypatterson.me/2015/08/23/open-textbooks/

 

Personal Web Site

MSM 319:  Try this…Emoji(s) and more

Jokes You Can Use:

WARNING: You might not want to read this unless you are in a place where you are free to laugh out loud occasionally.

  • When deep cuts were made in the guillotine industry, heads rolled.
  • When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate.
  • The batteries were given out free of charge.
  • I heard the new auto body shop that opened comes highly wreck-a-mended.
  • The president of the Ennui Club was also chairman of the bored.
  • The tarantula found his partner online. He spider on the web.
  • I decided not to go to Pisa, though I was leaning towards it.
  • Broken puppets for sale. No strings attached.
  • The historian loves reading about bobcats. They are lynx to the past.

 

 

Two guys are walking down the street when a mugger approaches them and demands their money.

They both grudgingly pull out their wallets and begin taking out their cash. Just then one guy turns to the other and hands him a bill. “Here’s that $20 I owe you,” he says.

 

Advisory:

 

Psychological Tricks:

Podcast 319 - Today - Google Docs 2016-01-30 15-18-28

 

Podcast 319 - Today - Google Docs 2016-01-30 15-19-10

Podcast 319 - Today - Google Docs 2016-01-30 15-19-35

Podcast 319 - Today - Google Docs 2016-01-30 15-20-09

Podcast 319 - Today - Google Docs 2016-01-30 15-20-41

*Warning, there are a couple of “teacher tricks” here.

http://twentytwowords.com/clever-psychological-tricks-you-can-use-to-your-advantage/gallery/1/

 

 

10 Dining Etiquette Don’ts From Around The World

Navigating foreign countries can be tough, and that includes making it through a meal without inadvertently offending the natives. Here are 10 dining etiquette don’ts from around the world, courtesy of Langfords.com. Number

  1. Britain. Talking with a mouth full of food is never recommended, but is something the people of this nation find to be particularly repellent.
  2.   Denmark. Never take the last danish – or any food item for that matter. The proper way to get one more bit of deliciousness is to keep cutting the remaining tidbit in half until nothing but crumbs remain.
  3.   Thailand. Placing chopsticks in an empty bowl can send a message sure to dampen dinner conversation. The arrangement is a symbol of death.
  4.   Mexico. Being punctual is usually a good thing, but not when it involves gathering for meals. In that situation, 30 minutes late is considered being perfectly on time.
  5.   Germany. A note to those who cut up their salad greens with a knife – Germans would rather you don’t. The preferred method is to fold them with a fork.
  6.   U.S.A. If your meal is too hot, either wait for it to cool or deal with the blistering consequences. Blowing on one’s food is considered bad table behavior.
  7.   Egypt. Desiring another person’s better-looking dish is natural, but, when experiencing such envy in Egypt, don’t stare at their plate. In fact, don’t look at anybody else’s food for any reason.
  8.   Spain. Using bread as an additional utensil for eating soup is popular in some places, but Spain is not among them. There, dunking is considered rude.
  9.   Russia. Vodka purists to be sure, the national belief is that nothing, not even ice, should be mixed or otherwise come into contact with the beloved beverage.
  10.    Zambia. In an age rife with food allergies and intolerances, it’s become common to question a dish’s ingredients. However, doing that in Zambia is akin to suggesting the cook is trying to serve you poison.

 

Which of the world’s dining etiquette gaffes most surprise you?

 

 

Taylor Swift Inspired This Mega Fan to Shake Off 425 Pounds

Two years ago, 28-year-old Ronnie Brower weighed almost 700 pounds.

His doctors had told him that if he didn’t make some serious lifestyle changes, there was no way he’d live to see 35.

Now, at the ripe old age of 30, Ronnie has lost an incredible 425 pounds and completely turned his life around — all thanks to a Facebook friend who put him in touch with a personal trainer, and the healing powers of Taylor Swift.

Podcast 319 - Today - Google Docs 2016-01-30 15-22-28 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0UeRh7huME

 

 

6 Photographers Shot the Same Person and the Results are Astonishing

 

http://www.worldvillage.com/6-photographers-shot-the-same-person-and-the-results-are-astonishing/

 

 

Using MyFitness Pal with Students

 

http://www.theedublogger.com/2016/01/29/myfitnesspal/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

MYTHS ABOUT NGSS

 

I WAS RECENTLY READING THE JANUARY, 2016 ISSUE OF “SCIENCE SCOPE,” A MAGAZINE WRITTEN FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS, PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.  

 

IN THIS ISSUE, I READ THE ARTICLE, “ADDRESSING THREE COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS.”  IT WAS WRITTEN BY KENNETH L. HUFF.  THE ARTICLE IDENTIFIES THREE COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS.  THEY ARE:

  1.  SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS ALREADY CONTAINED IN THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS, ELA.
  2.  WE ARE ALREADY DOING THIS.
  3.  NGSS LIMITS WHAT SCIENCE CAN BE TAUGHT IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/1/27_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Myths_About_NGSS.html

 

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Hadi Partovi ‏@hadip

Republicans and Democrats ALL agree on computer science. Today The White House joined the movement. #CSforAll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5QGo_Yb_Pc&feature=youtu.be …
RE:  Steve Cushing SteveC ‏@Montberte

President Obama Announces ‘Computer Science for All’ Initiative – Curriculum Matters – Education Week:… http://bit.ly/1KMWiir  #SteveC

Wired Educator ‏@WiredEducator

. @iPadAgTeacher @DweaverRick awesome I also wrote this article on Edmodo for using it for formative assessment http://wirededucator.com/edmodo-great-for-exit-tickets-and-other-formative-assessment/ …

George Couros ‏@gcouros

What Makes a Master Teacher http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/267 …

Mark Barnes ‏@markbarnes19

Mike Fisher pulls no punches in his forthcoming Hacking the Common Core. #HackLearning

edutopia ‏@edutopia

Lesson didn’t go as planned? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered: http://edut.to/1Sp4gED .

Justin Baeder ‏@eduleadership

Why Everyone Believes In Formative Assessment, But Nobody Does It http://www.principalcenter.com/x/a5

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

 

Strategies:

Exit Ticket Emoji

http://www.uked.directory/product/wsr00034/

A Google Drive link that you can use:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B47VAie_5f7YeVR5LUV1a0E1MmM/view

 

Songs To Get Students Thinking ….

BY DDEUBEL · JANUARY 25, 2016

 

“Most often, I used songs to either introduce a topic but most often to introduce a “sensitive” topic or one about a personal, social or global issue. They are great at getting students thinking about things we usually don’t and for prompting discussion.”

 

http://ddeubel.edublogs.org/2016/01/25/songs-to-get-students-thinking/

 

Resources:

BEGINNING AND ENDING CLASS LIKE A PRO WITH BRIAN SZTABNIK

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/brian-sztabnik-beginning-ending-class/

 

Real Vocabulary

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/learn/real-vocabulary/

 

Choosito

Free Leveled Web search.

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

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/cSYAoLOoFqk” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Cherrypal:  

http://www.cherrypal.com/home.htm  

Cheap computer company is back online making tablets.  

Web Spotlight:

 

30 of The Creepiest Valentine’s Day

http://twentytwowords.com/the-creepiest-vintage-valentines-youll-ever-see/gallery/1/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Reading the Test.

 

Personal Web Site

 

MSM 315:  The Darwin Letter Writing of Verbal Cursive

 

Jokes You Can Use:  

 

Why does a chicken coops have 2 doors?

  • If it had 4 doors it would be a sedan

 

How do you make a Kleenex dance?

  • Put a little boogie in it.

 

Did you hear about the cheese factory that exploded in France?

  • All that was left was de Brie.

 

What did one fish say to the other fish in the tank?

  • Do you know how to drive this thing?

 

Did you hear about Sam? He got fired from his job in the calendar factory.

  • He took a few days off

 

Did you hear about the inventor of LifeSavr’s?

  • He made a mint.

 

Who is Irish and sits on the lawn?

  • Paddy O’Furniture

 

What’s the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and well dressed man on a bicycle?

  • Attire

 

Advisory:

 

Why do people talk weird in old time movies?

It’s not quite British, and it’s not quite American – so what gives? Why do all those actors of yesteryear have such a distinct and strange accent?


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

 

Trick your brain into seeing color in a black and white photo

Perception is a fickle thing. As good as our senses are at keeping us alive, they can often mislead and deceive us. Here’s a great example of that which you can try at home, featured in the new BBC Four series, Colour: The Spectrum of Science.

http://www.iflscience.com/brain/image-can-trick-your-brain-and-make-you-see-it-color

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Lab Safety — Backpacks

 

I was recently reading the March, 2015 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the column, “Scope on Safety” written by Ken Roy.  Within the column is the popular “Question of the Month.”  This month’s question is:

“Besides potential trip-and-fall hazards, what other things should I be concerned about if students are allowed to bring backpacks into the lab?”

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/8/20_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Lab_Safety__Backpacks.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Maria Popova ‏@brainpicker

Jane Austen’s advice on writing, in letters to her teenage niece http://buff.ly/1lAMt0Y

Diane Ravitch ‏@DianeRavitch

John Thompson: The Gates Foundation Never Listens to Teachers, Unless They Endorse the Gates’ Experiments http://dianeravitch.net/2015/11/21/john-thompson-the-gates-foundationnever-listens-to-teachers-unless-they-endorse-the-gates-experiments …

Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo

My co-author & I r spending week editing galley proofs of our next book,Navigating Common Core w/ ELLs.Out in March

Podcast 315 - Today - Google Docs 2015-11-21 12-26-55

Gary G. Abud, Jr. ‏@MR_ABUD

Hacking Feedback: The Bookends https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2015/11/18/hacking-feedback-the-bookends/ … via @TeachingChannel @mr_mccomb #miched #edchat #sblchat

MindShift ‏@MindShiftKQED

Exploring the Idea of ‘Happiness’ As Part of School Work http://ow.ly/UU6CV  #edchat #noncog #teaching

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

 

Strategies:

 

Gamification

Game based learning in the classroom should not be worksheets with points. It should be engaging and exciting. Here are eight ways to level up game based learning. Because, face it, many educational “games” fall short. Chocolate on broccoli. That is what many educators call these games that fall short of what great gaming can be.

  1. Make Your Whole Class a Game Experience
  2. Engage with Minecraft: Let Kids Build in the Sandbox
  3. Build a Game Experience into Learning: Live It and Learn It
  4. Play Games for Social Good: Have a Point, Don’t Just Earn Them
  5. Game Based Platforms for Learning
  6. Experience Learning: Immerse Yourself in the Experience
  7. Go Offline or Outside: You Don’t Need Tech to Teach
  8. Create Solutions as You Learn: Gifts from the Hour of Code

 

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/game-based-learning-in-the-classroom/

 

Word Nerd:  Make the Connection

Create a Keynote (or PowerPoint) that provides three to five pictures about a vocab word you want to introduce.  Kids brainstorm the connections between the pictures to derive the vocabulary word, and display the word with the pictures at the end of the run.  Next slide . . .

 

Resources:

 

Google Expeditions

Virtual field trips.

https://www.google.com/edu/expeditions/

Do it on your own:

http://friedtechnology.blogspot.com/2015/11/how-to-get-google-expeditions-via.html

 

Web Spotlight:

 

YouCaring

(https://www.youcaring.com/):  Compassionate Crowdsourcing, 0% overhead.  

 

Voices of History

The Bill of Rights Institute consistently provides quality, primary-source based resources to civics educators across the country. Voices of History gives you the opportunity to access six of our best curricula, online, anytime, free of charge. Looking for a lesson on the Constitutional Convention? Simply type your terms in the search bar and a plethora of options will appear for you. Need to narrow it down to Thomas Jefferson’s role? You can filter your search by a number of options providing the simplest, most effective way to find exactly what you need with the click of a button.

 

http://voicesofhistory.org/

 

https://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/educate/educator-resources/voices-history/

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

Personal Web Site

 

MSM 312:  AppSliced, we’re not juicing. But we’ll take a picture of the notes.

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

If pros are opposite of cons; what is the opposite of progress?

Congress

 

Why did the football coach go to the bank?

To get his Quarter Back.

A descendant of Eric The Red, named Rudolf the Red, was arguing with his wife about the weather. His wife thought it was going to be a nice day, and he thought it was going to rain. Finally she asked him, how he was so sure.

“Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear”.

Advisory:

Job Interview Question

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:

 

  1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
  2. An old friend who once saved your life.
  3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about.

 

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?

 

Think before you continue reading. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

 

You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first; or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream lover again.

 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

STEAM Nature Walk

 

I was recently reading the March, 2015 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Understanding the Art in Science and the Science in Art Through Crosscutting Concepts.”  It was written by Irene Plonczak and Susan Goetz Zwiirn.  The article describes STEAM lessons that mirror real-world processes that have contributed to breakthrough discoveries, incremental improvements or new thinking.  These STEAM lessons are organized using crosscutting concepts from the K-12 Framework and NGSS. In this first podcast in a multi-part series, the STEAM lesson incorporates a Nature Walk.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/7/9_Middle_School_Science_Minute-STEAM_Nature_Walk.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

edutopia ‏@edutopia

Congrats, you just hit the jackpot (the formative assessment one, that is): http://edut.to/1L9u9r3 .

Pernille Ripp ‏@pernilleripp

The Problem with “Formative Assessment Tools” (part 2 of 2) http://bit.ly/1KbnLMj  via @RossCoops31

Tom Murray ‏@thomascmurray

10 Tips For Launching An Inquiry-Based Classroom http://ow.ly/SGPlI  #edchat

Marvin Olasky reference:  http://townhall.com/columnists/marvinolasky/2015/09/03/e–r3wcg-n2047355/page/full  

Tom Whitby ‏@tomwhitby

Try This: Why Twitter Will Never Connect All Educators. https://tomwhitby.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/why-twitter-will-never-connect-all-educators/ … #Nt2t

Vicki Davis ‏@coolcatteacher

#MATH FREEBIE ALERT: Awesome Foldables and Downloads from Sarah Hagan http://cctea.ch/1FyYo88  via @mathequalslove

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

 

Strategies:

 

Taking Notes vs Taking Pictures

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/11856

 

Resources:

 

Passwords:

 

https://www.commoncraft.com/video/account-security

 

 

LastPass

1 Password

Dashland

 

Literably

Reading records done on-line.

https://literably.com/

 

SAS Curriculum Pathways

Variety of Materials. All FREE.

https://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/

Web Spotlight:

AppSliced

www.appsliced.co/apps  

AppSliced lets you search the store for apps and builds recommendations based on your preferences.  It not only tells you when apps become free, but you can do a price watch on them over time.  

 

Starting Engaged

The start of the school year is crucial. This sets the stage. Todd Bloch talks about starting the school year engaged.

http://sweattoinspire.com/2015/09/12/starting-engaged/

 

Moodle Use

Nice overview of using Moodle for student learning. Homework, Practice, and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=598&v=HyP28vwrUxs

 

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site

 

MSM 307:  Quotes, Nitrogen – Cheat and Don’t Get Caught. We’ll be back!

 

Jokes You Can Use:

A man walks into the psychiatrist’s office with a zucchini up his nose, a cucumber in his left ear, and a breadstick in his right ear. He says, “What is wrong with me?

The psychiatrist replies, “You are not eating properly.”

 

Q: Do you know why dogs don’t dance?

A: They have two left feet!

 

A little boy asked his dad for a dollar to give to a little old lady in the park. His father impressed by his son’s kindness, gave him the dollar. “There you are my son,” said the father. “But, tell me, isn’t the little lady able to work any more? “She sells candy” was the boy’s reply.

Open House

Walkens

Homework

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Jeff Faria

 

Advisory:

Shopping in Bethel, Alaska

Compare shopping in your town with Bethel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=43&v=qyVgDW7h0Fw

 

10 Quotes From Audrey Hepburn That Will Teach You Valuable Life Lessons

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-quotes-from-audrey-hepburn-that-will-teach-you-valuable-life-lessons.html

 

101 Bruce Lee Quotes

 

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/the-101-ultimate-bruce-lee-quotes.html

 

The Paper Airplane that you wish you’d made

Warning: A couple of swear words in the beginning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0stHV0s7XaU

 

21 Proverbs from Around the World

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamiejones/the-most-beautiful-proverbs-from-around-the-world#.vbY8dkGGw

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

NITROGEN, ROBOTS AND CAMERAS

 

I was recently reading the February, 2015 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read the column, “Scope on the Skies” written by Bob Riddle.  In his column, Bob provides questions that students would have fun answering.  In this issue, he asks questions about nitrogenous breathing organisms, planets inhabited by robots and cameras that simulate our eyes.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/5/18_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Nitrogen%2C_Robots_and_Cameras.html

 

From the Twitterverse:

Todd ‏@ToddWhitakeriBooks has launched their “Summer Reading For Educators” campaign which will run June 1-July 13. (Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/collection/summer-reading-for-educators/id136548?fcId=993535882&mt=11 …)
Dru Tomlin ‏@DruTomlin_AMLE Westerville, OHExcited that lots of folks R WebCamping w/ @AMLE this summer! Free online learning 4 middle grades at http://www.amle.org/webinars  Boom! #mschat
Chris Hubbuch ‏@ChrisHubbuchSeven Tech Tools for Fast Formative Assessment http://ow.ly/NXq4Y  from @MiddleWeb #mschat #sblchat #essd40pd
MiddleWeb ‏@middlewebIf we were new 6-8 teachers, we’d be reading: “8 Things I Know for Sure about Middle School Kids” http://www.middleweb.com/19645/8-things-about-middle-school-kids/ … #ntchat #newteacher
Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom Tennessee, USA#edwebchat ~ @newteacherhelp shares @TeacherKit ~ #fhuedu320 #tn_teta
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

 

Strategies:

Create image quiz on Riddle

 

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2015/05/how-to-create-image-based-quizzes-and.html#.VXMD-VxVhBd

 

Resources:

Writing Prompts

An entire book from MakeBeliefsComix to share with students.

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/_downloads/eBooks/Something-To-Write-About.pdf

 

Ten Great Resources for telling stories

from Richard Byrne

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2015/05/ten-great-tools-for-telling-stories.html#.VXMFpVxVhBe

https://app.box.com/s/5htchviyphrnsopjl9tysapcpro71c2c

 

Education Endowment Foundation Toolkit

List of strategies ranked by cost and effectiveness.

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/toolkit-a-z/

Web Spotlight:

 

How to Cheat on State Standardized Tests and Not Get Caught

It could be my college experience that leads me to write this article. I’m not encouraging anyone to follow the advice given here, but I’m sure that many have already done so. The fact is that any time you create a game, people will game the system, and that is just what our current test and punish culture has lead to.

If you are going to do some erasing, you better be selective and not get carried away. Here are my tips.

  • On the papers of your top students and your bottom students, don’t erase anything.
  • Focus on your bubble kids. I wouldn’t correct more than two questions per test. I would use a high-end eraser, and use almost a surgical technique.
  • Most of the efforts I have seen to fire poor teachers depend on at least two consecutive years of poor performance on the tests combined with other criteria. If this is the case, it’s fine if your students do crappy year one as long as they do better year two.
  • Most teachers are concerned about students cheating on assessments of all kinds, and usually take action to control cheating opportunities. When it comes to the state tests, however, you just might want to lower the cheating barriers.

 

If you haven’t figured it out yet, this article was written with tongue firmly in cheek.

Random Thoughts . . .

Personal Web Site

 

MSM 306:  Visual Jokes that are Virtually Unstoppable, It’s Not Pathe-tic.

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Podcast 306 -Today - Google Docs 2015-05-23 12-43-59

Podcast 306 -Today - Google Docs 2015-05-23 12-44-29

I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.

The only thing wrong with a perfect drive to work is that you end up at work.

The olympian skier Picabo Street now works in the Intensive Care Unit at a hospital. Unfortunately, the administration told her she can no longer answer the phone, because this is what she said, “Picabo ICU” (Peek-a-boo, I see you)

 

A hungry lion was roaming through the jungle looking for something to eat.

He came across two men. One was sitting under a tree reading a book; the other was typing away on his typewriter. The lion quickly pounced on the man reading the book and devoured him. Even the king of the jungle knows that readers digest, and writers cramp.

Eileen Award:

 

Advisory:

Names around the World

 

http://www.w3.org/International/questions/qa-personal-names

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-GRAPH LITERACY

 

I was recently reading the February, 2015 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Teaching Graph Literacy Across the Curriculum” written by Andrew Zucker, Carolyn Staudt and Robert Tinker.  In the article they share a framework based on research indicating that everyone goes through three steps to understand a graph.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/5/14_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Graph_Literacy.html

 

From the Twitterverse:

Joy Kirr ‏@JoyKirrPlease add one sentence to this padlet: What is #geniushour / #20time? http://padlet.com/joykirr/WhatIsGH … Thank you in advance!

 

Marlene M. Harris ‏@marlenemharris3 Things Students Desire to Hear From Teachers http://buff.ly/1GvrrIp  #ntchat #satchat

 

Dr. Byron L. Ernest ‏@ByronErnestParents should ask their kids this at the end of every #school day: “Did you ask a great question today?” ~ Freeman Hrabowski #STEMForum

 

Terie Engelbrecht ‏@mrsebiologyCreate a Physical Record of Your Blog With BlogBooker http://shrd.by/Lc0Ck4  #education #edchat

 

Monte Tatom @drmmtatom  ·  May 18Call for proposals still open for K12OnlineConference “Virtually Unstoppable” at http://www.k12onlineconference.org  @k12onlinePodcast 306 -Today - Google Docs 2015-05-23 12-47-47

 

 

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

 

Strategies:

Summer Reading

 

http://www.readworks.org/rw/summer-reading-rising-6th-12th-graders

Resources:

Tween Tribute

Tween Tribute includes an email with some curriculum ideas. The story is available in several Lexiles levels.

 

http://tweentribune.com/tween56/tennis-and-fashion-are-match-paris

Discussion Questions:

 

Grades 3-4:Imagine that you had to wear a long dress or a coat to play tennis. How could these clothes affect your ability to play the game?
Grades 5-6:Why is it important to wear appropriate clothes when you exercise? What types of clothes do you think are appropriate for different sports?
Grades 7-8:

According to the article, professional tennis players want to show their personalities through their clothes. What type of outfit would show your personality?
Grades 9-10:

According to the article, women’s tennis outfits are less feminine and more sporty than they were in the past. Do you think this change is good or bad? Why?

Activity

Curriculum Connections

Explore

 

British Pathé

Subscribe now to the largest archive of history on YouTube. Follow us through the 20th Century and dive into the good and the bad times of the past. Feel free to explore more than 80,000 videos of filmed history and maybe you’ll find stuff no one else has ever seen.

https://www.youtube.com/user/britishpathe

 

Quizizz

  1. What is Quizizz?
  2. Quizizz is a fun multiplayer classroom activity, that allows all your students to practice together.
  3. How does it work?

View a Video Walkthrough

  1. Select one of the public quizzes or create your own.
  2. Click “Play” to generate your unique game code.
  3. Ask your students to open join.quizizz.com and enter the game code.
  4. See students joining on the live dashboard, and launch when ready.
  5. The game begins!

Track live progress of your class on your dashboard.

  1. What devices are supported?
  2. Quizizz works on all devices with a browser, including computers, tablets & smartphones.
  3. Does each student need a device?
  4. Each student/team needs one device.
  5. Can I create my own quizzes?
  6. Yes!
  7. Is it free?
  8. Yes!

http://quizizz.com/

Web Spotlight:

Myths in Education:

8 Myths that undermine education.

 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/myths-that-undermine-educational-effectiveness-mark-phillips

 

Hacking the Brain

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/06/brain-hacking/392084/

 

Message to My Freshman Students

Welcome to higher education! If you want to be successful here you need to know a few things about how this place works. One of the main things you need to know is the difference between the instructors you will have here and those you had before. Let me take a few minutes to explain this to you.

First, I am your professor, not your teacher. There is a difference.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-m-parsons/message-to-my-freshman-st_b_7275016.html

 

Let’s Stop Pretending

Greg Pearson — the mind behind the Better Together blog — tagged me a few weeks back as a part of Scott McLeod’s We Have to Stop Pretending project.  The thinking behind the project is that it is time to confront the unproductive truths that keep us from making schools different.

http://blog.williamferriter.com/2015/05/20/heres-what-we-have-to-stop-pretending/

Random Thoughts . . .

Personal Web Site

 

MSM 304:  GoFormative Chinese and English sentences

 

Jokes You Can Use:

Paul told his girlfriend that she drew her eyebrows too high. She seemed surprised.

I have the heart of a Lion, and a lifetime ban from the San Diego Zoo.

What did one orphan say to the other?

“Robin, get in the Batmobile.”

Did you hear the rumor going around about butter? Never mind, I shouldn’t spread it.

What do you get when you cross a dyslexic, an agnostic, and an insomniac?

Someone who lies awake at night wondering if there is a dog.

And God said to John, “Come forth and be granted eternal life.” But John came in fifth and won a toaster.

What happened to the cow that jumped over the barbed wire?

Udder disaster.

Why did Star Wars episodes 4, 5 and 6 come before 1,2, & 3?

Because in charge of scheduling, Yoda was.

Sometimes I just tuck my knees up to my chest and lean forward. Because that’s how I roll.

I, for one, like Roman numerals.

Working in a mirror factory is something I can totally see myself doing.

I came up with a new word yesterday: Plagiarism.

I broke my finger last week. On the other hand, I’m okay.

What’s the difference between a well dressed man on a bike and a poorly dressed man on a unicycle? Attire.

 

Eileen Award:

 

  • Twitter: Justin Baeder,

 

Advisory:

Learn Chinese:  Chineasy TED Talk

http://chineasy.org/films/ted-talk.aspx

 

Ever look at a piece of chinese text and say to yourself, “It’s Greek to me”?  Well it’s not. It’s Chinese!  This TED Talk on Chineasy shows students 8 symbols to begin understanding Chinese.  If it’s this easy to learn something new in an Advisory class, how hard can the rest of the day be?

 

20 Fun Sentences

  1. I never said she stole my money.

This fun sentence takes on seven different meanings depending on which word is emphasized: [I] never said she stole my money. – Someone else said it. I [never] said she stole my money. – I didn’t say it. I never [said] she stole my money. – I only implied it. I never said [she] stole my money. – I said someone did, not necessarily her. I never said she [stole] my money. – I considered it borrowed. I never said she stole [my] money. – Only that she stole money— not necessarily my own. I never said she stole my [money]. – She stole something of mine, not my money. While this trick works for plenty of other sentences as well, this one’s short and easy to understand.

 

http://distractify.com/default-category/the-19-most-mind-blowing-sentences-in-the-english-language/?v=1&ts_pid=2&ts_pid=2

 

Eye vs. camera – Michael Mauser

Your eyes don’t always capture the world exactly as a video camera would. But the eyes are remarkably efficient organs, the result of hundreds of millions of years of coevolution with our brains. Michael Mauser outlines the similarities and differences between your eye and a video camera.

Since this is an EdTed, it includes follow up.

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/eye-vs-camera-michael-mauser#watch

 

36 Asking Questions

  1. “It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” – Eugene Ionesco
  2. “Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing.” – Euripedes

 

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/36-quotes-from-successful-people-about-the-wisdom-asking-questions.html

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-SCIENCE JOURNALING PART 2

 

I was recently reading the February, 2015 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read the Guest Editorial written by Kristin Kandel and Natalie Brew, entitled “Our Science Story: When Science Inquiry Meets the Common Core.”  They explain, in this second part of a two podcast series, what their interactive science journal, for middle school students, actually looks like. For more information on the journal, contact Kristin Kandel at kandelk@ewsdonline.org

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/4/21_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Science_Journaling_Part_2.html

 

From the Twitterverse:

Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod

We can’t do what that other school is doing because… http://bit.ly/1EW8jTk  #satchat #edchat #edadmin

Jenny Luca ‏@jennyluca

The Evolution of the Employee – do schools understand this? http://wp.me/pai5A-Q1

Dakotah Cooper ‏@dakotahcooper

The #edcamplo board is full! Going to be a great day!

Podcast 304 -Today - Google Docs 2015-04-25 12-40-38

Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod

Everything that’s wrong with our student testing schemes in one blog post | @jmsprincipal #edchat #edreform #satchat

Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom

Five-Minute Film Festival: 8 Podcasts for Learning #education #feedly #fhuedu642 #fhuedu613 #tn_teta => @MSMatters http://ln.is/www.edutopia.org/blo/bkc0e …

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

 

Strategies:

GoFormative

Interesting assessment site.

https://goformative.com/

 

Resources:

8 Top Tips for Highly Effective PD

Highly effective classrooms can result from highly effective professional development. Recent research (Butler et al., 2004) has shown that effective professional development includes creating classroom content, modeling techniques for teachers to use in their classrooms, and feedback on lessons (Harris, Graham, and Adkins, 2015). It’s not enough to teach the right things to your teachers — you have to teach your teachers in the right way.

Here are some top tips for delivering highly effective PD to your teachers.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/top-tips-highly-effective-pd-vicki-davis

 

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/files/2015/04/Interventions-arent-10libxc.jpg

Evidence-based education is dead — long live evidence-informed education: Thoughts on Dylan Wiliam

https://community.tes.co.uk/tom_bennett/b/weblog/archive/2015/04/11/evidence-based-education-is-dead-long-live-evidence-informed-education-thoughts-on-dylan-wiliam.aspx#.VSlGOYwpi24.twitter

Story Board

Teacher Guides

To help our community get the most out of Storyboard That, we have worked tirelessly to create world class teacher guides. With these guides your students will rapidly master concepts and have fun doing it!

Each teacher guide contains:

  • 5-7 Common Core aligned class activities of various difficulties
  • Tips from our artists on how to make the “perfect storyboard”
  • Teacher Refreshers

 

http://www.storyboardthat.com/articles/education/teacher-resources

 

Commonly used Idioms

Idiom: a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language

Every language has its own collection of wise sayings. They offer advice about how to live and also transfer some underlying ideas, principles and values of a given culture / society. These sayings are called “idioms” – or proverbs if they are longer. These combinations of words have (rarely complete sentences) a “figurative meaning” meaning, they basically work with “pictures”.

This List of commonly used idioms and sayings (in everyday conversational English), can help to speak English by learning English idiomatic expressions. This is a list, which contains exactly 66 of the most commonly used idioms and their meaning.

 

http://www.smart-words.org/quotes-sayings/idioms-meaning.html

Web Spotlight:

Middle Class

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/middle-class-in-every-us-state-2015-4

 

3 Tips to Make Any Lesson More Culturally Responsive (and it’s not what you think!)

  1. Gamify it.
  2. Make it social.
  3. Storify it.

 

http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/culturally-responsive-teaching-strategies/

 

Why Education Won’t Fix Economic Inequity

In short, more education would be great news for middle and lower-income Americans, increasing their pay and economic security. It just isn’t up to the task of meaningfully reducing inequality, which is being driven by the sharp upward movement of the very top of the income distribution.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/01/upshot/why-more-education-wont-fix-economic-inequality.html

Random Thoughts . . .

Personal Web Site

 

MSM 303:  Technical Woes, Oopsies and make Olivia run.

Jokes You Can Use:

 

A teacher asked little Johnny if he knows his 1 to 10 well

“Yes! Of course! My pop taught me…even more than 10”

“Good. What comes after three?”

“Four,” answers the boy.

“What comes after six?”

“Seven.”

“Very good,” says the teacher. “Your erm…dad did a good job. Now…so what comes after…lets say ten?”

“A jack”

 

********************

 

Anytime you see a young man open a car door for his girlfriend, either the car is new or the girlfriend is.

********************

Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?

A: Frostbite.

 

********************

Two Antartians were speeding down the highway at well over 90 mph.

“Hey,” asked Bob, who was at the wheel, “any cops following us?”

Henry, his passenger, turned around and had a long look at the road behind them.

“Yeah, looks like it,” he responded.

“Are his flashers on?” asked Bob.

Henry turned around again…

“Yup…nope…yup…nope…yup…nope…yup…”

Advisory:

Motivational Posters

http://twentytwowords.com/you-cant-handle-all-this-motivation/

The 25 Best Self-Improvement Books To Read Before You Turn 25

http://blog.nsays.in/2015/03/the-25-best-self-improvement-books-to-read-before-you-turn-25/

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

Science Journaling.  Part 1 of a 2 part series.    

 

I was recently reading the February, 2015 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read the Guest Editorial written by Kristin Kandel and Natalie Brew, entitled “Our Science Story: When Science Inquiry Meets the Common Core.”  They explain, in this first part of a two podcast series, why they developed an interactive science journal for their middle school students.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/3/26_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Science_Journaling_Part_1.html

From the Twitterverse:

miGoogle ‏@michGoogle

#chromebook sales in Michigan provide a snapshot at the growth of the #ChromeOS market http://buff.ly/19YmKJH  #GoogleEDU #gafe

Lori DiMarco ‏@TCDSB21Csup

10 Ways to Use Google Maps in the Classroom | The Thinking Stick @jutecht #tcdsb21c http://sco.lt/5YvlQ1

nancyflanagan ‏@nancyflanagan

If CNN asked me what I’d tell newbie teachers, here’s what I would say: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teacher_in_a_strange_land/2015/04/four_things_i_want_to_say_to_novice_teachers.html … Welcome to a changed profession…

Erin Klein ‏@KleinErin

The Homework Help Desk: Amazing [FREE] Interactive Resource to Help Kids and Parents! http://goo.gl/11MXbw

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

 

Strategies:

How to Improve Test Results & It’s Free

The results suggest that 12-min of aerobic exercise improved the SVA of low- and high-income adolescents and that the benefit lasted for 45-min for both groups.

The SVA improvement among the low-income adolescents was particularly large. In fact, the SVA improvement among the low-income adolescents was substantial enough to eliminate a pre-existing income gap in SVA. The mean reading comprehension score of low-income adolescents who engaged in 12-min of aerobic exercise was higher than the mean reading comprehension score of low-income adolescents in the control group.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4052664/

 

Goodbye, math and history: Finland wants to abandon teaching subjects at school

Finland already has one of the best school education systems. It always ranks near the top in mathematics, reading, and science in the prestigious PISA rankings (the 2012 list, pdf) by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Teachers in other countries flock to its schools to learn from a country that is routinely praised as just a really, really wonderful place to live.

http://qz.com/367487/goodbye-math-and-history-finland-wants-to-abandon-teaching-subjects-at-school/

 

How to Create a Multi-faceted BackChannel

from Richard Byrne

A few weeks ago I reviewed a new backchannel/ message board tool called Tozzl. Then two weeks ago I had this horrendous experience with TodaysMeet. As a result I’m switching to using Tozzl for most of my backchannel needs. Tozzl allows me to create sections for chat, file sharing, and YouTube videos within one backchannel. I can also import the feed of a Twitter hashtag into my Tozzl backchannel. In the video embedded below I provide a demonstration of how to create a Tozzl backchannel.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2015/03/how-to-create-multifaceted-backchannel.html#.VSAAZBPF_ww

Resources:

TweenTribute

NEW FROM SMITHSONIAN: A FREE K-12 RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS!

Join over 200,000 registered teachers who are already putting these free Smithsonian Teacher tools to use in their classrooms.

  • Twice-daily AP news articles
  • Lexile® leveled for K-12
  • Self-scoring quizzes customized by Lexile® level
  • Critical thinking questions
  • Student commenting Daily Espanol AP articles
  • Weekly lesson plans
  • Weekly video Weekend “Monday Morning Ready” newsletter as prep for the week ahead

ALL FREE!

http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/tweentribune/

 

ReadWorks

Informational Articles to Build Knowledge

http://www.readworks.org/rw/informational-articles-build-knowledge

 

Renderman

RenderMan is now free for all non-commercial purposes, including evaluations, education, research, and personal projects. The non-commercial version of RenderMan is fully functional without watermark or limitation.

http://renderman.pixar.com/view/non-commercial-renderman

 

Web Spotlight:

 

15 Things Students Really want from Teachers

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/15-things-students-really-want-from-teachers.html

 

Engineering Prints as Wall Paper

MAKE YOUR HUGE PHOTOS EVEN HUGER WITH AN ENGINEER PRINT MURAL

http://photojojo.com/engineerprints/wallpaper/

Family Income, parental education and brain structure in children and adolescents

http://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3983.epdf?referrer_access_token=L6FAip5zxuVqf6v9N3UWTdRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0PKOUzpGihL13qTYfaLM50cPqteT7FXi39QN-z9UApFu5nwExZY6VoNGtBmY1-awVulfMTMUqUzDFkg1TVQ04Qcf_xyC0v8yHam_gdsGsmdSPEtjJ80RffaOahRU3_BLCnTkRhw7I4dAax3MHAZd90maW0Ce3Nmh2R9oGLlI0Zd2Cu86Ak_7mY2SDO6M6Y2D4Y0ECxSW_IVWMjbNEKTggqJOFSZreR42lTivtTN6kflI8lqFBMaIpYyx_pdj8uaj6U%3D

For a Million Dollars, You Could at Least…

by Tom Martellone • March 21, 2015

“For any young and potential educator that may read this post, I urge you, do not waiver from your desire to help children and make a difference in public education.  You can absolutely be creative in today’s educational climate, and you can innovate and make a difference for many young children that need a dedicated teacher willing to put in the time, and navigate the tumultuous educational times we are living in.  You can and will make a difference for children, and I guarantee you that you can make a difference in the education profession.  Those of us that have worked in education for any length of time are depending on you to join us, work hard, and reshape what happens in education for the betterment of our children and our world.”

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/11427

PE Note

PE_Note

 

Random Thoughts . . .

Social Wall Format

Lower the barrier to using Moodle by making Moodle look and act more like a social network. Posts are done in reverse chronological order. You still have the full power of Moodle when you need it though.

http://www.remc13.org/moodle-ecommunity/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2e1cGJId7M

 

Personal Web Site

MSM 296:  Doin’ Some Reading.  Not Much, Just a Spritz!

Jokes You Can Use:

 

Q: Why do little melons have to have big weddings?

A: Because they “cantelope.”

 

It was an extremely rough English Channel crossing from Weymouth to Jersey, and one wretched green-faced passenger was hugging the rail when a steward approached him.

“Lunch, sir?” asked the tactless steward.

“No, thanks,” groaned the passenger. “Just throw it overboard and save me the trouble…

This door opens outwards please do not stand directly in front of doors. (Also in braille).
This door opens outwards please do not stand directly in front of doors. (Also in braille).

 

It’s hard to see, but the same thing is written in Braille at the bottom of the sign.  The Law of Unintended Consequences just waiting to happen here . . .

Paraprosdokians

http://www.economicnoise.com/2011/09/05/182-paraprosdokians/

Eileen Award:

  • iTunes:  BWPennyS

 

Advisory:

Nice Guys Finish First

*Warning, Tit for Tat is a phrase that is used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr6lsTgZKAQ

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

Baking Bread

I was recently reading the November, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read an article entitled “Scope on Safety” which includes the Science Safety Question of the Month.  The article is written by Ken Roy, Director of Environmental Science for the Glastonbury, Connecticut Public Schools.  This month’s question is:

“I am having students bake bread and test factors that affect how it rises.  Can students eat the bread after they have completed the activity?”

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/1/6_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Baking_Bread.html

 

 

From the Twitterverse:

Skype Classroom ‏@SkypeClassroomTeachers, bring the magic of @BBC’s Enchanted Kingdom into your classroom with Skype! http://sk.ype.ms/iwfO1Y  #projectbasedlearning
Alice Browning ‏@atbrowningHeadbandz en français! @THS_UpperSchool @AATFrench

FrenchHeadbanz

Jonathan Byrne ‏@jbteachermanRolls Royce: Phantom Menace #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

Alpha Romeo and Juliet #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

Flight of the Navigator #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

Mercedes Benz-Hur #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

A Land Rover Before Time #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Film Festival #DriveThruMovieTitle #cheating

(Harrison Ford) Escape From Alcatraz #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

Scott McLeod ‏@mcleodGrading New York Teachers – When the Formulas Lie | @nytimes http://nyti.ms/1yUqfvZ
Monte Tatom retweeted APPS and EDTECH @AppsEdTech  ·  Jan 21

A list of 27 teacher-reviewed #FETC #edtech tools on @EdShelf http://ow.ly/HIPMR  #FETC15 #satchat #FETC2015 #edchat

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

 

Follow Up:

When we share “MY NASA DATA” and go to the Live Action Server (LAS), teachers and students can access information at a basic, intermediate, and advanced level:

http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/live-access-server/

When we share “Skeptical Science” with teachers, the information in things like the “Climate Myths” provides science at a basic, intermediate, and advanced level:

http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-change-little-ice-age-medieval-warm-period.htm

or

http://www.skepticalscience.com/solar-activity-sunspots-global-warming.htm

These are great sites, but they give teachers the opportunity to “tailor” the use of data to the appropriate needs of the students.

 

 

Strategies:

 

Spritz

Spritz is the best way to engage with content in the digital age.

We deliver a focused reading experience and help readers get their

content faster, with less effort and across any device or screen size.

http://www.spritzinc.com/where-can-i-experience-spritz/

Let the kids have fun:

http://www.lucymovie.com/spritz/

 

Readsy

Readsy is a tool to help you skim large amounts of text by focusing your eyes on one word at a time without having to move them. It is powered by Spritz – you can read more about it here. To register for higher speeds, click “Login” on the top right of the Spritz box, and create an account with Spritz.

Akash Jain is a 3rd year undergraduate at Princeton University majoring in Computer Science. The code for the site is hosted on GitHub here and the logo was designed by the talented Matteo Kruijssen.

http://www.readsy.co/

 

 

Spreeder

Spreeder.com is a free online speed reading software designed to improve your reading speed and comprehension.

Spreeder is a free service provided by 7-Speed-ReadingTM.

http://www.spreeder.com/

Resources:

Every Kid Needs a Hero

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

 

Introduction to Forgotten Books

“WELCOME to Forgotten Books, the world’s largest online library with 484,473 books available on demand. This website has been designed using the very latest technologies to provide our members with many features never seen before.

Our flagship technology Intelligent Bookshelf™ is a world leader in book recommendation and uses artificial intelligence to determine exactly the books you’d most like to read from our vast library.

More than just books; Forgotten Books also features advanced analytical data. Every single word, page and image inside each and every one of our 484,473 books have been analyzed, indexed and classified. With this valuable research information, we can tell you virtually anything about anything, from the most commonly used word in fiction books published in 1765, to the book with the most images of cats in the first 20 pages. Or perhaps some more useful information, such as a list of every word in the English language in order of usage frequency.”

 
Offers Free and Paid memberships. Free membership comes with a book a day (or not, you can skip that).

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/

 

Web Spotlight:

Police Investigate Family for Letting Their Kids Walk Home Alone. Parents, We All Need to Fight Back.

Danielle and Alexander Meitiv explicitly ally themselves with the “free range” parenting movement, which believes that children have to take calculated risks in order to learn to be self-reliant.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/01/16/maryland_parents_investigated_by_the_police_for_letting_their_kids_walk.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/maryland-couple-want-free-range-kids-but-not-all-do/2015/01/14/d406c0be-9c0f-11e4-bcfb-059ec7a93ddc_story.html

 

Random Thoughts . . .

Personal Web Site