MSM 480: Now when you hear the creaking, it’s just my bones!

Jokes:  


What is muffins spelled backwards? 

  • What you do when the muffins come out of the oven


I attempted to exercise this morning.

  • Didn’t work out

So I ate some Skinny pop, that didn’t work out either.


How do you fix a broken pumpkin?

  • With a pumpkin patch


There once was a king who was only 12 inches tall. 

  • He was a horrible king, but a great ruler. 

I tripped on a snare drum and hit my head.

  • I may have a percussion

Kid runs in the room, “I mustache ask you a question, but I’ll shave it for later”


How does Mr. Miyagi eat his Babybel?

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Citizen Scientists

 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 “Methods and Strategies “ column written by Meredith Hayes, P. Sean Smith, and W. Robert Midden.  Their article was entitled “Students as Citizen Scientists.”

Citizen Science involves individuals who are not professional scientists in authentic scientific endeavors, typically in collaboration with or supervised by professional scientists or scientific institutions.  

Increasingly, Citizen Science is making its way into schools and into science classes in particular.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Classroom culture:  establishing patterns and rhythms in the schedule.  
  • “Hi Mr. McGirr!  I’m in class from . . . “
    • On my way to Mt. Rushmore!  
    • The back seat of our new family car!  
  • Google Meet 
    • Student Interlopers
      • Students being able to keep the teacher from hearing their conversations in class.  
    • These kids have bonded, They are my kids.
    • From learning to scroll to advanced features
    • Kids being used to what is happening – moderating their own learning
    • H5P
      • Dictation
    • Talk to the Kids – online vs in room
      • Pragmatics

    The Twitterverse

    MBL @skiandsurf1964

    Ss did research on the French and Indian War and completed this activity “Caption This”. Impressed with Ss creativity, some blended both humor & history. This S took it to another level and wrote in French.  

    Fixing Education  @FixingEducation

    Maybe we should have potato chip companies determine class sizes in classrooms.

    Image

    Rjoseph852 @rjoseph852·Oct 7

    Let’s reach and teach, not test! The Lost Year Fallacy https://teacherinastrangeland.blog/2020/10/07/the-lost-year-fallacy/… via @nancyflanagan @pepinosuave @blocht574 @pr05bps @pamlpugh   

    @casandraulbrich @ncte @mieducation @BirminghamPS @TheJLV

    https://t.co/bLGHSUwBAI?amp=1

    Resources:

    Together, Apart, and “Among Us” 

    What it is: Among Us, a 2018 murder mystery game set in space, is attracting millions of new players.

    Why it’s lonely quaranteen bait: Among Us didn’t get a lot of buzz in the US when it was first released, but was featured recently by a few prominent Twitch gamers and is now experiencing a meteoric surge in popularity. The premise of Among Us is similar to any “murder mystery”: Players have to find a randomly assigned “killer,” while the “killer” (who is also a player) bluffs their way out of being found out. The game is rated “E” and none of the “murdery” elements are very graphic in nature, but the game is suspenseful and intense as players test their skills of strategy and social awareness. With teens missing complex peer interactions, it makes sense that this game hits a bit different in 2020. And with a promised sequel now canceled to focus on improving the existing gameplay, more teens will probably be hopping on soon.  – From The Culture Translator – Axis.org  

    Online Thinking Routines

    Project Zero at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education has created a collection of Core Thinking Routines as part of their Visible Thinking Project. 

    https://catlintucker.com/2020/09/online-learning-thinking-routines/

    Web Spotlight:  

    These Are Words Scholars Should No Longer Use to Describe Slavery and the Civil War

    Let’s face it: a new generation of scholarship has changed the way we understand American history, particularly slavery, capitalism, and the Civil War. Our language should change as well. 

    We no longer call the Civil War “The War Between the States,” nor do we refer to women’s rights activists as “suffragettes,” nor do we call African-Americans “Negroes.” Language has changed before, and I propose that it should change again.

     …he rejects “plantations” (a term pregnant with false memory and romantic myths) in favor of “labor camps”; instead of “slave-owners” (which seems to legitimate and rationalize the ownership of human beings), he uses “enslavers.”

     Specifically, let us drop the word “Union” when describing the United States side of the conflagration, as in “Union troops” versus “Confederate troops.” Instead of “Union,” we should say “United States.” By employing “Union” instead of “United States,” we are indirectly supporting the Confederate view of secession wherein the nation of the United States collapsed, having been built on a “sandy foundation” (according to rebel Vice President Alexander Stephens).

     The dichotomy of “Union v. Confederacy” is no longer acceptable language; its usage lends credibility to the Confederate experiment and undermines the legitimacy of the United States as a political entity. The United States of America fought a brutal war against a highly organized and fiercely determined rebellion – it did not stop functioning or morph into something different. We can continue to debate the nature and existence of Confederate “nationalism,” but that discussion should not affect how we label the United States during the war.

    http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/160266

    Random Thoughts . . .  

    Personal Web Site   

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