MSM 212: ISTE Redux, Redux (or Take 2!)

AMLE Feature: Scheduling

Scheduling:
Key Principles:

• There are two drivers to the schedule: bus and lunch.
• Everything else can be adjusted. Don’t be locked into “this is how we’ve always done it”.
• Decide what you want to “solve”. There is no perfect schedule.
• Look at multiple days.

Prep for teachers to move to a new schedule?
Routine?

AMLE Resource:

1. http://www.amle.org/Publications/OnTarget/BlockScheduling/tabid/296/Default.aspx
2. http://www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/On_Target/scheduling/scheduling_5.pdf
3. Research Rationale:  http://www.amle.org/Research/ResearchSummaries/FlexibleScheduling/tabid/1140/Default.aspx

Can’t access some of the articles on AMLE?  Become a member!
Contact:  middleschooleducators@gmail.com

Jokes You Can Use:

Puns:

• How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.
• I changed my iPod’s name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.
• I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.

Middle School Chemistry Theme Song (this one’s for Dave):

• Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Batman!

On Our Mind:

Highland Park Public Schools Sued:  

http://t.co/UylIRygp

81,904 4th graders (note: number is the entire state of MI, not just Highland Park) still not proficient in Reading.  (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012)

David Gornto- Nice work. Let us know how the kids react.

Thought about using Google Docs for your script then copy/paste into your blog as a transcript?  Up for screencasting like Camtasia?  Me either.  Not yet.

Eileen Award:

• Scoopit:  Jennifer Mangler
• Twitter:  Valia Reinsalu, Pora Ora,
• Facebook:  Jennifer McAvoy-Anteau (liked a link on FB)
• iTunes:

Advisory:

The 11 Ways That Consumers Are Hopeless at Math

This is your brain on shopping, and it’s not very smart.
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/07/the-11-ways-that-consumers-are-hopeless-at-math/259479/

Middle School Science Minute

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

The Summer, 2012 edition of Science Scope, a magazine for middle school science teachers produced by the National Science Teachers Association, featured an article entitled “Book Your Summer Vacation.”  The article was written by Juliana Texley.  In this podcast, three books from the article are featured.  They include:
Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology, by David B. Williams
The Visitor’s Guide to American Gardens, by Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Concrete Planet, by Robert Courland
All of the books can be found at:
http://nsta.org/store

From the Twitterverse:

ISTE:

iPad Flipped Classroom:
Troy’s notes from ISTE.

Half-Baked Idea:

A “school only” cell phone
Ingredients:
1.  Cheap cell phone (www.pandawill.com & cheapest available at this posting:  F8 Quad Band Phone Dual SIM)
2.  Google phone number and app
3.  Optional:  Pay-As-You-Go card (H20)  

Web Spotlight:

Homograph/Homophone Venn Diagram

If, like me, you have difficulty remembering the difference between homophones,homographs, homonyms, heterographs, and heteronyms, you should find this WikipediaVenn diagram useful.
http://www.englishblog.com/2012/07/homographhomophone-venn-diagram.html

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.