Thanks to a loyal listener, we have discovered that there was a problem with our feed. If you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to Podcast 101, it is now available. (There is a reason that I’m an administrator and not a professional xml writer.)
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!
Troy & Shawn
Billy stands up and says, “My name’s Billy. My father’s a lawyer, l-a-w-y-e-r, and he defends people in court.”
The teacher says, “Very good. All right, Benjamin.”
Ben stands up and says, “My name’s Ben. My father’s a pharmacist, f-a-m … f-a-r-n … f-n…”
The teacher says, “Benjamin, you go home tonight and learn how to spell pharmacist. All right, Jennifer.”
Jennifer stands up and says, “My name’s Jennifer. My old man’s a bookie, b-o-o-k-i-e, and if he was here, he’d give you nine-to-five odds Benjamin ain’t spellin’ pharmacist by tomorrow.”
Who designed Noah’s ark?
An ark-itect! (from Arkansas) …
What did they wear at the Boston Tea Party?
T-Shirts!
When crossing the Delaware River why did George Washington stand up in the boat?
He was afraid that if he sat down that someone would give him an oar to row!
If Atlas supported the world on his shoulders, who supported Atlas?
His wife!
What’s the moral of the story about Jonah and the whale?
Interim Executive Director Named: Dr. Pino
From the NMSA Press Release:
Dr. Pino is currently a consultant for schools and districts primarily in the state of Florida and serves as an advisor to the Florida League of Middle Schools. During his career, Dr. Pino has been a principal, a district director of middle level education in Florida and Ohio, and served as president of National Middle School Association (2000-2001). Additionally, Dr. Pino is a core member of the faculty for NMSA’s summer leadership institutes.
The NMSA board and staff are pleased to welcome Dr. Santo Pino.”
Get your tax deduction on school supplies. (IRS website)
Grown Up Digital by Don Tapscott
Advisory Coat of Arms:
russeltarr Latin motto generator: My younger students had great fun with this when designing Medieval Shields – http://tinyurl.com/m2jdfr
Interactives
“Interactives” provides educators and students with strategies, content, and activities that can enhance and improve students’ skills in a variety of curricular areas.
http://www.learner.org/interactives/
It pays to get ’em to shower after PE …
Letters
What’s the best way to share documents like in DropBox? Is there a better program than DropBox?
Now that I’m back in the classroom teaching, I can honestly say there’s plenty of things that have surprised, saddened and delighted me. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned in only 4 months:
Todd Williamson: 8 Internet Tools
(My notes incomplete due to session scheduling. Complete notes (and a Prezi!) can be found at Todd Williamson’s blog.)
Chatzy
Private Chats.
Edmodo
Private micro-blogging service
Animoto
http://animoto.com/education
xtra normal
www.xtranormal.com
If you can type, you can make movies.
Doesn’t require a sign-in.
Has a place to write the script.
Choose a camera angles.
Alice is a simple programming language between characters.
Similar to xtra, but xtra is simpler.
Make Beliefs Comix www.makebeliefscomix.com
Easy way to make a comic strip.
Leave it blank and have the kids draw in the background.
Netvibes
RSS feeds.
Public RSS feed page.
www.netvibes.com/sunfish#Science_Feeds (Note: This sample link is no longer available.)
Twilliamson15 on twitter.
Todd Williamson (See also Shawn’s Notes)
Session Description: This session will focus on web-based tools that allow your students to collaborate, communicate, and create. Join us for a fast-paced (possibly lightening fast) look at eight (or more) tech tools that you can use to enhance your teaching and student learning. Oh, and they’re free too!
Create multiple tabs on one web site. This means that the teacher need only send the students to one URL to see all of the sites. Great tool to solve the problem of students writing down multiple web sites.
No registration needed. Stickies on a wall. Useful as graphic organizer. Students can move the notes around.
Temporary Chat Room – Free Private Chat
Used to create an engaging environment
Password from the Teacher
Used with a video to keep the kids engaged.
Easy to track what the kids do.
Kids posting in the chat room.
Kids are turning in assignments
Private Microblogging Service – (Think Twitter for a selected group of students).
Code from the teacher.
Kids can only send to everyone or the teacher.
Free slide show creation with sound.
Used to create videos from still pictures. Can be used to demonstrate understanding.
Look for educational account which lengthens the videos.
If you can type, you can make movies.
Free account allows you to create 1-2 character movies.
Comic strips on line
Free and easy to use.
Can have them put the background in after they print.
Can be printed or emailed.
No email or account required.
Multiple characters and multiple expressions are available.
See also:
•.Comic Fonts: http://www.blambot.com/fonts_dialogue.shtml
virtual stickies.
Allows you to set up Public RSS feeds. You can control the information sources.
Sunfish Learning on netvibes.
http://www.sharetabs.com/?8techtools
UD4
Calendar of Events:
NMSA News:
Other News:
1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. Don’t worry about what people think, they don’t do it very often.
3. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.
4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.
6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
8. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.
13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
14. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
16. A balanced diet is a muffin in each hand.
17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
18. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
19. Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
24. Someone who thinks logically provides nice contrast to the realworld.
25. It ain’t the jeans that make your butt look fat.
26. If you had to identify in one word the reason why the human race has not achieved it’s full potential, that word would be ‘meetings’.
27. There is a very fine line between ‘hobby’ and ‘mental illness.’
28. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
29. You should not confuse your career with your life.
30. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
31. Never lick a steak knife.
32. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
35. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep down inside we ALL believe we are good drivers.
36. Your friends love you anyway.
(http://gotfunny.leroysjokes.com/2008/08/18/the-36-rules-of-life/)
Conversation Starter:
Today’s episode of CNN Student News has a short segment in which there is a discussion about the differences in the ways in which male and female students learn. The segment talks about the idea of all male or all female middle schools. This segment could be a good prompt for getting students to reflect and discuss the ways in which they learn.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/12/student-conversation-starter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29
Practicing new skills and learning new facts is often presented as less than exciting, but education does not have to be this way. Good teachers have always known that puzzle games are some of the best ways to get old and young alike well on their way towards mastering a subject area. ProProfs is dedicated to the mission of combining education and entertainment, providing free online puzzles, brain games, and other fun resources to get people actively involved in the learning process.
http://www.proprofs.com/
(http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/Literature/European-Classics/A-Christmas-Carol/29311)
Footnote helps you find and share historic documents. We are able to bring you many never-before-seen historic documents through our unique partnerships with The National Archives, the Library of Congress and other institutions.
by Jon Hamilton
Intensive reading programs can produce measurable changes in the structure of a child’s brain, according to a study in the journal Neuron. The study found that several different programs improved the integrity of fibers that carry information from one part of the brain to another.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121253104
Brain research has reported that the brain does not compartmentalize information. “The brain is by nature a pattern-detecting appartus… The focus of this session is on developing curricula that integrates
multiple subjects with arts-based project applications while encouraging use of higher order critical and creative thinking skills, with participants developing curricula suited to their needs through discussion, examples of student work and assessment.
aviary web site. All about integrated teaching. Don’t teach single subject teaching. Art teacher who is big upon cross the boundaries of teaching and learning. Points out the make up of the brain. Teachers need to work together to develop multi-disciplinary lessons.
Carol Josel
(Troy’s Notes) Session Description: As children reach middle school, pressure builds, coursework and studying demands intensify, and supporting students’ academic efforts with essential learning strategies becomes even more crucial but is often overlooked. This presentation will help teachers incorporate time management, memory techniques, study strategies, 2-column notes, and test-taking skills into their lessons, regardless of the content area. All activities are included in a take-it-with-you packet for immediate classroom use.
www.Schoolwisebooks.com
http://www.schoolwisebooks.com/blog
mailto://carol.schoolwisebooks.com
Move to nationalize standards. Some teachers are being asked to report where they are in every book every 2 weeks.
Salaries tied to student performance. Pretty Good Student by Charles Osgood. 1/3 of states have lowered their standards over the past few years.
Ask students to define time. How structured is your time? If completely structured rank as a 10. Teenagers should get at least 9 hours of sleep a night. Time Activity (see handout pg 64).
Memory Tips:
• Repetition • Recitation • Chunking
Good Books: Demonic Mnenomics
How to Spell It – can look words up by the “wrong” spelling.
DMSCB – Divide/Multiple/Subtract/Check/Bring down (Does McDonald’s See Cheese Burgers)
Kids read more closely just by highlighting. Post-its in the textbook are also helpful. SQ3R
CEU: GR6
(Shawn’s Notes) Quote: “Helen Ladd: “One theory of action seems to be that holding teachers accountable for their student’s scores . . .”
“The Pretty Good Student . . . ” by Charles Osgood.
Time activity
Define time
How efficient are you with your time. A scale of 1 to 10.
What is your personal time waster?
Kids spend 45.5 hours per week watching television and related activities per week.
Notebook check (This is an actual, physical notebook)
Ingredients:
Assignment Book
Homework folder
Hole puncher
Small pencil case
22 dividers (+ keyboarding)
Notebook paper
Sample section
Science
Notes
Tests/quizzes
Homework
The Interference and Memory Curve
99-95% crammed at night
80% by the time the student hits first hour.
50-60% retention by the time of the test.
0% a day or two after the test.
Memory strategies: Einstein “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Factual knowledge is important also.
Yellow paper activity.
Repetition
Recitation
Chunking
Mnemonics
Book: Demonic Mnemonics
Book: How to Spell it
DMSCB
Does McDonald’s Sell Cheese Burgers?
Divide/Multiply/Subtract/Check/Bring Down
Study Skills
Two column note taking
On the left put the question
on the right put the answer.
Students can fold it and then quiz themselves.
Calendar of Events:
NMSA News:
Other News:
Always wanted to be a procrastinator, but never got around to it.
~~~~~
My friend has kleptomania, but when it gets bad, he takes something for it.
~~~~~
Did you hear about the big fight that Madonna, Cher, Jewel, and Fabio had?
They’re no longer on a first-name basis.
~~~~~
It is hard to understand how a cemetery raised its burial cost and blamed it on the cost of living.
~~~~~
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don’t have film.
~~~~~
I couldn’t repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.
~~~~~
How do you tell when you run out of invisible ink?
Funny Picture of Christmas lights display:
Primary Source: take a look at the editing that Dicken’s did when writing “A Christmas Carol”. (Warning- it’s written in cursive, which may be a strange language to some middle schoolers).
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/30/nyregion/dickens-christmas-carol-pages.html
A neat way to save and share web sites, and parts of web sites, graphically. This can also share bookmarks with Delicious- thus, when you dropped something in a box, it would also put a bookmark in Delicious for you.
Here’s how they say that teachers can use SimplyBox:
I am a teacher, how do I create accounts for my students?
a) You, as the teacher, can create a second account with SimplyBox in the name of the entire class. Then you would need to give the kids the user name and password you created for the account. By the way, the account then is only accessible by people that have the user name and password for the account. The students then will be able to see the content of the boxes in the account and add comments – from any computer. Now, if they need to add content to the account, they would need the SimplyBox toolbar (the one with the “Box It” button) downloaded on whatever computer they are using.
b) You can simply use Public Boxes (you create them under the Sharing menu option). Each Public Box has a URL. So, students can access the URL and see the content of the box and their comments to the different items. And the creator of the Public Box can delete the box at any time. Since this is a Public Box, students will not be able to add content to the Public Box, only comments.
c) Creating accounts for students that do not have an e-mail. Please go to this link.
Session Description: A major roadblock to student learning and development is their feelings and beliefs that they are “stupid”. Based on research from students, participants attending this session will (1) become aware of the five causes of stupid, (2) become aware of how students respond when they feel stupid and (3) consider effective ways of minimizing the negative impact stupid has on learning and development.
Differently when we are being very effectively.
We’re all Top 20’s & We’re all bottom 80’s.
What do we need to get rid of?
• In our schools
• in ourselves
Kids will pretend when they feel stupid.
Why do kids feel stupid when they can’t do something? Stupid doesn’t exist. What does exist is real situations and real experiences.
We must talk about (and teach) the problem solving process and how kids feel about failure. Stupid means not Good Enough or Inadequate
Do with kids: Use Notecards: On the front, situations of when they feel stupid, ON the back what they do.
What do they do:
1. Stop Trying – Withdraw
2. Get aggressive
3. Judge themselves
4. Drink
5. Pretend
Presenter answers:
1. Withdraw: quit + quiet
2. Pretend:
3. Emotional: embarrassed, Angry, sad
4. Judgments: I’m not good enough,
5. Attack: argue, swear, bully, challenge
6. Defensive: This is stupid, you’re stupid
7. Motivate: work harder but maintain inside feeling of “I’m not good enough”.
8. Numb: Numb is better than dumb
5 Causes of Stupid:
1. Called- When I say something and other say it’s stupid or when some says something and I don’t
know what they mean – can include non-verbals as well.
2. Comparison – when I’m taking the test and am one of the last people taking the test…I rush through it and don’t read the questions or answers.
3. Confusion – When guys are talking about stats and football and I have no idea.
4. Can’t – when I strike out in a baseball game, I feel like I’m no good at baseball and will
probably strike out again.
Ooze #1- spreads to the next time
Ooze #2 – spreads to other situations
5. Certain Situations – In any class when I read….I get mad.
Stupid needs to become part of the curriculum.
Need to make Confusion OK – Celebrated – Expected. Don’t ever go into a room where you are not confused.
Every human invention has been made on the back of failure.
Analogy of what happens when Joe Mauer strikes out. The kids would say that he’s probably thinking that he’s stupid. Explain that Joe is thinking that the pitcher threw a curve ball on the outside of the plate in this situation. The difference is that he’s learning.
Schools determine which kids are smart.
School should determine how kids are smart.
Keeping Stupid in the box:
1. Share your personal experience of stupid with kids
2. Share the 5 causes of stupid
3. Have a large = sign in your room and refer to it when the kids might feel stupid
4. Share the importance of confusion
5. Every couple of weeks, ask them if they’ve felt stupid.
6. Practice the script. Give kids a script:
Awareness; www.top20training.com & info@top20training.com
CEU Code: AS6
Todd Johnson
Assertive discipline tried and found not to work.
We’re going to take a walk through his classroom.
CEU Code XK4
Philosophical Guidelines
Treat students as you would like to be treated.
Do only 50% of the work.
You can only influence behavior, not change it.
You can’t make a student behave. You can’t.
Make it uncomfortable for kids to not follow the rules.
Agenda
Discipline Polarities
Tight vs. Flexible
Tight
Advantages:
Consistent
Set Limits
Structured
Non-emotional
Follow through
Concise
Disadvantages
Power struggles
Confrontation
Win/Lose
My way or the highway
Rebellion
Rules more important than people.
Physical confrontations
Loose
Advantages
Individual needs
Responsive
Negotiate
Creative
Adaptable
Caring
Disadvantages
Taken advantage
Used
Inconsistency
Pandemonium
Chaos
Wasted time
Too emotional
No limits
Law of Least of Interventions
“Don’t use a shotgun when a flyswatter will work.”
Most problems arise during transitions.
Start with the least amount of power necessary.
Use the Law of Least Intervention
eye contact
The “look”
gesture
snap fingers
proximity
call student’s name
shake your head
Clear your throat
flick the lights
count
count backwards (elementary)
Use humor
Touch
Ignore
Audience suggested
deep breath
wave
foreign language
stop/quiet
raise one eyebrow
voice level
state behavior
“Keith, you’re talking.” vs. “Keith, quit talking.”
Zen bell
foreign language
whisper
Calendar of Events:
NMSA News:
Other News:
Michigan Association of Middle School Educators
Eastern Michigan University
“The Prince, the Wolf and the Firebird”
By Jackson Lacey
Directed by Pam Cardell
December 4, 5, 10, 11 at 7PM
December 5, 6, 12 at 3PM
School Matinees: December 9 and 10 at 10:00 am. Tickets $4.00 for students and every 15 students gets a chaparone in for free.
Classroom 2.0
Second Life:
Greetings from CMU University Theatre:
You are invited to this year’s terrific Theatre for Young Audiences production: The Chicago Gypsies – written by V. Glasgow Koste.
Synopsis:
The year is 1931 during the height of the Great Depression and the poorest people in the world are actors! The Dover family has traveled from Chicago to perform in Dodge City, Iowa, for the holidays, but the play closes unexpectedly because of a lack of attendance. The Dover’s have no money to return home and so they are forced to remain in Iowa, to find work and their daughter, 10-year old Charley, the youngest actress in the company, has to attend school! This heart warming and funny story is told through Charley’s eyes with humor and insight. “If you’re a gypsy, you carry your home inside you.”
Details:
* Who: Students 4th grade and up
* Where: CMU’s Bush Theatre in Moore Hall, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
* When: 10:00am, Wednesday through Friday, February 24, 25 & 26, 2010
* Play info: Nancy Eddy- Director – (989) 774-2061 or eddy1n@cmich.edu
* Tickets: Advance ticket purchase is required
o Seats are available on a first come, first served basis
o Cost: $3.00 per student – one free escort ticket with every 15 purchased
o Available by phone at: (888) 268-0111 or (989) 774-3000
* Website: CMU – Theatre for Young Audiences Web Site
* Items of interest:
o Maps, driving directions, volunteer greeters and ushers, and an emergency contact number for information while you travel will be provided for your convenience
o Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes with a 10 minute intermission
o Talkback: After each performance there will be a 15-20 minute question and answer session with the director and the cast
o Study Guide: A complimentary study guide will be available on the Theatre for Young Audiences web site
Please feel free to share this information with any teacher who may have interest. We look forward to seeing you here!
—
Jim Hickerson
Coordinator of Marketing and Outreach
Central Michigan University – College of Communications and Dramatic Arts – Theatre, Interpretation & Dance
____________________________________________
Phone: (989) 774-3874 – Fax: (989) 774-2498 – Office: 144 Moore Hall
Mail to: CMU, Moore 333, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Note: due to the rising cost of transportation, many schools are becoming very creative in order to continue to participate in off-campus activities. Some schools are asking parents to volunteer to drive groups and others are working with parents to assist in paying for buses. Some have discussed partnering with another nearby school in order to share the expenses. If you anticipate an issue with transportation costs, please contact me at your earliest convenience to see if additional opportunities exist.
Produced by special arrangement with the DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois.