Month: September 2020

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 479: Ditch That…Empire

Jokes:  

I started with simple origami. Now I’m into much more complex pieces. 

  • You could say that it is a ten-fold increase. 

I went to the library to get a book on the fall of the Roman Empire. 

  • Turns out that are no pictures of autumn foliage in there though. 

Circumnavigating the globe. 

  • Is that a one-way trip or round trip?

What’s the difference between a politician and an electrician? 

  • An electrician will never go for a power grab. 

I’m not very active on social media. Seems like people are aggressively trying to grab eyeballs. 

  • That sounds pretty messy and painful. 

Some friends who are programmers have started a new Beatles-inspired band. They have a new song about a lengthy, convoluted program. 

  • It’s called, “The long and winding code”/

I have a friend who got hired to during the pandemic to make sure that those entering the school building do not have a fever. 

  • It’s temp work.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Equity for All

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

In this issue, I read the “Notes from the Editor “ column written by Ann Haley MacKenzie.  Her article was entitled “Equity for All: Essential for All Facets of the Scientific Enterprise.”

Under the microscope, the cell being observed does not care who is observing it.  Woman, man, African American, Latinx, Asian, gay, middle-class, hearing-challenged, Native American: why has the scientific playing field not been equal for ALL?  How can we, as science educators, erase inequitable practices in our teaching?

Reports from the Front Lines

The Twitterverse

𝒯𝒶𝓂𝓂𝓎 𝑀𝒸𝐿𝒶𝒾𝓃  @tmclain903

Learn how to create Google Meet breakout rooms for differentiated learning. http://ow.ly/YiIZ50BBgvR @DitchThatTxtbk @jmattmiller #remotelearning #edtech #distancelearning #teachertwitter

Steven Weber @curriculumblog

Chunking An instructional strategy that may be more important now than ever https://youtu.be/hydCdGLAh00 via @YouTube #edchat

Christine Dixon  @christinekdixon

Here’s #6 of @teachseuss & my STEAM Challenges!

  This one is teaching about our National Parks

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQUtnm2pSS5PnaLvBc8E_E-abEffw_HyyMnz1HNPutdTiAj_BOZqdlw722Y6t_RDoR4BQV6fT_v-hQn/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=60000&slide=id.p1

Krista Leh, Ed.D.-C  @Krista_Leh

Educators ~Download our FREE starter set of interactive slides designed to facilitate SEL through connection & collaboration in your classroom!

https://buff.ly/3kNwGdW

#SEL #socialemotionallearning #education #students #connection #collaboration #classroom

Joanne Freeman  @jbf1755

We’ve already jumped the shark. So many sharks. A sea of sharks. Stop.

Giant Gundam Robot:  https://twitter.com/i/status/1309818272934768640 

Yong Zhao, Ph.D  @YongZhaoEd

In 15 minutes, watch #silverliningforlearning MOOCs and Open Education in Southeast Asia: New Models, Fresh Ideas, Untold Hope guests from South East Asia hosted by @travelinedman @chrs_dede @punyamishra @mcleod @shynicola @YongZhaoEd #edtech #edchat https://youtu.be/9e2L54xpNmA 

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm!  Todd Bloch will have a middle school topic all ready to go for copious conversations.  Make this a strategic part of your professional learning.   

Resources:

Foundation for Economic Education – I, Pencil Lesson www.fee.org  

If you haven’t yet downloaded your copy of “I, Pencil” along with an engaging study guide, now is the time! Your free “I, Pencil” Lesson Plan takes your students on an intellectual journey of discovery and intrigue as they glean unforgettable lessons from the unassuming pencil.

When seen through the lens of economics, the how-it’s-made story of the humble yellow writing stick becomes more fascinating than you’d ever imagine..  

https://go.fee.org/e/808113/ipencildownload/xkpp/53928931?h=oHka5taAPJ7VcKs80f5KONqmUiloiAGrf2bJsx8RLDA

Trevor Muir- The Epic Classroom

How have your virtual meetings been lately?  I am holding a FREE webinar this Sunday evening. We’ll be talking about how to have engaging virtual classroom meetings. I’d love to see you there!  And if you can’t make it on Sunday, register anyway and I will send you the video as soon as it is over.

https://event.webinarjam.com/register/26/r409kcv8

Spot The Troll

Each of the following 8 profiles include a brief selection of posts from a single social media account. You decide if each is an authentic account or a professional troll. After each profile, you’ll review the signs that can help you determine if it’s a troll or not.

https://spotthetroll.org/start

Classroomscreen 

Classroomscreen is an online tool that allows you to display the instructions for your lesson in a clear and visual way. Choose from over 12 widgets to support your class activities and help students get to work.

https://classroomscreen.com/learn/

Web Spotlight:  

Selling the Future of Ed-Tech (& Shaping Our Imaginations)

…one could say something similar about education as a whole: our beliefs about it are often unmoored from reality. 

http://hackeducation.com/2020/09/15/future-catalog

How Quickly Can a Girl Go Viral on TikTok?

Teens are making it big overnight, but that kind of fame can be a mixed bag.

This video, uploaded to TikTok in July, has more than 11.4 million views. It was posted by @mooptopia, who emerged from nowhere at the beginning of July and has since become an unexpected star. She now has 2.5 million followers, despite the fact that nothing about her account is remarkable: She’s a teenager in what seems to be an average suburb, where she walks around and dances awkwardly and sometimes growls.

Young people go viral on social-media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram too, but TikTok is unique in how its algorithm pulls oddities out of the blue and pushes them into a main feed seen by millions of people. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/09/tiktok-teens-fandom-mooptopia/616371/

The Kids Have Left the Candy Store

What it is: Research from a UK-based fintech app for kids called RoosterMoney shows that tweens and young teens now spend more of their pocket money on Roblox and Fortnite than previous favorites like candy and books.

Why it’s worth thinking about: Fortnite was released in 2017, and gift cards for in-app purchases in the battle-royale game have topped teens’ wish-lists ever since. Roblox makes fewer big headlines, but the platform for code-based, accessible game design has actually been around since 2006. Users purchase “Robux” to use in the game and, in turn, fund creators—mostly teenagers—who craft different variations of gameplay. As these gaming platforms gobble up your teen’s allowance one dopamine hit at a time, consider how differently your teens may come to view money as they exchange an invisible currency for things they can neither touch nor keep.   

Building an Oasis in the Screentime Desert

What it is: Now that school is back in session and (mostly) happening via Google Meet and Zoom, many families are feeling the “burnout” (language) of a life that feels screen-bound. An advice columnist on Mashable suggests that now is the time to do a “screen-time audit” to cut back on how much time kids spend with their tech.

Why it’s important: A “screen-time audit” takes back control of which activities take place in front of a screen, and shifts activities back to analog counterparts whenever possible. If you’ve got a bookworm on your hands, for example, you might redirect them to bury their nose in a paperback instead of a reading app. Storytelling podcasts you’ve vetted and approved could take the place of time spent watching television. Screens aren’t evil, but our tech was created to be habit-forming (as we pointed out in last week’s review of The Social Dilemma documentary). Even short breaks from screens can improve your family dynamic and the mental health of the teens entrusted to your care.

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 478: Back from 7-11. . .

Jokes:  

My partner hasn’t noticed I switched all the labels on the spice rack. But I know the thyme is cumin.

Where do potatoes go on vacation?

  • River rafting, they are tubers.

Almost all garden gnomes have a red hats. 

  • It’s a little gnome fact.

Tennis players grunt too much. There’s no need for all that racket. 

I have a friend who is giving up fishing professionally. 

  • He couldn’t live on his net income.

We went to a new restaurant called “Karma”.

  • No menu. You get what you deserve.

I went to a corn maze. I felt like I was being stalked. It was eerie. 

I went to an improv show. They had a bit about where someone is given a trait and the goal is to figure out what it is based on questions. One of the players was a taxidermist. When asked “What do you do for a living?”, she had the best answer – “Oh, you know, stuff…”

In Greek mythology, Chiron was not only half man and half horse, but also trained in medicine. 

  • That made him the Centaur For Disease Control

I just got some new resistance bands. 

  • They will not come out of the box. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Creating a New Environment for Science Learning

I was recently reading the September/October, 2020 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the Online Teacher column “Creating a New Environment for Science Learning”  written by Denise Wright.

Moving from the face-to-face classroom to the online setting doesn’t happen without challenges.  The main objective is for all students to have a passion for learning.  A positive online learning environment can be created from a personalized approach.  Making a personalized connection is the key to building a positive climate in an online classroom.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Culture of School
    • Teachers feed off of non-verbals coming from students.  
    • After we come back . . . 
      • What do we do with what we now know about asynchronous and synchronous learning?  
  • How long?
  • Teacher PD
  • The Teaching Experience – In Classroom vs. At Home
    • Distractors  
      • Parental
      • Toddler
      • Frontal Lobe Failures – “Hi!  I’m back from 7-11.  What’d I miss?”  
      • Teacher streamed lessons categorized as passive entertainment instead of sensory engagement?  What would Marshall McLuhan say?  

Advisory:

This is a teacher in Northern Michigan.  She posted this from the Lake Michigan Whale Migration Station.  In the chat underneath (not pictured) there’s a good 10 or so teachers who got taken, hook, line and sinker.  You can follow those folks at:  https://www.facebook.com/Lake-Michigan-Whale-Migration-Station-865574633471668  

The Twitterverse

Matt Miller  @jmattmiller

Chromebooks have a built-in screen reader! Use Ctrl + Alt + Z to activate. Also, on Android mobile devices, ask the Google Assistant “read this” on an article to hear it aloud.

Kate Plows  @KPlows

A high school junior stayed on Zoom after my final class today. He said he “just wanted to do a vibe check on his teachers.” “Like… you’re all checking in on us. But who’s checking in on you?”

Michigan Medicine  @umichmedicine

#COVID19 Update

Total patients tested for COVID-19 at Michigan Medicine since the pandemic began: 57,606 Total positive tests: 1,872  Current inpatients that are COVID-19 positive: 11  Total COVID-19 patients discharged: 738  Learn more: http://michmed.org/COVID-19

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Matt Miller @jmattmiller

20 digital bell ringer activities to kickstart class  Tips for using bell ringers in class  Links to resources FREE downloadable ebook including 10 activities complete with instructions, templates, & extension ideas http://ditchthattextbook.com/10-digital-bell-ringer-activities-to-kickstart-class-part-1/… #ditchbook

EduGladiators@EduGladiators

TODAY we continue our series on Building a Culture of Support during #COVID19. This morning we dive into #Sped support! Join the covno & tag a friend! #EduGladiators @leaders_black @TAYLOR_does_IT @DrRaShawnAdams @Principalista @NVSupt @DaisyDyerDuerr @3_DLeadership @AMLE

#mschat:  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:

Oculus Quest 2

Facebook’s next generation of virtual reality headwear.  Improved graphics, Improved processor and screen.  Same battery life as the previous version.  Slightly larger handset with reported incredible battery life.  Shawn can’t wait to try it out.  

https://www.oculus.com/quest-2/

A Giant List of Really Good Essential Questions

A Giant List Of Really Good Essential Questions

Using Household Tech to Project Your Teacher Voice

Remember in the movies there was this kid that would set up the movie projector for the teacher and feed the film through the sprockets so that it would be ready for class?  The teacher relied on these kids because, well lets face it, they had a plethora of other things to think about.  This website is the “projector kid” to your “online learning tech” setup.  

Using Household Tech to Project Your Teacher Voice

Web Spotlight:  

New Steps to Combat Disinformation

What we’re announcing today is an important part of Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program, which, in addition to fighting disinformation, helps to protect voting…

https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/09/01/disinformation-deepfakes-newsguard-video-authenticator/

Statement on Virtual vs. In-Person Training

Here’s the interesting part, however: It turns out virtual professional development is quite engaging and effective for most faculties, and I’m having a blast designing and delivering it! I have revamped the content and style of my in-person trainings significantly,

https://www.rickwormeli.com/statement-rick-wormeli-sept2020#annotations:Y019jvgTEeqaEye52DCIJw

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 477: The Twelfth Night: Some are born with Technology, Some Achieve Technology, Some have Technology Thrust Upon Them

Jokes:  

I bought some eggs that were already hatching. 

  • They were Cheep

I bought a cake the other day. It was to celebrate making progress on my To-Do List. 

To Do:

  • Buy a cake
  • Organize Classroom
  • Clean off desk
  • Put bulletin boards up
  • Restack books

My kid asked me why the book was so thick. I had to tell her it was a long story. 

Did you hear about the Mega Concert coming up? It’s an event to support kids with minor cuts and bruises. 

  • They’re calling it Band-Aid

Did you hear about the Nihilist that gave his friend an empty box? Upon being thanked, he responded:

  • “Oh, it’s nothing”. 

Did you hear about the semi truck carrying fruit that overturned on the highway?

  • It created a real jam.

I had to enter a new password the other day. I tried “chicken”, but the site informed me that it had to have a capital. Thus, my new password?

  • chickenkiev

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Safe Home Science Instruction

I was recently reading the NSTA Safety Blog, published by the National Science Teaching Association and found on their website at:

https://www.nsta.org/blog/safety-hands-science-home-instructions

On the blog, I read “Safety for Hands-On Science Home Instruction”  written by Kenneth Roy.

The information provided in the blog should be helpful for teachers, students, and parents/guardians in planning for safer home science/STEM activity assignments.  Whether hands-on activities are done in a formal academic school laboratory or out in the field or at home, all modes are a springboard for developing scientific concepts and methodology.  This, however, can be a double-edged sword.  Be aware that school staff and school district leaders have a “duty of care” obligation that extends outside the classroom or laboratory to family members who supervise the students during these assignments at home or in the field.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Family Support
  • Tech Support
  • “Free” Options
  • What Class Looks Like Now 
  • Things I learned this week in online learning:  
    • Are there positives to this type of learning?  
      • I have a train of thought, I can actually ride that train.  It now leaves the station with me on that train.  
      • Repetitive teaching reduced.
    • Are there negatives to this type of learning?
      • WXYZ television report teaching the kids how to cheat on a computer test – not helpful.  
      • Chaos in the background
        • TV, little blisters and bothers, I mean sisters and brothers.  
        • I have never taught to any current pop music as my background music to my teaching.  I learned this week that that is no longer true.  
      • Repetitive teaching reduced.  
    • Parents will enter your class, hijack it because they’re adults and you will talk to them before you talk to any children.  And they’re adults.  And they have questions that must be answered now.  
    • If you leave the Google Meet room open well before class starts . . . they will come.
    • If your students are done with work in their current class, they will join your Google Meet to hang out with you and your current class.  OR if it is before school, they will join your room as soon as they think you will open it just to hang out with you while you get ready for class.  And run a 99Math game for them.  Please.  
    • Google Meet Closed Captioning “on the fly” isn’t helpful.  Abdul gets translated into something nasty, consistently.  
    • My students are super helpful with each other – I really appreciate their kindness.  
    • Communication streams turn into a raging deluge once school begins.  The excess of access to a teacher.  Creating a culture of communication with parents, students, and administration is the next big challenge.  
  • The New “Snow” day?

Advisory:

Hidden

https://en.dailybee.com/40-genius-little-things-that-were-hiding-in-plain-sight-all

Penny or a Million

If you were offered a penny that doubles every day, or a million dollars, which would you take?

https://www.newtraderu.com/2013/08/19/how-much-does-a-penny-doubled-every-day-for-month-end-up-being/#annotations:BoKvXvIwEeqQzUtVe25Q_Q

Ireland Lacrosse sacrifice place in ‘Medicine Game’ tournament for greater good

Would you make the same choice as part of the team?

https://www.rte.ie/sport/other-sport/2020/0905/1163463-iroquois-nationals-lacrosse-ireland-world-games/

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

Remember laughing at that colleague who flipped their entire curriculum a few years back for wasting so much time? Don’t you feel stupid.

The Modest Teacher  @ModestTeacher

Just an FYI…. Google certification is a marketing ploy.

Dr. Indira Koneru  @indirakoneru

#CCIndia workshop participants also learnt how to generate a #CreativeCommons license & apply to their work (PPT & Word doc) and release as #OER on @SlideShare and transform into #prosumers of OER. https://creativecommons.org/choose/

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Savithri Singh and 2 others

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

If you are a teacher with children, the next time a parent lectures you about how to teach better at home, you can lecture them on how to parent better at home.

Bill Maher  @billmaher

I mark the onset of American decline to the moment parents started siding with their children instead of with the teachers. #SideWithTeachers

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.  #mschat on Thursday @8:00 pm.  

Strategies:  

Gaming The Grade: How One Middle Schooler Beat A Virtual Learning Algorithm 

When Lazare’s first history assignment of the virtual school year came back scored 50/100, a resounding F, the seventh-grader was crestfallen. 

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/09/03/online-learning-algorithm#annotations:IAvlDu_hEeqKgo_Tg0XLtA

Looking at a Hokusai picture

http://diamantia-kai-skouria.blogspot.com/2011/03/looking-at-hokusai-picture.html#annotations:mowAwu_uEeqw_IPaeiUi8A

Resources:

AMLE & the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Call for Nominations

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is launching its 26th annual search for exemplary young volunteers. Once again, the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is proud to support this unique youth recognition program–-especially in a year when so many students have had to go above and beyond to continue their volunteer service. I hope you’ll encourage your school to take advantage of the opportunities that it provides.  

https://spirit.prudential.com/?_cldee=ZnJpZGVzd2lkZWxAZ21haWwuY29t&recipientid=contact-7fa4693c4f5bde1196b00050568361fd-8762e9e7558e4c73a30ed754063fe8c9&esid=3c1ed941-f5ed-ea11-8109-000d3a044486

H5P OER Hub

The most important part of our roadmap has long been to finish up and integrate an OER Hub in the H5P authoring tool to facilitate global collaboration. It was also the most requested roadmap item by far on the last H5P Conference. The H5P Core Team has now tasked all developers with finishing up the H5P Hub as fast as possible. It will be an integral part of the H5P authoring tool and allow users to easily share their content with every H5P user in the world! Content shared by others will of course be searchable and repurposable.

https://h5p.org/oer-hub-coming#annotations:N-9c-vFTEeq2D39pvx7bTg

Why people fall for misinformation

How does a fact become a misconception? Dig into the world of misinformation to see how facts can become distorted and misleading.

Disinformation

https://www.commoncraft.com/video/disinformation

Lateral Reading

Credibility training on reviewing credibility of websites. 

Web Spotlight:  

Wawa is Offering Free Coffee for Teachers

https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/wawa-offering-free-coffee-to-teachers-school-faculty/?fbclid=IwAR13anqHxZwoMhTXbvYUOw-9GWtOldhrzi0QQVgmwRyJBchbKOkAzfLga0E

How Google Classroom became teachers’ go-to tool—and why it’s fallen short

Too often, educators spend their professional development time mastering specific digital tools, rather than broadly applicable best practices. 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90541246/how-google-classroom-became-teachers-go-to-tool-and-why-its-fallen-short#annotations:ZUq1QvBYEeqqtPfzOPMe2g

America Runs on Charli – Axis’s “The Culture Translator”  

What it is: Dunkin’ recently made TikTok star Charli D’Amelio’sgo-to order an official item on the menu.

Why it’s an act of marketing genius: Connecticut native Charli D’Amelio is known for three things: her viral TikTok dance videos, her authentic (and often teary-eyed) Instagram Lives with fans, and carrying an ever-present, mega-size iced coffee. Charli’s favorite drink (cold brewed coffee with whole milk and three pumps of caramel, in case you’re interested) launched as a Dunkin’ menu item on September 9. To market her eponymous drink, a tie-dye clad Charli dances enthusiastically with coffee in hand to a hip-hop song called “The Charli,” which is the perfect TikTok clickbait. If the TikTok enthusiast under your roof is suddenly “running on Dunkin’,” this is why.  

TikTok Fails Its Users, Big Time – Axis’s “The Culture Translator”  

What it is: Over the weekend, footage of a man who live-streamed his death by suicide was edited into harmless-looking TikToks. TikTok’s main “For You Page” algorithm started recommending the posts before it could be contained, exposing countless users to this graphic, heartbreaking footage.

Why it’s a feature, not a bug, of TikTok’s interface: Much has been made over the past year about the possibility that TikTok is used as a tool of Chinese “spyware,” and we’ve yet to know what the outcome of that political battle will be. But perhaps the real hidden danger of the app isn’t its role in geopolitical conflict, but how its algorithms recommend videos they can’t fully comprehend. Young users in the thousands flooded the comment sections of these truly evil posts, and dozens more posted reaction videos on Instagram and other platforms urging viewers to “stay off TikTok” for the weekend, confessing that the footage was “haunting” them and giving them nightmares. When you bring this up to your teen, do it gently, keeping in mind that the posts were deceptively spliced so that they didn’t appear to be upsetting or violent, and your teen most likely wasn’t seeking out the footage. But do ask about what they saw, and if they want to talk about it.  

Singing the Screentime Blues – Axis’s “The Culture Translator”  

What it is: With notifications, texts, and social media always beckoning, teens and adults are looking for a way to send the message that they’re “not available” (language).

Why this thing has legs: If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic restrictions over the past year, it might be this: Being online gets old! While screens continue to be the main source of social interaction for kids who are remote learning, socialization via smartphones can easily become exhausting. And now that notices of all of our obligations come through our handheld devices, people of all ages are looking for ways to “politely disconnect.” We suspect that some forward-thinking app developers will be working on a new auto-reply feature, which can respond to any and all notifications with an “away” message (circa the heyday of AOL Instant Messenger). Until such a thing becomes widely available, ask your teen if they’re sick of their screen yet. Talk as a family about ways to put digital life on “pause,” and try to set an example by doing it yourself for a few hours each day.

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 476: Record-setting: You might want to grab a beverage, we’re going to talk for a while, even though I’m not entirely sure how this is supposed to work…

Jokes:  

Did you hear about the person who asked to sign up for the 401K?

The Lego store is reopening

  • People are lined up for blocks

I wanted to name my son Lance.

My wife objected. 

I told her that in Medieval days, people were named Lance a lot.

Does swimming in debt count as cardio?

Did you hear about the doughboy with a dough dog? 

  • He’s pure bread

A pirate went to the doctor and says, “I have moles on me back, aaarrrghh”

The Doctor says, “It’s OK, they’re benign”. 

The pirate says, “Count again. I think there be ten”

If a knight in Prague dons his armor, does that mean the Czech is in the mail?

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Straight from the Headlines

I was recently reading the September/October, 2020 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the Editor’s Note column “Straight from the Headlines”  written by Patty McGinnis.

There are many ways that current events can be incorporated into the classroom.  Current events can be used as an introductory phenomenon to a problem, can support a claim, or can be utilized to provide students with an engineering task.  The use of websites can provide teachers with vetted articles about recent events and current events, most of which are identified by Lexile score.  Resources include:

Readworks — http://readworks.org

Reports from the Front Lines

Advisory:

The Big Picture

https://www.gocomics.com/thebigpicture/2020/08/31

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

I am a strong advocate for state testing in virtual schooling if parents are made to proctor. One year’s worth of those training videos and there-is-nothing-more-important-in-life-than-test-security and that’ll be end of that.

𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 @DrBradJohnson

It’s not just students who need Maslow. Teachers need: 1) feel safe / supported 2) emotional connection/ relationships 3) feel respected 4) attention/ appreciation 5) value within the team 6) Volition/ autonomy 7) innovation/ creativity 8) self care

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

This year is already challenging for many students. Some are thinking about taking a gap year before starting middle school.

CBLibraries @CBLibraries

Coming soon… Our @CBLibraries will be offering #curbsidepickup! Librarians will be sharing how students can continue to check out library books during distance learning! Stay tuned for more details…  

SanjayaMishra @SanjayaMishra

Happy Teachers’ Day to all teachers in India.  

Don’t forget #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:

Does This Text Make Me Look Angry?  From Axis Team’s “The Culture Translator” Newsletter

What it is: For teens, “full stops” (i.e. sentences that end with a period) are seen as “intimidating,” and are assumed to convey a tone of anger or frustration.

Why it’s wrecking your text threads with your teen: “Pistaphobia,” or fear of the period punctuation mark, is definitely a thing amongst teens. Since teens see each individual text as a full thought, adding a period can seem unnecessary and even passive-aggressive. Of course, for those of us who aren’t digital natives, skipping the period at the end of a text isn’t exactly second nature. But when your teen pings you with team practice times or a quick message to say they’ll be a little late, be aware that your quick response of “Okay.” could be interpreted as terse or foreboding.  

www.axis.org  

Challenge Unacceptable – From Axis.org  

What it is: The #newteacherchallenge drew headlines this week as parents used the hashtag to prank their kids. The hashtag has 43 million views.

Why it’s pretty sad, actually: Participants pretend to be on a video chat with their child’s new teacher. They then call their child over to “meet their new teacher,” using a photo of a random celebrity, cartoon villain, or visually unusual person, and film their child’s reaction. Several parents who participated in this challenge thought it would be funny to see their child’s reaction if the new “teacher” was a person with a physical abnormality or disability. Some of the photos used were of prominent disability advocates, who have since penned essays on how it feels to be derided and presented to children as some sort of scary monster. Instead of letting your children think that people with disabilities are something to fear, be a part of showing them how every human being has incredible value.  

99Math

Teacher organized, content selected, math game challenge.  Challenge your class, challenge other classes, challenge the world.  www.99math.com  -or- https://99math.com/live-games  where you can join a live 20 min. game and take on others from around the world!  

Web Spotlight:  

We the Young People: For our Teachers

  • Please Manage Zoom (or other online learning platforms) better
  • Understand the emotional impact of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter uprising on our capacity to learn. 
  • Rethink how you engage us online.  
  • Engage us offline in different ways
  • Please call/text us before you call our parents or guardians.
  • Change the way you evaluate us with homework and tests and be clear about grading.

We the Young People: For each other

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j1yHO2GGWzb8SF14qrV0Wm8M2wPoDLRDHGpu0klE_sw/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR3urcNSrL7L-_sdGSpfB-nurn_zOlmWiER7XjHLKH01MwEl-1HFSStH2TU#annotations:-MDZZO7cEeq3d3fudGiqjQ

Blended and Online Learning Strategies from Yong Zhao

Podcast from Silver Lining for Learning   

“Dr. Catlin Tucker is a bestselling author, international trainer, and keynote speaker. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2010 in Sonoma County, where she taught for 16 years. Catlin earned her doctorate in learning technologies at Pepperdine University. Currently, Catlin is working as a blended learning coach and education consultant. Catlin has written a series of bestselling books on blended learning, which are available below. You can find Catlin on Twitter at @Catlin_Tucker and can access numerous free resources at her internationally-ranked blog.”

https://silverliningforlearning.org/episode-24-blended-and-online-learning-with-catlin-tucker/

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