MSM 619: Lets’ Do An ELL AI Called “Larry”

Larry Ferlazzo @Larryferlazzo

Tsundoku, from Japanese, is the act of buying yet another book that you fully intend to read, but never quite get round to.

Etymology of the day is an important one. The root of ‘compassion’ is a Latin word meaning ‘suffer with’.

LRT English @LRTenglish

More than 500 teachers and teaching assistants from Ukraine now work in Lithuania’s schools. With schools struggling to find staff, they welcome Ukrainian specialists who teach foreign languages and sciences to Lithuanian-speaking students https://t.co/ZXycoFJapf

Free Resources From All “My” Books https://t.co/tsgwsHCf0r

Martin Dougiamas @moodler

One does not simply become a master of karate. First, you must accidentally walk into a spider web.

Hume’s empathy emulation is a little exaggerated for the demo but try it out, it’s going to be awesome for many use cases. The question to decide is when we absolutely don’t want that in our AI. https://demo.hume.ai

Strategies:

How About AI Lesson Plans?

Some Brooklyn schools are piloting an AI assistant that will create lesson plans for them.

Superintendent Janice Ross explains it this way. “Teachers spend hours creating lesson plans. They should not be doing that anymore.”

We’re nowhere near the point where an AI can do your job, but we’re well past the point where your boss can be suckered into firing you and replacing you with a bot that fails at doing your job.

Cory Doctorow

https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2024/03/how-about-ai-lesson-plans.html

Taking Small Steps to Build Research Skills

Keywords Are Essential
Synonym Scattergories
Library Databases
Making Google Work for Student Researchers
Balancing fun, clever tricks and practice

https://www.middleweb.com/50515/taking-small-steps-to-build-research-skills/

Resources:

What Makes a Hero?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA

Rasterbator

Make posters out of a single sheet.

https://rasterbator.net/

Hello History

An AI powered app that lets you have life-like conversations with historical figures.

https://www.hellohistory.ai/

https://www.humy.ai/pricing -Credits indicate processing usage with AI models. In Chat GPT-3.5, one credit handles 750 words, while in the more advanced GPT-4.0, consuming 7 times more tokens than GPT-3.5, it processes 100 words.

https://www.hellohistory.ai/for-education

AI in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Toolkit for Transformation

AI can significantly enhance teaching and learning by offering personalization, efficiency, and insightful data analysis. Below are some ways educators can leverage AI to create a more dynamic and effective learning environment.

Personalized Learning Pathways
Grading and Feedback Systems
Data-Enhanced Instruction
Accessibility and Inclusivity
Engaging and Interactive Learning Experiences

https://esheninger.blogspot.com/2024/03/ai-in-classroom-teachers-toolkit-for.html

AXIS The Culture Translator

A Rising Tide

What it is: A new book by Jonathan Haidt compares giving kids a smartphone to sending them to Mars and urges parents to “end phone-based childhood—now.”

Continue the conversation: What would happen if your school became a phone-free zone?

Jan.Ai

Self hosted AI. Open source. Stays on your computer.

https://jan.ai/

Web Spotlight:

Solving Smartphone Problems our Teens are Reporting

https://www.screenagersmovie.com/blog/solutions-teens-smartphone-use

When Whales Could Walk | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS

In Egypt’s Sahara Desert, massive skeletons with strange skulls and gigantic teeth jut out from the sandy ground. This fossil graveyard, millions of years old, is known as the “Valley of the Whales.” Now, paleontologists have unearthed a whole new species of ancient whale dating to 43 million years ago, and this predator wasn’t just able to swim – it also had four legs and could walk. Follow scientists as they search for new clues to the winding evolutionary path of mammals that moved from the land into the sea to become the largest animals on Earth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5rxaBv9_IU&t=2s

Random Thoughts . . .

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March 23, 2024

MSM 618: What Means This “Over Achievery?”

http://k12science.net/outstanding-science-trade-books-for-middle-school-students-part-1/

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about middle schoolers, AI, and more. Dave books us some learning.

Jokes:

I had a fight with a snowman last night. He didn’t last long.0

things got a bit heated.

Never mind the ice, I’ve just slipped on the floor in the local library.

I was in the non-friction section.

I was in a good mood till I started petting a duckling in the park. Then I started feeling a little down.

yesterday a clown held a door open for me.

I thought it was a nice jester!

What is the most effective way to quit being vegan? Cold turkey.

Boss Why is it when things go wrong you always blame somebody else?

Me No, you’re thinking of Dave, hes the one always blaming others.

Which is heavier, the collected works of Shakespeare or a prison full of inmates? The prose outweighs the cons.

What do you call a horse that lives next door? A neighbor.

People often ask me how i smuggle chocolate into the movies?

Well..

I have a few Twix up my sleeve!

A book just fell on my head. I only have my shelf to blame.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Outstanding Science Trade Books for Middle School Students – Part 1

I was recently reading the January/February 2024 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school science teachers.

In this issue, I read the section on the “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students. The selections are a collaboration of the National Science Teaching Association and the Children’s Book Council.

In this first of two podcasts, I share six of the twelve books that were selected for middle school students. The books are:

“My Indigo World” by Rosa Chang
“Before Colors: Where Do Pigments and Dyes Come From” by Annette Bay Pimental
“Grizzly Bears: Guardians of the Wilderness” by Frances Backhouse
“Mission Arctic: A Scientific Adventure to a Changing North Pole” by Katharina Weiss-Tuider
“We Need to Talk About Vaginas” by Dr. Allison K. Rodgers
“Evolution” by Sarah Darwin and Eva-Maria Sadowski

Reports from the Front Lines

Shawn’s Work Projects
Cyber Storm
Help Desk
Web Site Updating

The Social Web

NJAMLE @NJAMLE

Join NJAMLE and Katie Nieves Licwinko, Ed.D to learn about how you can use technology to support all learners in the classroom! Register at http://NJAMLE.eventbrite.com!

Ron King @mthman

Oh these middle school boys…for weeks I get 5-6 boys, who I don’t even have in class, come in and play 1v1 on my Nerf hoop before school starts. Well, they slowly shredded the net with their simulated dunks. Today, while at bus duty, one of them hands me a replacement net.

Forgot it was St. Patrick’s Day…wore green anyway. #StPatricksDay

Michael Matera @mrmatera

Working on this new #EMC2Learning resource. Hoping to finish it off. I love creating new resources for teachers everywhere. What is a theme you love and would like to see a resource made with?

https://ditchthattextbook.com/infographic/amazon-product-page-template/

Word of the Day is ‘limbeck’ (16th century): to fatigue the brain with attempts to extract something useful from it.

Mr H5P @mrh5p

#H5P has been doing a great job updating its content types. Check out the ability to add distractors to ‘drag the words’ questions. https://mrh5p.com/h5p-examples/drag-the-words-distractors/

#instructionaldesign

Strategies:

Amazon Product Page Template

Amazon’s product pages are how we gather information and evaluate products with images, descriptions, categories, and ratings. Students can describe and critique objects, people, places, and more that they’re studying with product pages.

Resources:

7 Digital Tools That Help Bring History To Life

https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-digital-tools-that-help-bring-history-to-life/

Rotel Project

(Remixing Open Textbooks through an Equity Lens)

https://rotelproject.org/

A Metacognitive Strategy to Help High School Students See Their Progress in Learning

These activities, with adaptable worksheets, help high school students check their understanding of course content quickly.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/helping-students-check-their-understanding-course-content/

AXIS: The Culture Translator

Babysitter’s Snub

What it is: Babysitting, once seen as a rite of passage for young girls, is on the decline in the US.

Why it’s happening: The Atlantic suggests two main reasons that fewer young people are racking up babysitting hours as their first independent source of income. First, the rise of what’s known as intensive parenting—a philosophy that micromanages kids’ time for maximum learning, education, and enrichment, leaving little kids and their would-be-sitters with precious little idle time left over. The second reason implicates society, in general, as Americans have grown more suspicious, more risk-averse, and less community-oriented, meaning parents might not know any teens they trust enough to ask to watch their kids during a night out.

Continue the conversation: What makes someone trustworthy?

Showing Off

What it is: YouTuber MrBeast has signed an expensive deal with Amazon Studios to host and produce a reality television show.

Why it’s an industry flashpoint: MrBeast is the most popular YouTuber of all time, but his production studio won’t make a profit this year. He’s often said that most of the money he makes from brand deals and YouTube ads is given away in philanthropic efforts or funneled into creating more content. The bidding war for his reality show deal marks a moment of “if you can’t beat him, join him” from industry execs who want to understand and cash in on MrBeast’s approach to making content that is loud, colorful, and addictive without ever being too controversial for the masses. The competition he plans to host will culminate in a $5 million prize, the largest ever awarded to a game show winner.

Continue the conversation: Why do you think MrBeast is so popular?

The Achievery

A free and safe online learning platform created by AT&T to provide K-12 students with engaging and entertaining videos paired with educational activities.

https://www.theachievery.com/en

Would You Rather Question Generator

Select the grade level of your students, enter your topic/content, select what kind of questions you would like, click ‘Generate AI Responses’, and then wait for your questions to generate. Please allow up to 30 seconds for our Artificial Intelligence (AI) models to work their magic!

https://autoclassmate.io/tools/would-you-rather-question-generator/

The Teaching Channel: Jack Berckemeyer Interview

https://www.teachingchannel.com/k12-hub/podcast/teaching-channel-talks-episode-88-middle-school-vs-junior-high-whats-changing-in-middle-level-education/

Web Spotlight:

What We Gained (and Lost) When Our Daughter Unplugged for a School Year

My 13-year-old has left her phone behind for hiking, chores and study in the Australian wilderness. Our pen-and-paper correspondence is opening up an unexpected world.

The handwritten letters from our 13-year-old daughter sit on our coffee table in a clear plastic folder. With their drawings of pink flowers and long paragraphs marked with underlined and crossed-out words, they are an abridged, analog version of her spirited personality — and a way for my wife and me to keep her close as we watch TV and fiddle with our phones.

…at a uniquely Australian school in the bush, where she is running and hiking dozens of miles a week, sharing chores with classmates, studying only from books and, most miraculously, spending her whole ninth-grade school year without the internet, a phone, a computer or even a camera with a screen.

Here in Australia, a growing number of respected schools lock up smart everything for months. They surround digital natives with nature. They make tap-and-swipe teens learn, play and communicate only through real-life interaction or words scrawled on the page.

…as we adjust, her correspondence and ours — traveling hundreds of miles, as if from one era to another — is teaching us all more than we’d imagined. The gift of digital detox that we thought Australia was giving our daughter has also become a revelatory bequest for us — her American parents and her older brother.

Students helped build some of the rustic cabins where my daughter and her classmates now live — cabins where hot showers happen only if they chop wood and fire it up in an old-fashioned boiler. The idea was to build courage, curiosity and compassion among adolescents, and their ranks have ranged from the children of sheep farmers and diplomats to a certain angsty member of the British royal family named Charles.

…a class of 240 boys and girls who have signed up for, along with the usual classes, community service at local farms, winter camping in the snow and, in the final term, a six-day hike, where students plan their own route and are entirely self-sufficient.

AWOL from Academics

Although the average college student spent around 25 hours a week studying in 1960, the average was closer to 15 hours in 2015.

https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/03/university-people-the-undergraduate-balance

17 astounding scientific mysteries that researchers can’t yet solve

https://www.vox.com/unexplainable/24094267/17-scientific-mysteries-unsolved-dark-matter-life

A Bronx Teacher Asked. Tommy Orange Answered.

From eerily prescient to wildly incorrect, 100-year-old predictions about 2024

“In the year 2024, the most important single thing which the cinema will have helped in a large way to accomplish will be that of eliminating from the face of the civilized world all armed conflict,” Griffith predicted. “Pictures will be the most powerful factor in bringing about this condition. With the use of the universal language of motion pictures, the true meaning of the brotherhood of man will have been established throughout the earth.”

At the other extreme, Professor Leo H. Baekeland, president of the American Chemical Society, worried that futuristic weaponry could obliterate humanity in the blink of an eye.

“Jazz music is a powerful force for development of music in America, and in a hundred years will be accepted as classical,” he said. “I cannot imagine how anyone can say that your American jazz music is a destructive force. I consider such a statement as being wholly ridiculous.”

“In the city of a hundred years from now, I see three-deck roads, speedways through the heart of town, skyscrapers with entrances for automobiles as high as 15 stories, monorail expresses to the suburbs replacing streetcars and motor-omnibuses, ever-moving sidewalks and underground freight carriers which will go in all directions, serving all railway stations and business districts, and which will replace to a large extent the heavy trucks and wagons of today,” Bjorkson noted.

“Before many years, the use of a horse for the purposes with which he has been identified since time immemorial will be a curiosity. In another hundred years, you may find horses in zoos. I am sure you will not find them anywhere else.”

“Has anyone ever stopped to think how this country will be a hundred years from now? Just imagine: We will have a woman president, woman politicians and police,” Ferraro wrote. “As women will occupy all the highest positions, naturally men will be compelled to do all the labor; those who are not physically fit for such arduous jobs will have to stay home and wait on the babies (or mind the pets).

“Then we will have an army entirely of women, so that in case of war, women will do all the fighting (Believe me, they can fight, too).”

“Unless the people see the need of simplifying government, we shall be unable to meet the problem and in 100 years from now we shall be in no better condition than the nations that have perished in the past,” he said.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/01/06/world-peace-plane-commutes-100-year-old-predictions-2024/72087255007/

BIG LIES OF EDUCATION: READING PROFICIENCY AND NAEP

“One of the most bearish statistics for the future of the United States is this: Two-thirds of fourth graders in the United States are not proficient in reading,” wrote Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times.

The student reading proficiency Big Lie grounded in misrepresenting or misunderstanding NAEP is likely one of the most complicated Big Lies of Education.

https://radicalscholarship.com/2024/02/23/big-lies-of-education-reading-proficiency-and-naep/

Random Thoughts . . .

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March 16, 2024

MSM 617: Middle School – The Island of Misfit Toys?

I’ve started to teach my grandchildren about the health benefits of eating dried fruit.

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Astronauts, Michigan History, and more. Dave grows beyond Earth.

Jokes:

It’s really all about raisin awareness isn’t it?

What do you call a retired miner?

Doug.

It takes guts to be an organ donor.

I was going to get a brain transplant, but I changed my mind

Why is it so windy inside an arena? All those fans.

Just realised that if aquatic mammals went to university, it would be on the Hippo Campus.

Haven’t heard of an astronaut yet who doesn’t go above and beyond.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Growing Beyond Earth

I was recently reading the January/February 2024 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association for middle school science teachers.

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” section written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled, “Growing Beyond Earth: Cultivating 21st-Century Science Exploration.”

The Growing Beyond Earth citizen science project, in partnership with NASA and the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, partners with classrooms and identifies edible plant varieties that are well suited for beyond Earth growing conditions. For more information, visit:

Growing Beyond Earth®

http://k12science.net/growing-beyond-earth/

Reports from the Front Lines

Michigan History Day
- State Representatives
- Great Feedback
PSAT Vocabulary Moodle Course
New Grade Bands for Teacher Certification in Michigan
Shawn’s Student Teacher – Shawn
What would get you to recommend teaching as a profession to young people today?
Generative AI – jan.ai
Multiple Clipboard – Clipy

The Social Web

Tyler Rablin @Mr_Rablin

Our school district office takes awkward ice breakers to a whole new level.

DogeDesigner @cb_doge

Microsoft ruined the Las Vegas sphere

Trevor Muir @TrevorMuir

“If you’re a teacher, your job is NOT to get 100% participation from your students. Your job is to keep giving them opportunities to succeed.”

Susie Dent@susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘galère’ (18th century): a coterie or set of undesirable people.

Strategies:

Unlocking the Spectrum of Learning: The Multi-Faceted Magic of Personalization

https://esheninger.blogspot.com/2024/02/unlocking-spectrum-of-learning-multi.html

20 small starts for alternative grading

https://gradingforgrowth.com/p/20-small-starts-for-alternative-grading

Resources:

Game Generators

https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2024/02/best-game-generators.html

Three-Quarters of Teens “Feel Happy” Away from Their Phones

Every year I challenge students—seventh graders—to go on a “screen vacation.” This means they have to avoid all screens for at least 24 hours, and write a short essay about their experience going offline.

Nearly every student writes that they “feel peaceful” or “relaxed” or “less anxious” away from their screens.

In a new survey published Monday by the Pew Research Center, nearly three-quarters of U.S. teens say they feel happy (74 percent) or peaceful (72 percent) when they are away from their phones. Smaller percentages equate not having their phone with negative emotions. For example, teens say not having their phone at least sometimes makes them feel anxious (44 percent), upset (40 percent), or lonely (39 percent).

Most teens say smartphones make it easier to pursue hobbies and interests (69 percent), to be creative (65 percent), and to do well in school (45%). Roughly four in ten teens also say smartphones make it easier for them to develop healthy friendships, while only 31 percent say they make it harder or neither easier nor harder.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/raising-humans-in-a-digital-world/202403/three-quarters-of-teens-feel-happy-away-from-their

What a bunch of A-list celebs taught me about how to use my phone

https://www.theverge.com/24084772/celebrities-no-phone-bieber-sheeran-cruise-cera-ipad

Web Spotlight:

AXIS The Culture Translator

Clocking Out?

What it is: On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would effectively ban TikTok from operating in the US.

Discorded

What it is: Organized groups on Discord and Telegram have been targeting vulnerable minors, often survivors of serious mental health conditions, for abuse and exploitation.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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February 24, 2024

MSM 616: You Can Also Use Your Face

http://k12science.net/eliciting-student-thinking/

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about simulations, open source, “vacation time”, and more. Dave is eliciting student thinking, scientifically.

Jokes:

Did you hear the story of the haunted refrigerator?

It was a chilling tale.

If a dude attacks you with wordplay that’s assault with a dadly weapon

Studies show cows produce more Milk when the Farmer talks to them.

It’s a case of in one ear and out the udder.

Don’t use double negatives.

They’re a big no no.

Where did the IT employee go?

Probably ransomeware

If you wear dozens of mirrors and no one comments/notices, you must later take time and reflect.

Always wanted to try procrastination but I can never seem to get around to it

I was going to start a diet,

But I’ve got too much on my plate

If it’s zero degrees outside today and it’s supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

Seems like just about every baker I meet kneads dough.

Middle School Science Minute

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

Eliciting Student Thinking

I was recently reading the January/February 2024 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school science teachers. In this issue, I read the “Editorial” section written by Patty McGinnis. She wrote an article entitled, “Eliciting Student Thinking.”

Eliciting student thinking is a high-leverage practice in which the teacher utilizes questions and tasks that encourage and promote student thinking and sharing of ideas.

To listen to this podcast, please visit:

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/k12science/id/30073883

Reports from the Front Lines

Week Off
- Painting
- Website Update – My Personal
Michigan History Student Projects
Moodle Time on Task
MoodleNet Celebrity

The Social Web

Robert Scoble @Scobleizer

The cult can run it all. Quote: Brad Lynch @SadlyItsBradley My Windows PC, MacBook Pro, and Steam Deck all streaming their desktop views to my Vision Pro at once And this ALONGSIDE native apps that are also decoding their own video streams.. M2 chip never ceases to impress me.

Megan Basham @megbasham

I just saw a candle at Nordstrom called “boy smells” and I don’t have any sons, but my understanding is that would not be a good candle.

Jon Erlichman@JonErlichman

“If you want to be successful, I would encourage you to grow a tolerance for failure.” ~ Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang

Katie Powell @Beyond_the_Desk

I swear this is not a paid promotion for Boredom Busters, but @RimmeyAPGov just delivered the best “elevator summary” of the book I’ve heard. Give his podcast a listen, especially if you’re into the use of games in your classroom. @dbc_inc

BTW: https://app.suno.ai/song/697710f7-4f3e-4b27-9039-df87c4cdb9ce

Robert Scoble @Scobleizer

TIP: As you walk down a trail, use a stick to make first contact with spiderwebs. You can also use your face. Do what feels right.

RUTH BUZZI @Ruth_A_Buzzi

I carry a stone in my purse to throw at anyone who sings Christmas carols in February. I call it my jingle bell rock.

We can go anywhere instantly soon.

Quote: Daniel Pikl @danielpikl

Beautiful cathedral in Zagreb, Croatia presented in NeRF with @LumaLabsAI https://lumalabs.ai/capture/E522E6

Strategies:

Why Reader Response Is So Important for Students

Most of the time, when readers engage in reading a text of any kind, their thinking is silent and invisible.

When we invite readers to share and reflect on what they are reading, they develop a spirit of curiosity and an appreciation of the text’s messages. Discussions and written responses give rise to student voices, allowing them to acknowledge their connections and thoughts and have ownership over their reading processes.

https://www.middleweb.com/50335/why-reader-response-is-so-important-for-students/

Resources:

TeachFlix

https://teachflix.org/

50 Classic Poems Read By 12 Celebrities: Morgan Freeman, Jodie Foster, Gary Sinise & more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1W7VK6Yo4s

Carl Sagan Baloney Detection

Through their training, scientists are equipped with what Sagan calls a “baloney detection kit” — a set of cognitive tools and techniques that fortify the mind against penetration by falsehoods:

The kit is brought out as a matter of course whenever new ideas are offered for consideration. If the new idea survives examination by the tools in our kit, we grant it warm, although tentative, acceptance. If you’re so inclined, if you don’t want to buy baloney even when it’s reassuring to do so, there are precautions that can be taken; there’s a tried-and-true, consumer-tested method.

https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/03/baloney-detection-kit-carl-sagan/

AXIS: The Culture Translator

Tween Shopping Network

What it is: A new piece in The Cut interviews several tweens to get a feel for Gen Alpha’s attitudes on shopping, screen time, and skincare.

Why it’s surprising: In a follow-up radio interview with WNYC, writer Casey Lewis observed that much of the conversation around today’s tweens characterizes them as Tik-Tok-addled Stanley hoarders, eager to accumulate expensive athleisure and adding yet another layer of acidic serum into their skincare routine every night. Perhaps there is some truth to that stereotype. But the middle schoolers Lewis talked to trawl Sephora and Lululemon as browsers more than buyers, and their fashion staples skew toward the sentimental. A band tee from a first concert, a used pair of low-rise jeans, and a friendship bracelet made from a kit found at Five Below ranked as treasured possessions. The whole piece pushes back on assumptions about tweens, with one exception— young people continue, for some reason, to totally shun coats.

New Shade

What it is: The term “she’s not a girl’s girl” has evolved into a layered and low blow, with some even saying it’s now “the internet’s worst insult.” Failing to be a “girl’s girl” is leveled as an insult, the concept becomes a cruel way for women to police each other’s behavior. Ironically, a heavy emphasis on being a “girl’s girl” can make girlhood even more complicated and confusing. (For more on the complex social hierarchies of Gen Z, check out our new 7 Minute Video on “Mean Girls” and the power of words).

Who’s Watching?

What it is: AI monitoring tools may be able to detect some red flags for teens who are at a higher risk for suicide. Some researchers have expressed concern.

Web Spotlight:

AI and Math Tutoring

Khanmigo, a ChatGPT-powered bot, made frequent calculation errors during a Journal reporter’s test

https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-is-tutoring-students-but-still-struggles-with-basic-math-694e76d3

Weird Old Book Finder

https://weird-old-book-finder.glitch.me/

Random Thoughts . . .

SiteSucker

I used to use this app, looooonnnggg ago.

https://ricks-apps.com/osx/sitesucker/index.html

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February 17, 2024

MSM 615: The Bisontennial

http://k12science.net/building-quality-science-instruction/

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, jokes, and more. Dave builds quality science instruction.

Jokes:

People are shocked when they discover that I’m not a good electrician.

A sweater I purchased was picking up static electricity, so I returned it to the store.

They gave me another one, free of charge

While I may not always return the affection of those who like me, I always admire their good judgment.

Have you ever seen fruit preserves being made?

It’s jarring.

In the news a courtroom artist was arrested today, I’m not surprised, he always seemed sketchy.

Will Buffalo (incorporated as a city in 1832) have a bisontennial in 2032?

Ordering takeout merely by thinking about it would be food for thought.

There’s a point where every sentence ends.

I accidentally left an apple outside my local doctors office.

Now he wont be able to get in.

What do you call friends you like to eat with?

Tastebuds.

District supervisor: “You missed work yesterday?”

Employee: “No, not really.”

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Building Quality Science Instruction

I was recently reading a WestEd blog post on the Next Gen Science website, dated January 10, 2024.

In this blog, I read the post “Seeing is Believing: Building a Shared Vision of Quality Science Instruction.” It was written by Vanessa Wolbrink.

In the years following the adoption of new science standards, states and districts must begin to navigate the complexities of transitioning to new learning goals — including updating instructional materials, professional learning, course descriptions and requirements, and assessments. In order to determine what changes are needed and how to enact them effectively, we need to ask the question, “What does it really take to build a shared understanding of the shift in teaching and learning expected in today’s science classrooms?”

Reports from the Front Lines

AI Conversation
- Bard is now Gemini
Phishing and Scams
Random Glossary in Moodle
Certificate
Five Minute University
Medieval Help Desk

The Social Web

James Woods @RealJamesWoods

Word of the day is a reminder of ‘empleomania’ (19th century): the obsessive desire to be in power, no matter what the cost.

South Carolina patriot Christopher Gadsden is born On this day in history, February 16, 1724, South Carolina patriot Christopher Gadsden is born. Gadsden was one of the most prominent patriots in the south during the American Revolution.

Historic Vids @historyinmemes

Visitor: When will you tell us where you keep the unicorns?

Us: As soon as visitors stop feeding squirrels and taking dangerous selfies with bison, we’ll let you know where the horses with giant spikes on their heads roam.

Al was asked to generate this iconic NBA moment but with Greek gods

Al was asked to generate this iconic NBA moment but with Greek gods pic.twitter.com/0LJv9BgASe
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) February 9, 2024

PUNS @ThePunnyWorld

I once swallowed a bunch of synonyms. It gave me thesaurus throat I’ve ever had.

What did the whale say after eating a ship? “I can’t believe I ate the hull thing.”

Ancient Library opSdetnors01 :Pc4u13Mbfa1ey3 rihl5 hcgtga t05c031Fft27m8grgu

An Australian mathematician cracked the code of a famous 3,700 year old Babylonian clay tablet revealing that they were doing more accurate trigonometry nearly 1,500 years before the Greeks.

AppleInsider @appleinsider

Apple owns hundreds of website domains but now it’s added “iWork.ai,” which could indicate that it has plans to highlight AI features in its applications suite.
https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/0

Strategies:

AI Character Conversations

https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai-character-conversations/

https://beta.character.ai/

The Idea – Individual Student Learning Plans

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2024/02/03/a-look-back-i-am-intrigued-by-the-idea-individual-student-learning-plans-that-are-co-created-asset-based/

Resources:

Women in Chemistry

https://www.compoundchem.com/category/women-in-chemistry/

Take Care

https://www.gonoodle.com/videos/EY9D9w/take-care-with-peanuts-speak-from-the-heart

Best Books I Read 2023

The best books I read in 2023

AXIS – The Culture Translator

Country Roads

What it is: In a Super Bowl ad, Beyonce announced that she is releasing new music—and the lead singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Sixteen Carriages,” hit with a country twang.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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February 10, 2024

MSM 614: Confabulation, Constultation, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Troy Patterson / Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy update the Vision Pro Experience, share teaching tips for Gifted & Talented (and all), and more. Dave is counting in the backyard.

Jokes:

Did you guys hear about the beaver that had to stop eating wood?

Its because his pallet changed.

I walked down a street where the houses were numbered 64K, 128K, 256K, 512K and 1MB.

That was a trip down memory lane!

Had a Covid test and they asked if I had a recent loss of taste.

I said No, I’ve always dressed this way.

I learned something about my car when I crashed into a tree

My Mercedes Benz

Expect the worst, it’s the least you can do.

Why should you never trust a pig with a secret?

Because it’s bound to squeal.

A priest, a monk, and a rabbit walk into a blood donation centre.

“I’m sure I’m type A,” said the priest.

“I do believe I’m type B,” said the monk.

“I think I’m a typo,” said the rabbit.

Times are tough, I’m taking a knight job:

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Great Backyard Bird Count 2024

I was recently visiting the Cornell Labs website.

While visiting the site I was reminded of the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count.

The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place February 16-19, 2024. During this time you are encouraged to observe birds for at least 15 minutes and then report the data. You can observe for longer than 15 minutes and for more than one day. To learn about how to identify birds and how to submit data, please visit:

https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/gbbc/

http://k12science.net/great-backyard-bird-count-2024/

Reports from the Front Lines

DC Trip
SWANK
Computer Lab
Vision Pro Update
Maine Through Year Assessment

The Social Web

Bluesky @bsky.app

You can now sign up for Bluesky without an invite! 🎉

Moodle | Online learning, delivered your way. @moodle

Watch our webinar replay, where Svein-Tore Griff With (founder of H5P) takes us through the process of creating H5P content in a fraction of the time it used to take with the help of generative AI. Watch now: https://youtu.be/6-Aa6q8ImgM #MoodleAcademy #Moodle #h5p

https://www.middleweb.com/50271/some-things-to-do-when-gifted-students-struggle/

Word of the day is ‘constult’ (17th century): to act stupidly together. It’s one of several I vote to resurrect from the historical dictionary.

Strategies:

Some Things To Do When Gifted Students Struggle

Resources:

Study State

StudyState is a free, AI-powered study tool that helps you learn faster and retain more information.

Hi, I’m a 17-year old senior in high school with a passion for frontend web development. Out of frustration with Quizlet’s high cost, I created StudyState in October 2022 as a free alternative with additional features. I had a lot of fun creating it (especially the AI-powered stuff!), and I hope you enjoy using it!

https://studystate.net/

List of Common Misconceptions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_misconceptions

Bonus Link: Man Suffocated by Potatoes by Wiliam Marzano https://www.amazon.com/Suffocated-Potatoes-Intelligence-Reports-Planet/dp/0708840574/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1707586790&refinements=p_27%3AWilliam+A.+Marsano&s=books&sr=1-1&text=William+A.+Marsano

Ambient Music

Make your own ambient music.

https://ambiph.one/

Welcome to ESL Video!

Online listening and speaking practice for English language learners.

Chatty Bot
Video (Music) with questions

https://eslvideo.com/

Web Spotlight:

Fliff Flaff

What it is: An app called Fliff lets younger users place bets on sporting events, like this weekend’s Super Bowl.

Why it’s so controversial: Fliff is just one of the so-called “social sportsbook” apps that don’t require age verification and operate legally in most US states. Users can bet on various sports outcomes using a free in-game currency called Fliff Coins. This allows the app to legally define its operation as a sweepstakes game rather than a sportsbook operation. The CEO of Fliff says that the app is intended as an “introductory experience” to the world of sports gambling, and emphasizes that users have to be 18 to buy Fliff Cash, a different in-game currency option that does cost real money. But gambling harm prevention experts aren’t convinced—they say that by providing an on-ramp to sports betting for users that has virtually no safeguards, social sportsbook apps are building a gateway for youth to develop real-life gambling problems.

DignifAI

Putting clothes back on people. A dress code violation corrector?

https://www.dignifai.net/

Random Thoughts . . .

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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February 3, 2024

MSM 613: I’m Just Gonna Put You Over Here

https://www.globe.gov/globe-community/blogs/community-blogs/-/blogs/120484191/maximized

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about the Vision Pro, conferences, math, and more. Dave has his head in the clouds.

Jokes:

My part-time job repairing computer keyboards might not work out.

I can’t get any shifts.

My propensity for making dry salads needs addressing.

Archaeology really is a career in ruins.

Just read a few facts about frogs. They were ribbiting.

I was in an 80’s band called the Prevention.

We were better than the Cure.

I woke up this morning so sure I was an 80s pop star…

I was adamant.

I got an email today promising to teach me how to read maps backwards.

It turns out it was SPAM

Does anyone know if I can buy the entire chess set at a pawn shop?

What do you call a crowd of chess players bragging about their wins in a hotel lobby?

Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

I been watching a channel on TV that is strictly just about origami

it is paper-view.

It’s difficult to say what my wife does, she sells sea shells by the sea shore.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Clouds and the Middle School NGSS

I was recently reading a community blog post on the GLOBE website, dated January 18, 2024.

In this blog, I read the post “GLOBE Clouds and NGSS (Elementary and Middle School.” It was posted by Marile Colon Robles.

A new resource is now available created by GLOBE educator Mr. Roger Rose as part of his NASA internship in 2023 titled, GLOBE Atmosphere Clouds and NGSS. This document compares portions of the clouds protocol to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for elementary and middle school with tips and resources to use in the classroom. To view this blog post, please visit:

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/k12science/id/29753518

Reports from the Front Lines

Vision Pro
AI applications
Conferences
Moodle Login Page

The Social Web

@tonyvincent@mastodon.cloud

Word of the day is ‘constult’ (17th century): to act stupidly together. It’s one of several I vote to resurrect from the historical dictionary.

Word of the day is ‘explaterate’ (19th century): to waffle on continuously as a means of avoiding a difficult question.

Aftel.net is an online timer made for teachers.

📺 Full screen

💬 Show description

⏯️ Pause/start with spacebar

🔗 Share a link to a specific timer duration

🚫 Prevent screen sleep

🚦 Show progression with colors

🎁 Free, no login, no ads

Aftel.net - Online timer made for teachers

Robert Scoble @Scobleizer

Apple Vision Pro is the best consumer electronics appliance of my life. By far.

Faygo Beverages @Faygo

What does a Lions victory taste like? Grit, hard work, determination, and another not-so-secret ingredient. #Lions #Detroit #DetroitLions #Faygo

Strategies:

STUDENT EXAMPLE OF TEACHING A COMPLEX TOPIC “TO A FIVE YEAR OLD”

Periodically, to test out the idea and to also provide a change-of-pace in my IB Theory of Knowledge classes, I ask students to present complex topics so that a five year-old could understand it.

I ask them to search online to get an idea of a five-year-old’s vocabulary (I generally tell them they can stretch it to a seven-year-old), and that they have to use accessible words in both their slides and in their oral presentation. They also have to create slides that they think would look interesting to a child.

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2023/04/22/student-example-of-teaching-a-complex-topic-to-a-five-year-old/

Resources:

Dollar Street

DOLLAR STREET

In the news people in other cultures seem stranger than they are. We visited 264 families in 50 countries and collected 30,000 photos. We sorted the homes by income, from left to right.

https://www.gapminder.org/dollar-street

Math Teachers Advice for Parents

Find experiences of math that will develop an affinity for the subject itself, a joy that’s more robust, a want-to that goes beyond mere pride in their know-how.

Guard the candle of your want-to, and the know-how will carry you far.

https://mathwithbaddrawings.com/2024/01/29/a-math-teachers-advice-for-parents/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

January 27, 2024

MSM 612: Lies That 7th Graders Tell

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/k12science/id/29650548

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about student success, Moodle, and more. Dave has a Science Series for you.

Jokes:

Did you hear about the man driving a train got struck by lightning?

He was a good conductor.

I knew a guy who collected candy canes,

they were all in mint condition

I decided to sell my Hoover…

well it was just collecting dust.

A friend just got fired from a florist,

apparently, took too many leaves.

My pet mouse ‘Elvis’ died last night.

He was caught in a trap.

I was running around my bed the other evening.

I was trying to catch up with my sleep.

My boss told me to have a good day… so I went home.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Science Fair: The Series

I was recently reading the December 11, 2023 issue of “Forbes” magazine.

In this issue, I read the article “Bright Minds, Big Innovations: Exploring ’Science Fair: The Series’.” It was written by Tony Bradley.

“Science Fair: The Series,” National Geographic’s latest documentary series, is a deep dive into the world of young scientific minds, capturing their journey through the highly competitive International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). It is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+. This documentary series is a must-watch for anyone interested in the power of education, the resilience of youth, and the hopeful future shaped by bright, young minds.

Reports from the Front Lines

Moodle
- Upgrading
- Using
  - Prepared Material
  - H5P – and reusing
  - Training
  - Summary Task
- StudentQuiz – StudentQuiz enables students to collaboratively create their own question pools in Moodle. Students can filter these questions into quizzes, and they can rate and comment questions while working through the quizzes. StudentQuiz computes each students contribution and learning progress and compares this with the community. The created questions become part of the Moodle question bank and can be reused in other Moodle quizzes.
Weather
Michigan History Day Presentations: https://www.hsmichigan.org/programs/k-12-education/mhdwww.nhd.org
- Websites
- Documentaries
- Presentations

The Social Web

Larry Ferlazzo @Larryferlazzo

Writing by hand may increase brain connectivity more than typing, readings of student brains suggest

https://t.co/qlnAUgw0GV

Lori Emerson @loriemerson@post.lurk.org

Word of the day is ‘quockerwodger’ (19th century): a puppet individual whose strings of action are pulled entirely by someone else.

For those asking, the ‘hoolie’ in ‘blowing a hoolie’ may come from the Orkney Scots ‘hoolan’, a strong gale, influenced by the Irish use of ‘hooley’ for a very noisy party.

Ric Burton @ricburton

Imagine when you can generate 3D Midjourneys & explore them with Apple Vision Pro

the last of today’s nerd dump: look at this incredible illustration of the complexity involved in sending photos via cable across the Atlantic in 1926! I believe this is an illustration of the Bartlane Cable Picture Transmission System which translated images into variations of five-hole punches onto Baudot telegraphic tape and then transmitted, reversing the process at the other end using a teletype machine. #othernetworks – https://post.lurk.org/@loriemerson/111818576272784347

Resources:

8 NEW Characteristics of Middle School Kids: What Can We Do?

Here are some of the new (or perhaps intensified) characteristics I see emerging in young adolescents. Let’s look at each and then consider some ways we might respond.

https://www.amle.org/8-new-characteristics-of-middle-school-kids-what-can-we-do/

Kurt Vonnegut on the Secret of Happiness: An Homage to Joseph Heller’s Wisdom

True story, Word of Honor:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer
now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.

I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22’
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”
Not bad! Rest in peace!

https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/16/kurt-vonnegut-joe-heller-having-enough/

Suno AI

Make your own song.

https://www.suno.ai/

Enslaved

Since 2018, Enslaved: Peoples of the Historical Slave Trade (Enslaved.org) has been serving the needs of scholars, genealogists, students, and members of the public interested in the people of the historical slave trade. Enslaved.org is a discovery hub that helps users to search and find information from a large and growing number of datasets and digital projects. Researchers can learn from linking data, visualizing larger relations and movements, and connecting the traces of people from one dataset to the next.

https://enslaved.org/

AXIS: The Culture Translator

Guns Blazing

What it is: PC and Xbox game “Palworld” has rapidly found a huge following, peaking last week with 2+ million players online at once. Now they’re under investigation by Nintendo’s Pokémon Company for intellectual property infringement.

Mobbed Up

What it is: The latest “trend” to resurrect on TikTok is a style that’s being called the “mob wife.” One TikTok went so far as to declare, “Clean girl is out. Mob wife is in!”

Web Spotlight:

The Last Repair Shop

https://kottke.org/24/01/the-last-repair-shop

How to Draw 3D Art

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnU1UG4HHqcBznSUMvu9PDX0_foVbWFlg

Big Ball Machine

Jelle Bakker of Netherlands-based Jelle’s Marble Runs began building marble runs when he received one on his fourth birthday. Today, he creates giant marble races, runs, and attractions for his YouTube channel, as well as for in person events.

https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/jelles-wooden-ball-marble-run-landal-build

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

January 20, 2024

MSM 611: Faster Than the Columbus Method

http://k12science.net/science-olympiad/

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, school closings, Zyn trouble and more. Dave has 40 years of the Science Olympiad.

Jokes:

My job is top secret.

Even I don’t know what I’m doing.

As I suspected, someone has been adding soil to my garden.

The plot thickens.

They’re making a movie about clocks.

It’s about time

I heard there was a new store called Moderation.

They have everything there

Last night me and my wife watched three DVDs back to back.

Luckily I was the one facing the TV.

Did you know crocodiles could grow up to 15 feet?

But most just have 4.

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: Science Olympiad

I was recently reading the September-October, 2023 issue of “Connected Science Learning,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the article “40 Years of Inspiring Students to Explore STEM: What has Science Olympiad Learned?” It was written by John F. Loehr and Jenny Kopach.

In May 2024, Science Olympiad will celebrate the 40th Annual Science Olympiad National Tournament at Michigan State University. The Olympiad has been successful over these 40 years because it has demonstrated the following four factors:

* Recognition – Students’ work and efforts are displayed and recognized in a very public fashion.

* Personal Choice – Students have the autonomy to decide how they want to be involved in the program.

* Peer and Professional Networks – Students’ passion and interest in topics is recognized and celebrated by both their peers and STEM professionals.

* Responsiveness – The 23-event structure gives Science Olympiad the flexibility to adapt to changing interests, circumstances, and needs.

Reports from the Front Lines

AI Conference

The Social Web

Jim Costa@JimCosta_

“South Detroit” is on board

Kory E. Woods @KoryEWoods

The city of Windsor held a special Detroit Lions flag raising ceremony yesterday outside of Windsor City Hall to show support for the Lions hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s divisional round game. :

@RenaldoAgostino @cityofwindsor https://twitter.com/i/status/1748485929981931884

Pixelmator Team @pixelmator

Word of the day is ‘finifugal’, from the 19th century: avoiding the end of something (a box set, an excellent book, sleep, etc.) because you want it to go on forever.

For anyone who hasn’t heard it, to ‘hurkle-durkle’, from 19th-century Scots, is to linger under the covers of a warm bed long after it’s time to get up.

Word of the day is a reminder of ‘mubble-fubbles’: a fit of gloom and despondency combined with a sense of impending doom. Essentially the mubble-fubbles are the 16th-century equivalent of the Sunday evening blues.

Photomator and Pixelmator are coming to #AppleVisionPro Starting February 2nd, enjoy all your favorite tools and features from Photomator and Pixelmator on iPad in a whole new creative space. We simply can’t wait! Learn more on our blog: https://pixelmator.com/blog/2024/01/1

Richard Byrne @rmbyrne

Google Bard can be used to create multiple choice and true/false quizzes about a variety of topics commonly taught in middle school and high school classrooms. https://youtu.be/SL8uSUrs7WE

Eduease is a new AI tool that you can use to quickly convert PDFs into online quizzes. Watch this video to see how it works. https://youtu.be/_LlraJxSQU4

Historic Vids @historyinmemes

They don’t make cartoons like this anymore

They don't make cartoons like this anymore pic.twitter.com/4rMmQUF37N
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) January 3, 2024

Marcus Green @marcusgreen@fosstodon.org

This amused me. Taken from the Linkedin feed of John Fila who describes himself as “an award-winning educator and curriculum coordinator who promotes equitable access to high-quality educational materials and experiences for all learners:

Strategies:

5 Metacognitive Questions For Students Learning New Material

mportant?

https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-metacognitive-questions-students-learning-new-material/

Resources:

Youglish

Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation. With more than 100M tracks, YouGlish gives you fast, unbiased answers about how English is spoken by real people and in context.

https://youglish.com/

First 5

FREE daily resource for educators!
Practical ideas and activities that are perfect for the first five minutes of class time!
Arrives in your email inbox every morning at 7 AM EST.
18+ NEW activities and ideas each day that focus on classroom connections, self-care, care for others, and the development of character.
Ideas and resources for building dynamic and trusting relationships within classroom communities.
Users pick 1 of the 9 activities from either the Primary or Secondary First Five.

https://www.edtomorrow.com/first-5

Emoji Kitchen

Combine emoji.

https://emojikitchen.dev/

Origin of Everything

Every aspect of our daily reality, whether it’s the words we use, the pop culture we love, the technology that gets us through the day, or even the identities we give ourselves, emerges from thousands of intersecting histories. And, in this series, we’re going to explore them ALL! . . . . Okay, maybe not ALL, but you get the idea.

https://mainepublic.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/origin-of-everything-collection/

Civics

Civics for All of US is a new education initiative that promotes civic literacy and engagement.

https://civics.archives.gov/homepage

Folger Shakespeare Library Opportunity

The Folger Shakespeare Library is seeking 25 middle and high school teachers eager to participate in a two-week institute centered around explorations of and conversations between The Taming of the Shrew and Othello.

https://www.folger.edu/teach/professional-development/neh-teaching-shakespeare-institute/?fbclid=IwAR3WxuMT-Q0b1npls782Y-ABhFBfY-yvmmHEV6kJDHkpSgxkbZ1jQcjs8Jw

Web Spotlight:

Crip Camp

Crip Camp shares with insight, humor, and joy the experiences of a group of disabled teenagers and their journey to adulthood and activism, and in doing so, provides an opportunity to delve into this rich and powerful story of disability activism, culture, and history. The curriculum deepens the knowledge and understanding of disability and of disabled people offered in the film.

https://journeysinfilm.org/product/crip-camp-guides/

“Evidence Based” Does Not Mean What You Think It Does

Evidence-based means:

1) Shows a statistically significant effect on student outcomes via strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-done study. You’ve got at least one study, and it seems like a decent study, and it gives solid evidence.

2) Shows a statistically significant effect on student outcomes via moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-done study. Your decent study shows some meh evidence.

3) Shows a statistically significant effect on student outcomes via promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-done study. Your study evidence is not great, but it can be massaged into looking like maybe better things are coming.

It can also mean (ii) something you kind of think probably could work. Maybe a shade better than an educated guess.

They looked at 1359 programs. Of the programs rated by more than one clearinghouse, only about 30% got similar ratings. In other words, the answer to “Is this program effective,” depends pretty much on who you’re asking.

https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2024/01/evidence-based-does-not-mean-what-you.html

Japanese Manhole Covers

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/01/japanese-manhole-covers/

School Lunches Around the World

https://www.upworthy.com/school-lunches-around-the-world-rp

Restaurant of Mistaken Orders

In Japan, known as a super-aging society, dementia is predicted to affect one in five people by 2025. [1] In such circumstances, an innovative social experiment has caught the attention of Japan and the world.

“The restaurant is not about whether orders are executed incorrectly or not,” notes Oguni. “The important thing is the interaction with people who have dementia.”

Although succeeding as a “restaurant of never-ending laughter,” Oguni was initially concerned about possible criticisms, such as, “Don’t treat dementia like a carnival sideshow!” and “Don’t make a laughingstock out of them!” But actually, when guests see the smiles of the staffers with dementia, and the joy that motivates their work, some feel a spirit of courage, while others are moved to tears. And invariably, the servers say such things as “I’m still capable. This has gaven me confidence.” The negative image of dementia was replaced by a fun, positive one.

https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2019/winter2019/restaurant_of_mistaken_orders.html

Snowplow Parents

AXIS: The Culture Translator

Zyn Trouble

What it is: Oral nicotine pouches are being advertised to teens through influencers. They are far from harmless.

What’s happening here? Zyn pouches contain nicotine powder, not tobacco leaf. Other brand names include On! and Velo. That means the FDA can’t classify them as a “smokeless tobacco product” the way it would with dip or e-cigarettes. This classification wrinkle has meant marketing regulations of this product are more lax than they are for similar products. Zyn’s other qualities make it an easy habit to conceal: the pouches dissolve under the lip, so they don’t require spitting. Reporting in the New York Times discusses an entire class of meme-driven accounts on social media, dubbed “Zynfluencers,” who are advertising Zyn products. Hundreds of thousands of young followers seem at least aware of what tobacco pouches are, with sales figures skyrocketing. Many parents, on the other hand, remain still blissfully unaware that Zyn pouches even exist.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

January 6, 2024

MSM 610: Satisfying The Friend Requirement

http://k12science.net/international-space-station/

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about break, Reader’s Theater, culture, and more. Dave brings us down to earth with the International Space Station.

Jokes:

I applied to be a doorman but didn’t get the job due to lack of experience. That surprised me, I thought it was an entry level position.

I have the heart of a lion… and a lifetime ban from the San Diego Zoo.

I couldn’t get a reservation at the library. They were completely booked.

They say Tiger Stadium can hold up to fifty-six thousand people, but that is just a ballpark figure.

Do you want a brief explanation of what an acorn is? In a nutshell, it’s an oak tree.

When my wife told me to stop impersonating a flamingo, I had to put my foot down.

I’m glad I know sign language, it’s pretty handy.

I started a new business making yachts in my attic this year…the sails are going through the roof

Middle School Science Minute

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

K12Science Podcast: International Space Station

I was recently reading the October, 2023 special issue of USA Today, entitled, “NASA at 65.”

In this issue, I read the article “25 Years Up There: International Space Station Operators are Preparing for the Outpost’s Demise.”

25 years ago, the first two elements of the International Space Station were connected by shuttle astronauts. After 2030, NASA will need to bring the space station out of orbit.

Reports from the Front Lines

The Juice
Moodle Forums
- Privacy
- Secure
- Consistent
Video vs Text
Reader’s Theater
- Group Choice
- StudentQuiz
AI thoughts

The Social Web

Matt Miller @jmattmiller

It’s been 8 years. This is my first teacher work day in 8 years. Desks are arranged. My desk is cleaned. Planning lessons. I used the words “my classroom” recently for the first time in years. Excited. Let’s do this. #MattsBackInClass

Ron Houtman @ronhoutman

Google is getting into the AI generated video game too – check out VideoPoet from Google Research https://buff.ly/3Rr6F68 #ai

Sloan-Keynote Speaker, Workshop Facilitator @psloanjoseph

As we return for the new year, now is a great time to reflect, review, and redo the following. #InformInspireInfluence https://teacher2teacher.education/2023/08/14/four-first-week-of-school-mindsets-i-try-to-hold/

Larry Ferlazzo @Larryferlazzo

Infographic: “Countries With the Highest Prevalence of Slavery”