MSM 199: MAMSE Can you Hear us & a Major Announcement!

Jokes You Can Use:

What do you get when you cross a porcupine with a sheep?
An animal that knits it’s own sweaters.
What do you get when you cross a chicken with an elephant?
I don’t know, but Colonel Sanders would have trouble dipping it in batter.
If a dog loses his tail, where does he go?
To the retail store.

On Our Mind:

  • MAMSE
  • Major Announcement

Eileen Award:

  • John Bernia
  • Todd Bloch
  • Jeff Pelich

Advisory:

Even Disney Makes Mistakes:

Disney is a prolific company with its name on a great many successes, and it likes to hide its missteps and failures. The process of doing so sometimes helps those mistakes become things of legend. Song of the South, with its politically incorrect and racist portrayals of certain characters, is likely the most famous example. Another example might be The Sweatbox, a very rarely-seen documentary about the failed making of an animated film called Kingdom of the Sun, which eventually morphed into The Emperor’s New Groove. (Pictured above.)
The Sweatbox filmmakers John-Paul Davidson and Trudie Styler were given unprecedented access to Disney’s process and the resulting film painted the executives in such a negative light, they more or less made sure the film would never been seen in public.
Until now. For a little while at least. After the jump, you can watch the rarely seen 2002 documentary The Sweatbox.
http://www.slashfilm.com/watch-rare-disney-documentary-called-the-sweatbox/

Paper Toys

All kinds of paper projects. You could have the kids make a “scene” or use it.
http://papertoys.com/

Middle School Science Minute

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

This middle school science minute is about the misconceptions that middle school students have about light. In the February 2012 issue of Science Scope (NSTA publication) Amber Haslag and James P. Concannon wrote an article entitled: “Reflecting on students’ misconceptions about light: Using research to guide assessment and instruction”  They begin by sharing data on a study done through Michigan State University, which identifies the misconceptions that students have about light.  They then developed a two-day 5E lesson that helps students to clarify their misunderstandings.  After the lesson, they evaluate the students on their understanding of light.

 

From the Twitterverse:

* Angela Cunningham ‏ @kyteacher
More of my social studies LiveBinders: #edcampss
* International Center ‏ @RigorRelevance
RT @lmsahistory: I used to host Tedtalk Tuesdays at my school for staff and students. Watch one talk during lunch and discuss it. #edcampss
*Ron Peck ‏ @Ron_Peck
RT @sjunkins: Teaching History with the Silent Film Director app http://goo.gl/Fi7M8 #edcampss #sschat
 Aaron Eyler ‏ @Aaron_Eyler
My Socratic seminar page: #edcampsshttp://www.aaroneyler.com/-the-roundtable
* Ron Peck ‏ @Ron_Peck
Socratic Seminar activity instructions: and I’ll find the other forms a little later. #edcampss #sschat
 Distance Education ‏ @onlinecourse
Bad Habits Mean Bad Grades: Seven Habits That Could Be Hurting Your GPA. – http://dedu.org/9ZrrXD
 Scott McLeod ‏ @mcleod
New bookmark: Questioning Culture and Technology: Students’ Stories at DML Conference
 Terie Engelbrecht ‏ @mrsebiology
Problem and Project Based Learning Activities: #edchat #pblchat #midleved #elemchatOverview of standards-based grading rationale: #edchat #midleved #elemchat
Holly Pate ‏ @hollyeduc8r
Think-Pair-Share Variations http://ow.ly/1J3xt1 #edchat #edtech #edfocus
 George Couros ‏ @gcouros
RT @justintarte: “What makes a great middle grades principal?” – Nice list here! #edchat #cpchat #midleved
* Terie Engelbrecht ‏ @mrsebiology
Seven Literacy Strategies That Work: #edchat #midleved #elemchatRT @Edu_Thompson: Tips for Writing Instructional Objectives – Bloom’s Taxonomy Job Aids #edchat #midleved #elemchat
* AMLE ‏ @AMLEnews
Web 2.0 Collaborative Projects in the Middle School RT @JillBromen #midleved #edchatSeeking student art for the front cover of Middle School Journal http://bit.ly/AexZ6A #midleved
* Scott Eveslage ‏ @LeeVegas20
Video Tutorial on Using Flipsnack – Make your pdf’s into an interactive flip book: http://h30411.www3.hp.com/posts/1080357-VIDEO_Interactive_flip_books?mcid=Twitter #SetHU15 #midleved #cpchat #sschat
* pipoclub ‏ @juegospipo

20 Ways to Use Edmodo: http://slidesha.re/vMyxiN #edchat #edtech #midleved #elemchat RT @mrsebiology

 

 

MAMSE 2012


Formative Assessment

Formative assessment.
Fowlerville and Flatrock have also implemented this.

MDE and Measured Progress

  • Self reflection
  • Goal Setting
  • Prior Knowledge


Formative Assessment Toolbox ( A really thick binder – 4″, I do believe)

  • Non-negotiables
  • Rationale
  • Explanation
  • Ways to Incorporate
  • Grading Scale – How do we grade? Why?  Chose a 13 point scale.


ZAP – Zero’s Aren’t Permitted

Students are ZAPPED for lunch and after school. 3 Zaps in a week=after school.

Principal is heavily involved. Counselors are used to follow up with the student. The counselor does the scheduling of the student with the parent for after school ZAP.

This is also combined with the after school programs for support for students who are struggling.

This is more immediate than Saturday school. The issue with Saturday school was the delay.

They use Advisory for communication. They rely on the relationship development through Advisory to support the ZAP.

 

Collaborative Team work

Touch the numbers in order. 30 seconds to touch them in order. Then pair up. One person touches, the other helps.

Shows that you are more effective in a group. They usually get farther.

Wordles:
Group works together. Combine different groups.
When done, give out the answers, then process.
Teacher takes notes on what happens: groups talk things out. The teacher role is to observe and then help the students process.

Trying these out, the students respond genuinely.

IZZI:
8×8.

 

Resources:

Zopler

Zopler is a social network where writers, authors and students can easily collaborate on writing stories together as a group.
http://zopler.com/

 

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

Ohio Middle Level Association:


AMLE Affiliate Conferences:


Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

 

Tagline:

MSM 198: Advisory, Abolition and the War on Teachers in 53 Hours.

Jokes You Can Use:

Boy: Will you marry me?
Girl: No, but I’ll always admire your good taste.

Girl: I’m telling you for the last time- you can’t kiss me.
Boy: I knew that you’d weaken!

Girl: Do you love me?
Boy: Yes, dear.
Girl: Would you die for me?
Boy: Um….mine is an undying love.

Ask me what I had for lunch on March 15th.  Go ahead, ask me.

On Our Mind:

  • MAMSE Conference

Eileen Award:

  • Debbie Silver – Happy Birthday
  • Ashley Kurth
  • Diigo Groupees:  Karen Chopra & G2One Networking
  • Diigo Posters:  Steve Davis & Ron King

Advisory:

Are you a risk taker?

National Geographic has an article on why teens take risks.  Worth a read but I think the picture essay that goes with it is more valuable for the discussion it could generate around the classroom.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/teenage-brains/risk-quiz
Viewing Teens Positively:  http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/teenage-brains/teenagers-video
Pictures:  http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/teenage-brains/cahana-photography#/10-getting-tongue-pierced-670.jpg

Should I raise my hand?

http://twentytwowords.com/2012/03/15/should-you-raise-your-hand-in-class-a-flowchart/

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

This middle school science minute is about the topic of what drives public opinion.  In the March 2012 issue of Science Scope, within the Scope’s Scoops section, there is a news article entitled “What drives public opinion on climate change?”  The article cites a study by Robert Bruelle and colleagues from Drexel University who set out to identify the informational, cultural and political processes that influence public concern about climate change.  Their conclusion was that the driving factor that most influences public opinion on climate change is the mobilizing efforts of advocacy groups and elites.  It seems that that information-based science advocacy has had only a minor effect on public concern.

 

From the Twitterverse:

Richard Byrne New post: Calameo – Free Multimedia Publishing to iPads and Morehttp://goo.gl/fb/q0p8W
* Kyle Calderwood ‏ @kcalderw
Navigating Apple’s Discount App Program for Educators | #ipaded #edtech #edadmin http://goo.gl/tR2np
* Teachnology.com ‏ @TeachnologyNews
A teacher who is not dogmatic is simply a teacher who is not teaching. Gilbert K. Chesterton
*Daniel J. Lewis ‏ @theRamenNoodle
Top of the Irish to you and luck of the morning! #DyslexicLeprechaun #pointlesshashtag
* HEIDI HAYES JACOBS ‏ @HeidiHayesJacob
#AASSA2012http://edge.ascd.org/_SOCRATES-FAILS-TEACHER-EVALUATION/blog/5822005/127586.htmlCan’t go to #ascd12 in Philadelphia? ASCD is streaming 22 sessions virtually. More at http://ascd.social27.com #ascdvc12
* Nancy White ‏ @NancyW
Why My Six-Year-Old Students Have Digital Portfolios | Getting Smart http://gettingsmart.com/blog/2012/03/why-my-six-year-old-students-have-digital-portfolios/ via @Getting_Smart #edchat #edtech
* Lisa Thumann ‏ @lthumann
We’re talking about using #ibooks to replace textbooks in our admin roundtable #wetech12 anyone doing this already?
* dave mcquaid ‏ @davemcquaid
It’s the last day to sponsor me on my 90-mile, 5-hour, and hopefully rain-free quest. Any takers?
* Vicki Davis ‏ @coolcatteacher
This free tool let’s you apply Bloom’s in your classroom http://vsb.li/6A9aNq #teaching #edtech – (May not work in Safari. Works fine in Firefox and Chrome)
* Virtual Nerd ‏ @VirtualNerd
Don’t let decimals get in the way of your long division fun! Check out how to handle decimals in long division:
* Amanda Dykes ‏ @amandacdykes
This would be so fun to have in my classroom. Its like a photo booth that takes onstage am pics. http://instaprint.me/
* Terie Engelbrecht ‏ @mrsebiology
Ideas for Podcasting in the Classroom: #edchat #edtech #midleved #elemchatBloom’s Taxonomy Web 2.0 Livebinder: Digital resources by level #edchat #edtech #midleved #elemchat
* Richard Byrne ‏ @rmbyrne
Smart Tools for Your Android Device http://ow.ly/9Fe01
* Rich Kiker ‏ @rkiker

Middle Schoolers Flash Mob for Reading

* Edmodo ‏ @edmodo
EdmodoCon 2012 is coming this summer Planning committee selection in April — @betsywhalen will be updating with details! #edmodo
* russeltarr ‏ @russeltarr
A collection of my favourite IPad resources #edtech
Watch the hashtag #midleved for daily tidbits.

 

 

News:

Why the Ed Department should be reconceived — or abolished

Over time, the Department of Education has become increasingly bureaucratic and invasive, and has formulated its policies on questionable information that appears to emanate from hunches, anecdotes, whims, and fads, buttressed by corroborating evidence from ideologically friendly think tanks and media blowhards.
Arne Duncan is only the latest, although probably the most test-obsessed, person to occupy the seat of U.S. secretary of education. A lot of people trace the testing movement that he currently enforces with a vengeance back to Rod Paige, George W. Bush’s first secretary of education and architect of the Houston Miracle.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/why-the-ed-department-should-be-reconceived–or-abolished/2012/03/09/gIQAHfdB5R_blog.html

 

The war on teachers: Why the public is watching it happen

All over the nation, teachers are under attack. Politicians of both parties, in every state, have blamed teachers and their unions for the nation’s low standing on international tests and our nation’s inability to create the educated labor force our economy needs.
In New York State, where teacher evaluations were just released to the press, the state Legislature just passed — and the governor signed — a bill that exempted police and firefighters from having their evaluations released to the public. What better symbolizes the way teachers have become “fair game” for public demonization?
There is another more insidious consequence of the attack on teaching. Every time you undermine the job security, working conditions, and wages of one group of workers, it makes it easier for employers to undermine them for all workers. This is why, during the Depression, many unemployed people organized in support of workers on strike, even though anybody with a job in that era was relatively privileged. They believed in the concept of solidarity — the idea that working people could only progress if they did so together, and if one group of workers improved their conditions, it would ultimately improve conditions for all.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-war-on-teachers-why-the-public-is-watching-it-happen/2012/03/11/gIQAD3XH6R_blog.html

Survey: Teachers work 53 hours per week on average

Teaching is a much talked about yet often misunderstood profession. Educators frequently hear well-meaning comments from parents and friends like “It must be so sweet to spend your days with children” or “How wonderful to be done for the day by three o’clock.” Are they serious?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/survey-teachers-work-53-hours-per-week-on-average/2012/03/16/gIQAqGxYGS_blog.html

 

A South Carolina Teacher’s Been Suspended for Reading ‘Ender’s Game’ to His Class

A middle school teacher who read to his students from Ender’s Game is on “administrative leave” because a parent complained to the school that Orson Scott Card’s classic novel is “pornographic.”
Children’s advocacy group Commonsensemedia.org has recommended Ender’s Game for children aged 12 and up — and the child whose mother complained to the school and to the police was aged 14.
But at the same time, the school has a policy requiring teachers to “preview” any supplemental material they present in class, so school officials can check for offensive ideas or themes, and the unnamed teacher did not do that in this case.
http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/03/16/446431/a-south-carolina-teachers-been-suspended-for-reading-enders-game-to-his-class/?mobile=nc

 

Resources:

AudioViator

What is AudioViator?

AudioViator is a collaborative project among internet users. With AudioViator you can create and download audioguides in several languages and share your knowledge with people while they visit monuments, cities, nature reserves and anything else you can imagine! We know it’s just not the same to visit a city or a museum if you have to read large texts and carry heavy guides. It’s much better when you can listen to the history and explanations of the best spots and their details. This is why AudioViator wants to spread culture with your collaboration.

Creating your own:

It’s very easy! You only need to sign up to have all the necessary files for editing the audioguides. You can register in three easy steps. And rest assured, AudioViator will never use your email for advertising purposes! Then, start to edit your audioguide by filling in its main characteristics, giving a general description, and attaching a map or other image where you can plot the different points for the audioguide tour.
Next, you need to complete the informational text for each point. Later, you can choose the background music and the kind of the voice, a male or female one. Then, we dub all the texts and the audioguide will be available on the web. You will receive an e-mail when its ready for download.

How Can you Use the Audio Tours?

You are free to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work under the conditions set on http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ You may not use this work for commercial purposes. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by AudioViator. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.. With these audioguides, you can

  1. listen to them on your mp3 when you travel
  2. share them with your friends
  3. help people to get to know your city
  4. insert them in a blog
  5. teach with them in schools and universities
  6. .  .  .

http://www.audioviator.com/en/

Web Spotlight:

11 Peculiar Meetings Between Famous People

You’d expect famous people to know other famous people. But maybe not these famous people.

1. Nikita Khrushchev & Marilyn Monroe

2. Samuel Beckett & André the Giant

3. T.S. Eliot & Groucho Marx

4. Federico Fellini & Stan Lee

5. James Brown & Alfred Hitchcock

6. The Beatles & Elvis Presley

7. Elvis Presley & Richard Nixon

8. Edgar Allan Poe & Charles Dickens

9. Orson Welles & Adolf Hitler

10. Bob Dylan & Woody Guthrie

11. Steve Jobs & Andy Warhol

http://www.worldsstrangest.com/mental-floss/11-peculiar-meetings-between-famous-people/

Strategies:

Failure Is an Option

Children may perform better in school if they are told that failure is a normal part of learning, rather than being pressured to succeed at all costs, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
The students who were told that learning is difficult performed significantly better on the working memory test, especially on more difficult problems, than the second group or a third control group who took the working memory test without doing the anagrams or talking with researchers.
http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/03/13/for-better-learning-failure-is-an-option/35920.html

 

Little Free Library

http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/index.html  

 

The Challenge of Challenging Text

How is reading complex text like lifting weights? Just as it’s impossible to build muscle without weight or resistance, it’s impossible to build robust reading skills without reading challenging text. The common core state standards in language arts treat text difficulty as akin to weight or resistance in an exercise program.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar12/vol69/num06/The-Challenge-of-Challenging-Text.aspx

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

Ohio Middle Level Association:


AMLE Affiliate Conferences:


Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

MSM 193: A Whole “Latte” Stuff in This Show!

Jokes You Can Use:

Mom: Were you a good boy today?
Son: Yep. You can’t get in too much trouble standing in the corner.

I wouldn’t say the restaurant was suspicious, but there were 3 shakers on the table: Salt, pepper and alka-seltzer.

Eileen Award:

  • Jamie Cruikshank
  • Steve Collis


Advisory:

Best Ad Campaigns of All Time.

http://www.englishblog.com/2012/02/infographic-best-ad-campaigns-of-all-time.html

A Short History of Calendars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kzprsR2SvrQ


Middle School Science Minute

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

This middle school science minute is about writing lab reports. In the January, 2012 issue of Science Scope (NSTA publication) Fred Enge wrote an article entitled, “Not Another Lab Report.” Fred shares his ideas on helping his 8th grade students improve on their lab reports.  Two important factors came into play:
1.  Relevance
2.  Guidance

From the Twitterverse:

Monte Tatom @drmmtatom

Six Strategies for Differentiated Instruction in Project-Based Learning | Edutopia #fhuedu508tinyurl.com/7dsv85w

Character Scrapbook – A Tool for Student Reflections on Stories #fhuedu508

*

baldy7 Tony Baldasaro

Speaking Up Is Hard to Do: Researchers Explain Whyon.wsj.com/ysY3kG via @WSJ

@rmbyrneRichard Byrne

Hot Apps for Higher Order Thinking. ow.ly/8TYrB

Jerry Blumengarten @cybraryman1

#edcampchicago #edcampstl #bbedcamp Please send me your Smackdown link to add on My Smackdown pg: tinyurl.com/4by2uxk TY

Distance Education @onlinecourse

Seven Tips for Writing Strong Grant Proposals – dedu.org/aWNxvY

Library of Congress @librarycongress

Happy 165th Birthday Thomas Edison! “The Sneeze” is the earliest surviving copyrighted film. 1.usa.gov/sAfw3

* Larry Ferlazzo @Larryferlazzo

Nice PBS News Hour Story On Teaching English Slang bit.ly/x0OyAE

 CooLHeadS @CooLHeadSInc

Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.

 DeeAnna Nagel @TherapyOnline

The Whens, Whats and Hows of iPad 3 shar.es/fUgMn

 Richard Byrne @rmbyrne

Want People to Return Your Emails? Avoid These Words [INFOGRAPHIC] feedly.com/k/yHVD9R

 Ron Peck @Ron_Peck

RT @web20classroom: An Educators Guide To Evernote: bit.ly/yrpq5I #edtech

 Steven W. Anderson @web20classroom

Some pretty neat ways to use Audacity (and audio) with students: bit.ly/i8nuQA

 Terie Engelbrecht @mrsebiology

Cube Creator by ReadWriteThink-make biographies, mysteries, or stories bit.ly/dksZjI #edchat #midleved #elemchat #edtech

News:

ISTE Island

ISTE Island has been a resource for many educators over the years.  February 28th the Island goes into LOST mode (vanishes completely) as ISTE will no longer make payments to Linden Labs to maintain the island.  There’s a party on the 27th and all are invited to attend.  

Resources:

Algebra in the Real World Movies

Videos to help show how algebra is used in the real world.
http://www.thefutureschannel.com/algebra/algebra_real_world_movies.php

Latte

Latte is a Mac OS X application that uses such Web engines asCodeCogs and Google Chart to typeset formulas written in LaTeX. Formulas can be dragged to other applications (e.g. Keynote, Pages) and, in the case of PDF formulas, scaled to an arbitrary size. Both the LaTeX input and the rendered output can be saved onto your local disk, making it easy to build a library of formulas.
http://olivierlabs.com/latte/index.html

Text to Speech

Mac Only. Extends the functionality of the built-in Text to Speech.

http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/10/daily-mac-app-text2speech-lets-hear-what-you-write-in-record-ti

Web Spotlight:

English Slang

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/02/10/nice-pbs-news-hour-story-on-teaching-english-slang/

Solve for X

A forum to encourage and amplify technology-based moonshot thinking and teamwork.
Somewhat similar to TED.
http://www.wesolveforx.com/

Strategies:


AMLE 2011:

Mastery and How to Assess It

Rick Wormeli
This is based on Fair is Not Always Equal.

Has a discussion guide, participant study guide, and videos

Define Mastery

Can use it and apply it in another context?

Must incorporate it later in the year . . .

Final exams given over last 2-3 weeks and never for a long period of time/sitting.

What evidence will you tolerate?

Sit down with your team/department and decide.

What exemplars?

What are teachers putting on their tests?

“Agree on a commonly accepted definition of mastery.”

What is the difference between proficient in the standard/outcome and mastery of the standard/outcome?
What does exceeding the standard mean?

Common Assessments

Written by local teachers

Given when the kids are ready to take them.

Do a variety of them.

They don’t count a huge amount on the report card.

Ask him for the article on Clarifying the Curriculum.

Feedback vs. Assessment

Feedback:  holding up a mirror to students, showing them what they did and comparing it to what they should have done – There’s no evaluative component!

Assessment:  Gathering data so we can make a decision.

Greatest impact:  Formative Assessment.
Be clear:  We mark and grade against standards/outcomes, not the routes students take or techniques teachers use to achieve those standards/outcomes.

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

Ohio Middle Level Association:

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:

Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

MSM 187 Oh There’s No Plate Like Chrome For The Hollondaise . . .

Jokes You Can Use:

1.  What time of day was Adam born? A little before Eve.
Why was Adam a famous runner? He was first in the human race.

2.  On our way home from visiting family we stopped at a Culver’s to grab some breakfast.  Sitting in the booth across the way was Santa.  He had ordered the Eggs Benedict and when the nice Culver’s chap brought out his order he set down a hubcap in front of the jolly old elf.  As he passed me I stopped him and asked about the hubcap.  He said, “Oh, well, there’s no plate like chrome for the Hollondaise …”

Eileen Award:

  • Luke Rakoczy
  • Craig Cadman
  • Michael Palmer
  • Lynda Gonzalez-Napier


Advisory:


Middle School Science Minute

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

This one is about using Gummi Bears in the Science Classroom.  

From the Twitterverse:

*JFarm Infographics as an Assessment (schrockguide.net) post.ly/4bbsh
SimpleK12 Need new ways to improve student work ethic? Watch “Saving Time with Innovative Web Tools” on-demand. goo.gl/CBQxF
*mcleod IA uses #iaedfuture for state convos about ed. WI uses #wiedu; UK uses #ukedchat. Your state/country? Plz RT! goo.gl/VlZWQ #edchat
*mrsebiology Creative Writing Livebinder: bit.ly/u2PlHU #edchat #engchat #midleved #elemchat
lcarroll94 30 Webtools to Transform a Classroom – LiveBinder bit.ly/tRrfxr
*camlecolorado CAMLE Cincinnati merging middle and high schools to provide kids more options edweek.org/ew/articles/20…
*KentManning “One of the first things Jobs did during the product review process was ban PowerPoints.” Page 337 #SteveJobs
*Start_Teaching Start Teaching! Classroom in the Cloud: 5 Awesome Things You Can Do With an IPad and an LCD Projector bit.ly/vp1gIQ
*shighley Susie Highley  TN gov. responds to outcry over new teacher evaluations | Get Schooled bit.ly/slI4vQ >some good pts. in comments as well
*MACUL MACUL  Board members and superintendents can attend #macul12 for free. Details at macul.org ow.ly/8bVQX
EduSum Summer Charlesworth  “@jbrogley: – How one teacher is using Twitter in the middle-school classroom – sbne.ws/r/9HVz” interesting!
*shannonmmiller Shannon Miller  So many great ideas here…How to use Twitter in the classroom thenextweb.com/twitter/2011/0… @TNWtwit
*Ruth_A_Buzzi  I love going out & cutting my own Christmas tree! Oh, the neighbors never complain; it’s usually about 3:00 AM, & they think beavers did it.

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

TED Presentation: On-line Charters

Frustrated by the lack of innovation, agility and flexibility in traditional schools, Ali Carr-Chellman, a former third grade teacher, realized that these types of traditional elementary classrooms were not for her. She is now an instructional designer, author and educator, working on how to change schools to improve education. Ali is a professor at the Pennsylvania State University in the College of Education working primarily with doctoral level students to help produce the next generation of faculty with inspired research ideas and methods. She also teaches online courses focused on helping teachers learn how to improve their own instructional design practices and classrooms. Her recent research projects include, “Bring Back the Boys,” which offers a look at ways gaming can be used to reengage males in their elementary education. In another project, Ali asks prisoners and homeless people how to reform schools, offering new opinions to policy making.
Interesting presentation about Cyber Charters. The presentation includes a look at the financing. It also includes a look at the public good of education.
* If people whine about teacher pay or superintent pay, point them here. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L_wfX3MzRE

Can We Really Learn Online? Response to NYTimes on Wall Street’s Digital Learning Enterprises

So that is the key question:  is the motivation for online learning enriching an online experience more and more of us are having and finding new and inventive ways to learn?  Or is the real motive enriching share holders, even if it is at the expense of real learning?
http://hastac.org/blogs/cathy-davidson/2011/12/13/can-we-really-learn-online-response-nytimes-wall-streets-digital-lea

Resources:

Snag Films National Geographic Channel:

National Geographic is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutes in the world, bringing to the public eye exciting new discoveries direct from the field. Their documentaries span a variety of interests, from environmental and historical conservation to the study of world culture and history with the purpose of inspiring people to care about the planet. Be sure to check out the Secret Life of Cats and Violent Earth!
*Thanks to Richard Byrne at Free Tech for Teachers – http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/12/watch-75-full-length-national.html

http://www.snagfilms.com/films/browse/category/national_geographic

Web Spotlight:

Overcoming the Divide Between Curriculum and Technology Leaders

The digital revolution is changing how many U.S. school districts create ­engaging learning environments, with collaboration between the ­curriculum and technology ­departments slowly becoming the norm rather than the exception. By ­developing a common language around how students learn best, these leaders are fostering a shared vision for effective 21st century learning.
Unfortunately, there remains a striking gap between this vision and the day-to-day strategic work these leaders are doing.
http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2011/12/overcoming-divide-between-curriculum-and-technology-leaders

iPad App listing by Dan Callahan on Pinterest

iPad apps categorized by subject.
http://pinterest.com/dancallahan/

Try these 10th-grade quizzes created from Florida’s standardized test

We decided to do this because of the enormous popularity of a guest post I published last week by educator Marion Brady about a school board member in Florida who decided to take the state standardized test.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/try-these-10th-grade-quizzes-created-from-floridas-standardized-test/2011/12/13/gIQABBR6rO_blog.html?wprss=answer-sheet

A superintendent calls school reformers’ bluff

By John Kuhn
As a public school administrator, I have been a steadfast critic of the legacy of No Child Left Behind. But I’ve recently figured out a way that school reformers can get me on their side. It’s very simple.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/a-superintendent-calls-school-reformers-bluff/2011/12/11/gIQABKBXoO_blog.html?wprss=answer-sheet

Phishing Quiz

Ever wonder how good you are at telling the difference between a legitimate website and one that’s a phishing attempt? Take this quiz to find out.
http://www.opendns.com/phishing-quiz/

Strategies:

An Interactive Strategy for Reading Assignments in All Content Areas

When it comes time for class discussion about a reading assignment, teachers are often disappointed by the lack of student participation. The kids don’t have a clue what they should say and desperately hope the teacher doesn’t call on them.
Just Say Something is an instructional strategy that addresses these issues in any classroom by engaging students in the reading process through peer interaction.

http://www.amle.org/Publications/MiddleLeveliNSIDER/Articles/ReadingAssignments/tabid/2532/Default.aspx

AMLE 2011:

Classroom Management & Student Motivation  “The Keys to Raising Student Achievement”

He has T-Shirts w/Cha-Ching on ’em.  See also the handout on motivating students.
This session deals strictly with motivation.

Starts with the emotional bank account.

Starts with the Shirt:  Cha-Ching!  Have you made an emotional deposit with your student?

Motivating anybody starts with the relationship.

Questioning Techniques to Motivate Students to Participate.

Think of the name only of the best teacher ever you had in school.

TENSION – used to promote student accountability.

Create questions that get all the students to answer in their head, then ask for volunteers.

Ask questions in a pattern that is predictable and then ask the question that you want one student to answer after everybody has an answer in their head.

Questioning Technique #1:  Ask, Pause, and Call.

Ask the question

Pause for think time

Call on a student randomly.

Stick Pick is good here.

Students are also prepped for discussion because they have an answer in their head.

Signals

Gives away what type of questioning technique we’re using.

Think (with hand pointing to head)

Ask opinion questions to your special ed/needs kids so they can’t be wrong and they experience success.  Then go to factual questions later in the week/year.  Give them success first.

Questioning Technique #2 – Volunteers

Signal

Hands  (says it)

Make sure you go over tests and give pre-tests multiple times so they can get much better.

This is good practice.

“If you did know, what would you say?”  For those students who say “I don’t know.”

Questioning Technique #3 – Choral Response

Reading the directions together.

Signal:  open hands toward the students.  both hands gesture outward to the class.

Questioning Technique #4 – Signal Response

Signal:  Fist to the sternum, then thumbs up/thumbs down/windshield wiper for response.

Best response one is the old fashioned white board.

Put a sock on the other hand for erasing.

Lowe’s and Home Depot will cut 36 squares out of a sheet of showerboard.

Paddles have the dry erase stuff on ’em.  Group by color.

Four Corners Technique

Agree, somewhat agree, disagree, strongly agree and discuss your position.

Response board

Laminated


Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

ISTE News:

  • ISTE Eduverse Talks are the recorded sessions held on ISTE Island every week. Join ISTE in their Second Life conference location for their weekly talks on education.
    • The ISTE Special Interest Group:  Virtual Environments is holding meetings on Mondays from 4:00 – 6:00 pm (SLT) on ISTE Island.


Ohio Middle Level Association:

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:


Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.


Second Life:

    • Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details.  Check frequently this week as the ISTE Annual Convention is this week.
    • Video: Educational Uses of Second Life

MSM 186 Yea, We Promised to get to the Wormeli Presentation- and We did!

Jokes You Can Use:

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

Three men were sitting on a bench in heaven discussing how they died. The first man said “I died of cancer.” The second man said, “I died of tuberculosis”. The third man said “I died of seenus”. The first two men said, “No, you mean sinus.” The third man said “No, I mean seenus. I was out with my best friend’s wife and he seen us!”

A recently hired nurse listened while the doctor was yelling, “Malaria! Chicken pox!
Polio!” the nurse asked another nurse, “why is he going on like that?” The other nurse replied, “Oh, he just likes to call the shots around here.”

Eileen Award:

Stephanie Francis

Advisory:

The 45 Most Powerful Images Of 2011

*Warning, you need to review prior to showing live. You’ll probably want to download the ones that you want to share.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-most-powerful-photos-of-2011

or

The year in 60 seconds

http://www.reuters.com/video/2011/12/06/year-in-60-seconds?videoId=226168503

or

Reuter’s Pictures

http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures

From the Twitterverse:

*

web20classroom Steven W. Anderson  RT @rmbyrne: New post: Quick Screen Share – A Quick Online Screen Sharing Service goo.gl/fb/N34uE

*

teromakotero Tero Toivanen

shares Games Theory – A middle school is using video games to help teach its students. (via Jesse Soininen) ht… plurk.com/p/ez467e

*

DianeRavitch Diane Ravitch

What happened when one school had a week without testing: blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding…

*

Larryferlazzo Larry Ferlazzo

RT @DianeRavitch: My speech yesterday to National Opportunity to Learn Summit: bit.ly/uSxCWS

*

TeachnologyNews Teachnology.com

Our English Language Arts Teacher Guide is being sent out right now. Click the link to see it. fb.me/1sBfcBdJH

*

Ruth_A_Buzzi Ruth Buzzi

A person’s skin shouldn’t be judged by color….only thickness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (thank you, John Rickmon)

*

willrich45 Will Richardson

Yay! Longer standardized tests planned! nyti.ms/vC55Ud However, “education officials” won’t have to take them. #edchat #takethetest

*

missnoor28 Miss Noor ㋡

Principles and Practices in Electronic Portfolios vsb.li/jZG43d #edtech #edchat #education #HigherEd #edujo

*

GoodtoKNO Kno

First Textbook free for all students! Sign up while you still can! kno.com/home #ebook #etextbook #college #education #school

*

LizFrerich Lizfrerich

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. Robert Frost

*

tomshepp tomshepp

Ten Tips for Engaging Underperforming Students zite.to/vNDHN9 #teaching #education

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

PE, Recess standards- more schools meet standards

Schools are more likely to offer students 150 minutes of physical education per week if located in a state or district that mandates that level of P.E., according to a study published online today in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/2011/12/study_phys_ed_recess_mandates_boost_school_physical_activity_time.html

Friendly Advice For Teachers: Beware Of Facebook

by NANCY SOLOMON
The new and ever-changing world of social networking has blurred the lines between private and public, work and personal, friend and stranger. It’s becoming a particular challenge for teachers who can quickly rile students and parents by posting comments or photos online.
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/143264921/friendly-advice-for-teachers-beware-of-facebook

Resources:

Online Conversion

Take just about any format and convert it to another.
Sections:

  • Audio
  • Image
  • Ebook
  • Hash Generator
  • Video
  • Document
  • Archive

http://www.online-convert.com/

Web Spotlight:

Strategies:

AMLE 2011:

Thursday Sessions

Keynote:  Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education

See Dept. of Education website.

Basically quoted a bunch of Dr. Balfanz’s research.

Importance of Middle Schools

Key to keeping kids in high school.

Rick Wormeli:  Tiering Assignments and Assessments

CW121 Tiering Assignments and Assessments

Rick Wormeli

Thursday, Nov. 10  2:00-5:00 pm  212 Convention Center  rwormeli@cox.net

Two ways to differentiate:  Loud and Slower.  Ha!

Out of survival in 1982 . . . . Tiering

Tiering is   . . .

His:  Group by readiness, not by ability.

Readiness implies a temporary condition “I’m not ready, but I hope to become so . . . “

Talk about he hard work they put into a project.

Talk about the process they went through and the energy they put into the work.

Only talking about the complexity of the challenge level.

Not about ability or learning profile.

Mike Schmoker, “Focus” & “Results Now” has an editorial

Blew it on differentiation and Tiering and “all this stuff.”

They think there’s not a lot of research on learning styles.

Everyone else:  504, IEP, Multiple Intelligences, Learner profile, readiness.

Ability or ability group, belch.

Interest, ability, learning profile.

AKA Responsive Teaching

Tools to raise and lower the content level.

Ask him for the color or black and white slides.

First accept the fact that most regular education classrooms are not set up to meet all students’ needs.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could tell parents to take back their students that aren’t ready yet. Ha!

Shopclass for Soulcraft, book that fits in to middle level ideas.

Second, identify how your lessons and interactions reflect expertise with the unique nature of the students your serve.

Kids need to move every 10-12 minutes.

Everybody stand up and poke a neighbor in a non-private place.

Relieves stress on the end of their growth plates.

Show a video:  show 10-15 mins. and then have them get up and process for 2-3 minutes.

What you teach is irrelevant, nobody cares.  Tell me what they’re learning, not what you’re teaching.

Example:  The Unique Nature of Young Adolescents

Physical Activity

Creative expression

Positive social interactions

Structure and clear limits

Achievement and competence

One day w/out experiencing competence will cause a 3-4 day downward spiral academically.

3 days for a good home.

Opportunities to define who they are

Age 14 is the last point of teaching difference, compassionate, and responsible.

Connection to adults and communities.

Great Resources for Developing Expertise on Young Adolescents

Turning Points 2000

This we Believe (AMLE)

RMLE On-line

Slices of Life:  Managing Dilemmas in Middle Grades Teaching

Managing the Madness:  A Practical Guide to Middle Grades Classrooms

Everyone’s Invited!

Making the Most of Middle Schools.

Advancing Differentiation

Differentiation and The Brain

Dayna Sousa and Carol Ann Tomlinson

Sample of Tiered Tasks

Grade Level Task:

Draw and correctly label the plot profile of a novel.

Advanced Level Tasks:

Draw and Correctly label the general plot profile for a particular genre of books.

Draw and  correctly label the plot profile of a novel and explain how the insertion or deletion of a particular character or conflict will impact the profile’s line, and judge whether or not this change would improve the quality of the story.

Workload is Time + Energy.  Try to keep the “Workload” the same when tiering.

When designing:

Define grade level first.

Define High level second

Define low level last.

Early Readiness Level Tasks:

Draw and correctly label the plot profile of a short story.

Draw and correctly label the plot profile of a single scene.

Given a plot profile

See handout

Common Definition:  Tiering is when we adjust the following to maximize learning:

Interest

Readiness

Learning Profile

Rick’s preferred:  When we change the level of complexity or required readiness of a task or unit of study in order to meet the developmental needs of students involved.
Common Assessments are valuable.
What is Mastery?
“Tim was so learned, that he could name a horse in nine languages but bought a cow to ride on.”  Ben Franklin
“The student will investigate . . . .”
Center for Media Literacy in New Mexico –
“If we are literate in our subject, we can:  (See slide)
What is the standard of excellence when it comes to tying a shoe?
Now describe the evaluative criteria for someone who excels beyond the standard of excellence for tying a shoe.  What can they do?
Book:  The Pluto Files is a good book.
Example:

Determine the surface area of a cube.

Determine the surface are of a rectangular prism (a rectangular box)

Determine the amount of wrapping paper needed for another rectangular box, keeping in mind the need to have regular places of overlapping paper so you can tape down the corners neatly.

Determine the amount of paint needed to paint an entire Chicago skyscraper

Which one gets” the A?.
Anchor Activities refer to two types of learner management experiences:
“Sponge” activities that soak up down time, such as when students finish early, the class is waiting for thenext activity, or the class is  cleaning up or distributing papers.

Graphic Organizer

Anchor Lesson Design

Activty/Group:  At four walls

Center:  Anchor activity

Anchor Activities Advice

Use activities with multiple steps to engage students.
Require a product
Train students what to do when the teacher is not available.
Start small:  half the class, half the class.  work toward more groups.
Double T-Charts
Eye
Characteristics of success we’d like to see
Ear
Characteristics of success we’d like to hear
Heart
Characteristics of success we’d feel.
Practice new behaviors in short chunks and always debrief.
Real learning has little to do with instruction.  It’s what they got out of it.
Need to use it outside of our own classroom.
Process the lesson at the end.
Task Cards may help.
Use and train students in attention signals.
How much time is lost in the beginning of class and the end of class with just getting their attention?
As much as three weeks during the school year.
Practice the behavior.
“Fish Bowl”
The small group is in the center and the rest of the class is observing and then writing feedback on the performance of the group.
Give them a chance to analyze each other’s behavior.
Scaffolding
Example:

3 questions to ask, 3 questions to ask and write down the responses.

2 quesitons to ask, 2 questions to ask and pick one follow up question.  Write down.

Here’s a list of 10 questions, pick 3 and write down the responses.
Examples and non-examples
20-45 minutes in length for secondary students, 10-20 minutes for primary and early elementary students.
Train students in how to engage from one activity and move back into another one successfully.
Sample Anchor Activities:
Language Arts:
Science:
What to Do When the Teacher is Not Available
Suggestions include:
Move on the next portion; something may trigger an idea
Draw a picture of what you think it says or asks
Re-read the directions or previous sections
Find a successful example and study how it was done
Ask a classmate (“Graduate Assistant”, “Teacher Assistant”, “Technoids”)
Define difficulty vocabulary.
Try to explain it to someone else.
(Kids come up with three more)
Football!:  Sequence the Class Hour
General lesson on the topic – everyone does the same thing.  10-15 mins. or so.
Students practice, process, apply and study the topic in small groups according to their needs, styles, intelligences, pacing, or whatever other factors that are warranted.  15-20 mins.
Students come back together and summarize what they’ve learned.  10 mins.
Needs to be respectful tasks with meaning!
Always keep the bigger picture in front of them throughout the “pieces” lessons.
Additional structures that May Help:  Video-At Work in the Differentiated Classroom.
Use Anticipation Guides
Reminder:  You can have different levels of these.  Reading Journals, etc.
Create personal agendas for some students.
Top half is something that is there all the time.
The bottom half is the steps of the lesson that are important to that day’s lesson.
Keeps the distractions down.
Use centers/learning stations
Have a higher level and a lower level of station . . .
Adjust journal prompts and level of questioning to meet  challenge levels
Incorporate orbital studies “Orbitals”  i.e.  Satellite Studies
Surrounds the basic curriculum and leads to something that is presented in class.
Example: Graph these two coordinates on a plane.
For Early readiness
Limite the number of variables.
Limit the inequality symbols to, “graphing” thing.
For Advanced
Require students to generate the 4 quadrant . . .
Begin by listing every skill or it of information a student mys fuse in order to meet the needs of a task successfully.  Most of what we teach has subsets of skills and content that we can break down for students and explore at length.
Steps to Tiering Assignments and Assessments – Advice
Figure out what the critical elements are the kids need to know.
Tier tasks by designing the full-proficency and then design the high and then the low proficiency.
You don’t have to have high, medium, or low.
Don’t tier every aspect of every lesson.  It’s often okay for students to do what everyone else is doing.
When you first start this, stay focused on one concept or task.
To Increase or decrease a Task’s complexity, Add or remove these attributes:
Manipulate information not just echo it:
Extend what you’re teaching to some other area.
Work with advanced resources
Add an unexpected resource
Reframe a topic under a new theme
Synthesize two or more unrelated concepts or objects to create something new.
Work with the ethical side of the subject.
The Equalizer (Carol Ann Tomlinson)
9 elements in a learning experience
Google this.
Learner Profile:  Any factor that might influence Learning.
see the handout
Learning Contracts – Basic Components
Student and Teacher responsibilities
Teacher expectations of Student
Consequences for the student if he does not live up to responsibilities and expectations
Spaces for both teacher . ..
See handout
Checkpoint:
These dates and descriptions . . .
Example
Science Class:  The student will complete the following tasks by December 10th .  .  .
Working on these tasks during contract time the student will . . .
Contractual consequences
Frank William’s Taxonomy of Creative Thought
Incentive Publications builds their stuff around him.
Fluency
Flexibility
Originality
Elaboration
——————
Risk Taking
Complexity
Curiosity
Imagination
Fluency:  We generate as many ideas and responses as we can
Flexibility:
Originality:  We create clever and often unique responses
Elaboration
Cubing
Ask students to create a 3-D cube out of foam board or poster board, then respond to one of these prompts on each side:
Describe it
Compare it
Associate it
Analyze it
Argue for or against it.
Apply it.
We can also make it higher and lower-level complexity cubes for varied groups’ responses.
RAFTS
S has been added for strong adjective or adverb.
Raise complexity by adding things that aren’t a natural fit.
Four or five choices per role.
Learning Menus
Entrees
Hors d”oubres
dessert: Short and fun.
side dishes
beverage
Put the kids on a meal plan.
Tic-Tac-Toe board
Tic Tac Toe any way but vertical
Horizontal:  Summarise (Describe)  Compare (analogy)  Critique
Vertical:  ?
Tier 1, 2, 3 etc.
Practice complexi-fying.  Really.  A Lot.
Example:
Theses
1.  Students will come up with an appropriate thesis for a paper.
2.  Kick it up a notch:  Give the writing and come up with a thesis.  Analyze other thesis and come up with a better one.  Make a reteaching plan for your classmates.
3.  Use a thesis.
Here’s three economic principles of FDR.  Rank them in importance to Hermine Granger.  How is that different from Ron Weasley?
Explain it to an Amazonian tribe that doesn’t have electricity.
Tier questions as warranted.
Test design: easy, hard, easy and hard alternate and then go easiest at the end.
Principles for Teaching ADvanced Students
No mater what readiness level, we teach essential and enduring knowledge first or at least at the same time as advanced standards.
The teacher oesn’t have to know it all.  He has to facilitate the learning.
Advanced experiences illuminate more material during the course of the year, whether by moving more rapidly, by exploring concepts in greater depth, or by offering more breadth in the field of study.
CEC and NEGC (Susan Rakow)  National Associationo of Gifted children.
Failure is Not an Option, it is Preferred!
A blind alley always teaches more than an easy street.
With advanced students, we affirm effort and perseverance, hot how intelligent or capable they are.
They love humor so much more!
We incorporate student’s multiple intelligences and the characteristics and challenges thereof.
They love slapstick!
USE THE HUMOR!
We affirm and use shared leadership in the classroom.
Textbooks and novels are resources, not the curriculum.
Primary sources in research are more heavily valued.
In general, advanced students do not like whole novels to be read to them.  Excerpts are fine.
Advanced experiences expose students to a larger variety of language and literature.
Non-traditional grammar, sentence structures, vocabulary words and writer’s voice are encouraged.
Assessment is more authentic and alternative assessment is are more likely to occur . . .
We intentionally provoke thinking and confront the status quo and invite students to do the same.
There can often be a wider range of readiness levels in a classroom of advanced students than there is in a classroom of general education students.
Advanced students tend to appreciate the teacher’s use of humor more than other students do.
ADvanced experiences will have some unique opportunities:  Socratic Seminars, debates, working directly with experts in the field, integrating subjects.
Accountable Talk (Checking for Understanding ASCD 2007)
Press for clarification – “Could you describe what you mean?”
Require justification – “Where did you find that information?”
Recognize and challenge misconceptions .. .
see handout
We still make the implicit, explicit and not assume anything.
We compact the curriculum for advanced students as warranted.
Advanced students often perceive subtlety and nuance.  We notice, too.
Home vs. House
Mastery vs. Excellence
Advanced students embrace complexity, often transcending simplistic or binary responses.
Advanced students can often lose track of time, space, and people; they easily enter, “Flow.”
Advanced are often quite good at switch-tasking
Independent studies (orbitals), adjusted prompts, and learning contracts work.
Advanced students appreciate patterns and connections and rarely leave content to its individual pieces.
Integration with fine and performing arts works well with advanced students, even with those not advanced with those arts.
Just because I can’t think of it doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
“Little Geniuses” Article
Advanced thinkers:  “Dumbth”
Aren’t afraid to change their minds.
Are aware that their opinions
Quick Reference:  Differentiated Lesson Planning Sequence
Design the learning experiences for students based on . . .
When designing your actual lessons . ..
Brainstorm multiple strategies
Cluster into introductory, advanced, and strategies that fit between these two.
see hand out
Students have to do both,
Access to sense-making
Process to Meaning-Making
Ask him for the article on meaning making.
What to do with the kid who . . . . by Kay Burke
“Even a man on the right track will get run over if he just stands there”  -Will Rogers.

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

ISTE News:

  • ISTE Eduverse Talks are the recorded sessions held on ISTE Island every week. Join ISTE in their Second Life conference location for their weekly talks on education.
    • The ISTE Special Interest Group:  Virtual Environments is holding meetings on Mondays from 4:00 – 6:00 pm (SLT) on ISTE Island.

Ohio Middle Level Association:

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:

Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

Second Life:

    • Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details.  Check frequently this week as the ISTE Annual Convention is this week.
    • Video: Educational Uses of Second Life

MSM 185 Spinning Beachball of Death

Jokes You Can Use:

My cat started his writing career by authoring a feline-oriented soap opera; he titled that project, “Nine Lives to Live.”

My cat’s writing a feline-oriented Christmas movie script. He has titled this project: “It’s A Wonderful Nine Lives.”

On Our Mind:

Holidays.
Feedback.
Facebook/Google+

Eileen Award:

Eric Runyan – He followed our advice about Rick Wormeli and was greatly pleased.
Eric Stockmeyer – me too! (to several of his points)
SteveParkerZ:  New Twitter follower
Dr. Monte Tatom:  Cyberbully article suggestion

Advisory:

Museum of Obsolete Objects
http://www.youtube.com/mooojvm

We are the Solution

The Pledge to Stop Bullying (with video)
http://wearethesolution.net/

Middle School Science Minute

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

Dave is back with a podcast about Acrylic Nails in the Lab and the safety concerns that exist.
Student safety – always a focus.

From the Twitterverse:

*LizFrerich Lizfrerich
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” Robert Frost
*tomshepp tomshepp
A head teacher writes… zite.to/rI5pMu #edtech >> Great satire to make a point.
*coolcatteacher Vicki Davis  RT @easybib: EasyBib’s new Educator & Student Content Portal vsb.li/4OYpTs New writing guides & lesson plans this week #edchat #e
*shannonmmiller Shannon Miller How to Annotate Assignments in @Edmodo ow.ly/7Nntx
*ED_Outreach Massie Ritsch  ED’s Office of Planning, Evaluation, & Policy Development is seeking paid interns for Spring 12 go.usa.gov/5YK
*joeslaughter Joe Slaughter  “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” – Robert Fulghum
#pencilchat

erinneo Erin Ochoa
I refuse to use pencils in my classroom until manufacturers figure out a way to limit what students can write with them. #pencilchat

misterlamb Jimbo Lamb
If students all don’t have the same pencil, how are they ever to learn? I can’t know everything about how every pencil works! #pencilchat

pammoran pammoran
Who wrote book Pencils: A Radical Disruption to America’s Class ? think it said by 2020 no student would B working w/o a pencil #pencilchat

jonbecker Jonathan Becker
@johntspencer are you an Eberard Faber-certified teacher? #pencilchat

johntspencer John T. Spencer
Let’s be honest. When you hand a kid a pencil with an eraser, you’re pretty much saying “I’m okay with failure.” #pencilchat

joe_bower Joe Bower
I’m sick & tired of policy makers paying for all these pencils without providing professional development. #pencilchat

teach42 Steve Dembo
@ransomtech Heard that Ticonderoga is doing an update, not an entirely new pencil. HB2S. Little lighter, erases a little faster #pencilchat

pammoran pammoran
Can pencil immigrants teach pencil natives? #pencilchat

mcleod Scott McLeod
If kids can write information down on paper, soon they won’t be able to remember anything in their heads anymore #pencilchat

johntspencer John T. Spencer
I don’t trust kids with pencils. They end up doing sketchy things when I’m not looking. #pencilchat #worstpunever

mrlosik Andy Losik
Dixon really missed the boat by not enabling the Ticonderoga to play Flash content. #Pencilchat

delta_dc David Coffey
Perhaps pencils should not be allowed until students have demonstrated ability to think w/o pencils. #pencilchat

mrlosik Andy Losik
What kind of filters or restrictions can we put on a pencil to keep kids from writing inappropriate words or doodling “parts”? #pencilchat

*fisher1000 Michael Fisher  Love this Livebinder! – 12 Ways to eLearning livebinders.com/play/play/52057
*techsavvyteach Tech-Savvy Teacher Downloading “Creating Multimedia eBooks” from @wfryer speedofcreativity.org/2011/12/03/99%… // that’s a nice price at 99 cents…
TeacherCast Jeffrey Bradbury Social Studies LiveBinder teachercast.net/TeacherCast/Li… via @teachercast
*Funderstanding Eric Cohen   Michael Bloomberg In MIT Speech: Cut Teachers By Half, Large Classes OK. huff.to/uTDMLM #Bloomberg #education
*onlinecourse Distance Education
A College Degree: Is It Really Worth the Money? – dedu.org/9roLrf
*mrsebiology Terie Engelbrecht

20 Ways to Use Edmodo: bit.ly/savcLT #edchat #edtech #midleved #elemchat

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

What Kinds of Things DO Teachers Buy for Their Classrooms?

By Bill Ferriter
After swinging through Target and dropping another $10 bucks on supplies that I need for an upcoming science lab, I decided to pull out my envelope o’ receipts and see how much I’ve spent on school purchases so far this year.
http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/tempered-radical/11-2011/what-kinds-things-do-teachers-buy-their-classrooms

Teachers’ newest online worry: ‘cyberbaiting’

11 percent of teachers know a friend who has been ‘cyberbaited,’ or taunted by a student hoping to record an outburst, according to a new survey.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/11/27/teachers-newest-online-worry-cyberbaiting/

Resources:

Using Wolfram|Alpha in the Classroom

Wolfram|Alpha is a free online computational knowledge engine that generates answers to questions in real time by doing computations on its own vast internal knowledge base. Our long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone. This can be valuable to educators in many ways.

http://www.wolframalpha.com/educators/

HistoryWorld Timelines

http://www.historyworld.net/timesearch/default.asp?&keywords=

Themeefy

Create, Curate, Share
http://www.themeefy.com/landing

Web Spotlight:

Join.Me

Instant screen sharing. Instant Aha!
Get everybody on the same page, when they’re not in the same room, instantly. Review documents and designs. Train staff. Demo products or just show off. join.me is a ridiculously simple screen sharing tool for meetings on the fly.

join.me free

  • screen sharing

  • 250 viewers

  • share control

  • multi-monitor

  • chat

  • send files

  • viewer: iPad/iPhone or Android

Strategies:

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

ISTE News:

  • ISTE Eduverse Talks are the recorded sessions held on ISTE Island every week. Join ISTE in their Second Life conference location for their weekly talks on education.
    • The ISTE Special Interest Group:  Virtual Environments is holding meetings on Mondays from 4:00 – 6:00 pm (SLT) on ISTE Island.

Ohio Middle Level Association:

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:

Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

Second Life:

    • Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details.  Check frequently this week as the ISTE Annual Convention is this week.
    • Video: Educational Uses of Second Life

MSM 184 You’d think that we had plenty to talk about . . .

Jokes You Can Use:

A businessman finds that his neighbor in the first class cabin of his flight is a parrot. They take off and the stewardess asks what they would like to drink.
“Glenlivet on the rocks with a twist,” says the parrot.
The businessman orders a coke.
After waiting two or three minutes, the bird starts yelling, “Where’s my drink?! Stop fooling around and give me my drink!”
The stewardess runs to him with his glass, leaving the businessman still thirsty.
Half an hour later the stewardess makes a second round.
The bird orders another Glenlivet and a Wall Street Journal. The businessman asks for another coke.
Again, after a couple of minutes, the bird screams, squawking, “You lazy idiot! Where is my drink?!” The poor woman nearly trips over herself getting the parrot his drink and the newspaper.
The businessman still has nothing, and after ten more minutes decides to take his cue from the bird. “Hey! Where’s my coke! The service here stinks!”
Out of nowhere the purser, the captain and two passengers grab the businessman and the bird, open the hatch and throw them out of the plane.
At 30,000 feet in the air the two fall side by side and the parrot says to the terrified man, “Wow, that took a lot of guts for a guy with no wings.”

**********************************************************************
The world’s worst conductor was directing up his band during a practice for an upcoming concert. Half way through the first act he was directing with wild abandon when, out of his hand, his baton flew and impaled itself in the eye of a flute player instantly killing her. The police arrive shortly after and ruled the case as an accident. The following week at practice, he again was caught up in the music of the second act and out of his hand flew the baton, which this time struck a flute player in the eye instantly killing her. The police arrived and after consideration ruled the case an accident. The following week at practice the conductor again got lost in the moment of the music of the third act and out of his hand flew the baton this time hitting a trumpet player in the eye and killing him instantly. After the police arrived they could not believe that this was an accident after the third death, and the conductor was arrested. The conductor was tried and sentenced to death in the electric chair. After strapping him in the chair operator threw the switch, nothing happened. Again he threw the switch and nothing happened. The warden was frustrated by this time and demanded that the chair operator explain what the problem was, to which the chair operator explained, “Well, everyone knows he’s a bad conductor.”A skeleton once wanted to go to a party but then he realised he had NO-BODY to go with.

On Our Mind:

  • AMLE Attendance
  • Flipped Classrooms

Eileen Award:

  • Vlad Gutkovich of Flowcabulary
    Use AMLE11 to get a free month of Flowcabulary for your classroom!
  • Jack Berckemeyer

Advisory

Google Fun

http://geekbeat.tv/6-awesome-google-tricks-and-games/
(Correction:  Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19th . . . )

Middle School Science Minute

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

This middle school science minute is about nature artists.  It is based on an article written by Ashley Campbell, entitled, “Avenues to Inspiration: Integrating the Life and Work of Nature Artists into Middle School Science.”  The article can be found in the October, 2011 edition of Science Scope, which is published by the National Science Teachers Association.

The following nature artists are cited in this podcast:
Marie Sibylla Merian
John James Audubon
Wilson A. Bentley
Andy Goldsworthy

From the Twitterverse:

*NancyW RT @scampnyc Shelley Carson on the Creative Brain: shelleycarson.com #LB30 >>Thanks!
*mbteach A great argument for making student blogs (plogs) public amzn.com/k/7O3DFRXXZXTC #Kindle
*russeltarr 30 Great Sites for Learning a Language Online for Free: tinyurl.com/chaetwe
*rmbyrne New post: Free Music from Moby for Amateur Filmmakers goo.gl/fb/lKgGC
*ShellTerrell aPLaNet – Promoting Teacher Autonomy bit.ly/s6xKT2 via @Marisa_C #esl
*mcleod Scott McLeod

New bookmark: Skillshare bit.ly/v1b3mH

New bookmark: OpenStudy

New bookmark: Scitable

*kjarrett 10 ways to change the minds of tech-reluctant staff smf.is/1ACrug (via @summify from @topsurf, @eschoolnews, and 4 others)
*markbarnes19 RT @baldy7: RT @L_Hilt: Personal Branding: Why It Matters For Teachers zite.to/sG2BE9 #edchat #cpchat
*TeacherSol Why Facebook in Education: I created this FB page yesterday, I will utilize my Facebook Professional Page for en… bit.ly/sp58Zv
*vickisteer@the_college: Middle leaders: practical guide to help you improve learning in secondary school – bit.ly/vitHlb @RavoLearning
*
WatchKnowLearn Watch Know Learn.org Use Katy Perrys Firework song to teach figureative language. watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?Vid… Youtube blocked? We r ur solution. #engchat #midleved #k12
Flocabulary Flocabulary Teaching Poe today? We’ve got two songs to get you started: ow.ly/7e7g2 #edchat #engchat #midleved #ntchat #tlchat
*willrich45 Will Richardson I don’t want best practice. I want changed practice. The former usually is just using tech to do the same as we’ve always done. #grumpytour

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

This American Life

This week, at the suggestion of a 14-year-old listener, we bring you stories from the awkward, confusing, hormonally charged world of middle school. Including a teacher who transforms peer pressure into a force for good, and reports from the frontlines of the middle school dance.
Mainly, she says that she wrote to us because she and her friends were talking right after they left eighth grade about how terrible middle school was. And she wondered was it just as bad for other people as it was for them?
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/449/middle-school
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/449/transcript

Common Core Webinars

Now that the Common Core State Standards are coming to just about every school, what every school leader needs is a straightforward explanation that lays out the benefits of the common core in plain English and gets everyone thinking about how to transition to this promising new paradigm.
http://www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/common-core-webinars.aspx

Resources:

BrainHoney

BrainHoney is learning infrastructure hosted in the cloud. Use complete solutions today, like the BrainHoney LMS, or build cloud solutions using BrainHoney components.
http://brainhoney.com/

Simple Science’s Video

Here are all Simple Science‘s videos on Vimeo. You can see both the videos this user has uploaded, as well as any other users’ videos they appear in.
Choose “Uploaded” to see the videos this user has uploaded to Vimeo. Choose “Other Credits” to see the videos that Simple Science is credited in by other users.
We recommend using the sort bar which allows you to view these videos in different orders or formats. If you are looking for a particular video, use the “search these videos” link.
http://vimeo.com/user697789/videos

MathChimp

Welcome to Math Chimp! We collect free online math games and organize them by the common core standards. We’re glad you’ve come to play cool math games here… they’re free and always will be!
http://www.mathchimp.com/

Pictures that bring the War home

For much of the 20th century, photography was the single most powerful method for conveying the horrors, triumphs, epic challenges, and small, daily struggles of warfare. In searing, unforgettable pictures, great photojournalists quite literally brought war — every war — home to millions of Americans. Here, LIFE.com presents 50 extraordinary photographs from three 20th-century conflicts that, in many respects, were defined by the way LIFE magazine covered them: images from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam that, collectively, serve as a testament to those who fought, and an admonition to those seeing the pictures today: Remember. ABOVE: Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Purdie (left), wounded in a firefight during “Operation Prairie” in Vietnam, reaches out to a stricken comrade in Larry Burrows’ astonishing 1966 photograph. Here, in what might be the greatest picture from a legendary career, Burrows captured for LIFE magazine’s millions of readers both unfathomable desolation and galvanic camaraderie in the utterly alien universe of Southeast Asia. That the image, made at the height of the Civil Rights era, depicts a black soldier desperately trying to aid a wounded White comrade only added resonance to an already emotionally devastating tableau.
http://www.life.com/hdgallery/66681/image/50590785/50-photos-that-brought-the-war-home#index/0

Draw a StickMan

Fun, time waster. You draw, the story unfolds.
http://www.drawastickman.com/

Web Spotlight:

68 Ways to Use an iPad

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dhn2vcv5_721gdk5jtd8

Strategies:

How to Creatively Integrate Science and Math

BY BEN JOHNSON

In math class one of the biggest needs is relevance. Why not use science to teach math? Since one of the biggest uses of mathematics in science is data gathering and analysis, that is the best place to start. When a teacher gives students a real science problem to solve — one that requires math tools — the teacher is giving the students a reason to use math. Math then becomes something useful, not something to be dreaded.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/integrating-math-science-creatively-ben-johnson

AMLE 2011:

Thursday Sessions

NMSA/AMLE Affiliate Meeting Thursday 7:30 am.

Session Title:  Advocating for AMLE
Article passed out at registration:  Mark of Leadership:  If Not You, Then Who?  by Tom Burton (p. 44 AMLE)  (I get to sit next to Ross Burkhardt!)
Opening remarks
What to expect from the Association?

1.  People come first!

Tell our stories through our members

2.  Focus on delivery on what members need through This We Believe

3.  Serving our customers is why we are here.

4.  Increase our build of brand, especially as we change to new name and logo.

Funding in schools is incredibly tight.
Still can’t lose sight of the need to learn and improve.
Teams that Make A Difference
Recognition of dignitaries.
Ross Burkhardt

Something new on Page 8.

Friends of the Foundation (105 people)

Encourages us all to donate to the Foundation.

Char Pike is one who helped start the Foundation.

Nancy Polosino
Introductions of Board of Trustees

Jeff LaRoux!

Teams That Make a Difference Award Presentation
Keynote:
Advocating One Day At A Time:  IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO? by Tom Burton

These best practices are “gone”.

Today’s message won’t always be nice, but it will be honest.

We haven’t done enough, “I” haven’t done enough.  The effort needs to be personal and one to one level.

True Advocacy:  What does it mean?

Racing Against Time Honestly

Month of the Young Adolescent

We need to do research that supports us.

There’s a video called “Racing against time”  (Honda?)

Overcome every challenge.  Have no fear.

The Racing spirit is one of power.

Set a goal, set it high.  Raise expectations.

Tune out the noise:  What is the one thing I want to see?

Honda has a project clarity department . . . that’s interesting!

We put tons of energy into a product we’re not sure people will use because we know it’s right.

“Would be nice if we could end the “oil age” not because we’re out of oil, but because we found something better.”

Asking difficult questions:

Are we doing enough?

What do we need to do?

Racing

Pressure

Conversation

Goals

Spirit

Ticking clock

Transformational shift

Ahead of the competition

Against

Want to be the best!

Unleashing power

Reach the top and then cruise

Push the envelope

Those that can do it when it absolutely counts (It counts now-right!)

Make it happen!

A false urgency is an urgency created out of a sense of fear.

Time

Provide solutions

If you have people on the board, not doing the job, need to go.

Find out who the mavin is in your district and state, find out who your salesperson is.  Get ’em to sell it.

We know it is RIGHT!

Future will be brighter

We need teamwork

Dream the Impossible!

Books

Sense of Urgency:  A Sense of Urgency (A Must Read for Affiliates.)

Our Iceberg is Melting

True vs. False Urgency

Creating a sense of urgency in your affiliate.

Confronting the brutal facts of your current situation.

Underlying a true sense of urgency is a set of feelings:  a compulsive determination to move, and win, NOW!

Must win attitude

Never letting up- After . . .

What can I/you do?

Promote!  Promote!  Promote!

In your classroom/office

Team

BuildingDistrict

MOYA what did you do?

once

twice

every day

DID YOU DO ENOUGH?
CAN YOU DO MORE?

Lessons from a Roosevelt
“it is not the critic who counts:  not the mean one who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who ears and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasisms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who , at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst . . .”
If not you, then who?

Commercial:  Man choking video, “Make it Happen.”

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

ISTE News:

  • ISTE Eduverse Talks are the recorded sessions held on ISTE Island every week. Join ISTE in their Second Life conference location for their weekly talks on education.
    • The ISTE Special Interest Group:  Virtual Environments is holding meetings on Mondays from 4:00 – 6:00 pm (SLT) on ISTE Island.

Ohio Middle Level Association:

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:

Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

Second Life:

    • Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details.  Check frequently this week as the ISTE Annual Convention is this week.
    • Video: Educational Uses of Second Life