MSM 641: Why We Don’t Let Mathematicians Rule the World

MSM 641: Why We Don’t Let Mathematicians Rule the World

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy share bad puns, tips for teaching tomorrow, collaboration, and more. Dave combines poetry and leaves.

Jokes:  

When I was a kid we only had one video game and it was called adjusting the antenna.

They were like “bear with me” and they didn’t even have a bear with them.

At the boxing match, the dad got into the popcorn line and the line for hot dogs, but he wanted to stay out of the punchline.

The shovel was a ground-breaking invention.

Cottage cheese isn’t technically cheese.

  • It’s just a curd to me.

Did you hear about the two thieves who stole a calendar? 

  • They each got six months.

What’s E.T. short for? 

  • He’s only got little legs.

The other day I was listening to a song about superglue, 

  • it’s been stuck in my head ever since.

Cosmetic surgery used to be such a taboo subject.

Now you can talk about Botox and nobody raises an eyebrow.

Nobody has seen the Zamboni driver. I’m sure he’ll resurface eventually.

What’s a panda bear ghost’s favorite food?

  • bam-booooooo
Anything is possible with Ice Cream as the title of a machine. No Ice Cream sign on the machine.

The historic moment when humans and germs sign into law the “Five Second Rule”.

A black and white photograph of several people dressed in military uniforms, standing around a man who is sitting at a desk, signing a piece of paper. Opposite, on the other side of the desk, is an apparently empty chair.
A group of people in a pool under an umbrella. The words, "After seeing a group of people in a pool, huddled together under an umbrella to stay dry, I understand why Aliens don't visit us."

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Fall Colors

I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science and Children, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Poetry of Science” section, written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater.  She wrote an article entitled: “Changes in the Leaves.”   Included in the article was a poem entitled, “Saving the Best for Last,” written by David L. Harrison.

Leaves change color in the fall because the amounts of chemical pigments inside the leaves change.  The intensity and timing of fall colors can be affected by weather, both in fall and earlier in the growing season.

http://k12science.net/fall-colors/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Collaboration
    • Tour Guide Video
    • An “Unboxing Video” of items from their region
    • Do a video of a tour 
    • Exchange item
  • Course Update
  • Book Study

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Oxford University Press is celebrating 20 years of its Word of the Year. My favourite has to be ‘omnishambles’, from The Thick of It. Unsurprisingly, it remains in regular use and has taken on a life of its own.  @OxUniPress   https://corp.oup.com/word-of-the-ye  

Omnishambles. (n.) a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, or is characterized by a series of blunders and miscalculations.

Word of the day is ‘hibernacle’ (18th century): a place to which an animal/human can retreat entirely for the winter months.  

Brian Roemmele @BrianRoemmele

The Leaf Blower Hover Car is a science demonstration at this middle school. …I wonder if this can scale with 4-8 Leaf Blowers floating down the street? Be a good 13 minute ride?

https://twitter.com/i/status/1846595367988773043

Cian McCarthy  @arealmofwonder

Words for the Weekend  

Gulching: a downpour of rain. Hygge: a cosy, contented mood evoked by comfort Lalochezia: The emotional relief gained from swearing. Nidificate: To build a warm cosy nest and hunker down for the foreseeable future.

FIPLV – Fédération Internationale des Professeurs de Langues Vivantes

Invitation to join the BarCamp “AI for language education” on Zoom on 5 November 2024 from 5-7 pm (Central European Standard Time: GMT+1) ‼

The ECML project “AI for language education” (2024-27) explores effective and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in language education for both learners and teachers. It investigates how AI tools can help teachers plan lessons, design materials, and conduct formative assessment in order to enable learners to utilise AI responsibly for higher-quality, autonomous language learning.

📌 www.ecml.at/AI-lang

The BarCamp “AI for language education” will provide an opportunity for experts and practitioners to share and learn in an informal, open environment.

If you would like to participate online, please register here:

https://forms.gle/yHrkvxXumdhApsES7

Deadline for registration: 20 October 2024

Resources:  

GSM-Symbolic: Understanding the Limitations of Mathematical Reasoning in Large Language Models

https://machinelearning.apple.com/research/gsm-symbolic

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2410.05229

People think they already know everything they need to make decisions

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/10/people-think-they-already-know-everything-they-need-to-make-decisions

The Article Referenced:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0310216

How To Use Native-Land.ca

There are a number of ways to use this website.

You can use it directly above by entering your address, or by mousing or clicking around on the map to see the relevant territories in a location.

Once you click, a number of links will appear with different nation names. By clicking on those links, you will be taken to a page specifically about that nation, language, or treaty, where you can view some sources, give feedback, and learn a little more. We are always trying to expand our resources on these pages.

You can also export the map to a printable image file, turn map labels on or off to see non-Indigenous borders and towns, and select or search from a dropdown of territories, treaties, and languages.

https://native-land.ca

BBC Ten Pieces

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/articles/zv2gqp3

Launched in 2014, the BBC’s Ten Pieces is an ambitious initiative for school pupils, which aims to open up the world of classical music using ten pieces of music as a spring-board for learning.

Browser Clock

https://eduk8.me/a-clock-in-your-browser-free-ai-tools-the-decline-of-reading-and-more-of-bits-and-bytes-for-october-7-2024/

AXIS The Culture Translator

Slang of the Week:  “Just Put The Fries In The Bag.”

Imagine you’re running behind and you just want to grab a quick bite to eat, but the person taking your order seems to want to hear your life story, share theirs, and get the input of the person in line behind you. In a moment of frustration, you might tell the worker, “Just put the fries in the bag.” For teens, this phrase applies to much more than chatty fast-food workers: a teacher telling a story, a friend overexplaining their date, or really anything they see as wasting their time. Whatever the circumstance, the idea remains the same—it’s a way to say, “Quit yapping and get on with it.”

Paranoid Android

What it is: At Tesla’s “We, Robot” event, Elon Musk unveiled the prototype for a domestic robot called Optimus that he projects will eventually be available for less than $30,000.  

Why people are nervous: Musk himself has warned that the rollout of AI could lead to “civilization destruction,” and yet like so many in the tech space, he still seems intent on ushering it into our world. The sci-fi trope is that unleashing AI leads to the end of humanity. Yet Musk blithely bills these droids as “your own personal R2D2/C3PO,” promising that they’ll teach, babysit, walk dogs, mow lawns, get groceries, be your friend, serve drinks—“whatever you can think of, it will do.” The full technology is still in development (the robots in the showcase were being controlled remotely) but still, it’s a glimpse of what the world could look like in our lifetimes.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM 640: Get Your Own Dave Bydlowski

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Frustration Busters, PD, and more. Dave heads out for Fieldwork Fridays. 

Jokes:  

Does Bill Nye have a daughter Dee?

What do you call a droid that takes the long way around? 

  • R2 detour.

Karma cafe now serving just deserts!

The urge to sing the Lion King song is just a whim away.

As I get older, I think of all the people I lost along the way. Maybe a career as a tour guide wasn’t such a good idea.

Animal Fact #25: Most bobcats are not named bob.

*Reversing the car* “Ah, this takes me back”

I met a microbiologist yesterday. 

  • She was a lot bigger than I expected

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Fieldwork Fridays

I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Interdisciplinary Ideas” section, written by Katie Coppens.  She wrote an article entitled: “Fieldwork Fridays: Connecting Scientific Learning to Nature.” 

Each Friday, in what are referred to as “Fieldwork Fridays,” the author brings her students outside to apply what they learned that week in class to the environment around them.

http://k12science.net/fieldwork-fridays/

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

Ann Morgan  @A_B_Morgan

My seven-year-old asked for a dictionary this week. We went to the bookshop today to buy one. She walked home hugging it, pausing every so often to look up a word, grinning as though she had been given a book of spells, the key to wonders.

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

I’m writing today about kennings in Old English. Essentially these are two word-metaphors that were used instead of concrete nouns, and they are exquisite. A ship was a ‘wave-horse’, the sea was a ‘whale-road’, the mind was a ‘thought-chamber’, and the sun was a ‘sky-candle’.

Mr H5P  @mrh5p

How to create a ‘Sort the Paragraphs’ activity in #H5P To see the finished example and more tutorials, check out http://mrh5p.com and subscribe to the H5P Builders newsletter. https://mrh5p.com/h5p-examples/how-to-make-a-sort-the-paragraphs-activity-with-h5p/

  #instructionaldesign

Strategies:  

AI Image Generation in Education

https://blog.tcea.org/ai-image-generation-in-education/

Ten ways to boost learning in class with pictures

https://ditchthattextbook.com/dual-coding

Resources:  

 HTML for People

https://htmlforpeople.com

Why we are teaching science wrong, and how to make it right

“An outcome confirmed in hundreds of studies: students gain a much deeper understanding of science when they actively grapple with…questions than when they passively listen to answers”: 

https://www.nature.com/articles/523272a

Web Spotlight: 

The Ada & Zangemann Movie

Released as an Open Educational Resource, under a Creative Commons By Share-Alike Licence, it tells tells the story of the famous inventor Zangemann and the girl Ada, a curious tinkerer. Ada begins to experiment with hardware and software, and in the process realises how crucial it is for her and others to control technology.

This fascinating story, by Matthias Kirschner and Sandra Brandstätter, encourages children, especially girls, to tinker with hardware and software and encouraging them to shape their own technology.

https://fsfe.org/activities/ada-zangemann//movie

Why Do Students In My ELL Newcomers Class Appear To Be Acquiring English So Much Faster Than In Past Years? Here Are Some Possible Answers

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2024/10/05/why-do-students-in-my-ell-newcomers-class-appear-to-be-acquiring-english-so-much-faster-than-in-past-years-here-are-some-possible-answers/

AXIS The Culture Translator

English or Spanish?

What it is: A TikTok trend started by @alfonsopinpon_ involves saying to strangers, “Excuse me, English or Spanish?” Then, after the stranger answers, the speaker says, “Whoever moves first is gay,” and films how long they stand still.  

How it works: The initial question, “English or Spanish?” helps lower participants’ guard. “Why would someone be asking my preferred language?” unsuspecting subjects might think. The follow-up comment, that “Whoever moves first is gay,” is maybe the last thing they expect to hear—and many people instantly freeze. The surreal result resembles the “mannequin challenge” from a few years ago, and is sometimes soundtracked by a slowed down version of the song “Static” by Steve Lacy.

Random Thoughts . . .  

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MSM 639: Cussed and Discussed on a Pork Roll

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Moodle, cheating, walk-up music, and more. Dave has comets on chasing giant ice balls. 

Special Note: 

We apologize for the recording issue. We are working on fixing it. 

Jokes:  

My electrician, who doesn’t like being questioned, started his own company. It’s called:

  • Mind your ohm business.

This morning I was talking to myself and suddenly realized that I wasn’t listening.

  • So i had to start all over again.

Group of no cows: 

  • Un-herd of.

I wonder what Schrödinger did when a FedEx or UPS delivery arrived …

Adam’s apartment is so small that when he orders a large pizza, he has to eat it outside.

Why do bears have hairy coats? 

  • Fur protection.

I should be able to order food with Excel like =rangoon(crab,my house,15 minutes).

This morning I was wondering where the sun was, but then it dawned on me.

Have you ever heard of a music group called Cellophane? 

  • They mostly wrap.

Our wedding was so beautiful, even the cake was in tiers.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: Comets

I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Scope on the Skies” section, written by Bob Riddle.  He wrote an article entitled: “Chasing Giant Ice Balls.” 

Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust, rock, and ices.  They range in size from a few miles to tens of miles wide, but as they orbit closer to the Sun, they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger than a planet.  This material forms a tail that stretches millions of miles.

 http://k12science.net/comets/

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

A reminder of the verb to ‘spuddle’ (17th century): to work feebly or ineffectively, or to spend a lot of time getting absolutely nowhere.

Education Week  @educationweek

Natural light is vital to teachers’ and students’ health. Read how a new study finds that they’re not getting enough of it in their classrooms. #K12 #Teachers #Schools

UNESCO  #Education #Sciences #Culture   @UNESCO

Today, we mark #WorldTeachersDay! Here’s a big shout-out to all teachers across the world – for their unwavering dedication to future generations. Let’s uplift their voices & recognise their vital role in shaping the future of education. https://unesco.org/en/days/teache  

Shannonmmiller  West Des Moines, Iowa  

It’s October and our October Choice Board is here! 🎉  You will find the choice board, and a link to make a copy, here in this post. 🗓️  Have a wonderful month, friends. 🎃Link in my bio.🙌🏻  https://www.instagram.com/p/DAn-PV2Og4Q/  

#tlchat #futurereadylibs #edchat #edtech #ISTELib  

spencereducation

Strategies:  

Active Learning Strategies H5P

Active Learning Strategies H5P

Resources:  

Election Day Resources

The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books

Over the past decade, students have become overwhelmed by the reading. College kids have never read everything they’re assigned, of course, but this feels different. Dames’s students now seem bewildered by the thought of finishing multiple books a semester. 

… the student told Dames that, at her public high school, she had never been required to read an entire book. She had been assigned excerpts, poetry, and news articles, but not a single book cover to cover.

“My jaw dropped,” Dames told me. The anecdote helped explain the change he was seeing in his students: It’s not that they don’t want to do the reading. It’s that they don’t know how. Middle and high schools have stopped asking them to.

Twenty years ago, Dames’s classes had no problem engaging in sophisticated discussions of Pride and Prejudice one week and Crime and Punishment the next. Now his students tell him up front that the reading load feels impossible. It’s not just the frenetic pace; they struggle to attend to small details while keeping track of the overall plot.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/11/the-elite-college-students-who-cant-read-books/679945

Web Spotlight: 

From Crib Sheets to AI Cheats, Everyone’s Doing It

Where a handful of students in every class used to take a sideways glance during a test or complete homework together, he and his older brother JR, a senior, said it’s now the majority of students the majority of the time.

After school, students send around photos of homework or problem sets on Snapchat. They prompt ChatGPT to craft them an essay. JR told me about taking an online test in class and seeing almost every one of his classmates type questions verbatim into Google’s search bar.

In 2002, for example, the New York Times published a story about a teacher who failed students for copying portions of a project from the Internet and how a parent coalition then tried to force the educator to award passing grades.

It’s not hard to imagine little Willy Shakespeare in his grammar school passing around the day’s quotation from Holinshed’s Chronicle under his desk, especially considering the Bard did in fact lift lines and entire passages word-for-word from Holinshed and other sources for use in his plays.

Over the past 50 years, cheating has increased significantly. In a series of surveys conducted in 1969, 1979, and 1989, researcher Fred Schab of the University of Georgia found that cheating in all forms—from using cheat sheets on tests to copying a friend’s homework—effectively doubled over the two decades.

Jump forward to modern day, and recent surveys find that 95 percent of students admit to having cheated in the previous year, and 72 percent report using AI to assist with their schoolwork.

Clearly, cheating has gotten easier and thus more tempting. But that doesn’t explain why students are so willing to engage in academic dishonesty to begin with. The answers to that question suggest measures for curtailing the prevalence of cheating. … Parents and teachers put so much pressure on students to reach unachievable ends on standardized exams that they follow dishonest paths almost by necessity.

“It’s laziness,” they countered. To defend their point, they noted that there was less cheating in their AP classes, where academic stress was highest, compared to standard classes. And indeed, surveys have found that high-achieving students do cheat less.

…students cheat for innumerable reasons. For example, in a review of research, Donald McCabe points to personality types, self-esteem, and gender differences as notable factors that influence a student’s decision to cheat. In a 1993 survey that McCabe administered, he found that among a number of factors, the presence of peers cheating was the strongest. And in a 1997 follow-up, McCabe concluded that contextual factors (presence of honor codes, consequences, and testing environments) were stronger determinants than individual factors (gender, individual beliefs, age). An institution’s policy on and responses to academic dishonesty matter far more than any single student’s reason for cheating.

“We make learning so clinical and formulaic that it’s like filling out paperwork for them, and they just want to get it done. We give them so many tools with tech integration that makes cheating easier; there is such an emphasis on collaboration and group work that so many students don’t even know how to work independently; and there are simply no consequences for cheating.”

…regardless of students’ reasons for cheating, our current education environment presents them with few disincentives to acting dishonestly. The short-term gain is obvious, while consequences are essentially nonexistent. What’s more, students may lack a clear sense of the long-term tradeoffs—for example, that unlearned content now might result in difficulties later, or that dishonest habits will serve them poorly as adults.

School responses to cheating generally fall into two buckets: addressing the cause or toggling the incentives.

Moreover, as noted earlier, students have multifarious reasons for cheating. We cannot hope to create some utopian environment that addresses them all. Schools cannot control student motivations, but they can toggle incentives and policies to alter behavior. Accordingly, they must both make cheating more difficult and provide disincentives to steer students away from it.

Teachers can simply ban phones and computers. JR assured me that students can still find ways to cheat during paper tests, but it’s harder to do so. It’s more difficult to see a classmate’s test several desks away or slip in an answer key in unnoticed. And if teachers create multiple versions tests, answer keys won’t help a student cheat.

…students who cheat on practice problems bomb the test, because they haven’t actually learned the material.

Instead of using drastic measures, teachers would do well to remember the admonition of Alexis de Tocqueville that “when justice is more certain and more mild, it is more efficacious.”

From Crib Sheets to AI Cheats, Everyone’s Doing It

AXIS The Culture Translator

Pork Roll

What it is: A baby pygmy hippo from Thailand named Moo Deng (which translates to “bouncy pork”) has stolen hearts across the internet over the last few weeks.

Why she’s so popular: Moo Deng’s chubby cuteness, tiny ferocity, and propensity to toothless-ly bite her caretakers feels like it was manufactured in a lab designed to create viral internet moments. The pocket-sized hippo has inspired countless memes, an SNL sketch, skincare routines, and most remarkable of all—a wholesome internet trend. While Moo Deng could probably inspire some deep, spiritual point, sometimes it’s worth celebrating the world in which we live and the cute (and ferocious) creatures who share it with us (see also: Pesto the penguin).

Random Thoughts . . .  

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MSM 638: AI for You and Me and Students

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk a lot about AI in education. Dave discusses the elephant not in the room. 

Jokes:  

What do you call a fish wearing a bowtie? 

  • Sofishticated.

Past, present, and future walked into an ice cream store….

  •  It was tense.

I used to work in a shoe recycling shop. 

  • It was sole destroying.

The other day I was listening to a song about superglue, 

  • it’s been stuck in my head ever since.

To the guy who invented zero… 

  • thanks for nothing.

You know that cemetery up the road? 

  • People are dying to get in there.

Why was Pavlov’s beard so soft?  

  • Because he conditioned it.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Elephant ID

I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” section, written by Jill Nugent.  She wrote an article entitled: “Snapshot Safari: Elephant Edition.” 

Elephant ID is an online project that leverages Zooniverse’s people-powered research platform to address behavior and conservation questions related to the African savanna elephant, a species facing pressing challenges, including habitat loss.  To learn more, visit the project website at:

https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/aeuk/elephant-id

http://k12science.net/elephant-id/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Kid Crud
  • Shawn’s Preferred AI’s
    • JAN – local AI (Mistral 7B), open source
    • ChatGPT – content creation
    • Stable Diffusion
    • Canva
    • Adobe FireFly
    • Gemini
    • NoteBookLM

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘cockalorum’ (18th century): a self-important individual who struts across every stage as though they own it.

Positive Side of 𝕏  @positivesideofx

Paired as pen pals in middle school to practice their cursive writing, they’ve stayed close friends for over 60 years. After all that time, they finally met face-to-face for the first time.  

Tutela  @TutelaCanada

NEW RESOURCES added to the Literacy H5P Resources for Online and Blended Learning Collection on Tutela! Check them out here: https://tutela.ca/Collection?ite  

Strategies:  

My God! I Can’t Believe How Much Time ChatGPT Is Now Going To Save Me In Creating One Of My Favorite Teaching Resources!

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2024/09/16/my-god-i-cant-believe-how-much-time-chatgpt-is-now-going-to-save-me-in-creating-one-of-my-favorite-teaching-resources/

Bribing students: Another ‘magical solution’ that doesn’t work

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2024/09/18/bribing-students-another-magical-solution-that-doesnt-work/

Resources:  

Journeys in Film

We transform entertainment media into educational media by designing and publishing cost-free, educational resources for teachers to accompany carefully chosen feature films and documentaries while meeting mandated standards in all core subjects. Selected films are used as springboards for lesson plans in subjects ranging from math, science, language arts, and social studies to specific topics that have become critical for students to learn.

https://journeysinfilm.org/

Youth in Government

Grants are opening up, registrations are happening, lessons in Civis to learn . . . 

https://www.myig.org

Web Spotlight: 

High School Math Students Used A GPT-4 AI Tutor. They did Worse.

A study of nearly a thousand high school math students found that using AI tutors didn’t add up to success.

Students who had access to an AI tutor for practice exams did better than students without access in these practice exams. However, on a subsequent exam, when none of the students had access to an AI tutor, the students who worked with an AI tutor did worse than other students.

https://www.techlearning.com/news/high-school-math-students-used-a-gpt-4-ai-tutor-they-did-worse

5 concerns about AI in education

1. AI bias can impact students and schools in ways we might not expect.

2. Keep humans in the loop in high-stakes decisions in education.

3. AI doesn’t help us break down historical prejudices. It only reinforces them.

4. AI poses personal and academic threats to students.

5. Protect student data and privacy.

https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai-perils

Why Teachers – & Everyone Else – Should Ignore The Dancing Guy’s Leadership Advice

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2024/09/17/why-teachers-everyone-else-should-ignore-the-dancing-guys-leadership-advice/

Family’s Holocaust Story Too Graphic for District

In the year 2000, Holocaust survivor Felix Goldberg testified at our synagogue in Columbia SC about his experiences as a slave laborer during World War II. I was in the audience, and after delivering that speech, he approached me (knowing that I was an educator) and asked me to “do something with it.”

…with the blessing of the family members, we initially created a website for teachers: www.StoriesofSurvival.org which details his story and that of his wife Bluma, starting before the war and continuing during and after the war. 

We will continue to offer educators in grades 5-12 the classroom sets of our book, after they respond to a series of questions about how they will use the book with students. One of those questions asks them if they will consider inviting us into the classroom so that we can elaborate on the text and visual content and answer student questions.

https://www.middleweb.com/51330/familys-holocaust-story-too-graphic-for-district/

New AI trick: ‘synthetic human memories’

AI-edited photos can alter memories of things you experienced in real life. This knowledge will be weaponized. Here comes the False Memory Industrial Complex.

https://machinesociety.ai/p/new-ai-trick-synthetic-human-memories

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM 637: Earth, Wind and Fire Day Sweeps Through Troy

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy share Earth, Wind, and Fire Day, experiences in safety and more. Dave brings SEL to Science.

Jokes:  

I used to work for an origami company but they folded.

Dickens: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Schrödinger: Nice.

I asked the surgeon if I could administer my own anesthetic, they said: go ahead, knock yourself out.

Clem entered the barn to see two horses fighting over a bale of hay. It was the last straw.

A good dictionary gives meaning to life.

I think circles are pointless.

Got fired from the custom kitchen shop for making too many jokes about taking countermeasures.

How do you keep a moron in suspense?

They call them Jersey cows, but if you look closely you can see that they don’t even have numbers on their backs.

I have a friend who writes songs about sewing machines. 

  • He’s a Singer songwriter. Or sew it seams. 
Sign: Beware of the Dog. Th Cat is not trustworthy either.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Social-Emotional Learning

I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Editorial” section, written by Patty McGinnis.  She wrote an article entitled: “Social-Emotional Learning in the Science Classroom.” 

Perhaps nowhere else in education is social-emotional (SEL) more crucial than in the middle school science classroom, a place where students are expected to collaborate, communicate, and participate respectfully in the practice of argumentation.  For more information about SEL consider exploring the site for the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), a nonprofit organization that utilizes research to guide SEL initiatives.  For more information, visit:

https://casel.org

http://k12science.net/social-emotional-learning/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Course on Teaching Exceptional Children
  • Movie AD
  • Exciting Times – “Testing” the Boot System
  • Curriculum Work
    • iReady
    • NWEA
  • Apple Vision Pro Update
  • Earth, Wind, and Fire Day  

The Social Web

Alice@beige.partyAlice McFlurry @Alice@beige.party

What do they teach in Social Studies nowadays? Like, do they even cover MySpace and Friendster or do kids only learn about those in History class?

Wylfċen  @wylfcen

Another wonderfully specific Old English word: merecandel ‘sea-candle’, the Sun as it rises from or sets in the sea.

Jack Berckemeyer  @JBerckemeyer

Great teams come up with awesome grade level team names along with amazing visuals. This 6th grade team is all in on the mighty ducks. #pumpedup

BERCKEMEYER Breaks are back – Read the Room and show me shocked. Feel free to share with others and if you like these check out our webinar series. http://Jackberckemeyer.com

https://twitter.com/i/status/1835304245572129107

Moodle | Online learning, delivered your way.  @moodle

Free webinar: Moodle AI plugins! Join us on Thursday, 26th September, at 08:00 UTC. Register now: https://moodle.me/aipluginswebinar  #MoodleAcademy  @moodleacademy

Resources:  

REVIEW: Why Don’t Students Like School (Daniel Willingham)

The only path to expertise, as far as anyone knows, is practice. - Daniel Willingham, Why Don't Students Like School

https://readwriterespond.com/2024/09/review-why-dont-students-like-school-daniel-willingham/

Not-so-great expectations: Students are reading fewer books in English class

Chris Stanislawski didn’t read much in his middle school English classes, but it never felt necessary. Students were given detailed chapter summaries for every novel they discussed, and teachers played audio of the books during class.

“When you’re given a summary of the book telling you what you’re about to read in baby form, it kind of just ruins the whole story for you,” said Chris, 14. “Like, what’s the point of actually reading?”

Some teachers focus instead on selected passages — a concession to perceptions of shorter attention spans, pressure to prepare for standardized tests and a sense that short-form content will prepare students for the modern, digital world.

Deep reading is essential to strengthen circuits in the brain tied to critical thinking skills, background knowledge — and, most of all, empathy, said Maryanne Wolf, a cognitive neuroscientist at UCLA specializing in dyslexia research.

“We must give our young an opportunity to understand who others are, not through little snapshots, but through immersion into the lives and thoughts and feelings of others,” Wolf said.

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/09/17/nation/not-so-great-expectations-students-are-reading-fewer-books-in-english-class/

AXIS The Culture Translator

Keeping Accounts

What it is: Meta is rolling out “teen accounts” for minors on the app.

What parents should know: Meta is claiming that this change will provide “protections for teens, peace of mind for parents.” All teens under 16 with Instagram accounts will be automatically opted in to this type of account, and those who sign up for a new account before they turn 18 will be opted in, as well.

Out to Lunch

What it is: MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI are teaming up to launch a Lunchables competitor called “Lunchly.”

Why pre-teens might gobble it up: Lunchly is aimed at the same demographic that has made both MrBeast’s Feastables chocolate bars and Paul/KSI’s Prime Energy drinks a smashing success—young people between the ages of 9 and 13. 

Time to Waste

What it is: Social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt partnered with the Harris Poll firm to try to capture what Gen Z really thinks about social media.

What it shows: The nationwide poll of over a thousand 18-27 year olds asked “Do you wish TikTok was never invented” (47% said yes) and also posed questions about what steps they’re willing to take to limit their social media use. Maybe most eye-opening were the questions about time spent on these apps—over 60% said they spend over 4 hours a day on social media, and almost a quarter said they spend over 7 hours a day.   

Web Spotlight: 

From Book to Podcast in Minutes: My First Experience with Google Notebook

Today, I played with Google’s Notebook, followed Alec Couros’s suggestion, and uploaded a copy of my book. I also added my blog. Within minutes it created this 9-minute audio podcast of my book.

From Book to Podcast in Minutes: My First Experience with Google Notebook

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 636: No Pets, No Plants, No People

/ , /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Moodle, culture of the kids, quiet hallways, and more. Dave styles some learning about Science. 

Jokes:  

R.I.P. boiled water. 

  • You will be mist.

My New Years resolution is to stop leaving things so late.

I was just looking at my ceiling. Not sure if it’s the best ceiling in the world, but it’s definitely up there.

I had a pair of racing snails. I removed their shells to make them more aerodynamic, but they became sluggish.

How many seconds are in a year?

For Valentine’s day, I decided to get my wife some beads for an abacus.  It’s the little things that count.

My child is studying to be a surgeon, I just hope they make the cut.

If you ever get a call from an unknown number, pick it up and say “Hi, you’re on the air.”

Did you hear about the guy who invented Lifesavers? They say he made a mint.

Frank and Ernest, representing two older gentlemen, are sitting under a tree. Frank has a thought bubble that says, "I've decided I'm just like any other person except that I have a smaller percentage of active ingredients".

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Learning Styles

I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science and Children, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the “Science 101” section, written by Matt Bobrowsky.  He wrote a Q and A article entitled: “Q: If Students Have Different Learning Styles, What Kinds of Science Activities Are Best for Reaching All Students?”  

For a more well-rounded educational experience, teachers can use “multimodal” teaching.  Examples include visual, kinesthetic, and auditory.  But that does not mean that students have specific “learning styles.”  If students believe they have a particular “learning style” it can lead to a self-limiting mindset.

http://k12science.net/learning-styles/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Students in the Hallways
  • Annual Training
  • ACTEM
    • Thanking Your Past Self – Documentation Tips
  • Moodle Movement
  • New Curriculum Director

The Social Web

otacke @otacke@chaos.social

Uuuh, the #H5P core is now shipped with CKEditor version 5, so get the latest update of your H5P integration (and hope it supports the latest version of H5P core already)

Marcus Green @marcusgreen@fosstodon.org

This screenshot was taken from a recent version of #Moodle 4.5dev+ (alpha code) which includes the new #AI Subsystem. #Ollama allows you to host #LLM’s on your own hardware. By that I mean you can unplug the internet and interact with various Models.
I am rather excited by it.

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library  @Ford_Library

“Civics for All of US” student Constitution programs kick off this week! Join us for a live webinar and discover how the Constitution connects to our communities: https://civics.archives.gov/webinars #ConstitutionDay #CivicsforAllofUS

iCivics  @icivics

#ConstitutionDay is coming up on Sept. 17! Teach students about the text, history, and relevance of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and additional amendments with our video series, The Constitution EXPLAINED, created with  @CivicEducation. https://bit.ly/4d1muJG

We have the perfect game for #ConstitutionDay! Our Constitutional Compromise game challenges your students to find a way forward for a young nation as disagreements mount. Experience the main historical debates of the Constitutional Convention with https://bit.ly/4gcMaWb

Street Law  @StreetLawInc

Because #ConstitutionDay (Sept. 17th) falls in the thick of the 2024 election season, check out our curated page of Street Law curricular resources on voting, elections, and the presidency. https://store.streetlaw.org/election-votin

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘bayard’ (16th century): one who has the supreme self-confidence of ignorance.

Strategies:  

Free Reading  

A Way to Increase Free Reading Outside of Class

…pare down the teacher-centered lessons, and free up enough time for “Free Reading Friday,”…

Most students were able to commit to reading 100-150 pages per week. This worked out to be about the same amount of time as they were spending before, but the weekly goal gave them more agency in deciding when to read, and many students reported that this helped them develop a better reading routine.

Students don’t spend “Free Reading Friday” reading. Instead, our Friday class is focused on talking and writing about free reading.

https://www.middleweb.com/51237/a-way-to-increase-free-reading-outside-of-class/

Resources:  

26 Tips for Beginning Teachers, from A to Z

https://www.middleweb.com/51194/26-tips-for-beginning-teachers-from-a-to-z/

AXIS The Culture Translator

1. Impossible Creatures

What it is: The US edition of a fantasy book for middle-graders is expected to be one of the bestselling titles of the year.

What parents should know: Impossible Creatures, by British author (and Oxford fellow) Katherine Rundell, became an instant bestseller when it was published in the UK last year. The premise of the book is simple (and a bit Narnia-esque): a young man discovers a portal to a hidden world where creatures like griffins, sphinxes, and dragons exist. What follows is equal parts action and adventure in the vivid tradition of Robert Louis Stevenson. The book has some darker themes and violence, but reviews say it ultimately serves as a morality tale about duty, sacrifice, and doing what is right.

2. Young Americans, Online

What it is: A newly-published survey showed that Gen Z and millennials say they feel more like “themselves” online than offline.

What it tells us about the rising generation: It is, perhaps, not all that surprising that a majority (45%) of Gen Z say they feel more like themselves online. This is a generation that has grown up expressing themselves in digital spaces. What is a bit of a surprise is that those that feel more themselves online beat out those that feel more at home offline by only 3%. Compare this to the millennial split in the statistics, where 47% said they feel more at home online than offline and 40% felt more fully themselves in person. Gen Z may see online life as indistinguishable from “real life,” but they may also be more likely to bring the same sort of caution to life online that previous generations brought to life offline.

“Monday” Video

A parody on the “Friday” video . . . . But for Monday.  

https://youtu.be/qBEUIxCcqlY

Web Spotlight: 

Infinite Mac

Infinite Mac is a collection of classic Macintosh and NeXT system releases and software, all easily accessible from the comfort of a (modern) web browser.

Pick any version of System Software/Mac OS or NeXTStep/OPENSTEP from the 1980s or 1990s and run it (and major software of that era) within a virtual machine. You can also run a custom version with your choice of machine and virtual disks. Files can be imported and exported using drag and drop, and System 7 and onward have more advanced integrations as well – refer to the welcome screen in each machine for more details.

https://infinitemac.org

Sort out your life! 100 tiny tricks to help with everything from digital overwhelm to lumpy sugar and unpaid bills

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/03/sort-out-your-life-100-tiny-tricks-to-help-with-everything-from-digital-overwhelm-to-lumpy-sugar-and-unpaid-bills

Food Mood

https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/food-mood/HwHnGalZ3up0EA

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 635: What Do You Call A Group of Eighth Grade Girls?

/ , /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about the importance of the first days of school, building relationships, and more. Dave has students focused on Astrophotography. 

Jokes:  

I always wanted to look into why I procrastinate, but I keep putting it off.

Me: I feel awful!

Doctor: Tell me what happened.

Me: I was eating an apple and…

Doctor: Wait. How many apples do you eat?

Me: One a day.

Doctor: You’re on your own.

I heard there was a new store called Moderation. 

  • They have everything there

Shout out to my grandma, that’s the only way she can hear.

My new thesaurus is terrible. In fact, it’s so bad, I’d say it’s terrible.

Cooking Tip: If you’re tired of always having to boil water every time you make pasta, boil a few litres at the beginning of the week and freeze it for later. You’re welcome!

Bought a new jacket suit the other day and it burst into flames. Well, it was a blazer

I’m reading a book on the history of glue – can’t put it down.

What did the hat say to the scarf?

You can hang around. I’ll just go on ahead.

I went to the zoo yesterday and saw a baguette in a cage. 

  • It was bread in captivity.

My dog used to chase people on a bike a lot. It got so bad I had to take his bike away.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Astrophotography

I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school teachers.

In this issue, I read the “Scope on the Skies” section.  In the section was an article entitled, “Capturing Photons,” written by Bob Riddle. 

One way to make astronomy more accessible and engaging to students is to introduce them to astrophotography.  The most direct way is probably with the student’s own smartphone.

http://k12science.net/astrophotography/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Students
  • Opening Days
  • Rules Quiz

The Social Web

Katie Powell  @Beyond_the_Desk

Boredom Busters officially released 5 years ago today! So grateful to ⁦

@burgessdave      @TaraMartinEDU   ⁦⁦@DHarrisEdS, and all those who work behind the scenes in the  @dbc_inc⁩ community for bringing my books to life. It has been such an honor.

otacke @otacke@chaos.social

Aaand yet another #H5P content type brought to you by #NDLA: Escape Room. https://www.olivertacke.de/labs/2024/07/23

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘struthious’ (18th century): prone to ignoring unwelcome facts and letting a situation worsen without any intervention. From the Latin for ‘ostrich-like’.

Word of the day, as schools reopen, is ‘merry-go-sorry’ (16th century): a mixture of joy and sorrow.  

Bill of Rights Institute  @BRInstitute

Join us Monday night as we co-host #sschat with  @ConstitutionCtr

. See you Monday, Sept. 9th at 8:00 PM ET! We will be sharing our #ConstitutionDay resources!

Moodle | Online learning, delivered your way.  @moodle

We are pleased to announce that Nolej is now a Moodle Certified Integration! Nolej uses cognitive psychology and generative AI to transform teaching content into engaging, interactive H5P activities. https://moodle.com/news/empowering-educators-with-moodle-certified-integration-nolej/ @nolej_ai

Strategies:  

Typing

Practice touch typing by retyping famous novels. Not only will you improve your typing skills, but you’ll also enjoy some of the greatest stories ever told!

A good place to start is our step-by-step guide that kickstarts your adventure into the world of touch typing.

https://entertrained.app

Resources:  

H5P Content Types – Escape Room and Vocabulary Drill

Escape room lets you set up an escape room inside H5P and use pass codes to advance the story.  Vocab Drill is just that.  Drill.  

Escape Room:  https://www.olivertacke.de/labs/2024/07/23/ndla-brings-you-yet-another-h5p-content-type-escape-room/  

Vocabulary Drill:  https://www.olivertacke.de/labs/2024/07/18/ndla-brings-you-vocabulary-drill/  

AXIS The Culture Translator

In Grand Fashion

What it is: This Sunday, some families will celebrate Grandparents Day by making phone calls, reminiscing, and otherwise being grateful for the impact that grandparents have had on their lives.

Why it’s catching on: “Grandparents Day” is not simply the latest hyped-up “holiday” to get thrown on the calendar in an attempt to sell cards and flowers. Grandparents Day was actually first recognized as a national holiday in the US back in 1978. It was the culmination of years of effort from activist Marian McQuade, who herself was the grandmother of 43 children. Economic, cultural, and sociological factors are contributing to a rise in multigenerational households—and people are living longer, too—which means that the role that grandparents play in families is being revisited.  

QR Code Generator

https://fietkau.software/qr

Your Name in LandSat

https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/apps/YourNameInLandsat-main/index.html

Block Posters

https://www.blockposters.com

6 Ways to Tell if Students are Using AI

https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/6-ways-teachers-can-tell-students-are-using-ai

2024 Back-to-school science toolkit for teachers and administrators

Download your back-to-school science toolkit, featuring activities, research, webinars, and guides to help you reach new levels of engagement and strengthen relationships with your peers and students.

Find dynamic tools for administrators, teachers, and caregivers—all designed to activate student curiosity and build your community of scientists and supporters.

You’ll find:

  • Administrator exercises to set goals and help every student thrive.
  • Grade-banded, first-day classroom activities for students.
  • How-to guides and webinars with strategies to apply to your practice today.

https://go.info.amplify.com/fy23_science_backtoschool_national_toolkit_pdf-toolkit_getintouch_optin

Web Spotlight: 

It began with sibling rivalry. Now he has 181 Guinness World Records.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2024/08/27/david-rush-guinness-world-records

Random Thoughts . . .  

Talk Like A Pirate Day 

International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a parodic holiday created in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon,[1] who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate (that is, in English with a stereotypical West Country accent).[2] It has since been adopted by the Pastafarianism movement.[3]

September 19th. 

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 634: The Stable of Instructional Support

/ , /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, technology, algorithms, and more. Dave addresses trustworthy science. 

Jokes:  

How many optometrists does it take to change a light bulb? 1 or 2? 1… or 2?

I went to the store to pick up eight cans of sprite… when I got home I realized I’d only picked seven up

There’s not really any training for garbagemen. 

  • They just pick things up as they go.

Why did the barber win the race? 

  • He took a short cut.

A worm is a pretty lousy prize for getting up early if you ask me.

What happens when you anger a brain surgeon?

– They will give you a piece of your mind.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Trustworthy Scientific Information

I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school teachers.

In this issue, I read the “Commentary” section.  In the section was an article entitled, “Finding Instructional Resources for Teaching About Scientific Misinformation,” written by Andy Zucker.  

The nonprofit Media Literacy Now has developed a first-of-its-kind online database where teachers can find and access instructional materials to help student resists false and misleading information.  To access the database, please visit:

https://medialiteracynow.org/science-resources

http://k12science.net/trustworthy-scientific-information/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Welcome Back To School
    • Teachers Returned
    • Kids next week
  • Teachers Return Next Week
    • Students after Labor Day
  • Phones in classrooms
  • Portfolios
  • Shawn’s Stable of Instructional Support
    • PCT, Pharmacology, Additional Social Studies Courses & adding teachers to that course.  

The Social Web

Susie Dent @susie_dent

Time for another clarion call for ‘hurkle-durkling’ (18th-century Scots): lounging in bed long after it’s time to get up.  Word of the day is ‘overmused’: to be weary from excess thinking.

Matt Magnuson  @MattMagnuson@flipboard.com

5 free AI tools for school that students, teachers, and parents can use, too
https://www.zdnet.com/article/5-free-ai-tools-for-school-that-students-teachers-and-parents-can-use-too/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into For Youth: What Will They Need? @for-youth-what-will-they-need-MattMagnuson

Strategies:  

Gamification: Pros and Some Cons, According to Research

Gamification has become a popular educational approach, having demonstrated solid potential as a learning tool. However, it’s not always clear exactly which gamified elements are helping, and in some instances, it can foster counterproductive competition and enhance extrinsic motivation rather than the more effective intrinsic motivation.

Overall, gamification should earn an achievement badge. found the intervention had small but significant positive effects on cognitive, motivational, and behavioral outcomes.

https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/gamification-pros-and-some-cons-according-to-research

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

“Very Mindful, Very Demure”

What it is: If you’ve heard an uptick in your teen’s use of the word “demure,” you’re not alone. A new TikTok trend has exploded in popularity, and it’s got teens commenting on all things demure, all things mindful.

Where it comes from: Women are using the term to describe anything that demonstrates the qualities of patience, passivity, and mindfulness. The trend is not necessarily about leaning into these things as virtues, but about presenting yourself as reserved when it’s to your advantage.  

ChatGP Cheat

What it is: Although chatbots like ChatGPT are mostly trained on news and encyclopedias, data suggests that they’re used most often for help on homework and for writing erotic fiction.  

When Schools Want to Ban Cellphones—But Parents Stand in the Way

https://www.edweek.org/technology/when-schools-want-to-ban-cellphones-but-parents-stand-in-the-way/2024/05

Web Spotlight: 

Bored? Scientists say mindless scrolling through online videos makes it worse

Scrolling through videos on TikTok or YouTube to avert boredom may have a decidedly unintended consequence: It can make people feel more bored, according to the paradoxical findings of a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.

In experiments with more than 1,200 participants, many of them university students, Tam systematically showed that people switched to new videos when they were bored, believing the ability to switch would alleviate boredom but becoming more bored when they did.

Erin C. Westgate, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida who studies boredom and was not involved in the new research, said one of her thresholds when reading a new study is whether she would change her behavior based on the findings. In this case, she said, the answer is “a very chagrined yes.”

It turned out that when it came to articles, the effect was different than for videos: Boredom was similar between people who read one longer article compared with those able to skip between shorter ones.

The new results add to a growing body of scientific evidence that boredom is on the rise, despite — or perhaps because of — a world teeming with content that people can access at all times of day. People who are bored often turn to their phones, but then report being more bored, some studies have found. Scrolling on the social media platform X was linked to increases in boredom.

“When you’re immersed, you don’t feel bored. When your attention is spread, you’re almost by definition not satisfied,” Inzlicht said

Boredom is an uncomfortable emotion that serves a purpose, signaling that there is something more pleasurable to do, which can motivate people to explore their environment and stop investing time in an activity that has little to offer. But people seem increasingly intolerant of it, and Inzlicht has a counterintuitive tip for avoiding boredom: Lean into it. Sit with the discomfort of boredom for a bit before flitting to something else.

“If we’re so addicted to escaping boredom, so intolerant of boredom, it would be like a foraging animal going tree to tree, but never searching long enough to see if it bears fruit,” Inzlicht said. “Eventually, that animal will die.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/08/23/boredom-video-tiktok-youtube

How Khan Academy (And Others) Fudged Their Research

Always check the data. Always. 

Computer tutoring is the hot thing, and the big players have all sorts of sexy research numbers to back them up. Are the numbers bunk? They sure are. 

Did you notice a key phrase?

“For students who used the program as recommended.”

So how many students is that. Well, Holt checked the footnotes on the Khan Academy study and found the answer–

4.7%

https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2024/08/how-khan-academy-and-others-fudged.html

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 633:  The Hauls of Learning

/ , /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about returning to school (and parents who come back), why teachers succeed, and more. Dave waters down transparency.

Jokes:  

I had my timepiece lying on the seat next to me on the bus when this big dude got on and was about to sit. I had to say…

…whoa! Not on my watch.

I tried taking some high resolution photos of local farmland, but they all turned out a bit grainy.

My boss is going to fire the employee with the worst posture.

I have a hunch, it might be me.

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

Whiteboards … are remarkable.

Because the platypus can both lay eggs and produce milk, it’s one of the few animals that can make its own custard. 

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

Geology rocks, but Geography is where it’s at!

Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

Every machine in the coin factory broke down all of a sudden without explanation. It just doesn’t make any cents.

One Day, We too will be an ancient civilization is the title. Two explores are reading a list. One says: "I can't decipher these ancient hieroglypics." The other responds, " I think it's cursive".
UPS Driver standing in front of a UPS truck. The words above say, "As a kid, did you ever knock on people's door and run away before they could answer? Well, guess what...we're hiring"
Titled: I'm This Old, with a picture of jiffy pop popcorn, a speaker from a drive-in, a record player, and old disks from a view master.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Secchi Disk Dip-In Project

I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school teachers.

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” section, written by Jill Nugent.  She wrote an article entitled “Summer Science With the Secchi Dip-In Project.”

The Robert Carlson Secchi Dip-In Project is a demonstration of the potential of volunteer monitors to gather environmentally important information on our lakes, rivers, and estuaries.  For more information, visit:

https://www.nalms.org/secchidipin

http://k12science.net/secchi-disk/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Taking a Break
    • Podcast Listening – 
  • Vacation
  • Back To Work
    • Curriculum Work
    • Vertical 
    • Kick-off meetings

The Social Web

Iamyesyouareno  @iamyesyouareno

The only store not looted in this South Africa mall is a book store. The jokes write themselves.

Kagan Publishing & Professional Development  @KaganOnline

Calling all Kagan educators  Are you passionate about making a difference in the educator community and spreading the word about Kagan? If so, we want you to apply to become a #KaganAmbassador!  Find all the details here: https://kaganonline.com/ambassador/ #kaganambassadors #kagan

CAMLE  @camlecolorado

Kick off the 24-25 school year right! Register today for this year’s CAMLE Conference. Join us on 9/28 for outstanding sessions like this one- Lauren Morford from Brentwood MS helps us “teach less,” & let our students take ownership. Register now! https://camle.wildapricot.org/event-5695160

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

There is always the ‘snecklifter’: someone who lifted the ‘sneck’ or latch of the tavern door and peered in to see if they knew anyone who might stand them a drink.

Resources:  

Periodic Presidents

Click to access PTOTP-Super-sized-Printable-Blank-Cells.pdf

https://periodicpresidents.com/

GenType

Make an alphabet out of anything

Middle School Matters with letters made from old radios, microphones, and headphones.

https://labs.google/gentype

This Not That Bell Ringers

BIG news! Edition 4 of my “This, Not That” bellringer puzzles is now released, just in time for back to school. One change for these bellringers is the format from Google’s Jamboard, which is ending soon, to Google Slides or Canva Presentations. I’ve changed all previous bellringer puzzles to those formats as well.

https://blog.tcea.org/this-not-that-bellringers/

AXIS The Culture Translator

Hauls of Learning

What it is: It’s back-to-school season across the US—which means “back to school hauls” are trending on TikTok.

What parents should know: Total back-to-school spending is projected to drop slightly, with parents of K-12 graders spending an average of $586 per student. Since the cost of school supplies has increased by 24.5% over the past four years, that means parents are prioritizing deals and trying to stretch their dollars farther. This economic reality has done little to slow down the onslaught of “hauls” on TikTok where students share items they’re excited to use in the new school year. In the past, these hauls tended to focus on school supplies like backpacks and notebooks (and sometimes still do), but posts are just as likely to include expensive fragrances and high end makeup. Low-slung, baggy sweatpants, cropped cotton tees, animal prints, Converse sneakers, and horseshoe jeans are just some of the trends that teens will be eyeing this season.

Tough Topics

What it is: A new Gallup poll reveals that teens’ mental health, social media experiences, and plans for the future are the things parents worry about very often. Four in 10 parents surveyed say it’s difficult to discuss these particular subjects.

What teens have to say about it: It’s ironic—and maybe a little telling—that the things parents worry about the most appear to be the subjects that they find most difficult to discuss with their teenagers. When a parent is worried about a topic, it would seem their default response is to avoid bringing it up—but teens are actually craving these very conversations. According to the survey, 93 percent found it helpful or very helpful to talk about their mental health, and 83 percent say it’s helpful to talk about social media use. Gen Zers also say they don’t actually want someone to advise them when things make them upset, but rather just want parents to listen.

Just a reminder, you can get the AXIS The Culture Translator Dictionary here:  https://axis.org/resource/a-parent-guide-to-teen-slang/  

Web Spotlight: 

What Motivates Teachers to Enter the Profession

New research suggests that the reason someone chooses to become a teacher could determine how successful they will be in the role.

What if why you choose to become a teacher determines how successful you will be in the role?

Recent evidence has also pointed to declining interest in becoming a teacher, aligned with the decreased professionalization, prestige and pay of the sector. Yet noble individuals press forward and choose to educate our children anyway. 

Historically, people went into teaching for relatively straightforward reasons: They desired a stable career, enjoyed having summers off, or had family members who were teachers. However, across the essay responses, we found that those motivations were not the most prevalent, nor were they related to teacher outcomes — but others were.

The two most frequent drivers were altruism (the desire to do selfless good) and intrinsic motivation (an enjoyment of teaching, helping or interacting with students or children). Other interesting but less frequently cited motivations include the impact of prior teachers, love of a content area, and a family connection to teaching.

…individuals seeking their elementary certification were more likely to enjoy working with children, whereas middle and high school preservice teachers were interested in teaching a particular content area.

…men were less likely than women to report that they had “always wanted to teach.”

While altruism was the most frequent answer given, it wasn’t the one most strongly correlated with effectiveness.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2024-08-05-what-motivates-teachers-to-enter-the-profession

3 Secrets to Help You Win Gold at Work, According to Greatest-of-All-Time Olympic Athletes

1. Seek group support for your individual creativity

2. Build on the innovation that others have already discovered

3. Dream, and then work like crazy

https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/3-ways-to-innovate-like-an-olympian-at-the-office/281372

Random Thoughts . . .  

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MSM 632: AI for the IEP

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, summer, and more. Dave has a phenomenal section on phenomena. 

Jokes:  

I got an A on my origami assignment when I turned my paper into my teacher

The value in origami is in creasing.

Odorless perfumes are non-scents.

Imagine the self control required to work at a bubble wrap factory …

I had a dream where I weighed less than a thousandth of a gram.

  • I was like 0mg.

If you’re struggling to think of what to get someone for Christmas. Get them a fridge and watch their face light up when they open it.

It’s kind of weird that “dial it in” and “phone it in” mean nearly opposite things.

I had an operation on my funny bone today.

  • The doctor said I will be in stitches for two weeks.

To be Frank, I’d have to change my name.

Picture of Robin Williams with the text "People don't fake depression, they fake being okay. Remember that. Be kind."
Text: "Free air guitars, please take one." written on a wooden fence in front of empty bike racks.

Rare photo of a roundabout reproducing through mitosis.

Picture of roadway where the road is shaped like a figure eight minus the connection in the middle.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Phenomena in the Classroom

I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read an article entitled “Phenomena in the Classroom,” written by Patty McGinnis.  

An engaging phenomena is determined more by how the students generate compelling lines of inquiry that create real opportunities for learning.  Paul Anderson’s “Wonder of Science” website has an extensive list of phenomena organized by grade level and standard.  It is available at:

https://thewonderofscience.com/phenomenal

http://k12science.net/phenomena-in-the-classroom/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Planning Parent Contacts
    • Keeping Track of Ideas
    • Resources
  • Time for?
    • Pi Time
    • Curriculum Time
    • Oracle of Ancient Civ
    • Independent Study
  • Student Access to Book Material Online

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

I’m coming (back) to Scotland for some of the final dates of my tour. I will definitely be mentioning some of my favourites from the Scots dictionary, including ‘tartling’: hesitating when introducing someone because you’ve completely forgotten their name.  Word of the day is ‘willanthropy’: the act of leaving a gift, however small, to a charity in your will.  

BigBlueButton  @bigbluebutton

Yes, we are integrating H5P into BigBlueButton. Why? Because the goal of the virtual classroom is not to meet, it is to learn. H5P extends our built-in tools for active learning and live analytics to ensure every student learns.  @H5PTechnology  #edtech

Kris Kashtanova  @icreatelife

This is another use of AI for good. Steve Gleason is a football legend and an ALS activist. He is using AI (Adobe Firefly) with eye tracking to create images from his pre-diagnosis artwork. ALS causes loss of muscle control, so AI is a way for Steve to make art.

Trending:  Katato – a loud annoying person with a high pitched voice that can’t take a hint.  

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

Really Anxious

What it is: Lenore Skenazy, founder of the LetGrow project, makes an argument that smartphones are “trust-blockers” for parents.

Why it’s worth thinking about: There’s a lot of discussion around how smartphones can shape child development in unhealthy ways. (So much discussion, in fact, that Axis just created a whole free toolkit breaking down everything you need to know before you give your son or daughter a phone—check it out!) But there hasn’t been as much talk about how much parents have grown accustomed, and maybe a little bit addicted, to being able to call their kids at any time, track their movements, and send them a heart-eyes emoji whenever they feel like it. Parents are relying on phones more and more as a parenting tool, but Skenazy wonders if this constant communication only serves to facilitate these parents’ own neuroses.

New Teachers

https://www.middleweb.com/51048/25-of-our-best-posts-for-new-ms-teachers/

Web Spotlight: 

Sydney Letter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgtHJKn0Mck&list=TLGGqWOPRo8tEqMyNzA3MjAyNA

Random Thoughts . . .  

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