Monthly Archives: December 2021

MSM 529: They’re Decorating the Hall, But We’re Decorating Our Brains!

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk real-world connections, books, vacation plans, teaching strategies and more. Dave goes Graphic (Novels that is). 

Jokes:  

You’ve heard of Elf on a Shelf? How about?

Cosine on a bovine

COwSine?

Prime on a lime

Goose on a Moose

Here’s a fun fact: 

  • Nothing starts with N and ends with G

My friend was at a local bar & grill when a woman at a table a few feet away from me sneezed and her glass eye came out and he caught it.  He handed it back to her and she popped it in and said thank you. She was a beautiful woman. Gorgeous face stunning body and a beautiful smile to boot. The woman of his dreams, right in front of him. A few moments pass by and she comes up to him and asks for his number and he looked around the room. Surely she must’ve been mistaken. He said “ who me?!!!?” She said “yes of course you. I don’t usually do this kind of thing but you just sort of caught my eye.”

I went out to dinner the other night. I had reservations…

  • But I went anyway

I’m working on a new skill

  • I’m levitating birds

If you melt dry ice, can you take a bath without getting wet?

You know what they say about cliffhangers….

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Graphic Novels

I was recently reading the November/December 2021 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read an article entitled “Picture This! The Versatility of Graphic Novels in Science Class” written by Rachelle Haroldson.  

The popularity of graphic novels is not surprising.  They are colorful and engaging, marrying text to images, with diverse characters doing everything from struggling with their tennis game to solving engineering problems to battling villains from the Multiverse.

http://k12science.net/graphic-novels/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Vacation Time
    • MAMSE Conference Presentation
  • The Christmas Season
  • TikTok Challenge

The Twitterverse  

John R. Sowash  @jrsowash

Here is a list of my favorite Chrome Apps and Extensions for K-12 classroom! #techTools #Chromebook #ChromebookEDU

EL Magazine  @ELmagazine

“Decades of research [reveal] how educators can support & teach key skills like self-regulation. Nowhere in the literature do researchers recommend that we shame children into being compliant.” @leeannjung @domsmithRP  Tear Down Your Behavior Chart!

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity 

If we want students to stop using TikTok, then teachers need to start using it. It will no longer be cool for them.  

AIMS

@aimsnetwork

Proposals Open December 6, 2021 – January 2nd 2022 Calling all Exploratory Teachers! What can you #share to help #transform another exploratory #classroom or school? https://buff.ly/3oAlINH

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

Strategies:  

Pretesting

We investigated the relative efficacy of pretesting (i.e., errorful generation) and posttesting (i.e., retrieval practice), two of the most prominent practice test types in the literature to date. Pretesting involves taking tests before to-be-learned information is studied, whereas posttesting involves taking tests after information is studied.

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxap0000345

https://www.thoughtco.com/importance-and-uses-of-pretests-7674

Resources:  

The Birthday Problem

The Birthday Problem

Common Language (Other than English or Spanish)

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/VC_US_CommonLanguagesV9.jpg

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/most-common-language-spoken-in-the-u-s-map/

Slang of the Week

Yassification: Applying several layers of something that should be good to glam up or make something sound/appear better, even though the result ends up being something cringey or contrived. (Ex: That selfie she thought looked good got completely yassified with all the FaceTune she used.)

Web Spotlight:  

Something to Carry You Into The Break

Seraphic Fire’s rendition of “Goodnight Dear Heart”

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

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MSM 528: Take Your Victories Where You Can…like Maybe British Columbia

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss what is going on. They discuss self-assessment, field trips, and more. Dave discusses language in science.

Jokes:  

Have you tried blindfolded archery?

  • You really don’t know what you are missing.

What bigger than a tuna?

  • A threena

What rock group has four guys who don’t sing?

  • Mount Rushmore

I dreamed someone broke into my apartment and stole all my stuff. Then replaced it with exact replicas.

I asked my roommate does something seem different to you this morning?

He said, “Do I know you?”

How do cats make coffee?

  • In a purrcolator

I had to stop going to the chiropractor. 

  • He kept trying to manipulate me. 

How do you tell when you are out of invisible ink? 

My friend is dating a guy who is crossed-eyed. I don’t think that it’s going to work out. 

  • They just don’t see eye to eye.

How much does Santa pay to park?

  • Nothing, it’s on the house. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Theory, Law, and Hypothesis

I was recently reading the November/December 2021 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read an article entitled “Why Do Certain Terms in the Language of Science Cause So Much Confusion?” written by Matt Bobrowski.  

Language in the science classroom includes both technical/scientific terms and non-scientific words.  Some problematic words include theory, law, and hypothesis.

http://k12science.net/theory-law-and-hypothesis/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Take Your Victories Where you can
  • Teacher talk
  • Self-Assessment journey
  • Tech to Curriculum
  • Future Field Trips

The Twitterverse  

AMLE  @AMLE

Need some stocking stuffers for the middle school educators in your life? Shop the AMLE store by Dec 17 & receive 20% off your purchase, including The Successful Middle School: This We Believe and pre-orders of our newest titles. All orders also include a free AMLE tote bag.  https://twitter.com/AMLE/status/1469381492052791296/photo/1  

Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

We’ve reached the point of the school year where teachers look to long-term weather forecasts desperately looking for a potential snow day.

Jack Berckemeyer  @JBerckemeyer

Parents – you are not helping your child when they get in trouble at school and you respond by saying next time don’t get caught. Time to support schools, teachers and your child. Ownership of responsibility is critical to the success of a child.

Connor Ewing  @ConnorMEwing

Students Don’t Read Syllabi, Exhibit 58623

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

Strategies:  

Resources:  

THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HOW WE LOOK AT CAR CRASHES & HOW WE LOOK AT SCHOOLS

“…human error is described as the reason for 94% of crashes – it’s called “the critical reason.”  But, as the article goes on to explain, the real cause of most crashes are systemic issues like road an vehicle design.”

 “the idea that human error causes nearly all crashes is a useful talking point.”

Schools, and their teachers, are held by many in the public to be primarily responsible for student success or failure, even though research has constantly found outside factors, including institutional socio/economic ones like racism, have been found to be the primary influencers of academic achievement 

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2021/11/30/the-similarities-between-how-we-look-at-car-crashes-how-we-look-at-schools/#annotations:Zz1W-lUcEeymmO9pDHlKNg 

Ways to Say No – Elge Slienotiene of LKPA  

Web Spotlight:  

Where Do We Find The Time? – AMLE

“Many schools aren’t designed for teaching. Most are designed to protect the status quo, emphasizing curriculum’s traverse and compliance more than solid student learning that lasts. Entering our third decade of the 21st century, we know this entrenched cattle call from class to class limits student learning. We know we can do better.”

Where Do We Find the Time to Do All This Stuff?

Immigrants Day

December 18th

A broad range of factors continue to determine the movement of people. They are either voluntary or forced movements as a result of the increased magnitude and frequency of disasters, economic challenges and extreme poverty or conflict. Approximately 281 million people were international migrants in 2020, representing 3.6 per cent of the global population.

All these will significantly affect the characteristics and scale of migration in the future and determine the strategies and policies countries must develop in order to harness the potential of migration while ensuring the fundamental human rights of migrants are protected.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/migrants-day

AXIS – The Culture 

State of Emergency

What it is: The US surgeon general issued an advisory this week, warning of a massive mental health crisis amongst young people, including an increase in suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety.

Slang of the Week:  

“This would have been my thirteenth reason.”: A phrase used mostly on social media as an irreverent nod to the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why; indicates that something is so dumb or offensive that it’s enough to push someone into a mental health abyss.  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

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MSM 527: Squid Games . . .We Got You Mr. McGirr

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy start with a long discussion of online learning and lots of real-world experiences. Dave is going to Touch, Talk, and Text Science. 

Jokes:  

The invention of the shovel was groundbreaking.

But it was the invention of numbers that really counted.

I’ll be if Big Ben in London ever stops working, crews would be working around the clock to fix it. 

How do stars prepare for a party?

  • They planet

How does Moses make his coffee?

  • He brews it

What sound does a piano make when thrown down a coal mine?

  • A Flat Minor

Why does Snoop Dogg carry an Umbrella?

  • Fo’Drizzle

A guy walks into a restaurant, but doesn’t know what to get. He tells the server, “I’m not very hungry, I just want something easy.”

The server says “maybe the chicken strips for $6?”

The guys answers, “maybe he does, but that doesn’t help with my hunger”. 

A Random Dad from across the restaurant yells: “Good One!”

I got a new car the other day. I couldn’t figure out my seatbelt. 

  • Then it clicked. 

How do you turn soup into gold? 

  • Add 24 carrots

The inventor of the Ferris Wheel never met the inventor of the Merry-Go-Round.

  • They traveled in different circles.

I’m thinking of getting into the crane business.

  • I hear it’s really booming

There’s a large oil company that is announcing that they are going to produce fuel from insect urine. 

  • I think it’s BP

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

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Touch, Talk, Text

I was recently reading the November/December 2021 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read an article entitled “Touch, Talk, Text” written by Sarah J. Carrier, Jill F. Grifenhagen, and Danielle Scharen.  They wrote an article entitled “Touch, Talk, Text.”

Traditional approaches to science instruction often include reading science text, some hands-on science experiences, and teaching science language in isolation.  They propose instead that teachers integrate touch, talk, and text in their science instruction to support authentic scientific inquiry and disciplinary literacy for students.

http://k12science.net/touch-talk-text/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Writing letters to other students (like maybe in China)

The Twitterverse  

Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

School Leaders, it’s unfair to ask teachers to buy their own classroom supplies. Instead, have the PTO start a grant program where money is given to teachers for these expenses. Solicit donations to this fund from teachers since they are benefiting from this after all. #edchat

Brian Briggs (he/him/his)  @bribriggs

For day 4 of the #createwithchrome Advent of Activities, the great @mrshowell24shares a THIS OR THAT Holiday Edition! Check it out!

Brad Dale  @bradjdale

New features on your Chromebook Dec 1, 2021 Create a video, scan a doc, and a QR reader. https://timetotalktech.com/2021/12/new-fe

Vince DiGrandi  @Principal_MrD

This Decade-Long Experiment In Teacher Evaluation Is An Unsurprising Failure

https://t.co/PsziIkfOwa

Alan Stein, Jr.  @AlanSteinJr

THIS is culture…

Image

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

Strategies:  

15 Second Video Vocab Challenge

To see what we mean, check out this compilation of 60 winning vocabulary videos. In less time than it takes to watch a sitcom episode, you can practice words you might already know, like distill and nocturnal, and learn some new ones — how about obsequious, callow and peregrination?

Reading Strategies

Background knowledge and strategy instruction were associated with significantly larger effects…

Interventions that included instructional enhancements (graphic organizers and technology) demonstrated significantly lower effects (g =.45) than those that built background knowledge or focused on comprehension strategies.

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2021/12/03/new-study-examines-what-helps-students-most-with-reading-comprehension/

Resources:  

Mouse.org

Want to change a website? (*Or, know that this is possible, kids do.) 

https://x-ray-goggles.mouse.org/

Richard Byrne has a nice example: 

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2021/12/view-whats-behind-website-with-mouse-x.html

Spinner Wheel

You can enter your own options. Can be used to provide differentiation options for kids. 

​​https://spinnerwheel.com/ 

AMLE Playbook Challenge!  

“The middle grades are a pivotal time in students’ development, as they begin to form their identity and envision the future. Career exploration is a cornerstone of this process and is associated with both positive educational and employment outcomes, keeps students engaged in school, and helps them develop a better sense of self. That’s why ASA and AMLE have teamed up to create Career Exploration in the Middle Grades: A Playbook for Educators that offers a roadmap that ANY school can use to create an impactful program for their students.”  Video:  https://youtu.be/P1hz-_DS2Oo  

https://www.amle.org/playbook-challenge/?fbclid=IwAR2boTj-iwT8kDdLFLI06b-nd27VC892YTCu_h2gDK5wgw7mcU7IclattAA

Web Spotlight:  

Ubuntu

AXIS – The Culture Translator

Squid Game Sponcon

What it is: YouTuber Mr. Beast released a real-life, blood-free version of the runaway hit show Squid Game. The slickly produced video was sponsored to the tune of $3.5 million by a mobile game called Brawl Stars.

Unreal Estate

What it is: Speaking of screens, your Gen Zer’s first home may only exist in virtual reality. There’s a real estate boom in the metaverse, er, metaverses, and developers are snapping up virtual properties (and yachts) for millions of dollars.

YikYak Is Back

What it is: The controversial anonymous gossip app YikYak returned to the internet this week, promising to behave itself better than last time.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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