MSM 659: AEIOU and Sometimes Y I Didn’t Pay Attention
Summary:
Shawn and Troy talk about AI, middle school students who are not lazy, and more. Dave goes to the birds.
Jokes:
To stay in shape my grandma started walking five miles a day when she was 60.
- She’s 97 today and we don’t know where she is
No matter how kind you are, German children are kinder.
I was told that exercise helps with your decision-making.
It’s true…
After going to the gym earlier I’ve decided I’m never going again.
chopping cheese, but I think that I may have a grater problem
It’s alright if you don’t know what “prefix” means.
- It’s not the end of the word.
One shouldn’t throw sodium chloride at people.
- That’s a salt.
Frazz by Jef Mallet
Middle School Science Minute
by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com)
K12Science Podcast: Bird Count History
I was recently reading the March – April 2025 issue of “The Science Teacher”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.
In this issue, I read the section, “Right to the Source,” written by Jessica Fries-Gaither She wrote an article entitled, “‘The 1900 Christmas Bird Census: Introducing a New Annual Tradition and Citizen Science Project.
This “historical” podcast provides an entry point for students in the Christmas Bird Count’s history and current applications in ornithology. Students use data from the Count’s history to help construct their scientific understanding.
http://k12science.net/bird-count-history/
Bonus:
Reports from the Front Lines
- Vacation
- AI Thoughts
- Teacher’s Need to Know
- Students and Digital Citizenship
- ISTE
- Nobel Winner – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2024/press-release/
- AEIOU
- PBIS
- PickleBall Tournament
The Social Web
Soubhiye, from Lebanese Arabic, is the enjoyment of a quiet moment of peace in the early morning, before everyone else is awake. Gökotta is a Swedish term for waking up early to enjoy the birdsong.
Via Mx 17 (final year of high school): “One of the kids in my class called a landline a ‘table cellphone'”
MiddleWeb @middleweb.bsky.social
NEW: Vision Boards Can Help Us Reignite Our Career Goals. If you know your ‘why,’ parlay it into a set of directions that will motivate your daily work. Educator Kelly Owens shows how vision boards help both teachers and their students. #edusky #mschat #educoach www.middleweb.com/51732/vision…
Michael Taylor @teacherrunner42.bsky.social
One of my FAVORITE parts of the old place was #MSChat – a place where middle school educators could come together – I haven’t seen much here yet want to restart #MSChat in 2025 – Please join us on January 9th at 8:00 PM Eastern! @blocht574.bsky.social #edusky #booksky #mathsky #elasky
Strategies:
“I Got Nothin…”
https://bsky.app/profile/tcea.org/post/3lnpqnt6cmr2e
Resources:
AXIS The Culture Translator
Ice Breaker
What it is: The Ice Bucket Challenge is back, this time to raise awareness for mental health.
Why it’s resonating: The University of South Carolina’s MIND (Mental Illness Needs Discussion) Club is bringing back the social media trend under the new name #SpeakYourMIND. In the videos, a teen stands somewhere outside, they say a few words about mental health, they tag three friends to keep the trend going, and then someone drenches them with a bucket filled with ice water. The movement began at USC in honor of two students who died by suicide, and it has since raised nearly $300,000 for the mental health non-profit Active Minds. It’s personal, it’s performative, and it’s everywhere—especially on TikTok and Instagram. Gen Z is embracing this new version of the challenge not just because it’s going viral, but because mental health issues have affected so many members of their generation.
Harvard X
https://www.edx.org/school/harvardx
EZ Gif
Ezgif.com is a simple, free online GIF maker and toolset for basic animated image editing.
Here you can create, edit and convert GIF, APNG, WebP, MNG and AVIF animations.
Google Learn About
Discover how Learn About can enhance your learning experience. Learn About is a generative AI learning companion that brings Google Search, Gemini, and teaching principles to provide interactive learning experiences.
https://learning.google.com/experiments/learn-about
Learn About Learn About
Web Spotlight:
COPPA Update
https://natlawreview.com/article/ftc-publishes-final-coppa-rule-amendments
The Professional Development Paradox: Why Good Intentions Go Astray in Schools
PD is the cornerstone of district and school culture. The idea is sound: equip educators with new skills, knowledge, and strategies to better serve their students. Yet, for many teachers and administrators, the mention of PD evokes a sigh rather than excitement. Why does this crucial investment so often fall short of its potential? The answer lies in several common pitfalls that plague PD initiatives in schools.
https://esheninger.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-professional-development-paradox.html
10 factors to consider when lesson planning with AI
https://ditchthattextbook.com/learning-genie
Yes, Middle Schoolers Are Hard To Teach, and Nobody Is Really Lazy
I taught 39 years, and I never met a lazy student in my entire life. What I met were students who were making choices about their own agency.
https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2025/04/yes-middle-schoolers-are-hard-to-teach.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/02/disengaged-teens-parents-nagging-school/681834
Random Thoughts . . .
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