Month: November 2015

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

Waitress: “Do you want a box for that?”

• Dad: “Not really. But I’ll wrestle you for it”.

 

What do you call a man with no body and no nose?

• Nobody nose (Nobody knows).

 

What did the termite say when he walked into the bar?

• Is the bar tender here?

 

Did you hear that FedEx and UPS are merging?

• They are going to be called Fed UP.

 

Did you hear about the two peanuts walking down the street?

• One was a salted.

 

Did you hear about Bob? He had a dream that he was a muffler.

• He woke up exhausted.

 

Did you hear about Fred? He has a fear of elevators.

• He’s taking steps to avoid it.

 

Eileen Award:  

• iTunes:  Nickbal (who will never know)  
• Twitter:  David Knox

 

Advisory:

 

The Pilgrims: Mayflower Compact

Discover why most of the Mayflower’s male passengers signed an historic agreement, in this video adapted from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Pilgrims. In September 1620, religious dissenters, called “Separatists” by their detractors, were joined aboard the Mayflower by other English colonists recruited by the project’s financial backers. Many of these newcomers did not share the Separatists’ religious zeal. The ship set sail for America at a time of year when Atlantic storms were perilous. The Mayflower made landfall 66 days later. With tensions threatening to divide the passengers, a social compact was drafted and signed before going ashore. All signers would submit to the government created, officers elected, and laws drafted.

 

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/americanexperience27p-soc-compact/wgbh-americanexperience-the-pilgrims-mayflower-compact/en/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

 

STEAM: Atmospheric Science

 

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

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Using Authentic Data to Enhance Middle School Science: Atmospheric Instruction.”  It was written by Rachel Goldberg, Nathan Magee, and Lauren Madden.  The article provides a lesson that is sequenced in a way that allows a teacher to scaffold information about tornadoes.  In incorporates the “Tornado in a Bottle” activity and the NOAA Weather and Climate Toolkit.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/8/26_Middle_School_Science_Minute-STEAM_-_Atmospheric_Science.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

David Prindle ‏@dprindle 1 #MichEd the #MIFlip Con Request for Speakers is Open. This year includes Blended Lrning. Feb20 @SteelcaseEDU LC http://goo.gl/forms/dJFv2fTcMr …

edutopia ‏@edutopia 7 videos that will make you want to immediately adopt a #growthmindset: http://edut.io/wUYkom .

ReadWriteThink.org ‏@RWTnow Poet William Blake was born on this day. Read his poems and try a classroom activity that features his work http://ow.ly/UaItT

Storyboard That ‏@StoryboardThat Follow along the history of Imperialism with our improved History Teacher Guide. http://ow.ly/UZeiG

edWeb.net ‏@edwebnet Making Interactive Educational Videos with Zaption @newteacherhelp #edtechchat #edwebchat http://ow.ly/UO4iS  https://www.zaption.com/

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

 

Strategies:

 

Students Self Assessing

 

Tacyana will be asked to determine how her own work stacks up to a model.

Gust is one of a growing number of schools across the country where student self-assessment is one type of formative assessment that is woven into the school day.

‘Hey, wait a minute, kids have to be involved, too.'”

Learning is much deeper if the student is thinking, ‘I am doing this because it will help me learn this.’

actively judging their work and progress toward a goal, and determining what steps to take to reach it.

“The expectation is that not only are teachers using data, students are owning data,”

Padilla said it takes time to teach students how to read rubrics or use systems to track their progress. But, she said, the shift is worth it. “I think students tracking their own data is key to getting students invested in their education,” she said. “If they don’t see the direct results in that moment, it’s hard for them to know where to go.”

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/11/11/students-self-assess-their-way-to-learning.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news1

 

3 Tips on Student Self-Reported Grades

by William Parker • November 20, 2015

Tip #1: Have Students Set Expectations For Performance

Tip #2 Help Students Set Goals For Overall Learning

Tip #3 Share Rubrics for Self-Assessment

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/12103

 

Resources:

 

The Most Instagrammed Spot

https://www.busbud.com/blog/top-instagrammed-locations/

 

Disputed Territories

http://metrocosm.com/disputed-territories-map.html

 

Student Privacy Pledge

http://studentprivacypledge.org/

 

Free Stock Photos

http://www.freestockphotos.org/

 

FlipQuiz

http://flipquiz.me/

 

Web Spotlight:

 

National Archives Document Feed

 

We highlighted this in show 161, but it’s time for a comeback.

 

http://feeds.feedburner.com/TodaysDocument

 

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

Personal Web Site

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advisory:

 

Magic

http://www.lifehack.org/323348/8-easy-magic-tricks-for-you-show-off-parties

 

The Breathtaking, Life-Altering Power of Being a Dork

http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/dork/

 

 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

 

STEAM – TREE GROWTH CIRCLES

 

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

 

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

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/7/23_Middle_School_Science_Minute-STEAM_-_Tree_Growth_Circles.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Rik Rowe ‏@RoweRikW “As leaders in education, our job is not to control those whom we serve but to unleash their talent.” by @gcouros #InnovatorsMindset

Thera Lashley ‏@TheraLash 6th grade students are writing their top 5 strengths in hieroglyphics. #ancientcivilizations @M2McW @PinkstonMiddle

David Britten ‏@colonelb Be a School Leader: The 16 Best Resources for School Administrators http://bit.ly/1WYsuF3  #edchat #MichEd

USA TODAY ‏@USATODAY The U.S. stands with #Paris after #ParisAttacks, says Steve Benson @azcentral, http://usat.ly/1lol6qU

Dr. Lodge McCammon ‏@pocketlodge Social studies songs about NC History, Communism & more can be found in @DiscoveryEd Streaming http://lodgemccammon.com/themusic/educational/social-studies/ … #DENapalooza

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

 

Strategies:

 

Annotating PDF’s is a Bad Lesson Plan

 

I am constantly asked how to annotate PDF’s. This is flat out a question I refuse to answer. Annotating PDF’s is not an engaging lesson plan. Trying to fill out a PDF on a computer is WORSE than just filling it out on paper. We should not be using tech for the sake of using tech.

 

If the computer can grade it, it should.

“The purpose of being 1:1 is not to be paperless, it is to change the task.”

-Terri Stice (@tstice)

 

Blended and online is not a substitute for the traditional classroom. It is an opportunity to better engage students, differentiate, have collaboration, provide better and faster feedback and to have students connect in ways that were nearly impossible before.

http://www.alicekeeler.com/teachertech/2015/08/29/annotating-pdfs-is-a-bad-lesson-plan/

 

Self-Paced Learning: How One Teacher Does It

Natalie McCutchen showed us how she has converted her pre-algebra class to a completely self-paced system, where students work on different skills at their own pace, and how she’s gradually introducing self-paced learning in her other math classes as well.

Here’s a quick snapshot of how she does it: For each chapter in their math textbook, students take a pre-test to determine which skills they have already mastered and which ones they still need to learn. For the skills they still need to master, they work independently on lessons (either reading them in the textbook or watching them on videos) and do practice problems until they feel they’ve got the skill down. This is the true self-paced part: Students decide how many lessons they need. They decide how much practice to give themselves.

 

http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/self-paced-learning/

 

Resources:

 

Google Sites – Creating a Customized Template

One useful feature that many people do not know about is the ability to create your own custom template pages to use on your site.  This can be nice for several reasons:

• You are going to be creating multiple pages with a similar layout
• You are going to be creating multiple pages with similar content
• You want multiple pages to have the same settings

Or any combination of the above!

 

http://wafflebytes.blogspot.com/2015/11/google-sites-creating-customized.html

 

Web Spotlight:

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

I made it through a book on my reading list . . . “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon” by Yong Zhao.  

 

Personal Web Site

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

Sign on a plumber’s truck:  A flush is better than a full house . . .

 

Eileen Award:  

• Twitter: Dan Siepen, Raul Santiago, Sean Beeson, Khushi Shah,

 

Advisory:

 

How to argue on the Internet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qb-h0sXkH4

 

Middle School Science Minute  

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com

 

STEAM – Representing Hurricanes

 

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

 

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

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/7/16_Middle_School_Science_Minute-STEAM_Representing_Hurricanes.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

MiddleWeb ‏@middleweb REVIEW: Scrambling to teach in a 1:1 Classroom? “Power Up” is the book for you, says our reviewer. http://www.middleweb.com/25979/how-to-power-up-to-11-teaching-learning/ … #ipaded #edchat

MiddleWeb ‏@middleweb MiddleWeb Retweeted NYT Learning Network Huge resource & absolutely fascinating. Esp. of interest to those who can cope with the mashup culture. #engchat

Lisa Snider ‏@snidesky Class has started #PassionProjects. Stu projects in comments: https://dhsdigitalcommunications.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/week-9-choosing-passion-projects/ … @DonWettrick @cdworrell Blogs under StuBlog tab

Vicki Davis ‏@coolcatteacher 5 More Educational Technology Concepts Every Teacher Should Know http://bit.ly/1WjfRcv

Thomas Middle School ‏@AHSD25Thomas 7-2 Thriller flash mob at lunch. Great work Mrs Stocco. #HappyHalloween #tms25 #ahsd25

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

 

Strategies:

 

The best way to learn math is to learn how to fail productively

Students who are presented with unfamiliar concepts, asked to work through them, and then taught the solution significantly outperform those who are taught through formal instruction and problem-solving.

So far, teachers have mixed reactions. They recognize that the approach is good but they worry about efficiency and standardized tests: will kids fall on high-stakes national and international tests?

Kapur uses the research to make his case. Students get more output (deeper learning) for the same input (hours of instruction), which presents another problem: teachers have to get out of the way. “They [teachers] say it’s stressful to teach this way,” he says. “It’s easier to tell them [students] what you know.”

In fact, Kapur theorizes in one of his studies that direct instruction might close students’ minds. Once a teacher presents a solution, students may no longer see the possibility of other solutions, or more creative approaches.

http://qz.com/535443/the-best-way-to-understand-math-is-learning-how-to-fail-productively/

http://141.14.165.6/CogSci09/papers/596/paper596.pdf

 

Resources:

 

What Parents Should Know about Tumblr

Tumblr is an unending streaming scrapbook of text, photos, videos, and audio clips. It pioneered the vibrant, graphic-rich, full-screen design that kids love (which is one reason Yahoo bought it for $1.1 billion 2013).

Tumblr is unique because of the wide variety of content that users can post from their phones or computers. Not only can they text and post photos, they also can offer up quotes, links, music, voice messages, and videos. It all shows up on a member’s page along with a stream of posts from people they’re following. This ability to post instantaneously can be a risk for impulsive teens (or any teens, really), so if your kid likes Tumblr, it’s a good idea to talk about thinking before you post.

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/facebook-instagram-and-social/what-should-parents-know-about-tumblr

 

Helping Students Navigate the World of Texting

Texting offers some interesting challenges for middle school students as they develop and practice social and emotional interactions with one another.

 

Starting a classroom conversation about texting can help students share and learn together the best ways to navigate the world of texting. Teachers could

• Have students discuss texting in “pair shares”
• Visit with students asking for pros and cons from every student (if you have a small enough group)
• Include as an essay topic the things students like or don’t like about texting

http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/549/Helping-Students-Navigate-the-World-of-Texting.aspx

Wabbit Calculator

Wabbitemu, the best Z80 TI emulator available. For regular users all that is required is the exe file (either 32 or 64 bits depending on your OS). The DLL is used to provide a COM interface into the wabbitemu core allowing developers to use it in their own applications

Available for PC, Mac and Android

http://go.vsb.bc.ca/schools/thompson/departments/Mathematics/Documents/wabbit%20instructions.pdf

AM I FAILING THE INTROVERTS IN MY CLASSROOM?

There are constant opportunities for checking in with partners.  Group conversations are the norm rather than the exception to the rule.  Projects are always done in pairs — and they happen all the time.  My lessons are fast-paced and full of energy and there’s few moments set aside for genuine introspection.

Sometimes I feel like I am competing with a thousand sources of entertainment that rest a few clicks away for today’s kids.  If every lesson isn’t filled with heaping doses of whiz-bang, I figure I’m going to lose an audience that has learned to hit the reset button the moment something doesn’t go their way.  Pauses are interruptions to the impatient, aren’t they?

The simple truth is that finding space for introspection in days that are straight slammed and in schools that prioritize action over reflection won’t be easy to do.  But I can promise to stop judging the “quiet kids” in my classroom.  Instead of seeing them as disengaged, I’m going to force myself to remember that learning doesn’t have to be loud and messy to be meaningful.

 

http://blog.williamferriter.com/2015/10/19/am-i-failing-the-introverts-in-my-classroom/

 

Writing Prompts – Toasted Cheese

 

http://www.toasted-cheese.com/calendar/

 

Teach your students to code with Code.org’s free resources

Here is a list of free Code.org tools, resources and sources of inspiration to help you get started:

https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=516

 

Zoom In!

 

Zoom In is a free, Web-based platform that helps students build literacy and historical thinking skills through “deep dives” into primary and secondary sources.

Zoom In’s online learning environment features 18 content-rich U.S. history units that supplement your regular instruction and help you use technology to support students’ mastery of both content and skills required by the new, higher standards:

• Reading documents closely and critically
• Identifying author’s point of view and purpose
• Engaging in higher-order, text-based discussions
• Writing explanatory and argumentative essays grounded in evidence

 

http://zoomin.edc.org/

 

Web Spotlight:

 

Ex Teacher of the Year Resigns

Ann Marie Corgill is a nationally certified educator and a published author with more than 20 years of experience who was selected as a finalist for national teacher of the year in 2014-2015. So when she was told she wasn’t qualified for her new position teaching fifth grade at a federally funded low-income school, she was more than a little frustrated.

Corgill said Friday that she fired off a resignation letter out of frustration, but that she is now trying to work out the issue with the school system, and will “continue to give my life to the profession.”

“Every child I teach and learn from is a part of me,” Corgill said. “I love them and work to give them my best. The wall of bureaucracy I encountered trying to straighten all of this out with my employer led to my writing the letter.”

Corgill was teaching at an elementary school in Mountain Brook, one of the South’s most affluent communities, when she was named the state 2014-2015 teacher of the year. She was also one of four finalists for national teacher of the year.

It was then that it was pointed out to her that Corgill didn’t meet the definition of “highly qualified” that is required for such Title 1 Schools because her current state certification allows her to teach only up to the third grade. Corgill has a national certification to teach children up to age 12. But that does not supersede the state certification requirement, said Alabama Department of Education spokeswoman Erica Pippins Franklin.

 

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2015/10/30/teacher-year-alabama-unqualified/74890480/

 

Does a shorter week help kids with their learning?

How would you react if you were told that your local public school planned to change the schedule from the traditional Monday-through-Friday model to a schedule that contained four longer school days? Would you worry about long days for young children, their academic accomplishments and, of course, childcare?

Our results, based on fifth grade mathematics scores, generally show that achievement rises after the introduction of a four-day week. We found that, even after we take into account the variations due to different socioeconomic levels, the four-day school week is associated with an increased achievement.

These results naturally led to speculation on the mechanisms that drove the results.

Could teachers be using alternative instruction methods that enhance learning?

Maybe students on a four-day schedule miss fewer days of school; a number of prior studies have pointed to attendance being a factor in achievement. Or, is it that teachers miss fewer days of school on the alternative schedule?

 

https://theconversation.com/does-a-shorter-week-help-kids-with-their-learning-48210

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

Area Code: is it dead?

 

Moodle Theme updating.

 

Personal Web Site