Monthly Archives: May 2020

MSM 465: Ukulele, with a side of Historical Stalking

MSM 465: Ukulele, with a side of Historical Stalking

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Jokes:

Did you hear about the test pilot who flew over the rainbow?

  • He passed with flying colors. 

I had a dream last night that I was a muffler

  • I woke up exhausted

Since they cancelled the Hockey season, no one has seen the Zamboni driver. I’m not worried though. 

  • He’ll resurface eventually

I keep trying to come up with a telescope joke. I haven’t given up yet. 

  • I’m still looking into it.

Why are eskimos frustrated with donuts?

  • Never any variety. They are always frosted

I  have a friend who writes songs about sewing machines. 

  • She is a Singer songwriter

When does a joke become a “Dad” joke?

  • When it becomes apparent

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Inspiring Earth’s Future Stewards

I was recently reading the April/May, 2020 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication for middle school teachers, published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk” column “Inspiring Earth’s Future Stewards,”  written by Patty McGinnis.

She discusses how we will be turning this world over to a new set of stewards — stewards who must cherish and care for our Earth in its entirety. 

Reports from the Front Lines

The Twitterverse

AudioMass – A Free, Registration-free Audio Editor http://dlvr.it/RXfMWl

Jeff Crews @crewsertech

Diane Ravitch @DianeRavitch

Carol Burris: Charters Are Looting Federal Funds Meant to Save Small Businesses

Larry Ferlazzo @Larryferlazzo

South Korea closes schools again after covid-19 spike – The Washington Post

CBC Toronto @CBCToronto

“It’s like having your own isolation unit,” said John Krohnert of Platinum RV, a dealership in Erin, Ont.

Ian Jukes

@ijukes

End Zoom meeting…

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.   

Resources:

Return to Sender

https://returntosendermap.eu/map/

AudioMass

Online audio editor.  They compare themselves to Audacity.  

https://audiomass.co/

Why you should read Moby Dick

A whole series of why you should read is available. 

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-should-you-read-moby-dick-sascha-morrell#watch

The Series:

https://ed.ted.com/series/reading-between-the-lines

Online Color Test

Are you among the 1 in 255 women and 1 in 12 men who have some form of color vision deficiency? If you work in a field where color is important, or you’re just curious about your color IQ, take our online challenge to find out. Based on the Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue Test, this online challenge is a fun, quick way to better understand your color vision acuity.

Just remember, this is not a replacement for the full test!

https://www.xrite.com/hue-test?pageid=77&lang=en

Web Spotlight:  

Has This Crisis Really Changed Schools?

With respect to those who stand in awe of all that’s changed about schools in the past few months, I would ask “what’s actually changed?”

Has This Crisis Really Changed Schools?

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM 464: Hey Google, be quiet. The Kids are the Issue.

MSM 464: Hey Google, be quiet. The Kids are the Issue.

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Jokes:

What do you call a Bear with no ears?

  • B

I spent $300 on a Limo with a no driver. 

  • That’s a lot of money and I have nothing to Chauffeur it.

Why did the rancher put his bulls on stilts?

  • He wanted to raise the steaks

My friend is turning 32. I told him not to get too excited. 

  • We’ll only be celebrating for half a minute. 

That same friend really doesn’t trust trees. 

  • They seem kind of shady 

Why spelling is important:

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Environmental Health Literacy

I was recently reading the April/May, 2020 issue of “Science & Children,” a publication published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the Editor’s Note column “Environmental Health Literacy,”  written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.

She discusses how empowering students to make decisions about personal health and understand the impact humans have on the environment is critical to preparing literate, well-informed citizens.

Reports from the Front Lines

  •  Middle School Student Reactions:
    • Don’t want to fall behind
    • Frustrated with the kids who aren’t working “same ones that don’t work in school”
    • Respect the teacher and the work that the teacher is doing
    • Don’t want to lose privileges at home
    • It’s the last week of online school, how do I log in?
  • Ending the Year – New Stuff?
  • Fall Plans

Advisory:

ONE FINE DAY

written by David Byrne and Brian Eno

David Byrne and the Brooklyn Youth Choir

Saw the wanderin’ eye, inside my heart

Shouts and battle cries, from every part

I can see those tears, every one is true

When the door appears, I’ll go right through, oh

I stand in liquid light, like everyone

I built my life with rhymes, to carry on

And it gives me hope, to see you there

The things I used to know, that one fine

One fine day

In a small dark room, where I will wait

Face to face I find, I contemplate

Even though a man is made of clay

Everything can change that one fine —

One fine day

Then before my eyes, is standing still

I beheld it there, a city on a hill

I complete my tasks, one by one

I remove my masks, when I am done

Then a peace of mind fell over me —

In these troubled times, I still can see

We can use the stars, to guide the way

It is not that far, the one fine —

One fine day

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

In search of profound tweets from other teachers with ideas I can rip off and present as my own in the future social media postings and publications. Original authors will receive my profoundly pretentious gratitude.

Google for Education@GoogleForEdu

To support the millions of educators, we’re announcing #TeachFromHome — resources to help remote teaching.  https://t.co/zrQQsEPsZK?amp=1  

Typical EduCelebrity@EduCelebrity

Antibody Like a Pirate

Quote Tweet

The Modest Teacher@ModestTeacher

Has anyone written a book about “hacking” the coronavirus yet? If not, what a missed opportunity.

DuckDuckGo  @DuckDuckGo

Want to see what  @Twitter  *thinks* they know about you? @sil found this enlightening page listing your so-called interests. Although you can’t stop the data collection completely, you can stop personalization based on it: Settings → Content preferences https://twitter.com/settings/your_

Alice Keeler@alicekeeler

Google Forms: Create a Branching LESSON – https://alicekeeler.com/2020/05/23/goo

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Resources:

Greek Myth Resource:  Greeking Out!

https://www.espn.com/espnradio/feeds/rss/podcast.xml?id=27807607

Random Thoughts . . .  

Make a Zeppelin . . . and then eat it!

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 463: Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda, What Does the Future Hold?

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Jokes:

If you were stuck on a desert island and could have three records, what you would pick?

  • Well, the long-distance swimming one would be good.

I had a chance to talk to Bill Withers. I told him “Ain’t No Sunshine” is poor grammar. 

  • He said, “I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know”

There were two mice who lived in a museum. One evening after the museum had closed, the first mouse crawled into a huge suit of armor. Before he knew it, he was lost. He shouted to his friend, “Help me make it through the Knight!”

I knew that I shouldn’t steal a mixer from work, but it was a whisk I was willing to take. 

I went to an Indian restaurant and asked for bread. 

  • The server said they had Naan.

Why is justice best served cold?

  • Because if it was served warm it would be justwater.

I took my dog to the pond. The Geese kept attacking him.

  • I guess that what’s I get for buying a pure bread dog. 

The work on Big Ben is meant to take three years. 

  • Must be a lot of work considering that they are working around the clock. 

I was in the grocery store when I get message that there were 24 singles in my area. 

  • I think I’m going to delete the Kraft Cheese app.

I was chatting with Dracula the other day. I told Dracula that I was going to make one of those diagrams that uses circles. 

  • Dracula said “Venn”. 
  • I told him tomorrow. 

Someone stole beehives from a friend’s field.

  • The police are setting up a sting operation to find the culprits. 

How come the sound from a musician bounds off the auditorium walls, but the sound from a pigeon doesn’t?

  • A coo sticks

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Integrating STEM

I was recently reading the May, 2020 issue of “NSTA Reports,” a publication published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the advice column “Ask A Mentor,”  written by Gabe Kralijevic. A teacher in Arkansas asked the following questions: “I want to know if there are ways to incorporate [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)] into more or all subjects?  How would a teacher begin to integrate English or social studies with STEM?”

Reports from the Front Lines

Why It’s So Difficult To Safely Reopen Schools In The Era Of COVID-19 | All In | MSNBC

The Twitterverse

John Faig@johnfaig

I worry about making remote learning as powerful as in-class learning.

Quote Tweet:  

Mr. Francisco Rodriguez  @FJRodriguez2013· 

Replying to @saldanact

A3: I will keep lessons recorded for any absences. Filming makes it easier for Ss to catch up & also for me to reflect on my own instruction. I will also make more effort to check-in with students’ needs. They’ll struggle if their physical & emotional needs aren’t met. #CrazyPLN

Merriam-Webster@MerriamWebster

Hello! Today’s #WordOfTheDay is ‘bodacious’ https://s.m-w.com/3dklYIK

Rich Czyz  @RACzyz

Here are some authentic learning experiences to motivate students during the remainder of the school year! #4OCF #Satchat

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

CDC Guidance

CDC Full Guidance

Resources:

Virtual Bitmoji Classroom

https://www.helloteacherlady.com/blog/2020/4/how-to-create-a-virtual-bitmoji-scene-in-google-slides-or-powerpoint

Web Spotlight:  

We Might Have Gotten Remote Learning Wrong. We Can Still Fix This School Year

“Based on those conversations and on my own experience over the past few weeks, I’ve begun to wonder if we might be going about this whole “distance learning” thing all wrong.”

https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2020/05/13/we-might-have-gotten-remote-learning-wrong.html?r=2026855568&cmp=eml-contshr-shr

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 462: Hokie Pokie School Entry

MSM 462: Hokie Pokie School Entry

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Jokes:

Due to the quarantine, I’ll only be telling inside jokes. 

I don’t want to brag, but I finished a jigsaw puzzle in a week. It said  “2-4 years” on the box. 

What do you call a group of men waiting for a haircut?

  • A barbercue.

My landlord wants to talk to me about how high my heating bill is. 

  • I told him “my door is always open”

An elderly couple was in church. The wife turns to her husband and whispers, “I’ve just let out one of those silent farts, what do I do”?

The husband replied, “Change the battery in your hearing aid”. 

A priest, a minister, and a rabbit walk into a blood bank. 

  • The rabbit says, “I think I might be a type o”.

I told my wife to she should embrace her mistakes.

  • She gave me a hug. 

I dig

You dig

He digs

She digs

We dig

They dig. 

*It’s not a long poem, but it is deep. 

A friend went to a for a job interview. He was offered a glass of water. He filled it until it overflowed a bit. 

The interviewer asked if he was nervous. 

He replied “Nope, I always give 110%. 

As part of the interview, he was told that at the start, he would earn $35,000: later that would increase to $55,000. 

He said, “Ok, I’ll come back later”. 

I’m really looking forward to 2033. That will be the beginnings of the quaranteens. 

I bought my friends an elephant for their room. 

They said “Thanks”. 

I said, “Don’t mention it”. 

My friend keeps saying “cheer up man, it could be worse. You could be stuck underground in a hole full of water.

  • I know he means well. 

Finland has closed their borders. 

  • No one will be crossing the Finnish line. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Unique or Identical

I was recently reading the March, 2020 issue of “The Science Teacher,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

 In this issue, I read the Focus on Physics column “Being Unique or Being Identical,”  written by Paul G. Hewitt.

He discusses the Macro World and the SubAtomic World.  Being unique is common in the Macro World.  Being identical is common in the SubAtomic World.  He then goes on to use leaves, faces and ladybugs as examples.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Mass Technology Rollouts.  
    • Meeting Middle Schoolers Needs
  • Planning for next year
  • Ideas for holding a Zoom (or other App) COVID-19 Scavenger Hunt!  

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity

I recommend students read their online textbooks with a yellow background to re-create the experience of using a highlighter to mark every word they see.

Michigan History Day

Be there or be square! Or watch the recording later, squares are cool. Live stream starts at 3! http://youtube.com/watch?v=IgapZ_1_QMQ… #mihistoryday2020

Mark Ryan

Welcome back to school

Welcome back to school:  https://twitter.com/i/status/1259074269516095488  

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Resources:

Jim Henson on Making Puppets

Jim Henson and Muppeteers show kids how to make puppets from simple things like socks. This video aired on Public Television in 1969, prior to Sesame Street, on Iowa Public Television’s “Volume See” kids’ show. 

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download