Category: AMLE

advisory, AMLE, MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 251 Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes, Shawn a MODEM…

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

 

Jokes You Can Use:

A Texan is visiting Australia for the first time; He sees a sheep and starts laughing; he says to his Australian guide ” oh, at home in Texas, sheep are twice as big!” He then sees a cow ands bursts ” Puff, in Texas, our cows are much, much bigger!” And suddenly, he sees a kangaroo and asks, “What’s that?” the guide answers ” oh, that’s just a grasshopper…”

 

Did you hear about the classical pianist who was not a good speller? When she went out to buy something she left a sign on her door that said: “Out Chopin. Be Bach in a minuet”

 

Q. What is a musical part of a turkey?

A. The drumsticks

Boss: You should have been here at 9.00 a.m.

Employee: Why what happened?

 

The other day I was talking to my sixteen-year-old son, Mack. I was getting after him about his behavior. I said to him, “Mack do you know the difference between right and wrong”? He looked perplexed, so I followed “you know, like good and bad”. To this he replied, “ya, like 1-800 and 1-900”.

Business Terms:

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.

You go up to her and say, “I am very rich. Marry me!”

 

That’s Direct Marketing.

You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl.

One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you and says,

“He’s very rich. Marry him.”

 

That’s Advertising.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.

You go up to her and get her telephone number.

The next day you call and say, “Hi, I’m very rich. Marry me.”

 

That’s Telemarketing.

You’re at a party and see a gorgeous girl.

You get up and straighten your tie; you walk up to her and pour

her a drink.

You open the door for her; pick up her bag after she drops it,

offer her a ride, and then say,

“By the way, I’m very rich. Will you marry me?”

 

That’s Public Relations.

You’re at a party and see a gorgeous girl.

She walks up to you and says, “You are very rich.”

 

That’s Brand Recognition.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.

You go up to her and say, “I’m rich. Marry me”

She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.

 

That’s Customer Feedback!!!!

 

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Diana Darrow, Jason Elsom, Miles MacFarlane, Pat McCarty

 

Advisory:

Twitter Beard

(from Ron King)

For the past three years I’ve been teaching “Digital Illustration” in a local college VC program. For this terms final project I assigned the students an “Illustrative Mask” for them to create over a four week period were we focused on each phase of the creative process: Thumbnails, Sketches, Comps, and Final Art all being art directed by myself and peer reviewed.

*Includes link to model beard.

http://artbackwash.blogspot.com/2009/06/twitter-beard.html

 

9 Skills That Every Kid Should Learn

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/9-skills-that-every-kid-should-learn.html

Middle School Science Minute

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

Eyewash Stations

 

I was recently reading “The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science, Volume 2,” written by Ken Roy.  This book is available in the National Science Teachers Association’s online store at:

http://nsta.org/store

 

In this podcast, I share Ken’s response to the following question:

“Do I need an emergency eyewash station in my middle school science laboratory, and if so, where should it be located.?”

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2013/6/28_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Eyewash_Stations.html

From the Twitterverse:

* NJAMLE ‏@NJAMLE

How to form a real partnership with students from the first day http://sbne.ws/r/dYg1
* Kevin Cummins ‏@edgalaxy_com

Top 5 iPad apps for busy educators http://brev.is/59j2
* Todd Van Horn ‏@tvanhorn39

A Practical Guide For Teachers Who Just Got iPads http://www.edudemic.com/2013/08/teachers-ipad-guide/ … via @edudemic
* Todd Van Horn ‏@tvanhorn39

4 Apps For Optimizing Teacher Workflow http://www.edudemic.com/2013/08/4-apps-optimizing-teacher-workflow/ … via @edudemic
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod

No Child Left Behind waivers leave disadvantaged students behind
* Joshua Walker ‏@jshwlkr

Build your own dinosaur: fossil models arrive for 3D printers | The Verge @pfanderson @nniiccoollee
* Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo

Via @nprnews: How Do You Say …? For Some Words, There’s No Easy Translation http://n.pr/175Es4H
* pdonaghy ‏@pdonaghy

Teaching with Moodle MOOC starts tomorrow 1st Sept #learnmoodle – http://learn.moodle.net
* Roxanne Glaser ‏@roxanneglaser

Who said it, Adolf Hitler or Taylor Swift? Pinterest user actually quoting Nazi leader http://n360.to/1a7k6Af  #educacion #lessonidea
* Nicholas Provenzano ‏@thenerdyteacher

20% Time In My Classroom #edchat http://goo.gl/gK6Jb6
* Christopher McGown ‏@clmcgown

Will this work in the US? UK Man gets pay-per-call number, makes money from telemarketers:
* Doug Peterson ‏@dougpete 3h

Say What? 5 Ways to Get Students to Listen http://zite.to/15pVyKb  via @zite
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom 30 Aug

2 Useful Tools to Create Rubrics for Your Class ~ #fhucid #fhuedu320 #edwebchat http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/educatorstechnology/pDkK/~3/QRTZ0MShjeY/2-useful-tools-to-create-rubrics-for.html …

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

 

Resources:

http://www.upworthy.com/we-have-been-mislead-by-an-erroneous-map-of-the-world-for-500-years

Money

this little experiment is a helpful way to illustrate three essential functions of money: a store of value, a unit of account, and a medium of exchange.

http://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2013/08/what-is-money/278980/

 

Web Spotlight:

Add Images to a Google Form

Terrific tutorial by Richard Byrne.

You can use this to create visual quizzes.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/08/how-to-create-image-based-quizzes-in.html#.UiH7smRASQk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRl1dG4iehk#t=169

Moon Phases Explained (with Oreo cookies)

Hey, Oreo cookies, what more could you want?

http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=4400

Hi Guys,

Thought of you when I saw this on ASCD:

 

Five follow-worthy ed-tech Pinterest boards

Administrators, educators will find ed-tech resources for engaging instruction, professional development

Shelly Terrell‘s 46 boards focus on a variety of resources, including digital storytelling, presentation tools, word cloud tools, online games, graphic organizers, and collaboration tools.

http://pinterest.com/shellyterrell/

 

Eric Sheninger‘s Twitter Resources board includes tips for administrators and teachers alike, including using Twitter for professional development, how to help teachers overcome Twitter fears, and more. Sheninger’s other boards focus on personal learning networks, Web 2.0, and iPad apps for administrators.

http://pinterest.com/esheninger/

 

Kristin Brynteson‘s ed-tech board includes pins on iPad apps, interactive learning sites, flipped learning, and collaborative and engaging educational resources.

http://pinterest.com/kbrynteson/ed-tech/

 

All Things Technology, from Mary Lirette, features writing websites, free online books, and professional development videos in its more than 800 pins. Lirette’s main Pinterest board is chock full of educational resources and has more than 4,200 pins.

http://pinterest.com/marylirette/all-things-technology/

 

Erin Klein‘s EduTech Resources board offers users a multitude of ed-tech tips and tools, including a list of educational and ed-tech websites, ISTE sessions, instructions on how to integrate various apps with one another, resources on digital citizenship, and more.

http://pinterest.com/erinklein/edutech-resources/

 

Time Management: Planning for the Adventure

Think of planning for the school year as planning for an adventure. If we are going to teach like pirates, we’d better be well prepared for those duels and treasure hunts.

  • Prioritize

  • Make a List and Set a Timeline

  • Enlist Students to Join Your Crew

  • Refer to Your Outside Compass and PLN

  • Don’t Be Afraid to Say “No” (Arrr . . .)

 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/time-management-planning-the-adventure-clara-galan

 

Parents hope school district learns from heat cancellations

by Tim Post, Minnesota Public Radio

August 29, 2013

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Students in about two dozen Minneapolis schools without air conditioning stayed home today after the district cancelled classes due to the stifling heat and humidity.

The move came after days of criticism from parents and teachers that the district wasn’t prepared for the hot temperatures, and should have considered delaying the start of school.

By law Minnesota schools aren’t allowed to start classes before the late summer holiday.

But Minneapolis is one of 40 districts with state permission to start early. This is the district’s fifth year with an August start, and the first time classes have been affected by the heat.

 

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/08/29/parents-react-heat-class-cancellations

advisory, AMLE, MSM, Podcast, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 246: 8, Who do we Appreciate?

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

After leaving the racetrack Bill bumped into his old friend Peter on the bus.

“Say,” Peter said, “How’s it going?” “Going? You want to hear one of the most amazing things that ever happened? Tell me- what’s today’s date?”

“July seventh.” “Right. The seventh day, of the seventh month. I go to the track at seven minutes past seven. My son is seven years old today, and we live at number seven, Seventh Avenue.” “Let me guess,” Peter interrupted. “You put everything you had on the seventh horse in the seventh race.” “Right.”

“And he won!” Peter sighed.

“No. He came in seventh.”

 

A fellow bought a new Mercedes and was out on the interstate for a nice evening drive. The top was down, the breeze was blowing through what was left of his hair and he decided to open her up. As the needle jumped up to 80 mph, he suddenly saw flashing red and blue lights behind him. “There’s no way they can catch a Mercedes,” he thought to himself and opened her up further. The needle hit 90, 100…. Then the reality of the situation hit him. “What am I doing?” he thought and pulled over. The cop came up to him, took his license without a word and examined it and the car. “It’s been a long day, this is the end of my shift and it’s Friday the 13th. I don’t feel like more paperwork, so if you can give me an excuse for your driving that I haven’t heard before, you can go.”

The guy thinks for a second and says, “Last week my wife ran off with a cop. I was afraid you were trying to give her back!”

“Have a nice weekend,” said the officer.

Eileen Award:

  • iTunes: MSM Fan

  • Twitter: Chuck Taft, Mary Yonker Vales, Craig Frehlich

  • Diigo: Annette Duffy

 

Advisory:

Stupid Calculations

Take a variety of obscure thoughts and put math to them…

http://www.stupidcalculations.com/

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-BEST 6-8 TRADE BOOKS PART 4

 

Each year the National Science Teachers Association announces the outstanding science trade books from grades K-12.  This list includes books published in 2012.  This is the fourth in a series of 4 podcasts that will look at the best books for grades 6 – 8.

 

The books included in this podcast are:

1.  The Plant Hunters: True Stories of Their Daring Adventures to the Far Corners of the Earth, by Anita Silvey

2.  The Polar Bear Scientists, by Peter Lourie

3.  Wild Horse Scientists, by Kay Frydenborg

 

From the Twitterverse:

* Kathy R. Cook ‏@kathycook1 19m

22 Effective Ways To Use Twitter In The Classroom http://zite.to/17QAHGl  #edtech
* Steve Reifman ‏@stevereifman

Teachers, prepare your students emotionally, physically, & academically 4 a great school day in just 10 minutes. http://tinyurl.com/morto5t
* Chris ONeal ‏@onealchris

#iste2013 #iste13 attendees take note RT@mcleod: How To Use Evernote: The Unofficial Manual
* edutopia ‏@edutopia 1h

Thought-provoking. RT @keightyeight: 5 Questions to Ask at the End of the School Year http://edut.to/18HDa75  #edchat #teachchat
* John Norton ‏@middleweb 2h

MWSmartBrief @ratzelster effective student practice; manage behavior; teach curation; WordNerds #amle #ntchat @naesp
* Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo 3h

RT @DianeRavitch: Who Distorted Charlotte Danielson’s Message? http://wp.me/p2odLa-52K
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod 5h

Carol Burris Reviews John King’s Teacher Evaluation Plan and Finds It Wanting
* On the ClassroomWall ‏@FlyontheCWall 4h

gr8 RT @ncarroll24: Diff between Projects & Project Based Learning: http://www.edudemic.com/2013/06/the-differences-between-projects-and-project-based-learning/ … #4thchat #PBL #elemchat #edchat #5thchat Gr8…
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom 15 Jun

A Wonderful Visual on Common Core Standards for Teachers & Students #fhuedu610 #fhuedu508 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/educatorstechnology/pDkK/~3/KEe-DOTh9f4/a-wonderful-visual-on-common-core.html …
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom 15 Jun

8 alternatives to Google Reader #fhucid #fhuedu642 #eLearning http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=5022
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom 15 Jun

27 Ways To Make Sure Students Pay Attention In Class | Edudemic #fhuedu508 #fhupsy306 http://www.edudemic.com/2013/06/27-ways-to-make-students-pay-attention-in-class/?utm_source=feedly …
* Craig Nansen ‏@cnansen 3h

Sign up for the FREE Photo Walk in San Antonio http://twitpic.com/cxjrn4  #iste13 #iste2013 http://twitpic.com/cxjskj

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

 

Resources:

HTML Tables

Copy your spreadsheet cells and, poof, an html table. This can be very helpful to quickly create HTML tables.

http://tableizer.journalistopia.com/

 

Teachers Training Teachers Video

Lots, and I do mean LOTS, of videos about teaching. Most are about technology and using technology as a teacher.

http://teachertrainingvideos.com/

 

EdGalaxy

Because of Winn Dixie Study Guide:

We have a study guide for students reading the novel.  It is an excellent resource for students to enrich their understanding of the novel as they read through it. – See more at: http://edgalaxy.com/literacy/#sthash.JDXUHz88.dpuf

http://edgalaxy.com/literacy/

Web Spotlight:

Principal: Why our new educator evaluation system is unethical

A few years ago, a student at my high school was having a terrible time passing one of the exams needed to earn a Regents Diploma.

Mary has a learning disability that truly impacts her retention and analytical thinking.

Because she was a special education student, at the time there was an easier exam available, the RCT, which she could take and then use to earn a local high school diploma instead of the Regents Diploma.

Regents Diploma serves as a motivator for our students while providing an objective (though imperfect) measure of accomplishment.

If they do not pass a test the first time, it is not awful if they take it again—we use it as a diagnostic, help them fill the learning gaps, and only the passing score goes on the transcript

…in Mary’s case, to ask her to take that test yet once again would have been tantamount to child abuse.

Mary’s story, therefore, points to a key reason why evaluating teachers and principals by test scores is wrong.

It illustrates how the problems with value-added measures of performance go well beyond the technicalities of validity and reliability.

The basic rule is this: No measure of performance used for high-stakes purposes should put the best interests of students in conflict with the best interests of the adults who serve them.

I will just point out that under that system I may be penalized if future students like Mary do not achieve a 65 on the Regents exam.

Mary and I can still make the choice to say “enough”, but it may cost me a “point”, if a majority of students who had the same middle school scores on math and English tests that she did years before, pass the test.

But I can also be less concerned about the VAM-based evaluation system because it’s very likely to be biased in favor of those like me who lead schools that have only one or two students like Mary every year.

When we have an ELL (English language learner) student with interrupted education arrive at our school, we often consider a plan that includes an extra year of high school.

…last few years “four year graduation rates” are of high importance four-year graduation rate as a high-stakes measure has resulted in the proliferation of “credit recovery” programs of dubious quality, along with teacher complaints of being pressured to pass students with poor attendance and grades, especially in schools under threat of closure.

On the one hand, they had a clear incentive to “test prep” for the recent Common Core exams, but they also knew that test prep was not the instruction that their students needed and deserved.

…in New York and in many other Race to the Top states, continue to favor “form over substance” and allow the unintended consequences of a rushed models to be put in place.

We can raise every bar and continue to add high-stakes measures. Or we can acknowledge and respond to the reality that school improvement takes time, capacity building, professional development, and financial support at the district, state and national levels.

Creating bell curves of relative educator performance may look like progress and science, but these are measures without meaning, and they do not help schools improve.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/20/principal-why-our-new-educator-evaluation-system-is-unethical/

 

Mindset Matters

Mindset is about believing in yourself. Carol Dweck, the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology and author of “Mindset” discovered in her research at Stanford that belief guides a large part of your life. Much of what you think of as your personality actually grows out of this “mindset” and could prevent you from fulfilling your potential. You can have either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

http://www.personalizelearning.com/2013/06/mindset-matters.html

 

Stabbed With a Pencil

Why are we allowing our students to use pencils in the classroom setting? Based on a Google search that I conducted recently which you can see below, I was amazed at the number of pencil stabbing incidents that take place on a yearly basis.

Don’t get me wrong, pencils are great and they do wonders for a student’s educational experience.

Yet many schools are still reluctant to infuse social media, mobile learning devices, and Web 2.0 tools as a way to engage learners because of the issues that could arise.

The point that I am trying to make is that it is no longer acceptable for school districts to prohibit mobile learning devices and social media in the school setting. I understand that these tools can be used inappropriately, but so can pencils and toilet paper.

http://bcurrie.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/stabbed-with-a-pencil/

 

Technology Safety

As an educator in today’s modern world, your guidance is critical for students to navigate through the intricacies of new media and cybersafety successfully. To help you teach your students to safely and ethically use their digital devices in the classroom–and throughout their communities–iKeepSafe has created the following programs:

http://www.ikeepsafe.org/educators/

 

Want to Improve Teaching? Listen to Students

Annie Emerson doesn’t have to wonder about what it takes to help her kindergarten students learn how to write or do math. They’ve told her.

Emerson’s students told her that they wanted more open-ended time to work on writing and math activities — which is exactly what the Florida teacher gave them. Along with adding longer blocks of time for those activities during the day, Emerson began finding ways to help students weave math problems into their lives outside of school,

Good teachers have long known the importance of knowing their students, both as learners and as individuals.

Students who are given a voice in setting goals gain ownership in what they’re learning. Teachers who listen to what students tell them they need to learn gain more than just a better understanding of the children they teach — they gain clarity on their roadmap to better teaching.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harriet-sanford/want-to-improve-teaching-_b_3342521.html

Half-Baked Ideas . . .

Why do I want a Microsoft Surface RT?

Pick up your Microsoft Surface RT at the Grand Hyatt Ballroom . . . for free.   Why in the world would they give away a $499.00 tablet?  Get yours here if you’re going to ISTE:  https://wicexperience.itnint.com/RegOnline/RegLogin.aspx

 

advisory, AMLE, MSM, Podcast, Tech, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 242: Troy went Quayle Hunting . . .

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

“I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn’t study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people.”

— J. Danforth Quayle

“If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure.”

— J. Danforth Quayle

“Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.”

— Vice President Dan Quayle

“Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts.”

— Vice President Dan Quayle

“Mars is essentially in the same orbit… Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe.”

— Vice President Dan Quayle, 8/11/89

“What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.”

— Vice President Dan Quayle

“The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation’s history. I mean in this century’s history. But we all lived in this century. I didn’t live in this century.”

— Vice President Dan Quayle, 9/15/88

“I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and democracy – but that could change.”

— Vice President Dan Quayle, 5/22/89

“One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is ‘to be prepared’.”

— Vice President Dan Quayle, 12/6/89

 

Eileen Award:


  • Twitter: Grosse Isle Middle School, Jeff Wilson

 

 

Advisory:

What happens if you get rid of traffic lights?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gVW-YAQCSVs#!

 

Initials & Acronyms

http://twentytwowords.com/2013/04/24/the-words-and-names-behind-over-50-famous-acronyms-and-initials/

 

The new $100 bill

Talk about money. What is it’s role? What other things could we do?

http://qz.com/77806/meet-the-new-100-bill-the-worlds-most-popular-bank-note/

 

Juggling enhances connections in the brain

Learning to juggle leads to changes in the white matter of the brain, an Oxford University study has shown.

http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_releases_for_journalists/091011.html

 

45 Odd Facts about US Presidents

http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=4119

 

How Parents Around the World Describe Their Children, in Charts

How would their parents describe them?

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/04/how-parents-around-the-world-describe-their-children-in-charts/274955/

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-SENSE OF PLACE

 

I was recently reading the March, 2013 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  An article that caught my attention was:

Field Trip Pedagogy for Teaching: “Sense of Place” in Middle School.  It was written by Paul R. Sheppard, Rebecca Lipson, David Hansbrough, and Joan Gilbert.

 

The focus of the article was to have middle school teachers  teach “sense of place” to their middle school students.  They believe that this means that teachers need to take their students on trips “to the field.”

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2013/4/8_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Sense_of_Place.html

 

From the Twitterverse:

* Clif Mims ‏@clifmims

Five Reasons I Love Using QR Codes in My Classroom by @ClassTechTips http://ow.ly/kro8R  #aaim2013
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod

I teach kids not data points
* Jane Balvanz ‏@JaneBalvanz

A brief history of Pearson’s problems with testing http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/04/24/a-brief-history-of-pearsons-problems-with-testing/ …
* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45

Is Common Core cutting-edge education or just use of a dull blade? http://buff.ly/11s1KAU
* Braiden Harvey ‏@Braiden

ROBERT SCOBLE: I Just Wore Google’s Glasses For 2 Weeks And I’m Never Taking Them Off: Tech guru Robert Scoble…
* Jeff Herb ‏@InstTechTalk

Broadcast your Presentation to Student Devices using Presefy http://inst.tc/WOoUUU

* jennyluca ‏@jennyluca

“@Scobleizer: My two-week review of Google Glass: https://plus.google.com/111091089527727420853/posts/ZLV9GdmkRzS … The most important new product since the iPhone.” #tcplc
* Mark Barnes ‏@markbarnes19 9

More On MOOC’s – Here are some new additions to The Best Posts & Articles On MOOC’s: The Plusses and Pitfalls of… http://ow.ly/2wsGTX
* Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo

RT @RoxannaElden: Six Student Study Habits That Teachers Need, Too: https://pilambda.org/horizons/class-dismissed-six-student-study-habits-that-teachers-need-too/ …”

Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom

The power of networks ~ #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 #PLN ~ for @MSMatters followers http://youtu.be/1EntORVBoEM
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom 25 Apr

“My 24 Most-Used Education Apps [What Are Yours?]” | Edudemic ~ #fhuedu320 #edtech #ipadapps http://edudemic.com/2013/04/most-used-education-apps/ …

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

 

 

Resources:

Sound Gator

Looking for sounds for a presentation?

 

Our licensing terms are simple:

You may use the sound effects you download in your films, videos, multimedia projects, presentations, games and just about any other project – but you are not allowed to sell, license, distribute or post online the sound effects on their own, even if you modify them.

The sound effects meant to be incorporated into your projects. They are not meant to be distributed in any way as sound effects or ringtones. This should be common sense.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at:

contact [at] soundgator.com

 

http://www.soundgator.com/

 

Online Timers

One of the challenges of teaching in a block schedule is that some high school and many middle school students struggle to focus for 80 minute, 90 minute, or longer blocks of time. I always try to break up blocks like this into shorter segments with breaks. To prevent breaks from running too long, I always use a timer. I also use timers to time break-out activities. Whenever it is possible to do so, I like to display the timer countdown on a projector or whiteboard so that all of the students can see it. Here are five free timers that you can use for these purposes.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/04/5-free-timers-to-help-you-time.html#.UXvxKStASD4

 

Cursive Writing . . . There’s an App for That!

“Cursive Writing HD” is an useful application for all ages who are taking their first step into learning cursive writing.

 

This app is very easy and fun to use.

It provides not only letter by letter but 234 words, which show the users how individual(lower and upper case) letters are combined into words and sentences.

If you are looking for a cursive writing app, then look no further.

 

** Features

– Learn to write both upper-case and lower-case letters A to Z.

– Each letter will be shown the way to trace it.

– Stroke guidelines and pronunciation of each letter are provided.

– Practice connecting the letters together

– Type any sentences you want and practice writing them.

 

“Practice makes perfect !!!”

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cursive-writing-hd/id561681288?mt=8

 

Web Spotlight:

The Oyez Project

The Oyez Project began in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field in the late 1980s as the Chicago Cubs continued to break the hearts of its many diehard fans. It was during one such game that the idea of creating a multimedia-based Supreme Court experience took root. The first iteration was a series of complex HyperCard stacks built on a baseball-card metaphor. The “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court” demonstrated the power of multimedia integration with serious academic content. Many Northwestern University undergraduates worked on various versions before the development of a web-based application. The development of a web-based version of the project stems from the foresight of Richard Barone and Joe Germuska of Northwestern’s then nascent Learning Technologies Group. Though the Oyez Project is now more than 20 years old, it remains true to its initial objective: to make the work of the Supreme Court of the United States accessible to everyone through text, images, audio, and video.

http://www.oyez.org/

 

8 Amazing On-line Courses for Students

The recent surge in free online courses, led by top universities such as MIT, has opened up a whole new level of distance learning to students all around the globe. As well as entire degree and university courses that can be pursued online, it’s also possible to find fantastic shorter courses on specific topics that can be ideal for use in the classroom, or for students to follow in their own time, whether researching a specific project, or as part of a flipped classroom model.

Here are 8 of the best free online courses for students…

http://www.fractuslearning.com/2013/04/26/free-online-courses-for-students/

Monolingual VS Bilingual

Monolingual VS Bilingual infographic

 

http://visual.ly/monolingual-vs-bilingual?utm_source=visually_embed

 

Testing Examples

http://www.ccsstoolbox.com/parcc/PARCCPrototype_main.html

http://www.parcconline.org/samples/mathematics/grade-7-mathematics

 

Listener Response:

 

What are your thoughts on homework assignments? Read the Twitter chat (Storify version) with Ken O’Connor, Rick Wormeli, Nancy Blair, and many others.

http://storify.com/thomascmurray/sbgchat-on-quality-assignments-4-10-13?utm_source=t.co&awesm=sfy.co_q4Sh&utm_campaign&utm_content=storify-pingback&utm_medium=sfy.co-twitter

 

 

News:

 

The Future is Uncertain. It’s Time to Start Asking the Right Questions.

Asking questions is essential to learning. That was an essential lesson from one of history’s first great teachers, Socrates. Or, as the wise Rabbi Steven Greenberg puts it: “we train children at the Passover seder to ask why, because tyrants are undone and liberty is won with a good question.”

And yet, children are not asking questions nearly enough. In fact, data from the U.S. school systems tells us that the average high school student asks one question of substance per month in a classroom.

http://bigthink.com/big-think-tv/the-future-is-uncertain-its-time-to-start-asking-the-right-questions

 

iPad App/idea:

Cursive Writing . . . There’s an App for That!

 

“Cursive Writing HD” is an useful application for all ages who are taking their first step into learning cursive writing.

 

This app is very easy and fun to use.

It provides not only letter by letter but 234 words, which show the users how individual(lower and upper case) letters are combined into words and sentences.

If you are looking for a cursive writing app, then look no further.

 

** Features

– Learn to write both upper-case and lower-case letters A to Z.

– Each letter will be shown the way to trace it.

– Stroke guidelines and pronunciation of each letter are provided.

– Practice connecting the letters together

– Type any sentences you want and practice writing them.

 

“Practice makes perfect !!!”

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cursive-writing-hd/id561681288?mt=8

 

 

 

advisory, AMLE, Podcast, Tech, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 239: The Genius Hour & Self Defense . . .

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

Little Johnny comes downstairs crying. His mother asked, “What’s the matter now?”

“Dad was hanging pictures, and just hit his thumb with hammer,” said little Johnny through his tears. “That’s not so serious,” soothed his mother. “I know you are upset, but a big boy like you shouldn’t cry at something like that. Why didn’t you just laugh?

“I did!” sobbed Johnny.

 

A man lying on his deathbed called to him, his lawyer, his doctor, and his pastor. “I am going to die tonight,” and I want to prove that when you go to heaven you can take it all with you. So to my three most trusted friends, you three of course, I am leaving 50,000 dollars in these envelopes. When I die you must come to my funeral and put the envelopes in my coffin with me.” The man handed the three men identical envelopes.

A day later they each received news that, that night the old man had died . So each knew they must go to his funeral and fulfill his death wish.

Standing over the coffin one week later the pastor confessed, ” I can’t hide what I’ve done. I took 10,000 dollars from the envelope because the church needed to be painted.”

Then as he did so the doctor also started to fidget then finally confessed “I took 30,000 dollars from my envelope because the hospital needed a new wing.”

Then the lawyer said plainly “You bunch of crooks! I wrote him a check for the full amount!”

 

I don’t mean to say the economy is bad, but yesterday the ATM gave me an IOU.

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Karen Webster

  • Google+: Dawnette Brenner

 

Advisory:

WHAT IS POVERTY?

Poverty is hard to define, even though it is a term that we use very often.

“Poverty lines vary in time and place, and each country uses lines which are appropriate to its level of development, societal norms and values”

– The World Bank,

Poverty Analysis Overview

The Poverty Line project is an attempt to show what it means to be poor, by taking photos of daily amounts of food you can buy if your income lies at the poverty line.

http://www.thepovertyline.net/

Ice Cream Currency Calculator

Who values ice cream the most? What about other items?

http://visual.ly/ice-cream-currency-calculator

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

Progression of Ideas

I was recently reading the March, 2013 issue of Science Scope, a magazine for Middle School Science Teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  Joe Krajick, wrote and article entitled “The Next Generation Science Standards: A Focus on Physical Science.”  In this article he shared many ideas of why all students should have a basic understanding of Physical Science.

 

He went on to write about the importance of the progression of ideas.  Here is an example of the progression of ideas for the structure and properties of matter:

*  By the end of 2nd grade, students will have developed a descriptive model.

•  By the end of 5th grade, students will have developed a particle model.

•  By the end of 8th grade, students will have developed an atomic molecular model.

•  By the end of 12th grade, students will have developed an atomic structure model.

 

You can find more info at:

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2013/3/15_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Progression_of_Ideas.html

 

From the Twitterverse:

* Patrick Larkin ‏@patrickmlarkin

The Problems with “The Rise Of Tablets As Textbooks” via @ryanbretag #beyondtextbooks
* Kate Maccoll ‏@kmacc1 28 Mar

Check out Cathy Hunt’s iPad Artroom. Well worth a look! http://www.ipadartroom.com/  #slide2learn #ade2013
* Jeff Herb ‏@InstTechTalk 8h

Edmodo – Facebook for the Classroom http://inst.tc/HYIXqb  #edtech #edchat
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom 24 Mar

Mobile Learning On The Interwebs http://flip.it/2tQlk  #iPads #fhuedu320 #fhuedu642
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom 24 Mar

A Simple Yet Powerful Student Blogging Activity http://flip.it/Yt9ym  #fhuedu320 #fhuedu642
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom 22 Mar

Monosnap – A Screen Capture Tool for Mac, Windows, iOS & Chrome http://flip.it/1K4hG  #fhucid #fhuedu320
* Donna Boucher ‏@MathCoachCorner 54m

“@bcurrie5: Blubbr – Create Interactive Quizzes Using YouTube Clips http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/01/blubbr-create-interactive-quizzes-using.html#.UVY3oXCVclk.twitter … #edtech #elemchat #mschat” Awesome!
* Two Teacherz ‏@askteacherzcom 1h

Testing Culture = Atlanta Ex-Schools Chief Indicted http://nyti.ms/XMRuku  #TwoThumbZdown #edchat #satchat #mschat #MichEd #Rheediculous
* Mr Z (Josh) ‏@MrZsMath 2h

5 Ideas for the One iPad Classroom – Getting Smart by Susan Oxnevad http://zite.to/10fKL4w  #edtech #mschat
* LitLife ‏@LitLifePD 22h

RT @middleweb: The developmental needs of tweens are unique @RickWormeli has 5 strategies for tween tchrs #mschat

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Genius Hour — Let Your Students Challenge Themselves

What would happen if we gave kids one hour a week to work on anything they wanted? Would you expect to find a classroom completely out of control? Or worse, a classroom, where students choose to do as little as possible for that one hour?

http://www.angelamaiers.com/2013/03/genius-hour-let-your-students-challenge-themselves.html

 

Web Spotlight:

The Senate Social Network

Social network analysis has been around since long before MySpace, Facebook, or the modern Internet itself. But the ubiquity of these platforms makes representations of data as social networks more familiar and accessible to readers. For example, here’s a representation of the Senate as a social network, in which any two senators are “friends” if they vote the same way at least 75 percent of the time.

The math behind social networks borrows a few things from physics, beginning with a spring system that gradually resolves into a coherent picture, as you can see in the animation. While the nodes are colored according to the senator’s party for visual effect, the network itself has no knowledge of partisanship. The divide is a natural consequence of a highly partisan legislature.

http://visual.ly/senate-social-network-diagram?view=true

 

News:


The Internet is just like junior high

If life is just like high school, then the Internet might be an age group lower. Much of our digital world means never having to leave junior high school behind.

If, as cultural critic Neil Postman asserted, TV ended childhood — the medium provided an impetus for young people to act older, which created hand-wringing about generations growing up too quickly — the Internet has done the opposite, she says.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/27/tech/web/internet-junior-high-school/index.html

 

Teachers and school staff turn to self-defense training

As school professionals nationwide re-evaluate plans for keeping schoolchildren safe, more teachers, staff and parents turn to self-defense training, defense instructors across the country say.

As school professionals nationwide re-evaluate plans for keeping school children safe in light of recent school shootings, more teachers, administrators and some parents are turning to self-defense training, self-defense instructors and educators nationwide say. Some people say it is the wrong approach to improving school safety.

“Teachers should be more prepared than just hiding under the desk,” Jerry Chenault said. “Self-defense isn’t the answer, but it is an answer.”

South Dakota passed a bill this month permitting teachers who undergo the same training as law enforcement to carry weapons on school campuses. The law will go into effect July 1 and is largely geared toward the state’s rural schools that are often at a distance from law enforcement centers, said Tony Venhuizen, spokesperson for the governor’s office. “Self-defense training also makes sense,” but each school district should decide for themselves, he said.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/24/teachers-self-defense-training/1987841/

 

Study: Middle School Algebra Push Yields Minimal Performance Gains

Many states are pushing students to take Algebra 1 in middle school to prepare them for advanced math in high school. A new analysis, however, suggests that increased enrollment hasn’t led to higher math performance for states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Mr. Loveless said the study suggests that advanced math in middle school may be “watered down” as more students of different ability levels in math take the course.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/03/27/26mathside.h32.html?tkn=SXCCNl9EenxZ4V7fdKm8Cqcg%2FpMV5AP8%2B806&cmp=clp-sb-ascd

 

Are We Creating a Generation of Observers?

By Stephen R. Herr

I think most educators have a growing sense of concern that their students are turning into a generation of observers. The many watch the few.

I worry that, in our classrooms, we have become focused on celebrating the lives of others, at the expense of the act of creation.

As Socrates noted over 2,000 years ago, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Perhaps, in 2013, the unexamined event is not worth perpetuating.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/03/27/26herr.h32.html?tkn=NXCF2%2FjcKyr2FM%2Fv9Y%2B%2BQbQJ%2Fo0VSM%2F5lf8n&cmp=clp-sb-ascd

 

Common-Core Tests to Take Up to 10 Hours

Districts will get 20 days to administer

By Catherine Gewertz

 

New tests being designed for students in nearly half the states will take eight to 10 hours, depending on grade level, according to guidance released last week.

The other group of states designing tests, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, has already come out with time estimates for its tests. Students in those 24 states will face testing times of seven to 8.5 hours. Now that PARCC has issued its test-time projections, educators in 22 other states and the District of Columbia know how much time students will need to take those exams.

The amount of time students will have to complete both the performance-based and end-of-year components in math and English/language arts:

  • Grade 3: 8 hours
  • Grades 4-5: 9 hours, 20 minutes
  • Grades 6-8: 9 hours, 25 minutes
  • Grades 9-10: 9 hours, 45 minutes
  • Grades 11-12: 9 hours, 55 minutes
  • For students: Five to nine days

For schools and districts: Up to 20 days for the performance-based component of the test, and up to 20 days for the end-of-year component. Schools may administer the tests in narrower windows of time if they have the capacity to do so.

iPad App/idea:

Turn your iPad into a Document Camera

Stage

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stage-interactive-whiteboard/id584574701?mt=8

Stand:

http://www.ipaddocumentcamera.com/

http://www.maxcases.com/shop/max-handstand-dx/

AppleTV

 

Half-Baked Ideas . . .

Are conferences better if they are free or paid?

 

advisory, AMLE, MSM, Podcast, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 233: BaaaNaaaNaaaa, Quote the Movie

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

Why is 6 afraid of 7?
What do you call a pencil without lead?
What is Mozart’s favorite fruit?
How do you make an octopus giggle 10 times?
Why do gorilla’s have big nostrils?

Eileen Award:

 

  • Scoopit:  Jim Farmer
  • Twitter:
  • Facebook:  C. Joan Seager
  • Google+:
  • iTunes:
  • eMail:

Advisory:

Ordering a Pizza by Phone

in 1974.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=94d_h_t2QAA#!

Living to 100

The Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator uses the most current and carefully researched medical and scientific data in order to estimate how old you will live to be. Most people score in their late eighties… how about you?
http://www.livingto100.com/

Middle School Science Minute

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

I was recently reading the January, 2013 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

I went on to read the Editor’s Roundtable, written by Inez Liftig.  The title of the editorial is, “You Can’t Wing It.”  The purpose of the editorial is to emphasize the skills that are needed by teachers.

By the way, I added a Twitterverse to my bi-monthly Michigan Science Matters Network eBlast.  Check it out at:
http://www.msta-mich.org/educator-support/84-science-matters/256-science-matters-e-blast-january-24-2013

From the Twitterverse:

* Chris Christensen ‏@christensen143
Lots of good stuff from @edutopia today! Five Ways to Use Online Portfolios in the Classroom http://ow.ly/h4L08  #edtech #edchat
* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45
Technology at Home: Developing the Social Self http://buff.ly/Wjfjmi  Nice parenting piece by @rushkoff via @edutopia
* Nathan Triplett ‏@NathanTriplett
Today is Michigan Statehood Day! 176 years ago, January 26, 1837, President Andrew Jackson signed the act admitting Michigan to the Union.
* Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo
Bill Gates Endorses Merit Pay & Says We Need To Measure “Value Being Added By Colleges” http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2013/01/25/bill-gates-endorses-merit-pay-says-we-need-to-measure-value-being-added-by-colleges/#.UQPXy6QsNYc.twitter …
* Susie Highley ‏@shighley
EduCore – Tools for Teaching Common Core – Free ASCD resources (funded by Gates Found) #ccss
* pammoran ‏@pammoran
reading “The School Principal as Effective Leader” … new case study by Wallace Foundation http://tinyurl.com/azcy2ww
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Teaching Objects – A Lesson Planner That Integrates Google Drive http://flip.it/OV6HT  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Digital Tools for the Common Core | MiddleWeb http://flip.it/rO11K  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Embracing social media use in schools with a toolkit for administrators http://flip.it/Eu5DS  #fhuedu642 #edtech ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: Subtext iPad app enables classroom collaboration around digital texts
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Subzin

Find quotes from movies quickly and easily.
http://www.subzin.com/

Free Online OCR

Convert pdf, jpgs and more to editable documents.
http://www.onlineocr.net/default.aspx

Mission US

Mission US is an interactive adventure game designed to improve the understanding of American history by students in grades 5 through 8. Mission 1: “For Crown or Colony?” explores the reasons for Revolution through the eyes of Loyalists and Patriots in 1770 Boston. Mission 2: “Flight to Freedom” explores resistance to slavery along the Kentucky-Ohio border in the years preceding the Civil War. Additional missions will follow in the coming years.
http://www.mission-us.org/

Google Cultural Institute

http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/home

Web Spotlight:

Hollywood Hates Math

A super cut of Math in movies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3uYBoWH3nFk

Learn Something New

Take a class online. Based out of London. The idea is to share knowledge from those who have been doing something. Billed as helping the next generation.
http://www.theamazings.com/

Crisis-I Feel Like Switching Careers

By Megan Allen
I was feeling beaten down, judged, and downtrodden by people outside my field who don’t understand what teachers do every day
The truth—I’m not the only one.
So many wonderful teachers I know are having similar thoughts. This should send off red flags to our legislators, administrators, and parents
Teachers must have TIME TO TEACH.
We must use data correctly
create a culture of support without intimidation
rethink our definition of success.
Administrators and teachers must stand up and say enough is enough.
Administrators must shelter their teachers
refocus on what is important in education
http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/01-2013/crisis-i-feel-switching-careers

Take Control of a Noisy Class

This could be useful for basic classroom management. There are 3 videos to watch.
http://www.behaviourneeds.com/noisyclass/video-1/

Mindset Examples

This video is from the Vook “Mind in the Making: The Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs Volume. Download this Vook here: and experience all of the fascinating findings and helpful tips to your child’s development.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TTXrV0_3UjY

Picasso, Kepler, and the Benefits of Being an Expert Generalist

One thing that separates the great innovators from everyone else is that they seem to know a lot about a wide variety of topics. They are expert generalists. Their wide knowledge base supports their creativity.
As it turns out, there are two personality traits that are key for expert generalists: Openness to Experience and Need for Cognition.
http://99u.com/articles/7269/Picasso-Kepler-and-the-Benefits-of-Being-an-Expert-Generalist

News:

Palaeolithic Park? Harvard professor seeks ‘adventurous’ woman to give birth to baby Neanderthal

 

  • A Harvard professor is looking for an “adventurous” woman to give birth to a baby Neanderthal.
  • Although the 58-year-old is not certain his plan would work, he says he is now ready to put theory into practice.
  • Professor Church’s plan is to create artificial Neanderthal DNA based on the genetic code found in bone samples, then put this DNA into stem cells
  • Professor Church is one of the scientists who helped initiate the Human Genome Project that successfully mapped human DNA
  • Professor Church believes Neanderthals were highly intelligent
  • Human cloning is illegal in many countries, but as Professor Church is theoretically dealing with a Neanderthal, not a Homo Sapien, existing laws may not apply.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/palaeolithic-park-harvard-professor-seeks-adventurous-woman-to-give-birth-to-baby-neanderthal-8460273.html

iPad App:

European Exploration: The Age of Discovery

Explore the new world as a European power in the 15th Century by funding and sending expeditions out into the unknown. Hire captains, build ships and outfit voyages to learn of the wonders of the new world. Expeditions can be dangerous however, so be careful or else Europe may never hear of your discoveries!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/european-exploration-age-discovery/id393625741?mt=8

HotKeys

Turn your iPad into a visual keyboard shortcut master controller.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hotkeys/id374164481?mt=8

Bonus Material:

13+ Things Your Kid’s Principal Won’t Tell You
Straight from the principal’s office: Use these tips for a better school year.

1. If you want to talk to me about a problem, schedule a morning appointment, when I’m fresh.
By the afternoon, I can get pretty frazzled.

2. You’re right, that teacher does stink.
I’m actually in the process of firing her. Legally, I can’t tell you that, though, so that’s why I’m sitting here quietly while you complain.

3. Of course I’m going to disapprove of a child missing class for vacation.
What I won’t tell you is that I encouraged my own daughter to pull her kids out of school to visit me during my break.

4. We had a young man struggling to focus during year-end tests.
“My underwear is on backward,” he said. That’s the problem with all this testing: We’re being judged by assessments taken by kids who may have their underwear on backward.

5. You think that what happens at home stays at home?
We hear about your financial problems, your nasty fights, your drinking problem. We end up knowing way too much about everybody.

6. The child you see at home?
That’s almost never the one we see at school.

7. Don’t tell me your child would never lie to you.
All kids make mistakes, and great students are often the ones most afraid to tell their parents when they screw up.

8. When we have a child who throws things or tries to hit when she’s angry…
…her parents inevitably say, “I don’t have a problem with her at home, because I spank her.”

© Jupiterimages/Creatas/Thinkstock
9. My biggest pet peeve?
Parents who complain to me before talking to the teacher.

10. Don’t ask me to make a teacher forgive a homework assignment or not to teach a specific subject.
We don’t dictate to teachers; we work with them.

11. I’ve had a few students who were bullies.
We suspend them again and again, but it’s very tough to expel a student. The truth is, they have a right to an education.

12. Kids are easy.
It’s the parents who are tough. They’re constantly trying to solve their kids’ problems for them.

13. What do I love about this job?
I can influence and inspire kids and adults, help work through problems, and find solutions. And every day I can pop into a classroom where something interesting is going on. What other job gives you all of that?

14. C’mon parents, this is your child’s homework, not yours.
We know what a seventh-grader can do, and we know what an adult with an engineering degree can do, so please don’t do your child’s work for him. Kids need to make mistakes and struggle through things; it’s how they learn.

15. Principals never know what the day will hold.
One minute you’re mopping up vomit, the next you’re in a special ed meeting, and the next you’re dealing with two kids who got in a fight. Then you shovel snow off the sidewalk in front of school, you meet with teachers to decide whether to change the language arts curriculum, and you play basketball with a group of kids. And that’s just in the first two hours.

16.The last thing I want to do on the sidelines of a basketball game or during intermission at the school play is have a conference with you about your child.
If you have something to talk to me about, come by my office during the day or even better, make an appointment.

17. If you and your child don’t like his teacher, tough luck.
Think of it as a lesson: In school, as in life, sometimes you have to learn to deal with things you don’t like.

18. When an unruly student gets sent to my office, my favorite strategy is not to engage right away.
I just let them sit there in agony while I keep working. It gives them a chance to calm down and de-escalate. Try it at home; it works.

19. For years, folks have said that if you can’t do anything else, you can always go into education.
The truth is, we’re not the leftovers, and this is what most of us wanted to do. I had been accepted to law school, but I chose this.

© iStockphoto/Thinkstock
20. Our favorite kids aren’t necessarily the ones with the highest IQs.
What we really value is hard work.

21. Since the economy has gotten bad, it seems that more parents are taking any job they can get, working crazy hours and neglecting their children.
Then a lot of them try to make up for that by coming to their child’s rescue when there’s an issue with a teacher, coming in here and hollering at us.

22. As a principal, you’re expected to know about bus routes, curriculum, communication, school lunches, adolescent development, conflict management, learning disabilities, and more.
You have to be an expert on everything, sometimes in the same 20 minutes.

advisory, AMLE, MSM, News, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 232: Fresh Prince of Buying Happiness

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

A spider just crawled under the keyboard, oh wait, it’s under “control”.
What’s Michelle O’Bama’s favorite vegetable?
What are the strongest days of the week?
My friends and I put on performance about puns. It was basically a play on words.
Why do the French only use one egg for an omelette?
What did the shy pebble wish?

BTW, you mentioned Chemistry Jokes during the podcast.  Well you are right, I so share them “periodically.”  Here you go:

Tell a Potassium Joke?  K
(
What did the element say to the police?   I CU (Copper)

Do you know any jokes about sodium?  Na

How much do I make?  Iron enough

Advisory:

Can Money Buy Happiness

We often hear it, but how true is the phrase ‘Money can’t buy happiness’? Is there a correlation between the two, and if so, what can we learn from it? It turns out, if you think money and happiness are exclusive, you simply aren’t spending it right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JSIkdWxotKw#!

2012 Sports Illustrated Kids of the Year

Featuring LeBron James,
Conner is 9-years-old, and Cayden is two years younger. Cayden was born with a debilitating condition called spastic cerebral palsy, but that hasn’t stopped him from competing in triathlons (with a little help from his big brother). Cayden ditches his wheelchair for a cart or stroller, and Conner runs and bikes with Cayden in tow.
http://mashable.com/2013/01/15/brothers-cerebral-palsy-video/
4:42

Family Treasures

Posted by Vicki Davis
I’m supposed to turn in the words for my son’s annual ad today. I’ve been writing at 5 am. It is just one page. One page to summarize how I feel and what I want him to carry with him.
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2013/01/family-treasures.html

Translation

Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire – Translated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LMkJuDVJdTw

Middle School Science Minute

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

I was recently reading the Winter 2012-2013 issue of Green Teacher Magazine, a magazine for Education for Planet Earth.  I read an article entitled “Concrete Without Quarries” written by Sam Stier, Dona Boggs and Dave Jones.  The focus of the article is on sustainable chemistry labs inspired by nature.  They provide a lab that helps students create concrete from car exhaust and seawater.  But the greater focus of the article was to get teachers who teach chemistry to students to think of the approaches and message we send.  They provide a framework for sustainable chemistry inspired by nature.

From the Twitterverse:

* Todd Bloch ‏@blocht574
@jskramer28 We are moving to a new model in district with NWEA tests that is helping moral of staff but State data is pointless now. #mschat
* Two Teacherz ‏@askteacherzcom
#TwoThumbZup RT @MrL_PHSHistory: RT @LauraGilchrist4: 13 Resources 4 Social Studies Teachers http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/01/13-good-resources-for-social-studies.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+freetech4teachers%252FcGEY+%2528Free+Technology+for+Teachers%2529#.UPldMt20l3g.twitter … #sschat #wrldchat #mschat
* Karen S. ‏@Karen550k
What English classes should look like in Common Core era http://wapo.st/13iSQsg  Pay attention #English #teachers #educhat #edchat #mschat
* Education Shift ‏@ED_SHIFT
Great social studies lesson Guide to worldwide etiquette from @swissotel http://www.swissotel.com/promo/etiquette-map/ … #sschat #edchat #engchat ##pbl #mschat #edu
* edutopia ‏@edutopia
[Free Downloads] Lesson Plans & Resources for #Arts Integration http://edut.to/OkMfW7  #artsint #midleveled #mschat
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Is 1:1 the New One Size Fits All? http://flip.it/38R8B  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
7 Teacher Questions About Common Core State Standards http://flip.it/WrMAR  #fhuedu610 #fhuedu508
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
5 Fun Online Games that Disguise Important Lessons http://flip.it/EHCnK  #fhuedu320 #eLearning
* Scott Meech ‏@smeech
A Look Back – EdReach http://flip.it/B0cbr
* Rod Rock ‏@RodRock1
#MichEd Gov Snyder: 2013 is the last year 4 MEAP. Results will have 0 meaning. Save $ by not giving it next year. Use $ for tech or e-c-hood
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

 

Free Plagiarism Checker

Duplicate Content Checker for Students, Teachers, Writers. Free Turnitin Alternative.
http://plagiarisma.net/

Google Doc Sharing

Simplifying Sharing through Google Docs with students. Control whether documents can be seen by just a few students or groups or the whole class.

Install doctopus from any Google Spreadsheet, though preferably one that you can use as a one-time roster for tracking a particular project with a particular group of students.

Install from the Script Gallery…accessible from the “Tools” menu in a Google Spreadsheet.

Currently, doctopus is in the “featured” section of the gallery!

Note: Upon wise advice from my wife, I got rid of the apostrophe referenced in this video and renamed it simply DOCTOPUS…  making it easier to search, and to say;)

Also Note: Make sure to FREEZE THE TOP ROW of your roster sheet prior to running in group project mode.  The script should also prompt you to do this.

If you like Doctopus, you’ll probably also like:

autoCrat – easy to use, flexible Docs merge utility that does personalized creation, sharing, and emailing of templated Docs using Google Spreadsheet data.

formMule – a multipurpose, flexible merged email creator that runs from Google Spreadsheets

http://www.youpd.org/doctopus

Listening Circles

Each such circle pulls in students from different social, racial, and interest groups from around the school to identify and solve problems related to campus climate. Adults sit outside the circle, in a “listen only” mode
http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2013/01/listening-circles.html

Web Spotlight:

 

The Shape of Stories

By Maya Eilam
My take on visually presenting Kurt Vonnegut’s theories about archetypal stories, designed after researching the subject.
http://mayaeilam.com/2012/01/01/the-shapes-of-stories-a-kurt-vonnegut-infographic/

silenc

How much of a language is silent? What does it look like when you take the silence out? Can we use code as a tool to answer these questions?
http://ciid.dk/education/portfolio/idp12/courses/data-visualisation/projects/silenc/

How to Read Faster: Bill Cosby’s Three Proven Strategies

“Nobody gets something for nothing in the reading game.”
Bill Cosby may be best-known as the beloved personality behind his eponymous TV show, but he earned his doctorate in education and has been involved in several projects teaching the essential techniques of effective reading, including a PBS series on reading skills.
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/01/16/how-to-read-faster-bill-cosby/

Why you can’t cry in Space

Astronauts can, certainly, tear up — they’re human, after all. But in zero gravity, the tears themselves can’t flow downward in the way they do on Earth. The moisture generated has nowhere to go. Tears, Feustel put it, “don’t fall off of your eye … they kind of stay there.”
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/01/why-you-cant-cry-in-space/267147/

Look at yourself objectively

In the 1840s, hospitals were dangerous places. Mothers who went in to give birth often didn’t make it out.
http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/semmelweis

News:

U.S. Education Deserves the Same Statistical Sophistication as Baseball and Elections

by Martin Carnoy (Co-authored with Richard Rothstein)
For better or worse, we’re a nation that’s coming to respect statistics.Billy Bean convinced us that better statistics could beat bigger payrolls in sports. Nate Silver helped humble Karl Rove’s money machine with better statistics.
But here is where a more careful look at statistics suggests a very different story. In a report we just completed, What Do International Tests Really Show about American Student Performance, we show that Duncan and other pundits’ conclusions from international test results are oversimplified, often exaggerated, and misleading. They ignore the complexity of testing and may lead educational policymakers to pursue inappropriate and even harmful reforms.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-carnoy/us-education-deserves-the_b_2481128.html

Half-Baked Ideas . . .

Moodle and BigBlueButton- if each teacher was given $100 to get their own shared hosting, would it be considered expensive? from Moodle Community.

advisory, AMLE, Conferences, MSM, News, Podcast, Tech, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 231: Pidgeons, Pick Pockets, Bi Icycles and Brains.

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

How does Jack Frost get to work?
Why did the face of Joe go to the party by himself?
What happened when Ali found out his toaster was not waterproof?
How often does Dave Bydlowski make Chemistry jokes?
In fact, he told one the other day…
Why did Cleopatra fall off the swing?
What is orange and sounds like parrots?

Advisory:

Modeling

Share the video with the students. Ask them to describe how the puppy learns to go down the stairs. How can we apply this to our learning?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fDKDC_IUnOA

Brief Interruptions

Challenge the kids to explain how they multi-task. Use the information from this article to help them realize how they can improve their work.
http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/brief-interruptions-spawn-errors/

Sexism in Ads

http://adsvoice.pblogs.gr/2013/01/sexism-in-vintage-ads.html

Misperception

Pickpocket at work. Have the kids pay attention to see what he steals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OLm_dQzoC5E
Then on Fox news station:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dTa7rC1oUnk
Finally, On NOVA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fdqSmUnd4cU

Middle School Science Minute

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

I was recently reading the Winter 2012-2013 issue of Green Teacher Magazine, a magazine that cares about Education for Planet Earth.  I read an article entitled “Zambian Girl Inspires Water Action” written by Michelle Macdonald.  It traces the story of a girl named Tikho, who lives in Zambia.  She was asked to share the story of her daily life as it related to water, sanitation and hygiene.  Her story has provided an example for North American youth to recognize local and global water challenges and look for solutions.

From the Twitterverse:

* Miguel Guhlin ‏@mguhlin
For Teachers http://dlvr.it/2nFMZ8
* John Spencer ‏@johntspencer
Which goes back to the Starship Enterprise. Let Data inform rather than drive decisions. #rechat
* Eye On Education ‏@eyeoneducation
What is school for if it is no longer the place to go to acquire knowledge? http://ow.ly/gJryX  @PrincipalPC #cpchat #eduleaders #edchat
* royan lee ‏@royanlee
Just blogged ~ Stop Mystifying Creativity: 5 Things That Might Help #edchat #rechat #5thchat #mschat
* Diane Ravitch ‏@DianeRavitch
Support the Teachers of Seattle http://wp.me/p2odLa-3CA
* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45
10 Predictions for Personalized Learning for 2013 http://buff.ly/ZeF1uN  Most are “personal” not personalized. Interesting list. #edchat
* GOOD ‏@GOOD
Why every school needs an ‘innovation day’ http://ow.ly/gK8Gf
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom

  1. 26 Ways to Use Comics in the Classroom and 5 Free Tools for Creating Comics http://flip.it/kqvMD  #fhuedu320 #fhuedu508 #eLearning
  2. RT @rmbyrne: Doodlecast Pro Makes It Easy to Create Flipped Classroom Videos http://flip.it/ZTLeb  #fhucid #fhuedu320 #mLearning
  3. Tip of the Day: Looking for a New Lesson Idea? http://flip.it/dtAR4  #fhuedu320 #fhuedu508
  4. Podcastomatic Turns Your Blog Posts Into Podcasts http://flip.it/Ugsjf  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320
 CAMLE ‏@camlecolorado
Are you smarter than an 8th Grader from 1912? http://bullittcountyhistory.org/bullitthistory/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html … #midleved #mschat
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Three Ways to Create a Digital Classroom Library for Your Students

Walk into an English teacher’s classroom, and you might be able to guess how long they’ve been there. Take a look at the classroom library. It takes time to collect hundreds of books for your kids to read, and veteran teachers have worked for years to amass those giant collections.
Luckily, modern technology gives us an alternative: extend your classroom library with free eBooks. There are literally thousands of free eBooks available for your students to read, and with free apps your students can turn their smartphones or tablets into eReaders.
The biggest logistical problem is turning that vast digital catalog into something more personal. You need to use a tool to collect a small number of books that you think your students will be interested in, and then put those books in front of them.

http://www.angelamaiers.com/2013/01/three-ways-to-create-a-digital-classroom-library-for-your-students.html

Three Tools Students Can Use for Collaborative Brainstorming on the Web

One of the first challenges that students face when beginning to work on a group research project is organizing and connecting all of their ideas. These three tools can help students collaboratively organize their ideas on the web.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/01/three-tools-students-can-use-for.html

Guide to Budgeting

https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/1611/26335/9h/dramsey.download.akamai.com/23572/daveramsey.com/media/broadcast/mytmmo/pdf/guide-to-budgeting.pdf?ictid=btxt.ny13

Creating Comics
Comics apps such as Comic Zeal are compatible with a couple of DRM-free comic book file formats, namely .cbr and .cbz. Those are both compressed formats, related to RAR and ZIP files, respectively.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2023746/convert-image-files-to-comics.html

Web Spotlight:

Why Scratch Club?

By Wesley Fryer On January 10, 2013
Learn more about the IES Scratch Club on scratchclub.yukonps.com. Check out Mason’s Scratch project,“About Me” on the Scratch community website.
http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2013/01/10/why-scratch-club/

Reading Like a History

The Reading Like a Historian curriculum engages students in historical inquiry. Each lesson revolves around a central historical question and features sets of primary documents designed for groups of students with diverse reading skills and abilities.
This curriculum teaches students how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading. Instead of memorizing historical facts, students evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues. They learn to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence.
http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh

News:

Vending Machine Dispenses MacBooks for Student Use

Providing a solution to students who don’t want to carry a laptop while walking late at night from their dorm or off-campus housing to the library, Drexel introduced a 24-hour, self-service kiosk located in its Hagerty Library that will dispense MacBooks to students, faculty and staff. Drexel is the third university on the East Coast to introduce the vending machine, which holds up to 12 MacBooks that could be checked out free by anyone with a Drexel ID for five hours of use.
http://newsblog.drexel.edu/2013/01/04/vending-machine-dispenses-macbooks-for-student-use/

AMLE Annual Conference Sessions:

Teaching to gender differences.
Brain-based teaching
1.  How do boys and girls learn differently?
2.  What can we do to balance literacy strategies for gender differences?
Women and Men:  New Research
•  One out of three women become more attractive as they grow older.
•  One out of three men become more attractive as they grow older.
•  Men – a better understanding of women
•  Women = give up.
What percentage of a high school class drops out?
26% is the national average
Males in school
•  Make up the majority of high school dropouts.
•  Make up the majority discipline problems.
see paper handout and wiki
The Trouble with Boys
Males in Jails
In 2008, 1 in 18 men versus 1 in 89 in times previous
The Silent Epidemic
1.7-2.3 million dollars in cost to jail a male.
The Minds of Boys
Are there really differences?
Testosterone physically changes the brain at 26 weeks.
Single Gender classrooms:  NASSPE conference (usually in Orlando)
Points to Remember
Nature <———————————–> Nurture
Brain structure is not equal to particular gender behaviors.
Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine.
How do we make learning more engaging for boys and girls?
The Minds of Girls
Brain Based Teaching
The corpus callosum is the bundle of nerves that sends signals across the two parts of the brain.  This enables “cross talk” between hemispheres.
A girl’s stronger neural connectors and a larger hippocampus may provide greater use of sensory memory details in speaking and writing.
Speaking of Tone
A couple was driving down a country road and had a just had a fierce argument.  The passed a herd of goats.  Relatives of yours?  Yes, my in-laws.
One simple solution:  Predicting/Summarizing ABCs
“Young girls’ brains tend to mature faster in the front part, which is responsible, among other things, for language learning and controlling aggression and impulsivity.”
“Women actually get a buzz out of hearing their own voices.  The simple of . . . ”
Single Men are like Waffles and Single Women are like Spaghetti
“For women, every thought and issue is connected to every other thought and issue in some way [spaghetti].  Life is much more of a process than it is for men.”
What’s Happening?  book by Bill McBride
Provide activities that allow girls to share and model their better verbal skills.
See his template on pre-reading paper.
With more cortical areas devoted to verbal functioning, girls tend to be better at:  sensory memory, sitting still, listening, tonality, mental crosstalk and complexities of reading and writing.  i.e. the very skills and behaviors often rewarded in school.
“Girl behavior becomes the gold standard.  Boys are treated like defective girls.”
The Minds of Boys
“For boys, the fastest development is in the back of the brain, which performs visual-spatial tasks at which males tend to excel, such as geometry and puzzle-solving.”
The Minds of Teens
Blue=large differences
Purple=little differences
White=very similar
The Minds of Girls and Boys
“Critical thinking and reasoning develop rapidly through adolescence.”
“These are skills that have to be learned and practiced.”
“If teens do not learn to think strategically they may never do so.”
Critical Thinking – Organizing
Students can use phones or email to:
•  Call in reminders to themselves
•  Send emails or text messages about assignments or homework.
•  Listen to podcasts of information.
•  Send text messages to help classmates in collaborative . . .
Critical thinking – Categorizing
The Minds of Teens
“Our jobs as adults is to serve as external frontal lobes.”
Brain-Based teaching
The Minds of Girls
Two gas pedals
Two brake pedals
Girls have more serotonin and tend to make fewer impulsive decisions than boys.
The MInds of Teens
Teenagers don’t always think of the consequences.
Why do we let 16 year olds drive?
The Minds of Boys
Ladies!  Sportka Ford commercial with the pidgeon.
The Minds of Boys and Girls
Boys systematically overestimate their own ability, while girls are more likely to underestimate their abilities.
“One of the most reliable predictors of whether a boy will succeed or fail in high school rests on a single question:  who is the male adult they chose as their mentor?
Fisher, D & Frey, N.  “Motivating Boys to Read.”
•  Always have kids reading for a reason.
Set it up as a problem to solve.
•  Read aloud to kids and speak your thoughts out loud as you read.
•  Give students choices.
Comic Life software

Bill McBride’s contact information is in the packet.
http://billmcbride.pbworks.com/

We need to bring in media.  Movement is good for boys.
Book:  Entertaining Elephant:  Carrying a Load of Feathers by Bill McBride.

advisory, AMLE, MSM, Podcast, Tech, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 229: SuperSize this Half Baked Idea…

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

After trying a new shampoo for the first time, Morris mailed
off an enthusiastic letter of approval to the manufacturer.

Several weeks later he came home from work to a large carton
in the middle of the floor. Inside were free samples of the
many products the same company produced: soaps, detergents,
tooth paste, and paper items… with a “thank you” note from
the manufacturer.
“Well, What do you think?” asked his smiling wife, Ruth.

“I think that next time,” Morris replied. “I’m writing to
General Motors.”

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

1. Another flight attendant’s comment on a less than perfect
landing: “We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo
bounces us to the terminal.”

2. After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the Flight Attendant came
on with, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash
and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate.
And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we’ll open
the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.”

3. Part of a flight attendant’s arrival announcement: “We’d like
to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you
get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized
metal tube, we hope you’ll think of US Airways.”

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

Three strings walk into a bar and sit down at a table. The first string walks up to the bartender and says, “Bartender, three beers please.” The bartender looks at the string and says, “I’m sorry, but we don’t serve strings here.” Disappointed, the string walks back to his buddies and explains. The second string says “No problem, I’ll go get our beers.” The second string walks up to the bartender, “Bartender, three beers please.” The bartender says, “Listen man, I told your buddy that we don’t serve strings here.” Empty handed, the second string walks back to his buddies. The third string says, “No problem. Tie me in a knot at one end and fray my ends at the other.” He struts up to the bartender, “Bartender, three beers please.” The bartender proceeds to get him the beer when he suspiciously turns to look at the string and says, “Excuse me, but are you a string?” The string replies, “I’m a frayed knot!”

http://www.middleweb.com/5053/humor-in-the-classroom/

Eileen Award:

 

  • Scoopit:
  • Twitter: Christina B. Steele, Ryan Becker
  • Facebook:
  • Google+: King Almojuela,
  • iTunes:
  • eMail:

Advisory:

Art Wolfe Photography

Great wildlife photos. Have the kids make stories for each picture. (For fun, search for camoflage).
http://artwolfe.photoshelter.com/

How to Write Letters

Above all, it reminds us that sentiment lives not only in what is being communicated but also in how it is being communicated — an osmosis all the more important today, when cold screens and electronic text have left the written word homogenized and devoid of expressive form.
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/12/21/how-to-write-letters-1876/

How Fast Can You Name…

Come up with a common list. Have the students name them as quickly as possible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xly_lNW_2o4#!

How to Make A Puppet by Jim Henson

Ask the kids if they’ve ever seen the Muppets. This is a 15 minute video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AC440k6iByA

Middle School Science Minute

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

I was recently reading the December, 2012 issue of Science Scope, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association for middle school teachers.  There was a very interesting article on clouds written by Tina Cartwright, Rommel Miranda, Ronald Hermann, and Deb Hemler entitled, “Clear Skies Ahead: Clearing Up Confusion About Clouds.”

They provided a very helpful semi-dichotomous cloud key that seems very helpful in helping students in the cloud identification process.  A version of the cloud key containing color photos of each cloud type can be found at:

http://wvscience.org/clouds/Cloud_Key.pdf

 

From the Twitterverse:

* ESSDACK ‏@ESSDACK
One of the best Middle Schools Apps! iTooch #mschat
* Eric Hanson ‏@HansonEP
Great livebinder – iPad Apps http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/119771 … for U.S. History
* Erin Klein ‏@KleinErin
3 Popular Video Creation Tools Being Used By Teachers http://zite.to/12UyDYB
* Wesley Fryer, Ph.D. ‏@wfryer
MT @DMaxMJ: Share & sign this “end testing obsession” petition.Free students 2B learners,teachers 2 teach https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/cease-harmful-public-education-policies-relying-standardized-testing/w8ZrZwVT … #fb
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: A Simple Guide To 4 Complex Learning Theories | @edudemic
* David Britten ‏@colonelb
RT @OaklandSchools: What Learning Will Look Like in 2013 http://ow.ly/gpunT  via @anniemurphypaul #EdChat
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
The 20 Best Education Apps & Web Tools Of The Year http://flip.it/ddclh  #fhucid #fhuedu320 #fhuedu642
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
25 Tablet Idea to Enhance Learning Experiences http://flip.it/1fUtr  #fhucid #fhuedu320 #fhuedu642
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
5 Components to a Quality Education http://flip.it/cstvP  #fhuedu610 #fhuedu508 #fhucid ~ for @MSMatters followers
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Books to Read

http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/tempered-radical/12-2012/three-professional-reads-are-worth-your-time

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome

Kathy Hoopman

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1843104814/

Explania

Welcome to Explania! Watch hundreds of animated explanations, interactive tutorials and instructional videos, and feel free to embed them on your own web pages.

http://www.explania.com/en

Free NASA e-Book

This book is available for download on your iPad with iBooks or on your computer with iTunes.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hubble-space-telescope-discoveries/id588428410?mt=11

BadgeMaker

Make your own ID card, press pass, name tag, unofficial Flickr badge, or any other kind of identification. Print it out, laminate it, wear it with pride! Make any kind of identification* easily in just a few seconds.
http://bighugelabs.com/badge.php

Web Spotlight:

When Creative Musical Genius Meets YouTube

By Wesley Fryer On December 26, 2012
There are some people in this world who have creative, musical genius that absolutely knocks your socks off when you hear and see it. Jon Cozart (Paint on YouTube) is one of those people.
His 104 second video with himself, “Lord of the Rings in 99 Seconds,” has 1.3 million YouTube views to date. It makes the video I created with my kids in the summer of 2011, “The Hobbit In Five Minutes,” look like a far more coarse and amateurish attempt at a 3 novel / movie plot summary.
http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2012/12/26/when-creative-musical-genius-meets-youtube/

What’s the difference between Holland and The Netherlands?

Posted on Sunday, December 23rd, 2012 at 12:11 pm. PT
Written by Shawn King
Have you ever wondered what the difference between “Holland” and “The Netherlands” is? Of course you haven’t – not many have.
But just in case you have even a mild interest, this video by C. G. P. Grey does an amazing job of explaining this odd little quirk of geography. And, for even more explanation of geographic and historical anomalies, check out his“The Difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England Explained”.
http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/12/23/whats-the-difference-between-holland-and-the-netherlands/

TregoED SCAN

So I gave it a go this last marking period and . . . .

 

Half-Baked Idea . . .

So I got these “electronic resource devices” for my classroom and I tried this idea on the day before Christmas break . . .

advisory, AMLE, Conferences, MSM, Podcast, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 228: Power Hungry Internet- Raspberry Pi . . . Ummm, Pie…

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

Two prisoners were making their escape over the jailhouse roof when one of them dislodged a tile. “Who’s there shouted a guard. The first prisoner replied with a convincing imitation of a cat’s meow. Reassured, the guard when back to his rounds
But then the second prisoner dislodged another tile. The guard repeated, “Who’s there?”
“The other cat,” answered the prisoner.

A circus owner walked into a bar to see everyone crowded around a table watching a little show. On the table was an upside down pot and a duck tap dancing on it. The circus owner was so impressed that he offered to buy the duck from its owner. After some wheeling and dealing they settled for $10,000 for the duck and the pot.
Three days later the circus owner runs back to the bar in anger, “Your duck is a rip-off! I put him on the pot before a whole audience and he didn’t dance a single step!” “So?” asked the duck’s former owner, “did you remember to light the candle under the pot?”

Teacher: What are the four main food groups?
Students: Canned, frozen, instant, and lite.

A little girl complained that she didn’t want to go back to school.
“But why, Lisa?” asked her mother.
“Well, I can’t read, I can’t write, and they won’t let me talk.”

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Bethany Beaudrie, Derek McCoy, Vinnie Stocker
  • eMail:  Dr. John Harrison

Advisory:

Unrelated People Who Look Like Each Other

http://twentytwowords.com/2012/12/13/portraits-of-people-who-arent-related-but-look-like-each-other-6-pictures/

Middle School Science Minute

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

Middle School Science Minute — Citizen Science

I was recently reading the November, 2012 issue of Science Scope, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association.  In the magazine, Jennifer Fee and Nancy Trautmann, wrote an article entitled “Connecting to Your Community Through Birds and Citizen Science.”  Within the article they explained what is meant by the term “Citizen Science.”  They defined a citizen scientist as a person who collaborates with scientists to gather data on projects and contributes to scientific research.

From the Twitterverse:

* Steve ‏@2learn2
Why Nate Silver Can Save Math Education in America http://goo.gl/ZW1QF
* David Tebo ‏@tebotweets
Pantophobia in Education: http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/6837
* Jerry Blumengarten ‏@cybraryman1
My Project Based Learning page: http://cybraryman.com/projectbasedlearning.html … #rechat
* Bill Ferriter ‏@plugusin
This @samchaltain bit on the pros and cons of longer school days should be required reading for #edpolicy wonks: http://ow.ly/fVT6M
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
10 Steps to a Successful School iPad Program #edtech #plaea #ukstl
* nancyflanagan ‏@nancyflanagan
Common Core headed towards a $500 billion scandal. Imagine the horror as state after state reports drastic “drops”… http://prorevnews.blogspot.com/2012/12/common-core-headed-towards-500-billion.html …
* Steve Cushing ‏@Montberte
The Best Social Studies Sites Of 2012 — Part Two http://goo.gl/YVMIw
* Eric Sheninger ‏@NMHS_Principal
Infographic: How Does Digital Learning Contribute to Deeper Learning? http://buff.ly/Zka48g
* Beth Still ‏@BethStill
Guest post by @kris_still on how to be prepared in the event of a crisis. http://bethstill.edublogs.org/2012/12/14/preparing-for-the-worst-case-scenario/ … #nebedu #cpchat
* CBC Toronto ‏@CBCToronto
Ontario teachers confirm 1-day walkout
Monte Tatom @drmmtatom
8 Useful Video Apps for your #iPad flip.it/AphMQ #fhuedu320 #fhucid ~ for @MSMatters followers
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Teachers are talent scouts

Spotting talent and helping students see their own gift is one of those things that makes teaching so intoxicating to me. I get to do this? I am a talent scout. Are you?
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2012/12/teachers-are-talent-scouts.html

Web Spotlight:

Bomb Sight Mapping

The Bomb Sight is using the Bomb Census Maps as the primary data in the tools we are developing. The maps are part of an extensive array of material collected during the Bomb Census Survey 1940 to 1945, organised by the Ministry of Home Security. The records are held in The National Archive (TNA), and we are using the maps with a non-commercial education licence.
http://bombsight.org/#16/51.5034/-0.0987

INFOGRAPHIC: A POWER HUNGRY INTERNET

We know the internet is huge but it’s also growing at a crazy fast pace – doubling in size every 18-24 months! While this is staggering many people fail to think about what it actually takes to keep the Internet up and running every day. As it turns out its actually more than the auto industry and all that energy isn’t being used very efficiently.
http://www.infographicsarchive.com/tech-and-gadgets/infographic-a-power-hungry-internet/

Amazing Anamorphic Illusions!

You’ve got to see it to believe it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBNHPk-Lnkk&sns=em

Anatomy of Preservation

This time-lapse video from LSA’s Museum of Zoology takes the bat species Artibeus jamacanensis from specimen to display. The process might be a little stomach-churning, but then again, good science isn’t always mess-free.

As one of the largest university museums in the world, the Museum of Zoology is a crucial resource for use in research, conservation, and education. Studying animals such as Artibeus jamacanensis allows scientists to craft a tangible record of life on Earth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VwT6RLsYe1c#!

Departing Space Station Commander Provides Tour of Orbital Laboratory

In her final days as Commander of the International Space Station, Sunita Williams of NASA recorded an extensive tour of the orbital laboratory and downlinked the video on Nov. 18, just hours before she, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency departed in their Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft for a landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan. The tour includes scenes of each of the station’s modules and research facilities with a running narrative by Williams of the work that has taken place and which is ongoing aboard the orbital outpost.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=doN4t5NKW-k

How long will we live — and how well?

A new analysis looks not only at the number of years we can expect to live, but also at the number of years we can expect to live in good health. In most of the world, life expectancy is longer than it was 20 years ago, but often a smaller percentage of those years will be healthy ones.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/health/healthy-life-expectancy/

Taking Responsibility


This was apparently from a group project.
http://i.imgur.com/mEOv7.jpg

AMLE Annual Conference Sessions:

State Affiliate Meeting
Update on the state of AMLE
Where were we last year?
Top Priorities for his first year
Taking steps

Top Priorities for his first year.
People come first
Emphasize the AMLE mission
Develop a vision for customer service
We are the brand
Taking Steps
1.  Through stakeholder input determine if this draft vision aligns to the Mission Statement and Goals of AMLE and what AMLE wants to become.
2.  Prepare the board of trustees to consider adopting a new strategic plan.
3.  Develop measures of success to chart progress of the mission and goals for striving towards the vision.
4.  Annually identify key strategic priority areas and execution plans for accomplishment of these annual priorities.
Where are we now?
Strategic Plan was approved by Board of Trustees in April.
Strategic Plan goals distributed to stakeholders in August
Strategic Plan strategies distributed of stakeholders in September
Structure of Strategic Plan
•Mission, Vision, Core values
•Six goals
•28 Strategies
Updated Mission and Vision
•Mission:  The Association for Middle Level Education is dedicated to improving the educational experiences of all students ages 10-15 by providing vision, knowledge, and resources to educators and leaders.
•Vision:  The Association for Middle Level Education is the leading national and international organization advancing the education of all students ages 10 to 15, helping them succeed as learners and make positive contributions to their communities and to the world.
(Current membership is around 30,000)
Strategic Plan Goals
Goals are numbered, but not according to priority.
•Goal 1:  Increase AMLE’s visibility with educators and policymakers worldwide.
•Goal 2:  Refine research-based professional development programs and services to ensure they are timely and relevant.
•Goal 3:  Develop partnerships and collaborative relationships with affiliates and other coalitions to influence programs and legislation to improve middle level education.
•Goal 4:  Increase membership.
•Goal 5:  Develop a business model and financial plan that places AMLE on sound financial footing and allows flexibility for strategic initiatives.
Goal 6:  Strengthen the board’s capacity to deliver AMLE’s mission and vision.

Commentary:  The focus of the association is now looking at state affiliates as partners in a coalition, not competitors.

Goal 1:  Increase AMLE’s visibility with educators and policymakers worldwide
•1.1:  Promote the significance of middle level education philosophy and practice.
•1.2:  Create web-based delivery models, including social media, for content and communications.
Lots of folks liked the app for the conference.
•1.3:  Make the website current, visually attractive, and user-friendly.
The number of iPad users visiting the site doubles monthly.
•1.4:  Review the efficacy of the current brand and make necessary changes.
Unify the brand logo through a uniform standard of “look”.
Doing a new brand study and it’s representation.
#4 on this list will come before #3.

Goal 2:  Refine research-based professional development programs and services to ensure they are timely and relevant.
•2.1:  Regularly review This We Believe and revise as needed.
•2.2:  Initiate and publish ongoing middle level education research.
•2.3:  Continue to present a high-quality annual conference that offers relevant and timely content.
•2.4:  Develop theme based conferences based on regional or national topics that are research based, relevant, and needs based.
•2.5:  Revise the content of Leadership Institutes to serve new and continuing participants and provide follow-up activities.
•2.6:  Increase partnerships with state departments of education.
Commentary:
Could we commission a study that the characteristics of This We Believe improve school achievement.
How do we get to the point where the association is driving the research in the field?
Our numbers this year are half of the numbers from the last time in Portland.
How do we make the flagship product meet the attendees where they are?
IDEA:  gear our conference to meet the initiatives in the state to get the State Board of Ed on board.
Theme based mini-conferences.
That’s ironic!  Think of the things we’re doing with drive-in conferences in Michigan.
We need to survey districts to find out what their strategies are.
Conference attendees are not always repeaters and so they don’t get the benefit of having repeating presenters.
Revise the content to serve new attendees vs. repeaters.
Goals:
Increasing affiliate capacity
Increasing partnerships with affiliates and teacher preparation and the superintendents at State Depts. of Education.
How do we get a piece of legislation codified in 50 different locals?

Goal 3:  Develop partnerships and collaborative relationships with affiliates and other coalitions to influence programs and legislation to improve middle level education.
•3.1:  Update the “Success inthe Middle” policy guide as a tool for influencing public policy and education standards.
•3.2:  Provide advocacy tools for AMLE members and partners.
•3.3:  Provide resources relevant to targeted education policy issues.
•3.4:  Engage with the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association to enhance their understanding of the needs of middle grades youth.
•3.5:  Collaborate with affiliate and coalition leaders, including organizations with missions that foster diversity in education.
•3.6:  Reconsider recommendations from the 2010 Affiliate Task Force Report.
•3.7:  Develop a plan to collaborate with international associations.
Commentary:
There is a legislative piece of software that would be more cost effective to provide to affiliates vs. affiliates purchasing for each state.
Getting Ex. Dir.s at the table with State Boards on implementation legislation.  i.e. Common Core
Goal is to have half of the Affiliate Task Force recommendations done by next year.

Goal 4:  Increase membership.
•4.1:  Determine membership benefits.
Is there a benefit to having a “free” membership?  Enticement.
•4.2:  Evaluate current  membership structures and fees.
•4.3:  Target new-entry educators.
•4.4:  Develop a plan to increase Collegiate Middle Level Association chapters and members.
•4.5:  Develop global membership.
•4.6: Cultivate diverse membership.
Commentary:
Reduce the types of membership.  Too many choices.
Building membership (5) usually listed, not all the teachers in the building.

Goal 5:  Develop a business model and financial plan that places AMLE on sound financial footing and allows flexibility for strategic initiatives.
•5.1:  Develop financial reports that align resources to mission, vision, and core values.
•5.2:  Develop an operating plan to launch an opportunity fund to support new iniatives that align to the  mission, vision, and strategic goals of AMLE.
How would we launch something big if we had the opportunity to?

Goal 6:  Strengthen the board’s capacity to deliver AMLE’s mission and vision.
•6.1:  Prepare board members to advance and articulate AMLE’s messages.
•6.2:  Review the board’s structure, composition, and function and make adjustments, as needed, to support AMLE’s mission and vision and reflect the changing demographics of students and educators.
•6.3:  Provide appropriate and ongoing professional learning for the board.
Commentary:
Board structure and governance needs to be revisited.
Do you need an Executive Board?  If so, your board is too big.
Does your board represent geography or expertise?
Finding more professional development for the board.
Training to be better board members.

Can we reach the summit, together?
These strategies will take time to implement.

Additional dialogue
Questions
Comments

advisory, AMLE, ConferencesBy Troy Patterson

MSM 226: Cheesy Penny Lane, I Used to Think…

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Eileen Award:

 

  • Google+: Patti Gray

 

Jokes You Can Use:

When his teenage son asked to borrow twenty dollar, the man said, “Son, don’t you realize that there are more important things in life than money?”
“Yes, sir,” the youth replied, “I do. But you need money to take them to the movies.”

A tourist in Vienna goes through a graveyard and all of a sudden he hears some music. No one is around, so he starts searching for the source.
He finally locates the origin and finds it is coming from a grave with a headstone that reads: “Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827.”
Then he realizes that the music is the Ninth Symphony, and it is being played backward! Puzzled, he leaves the graveyard and persuades a friend to return with him. By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music has changed. This time it is the Seventh Symphony, but like the previous piece, it is being played backward. Curious, the men agree to consult a music scholar.
When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony is playing, again backward. The expert notices that the symphonies are being played in the reverse order in which they were composed, the 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th.
By the next day the word has spread and a throng has gathered around the grave. They are all listening to the Second Symphony being played backward.
Just then the graveyard’s caretaker ambles up to the group. Someone in the group asks him if he has an explanation for the music.
“Don’t you get it?” the caretaker says incredulously. “He’s decomposing.”

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a midwest town he planned to visit on his vacation. He wrote, “I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?”
An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who said, “I’ve been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I’ve never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls. I’ve never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. and I’ve never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you’re welcome to stay here, too.”

Advisory:

Cost of a penny


http://what-if.xkcd.com/22/

Middle School Science Minute

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

Public Laboratory (not lavatory 🙂

Troy Patterson, of the “Middle School Matters” podcast mentioned Raspberry Pi recently, and it got me to wondering if most people knew what it is.  Raspberry Pi is is a credit-card sized computer which can help kids do spreadsheets, play games, watch HD videos and learn programming, all for about $25.

It got me to thinking of other “Do It Yourself” gadgets that middle school students might also enjoy.  This then took me to the Public Laboratory:
http://publiclaboratory.org
a community where you can learn how to investigate environmental concerns using inexpensive “Do It Yourself” techniques.

From the Twitterverse:

* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45
“My Kindergartner had 14 tests this year…” http://wapo.st/QV4dE6  I’m telling you, reformers are going to test themselves out of business.
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
Just a Reminder: American Teachers Do More Work for Less Pay Than Their International Peers #edreform #iaedfuture
* Lucas Gillispie ‏@PCSTech
Full middle-grades language arts curriculum based in WoW and CommonCore aligned is here – http://wowinschool.pbworks.com/  #BYOTchat
* Gary Johnston ‏@GaryJohnston1
My First 3 Days In A 1:1 iPad Classroom http://edudemic.com/2012/11/my-first-3-days-with-a-11-ipad-classroom/ … via @edudemic Great advice from someone who hit the ground running.
James ‏@CrashCourseTech
CommBadge gives you a Star Trek: TNG experience…almost: Tired of plugging a Bluetooth earpiece i… via @phonearena
* Miguel Guhlin ‏@mguhlin
A Must Have App Evaluation Rubric for Teachers http://dlvr.it/2Z0RPX
* BethRitterGuth ‏@BethRitterGuth
RT @bausel: Free Resources for Teachers | Online Student Code of Conduct http://www.diigo.com/bookmark/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collaborizeclassroom.com%2Fresources%2Fgetting-started%2Fonline-student-code-of-conduct …
* Steve ‏@2learn2
TED: Paolo Cardini: Forget multitasking, try monotasking – Paolo Cardini (2012) http://goo.gl/NY7QJ
NASA ‏@NASA
Did you know there’s a great online source with almost 60K NASA images & 30K videos? Visit: http://www.nasaimages.org
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: Legal and ethical issues surrounding use of VAM for teacher evaluation
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
How Teachers Are Using Social Media Right Now http://flpbd.it/of7jF  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers

5 Great Ways for Teachers to Collaborate on Twitter http://flpbd.it/iUJT2  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers

6 #iPad Apps That Help You Create Interactive Study Guides http://flpbd.it/WYrvX  #mLearning #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers

Report: Middle School Students Using Smartphones More Interested in STEM — THE Journal http://flpbd.it/3ZyOU  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  

Resources:

Transcribe

http://transcribe.wreally.com/

Why Everything Sucks

*Note – some Not Safe For Work Language (NSFW) is present.
http://twentytwowords.com/2012/11/25/craig-fergusons-rant-against-the-deification-of-youth-and-stupidity/

Questioning Autism?

Questioning Autism? is an iOS app designed to help concerned parents understand the signs and symptoms of autism, and to convey their observations to their pediatrician. The app features 12 simple questions, and the ability to share the observations with notes via email. Parents and caregivers can track a child’s progress over time, and save their observations for multiple children. Also included are helpful resources and the ability to share the app socially.
http://asddad.com/2012/11/20/questioning-autism-app-is-available/

15 Cheesy Christmas Music Videos on YouTube

Well, the title pretty much says it all.

http://mashable.com/2012/11/24/cheesy-christmas-music-videos/

Historical Figure Greeting Cards

This morning I used the web version of the Trading Card Creator to create an Abraham Lincoln trading card. To create the card I found a public domain image of Lincoln, uploaded it to the template provided by RWT, and completed the fields that asked for information about Lincoln’s life. When my card was completed I was able to download it to my computer. I could have also emailed it to myself or to a friend.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/11/create-trading-cards-for-historical-and_27.html

Web Spotlight:

Primary Sources

Docs Teach offers seven free tools that teachers can use to create interactive learning activities based on primary source documents and images. The seven tools are Finding a Sequence, Focusing on Details, Making Connections, Mapping History, Seeing the Big Picture, Weighing the Evidence, and Interpreting Data.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/11/create-your-own-interactive-primary.html

I used to think…

In a beautifully candid and beautifully written piece for PLP Network’s Voices from the Learning Revolution, Canadian teacher Shelly Wright examines how her thinking and her classroom practice have changed.
http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/teachmoore/11-2012/read-i-used-think-teacher-reflections
http://plpnetwork.com/2012/11/08/think/

The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Too many kids already hate school. Why do we want to make them do more of it?
http://practicaltheory.org/blog/2012/11/23/the-beatings-will-continue-until-morale-improves-2/

News:

Homework

A study led by an Indiana University School of Education faculty member finds little correlation between time spent on homework and better course grades for math and science students, but a positive relationship between homework time and performance on standardized tests.
Contrary to much of the published research, a regression analysis of time spent on homework and the final class grade found no substantive difference in grades between students who complete homework and those who do not. But the analysis found a positive association between student performance on standardized tests and the time they spent on homework.
The authors suggest in their conclusions that other factors such as class participation and attendance may mitigate the association of homework to stronger grade performance.
“We’re not trying to say that all homework is bad,” Maltese said. “It’s expected that students are going to do homework. This is more of an argument that it should be quality over quantity. So in math, rather than doing the same types of problems over and over again, maybe it should involve having students analyze new types of problems or data. In science, maybe the students should write concept summaries instead of just reading a chapter and answering the questions at the end.”
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/23471.html?emailID=23471

AMLE Annual Conference Sessions:

Dr. John Medina:  Brain Rules

The field of neuroscience doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with education.
Brain Mythologies
10% usage
Left brain vs. Right brain
Cross brain/physical thingy:  bunk
Interpretation of data is everything!
We don’t know much about the brain, but we do know some things.
Solve problems, related to surviving, outdoors and constantly on the move.
Lecture Part One:  Exercise and the brain
Exercise boosts brain power and counteracts the effects of stress.
“Ode to a Sedentary Carnivore”
1989- Paper called ?

Baby boomers were aging either beautifully or not so beautifully.

Sedentary lifestyle made all the difference.

Executive function vs sedentary.  The scores are hugely different for those that had exercise.

   20-150% difference in scores after introducing exercise.
Aerobics and toning exercise does not improve your memory.
How much exercise to get benefit?
150 minutes of walking, enough that you couldn’t sing while you walk.
Exercise boosts cognition
Sweet spot:  20% increase in learning if the exercise comes right before the classroom experience.
Aerobic trumps strengthening.
Structure:  Exercise, class, class, exercise, class class
Lecture Part Two:
Arousal States
Being digitally exposed during studying is the same as being drunk.