MSM 462: Hokie Pokie School Entry

MSM 462: Hokie Pokie School Entry

/ , /

Jokes:

Due to the quarantine, I’ll only be telling inside jokes. 

I don’t want to brag, but I finished a jigsaw puzzle in a week. It said  “2-4 years” on the box. 

What do you call a group of men waiting for a haircut?

  • A barbercue.

My landlord wants to talk to me about how high my heating bill is. 

  • I told him “my door is always open”

An elderly couple was in church. The wife turns to her husband and whispers, “I’ve just let out one of those silent farts, what do I do”?

The husband replied, “Change the battery in your hearing aid”. 

A priest, a minister, and a rabbit walk into a blood bank. 

  • The rabbit says, “I think I might be a type o”.

I told my wife to she should embrace her mistakes.

  • She gave me a hug. 

I dig

You dig

He digs

She digs

We dig

They dig. 

*It’s not a long poem, but it is deep. 

A friend went to a for a job interview. He was offered a glass of water. He filled it until it overflowed a bit. 

The interviewer asked if he was nervous. 

He replied “Nope, I always give 110%. 

As part of the interview, he was told that at the start, he would earn $35,000: later that would increase to $55,000. 

He said, “Ok, I’ll come back later”. 

I’m really looking forward to 2033. That will be the beginnings of the quaranteens. 

I bought my friends an elephant for their room. 

They said “Thanks”. 

I said, “Don’t mention it”. 

My friend keeps saying “cheer up man, it could be worse. You could be stuck underground in a hole full of water.

  • I know he means well. 

Finland has closed their borders. 

  • No one will be crossing the Finnish line. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Unique or Identical

I was recently reading the March, 2020 issue of “The Science Teacher,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

 In this issue, I read the Focus on Physics column “Being Unique or Being Identical,”  written by Paul G. Hewitt.

He discusses the Macro World and the SubAtomic World.  Being unique is common in the Macro World.  Being identical is common in the SubAtomic World.  He then goes on to use leaves, faces and ladybugs as examples.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Mass Technology Rollouts.  
    • Meeting Middle Schoolers Needs
  • Planning for next year
  • Ideas for holding a Zoom (or other App) COVID-19 Scavenger Hunt!  

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity

I recommend students read their online textbooks with a yellow background to re-create the experience of using a highlighter to mark every word they see.

Michigan History Day

Be there or be square! Or watch the recording later, squares are cool. Live stream starts at 3! http://youtube.com/watch?v=IgapZ_1_QMQ… #mihistoryday2020

Mark Ryan

Welcome back to school

Welcome back to school:  https://twitter.com/i/status/1259074269516095488  

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.

Resources:

Jim Henson on Making Puppets

Jim Henson and Muppeteers show kids how to make puppets from simple things like socks. This video aired on Public Television in 1969, prior to Sesame Street, on Iowa Public Television’s “Volume See” kids’ show. 

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 461: Well, that was untimely…

MSM 461: Well, that was untimely…

/ , /

Jokes:

Never climb into a deep vat of curdled milk. 

  • You’ll be in whey over your head.

What do you say to your sister when she is crying?

  • Hey, are you having a crisis?

Thought for the day: Can you buy chickens on the layaway plan?

I used to be a baby, then I grew out of it. 

I really, really don’t like Russian dolls.

  • They are so full of themselves

Where do they build Robot noses?

  • The Ol’Factory

Why is the alphabet so terrifying?

  • A bee sea….

My Czech Mate is surprisingly bad at chess.

Did you hear about Jamie who was arrested. 

Jamie: “I’m not saying a word without my lawyer present”. 

The officer said: “You’re a lawyer.”

Jamie: “Right. Where’s my present?”

You know what makes me smile?

  • Facial muscles.

I have a friend with a Parrot and an Alexa. All day the parrot keeps asking Alexa to play “Free bird”. 

Here’s hoping Elon Musk doesn’t become a politician and get involved in a scandal. 

  • Elon- gate would be really drawn out

Why is Spring the favorite season of trees? 

  • After a long winter, trees are releafed. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Mindful Modeling

I was recently reading the March, 2020 issue of “Science & Children,” a publication published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

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

She discusses bringing the practice of Developing and Using Models into our classrooms as a communication tool for developing and revealing student thinking.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Educational Disruption:  
    • Increasing value of Instructional Tech Coaches?  
    • Future scheduling
    • Constructs for “Classrooms”
  • Guidelines for Using Zoom with students
    • District level suggestions
    • Teacher level suggestions
  • Alternatives to using Zoom?  Viable alternatives?  
  • Bring back letter writing!  
    • 116 handwritten, hand-addressed postcards . . . keeping connected in COVID-19.  
    • Cursive enthusiasts of the world, unite!  
  • What kind of PD do teachers need based on where this could take us going into 2021 and 2022?  
  • Challenge to our listeners – 
    • Ideas for holding a Zoom (or other App) COVID-19 Scavenger Hunt!  
  • Discipline online
  • Security of Accounts
  • Parent Supports

The Twitterverse

Monte Tatom, Ed.D.@drmmtatom

Via @E_Sheninger

~ 8 Fantastic Considerations for Leading Remote Learning ~ https://twitter.com/drmmtatom/status/1252724726901989384

@hcu_dot_edu @DebbieWiles50 @Frideswidel @CounselorTatom

Maria Pickering  @PickeringM42

So many ways to record yourself and your screen for teaching online…Check out this list of options and instructional resources on Wakelet – Video Options for Teaching Online #Covid19 #teachingonline #onlineteachingtools #edtech https://wke.lt/w/s/UCD9ft via

@wakelet

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.

Resources:

Our American Voices:  Citizenship Choice Board #2

Students make choices on a board that demonstrate four different American values.  

https://bit.ly/3434UASic_OAV_Choice_board2

Web Spotlight:  

April 24, Remembering the Armenian Genocide  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 460: Zoom on in and say “Hi” in mandarin.

MSM 460: Zoom on in and say “Hi” in mandarin.

/ , /

Jokes:

Sasquatch is disrespected by people who question his existence. 

  • Yeti never complains

Why did the old woman buy a single roller skate?

  • She wanted a mobile home.

I was attacked by 1,3,5,7, and 9.

  • The odds were against me.

Did you hear about the new metal band. All their songs about people who criticize them while pretending to be their friends. 

  • The Band is “Back Stabbath”

Here’s a corny one:

What happens when you sing in the shower and get shampoo in your mouth?

  • It becomes a soap opera
  • *It’s important to note that if you want to be Suave, you need to have a bit of Finesse and keep your Head & Shoulders in the game. Don’t foam at the mouth (that could cause a slip of the tongue). 

If anyone gets some canned meat delivered with their groceries, don’t open it. 

  • It’s Spam

With baseball on hiatus, they are trying baseball with Turkeys vs Ducks. 

  • There’s a lot of fowl play

A friend told me an anecdote about touching an electric fence. 

  • It was a short story, but it had a good arc.

How does Spider-Man think of such witty comebacks?

  • Because with great power comes great response-ability

What did the pirate say on his birthday following his 79th?

  • Aye Matey!

Status Update:

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Executive Functioning

I was recently reading the March, 2020 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication for middle school teachers, published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the column “The Forgotten Factor: Executive Functioning and Success in the Classroom,”  written by Kaitlyn McGlynn and Janey Kelly.

Executive functioning skills are the skills that encompass our mental control and self-regulation and are controlled by the frontal lobe of the brain.

The Twitterverse

Dave Schmittou EdD  @daveschmittou

I would love your help with this. I am hoping to collect data on 500 assistant principals. If you are an AP, would u be willing to take 3 minutes to complete this survey? For everyone else, can u tag an assistant principal you know? I appreciate you!

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

In honor of International Haiku Day: 

Think teaching is easy? 

How’s learning at home going? 

Sorry is a tough word.

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.

Resources:

Stuff You Need:  The Social Distancing Badge

Get this innovative accessory to your school ID badge!

Stuff You Need:  1350 – Music for a Plague  

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/falsobordone/1350-music-for-a-plague?ref=user_menu

SEL Resources from Dr. John Spencer

Grab his original graphics for engaging starter topics for your Zoom meetings with students.  Catch him on Instagram where he posts quick writing or speaking activities to do with your students in a Zoom meeting.  

https://www.instagram.com/spencereducation/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 459: Hey parents! BeatBox your way to happiness!

MSM 459: Hey parents! BeatBox your way to happiness!

/ , /

Jokes:

What kind of music does the Easter Bunny like?

  • Hip hop

What do you call an anesthetized rabbit?

  • The Ether Bunny

For Christmas, I bought my wife beads from an abacus.

  • It’s the little things that count

What’s one good thing about a bad haircut?

  • It grows on you

I think I made a mistake. I clicked on “Start Your Free Trial” and now I’ve been convicted of theft. 

If you’ve ever seen pictures of Mount Rushmore before the carvings, you know that its beauty was unpresidented. 

What did one cell say to his sister cell that stepped on his foot?

  • mitosis

Why don’t eggs tell each other jokes? 

  • They are afraid to get cracked up.

Status Update:

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Grasping The Concepts

I was recently reading the April, 2020 issue of “NSTA Reports,” a publication published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the advice column “Ask A Mentor,”  written by Sharon Delesbore. A teacher in New York asked the following question: “As I continue to teach my science class, I often wonder throughout my unit if the students are really grasping the concepts.  How do I know my students are getting it?” Listen in as Sharon provides a great answer to this question.

The Twitterverse

Andrea Sherman  @Ed_Stories

“Remind your students that they are creating a primary source – documentation of what one student was thinking in March of 2020 during the global pandemic. Now we are all a part of history.”  @USHistoryIdeas @middleweb https://middleweb.com/42521/kids-jou  Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  

Bob Harrison  @R_O_Harrison

The @H5PTechnology Essay activity is exactly what I’ve been looking for for years! Great way to automate feedback on a free response based on key words—the presence or absence of. Just absolutely outstanding!!

Image

TeacherGoals  @teachergoals

Yong Zhao, Ph.D  @YongZhaoEd

Tomorrow (Sat 5:30pm EDT) live Ep4 #silverliningforlearning Using COL and Cool Open Education Resources hosted by  @punyamishra  @travelinedman  @chrs_dede  @mcleod

with guests from Commonwealth of Learning https://silverliningforlearning.org/category/video

Getty@GettyMuseum

We challenge you to recreate a work of art with objects (and people) in your home.

  • Choose your favorite artwork
  • Find three things lying around your house⠀
  • Recreate the artwork with those items 

And share with us.

https://www.getty.edu/art/

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.

Resources:

Beat Boxing

2005 Female World Beatbox Champion Butterscotch explains the art of beatboxing in 13 levels of difficulty. Starting with just the bass drum, Butterscotch layers more and more vocal drums and instruments on top of each other until she starts adding real, live instruments as well.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 458: An Interview with Bob! (That’s Me!)

/ , /

Jokes:

Why is everyone so tired at the beginning of April?

  • Just finished a 31 day march

What do you call a bear with no teeth?

  • A gummy bear

Hey, did you hear that they are banning the fifth month of the year?

  • Everyone is dismayed.

If you think Thursdays are depressing, wait two days.

  • It will be a sadder day

I saw a Delorean for sale. 

  • Good shape, low mileage. 
  • Yep, it was only driven from time to time.

What’s the fastest liquid on earth?

  • Milk

I’m a kleptomaniac.

  • Don’t worry though, I’m taking something for it. 

People said the I’d never get over my obsession with Phil Collins.

  • Sussidio,  Against All Odds, Take a Look at Me Now

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Journaling Outdoors

“Journals provide a non-threatening place to explore learning, emotions, daily events, and language through writing.”  This statement is provided by Eva Varga, in her blog “Integrating Writing with Middle School Students.  

Journals can take many forms.  Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources provide a nature journal lesson for grades 6-8 on its “Natural and Historical Education Resources for Home” website,  which can be found at:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/MS_HS_Journaling_Outdoors_684892_7.pdf

An example of a journal starter:

Compare two natural objects.  How are they different besides size? How are they alike? What do they resemble?

Interview:  Transitioning to LMS Based Learning – An Interview with Mr. Bob Harrison

Twitter: @R_O_Harrison

Introductions & Foundational Knowledge

Topic 1:  LMS Based Learning

Topic 2:  Pedagogy

  Differentiation

  • More efficient than working on one’s own.  
  • Teacher efficiency
  • Student efficiency
  • Use of teacher time  

Feedback based on the choices students make.  

Automating some of the tasks to free up time for prepping for the next student activity.  

Providing feedback for student work with immediacy.  

Enrichment vs. Taking Grades and Student Engagement

  • Motivating students beyond doing it “just for grades”
  • Using Badges  
    • Set Criteria
    • Arrange for multiple attempts at success  
    • Shifts learning from “just getting grades” to the importance of feedback in learning.  
    • Useful feedback.  
    • Emotional attachment
    • Useful data for the teacher to see student completion and rates of success.
  • Creates a sense of “normality.”  
  • Shifting from “Enrichment” to “Assessment”
  • Course Collaboration – the Network is Smarter than the Node.
  • Shared resources in a course
    • Discussions on student success within the LMS.  
      • Blind Grading
      • Sharing Strategies/Skills in the PLN.  

Strategies

  • Discussion Forums
    • Creates a sense of community in learning
  • Virtual Lessons
    • A progression of pages with formative assessment interspersed.  
  • Interactive Videos
    • H5P plug-in to insert prompts in the video.  
  • Print outs
    • Concept map, illustration
    • Alternative – use the drawing in Google Draw to illustrate the item.
  • Quizzes
    • Bank of questions
    • Randomized assessment
    • Another way to give feedback
    • Share grading with PLC
  • Big Blue Button
    • Video Conferencing – Not every teacher has to be on.  Share content delivery.  
  • Blind Grading  

Meeting Student Needs

Asynchronous learning meeting teen sleeping/waking schedules.

Using Google Classroom

  • It is a good beginning.  
  • Understand what the tool does

Returning to Blended Model

  • How has this changed your approach?  
    • Challenging educational philosophy
    • Opportunities for reflection 
      • Pedagogy – What does/should teaching look like?  
      • Student expectations
    • Building a library of content – useful for more than just “now.”  
      • Intervention strategy
      • Alternate teaching strategy
      • Student absence/ISS 

Closing:  Troy & Bob

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 457: WeChat, er, Video Conference, How about you?

/ , /

Jokes:

Someone told me it takes 5 sheep to make a sweater. 

  • I didn’t even know that they could crochet.

I think I made a mistake. I put my dryer on spin. I asked why it lost one sock:

  • “I didn’t lose your sock so much as I provided you an opportunity to stimulate the economy.” 

I’ve started investing in stocks: chicken, beef, vegetable

  • One day I hope to be a bouillonaire.

I got into a fight with a fellow stamp collector. 

  • There was no clear winner. We both got some pretty good licks in. 

What kind of lights were on Noah’s ark?

  • Floodlights

I used to think that I was indecisive. 

  • Now, I’m not so sure. 

I, for one, like Roman numerals. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: From STEM to STEAM

I was recently reading the March, 2020 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk” section and the title of the article, within the section was “From STEM to STEAM” written by Patty McGinnis. 

The article describes how her school’s annual career day has morphed from STEM to STEAM.

Resources:

Video Conferencing:

  • Comfort
  • Security
  • Whole Group vs Individual

Web Spotlight:  

Future

Natural disaster plus government botch job equals the board being swept clean, allowing players a golden opportunity to move in and clean up.

But while some folks may view this shutdown as a philosophical opportunity, for some it’s all about the investment opportunities. Like Katrina’s aftermath, vulture capitalism at its finest.

http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-ed-tech-vultures-circle.html

The Twitterverse

Greg Wolcott  @GregJWolcott

TEACHERS:1000’s of you work in schools that have been canceled in the upcoming weeks. Make it UR goal to either call every kid & say hi or write them a letter, telling them what you appreciate about them, recognize the strengths they bring to your classroom! #Significant72  

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

A number of schools are closing in order to do a “deep cleaning“ of the buildings. Normally, this might take a day to do, but thanks to all of the budget cuts throughout the years, it will take weeks with the two people each has remaining.  

Yo-Yo Ma  @YoYo_Ma

In these days of anxiety, I wanted to find a way to continue to share some of the music that gives me comfort. The first of my #SongsOfComfort: Dvořák – “Going Home” Stay safe.

Leonardo Carella@leonardocarella

Italians in lockdown all over Italy are keeping each other company by singing, dancing and playing music from the balconies. A thread to celebrate the resilience of ordinary people. This is Salerno:

See also this BBC Report:  https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-51886547/coronavirus-italians-sing-from-their-windows-to-boost-morale  

TeacherGoals@teachergoals

It’s been a week to remember

Ms S. Scanlon @ShaunaScanlon10

When your white board is at school. Sometimes the most simple ideas are simply the best. This really made me smile  @Colaistebride

Dave Schmittou EdD  @daveschmittou

If you are a current assistant principal/vice principal, I would love your help. I am doing some research on your importance to your school. Do you mind completing this one minute survey? https://forms.gle/tKXtWdv9cnEp7gYW8

Please share! #leadlap #LeadUpChat #PIAchat   https://t.co/xAxuHBPjVQ?amp=1  

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  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:  

Student Journals Could Be Primary Sources – So Write!

David McCullough, in one of his interviews on CSPAN, talks about the importance of daily writings he had access to to write his books.  If you want to influence the future, write things on paper now is essentially his advice to young people today because when the servers turn off, there goes the primary sources.  This article from MiddleWeb has some suggestions for turning your students’ journaling into the future primary sources for historians and educators.

Students’ Journals Could Be ‘Primary Sources’

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 456: 123….Not the MAMSE Edition, It’s not another bumper

/ , /

Jokes:

A friend stole the punctuation keys from a judge’s keyboard.

  • He’s expecting a long sentence.

I signed up for a Prophecy Class, but I’m not sure that it is a good idea. 

  • The first class was canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances”

My procrastinator’s group has been moved to next week by unanimous request.

I went to a very emotional wedding. 

  • Even the cake was in tiers.

My wife called me at work and asked, “Do you ever get a shooting pain across your body, like someone’s got a voodoo doll of you and they’re stabbing it?”

Sounding concerned, I replied, “No…”

She responded, “How about now?”

Eileen Award:  

  • iTunes:  tech.teacher

Advisory:

How Germs Spread Video

Courtesy M. Sweeten

https://www.buzzfeed.com/christopherhudspeth/this-youtubers-video-showing-how-easily-germs-spread-is

Check in with your students using Google Forms

Here’s a quick Google form to check in with your students on how they’re doing and about what kind of technology they have available for you to use with them in remote learning.  

School Closure Check-in with Google Forms

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Best STEM Books

I was recently reading the March, 2020 issue of “Science Teacher,” a magazine published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the article “Best STEM Books.”  The books that appear in the list were chosen by a review panel made up of educators and other subject-area experts, all appointed by the National Science Teaching Association, and the Children’s Book Council.

They selected three books that are appropriate for grade 6-8 students.  The list includes:

“How to Become an Accidental Genius” by Elizabeth MacLeod and Frieda Wishinsky

“Save the Crash-test Dummies” by Jennifer Swanson

“Saving the Tasmanian Devil, How Science is Helping the World’s Largest Marsupial Carnivore Survive” by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

COVID-19 Follow Up

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 455: The Viral Edition

/ , /

Jokes:

Scientifically, a raven has 17 primary wing feathers, the big feathers at the end. These are pinion feathers. A crow has 16. Know what that means? 

  • The difference between a crow and a raven is a matter of a pinion.

Hey, I was wandering through the grocery store and found some soup in the freezer. 

  • Should I just let it go?

I recently took a pole. 

  • Turns out 100% of the people were upset when their tent collapsed.

Turns out that you can’t speak poorly of aircraft. 

  • It is plane offensive.

Taking notes around text in a book is marginal at best. 

Image may contain: 4 people, people sitting, table and indoor, possible text that says 'The Eagles were right We are all just prisoners here of our own device!'

Current Situation:

  • Team 
    • Classes
    • Badges
    • Feedback (Images & GIFs)
    • Enrollment
    • Special Ed
    • Messaging through Moodle
    • Affective questions through Forums/Assignments/Tips (Send positive social media posts)?
  • Remote Learning vs Online Learning
  • Moodle
    • Sharing Courses/material
    • Co-teaching
  • Training
  • Communication
  • “Free” stuff
  • Post emergency declarations

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Organizing for Student Success

I was recently reading the March, 2020 issue of “NSTA Reports,” a publication published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the article “Organizing for Student Success.”  Science educators responded to a recent informal NSTA Reports poll and they were nearly unanimous (94.3%) in reporting they incorporate organizational strategies in their science or STEM teaching.

Also in the article were survey reports on “late work,” as well as educators sharing their favorite strategies for helping students organize and prioritize their work.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 454: UGLY Gerry & There’s a Full Moon On the Rise

/ /

Jokes:

I have a friend who made a boat about the length and width of a hat. 

  • Now he’s afraid that it’s capsized.

Hey, did you hear about the husband who was out of town when his wife went into labor? He rushed to get the hospital as quickly as he could. He had the taxi driver speed. However, his wife had just given birth when he made it to the hospital. I guess you could say he was “Dad on arrival”. 

It’s a little disconcerting to set your GPS to the cemetery. It announces that “you have reached your final destination”. 

I tried to catch some fog the other day. 

  • Mist

I bought an old fashioned radio the other day. It was a great deal, only $1. The volume is stuck at Max. 

  • I can’t turn that down.

My friend put his kid in jail for not taking a nap. The charge?

  • Resisting a rest

Don’t be mad at lazy people

  • They didn’t do anything

Something to think about. It’s not surprising that people are prisoners of their phones.

  • After all, they are called “cell phones”

Advisory:

Handwashing

https://kottke.org/plus/misc/images/hand-washing-map.jpg

https://kottke.org/20/02/map-of-areas-most-often-missing-during-handwashing

Eye Test

https://kottke.org/plus/misc/images/mayerle-eye-test-chart.jpg

Sand Painting

UGLY Gerry

https://uglygerry.com/press/#annotations:w6Co1FwwEeqL0wdzCNLlJw

Living without Cell Phone

Welcome to Green Bank, population 143, where Wi-Fi is both unavailable and banned and where cellphone signals are nonexistent.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: When Making Do Is Not Good Enough

I was recently reading the February, 2020 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk” section and the title of the article, within the section was “When Making Do Is Not Good Enough,” written by Patty McGinnis. 

The article describes how our real focus in science education should be to convince our communities to wholeheartedly support science education.

From the Twitterverse:  

Yong Zhao, Ph.D @YongZhaoEd

Your input wanted: A thought experiment: What If Schools Are Closed for More than a Year Due to the New Coronavirus (COVID-19)?  http://zhaolearning.com/2020/02/27/what-if-schools-are-closed-for-more-than-a-year-due-to-the-new-coronavirus-covid-19/  

Nick Covington @CovingtonAHS

From @YongZhaoEd “What Works May Hurt” (2017): “…students in the direct instruction condition were initially more successful in solving well-structured problems. However…their performance on tasks that required deeper conceptual understandings was inferior…”

Solomon Yue  @SolomonYue

You must be kidding!!!

Quote Tweet

曾錚 Jennifer Zeng  @jenniferatntd

中共党媒认为在 #武汉肺炎 这个问题上， “是世界欠了中国的。” Mainland Chinese media demands an apology from the rest of the world for the sacrifice China has made for #coronavirus

Alfonso Mendoza Jr., M.Ed.  @TechTeacher1381

Check out Day 6 of our Chrome Extensions You Should Know  @wakelet

collection. Today we explore the TabCoud extension! Direct links are provided in the videos description on @YouTube.  http://bit.ly/39gl6ml #WakeletWave #WakeletCollection #WakeletAmbassador

Amber Mac  @ambermac

“DuckDuckGo (launched) Tracker Radar—an open-source, automatically generated & continually updated list that currently contains more than 5k domains that more than 1,700 companies use to track people online…. to create a better set of tracker blockers.”

Mike Flynn  @MikeFlynn55

I’m running free trainings on how to teach online for educators affected by the #coronavirus outbreak. The trainings will be recorded and shared with those who register in case you can’t attend a live session. Please help spread the word. Register: https://tinyurl.com/helpmeteachonline #MTBoS

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  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:  

SketchNoting vs MindMapping

Our discussion

Russian Multiplication

https://kottke.org/20/02/russian-multiplication-a-different-way-to-multiply

Resources:

Greeking Out!  Podcast 

This podcast is creatively written to catch your middle school social studies students’ attention.  

https://www.espn.com/espnradio/feeds/rss/podcast.xml?id=27807607

Smithsonian Dumps Images Online – Creative Commons Zero License

For the first time in its 174-year history, the Smithsonian has released 2.8 million high-resolution two- and three-dimensional images from across its collections onto an open access online platform for patrons to peruse and download free of charge.  

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/smithsonian-releases-28-million-images-public-domain-180974263/

https://www.si.edu/openaccess#annotations:XtlelFhFEeqn5Heh8rIuHQ

(Shawn says thanks to TechCoach Kerry for the heads up for bringing it up to him.)  

JetBrains

Free open source font. The web page has lots of explanations. 

https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/mono/

Web Spotlight:

Tikked off: What happens when TikTok fame fades

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/2/27/21153364/tiktok-famous-backlash#annotations:2zmGZlnHEeqjzoPLsHhS0w

Miami Middle School Students Hope Their Magazine Will Help End Gun Violence

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/14/804823530/miami-middle-school-students-hope-their-magazine-will-help-end-gun-violence#annotations:baZ65lcLEeqOYh9SiAKM4A

ANIMATED VIDEO: “VYGOTSKY’S THEORY: HOW RELATIONSHIPS EMPOWER LEARNING”

Animated Video: “Vygotsky’s Theory: How Relationships Empower Learning”

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 453: With No Objection, We Give You The Objective Builder of Joy!

/ /

Jokes:

I have a friend who has written a book. It’s on “how to fall down stairs”. 

Yep, it’s a step by step guide. 

I bought some new memory insoles for my shoes. 

No more forgetting why I walked into the kitchen.

I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. 

I’ll let you know. 

What did the patient say when informed by the Dentist that he had acute gingivitis?

Thank you. 

Quick tip: If someone named “Ruth” quits, don’t go around referring to the workplace as “ruthless”. 

Advisory:

Historical Differences

3. Playing Baseball in the Street

7. Rollar Skates with a key

8. Drive-in Movies

9. Bench Seats in cars

14. Sunday drives

15. One TV in the living room

17. TV sign off message

https://archiveproject.com/21-pictures-only-baby-boomers-will-understand/?ref=fbad2&fbclid=IwAR3K3sK9vjPpEs188Mr0qrmxnuc3qe5imxDIaN-iKiXdemCKPF4LfdwhFqA#annotations:7LmYFFG6EeqVYReLSHSihQ

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Outstanding Science Trade Books for 2020

I was recently reading the February, 2020 issue of “Science Scope” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, they listed the Outstanding Trade Books for Students in K-12, as determined by the Children’s Book Council and the National Science Teaching Association.

In this podcast, the top 5 middle school (6-8) books are highlighted.  They include:

* The Electric War:  Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse and the Race to Light the World

* Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel

* Undaunted: The Wild Life of Birute Mary Galdikas and Her Fearless Quest to Save Orangutans

* Dreaming in Code, Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer

* The Poison Eaters: Fighting Danger and Fraud in Our Food and Drugs

From the Twitterverse:  

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

Do not feel guilty if a student fails your class. If admin doesn’t bump the grade up to inflate average GPA or graduation rates, the student will get the credits by taking a summer online course in which 95% of the grade is earned by successfully registering for the class.

Diane Ravitch@DianeRavitch

Susan Edelman: Bloomberg’s Test Score Con

Susan Edelman: Bloomberg’s Test Score Con

Strange as it may seem, the best education reporter in New York City works for Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post. Her name is Susan Edelman, and she regularly reports on what is happening in the…

dianeravitch.net

DoInk Tweets  @DoInkTweets

@PSD_EReichert

: This is an awesome new feature to an already excellent app! App smashes wonderfully into @Seesaw too! Hey @PennridgeSD  teachers- who wants to play?!!? https://twitter.com/doinktweets/status/1230975557158002689 #doink #greenscreen #everyonecancreate

Eric Curts  @ericcurts

Using Google AutoDraw for Sketchnotes, Infographics, Drawings, and More http://controlaltachieve.com/2017/04/google-autodraw.html #ControlAltAchieve

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  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:  

Timelinely

Annotate videos. (Need to compare to H5P). 

https://timeline.ly/

Resources:

3 Reasons Students Procrastinate—and How to Help Them Stop

https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-reasons-students-procrastinate-and-how-help-them-stop#annotations:l2yL3lM0EeqNOMPXWFxi1Q

Learning Objectives Builder

Learning Objectives Builder

Google Earth View

Wallpaper downloads available. 

https://www.engadget.com/2020/02/19/google-earth-view-1000-new-images/?guccounter=1

100 Most Spoken Languages

Around the world, there are more than 7,000 regularly spoken vernaculars,

https://word.tips/100-most-spoken-languages/

Web Spotlight:  

Why Sitting For Long Periods Can Affect Teens’ Mental Health

study finds that sitting still is linked to a higher risk of depression among teens, but even an hour of light physical activity every day reduces the risk of depression by 10%.

Kandola and his colleagues analyzed this data from when the children were 12, 14 and 16 years old. And they found that as these kids went through adolescence, they spent more time sitting.

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/17/806599794/why-sitting-for-long-periods-can-effect-teens-mental-health

Literacy Test

Spell backwards, forwards.

That may be a trick question. If you read it using normal syntax, you end up with the instruction to spell the word “backwards” forwards, which will give you the answer “b-a-c-k-w-a-r-d-s.” But, due to the comma, one could very reasonably read the command using a reversed syntax. In that case, the instruction would be to spell the word “forwards” backwards, resulting with “s-d-r-a-w-r-o-f.” Either answer is potentially correct — or, potentially, wrong.

https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/06/voting-rights-and-the-supreme-court-the-impossible-literacy-test-louisiana-used-to-give-black-voters.html

Gratitude and acknowledgement are more important than ever

“Dear audience members,

A couple of days ago, we commemorated the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of our greatest literary figures, Jaan Kross. In the beginning of a play staged at the Drama Theatre to mark the occasion, the author has the main character turn to the audience with the following address:

“If you really want to accomplish something in this world, start immediately! Not in the next minute, but the very instant the desire comes. Even if it’s in the middle of the night. Do it now, straight away. It doesn’t matter how – just begin. Anything started tomorrow will be completed only after you’re dead and gone.

“You don’t have to be in the theatre to imagine the crafty, playful gleam in the old master’s eyes accompanying those words. In essence, it’s the attitude of a child at play, for whom time still comes down to the here and now, with thousands of possibilities still open. Not someone in the throes of time constraints, but someone with mastery over time. Someone who is forever experimenting and examining, who rejoices in successes, who might shed some brief tears and then try, try again if at first, they don’t succeed.

Happy are those who embody this attitude.”  

https://news.err.ee/1055597/kaljulaid-gratitude-and-acknowledgement-are-more-important-than-ever

Random Thoughts . . .  

The Dities – Happy 30th Anniversary of the Restoration of Lithuanian Independence.  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

< 1 2 3 4 5 >»