Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about student success, Moodle, and more. Dave has a Science Series for you. 

Jokes:  

Did you hear about the man driving a train got struck by lightning? 

• He was a good conductor.

---

I knew a guy who collected candy canes, 

• they were all in mint condition

I decided to sell my Hoover… 

• well it was just collecting dust.

---

A friend just got fired from a florist, 

• apparently,  took too many leaves.

---

My pet mouse ‘Elvis’ died last night. 

• He was caught in a trap.

---

I was running around my bed the other evening.

• I was trying to catch up with my sleep.

---

My boss told me to have a good day… so I went home.

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Science Fair: The Series

I was recently reading the December 11, 2023 issue of “Forbes” magazine. 

In this issue, I read the article “Bright Minds, Big Innovations: Exploring ’Science Fair: The Series’.”  It was written by Tony Bradley.

“Science Fair: The Series,” National Geographic’s latest documentary series, is a deep dive into the world of young scientific minds, capturing their journey through the highly competitive International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).  It is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.  This documentary series is a must-watch for anyone interested in the power of education, the resilience of youth, and the hopeful future shaped by bright, young minds.

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/k12science/id/29650548

Reports from the Front Lines

• Moodle
  • Upgrading
  • Using
    • Prepared Material
    • H5P – and reusing
    • Training
    • Summary Task
  • StudentQuiz – StudentQuiz enables students to collaboratively create their own question pools in Moodle. Students can filter these questions into quizzes, and they can rate and comment questions while working through the quizzes. StudentQuiz computes each students contribution and learning progress and compares this with the community. The created questions become part of the Moodle question bank and can be reused in other Moodle quizzes.
• Weather
• Michigan History Day Presentations:  https://www.hsmichigan.org/programs/k-12-education/mhdwww.nhd.org
  • Websites
  • Documentaries
  • Presentations

The Social Web

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

Writing by hand may increase brain connectivity more than typing, readings of student brains suggest

https://t.co/qlnAUgw0GV

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘quockerwodger’ (19th century): a puppet individual whose strings of action are pulled entirely by someone else.

For those asking, the ‘hoolie’ in ‘blowing a hoolie’ may come from the Orkney Scots ‘hoolan’, a strong gale, influenced by the Irish use of ‘hooley’ for a very noisy party.

Ric Burton  @ricburton

Imagine when you can generate 3D Midjourneys & explore them with Apple Vision Pro

Lori Emerson @loriemerson@post.lurk.org

the last of today’s nerd dump: look at this incredible illustration of the complexity involved in sending photos via cable across the Atlantic in 1926! I believe this is an illustration of the Bartlane Cable Picture Transmission System which translated images into variations of five-hole punches onto Baudot telegraphic tape and then transmitted, reversing the process at the other end using a teletype machine. #othernetworks    –   https://post.lurk.org/@loriemerson/111818576272784347 

Resources:  

8 NEW Characteristics of Middle School Kids: What Can We Do?

Here are some of the new (or perhaps intensified) characteristics I see emerging in young adolescents. Let’s look at each and then consider some ways we might respond.

 ​​https://www.amle.org/8-new-characteristics-of-middle-school-kids-what-can-we-do/ 

Kurt Vonnegut on the Secret of Happiness: An Homage to Joseph Heller’s Wisdom

True story, Word of Honor:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer
now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.

I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22’
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”
Not bad! Rest in peace!

https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/16/kurt-vonnegut-joe-heller-having-enough/

Suno AI

Make your own song. 

https://www.suno.ai/

Enslaved

Since 2018, Enslaved: Peoples of the Historical Slave Trade (Enslaved.org) has been serving the needs of scholars, genealogists, students, and members of the public interested in the people of the historical slave trade. Enslaved.org is a discovery hub that helps users to search and find information from a large and growing number of datasets and digital projects.  Researchers can learn from linking data, visualizing larger relations and movements, and connecting the traces of people from one dataset to the next. 

https://enslaved.org/

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Guns Blazing

What it is: PC and Xbox game “Palworld” has rapidly found a huge following, peaking last week with 2+ million players online at once. Now they’re under investigation by Nintendo’s Pokémon Company for intellectual property infringement.

Mobbed Up

What it is: The latest “trend” to resurrect on TikTok is a style that’s being called the “mob wife.” One TikTok went so far as to declare, “Clean girl is out. Mob wife is in!”

Web Spotlight: 

 The Last Repair Shop

https://kottke.org/24/01/the-last-repair-shop

How to Draw 3D Art

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnU1UG4HHqcBznSUMvu9PDX0_foVbWFlg

Big Ball Machine

Jelle Bakker of Netherlands-based Jelle’s Marble Runs began building marble runs when he received one on his fourth birthday. Today, he creates giant marble races, runs, and attractions for his YouTube channel, as well as for in person events.

https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/jelles-wooden-ball-marble-run-landal-build

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, school closings, Zyn trouble and more. Dave has 40 years of the Science Olympiad. 

Jokes:  

My job is top secret. 

Even I don’t know what I’m doing. 

---

As I suspected, someone has been adding soil to my garden. 

• The plot thickens.

---

They’re making a movie about clocks. 

• It’s about time

---

I heard there was a new store called Moderation. 

• They have everything there

---

Last night me and my wife watched three DVDs back to back. 

• Luckily I was the one facing the TV.

---

Did you know crocodiles could grow up to 15 feet?

• But most just have 4.

---

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Science Olympiad

I was recently reading the September-October, 2023 issue of “Connected Science Learning,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the article “40 Years of Inspiring Students to Explore STEM: What has Science Olympiad Learned?”  It was written by John F. Loehr and Jenny Kopach.

In May 2024, Science Olympiad will celebrate the 40th Annual Science Olympiad National Tournament at Michigan State University.  The Olympiad has been successful over these 40 years because it has demonstrated the following four factors:

*  Recognition – Students’ work and efforts are displayed and recognized in a very public fashion.

*  Personal Choice – Students have the autonomy to decide how they want to be involved in the program.

*  Peer and Professional Networks – Students’ passion and interest in topics is recognized and celebrated by both their peers and STEM professionals.

*  Responsiveness – The 23-event structure gives Science Olympiad the flexibility to adapt to changing interests, circumstances, and needs.

http://k12science.net/science-olympiad/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

• AI Conference

The Social Web

Jim Costa@JimCosta_

“South Detroit” is on board

Kory E. Woods   @KoryEWoods

The city of Windsor held a special Detroit Lions flag raising ceremony yesterday outside of Windsor City Hall to show support for the Lions hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s divisional round game. :

@RenaldoAgostino  @cityofwindsor    https://twitter.com/i/status/1748485929981931884   

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘finifugal’, from the 19th century: avoiding the end of something (a box set, an excellent book, sleep, etc.) because you want it to go on forever.  

For anyone who hasn’t heard it, to ‘hurkle-durkle’, from 19th-century Scots, is to linger under the covers of a warm bed long after it’s time to get up.

Word of the day is a reminder of ‘mubble-fubbles’: a fit of gloom and despondency combined with a sense of impending doom. Essentially the mubble-fubbles are the 16th-century equivalent of the Sunday evening blues.

Pixelmator Team  @pixelmator

Photomator and Pixelmator are coming to #AppleVisionPro  Starting February 2nd, enjoy all your favorite tools and features from Photomator and Pixelmator on iPad in a whole new creative space. We simply can’t wait! Learn more on our blog: https://pixelmator.com/blog/2024/01/1

Richard Byrne  @rmbyrne

Google Bard can be used to create multiple choice and true/false quizzes about a variety of topics commonly taught in middle school and high school classrooms.  https://youtu.be/SL8uSUrs7WE  

Eduease is a new AI tool that you can use to quickly convert PDFs into online quizzes. Watch this video to see how it works.  https://youtu.be/_LlraJxSQU4  

Historic Vids  @historyinmemes

They don’t make cartoons like this anymore

They don't make cartoons like this anymore pic.twitter.com/4rMmQUF37N

— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) January 3, 2024

Marcus Green @marcusgreen@fosstodon.org

This amused me. Taken from the Linkedin feed of John Fila who describes himself as “an award-winning educator and curriculum coordinator who promotes equitable access to high-quality educational materials and experiences for all learners:  

Strategies:  

5 Metacognitive Questions For Students Learning New Material

 mportant?

https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-metacognitive-questions-students-learning-new-material/

Resources:  

Youglish

Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation. With more than 100M tracks, YouGlish gives you fast, unbiased answers about how English is spoken by real people and in context.

https://youglish.com/

First 5

• FREE daily resource for educators!
• Practical ideas and activities that are perfect for the first five minutes of class time!
• Arrives in your email inbox every morning at 7 AM EST.
• 18+ NEW activities and ideas each day that focus on classroom connections, self-care, care for others, and the development of character.
• Ideas and resources for building dynamic and trusting relationships within classroom communities.
• Users pick 1 of the 9 activities from either the Primary or Secondary First Five.

https://www.edtomorrow.com/first-5

Emoji Kitchen

Combine emoji. 

https://emojikitchen.dev/

Origin of Everything

Every aspect of our daily reality, whether it’s the words we use, the pop culture we love, the technology that gets us through the day, or even the identities we give ourselves, emerges from thousands of intersecting histories. And, in this series, we’re going to explore them ALL! . . . . Okay, maybe not ALL, but you get the idea.

https://mainepublic.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/origin-of-everything-collection/

Civics

Civics for All of US is a new education initiative that promotes civic literacy and engagement.

https://civics.archives.gov/homepage

Folger Shakespeare Library Opportunity

The Folger Shakespeare Library is seeking 25 middle and high school teachers eager to participate in a two-week institute centered around explorations of and conversations between The Taming of the Shrew and Othello.

https://www.folger.edu/teach/professional-development/neh-teaching-shakespeare-institute/?fbclid=IwAR3WxuMT-Q0b1npls782Y-ABhFBfY-yvmmHEV6kJDHkpSgxkbZ1jQcjs8Jw

Web Spotlight: 

Crip Camp

Crip Camp shares with insight, humor, and joy the experiences of a group of disabled teenagers and their journey to adulthood and activism, and in doing so, provides an opportunity to delve into this rich and powerful story of disability activism, culture, and history. The curriculum deepens the knowledge and understanding of disability and of disabled people offered in the film.

https://journeysinfilm.org/product/crip-camp-guides/

“Evidence Based” Does Not Mean What You Think It Does

Evidence-based means:

1) Shows a statistically significant effect on student outcomes via strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-done study. You’ve got at least one study, and it seems like a decent study, and it gives solid evidence.

2) Shows a statistically significant effect on student outcomes via moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-done study. Your decent study shows some meh evidence.

3)  Shows a statistically significant effect on student outcomes via promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-done study. Your study evidence is not great, but it can be massaged into looking like maybe better things are coming.

It can also mean (ii) something you kind of think probably could work. Maybe a shade better than an educated guess.

They looked at 1359 programs. Of the programs rated by more than one clearinghouse, only about 30% got similar ratings. In other words, the answer to “Is this program effective,” depends pretty much on who you’re asking.

https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2024/01/evidence-based-does-not-mean-what-you.html

Japanese Manhole Covers

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/01/japanese-manhole-covers/

School Lunches Around the World

https://www.upworthy.com/school-lunches-around-the-world-rp

Restaurant of Mistaken Orders

In Japan, known as a super-aging society, dementia is predicted to affect one in five people by 2025. [1] In such circumstances, an innovative social experiment has caught the attention of Japan and the world.

“The restaurant is not about whether orders are executed incorrectly or not,” notes Oguni. “The important thing is the interaction with people who have dementia.”

Although succeeding as a “restaurant of never-ending laughter,” Oguni was initially concerned about possible criticisms, such as, “Don’t treat dementia like a carnival sideshow!” and “Don’t make a laughingstock out of them!” But actually, when guests see the smiles of the staffers with dementia, and the joy that motivates their work, some feel a spirit of courage, while others are moved to tears. And invariably, the servers say such things as “I’m still capable. This has gaven me confidence.” The negative image of dementia was replaced by a fun, positive one. 

https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2019/winter2019/restaurant_of_mistaken_orders.html

Snowplow Parents

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/29/opinion/grades-parents-students-teachers.html

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Zyn Trouble

What it is: Oral nicotine pouches are being advertised to teens through influencers. They are far from harmless. 

What’s happening here? Zyn pouches contain nicotine powder, not tobacco leaf. Other brand names include On! and Velo. That means the FDA can’t classify them as a “smokeless tobacco product” the way it would with dip or e-cigarettes. This classification wrinkle has meant marketing regulations of this product are more lax than they are for similar products. Zyn’s other qualities make it an easy habit to conceal: the pouches dissolve under the lip, so they don’t require spitting. Reporting in the New York Times discusses an entire class of meme-driven accounts on social media, dubbed “Zynfluencers,” who are advertising Zyn products. Hundreds of thousands of young followers seem at least aware of what tobacco pouches are, with sales figures skyrocketing. Many parents, on the other hand, remain still blissfully unaware that Zyn pouches even exist.

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about break, Reader’s Theater, culture, and more. Dave brings us down to earth with the International Space Station. 

Jokes:  

I applied to be a doorman but didn’t get the job due to lack of experience. That surprised me, I thought it was an entry level position.

---

I have the heart of a lion… and a lifetime ban from the San Diego Zoo.

---

I couldn’t get a reservation at the library. They were completely booked.

---

They say Tiger Stadium can hold up to fifty-six thousand people, but that is just a ballpark figure.

---

Do you want a brief explanation of what an acorn is? In a nutshell, it’s an oak tree.

---

When my wife told me to stop impersonating a flamingo, I had to put my foot down.

---

I’m glad I know sign language, it’s pretty handy.

---

I started a new business making yachts in my attic this year…the sails are going through the roof

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: International Space Station

I was recently reading the October, 2023 special issue of USA Today, entitled, “NASA at 65.”

In this issue, I read the article “25 Years Up There: International Space Station Operators are Preparing for the Outpost’s Demise.”

25 years ago, the first two elements of the International Space Station were connected by shuttle astronauts.  After 2030, NASA will need to bring the space station out of orbit.

http://k12science.net/international-space-station/

Reports from the Front Lines

• The Juice
• Moodle Forums
  • Privacy
  • Secure
  • Consistent
• Video vs Text 
• Reader’s Theater
  • Group Choice
  • StudentQuiz
• AI thoughts

The Social Web

Matt Miller   @jmattmiller

It’s been 8 years. This is my first teacher work day in 8 years. Desks are arranged. My desk is cleaned. Planning lessons. I used the words “my classroom” recently for the first time in years. Excited. Let’s do this. #MattsBackInClass

Ron Houtman  @ronhoutman

Google is getting into the AI generated video game too – check out VideoPoet from Google Research https://buff.ly/3Rr6F68 #ai

Sloan-Keynote Speaker, Workshop Facilitator  @psloanjoseph

As we return for the new year, now is a great time to reflect, review, and redo the following. #InformInspireInfluence  https://teacher2teacher.education/2023/08/14/four-first-week-of-school-mindsets-i-try-to-hold/

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

Infographic: “Countries With the Highest Prevalence of Slavery”

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘phrontistery’ (17th century): a place to withdraw to for thinking or contemplation. If no phrontistery is available, then to ‘latibulate’ is to find a corner and hide in it.  

Resources:  

CK-12 Plix

https://interactives.ck12.org/plix

Language GuessR

Listen to a language and guess where the language comes from. You can sign in or not. 

https://languageguessr.io/

Spin The Wheel

I like this one because you can do multiple wheels. 

https://spinthewheel.io/

Robert Orben’s Card File of Jokes

If you happen to be looking for a joke about the Cuban Missile Crisis, Watergate, air pollution, or miniskirts, the Robert Orben Papers in the Manuscript Division has what you need. Robert Orben was a comedy writer, humor consultant, and speechwriter for President Gerald R. Ford. In 2019, Orben donated a stockpile of thousands of jokes, one-liners, and witty patter that he generated over more than fifty years. He created some of the material while writing for television in the 1960s, prepared some of it for specific performers and public figures, and published many of jokes in compilations for use by anyone who needed to get a laugh.

https://blogs.loc.gov/manuscripts/2023/12/lots-of-laughs-comedy-writer-robert-orbens-stockpile-of-jokes/?fbclid=IwAR1LeqQl3FQnEmFQYHMBDP9QMMdPKItbOF63wVU5EMyc240G5jxVQq5D_VE

Graphite

Graphite is an in-development raster and vector graphics package that’s free and open source. It is powered by a node graph compositing engine that fuses layers with nodes, providing a fully nondestructive editing experience.

https://graphite.rs/

4 POWERFUL Anti-Procrastination Tips!

Tired of falling victim to procrastination?  In this video, I’ll reveal 4 powerful anti-procrastination tips that will help you unlock your productivity potential and conquer your goals! Say goodbye to wasted time and hello to unstoppable progress!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQb4C0DOQKs

Web Spotlight: 

Access Mars

https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/

Social media made $11 billion in U.S. ad sales from minors and therefore has ‘overwhelming financial incentives’ to avoid protecting children, study finds

https://fortune.com/2023/12/27/social-media-us-ad-revenue-minors-harvard-study/

A Busy Person’s Guide to Large Language Models

This is a 1 hour general-audience introduction to Large Language Models: the core technical component behind systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Bard. What they are, where they are headed, comparisons and analogies to present-day operating systems, and some of the security-related challenges of this new computing paradigm.

As of November 2023 (this field moves fast!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjkBMFhNj_g

AI Tube

All the videos are generated using AI, for research purposes only. Some models might produce factually incorrect or biased outputs.

https://jbilcke-hf-ai-tube.hf.space/

AXIS The Culture Translator

Airwrapped

What it is: One of teens’ top Christmas list items for 2023 was a $600 hair styling system called the Dyson Airwrap.

What it means: As of this writing, #dysonairwrap has 5.9 billion TikTok views. The tool comes with multiple attachments and claims to help users achieve a range of hairstyles, including the voluminous beach waves that influencers favor. Like many other expensive things that teens favored this year (including Stanley tumblers, White Fox sweats, and Hoka sneakers), owning an Airwrap is seen as a status symbol as much as a useful, high-quality product. 

Over Yondr

What it is: Public schools in the US have spent at least $2.5 million on individual slipcases called Yondr pouches that make smartphones inaccessible during school hours.

What people are saying: Yondr pouches have been available for almost ten years, and used in schools for eight. But as scrutiny over how device use may impact how young brains develop has continued to increase, so have schools’ orders for Yondr products. School officials interviewed by NBC News noted that the pouches successfully redirected students’ attention in the classroom and enhanced the quality of their social interactions face-to-face. 

The Alphas Have Arrived

What it is: The New York Times published 12 predictions for the forces that will shape trends and culture this year, noting that Gen Alpha is poised to influence what’s in style.

What else could be in store? Style forecasters in The Times predict that rosettes will adorn our clothing, athletic prowess will be cool again thanks to Travis Kelce, smartwatches will inundate elementary schools, and more men will be getting their nails done. And the senior members of Gen Alpha, finally old enough to (legally) engage in public social media spaces, may be out in full force to let Gen Z know that old age comes for us all. It’s a powerful turning point when you consider the elements (like COVID-19, YouTube shorts, and ubiquitous iPads) that have already shaped childhood for this group of people. Gen Alpha is currently defined as the people born from 2010 to 2024, and it is estimated that they will number 2 billion—the largest generational cohort in history.

Find more at:  https://axis.org/resource-category/culture-translator/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Culture%20Translator&utm_content=288815354&utm_source=hs_email  

Random Thoughts . . .  

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