MSM 474: In the Studio

/ , /

Jokes:  

What creature is smarter than a talking parrot?

  • A spelling bee

Who did the zombie take to the prom?

  • Ghoul-friend

What did one toilet say to the other?

  • You look flushed

What kind of shoes do spies wear?

  • Sneakers

What gets wet while drying?

  • A towel

How much does it cost a pirate to get ears pierced?

  • A buck an ear

Help Stamp out and Abolish Redundancy

What word becomes shorter when you add 2 letters to it?

  • Short
Image may contain: text that says 'MELON COLLIE?'

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Engaging Families

I was recently reading the July/August, 2020 issue of “Science and Children,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the Editor’s Note column “Engaging Families”  written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.

During the pandemic, she attended quite a few professional development opportunities.  She has had three essential takeaways:

  1.  Access and equity
  2.  Social-emotional sensitivities
  3.  Sensemaking and other 21st century skills

Reports from the Front Lines

Advisory:

Pointless Inventions

https://thehustle.co/the-man-who-has-created-100-pointless-inventions/#annotations:pND60uC9EeqWehs22aPFjA

Inspirational Quotes

https://www.lifehack.org/882953/overcoming-challenges-quotes

The Twitterverse

Bill Ferriter @plugusin

Remember that quick @Flipgrid activity I shared with y’all last week? The private Introduction Video that I asked students to make with 3 facts about them, 2 questions for me and 1 clear pronunciation of their name? Here’s proof that it was totally worth the time.

Image

Tamarindtree  @tamarindtree2

When we launched in March, we were skeptical of having volunteers on a sustainable basis. But here we are, running an Orientation every week engaging with folks who want to teach online, create content – help bridge the learning divde. Join! https://tamarindtree.org/main/index.php/our-volunteer-programme/

Mark Moran @markemoran

Imagine searching a history topic on Google and then clicking a filter to eliminate the [worthless] results. It would be just like doing a search on SweetSearch History. http://history.sweetsearch.com #satchat #sschat #historyteacher #HistoryMatters

R Graham Oliver: The Purpose of Education replied

Erin Harrington, emotional junior staffer @ladyhorrors

Had a terrible morning in the #NZHellhole. Visited a busy farmers market where the leeks were too big & I was nearly set upon by a vicious bichon frise. Drove through sea fog (designed to keep us trapped) and had ice cream for brunch bc cereal is rationed. Cried all the way home

R Graham Oliver: The Purpose of Education @rgrahamoliver

You know how we feel for you

Greg Perry @futurebehaviour

Following the success of the government’s recent slogans ie Stay Home, Stay Safe and Eat Out to Help Out, here are some new suggestions: Go swimming, Stay Dry Drink Booze, Stay Sober Avoid the Wind, Fly Kites

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

How Do We Know When Kids Understand?

https://robertkaplinsky.com/know-kids-understand/#annotations:9keyRuDEEeqmnLvAa86dUA

22 Tips for Online Instruction

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2020/08/twenty_tips_for_online_instruction.html

Resources:

Open Education Resource:  Open Textbooks for Hong Kong

http://www.opentextbooks.org.hk/

The Noun Project

The use of visual aids in education has proven vital for classrooms since time immemorial, from preschool through senior year.

learners absorb information more easily — and can better retrieve it later on — when they’re given both verbal and visual cues to “encode” a concept in their minds.

https://blog.thenounproject.com/free-resources-for-teachers-a6a1e32351e6#annotations:a9ZUeOMIEeqMFFtpTxxVPQ

Math Tutorials

LOTS of videos.

http://patrickjmt.com/#annotations:C5bV9OAXEeq6KBc_dKvVDw

Web Spotlight:  

U.S. Billionaire Wealth Surged During The Pandemic

U.S. billionaires saw their wealth surge 20 percent since the start of the pandemic according to an analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness. Between March 18 and June 17, the total net worth of 643 American billionaires increased from $2.9 trillion to $3.5 trillion while a further 29 individuals joined the club. While their collective wealth grew by $584 billion, some 45.5 million Americans filed for unemployment.

https://www.statista.com/chart/22068/change-in-wealth-of-billionaires-during-pandemic/#annotations:GR6DROKREeqHly8iFRFHqQ

Do We Still Believe?

AMLE article by Jack Bereckemeyer

  1. Teaming
  2. Advisory
  3. Flexible block schedule
  4. Offering of a variety of exploratory or essentials classes
  5. Various forms of assessments
  6. Educators who are trained to teach this age group
  7. Empowerment of students in their learning
  8. Comprehensive guidance programs
  9. Ongoing professional development that reflects best middle level practices
  10. Students and teachers who are actively engaged in the classroom

http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet.aspx?ArtMID=888&ArticleID=384

Native Land

Native Land

What Will Middle Schoolers Need When School Reopens?

http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/1171/What-Will-Middle-Schoolers-Need-When-School-Reopens.aspx#annotations:waTQbOC8Eeq5tuunF0NO0A

Name Shoutouts 

https://www.nameshouts.com/#annotations:DkXNmt_cEeqrBU9SJzh_4g

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download