MSM 656: Taking The Thinking Out of the Teacher

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI in education, curriculum, and more. Dave has a water Eco challenge.

Jokes:  

Studies show the most expensive vehicle to operate is the Costco shopping cart.

What has three letters and starts with gas? 

  • A Car.

Camping is intense.

What do you call a careful wolf? 

  • Aware wolf.

My friend lost his job at the dairy farm because of his erratic behaviour. He was a danger to himself and udders.

If you see someone doing a crossword today, lean over them and say 7 up is Lemonade.

Went to the postcard museum the other week.

  • Nothing to write home about.

Without geometry life is pointless.

Two dogs in front of a house door that is open with two more dogs answering the door. There is a thought bubble that says, "We were driving by when Cheryl said, "Life's short. Let's top and smell the Roses." So, Here we are.
Bart Simpson with the words "This is the worst day of my life." Then another panel with Homer and Bart and the words, "This is the worst day of your life so far."

Middle School Science Minute  

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

EarthEcho Water Challenge

I was recently reading the March – April 2025 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, “‘Water’ Are You Waiting For?  Dive Into Action With the EarthEcho Water Challenge.”

The EarthEcho Water Challenge engages students in local water quality monitoring while fostering environmental stewardship.  The project is part of EarthEcho International, founded by the Cousteau family in honor of Jacques Cousteau’s legacy and life’s work advocating for environmental and ocean conservation.  To learn more about the challenge visit the project website at:

https://earthecho.org/contact

http://k12science.net/earthecho-water-challenge/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

Jonathan Steele@steelefamlaw@esq.social

Your password is like your underwear – change it often, keep it private, and never share it with strangers.

Lithuanian MOD   @Lithuanian_MoD

We bid farewell to the fallen U.S. soldiers with respect and gratitude. Because, as we have said many times, they are our soldiers too. In this moment of tragedy, we stood together. It is a testament to the strength of unity even in the darkest times.  https://x.com/i/status/1907808880744095931  

Dovilė Šakalienė  @DSakaliene

Lithuania mourns. The pain of the U.S. soldiers’ families is our pain, and we stand together in this time of sorrow. Today, Lithuania paid homage to to the fallen U.S. soldiers  Video by Arūnas Kisielius  https://x.com/i/status/1907859402222190676  

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘quiddler’ (18th century): one who focuses on unimportant issues as a way of avoiding the important ones; who fiddles while Rome (etc.) burns.

Strategies:  

Ditch the lecture, dig into learning: Level up your Social Studies classroom with the FIELD Guide

The heart of the FIELD Guide, focusing on evidence, student inquiry, and the use of appropriate tech tools, is both practical and immediately applicable.

https://ditchthattextbook.com/social-studies-field-guide

Remembering What It’s Like To Be A Student

https://theeffortfuleducator.com/2025/04/02/remembering-what-its-like-to-be-a-student/

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

What it is: Old-school braces are now not just cool, but even becoming a kind of status symbol—at least according to the Washington Post.

Why it’s surprising: Cultural influencers like Abbey Clancey, Charlie James, Kitty Hayes, and Lil Uzi Vert are on the cusp of a movement that is making braces cool. Although once seen as the purview of hideous nerds, braces today can represent “openly working on yourself” (instead of hiding it with Invisalign), having money (because they’re often not covered by insurance), and generally seeming youthful (apparently many adults and young people are jumping on the bandwagon). Plus, being able to choose your rubber band color enables a degree of self-expression.

Web Spotlight: 

TV Garden

Welcome to tv.garden, your gateway to free live TV streaming from anywhere.

Our goal is to make discovering and watching global channels as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Explore a wide range of channels, including international news, live sports, movies, entertainment, and cultural shows.

Dive into global cultures through our intuitive interface: pick a country on our interactive 3D globe, use the handy sidebar, or try your luck with the “Random Channel” button to explore something new. Who knows what you’ll discover next? Inspired by the simplicity and fun of discovering channels on Radio Garden, tv.garden brings that same effortless experience to live TV. Fast, user-friendly, and completely free—no account needed, no hidden steps—just click and enjoy.

https://tv.garden

Science: What it is, how it works, and why it matters

https://thinkingispower.com/science-what-it-is-how-it-works-and-why-it-matters

How to SET Healthy Boundaries for a Sustainable Career in Teaching

https://www.coolcatteacher.com/talkteaching/

Random Thoughts . . .  

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