Jokes You Can Use:

When I was little, my Mom claimed that I loved alphabet soup.
I really didn’t, she was just putting words in my mouth.

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

Do you like Christmas puns?
– Yule love this one.

What did the Teddy Bear say when offered dinner?

• No thanks, I’m stuffed already.

https://scontent.fdtw1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14906858_1281149415239891_1173796224149380053_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_ht=scontent.fdtw1-1.fna&oh=911916027925b0f978329ea9f5f116b7&oe=5C976831

Did you hear about the two spiders that got engaged?
Word is that they met on the web.

Why was the archeologist crying?
– His life was in ruins.

Dandelions are just like regular lions except they wear ascots.

Middle School Science Minute

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

Bottle Flipping — Part III

I was recently reading the November/December, 2018 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, “Bottle Flipping,” written by Douglas Llewellyn and Aaron Shafer. The purpose of the article was to integrate pop culture into the science classroom. In this third of a three-part podcast series we look at the 4th and 5th days of the 5 – E Instructional Lesson — Elaborate/Extend and Evaluate.
http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2018/12/27_Middle_School_Science_Minute__Bottle_Flipping_Part_3.html

From the Twitterverse:

RUTH BUZZI‏Verified account @Ruth_A_Buzzi
My grandson seemed disappointed with his Christmas present. I can’t imagine why! I never questioned his choice, just got him precisely what he asked for. They had several choices at the pharmacy, so I found him what I thought was a very, very nice eye pad.

Dave Schmittou EdD🚲‏ @daveschmittou
I think we should revise Blooms Taxonomy one more time and add reflection to the top of the pyramid. Evaluation is high. Creation is higher. Evaluating what you have created…now that’s some high order thinking. #LastingLearning

Steven Weber‏ @curriculumblog
5 Questions To Start 2019: 1 What are we aiming for? 2 How will we teach for transfer? 3 How do we design learning that emphasizes contribution? 4 What evidence will we use to measure understanding? 5 How will we create an environment that fosters personalized learning? #edchat

Jove Stickel ED.S.‏ @JoveStickel
Challenge accepted! This year these people
M @sgreiner16 A @SteinbrinkLaura D @BethHouf E @burgessdave
M @DavidGeurin E @casas_jimmy
B @MrPStrunk E @LemarrTreadwell T @blocht574 T @TaraMartinEDU E @knipmeyer R @danpbutler

Beth Keller‏ @MrsBKeller
Grammie’s house has the best mugs. #familyofeducators #butreally #teachersmaketheworldgoround

Mary Starr 🏳️‍🌈‏ @starrscience
Mary Starr
🏳️‍🌈 Retweeted Jason Gauthier
I gave up unit plans a long time ago. It’s not really the work beginning teachers should be doing. Focus on using materials and better tailoring to students’ actual needs. Perhaps at multi-lesson level.
Mary Starr 🏳️‍🌈 added,
Jason Gauthier @jgauthier13
This makes me wonder. . .how much time do higher education folks spend on the role of good curriculum materials in secondary teaching? Unit plans seem like overkill, a little. Would time be better spent on pedagogy and ensuring accessibility of curriculum mats? https://twitter.com/sasn44/status/1078737832859054080 …

Derek McCoy‏ @mccoyderek
“The Purpose Of Life Is Not Happiness: It’s Usefulness” by Darius Foroux – What are you doing for others? – How are you being of service? – How are you making a difference?

Melissa Pilakowski‏ @mpilakow
Want to combine argumentation, real-life events, discussion, and research with primary and secondary sources? Try true crime podcasts! It’s my favorite way to help grow students argumentation skills! http://technologypursuit.edublogs.org/2018/12/26/true-crime-a-springboard-for-argument-writing/ … #engchat #elachat #teachwriting #games4ed

Jessica Torres🦉‏ @Owl_b_TorresEdu
Video has always been one of those tech features that I’ve been hesitant to dive into…really appreciate all the practical tips and info shared by @ClaudioZavalaJr during #DitchSummit day 8! @jmattmiller @DitchThatTxtbk #diginotes

Beth Houf‏ @BethHouf
Q4: Block out 200 minutes PER WEEK on your 2019 calendars. Mark it URGENT. Protect it at all costs. Do it now. Seriously! https://leadlikeapirate.net/time-well-spent/ … #LeadLAP @burgess_shelley

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

Strategies:

Limiting “Teacher Talk,” Increasing Student Work!

https://achievethecore.org/aligned/limiting-teacher-talk-increasing-student-work/

Resources:

Stockio

https://www.stockio.com/#annotations:yi0hpgX_EemM79tSx4Ajyg

Alice Keeler’s Bookmarks of Resources

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wosH5j1vHjDOKeQj8cOXtJC-ipVxneL9bGQqUMF3-8A/edit#gid=1182497528

Public Domain

When that year’s copyright skedaddles, you’ll have instant access to countless titles, including these overlooked gems:

“The Vanishing American” in Ladies’ Home Journal
By Zane Grey
One of the first literary critiques of the treatment of Native Americans; harsher than the later novel and silent film.

A Handbook of Cookery for a Small House
By Jessie Conrad
A peek into the life of author Joseph Conrad via his wife’s recipe collection.

Our American Adventure
By Arthur Conan Doyle
The creator of Sherlock Holmes recounts his popular (and controversial) lecture tour in support of Modern Spiritualism.

The Chip Woman’s Fortune By Willis Richardson
The first drama by an African-American author produced on Broadway; a one-act story of a family in financial straits.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/first-time-20-years-copyrighted-works-enter-public-domain-180971016/

New Year Celebrations – The British Council

Readings and discussions for language learners. Free resource provided by the British Council.

Web Spotlight:

Gifts from Larry Ferlazzo

5 Reasons Teaching Middle School Is the Worst (And 5 Reasons It’s the Absolute Best)

https://www.weareteachers.com/5-reasons-teaching-middle-school-is-the-worst-and-5-reasons-its-the-absolute-best/

How Much of the Internet is Fake?

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/how-much-of-the-internet-is-fake.html

Random Thoughts . . .

Free vs Free vs Paid

https://troypatterson.me/2018/12/27/free-vs-free-vs-paid/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:

“Morticians have to be careful to spell the name right to avoid making a grave mistake.”

“’I like to go with the flow’, said the hydrologist, fluidly.”

“The dermatologist loved to cook. He made everything from scratch.”

“I am writing a term paper on various types of golf courses. I have found many links on the computer.”

Advisory:

Bao

Story of an empty nest mother. A dumpling comes to life. Metaphors. Family.

In “Bao,” an aging Chinese mom suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy. Mom excitedly welcomes this new bundle of joy into her life, but Dumpling starts growing up fast, and Mom must come to the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever. This short film from Pixar Animation Studios and director Domee Shi explores the ups and downs of the parent-child relationship through the colorful, rich, and tasty lens of the Chinese immigrant community in Canada.
http:// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYaRZ4TNfus

Artist illustrates 59 good things that happened in 2018. Turns out it wasn’t all bad!

https://www.someecards.com/news/news/artist-illustrates-59-moments-progress-2018-depression/#annotations:z1cjAgWREemYJH_hZKi9GA

Legendary Script Supervisor Dissects a Scene to Correct Continuity Errors Being Made in Real Time

https://laughingsquid.com/script-supervisor-corrects-continuity-errors-in-scene/

Middle School Science Minute

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

Bottle Flipping Part 2

I was recently reading the November/December, 2018 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, “Bottle Flipping,” written by Douglas Llewellyn and Aaron Shafer. The purpose of the article was to integrate pop culture into the science classroom. In this second of a three-part podcast series we look at the second and third days of the 5 – E Instructional Lesson — Explore and Explain.

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2018/12/13_Middle_School_Science_Minute__Bottle_Flipping_Part_2.html

From the Twitterverse:

Jennifer Gonzalez‏ @cultofpedagogy
Helping Students Develop Executive Function Skills via @edutopia
https://t.co/oN8JpLAeQf

Kim Campbell‏ @KimCamp4Kids
It’s officially Winter Break…I have not worked as hard as I did this past week. Would I do it again….of course….why? Becuz I work w/the best group of educators and kids…hands down! Until next year…good night⁦@HopkinsWJH⁩ ⁦⁦⁦

John Hayward‏ @Jhaywardtwit Dec 20
A1: Qualities of a good teacher: 1. Compassion 2. Humor 3. Bladder control 4. Transparency 5. Willingness to continually learn 6. Vision that includes sharing #MasteryChat

Suzanne von Oy‏ @von_Oy
My policy on work over school breaks was always this: I didn’t give the students any work to take home, and I told them that I wouldn’t be taking any work home either. We all need a break. That’s what they’re there for. Happy holidays everyone and enjoy some relaxation!

Jennifer Gonzalez‏ @cultofpedagogy
Why No One Reads Your Classroom Newsletter http://ow.ly/JnvA30mZVpo #parentcommunication #teachertips #teachers #edchat #elemchat

Karen‏ @Teach4SpclNeeds
How’s this for an ugly Christmas sweater? Ha!

John Hartmann‏ @hartel30
If I’m going to practice #sketchnotes what better place than @manuelherrera33 #ditchsummit presentation on visual thinking #ditchcontest

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

Strategies:

Digital Breakouts

The Electronic Village Online

For five weeks in January and February, TESOL experts and participants from around the world engage in collaborative online discussions or hands-on virtual workshops of professional and scholarly benefit. These sessions bring together participants for a longer period of time than is permitted by land-based professional development conventions and allow a fuller development of ideas than is otherwise possible.

Sessions are free and open to anyone around the globe. It is not necessary to be a TESOL or IATEFL member nor to attend the TESOL Convention in order to participate. All you need is access to the Internet.

http://evosessions.pbworks.com/w/page/127658303/Call_for_Participation_2019#Sessions2019

Good Learners

https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/7-characteristics-define-good-learners#annotations:fRGOHACGEemM45ur6CsGrw

Resources:

Pexels

Free videos too. Just click on the 3 dots and choose “Free Videos”.
https://www.pexels.com/

Canvas by Google

https://canvas.apps.chrome/

Google opens virtual version of fire-ravaged Brazil museum

A couple of years before a fire devastated the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in September, Google’s Arts and Culture team started working with the museum to digitize the collection. Just a few months after the inferno, Google has reopened the museum’s doors — albeit in a virtual form using Street View imagery and digital exhibits.
https://www.engadget.com/2018/12/13/google-national-museum-of-brazil-virtual-tour-street-view/

Web Spotlight:

I pay my kids to get dressed, do homework and more. It’s the best decision I ever made.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2018/12/10/i-pay-my-kids-get-dressed-do-homework-more-its-best-decision-i-ever-made/?utm_term=.aa323a882b4e#annotations:qQcbhv9BEei79usDk272MQ

How Many Years Do We Lose To The Air We Breathe?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/health-science/lost-years/?utm_term=.295042b85669#annotations:1nqv5P8_Eeig0Q-9fUkz6A

The Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide is out now (and it’s huge!)

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

How do mathematicians scold their children?

• If I’ve told n times, I’ve told you n+1…

A mathematician arrives at home at 3 a.m. His significant is mad. You said you’d be home by 11:45. Why are you late?

• I’m right on time. I said that I’d be home by quarter of 12.

Why did Beethoven get rid of all his chickens?

• All they would ever say is “Bach, Bach, Bach”

What did the photon say when asked by TSA if there was any baggage to check?

• Nope. “I’m traveling light”.

Rene Descartes walked into an ice cream store. “Would you like a scoop of chocolate?”

• Rene responded “I think not” and promptly disappeared.

What did the shark say after eating the clown fish?

• This tastes a little funny.

What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Betty Jo Moore

I was recently reading the November/December, 2018 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 “Member Spotlight” section where NSTA highlights a middle school science teacher, from across the United States.  This month, Betty Jo Moore is featured. She is a middle school Physical, Life, and Earth and Space Sciences teacher in North Carolina. Her advice for a new science teacher is:

“Surround yourself with a strong professional learning community of like-minded, passionate educators.”

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2018/11/28_Middle_School_Science_Minute__Betty_Jo_Moore.html

From the Twitterverse:  

MiddleWeb‏ @middleweb

REVIEW: Teacher’s novel captures the absurdity facing educators. @RoxannaElden #mschat #edchat #middleschool #leadupchat #nchat #tlap #LeadLAP Reviewer & new principal @ritaplatt says Adequate Yearly Progress is hilarious & spot on. https://www.middleweb.com/39202/fiction-adequate-yearly-progress-is-a-hoot/ … https://www.middleweb.com/39202/fiction-adequate-yearly-progress-is-a-hoot/ …

Kim Campbell‏ @KimCamp4Kids

Kim Campbell Retweeted Mike Griffen

There’s simply nothing like teacher tired…

Mike Griffen @LeeEatonAP

As an administrator it’s easy to forget how demanding it is to be in the classroom with 28 or 29 students, engaging them in instruction, managing behavior, and helping each grow. Subbing today puts that back into perspective.

Richard Byrne‏ @rmbyrne

Five Good Places to Find Public Domain Video Clips http://ow.ly/7qGR30muuQd

Teresa Gross 📝📚‏ @teresagross625

Please join us tomorrow morning! #pd4uandme #leadupchat #edugladiators #satchat #LeadLAP @Katiemc827 @kylelaurie @specialtechie @Rdene915 @Jhaywardtwit @MeehanEDU @Isham_Literacy @SaraKiffe #pln365

Sean Junkins‏Verified account @sjunkins

DOK in Social Studies. #NCSS2018

Brad Dale‏ @bradjdale

A new gradebook in Google Classroom – signup to test it out. https://www.timetotalktech.com/2018/11/sign-up-beta-to-try-google-forms-locked.html …

Will Richardson – Time to Change School‏ @willrich45

“I don’t think there is any question that by stripping students of their ability to choose much of anything of consequence during their time in school, we’re leaving them more prone to let others choose for them in their out of school lives.” https://buff.ly/2SkreAR  #satchat

Teenage Whisperer‏ @Teen_Whisperer

Are you actually listening to the teen who’s talking to you? You might think you are, but are you really? #troubledteens #edchat #youthwork #therapy #parenting #fostering https://goo.gl/BWWsnr

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

Strategies:

Persuasive Maps

This is a collection of “persuasive” cartography: ​more than 800 ​ maps intended primarily to influence opinions or beliefs – to send a message – rather than to communicate geographic information. The collection reflects a variety of persuasive tools ​, including​ allegorical, satirical and pictorial mapping; selective inclusion; unusual use of projections, color, graphics and text; and intentional deception. Maps in the collection address a wide range of messages: religious, political, military, commercial, moral and social.

https://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/

RACE

RACE. Rather than using the 4-letter acronym, I reduce it initially to three letters: R for Reuse the words in the question, A for Answer the question, and P for Prove you are correct. I’ll get to the E in a bit. It takes the most time to teach R.

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2018/11/01/guest-post-how-to-scaffold-the-race-writing-strategy-for-newcomer-english-learners/#annotations:g7XHPPAQEei6Mysog2AWqQ

Resources:

History Hub

https://historyhub.abc-clio.com/Support/index

“The PBL Playbook” and How PBL can Help You Innovate Inside the Box

https://connectedprincipals.com/archives/18515

Where Everybody Knows Your Name – Edutopia

How one district identifies which students are falling through the cracks and need to connect with adults in the school.  

https://www.edutopia.org/article/power-being-seen

569 Free Art Books

5 Decades of MET publications on art history available for free.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/titles-with-full-text-online?searchtype=F

Web Spotlight:

The Students Suing for a Constitutional Right to Education

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/11/lawsuit-constitutional-right-education/576901/

Teaching Responsibility or Compliance?

https://connectedprincipals.com/archives/18755

Random Thoughts . . .  

How to make Lithuanian Cepelinai (Zeppelin) Dumplings

https://www.thespruceeats.com/make-lithuanian-cepelinai-zeppelin-dumplings-4011445  

‘Tis the season for comfort foods.  This is a winner!!

LRT – Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony  

https://www.facebook.com/LRT.LT/videos/208814273327634/  

https://www.lrt.lt/mediateka/tiesiogiai/lrt-televizija  

Yes, part of it is in Lithuanian.  “Carol of the Bells” is in English and watch how Santa arrives.  Interesting to see how others start the Christmas season.

Moodle Comic Instructions

Comics on using Moodle. I would love your feedback. I would also love your suggestions or requests.

https://mastermoodle.com

Personal Web Site  

https://troypatterson.me 

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!