MSM 605: A Precipitous Decline of Creativity

Summary:

Shawn and Troy struggle with the jokes, review the web, hear voices (and create voices), and more. Dave has the concepts and practices of science. 

Jokes:  

Just trying to read the Led Zeppelin wikipedia entry about when Jimmy went missing, but it says Page Not Found.


How many pastry chefs does it take to make a pie?

  • 3.14

NASA is launching a mission to say sorry to all the aliens.

  • They are calling it Apollo G.

Question:  What did Worf say when small ice asteroids began hitting the Enterprise hull?

Answer:  “Captain, we are being hailed.”


Lumberjack reply guys are like “well axe-ually”


I just finished my income review for the IRS

  • It was very taxing. 

I had a dream that I was an oil-field. 

  • I can’t tell you how bored I was.

Mary and James Smith walk into the doctor’s office. 

“What seems to be the problem?” The doctor asks.

“Well, my husband keeps referring to himself as a separate person,” Mary explains worriedly.

“James doesn’t see a problem with this,” James says.

“Ah, I see,” the doctor says.

“Have you ever heard of anything like this before?” Mary asks desperately.

“Only twice. Which means that your husband… is the third person.”


Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Scientific Ways of Doing

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the section, “Commentary” written by John Suchocki. He wrote an article entitled, “Pathways to Science Literacy.”

The concepts of science and the practices of doing science are not the same.  As science teachers, we should pull the rich practices of science (the ways of doing science) out front and center as a helix wrapping around the core concepts of science.

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

Veoveo  @Veoveoshop

This Year’s ‘Stand Out From Crowd’ Christmas Eye-Catching Grinch Sweatshirt lol 

AaronDavid@AaronDavid@mastodon.world

The News-Herald  @NewsHeraldMI

Cursive makes a comeback — by law — in public schools https://trib.al/dNrEy8j

TeacherGoals  @teachergoals

Accurate.   http://teachergoals.com

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘dumfungled’ (19th century): worn out, used up, and totally spent. See also ‘depooperit’ and ‘forswunk’.

Anna Spanner@Annaspanner@bookstodon.com

Today one of my top set year 10s called me Mum. I gave him a gold star and awarded myself one too for the heck of it. #EduGlow

Resources:  

NASA +

New FREE streaming service. Lots of great resources and scheduled live events. 

Voice Generator

This web app allows you to generate voice audio from text – no login needed, and it’s completely free! It uses your browser’s built-in voice synthesis technology, and so the voices will differ depending on the browser that you’re using. You can download the audio as a file, but note that the downloaded voices may be different to your browser’s voices because they are downloaded from an external text-to-speech server. If you don’t like the externally-downloaded voice, you can use a recording app on your device to record the “system” or “internal” sound while you’re playing the generated voice audio.

https://voicegenerator.io/

Bonus:

Change voices for fun effects. 

Note: For some voices (Bane and Dalek, for example), you’ll need to put on the correct “accent” for the voice transformation to work properly. Basically, try to make your voice sound like the target voice, and the engine will add some effects to make it sound like the real thing. Another random tip: You’ll need to talk relatively slowly if you’re using any of the “echo-ey” voices, otherwise the echos will make it hard to understand.

You can use the generated audio clips for any purpose at all (commercial usage included). There’s no need to credit voicechanger.io if you don’t want to. You can leave feedback here, but please note this is just a hobby project so I won’t be updating the site regularly. Thanks for stopping by – I hope you find this site useful! 😄

https://voicechanger.io/

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Here are 5 conversation starters to help spark meaningful, memorable, and fun discussions around the Thanksgiving table. Thanks for being a part of the Axis family!

  1. There was a lot of discussion in 2023 about how often men think (or don’t think) about the Roman Empire. Do you ever think about the Roman Empire? Or, is there a different era of history you often find yourself thinking about?
  2. “Barbenheimer” might be over, but the question remains: if you could watch two movies back-to-back on the big screen with your friends, what would you pick? 
  3. It looks like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce might be introducing their families to each other this weekend. How soon do you think couples should meet each other’s parents? 
  4. A “Mean Girls” reboot will hit theaters early next year—and, it’s apparently a musical. What’s one reboot or sequel that you think was better than its original? 
  5. “Girl math” was trending earlier this year as people discussed the unusual ways they sometimes justify spending money (i.e. anything you buy on a gift card feels like it might be free). Do you have any quirky spending habits like these?

Web Spotlight: 

How Stories Shape Our Minds

The 20 Internet Giants That Rule the Web

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/The-20-Internet-Giants-That-Rule-the-Web.jpg
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/20-internet-giants-rule-web/

Stories Behind the Most Famous Photos in History

Random Thoughts . . .  

It is Michigan-Ohio State Week:  https://youtu.be/9ak9Uxtntfk  and for 2023:  https://files.mastodon.social/cache/media_attachments/files/111/471/590/843/454/385/original/8c7463b4c0e8c043.mp4  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 604: Hot Stuff Inside the Fish Bowl

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about YIG (Youth In Government), breaks, jokes, hacks, and more. Dave eclipses us all. 

Jokes:  

I’m not superstitious

  • Just slightlysticious

I thought that the dryer was shrinking my clothes. 

  • Turns out it was the refrigerator all along

I work outside. When the weather is nice I put on sunglasses, but when it’s really sunny…

  • …I ask for my supervisor.

How do you wash your hands over the holiday?

  • With Santatizer. 

Did you hear about the guys that stole a set of golf clubs?

  • They’re still looking for the driver

If I could time travel I’d visit Holland back when everyone wore hand carved footwear…

  • …wooden shoe?

My daughter is roaming around the house drawing polka dots on everything she sees. Right now, I’m hiding in the closet

  • and hoping she won’t spot me.

The founder of IKEA got elected Prime Minister in Sweden.

  • He’s now assembling his cabinet.

Thank you for explaining the concept of regenerative braking.

  • It was slow going at first, but in the end I got quite a charge out of it.

I keep hitting “Accept All Cookies” but, so far, NOTHING.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Things to Know About the Solar Eclipse

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the section, “Science 101” written by Matthew Bobrowsky. He wrote an article entitled, “What Can My Students See During the Upcoming Solar Eclipse?!”

The total solar eclipse that will take place on April 8, 2024, will probably be your last chance to see one until 2045.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • YIG  https://www.myig.org/  
  • Break
  • Computer Science Week
    • Dec 4->10
  • Kindergarten Stories
  • State of Maine Hack

The Social Web

Tim Chilcote  @TimChilcote

Efforts underway to reintroduce Arctic grayling to Michigan waters after a century-long absence

Taipei Times  @taipei_times

A Taipei high-school student was ordered to pay NT$70,000 in restitution to a classmate for posting their childhood photographs online and making fun of their appearance and family background https://taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ar

CU Boulder – ALTEC  @CUBoulderALTEC

Today is the day! Don’t forget about ALTEC’s “Creating Interactive Language Materials with H5P” workshop presented by Maggie Rosenau (they/she). Link: https://tinyurl.com/28vnddmd  

Strategies:  

10 Classic Klaxons… Things to avoid doing or saying

https://teacherhead.com/2023/11/05/10-classic-klaxons-things-to-avoid-doing-or-saying/

Resources:  

92 ESSAY TRANSITION WORDS TO KNOW WITH EXAMPLES

https://annmichaelsen.com/2023/11/13/92-essay-transition-words-to-know/

CALCULUS MADE EASY

BY SILVANUS P. THOMPSON

Calculus Book in public domain. 

https://calculusmadeeasy.org/

Web Spotlight: 

Students Are Busy but Rarely Thinking, Researcher Argues. Do His Teaching Strategies Work Better?

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-11-07-students-are-busy-but-rarely-thinking-researcher-argues-do-his-teaching-strategies-work-better

Science says teens need more sleep. So why is it so hard to start school later?

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/11/09/1211610533/science-says-teens-need-more-sleep-so-why-is-it-so-hard-to-start-school-later

How we’ve created a helpful and responsible Bard experience for teens

https://blog.google/products/bard/google-bard-expansion-teens/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

MSM 603: Waldorf & Statler Conversations

Summary:

Shawn and Troy channel Waldorf & Statler. Dave, has well, Beavers from Space. 

Jokes:  


Anyone got some eye jokes?

The cornea, the better.


Her bio says she’s a short fiction writer. It’s unusual to put one’s height there but to each her own.


Not to brag, but my house is featured in the new issue of Lesser Homes & Gardens.


I just had an energy bar. Something called a ‘Snickers’.


Gonna start scheduling more spontaneity.


Most bald men still own a comb.

They can’t part with one.


Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth.

Then it’s a soap opera.


I am old enough now that when I do the twist, I provide my own percussion.


I thought I was on to something with my new steam-powered phone.

But, alas, I’m getting too many mist calls.



Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Beavers from Space

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the section, “Citizen Science” written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled, “Beavers from Space!”

Beavers from Space is an online project that launched in 2023, and your help is needed to determine where beavers are found and where they appear to be absent, specifically in the waterways of Alberta, Canada.  For more information, please visit:

https://workingwithbeavers.ca

Reports from the Front Lines

  • AI Art
    • Canva
    • Prompts

The Social Web

Mindy Belz  @MindyBelz

War may not be far away but the olive harvest must go on. Here in northern Cyprus with a U.S. carrier group offshore and Hezbollah and Iran threatening attacks.

LRT English  @LRTenglish

If you’re looking to learn more about the rich history and vibrant culture of the Baltic states, then look no further. Emerging Europe, partners of LRT English, has curated a reading list:  https://t.co/LVZHmlsBJZ  

IMLEA  @IMLEAorg

My students loved performing readers’ theaters like this one from Scholastic Scope.  

https://t.co/cBiTF2HEs1

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

World Toilet Day Is On Nov. 19th – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources

https://t.co/bPDq2ltB3N

Strategies:  

Class Discussion Strategies

https://www.trevormuir.com/blog/class-discussion-strategies

Station Rotation – Look, Sound

https://catlintucker.com/2023/10/station-look-sound/

Three Things Your Ed Degree (possibly) Got Wrong

https://theeffortfuleducator.com/2023/11/01/three-things-your-ed-degree-possibly-got-wrong/

ICAP

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2023/10/30/i-had-never-heard-of-it-before-today-but-the-interactive-constructive-active-passive-icap-theory-of-student-cognitive-engagement-could-be-useful/

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

Is Everybody Texting Without Me?

What it is: The evolving rules of the “group text” are a fascinating study of how teenagers talk to each other, showing us what’s changed—and what hasn’t changed at all.

Steam-Free TV

What it is: According to a new UCLA study, teens prefer to watch television shows that emphasize friendship plots rather than sex and romance.

Web Spotlight: 

 AMLE Policy Agenda Announced At #AMLE50

“With a growing body of science emphasizing the profound and consequential nature of early adolescence, now is the time to act on the promise of the middle school years.”  

https://www.amle.org/advocating-for-the-middle-grades/

Teen Breakfast

https://news.yahoo.com/grandma-heartwarming-teen-breakfast-club-190722476.html

Mt. Washington’s Breakfast of Champions

https://youtu.be/J37u_usbJHc

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!