MSM 194: Para What? Para Dice? Para Pants?

Jokes You Can Use:

Customer: This food isn’t fit for a pig.
Waiter: I’m sorry. I’ll bring you some that is.

PARAPROSDOKIANS: (Winston Churchill loved them.)
Here is the definition:
“Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation.”
“Where there’s a will, I want to be in it,” is a type of Paraprosdokian.

– A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.
– Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, ‘In case of emergency, notify:’ I put ‘DOCTOR.’
– You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

On Our Mind:

“The ‘Good’ Kids Are Compliant, The ‘Bad’ Kids Are Defiant, And Nobody Is Engaged”
(Daniel Pink via http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/superintendent/bookclub.aspx )

Eileen Award:

• Anabelle Maillard Morgan
• Jamie Cruikshank
• Congrats to Todd Williamson on his new position as Head Techie in his school district!

Advisory:

Touching “Arigato” (Thank You) Video From Japan

(via Larry Ferlazzo)
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/02/12/touching-arigato-thank-you-video-from-japan/
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SS-sWdAQsYg

MistakeVille

Try the Job Interviews gone wrong.
http://www.mistakeville.com/

Middle School Science Minute

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

Transforming Field Trips
This middle school science minute is about transforming field trips. In the January, 2012 issue of Science Scope (NSTA publication) Rebecca Morris wrote an article entitled, “Transforming a Field Trip Into an Expedition: Supporting Active Research and Science Content Through a Museum Visit.”  Rebecca shares the methods that she used with her 6th grade students.  She developed the museum field trip into a short-term, active research project assignment.

From the Twitterverse:

News:

Common Core Standards and Impact on Achievement

“A final word on what to expect in the next few years as the development of assessments tied to the Common Core unfolds. The debate is sure to grow in intensity. It is about big ideas—curriculum and federalism. Heated controversies about the best approaches to teaching reading and math have sprung up repeatedly over the past century.18 The proper role of the federal government, states, local districts, and schools in deciding key educational questions, especially in deciding what should be taught, remains a longstanding point of dispute. In addition, as NCLB illustrates, standards with real consequences are most popular when they are first proposed. Their popularity steadily declines from there, reaching a nadir when tests are given and consequences kick in. Just as the glow of consensus surrounding NCLB faded after a few years, cracks are now appearing in the wall of support for the Common Core.
Don’t let the ferocity of the oncoming debate fool you. The empirical evidence suggests that the Common Core will have little effect on American students’ achievement. The nation will have to look elsewhere for ways to improve its schools.”
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2012/0216_brown_education_loveless/0216_brown_education_loveless.pdf

The Opportunity Cost in Education

What does “paperwork” cost to a school district?
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2012/02/count-opportunity-cost-of-teacher-tasks.html

Resources:

Quadratic Equations – The Main Ideas

To help pupils see the bigger picture in topics I have decided to experiment with some conceptual card sorts. I worry sometimes that pupils just learn methods and can’t see the links between them. Teachers I know encourage their pupils to ‘build a map’ in their minds of topics and ideas so that when they are faced with a maths problem they can ‘navigate’ to the correct section of their mind map and start using the skills they know. I love this idea but do think it is a perhaps a bit too challenging to ask pupils to do this with no support. My aim in producing the conceptual card sorts it to help pupils in their categorisation and organisation of maths concepts in their minds.
http://www.greatmathsteachingideas.com/2012/02/16/quadratic-equations-the-main-ideas-a-card-sort-to-support-conceptual-understanding/

Mission US

Mission US is a multimedia project that immerses players in U.S. history content through free interactive games.
Mission 1: “For Crown or Colony?” puts players in the shoes of Nat Wheeler, a printer’s apprentice in 1770 Boston. They encounter both Patriots and Loyalists, and when rising tensions result in the Boston Massacre, they must choose where their loyalties lie.
In Mission 2: “Flight to Freedom,” players take on the role of Lucy, a 14-year-old slave in Kentucky.  As they navigate her escape and journey  to Ohio, they discover that life in the “free” North is dangerous and difficult. In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act brings disaster. Will Lucy ever truly be free?
Other missions are planned for release in 2013 and 2014.
Join the conversation and get updates about Mission US on Facebook and Twitter.  For more information, visit the Help page.  To share your feedback, email us via the contact form on this site. Thanks for playing!
http://www.mission-us.org/

Web Spotlight:

Microsoft Partners in Learning Apply today US Forum

The US Forum is a celebration of innovative teaching practices and innovative schools. It is a unique experience open to all K–12 U.S. educators and school leaders to share what they’re doing in the classroom, exchange ideas and collaborate to inspire their professional practice.
How to Apply:
If you are an innovative educator, we would love for you to share your ideas! Simply click “apply to the forum” below and complete the application. The application will allow us to understand a little more about your school, classroom, and how you are impacting students.
https://www.facebook.com/partnersinlearning?sk=app_368381589844161

Strategies:

What’s Your Story

Welcome to the third annual What’s Your Story? video contest from Trend Micro. With so many amazing submissions in years past, we can’t wait to see what inspiring, informative and original videos you create this year!
What’s it all about? Sharing photos, downloading music, texting, doing schoolwork, keeping in touch with friends — with more people spending more time online, it’s more important than ever to know how to do it safely and responsibly.
That’s why you’re invited to join our contest. Submit and share a short video to help others stay safe, smart and responsible online and you could win $10,000, or other cash prizes.

What’s the deal?

Prizes: One $10,000 USD grand prize; six cash category prizes (three awarded to schools per entry category and three awarded to individuals per entry category). Prizes are in US Dollars or equivalent in Canadian Dollars at contest closing date.
Deadline: Upload by 11:59:59 PM US Pacific Time on April 3, 2012
Content: Your video must address one of these topics:

• Take action against bullying
• Keep a good rep online
• Be cell smart

Eligibility: All residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) and the US, 13 years of age and older.

http://whatsyourstory.trendmicro.com/internet-safety/Home.do

National Archives Digital Experience

Create Posters, Videos and/or Pathways revolving around the material in the National Archives. Easy to use.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/02/create-videos-and-posters-on-us.html
http://www.digitalvaults.org/#/create/

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

Ohio Middle Level Association:

• The Ohio Middle Level Association will hold their annual conference.

• OMLA Registration Form
• OMLA Presentation Proposal Form

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:

• The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Annual Conference is coming up March 2012 in Warren Woods, MI.  
• MAMSE Exhibitor Form
• MAMSE Registration Form

• MAMSE Presentation Form
• MAMSE Conference Program Book (2011)
• The North Carolina Middle School Association’s Annual Conference March 13-15, 2012
• Conference Brochure  
• Presenter’s Application
• Who They Are . . .
• This year’s sessions . . .

Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

• Classroom 2.0’s Ning Blog: Archived content is available.