MSM 500: Where The Swear Words Are…This is Instantly Wild…not just once but 500 times and counting

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Overview:

This is show 500! Shawn and Troy continue their thoughts on middle school and what the future of middle school can/should/will be. Dave captures Instantly Wild thoughts. 

Jokes:  

I have a friend who wrote an autobiography. He was using some glue and the story got stuck to him. 

  • At least, that’s his story and he’s sticking to it. 

What does Unlockable mean?

  • It cannot be locked?
  • It can be unlocked

The Governor of Texas has made it a crime to eat apple pie with ice cream in order to cut down on obesity. 

  • There are thousands of protestors at a rally carrying signs: “Remember the A La Mode”. 

No matter how much you push the envelope, it’s still stationery. 

I had to subscribe to an NPR show by Terry Gross on my computer.  

  • I had a bunch of windows open but I needed some Fresh Air. 

Did you follow directions last Thursday? 

I used to be afraid of speed bumps. 

  • I’m slowly getting over it.

My friends had a clam dinner without me. 

  • I told them they were shellfish

I just got a job as a Senior Director at Old McDonald’s Farm. 

  • I’m now the CIEIO….

A middle schooler tried to order a snake off the internet. What arrived was a box of feather scarves. 

  • Looks like a Boa cons tricked her. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Instant Wild: A Citizen Science Project

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the section “Citizen Science” written by Jill Nugent.  She wrote an article entitled “A Window to the Wild.”

“Instant Wild” is a Citizen Science project that brings you live images from cameras around the world.  Students can tag the animals to help conservation research.  You can visit the “Instant Wild” website at:

https://instantwild.zsl.org

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Kids coming back
  • Virtual Academies
    • Constructs
    • Tools
    • Funding
    • Return to What Was?
    • Who does this?
  • Reporting with Moodle

Advisory:  

How Masayoshi Matsumoto creates his magic balloon artworks

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/masayoshi-matsumoto-isopresso-balloon-art-030321?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email#annotations:mdYIeH3-EeurJMPB1Qmiug

The YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk42pkkIIhaZfkWjAQYRz2A

TemplateMaker

Fold paper into a variety of useful shapes: 

  • Bags
  • Elliptical Boxes
  • Polygon Boxes
  • Star Shaped Boxes
  • Box with Lid
  • Pyramid

https://www.templatemaker.nl/en/#annotations:NvQu9HuUEeur09d3I9vmsg

The Twitterverse

Shawn McGirr @Frideswidel

@TheRoop says that it’s ok to dance alone . . . https://youtube.com/watch?v=CWqrdzNoBKA…

Quote Tweet

Mark Ryan@RunEducator

I’m on a hill dancing alone. Comment if you’ll join the dance.

𝓓𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓢𝓬𝓱𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓾 𝓔𝓭.𝓓.   @daveschmittou

Who was the best teacher you ever had and what grade did they teach?

Ryan Hazen @MisterHazen

Here is my latest piece of digital artwork. It’s called “How to upload files to #Moodle using drag and drop : a .gif”  https://twitter.com/i/status/1367966616500146176  

GIFasdf

𝓓𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓢𝓬𝓱𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓾 𝓔𝓭.𝓓.   @daveschmittou

Admin- This month, instead of doing walkthroughs, do tag outs. Go to a teacher’s classroom, take over, & send them to walk through the rooms of their peers. They will learn more from them than you. You will learn more from teaching than preaching.  

Jay McTighe @jaymctighe

It’s time for Curriculum Mapping 3.0! Check out my latest blog that makes the case for a needed shift from curriculum as content “coverage” to a more deliberate focus on authentic performance — and what students can DO with their learning. https://solutiontree.com/blog/its-time-for-curriculum-mapping-3-0/

Karen Bosch @karlyb

Student AR book scene created in @ARMakrApp showing Joseph and his coat of many colors. Thanks @JacobWoolcock for your great tutorial. https://kidblog.org/class/scs-ms-multimedia-tech-21/posts/6pa0fmwhq7zjgtc1zsnad6nww… #EveryoneCanCreate #AppleEDUchat  https://twitter.com/i/status/1367235393729527808  

Katie Hurley @katiefhurley

Tip from a middle schooler: sometimes you don’t want the solution. Sometimes you just want the hug. More hugs, please.

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Resources:

ISTE on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP7TnhcyFNxaZglIVWCswYg#annotations:znLaWnonEeu7ZSdJXsVBBQ

Project Gucciberg

An AI project that uses Gucci Mane’s voice to read classic literature. 

https://projectgucciberg.mschfmag.com/

Web Spotlight:  

Folded Map Project

Tonika Lewis Johnson’s Folded Map™ Project visually connects residents who live at corresponding addresses on the North and South Sides of Chicago.* She investigates what urban segregation looks like and how it impacts Chicago residents. What started as a photographic study quickly evolved into a multimedia exploration with video interviews. The project invites audiences to open a dialogue and question how we are all impacted by social, racial, and institutional conditions that segregate the city. Her goal? For individuals to understand how our urban environment is structured. She wants to challenge everyone to think about how change may be possible and to contribute to a solution.*This is an ongoing project, which will have more interviews, an interactive mapping website and a Chicago West Side study as well.

https://www.foldedmapproject.com/

An Incomplete (yet heavily annotated) List of Things That Don’t Help Me as a Teacher Right Now¹.

https://mrtomrad.medium.com/an-incomplete-yet-heavily-annotated-list-of-things-that-dont-help-me-as-a-teacher-right-now%C2%B9-bd5b397a3ddf

The Culture Translator – Axis

The Original Problematic Fave

What it is: The person who ran a popular Tumblr account called “Your Fave is Problematic” in the early 2010s has revealed in an op-ed for the New York Times that she was a high school girl at the time, using the account to sort through grief after her older sister’s death.

Why it’s illuminating: As Liat Kaplan, the Tumblr account’s owner, reflects on her own actions as a harbinger of “cancel culture,” we get a peek behind the curtain at how quickly our culture rewards certain types of accusations, and how social media tends to take a poster’s authentic expertise or authority for granted. Your Fave is Problematic was quoted in multiple media outlets and lauded as having some sort of inside hook into the world of celebrities. In reality, the account was the work of a single seventeen-year old girl who was good at Googling things and who happened to feel very sad, very alone, and very angry at the unfairness of the world. It’s important for our kids (and for us) to understand that the behaviors that certain segments of the internet so energetically embrace can sometimes be a cry for help.

Slang of the Week

fire: used to describe something exciting, incredible, or fun. Sometimes simply indicated by the 🔥 emoji. (Ex: “Have you heard the latest TSwift track? That song is straight fire.”) 

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM 499: Whistle, not while you work, but at home and on Video

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Jokes:  

Hey, did you hear about the guy who ate some Clownfish? 

  • He complained that it tasted funny

Did you hear about the shoe repairman who wanted a callus removed? 

  • It was a corn on the cobbler

Did you hear about the new word that I came up with yesterday? 

  • Plagiarism

Did you hear about fish that are in schools? 

  • Sometimes they take debate

Did you hear about the chef who lost his job for stealing utensils?

  • It was a whisk that he was willing to take

What do you get if you boil a funny bone?

  • Laughing stock

That’s humerus

Did you hear about the guy named Joseph who went on the Dolly Parton diet? 

  • It really made Joe lean, Joe lean, Joe lean

Did you hear about the guy who was singing in the shower and got shampoo in his mouth? 

  • It became a Soap Opera

Did you hear about the group of Baby Soldiers? 

  • They are the infantry

Did you hear about the guy who handed his Dad his 50th birthday card?

  • His Dad said, “You know, one would’ve been enough”

Did you hear about the country that switched from pounds to kilograms overnight? 

  • There was mass confusion

Middle School Science Minute  

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

What is Engineering?

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “Science  & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read an article written by Matt Bobrowsky.  His article was entitled “Q: Can a Simple Engineering Project Be Used to Teach Some Science?.”

Within the article, the author takes a quick look at the difference between science and engineering.  Science increases our knowledge about the universe and our surroundings in a systematic way, while engineering is the application of this knowledge to create new and better products.

Reports from the Front Lines

  •  Video in the Classroom
    • Remote
    • After times
  • Parents controlling access   
  • Tabs
    • Tools
    • “Cost”
  • Acquire
    • Whiteboard.fi | Kahoot!
    • Nearpod | Renaissance
    • Mystery Science | Discovery Education
    • Hoonuit | Powerschool  

Advisory:  

How old is my sister?

The Twitterverse

 Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

You gotta hand it to the administrators who say that student homework is busy work and also expect teachers to turn in a reflection from what they learned at inservice.

Jenna @jennavd22

Some jerk sent my kid home for the weekend with a whistle.

SCAssoc. for Middle @The_SCAMLE

Check out the SCAMLE Conference Program at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yML4-DCfCYWD-c-hwus1b1nZ_wKZAQ_gIO6JNuHcD4M/edit?usp=sharing… #scamle2021 @Princess_of_Edu @dmcdonald141 @jenkinstiger @MrsIngram @RJMotivates @JBerckemeyer @JemellehCoes @TeachMrReed @latoyadixon5 @psloanjoseph @Pied_SCAMLE

 Jordan Shapiro @jordosh

How to Help a Teen Out of a Homework Hole @lisadamour

https://t.co/vIJewAdTKa?amp=1

EL Magazine  @ELmagazine

Want to make your school a better place for everyone? Make emotional health a habit. @rickwormeli2 outlines the 7 habits of highly “affective” teachers.

https://bit.ly/2pu8K2A #edchat

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Strategies:  

Emoji Writing Prompts

https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2016/11/emoji-writing-prompts.html#annotations:GrjKjHdxEeu1oUP2D6HMsA

Resources:

75 Questions Students Can Ask Themselves Before, During, and After a Lesson.  

Are there questions students can ask themselves while you’re teaching? Questions that can guide and support their own thinking and awareness before, during, and after your teaching?

75 Questions Students Can Ask Themselves Before, During, And After Teaching

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

On Knowing

What it is: New York Times columnist Ben Smith wrote at length (paywall) about the resignation of Donald McNeil, a public health reporter at the paper. It was conversations that happened on an international field trip with teenagers that brought an end (language) to McNeil’s 40-year career.

Why it’s insight into how teens are thinking: Some teens seem to be taking the Taylor Swift lyric, “I knew everything when I was young” pretty seriously. One of the people who went on the trip, who was 17 at the time, noted that McNeil wasn’t at all receptive when she and other students told McNeil that his opinions were offensive to them. Not only do many teens feel a certain moral obligation to point out when they feel an older person “needs educating” (the most withering of Gen Z insults), they presume that the older person would be open to learning from them, and would want to apologize. Of course, it’s nothing new for teenagers to think they know everything there is to know, but never before has a generation had access to so much information that can be instantly called upon; maybe it’s even somewhat understandable that Gen Z would think they know more about the world than their elders. As parents and caregivers, it’s important that we understand where our teens are coming from, and also that we help them understand that truly transcendent wisdom can’t be bestowed by a Google search or two.

Slang of the Week

we live in a society: a phrase originally used to describe the feeling of being left out or left behind in society, but now often used to make fun of people who think they’re being deep. (Ex: “I saw the Mayor of New York City eating pizza with a knife and fork. Truly we live in a society.”)  

Same Energy

Same Energy is a visual search engine. You can use it to find beautiful art, photography, decoration ideas, or anything else.

https://same.energy/

Web Spotlight:  

1000 Fails Lead to a Single Success

Pro freestyle mountain bike rider Matt Jones wants to try a new trick, something no one has ever done before. In this video, you see him go through the entire process of bringing a new idea or invention into the world:

https://kottke.org/21/02/1000-fails-lead-to-a-single-success

Random Thoughts . . .  

Legislative Update:  

  1. H.R.542 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) Save Education Jobs Act  
  2. S.45 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) School Security Enhancement Act  
  3. H.R.204 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) STEM Opportunities Act 

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM 498: Pin and Click – You told on yourself

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Jokes:  

I wrote a book about poltergeists, 

  • It’s flying off the shelf

Did you know Yoda has a last name? 

  • Layheehoo

Did you hear about the couple that had to break up? One of them only had 9 toes. The other one was

  • Lack toes intolerant.

Do they allow laughing in Hawaii? 

  • Or just a low ha? 

Nothing in the English language starts with an N and ends with a G. 

Whenever someone tells me a knock-knock joke, I sit there quietly and pretend that I’m not home until they leave.

At first there were only 25 letters in the alphabet. 

  • Nobody knew why

Why do bees stay in their hives during winter? 

  • Swarm

Why did the cow get a ticket?

  • Moooo-ving violation

Eileen Award:  

  • iTunes:  AllforJMJ – Thanks for the rating!!

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute — Pinterest

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “Science  & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read an article written by Ryan S. Nixon, Shannon L. Navy, Sarah Barnett, Marissa Johnson, and Delaney Larson.  Their article was entitled “Pinning and Planning: Five Tips for Using Pinterest to Teach Science.”

Pinterest is an online resource that teachers seem to enjoy and find useful.  Pinterest is a social media website where individuals can bookmark content found elsewhere on the internet in one convenient place.  Nixon and his students spent several months closely analyzing 1600 pins and their associated websites for teaching the topics of force/motion and adaptations.  Their research pointed out the benefits and weaknesses of Pinterest as a teaching resource.

http://k12science.net/pinterest/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • H5P in Instructional Design
  • Does “Hybrid” mean the same as Distance learning, just that some do it in the same room and some do it . . . distance?  
  • Technological skills? Sound matters
  • Do we finally have a consistent, daily use for the Swivl?  

Advisory:  

Word(s) of the Year – George Grant, wordsmith

“The use of the right word, the exact word, is the difference between a pencil with a sharp point and a thick crayon.” – Peter Marshall   So, if you had to choose the precise word to describe 2020, what might it be?  

The Twitterverse

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

Create Netflix-style learning with screencasts http://ditchthattextbook.com/2017/09/21/create-netflix-style-learning-with-screencasts/…

Mike Roberts  @BaldRoberts

Teachers – Please complete this sentence. “The thing I miss most about pre-pandemic teaching is…” (I’m just trying to remember back to the good ol’ days…)

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp

Are there other websites out there like the Pacific Northwest tree octopus one that is more recent?

Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

One of the most important lines an educator should know is “Look, I don’t make any of the decisions around here”.

Mark Ryan  @RunEducator

How do you want your students to enter your classroom? Reply with an emoji

Senator Dayna Polehanki  @SenPolehanki

“Take it from a former teacher: focusing on the state summative assessment in the middle of a pandemic…will not provide any accurate measurement of performance and educational attainment.” @koleszar_matt

Quote Tweet:  

Bridge Michigan  @BridgeMichigan

Opinion | If teachers think standardized tests stink, maybe we should listen https://bit.ly/2NHOmMV 

John R. Sowash  @jrsowash

Yesterday @GoogleForEdu announced more than 25 updates to #GoogleClassroom, #GoogleMeet, #GoogleDrive, and #Chromebooks. Here’s a quick summary of the most important updates.

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Strategies:  

Toolkit for “Mathematics in Context: The Pedagogy of Liberation”

This toolkit will help educators consider how to “humanize math” using Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards. It provides opportunities for reflection and examples of real-world applications.

https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/spring-2021/toolkit-for-mathematics-in-context-the-pedagogy-of-liberation#annotations:Wkb08m_8EeukKX_rM-MXIg

Resources:

The in-school push to fight misinformation from the outside world

“Overall, young people’s ability to reason about the information on the Internet can be summed up in one word: bleak,” the study’s authors wrote.

More than one third of middle school students report rarely or never having learned how to judge the reliability of information sources, which is “really the fundamental of what media literacy is,” said Helen Lee Bouygues, president of the Reboot Foundation, who is an expert on misinformation and critical thinking.

The in-school push to fight misinformation from the outside world

Web Spotlight:  

Wad-Ja-Get

Wad-Ja-Get? is a unique discussion of grading and its effects on students. The book was written by three education professors who have had first-hand contact with the problems of grading in all its forms. Written in the form of a novel, the topic is explored through the eyes of students, teachers, and parents in one high school embroiled in a controversy around grading. Possible alternatives to the grading system are examined in detail and the research on grading is summarized in an appendix. This 50th anniversary edition of the book includes a new introduction by Professor Barry Fishman, updating the research and setting the original book in the context of today’s educational and societal challenges. Wad-Ja-Get? remains timely five decades after its original publication, and will be inspiring to students, parents, educators, and policymakers.

https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/z316q358r#annotations:AGualHCZEeuLne9aK4-6jQ

WWII Museum

The National WWII Museum offers a number of fun and educational programs for classrooms and individual students. In addition to an annual Essay Contest, the Museum serves as Louisiana’s sponsor for National History Day, hosts an annual High School Quiz Bowl, and much more!

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers

Speak Up About Racial Microaggressions in Schools

Microagressions – like that comment – tend to be subtle, unconscious or unintentionally prejudiced. But they are not harmless.

https://www.iste.org/explore/education-leadership/speak-about-racial-microaggressions-schools#annotations:oHJWdnCaEeu9kx_6yVWStQ

I Tracked Down The Girls Who Bullied Me As A Kid. Here’s What They Had To Say.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/middle-high-school-bully-depression_n_602c0800c5b65259c4e52240

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 497: TikTok Pasta Dancing Down By the Bayeux

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Jokes:  

Why do ice cream vendors make the best reporters?

  • They always get the scoop

My friend married a woman who installs internet connections. 

  • Definitely a Wifi can proud of.

If you wear cowboy boots, chaps, and a fringe shirt….

  • You are Ranch dressing

What’s the opposite of Lady Fingers? 

  • Mentos

If you got your breakfast in Germany delivered by drone….

  • Luftwaffe

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Middle School Students

The National Science Teaching Association in collaboration with the Children’s Book Council released the 2021 list of the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.  In this podcast we look at the 12 books recommended for Middle School Students.

  • Condor Comeback
  • Exploring the Elements: A Complete Guide to the Periodic Table
  • Old Enough to Save the Planet
  • Darwin’s Rival: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Search for Evolution
  • Return From Extinction: The Triumph of the Elephant Seal
  • Sea Otters: A Survival Story
  • The Big One: The Cascadia Earthquakes and the Science of Saving Lives
  • Blood and Germs: The Civil War Battle Against Wounds and Disease
  • Born Curious: 20 Girls Who Grew Up to be Awesome Scientists
  • Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM
  • Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species
  • To Fly Among the Stars: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts

Reports from the Front Lines

  • COVID Vaccine and The Day After . . . 
  • Where is the tipping point where you call it the “Year of the Virtual” or bring ‘em back to school?  
  • CDC Guidelines
  • Teaching structures

Advisory:  

Life Lessons from 100 Year

If my cake fails, I made pudding…

People give up too easily…

9 habits of highly successful people, from a man who spent 5 years studying them

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/28/9-habits-of-highly-successful-people.html#annotations:cgwH4GsKEeufsRcgeHiMHg

Free Bayeux App

Now, anyone can create their own medieval-style storyboards, greeting cards, or memes using an online application known as the Historic Tale Construction Kit. Created by a team of programmers (Leonard Allain-Launay, Mathieu Thoretton, Maria Cosmina Etegan), the site allows users to digitally recombine the dramatic lettering and images seen in medieval tapestries to create their own, new image.

Free Online App Lets You Create Your Own Bayeux Tapestry

The Twitterverse

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC  @Pfagell

Sixth grader: “I’m so sick of smizing all day.” 

Me: “Smizing?” 

Sixth grader: “Yeah — smiling with my eyes..”  

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

Why your students need a podcast: How to do it fast and free http://ditchthattextbook.com/2018/02/28/why-your-students-need-a-podcast-how-to-do-it-fast-and-free/…

Run And Rant PLN   @runandrant

Did you know? “The modern shape comes from the Italian didactic poem Documenti d’amore by F. Barberino in the 14thcentury. One illustration — depicting cupid throwing arrows and roses at bystanders — included hearts. Shortly after it appeared in other works of visual art.”  https://twitter.com/i/status/1360628485845364744  

Michigan.gov  @migov

Stay Smart. Stay Safe. @MichiganHHS reports today, Feb. 12, 2021, 1,193 new COVID-19 cases & 10 deaths. This brings #Michigan‘s total cases to 573,372 & 15,062 deaths. Find the latest data & #COVID19 news at http://Michigan.gov/Coronavirus. #MaskUpMichigan

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Strategies:  

Hold a School Dance . . . At Home . . . 

Not sure what your school dances are like, but the ones at my school are loud music and kids sitting around eating pizza and drinking Faygo.  So why not hold a virtual “dance” over Google Meet/Zoom/DingTalk/Jitsi?  Introduce the idea with a EuroVision video from The Roop:  https://youtu.be/CWqrdzNoBKA  

Backstory:  The Roop was a 2020 finalist in the EuroVision competition, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19.  The video above is their automatic entry to this year’s EuroVision contest and the first part is a take on their 2020 video:  https://youtu.be/YFzcmH1kDj8  It’s EuroVision, just keep that in mind . . . You can see an interview here with The Roop about the video.  I don’t get the hands thing either . . . https://www.facebook.com/LRT.LT/videos/169185998071537/  

Resources:

How to Spot Fake News

How To Spot Fake News

100-Plus Mentor Texts for Documenting Your Life in 2020

First Book Free Resources

https://www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources/#annotations:3aMfOmvREeutP386Og75iQ

Synth Podcasting Platform Updates

View at Medium.com

The Culture Translator

Tech documentary The Social Dilemma starts with a quote from Sophocles: “Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.” If you’ve never peered into the vast pool of data companies like Google collect on us, consider reading this article from spreadprivacy.com, maybe even with your teens. Then ask them some of the following questions.

  • Does the fact that companies track what we do online bother you? Why or why not?
  • If smartphone data can help catch criminals, do you think it’s worth all of us being watched?
  • When does data collection go too far?
  • What would it look like for a company to use ethical or religious principles in how they collected data?  

Slang of the Week

acting brand new: when some development (often a new purchase or a new friend group) causes someone to act like they’re above what they used to enjoy. (Ex: “We always used to sit together at lunch, but ever since Topanga got that haircut, she’s been acting brand new!”)  

TikTok On a Platter

What it is: A simple recipe for baked feta pasta is all over TikTok.

Why it’s time to break out the Pyrex: Now known as “the TikTok pasta,” this concoction has blocks of feta cheese flying off the shelves. (Supermarkets in Finland even ran out of the popular Greek cheese, which is traditionally made from brined sheep’s milk). If your teen has any affinity for cooking at all, they’ve probably tried this recipe or at least want to. If you’re able to get ahold of a few cherry tomatoes and one of those 18 ounce hunks of feta, you might have a recipe for some family time together in the kitchen. (As the teens say, “Wholesome!”) Of course, it’s also possible that they’re quite sick of seeing the pasta all over their For You Page.

What is Love?  

What does love look like?  No, not that .. . . 

400 Years of Literary Examples

Web Spotlight:  

Maintaining Classroom Discipline (1947)

Why most schools won’t ‘reinvent’ themselves after the pandemic

http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2021/01/why-most-schools-wont-reinvent-themselves-after-the-pandemic.html#annotations:nMo78GjfEeud3qeMjn2rVw

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM 496: Crisis or Opportunity?

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Jokes:  

Did you hear about the rogue Mimes who kidnapped the Banker? 

  • They did unspeakable things.

If a drummer comes out of retirement will there be …

  • repercussions?

If you notice cows sleeping in a field, what does that mean?

  • It’s pasture bedtime

Why is it always unexpected when an Australian cook makes meringue on a cooking show and the audience applauds? 

  • Australians usually boo meringue

Why did the fisherman bring the shark back? 

  • It was a loan shark

Started a new job as a delivery man. The first delivery there was a note, “Delivery person, we’re out, please hide in the garage”. It’s been eight hours and nobody’s found me yet. 

I swallowed a dictionary. 

  • It gave me thesaurus throat I’ve ever had. 

How are carpenter ants different than Regular Ants?

  • Rainy Days and Mondays get them down. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk“ column written by Patty McGinnis.  Her article was entitled “Learning for All.”

The changing demographics of our classrooms require differentiation strategies to ensure all students are working toward the performance expectations outlined in the NGSS.  One resource that you may find useful is the Universal Design for Learning framework, in which the teacher thoughtfully analyzes the learning environment and plans for all learners by removing barriers to learning.

Reports from the Front Lines

  •  Technical Troubles
    • Wiring vs Wifi 
  • Schedules
  • Restricted Access Fun in Moodle

Advisory:  

The Big Fib (Formerly Pants On Fire)

This is a podcast now with Disney adapted for Disney+.  Two adults, one is an expert and one is an absolute liar.  They bring on a middle schooler and they get to ask questions to find out who is the liar and who is the expert.  Play the podcast and then over time create your own.  You can find The Big Fib over here:  https://gzmshows.com/shows/listing/the-big-fib/  

A Capella Group Does Sound Effects  

Play the YouTube video and have the students figure out the sound.  Don’t let them see the video, they have an iPad showing the answers.  How many can they guess?  

Where Are You From?

The World’s Most Dangerous Fart

The Twitterverse

The Modest Teacher @ModestTeacher

I wish weight loss worked the same way as learning loss.  

M. Yip @melyiplit

Michigan teachers- join us March 11 and 17 for Analyzing Propaganda and Teaching Media Literacy with @HolocaustMI hosted by @WashISD FREE and all welcome! https://reg.abcsignup.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0050-0007-2046C6006ECA47E69F5ACD047378F045

Detroit Inst of Arts  @DIADetroit

The DIA joins the Detroit community in celebrating life of artist Charles McGee, who has passed away at the age of 96.  

Miguel Guhlin @mguhlin

That Chrome zero-day bug affects Edge, Vivaldi, and other Chromium-tinged browsers

AMLE  @AMLE

How can you promote good citizenship & mental wellness in a #virtualclassroom? Join us on 2/18 for a #webinar presented in assoc. w/ @pamleorg to learn best practices: https://bit.ly/36uCDYu #AMLE #PAMLE #middleschool #ICanHelp #mschat  

AIMS  @aimsnetwork

Have you checked out @AMLE‘s podcast: Middle School Walk & Talk? Timely topics related to all things middle school! https://buff.ly/3tAfzSf #AIMSNetwork

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

In each of my classes, a student gives a “daily dedication” where they talk about a fictional or real person who inspires them (idea borrowed from @edutopia article). SO MANY students get inspiration from anime ! I knew it was popular, but was ignorant of its power  https://t.co/5HEAq8Vxrx?amp=1  

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Strategies:  

It’s a “Selfie” Thing:  The Role of Artifacts in Teacher Evaluation

“Don’t be afraid to document your achievements as an effective instructor.”

It’s a “Selfie” Thing: The Role of Artifacts in Teacher Evaluation

17 Bellringer Activities for Remote Learning

17 Bell Ringer Activities For Remote Learning

Scheduling

https://catlintucker.com/2021/02/hybrid-schedule/

Resources:

Primary Source Sources for Primary Source of the Day . . .  

Identifying children at risk of later being frequent online-technologies users

https://news.psu.edu/story/645008/2021/01/22/research/identifying-children-risk-later-being-frequent-online-technologies#annotations:KwBUGGAgEeuH07NmUeKgaw

Open Middle Problems

Ditch those worksheets! This book serves as a collection of digitally interactive Open Middle problems.  Be sure to check out Open Middle’s site: https://www.openmiddle.com/. This volume will continue to grow over time. This book also contains great resources from Steve Phelps and John Ulbright.

https://www.geogebra.org/m/jazvukfd#annotations:PKpPtmJ4EeuHcCdUnIyUdA

Great Gatsby

49,752 words (3 hours 1 minute) with a reading ease of 73.07 (fairly easy)

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-great-gatsby

Trinket

https://trinket.io/

Web Spotlight:  

Snowflake Generator

https://viviariums.com/projects/snowflake/interactive/

Proposed Legislation

HR8570  Teachers and Parents at the Table Act

Establishes a Teacher Advisory council to make sure the ESSA is implemented.  Headed up by the Secretary of Education.  

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8570?s=2&r=17

HR-8551  The Interstate Teacher Mobility Act

Participating states would accept the teaching certificates from other member states without additional teacher education so that a teacher can accept a position in another state without worrying about additional coursework.  

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8551?s=2&r=19

HR-8550  The Students Helping Younger Students Act of 2020

College students can get Federal money for working after school programs.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8550?s=2&r=20

HR-8623 Supporting Students with Disabilities During COVID Act

Supplemental funds for states to support children with disabilities and early childhood education.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8523?s=2&r=22

Virtual Based Opportunities from the Arab American National Museum

Educator Virtual Open House4:30-6 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 16FREE with RSVP
AANM invites Educators to join us for our first Educator Virtual Open House of 2021, taking place virtually over Zoom. The Open House will showcase the many educational, cultural and digital offerings and resources that AANM has available for educators locally and nationally to utilize in their classrooms. We are also excited to reveal, for the first time, some of the things we have been working on throughout 2020. Our goal is to equip teachers with appropriate materials and resources to better educate the masses about the Arab American community.
For questions, email Dave Serio, Education & Public Programming Specialist, at dserio “at” accesscommunity.org  Registration and more information can be found by clicking here.  
SURA Arts Academy: Online Photography Spring SemesterRegistration Deadline: 5 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 19
Conducted completely online from the comfort of students’ homes, once a week via Zoom, both Beginner (ages 11-18) and Intermediate (ages 17+) 10-week courses are available for students nationwide. 
Students will learn the art of photography during a 10-week online course designed to help students share stories about their lives, community and culture, developing skills in composition, lighting and storytelling. The curriculum includes visual presentations, photographic challenges, activities and more. Students’ work will focus on documenting our world in the age of Covid, and will be celebrated in the annual SURA Student Photography Exhibition in 2021. 
Register today, space is limited!
Museum Members: $75General Public: $100Scholarships awarded based on financial need + availability
Beginners Course (Ages 11-18): 4-6 p.m. EST Tuesdays, Feb. 23 – May 4, 2021No experience necessary. Students must have access to a cell phone with a high quality camera.
Intermediate Course (Ages 17+): 4-6 p.m. EST Wednesdays, Feb. 24 – May 5, 2021Students must have their own DSLR camera and have some experience using and understanding their camera.  More information and registration can be found by clicking here.  

Educators: want to learn more about best practices for teaching about the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)? 

The Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies (CMENAS) at the University of Michigan, in partnership with the Duke-UNC Center for Middle East Studies, is offering Grade 6-14 educators a series of five interactive 90-minute trainings, “How to teach about the Middle East — and Get it Right!” Register here. 

Educators may register for any or all of the sessions. SCECHs from the Michigan Department of Education are available.  

AXIS – The Culture Translator

Your Laugh Is Cringe

What it is: According to a Twitter thread started by The New York Times’ Taylor Lorenz, who reports on influencers and Gen Z, the youth have deemed the crying-laughing emoji as “cringe” and it is now reserved for people 30 and above.

Why you could choose to switch it up, or not: Affectionately dubbed “cry-face,” the “crying-laughing” emoji has been used for over a decade by iPhone and Android users alike as a shortcut to depict laughter or amusement. When teens text with each other, the cry-face might be interpreted as sarcasm or a passive aggressive response. If you’re still using “cry-face,” rest assured, your teen probably isn’t judging you. A parent sending “cry-face” will have different implications than it would when teens send it to each other. (Digital life has heaped layers of context onto our communication that will take years to untangle.) To better speak your teen’s (texting) language, you could try texting the skull emoji (as in, “that’s so funny, I’m dead”) or the actually crying emoji (as in, “that’s so funny, I’m weeping”).  

2021 Self C.A.R.E – AMLE 

“‘Educator” is synonymous with selfless. We wear this title with pride, even neglecting ourselves in the process, but it’s a new year, so why not start a new tradition of self-care? Self-care is any intentional way we focus on ourselves. This year—especially given our unique context–let’s consider ourselves as much as we consider those in our middle schools using C.A.R.E.: community, activity, reflection, and elimination.”

2021 Self-C.A.R.E.

Student ‘Compliance Does Not Equal Engagement’

Some research suggests that as students get older, their engagement with school tends to decrease. 

 Our nation’s infatuation with winning and being first is closely related to Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest situated in the realm of the education system.

Our students who are not the best or the brightest are viewed as liabilities who should fend for themselves and make it the best way they can. High-stakes testing, which compares schools, students, and services, has an unintended consequence of placing blame on the very students the system claims it wants to help educate.

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-student-compliance-does-not-equal-engagement/2021/01#annotations:g8TsMmfGEeuGn1doKOmRrw

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM 495: Online Learning is the New Coke

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Jokes:  

My friend just left his job as a human cannonball at the circus. They aren’t replacing him. 

  • They can’t find someone of the same calibre. 

How do hipsters talk about shoes? 

  • Converse

Did you hear that Sting was kidnapped?

  • The Police have no lead

Why can’t pirates finish the alphabet?

  • They get lost C.

Don’t run with bagpipes. 

  • You could put an aye out.
  • Or worse yet, get kilt. 

Here’s a thought. 

  • Getting paid to sleep would be a dream job. 

Why did the dog financial advisor suggest to invest in tennis balls?

  • They have a high rate of return

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Meteorology

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Career of the Month“ column written by Luba Vangelova.  Her article was entitled “Meteorologist.”

Meteorology is a branch of atmospheric science.  It emphasizes the study of atmospheric chemistry and physics, with the aim of forecasting weather.  Maureen McCann is the featured meteorologist in this podcast.  She is a meteorologist at Spectrum News 13, a television station in Orlando, Florida

Reports from the Front Lines

  • What does success mean?
    • How much testing are we doing?
  • Technical Troubles
  • Play
  • Where are they?

Advisory:  

Along – SEL Software for the COVID Era

Along is a free tool provided by Gradient Learning, a non-profit committed to helping all students feel encouraged and inspired. Founded and run by educators, Gradient Learning partners with schools and teachers across the country to ensure each student is prepared for life beyond the classroom. With the support of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Gradient Learning works with teachers, learners, and partners to offer free services and tools—such as the Summit Learning program and Along.  As a side note, I’d like to propose their slogan be “Go Along to Get Along” as a marketing campaign.  Maybe not . . . 

https://www.along.org/

The Twitterverse

Pernille Ripp  @pernilleripp

I keep looking at the reports of teachers teaching while hospitalized for COVID or other things and how insane that is. We are replaceable, we may feel as if no one else will ever teach our students the way we do and while perhaps true, we will be replaced when we die or leave

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

Putting “Authentic” in front of any educational word makes it sound novel, unique, and forward thinking…even if it is the same thing you’ve always done: Authentic Assessment Authentic Conversations Authentic Curriculum Authentic Lunch It also means extra hours of PD.  

MMSA @InTheMiddleMMSA

We are thrilled to announce that Michelle Miller has been elected as President of MMSA! @nupseagles She has served as a middle-level educator in various roles including 7th grade LA teacher, Athletic Coach, Gifted & Talented COORD, Instr. Coach and Administrator.

Jeremy Hyler @Jeremybballer

I keep seeing the phrase “best practices for remote teaching” Do we really know what best practices are right now? We have been in the pandemic for less than a year and I am not comfortable saying I know “best practices for remote teaching.” #miched #mschat #6thchat #ncte #nwp

Liz Kleinrock @teachntransform

My favorite procrastination activity during Zoom school is spending an hour deciding which downloadable Google Slides template matches my teaching objective.

AMLE @AMLE

And the finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year are: Alejandro Diasgranados (@ThatDCTeacher), Juliana Urtubey (@urtublj), Maureen Stover (@StoverScience) & John Arthur (@9thEvermore)! Learn more at https://bit.ly/36fi0zz. #NTOY21 @CCSSO

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Strategies:  

Teacher Health:  Sleepwatch App

SleepWatch is a health-focused sleep app that automatically tracks sleep with the Apple Watch. It uses A.I. to help you track, achieve, and improve.  

https://www.sleepwatchapp.com/

Primary Source of the Day:  A Warm-Up Activity

Middle Level Learning, National Council for the Social Studies article May/June 2010

Types:  Quotes from notables, political cartoons, physical objects that students can handle, copies of documents (patents, certificates, letters, newspaper articles, etc.), photographs/sketches/artwork.  

Sources:  National Archives, www.nara.gov, Library of Congress, memory.loc.gov/learn, National Museum of American History americanhistory.si.edu/collections/index.cfm, NCSS Online:  U.S. History Collection www.socialstudies.org/teacherslibrary  

Good questions:  Create a question that forces them to answer with evidence from the primary source.  

Teaching this in the Age of COVID:  Use the forum module in Moodle to generate inter-class discussions and allow conversations on posts.  Create a series of glossary modules for random primary source generation in the sidebar in Moodle for student reflection pieces in Moodle both oral and written.  

Usage:  

  • Snag headlines from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/?loclr=blogtea  and don’t reveal the articles.  Ask students to create the article they think went with the headline and then reveal it after they have written for a short bit.  
  • Create a History Jukebox by making a playlist out of songs from particular dates that the kids can peruse and relates to the chapter or unit.  
  • Students use a Backpack type app or their cell phone cameras to record a “You Are There“ segment modeled after the Walter Cronkite series.
  • Send students on a historical figure scavenger hunt using Sparticus Educational.  http://spartacus-educational.com/  

Resources:

Backyard Meteorology

The weather forecasts we see every day are based on an army of meteorological sensing networks and intensive computer modeling. Before the rise of these technologies, forecasts were made by understanding cloud formations and wind directions.

This course will explore the science behind weather systems by teaching the observational skills needed to make a forecast without using instruments or computer models. We’ll discuss the physical processes driving weather and the global forces that shape global climate systems. Finally, we will examine the limits of prediction in both human observations and computer models.

Can the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas? Take this course to find out!

https://online-learning.harvard.edu/course/backyard-meteorology-science-weather?delta=1

Random Thoughts . . .  

Mastodon – open source Twitter like experience. Follow me https://scholar.social/@troypatterson 

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM 494: Just Don’t Break Federal Law

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Jokes:  

No matter how much you push the envelope,

  • It’ll still be stationery

After Beast reverts to his original form as a Prince, he and Belle get married and have kids. This makes him, wait for it, the Fresh Prince of Belle Heirs. 

Hockey season has been cancelled. Nobody has seen the Zamboni driver. Don’t worry though, I’m sure that he will resurface eventually. 

What’s another name for dental x-rays? 

  • Tooth pics

My wife told me that I’ve grown as a person. 

Her actual words were “you’ve gotten fat”, but I know what she means. 

Eileen Award:  

  • WeChat:  Becessie of Shijiazhuang  

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Interdisciplinary Science

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Corner“ column written by Ann Haley Mackenzie.  Her article was entitled “Why Science Teachers Must Employ Interdisciplinary Science Methods to Save the World.”

Interdisciplinary science is when two disciplines come together to broaden the portrait of the concepts being uncovered by their students.  Climate change, cancer, overpopulation, food deserts, pollution, and other critical topics benefit from individuals engaging in collaborative interdisciplinary science.  It is a way to help students see the interconnections of the natural world. 

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Still thinking about the student teacher experience in all of this.  
    • Communication?
    • Back Channel?
    • Lead Teacher
    • Passwords & Access
  • What happens if the technology goes down?  
  • The Future of Tech
    • Recreating Teacher Centered Classrooms

Advisory:  

Pictionary Online Recipe

  1. Student Chromebooks are charged.
  2. Grab  https://randomwordgenerator.com/pictionary.php for random pictionary word generation.
  3. Start a Ziteboard (https://ziteboard.com/) for drawing.
  4. Go!  

Possible scenarios:  

  • Use Google Meet breakout rooms and turn the kids loose on it.
  • You make a board, you invite one student to use a word from the generator and then play as a class.
  • Invent your own method!  

The Twitterverse

Cpjones  @icpjones

Online learning: 3 crucial elements for student engagement | Tes

https://t.co/rOATbAv401?amp=1

AMLE  @AMLE

UPCOMING- “It’s Not Too Early to Begin Planning Middle Level Schedules for School Year 2021-2022” w/ Elliot Y. Merenbloom https://bit.ly/2Lm08fa

Jennifer Abrams  @jenniferabrams

20 Hilarious Bernie Sanders Memes Inspired by His Iconic Appearance at the Inauguration https://mymodernmet.com/bernie-sanders-inauguration-meme/?fbclid=IwAR1QhmLhVeh2xmGdOas0rnF1y7vwQuoLfT8sLG7z_HFKbsI1a98mx-KMR8A  Via  @mymodernmet

Bernie Sits

http://bernie-sits.herokuapp.com/

Nick LaFave  @NFLaFave

QR Code Chrome Extension – Instantly create a QR Code for any site with one click. A convenient way to share links with students. https://buff.ly/2WcpHA1 #EdTech #GoogleEdu #QRCodes

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Strategies:  

5 Ways to Take the Distance Out of Distance Learning

  1.  Be Dramatic!  Shout and Whisper 
  2. Focus on Connecting with Students
  3. Make sure everyone speaks.
  4. Really see each student – be specific with praise
  5. Incorporate Social Emotional Learning  

https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-ways-take-some-distance-out-distance-learning

Low-Tech Scientific Exploration for Students at Home

https://www.edutopia.org/article/low-tech-scientific-exploration-students-home#annotations:cAc2-lstEeuwAmOE6WFKog

Resources:

The Michigan Council for the Social Studies Resources

This list was produced as a quick go to for January 7th, but certainly could be used well beyond that.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d5iRi2ooD5n9coC3JFv_h37Qjf2GT0v8tJP5fDFxssk/preview?pru=AAABdwE7O4E*yseDaIYDQAlBMb_8zxvhNw

Interdisciplinary At Work!  Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments Aren’t Blank

Dead Sea Scroll Fragments Previously Thought to Be Blank Are Actually ‘Treasures’ With Extremely Faded Text, Scholars Discover

Ozone Layer Game

The game is tied to a similarly-titled animated series. It’s billed as a “2D platform runner” with puzzle solving based on your characters’ unique abilities, such as hacking devices, slowing time and even exploding manhole covers. This won’t be a particularly in-depth adventure game or even a complex shooter like Fortnite, but that’s not really the point — it’s meant to teach science in an engaging way.

The Reset Earth game should be available on February 10th, or slightly later than the January 24th premiere of the series. 

https://www.engadget.com/un-reset-earth-ozone-layer-game-144340172.html

From AXIS:  The Culture Translator – Spotify Playlists as conversation starters

This week we’re making conversation starters out of popular songs. Though we may hope our teens don’t know any of these, if they do, we want to help you meet them in their world. If they like a song, try asking first what they like about it. (FYI: The explicit version of every song here contains profanity, and some contain sexual content, so use discretion.)

1) “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo: a heart-wrenching ballad about driving to places haunted by memories of an ex.

  • It’s tempting to minimize breakup pain, but for teens, pain feels eternal. Consider asking, “How do you feel when you hear this song?” and sharing part of your own story. 

2) “Good Days” by SZA: another song about struggling to get over an ex, but holding out hope for good days in the future. 

  • Key lyric: “All the while, I’ll await my armored fate with a smile”
  • If your teen likes SZA (pronounced “sizza”), consider asking what they think the key lyric means, 

3) “Bad Boy” by Juice WRLD: about sex, drugs, and power, surprising only because Juice WRLD was often more introspective.

  • Consider asking, “What do you think about Juice WRLD? Are you surprised to hear him on a song like ‘Bad Boy’?”

4) “Whoopty” by CJ: another song full of braggadocio, using lots of obscure slang. 

  • Consider asking, “Why do you think so many people rap and sing about how rich they are?” 

5) “34+35 (Remix)” by Ariana Grande: one of the most sexually explicit songs on positions, made more so with Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. 

  • Consider asking, “Why do you think so many women see music like this as empowering?” 

6) “Mood” by 24kGoldn: a song about relational conflict and avoidant attachment styles. 

  • Consider asking, “Have you ever felt the impulse to unattach when you start getting close to someone?” 

7) “Lemonade” by Internet Money: drugs and braggadocio with shimmering guitar.  

  • Consider asking, “How many people do you think actually pay attention to the lyrics in songs like this?” 

8) “WITHOUT YOU” by The Kid LAROI: another painful breakup ballad (reviewed in detail here). 

  • Consider asking, “Do you think most people like this because they’re going through heartache, or for other reasons?” 

9) “positions” by Ariana Grande: about love, commitment, and flexibility in relationship (full album reviewed here). 

  • Key lyric: “Know my love infinite, nothin’ I wouldn’t do”
  • Consider asking, “Is anyone’s love actually infinite? Why?” 

10) “Streets” by Doja Cat: about regretting a breakup and getting back together. 

  • Consider asking, “How will you know if you’re in the right relationship? Is any relationship ever 100% right?”

Bleak

Bleak is a young adult novel inspired from my experiences with bullying in elementary school. Writing the book was a 15 year journey for me and I was continually motivated by my middle school students who said that their voices weren’t being heard. The thought I couldn’t run away from at 11 was if “life is this bad now, it will never get any better.” If you’re struggling with similar thoughts – it is my hope that this book is a light in your world. 

https://benhoneycutt.com/bleak#annotations:XaeyFFwJEeuJylvsWw4X6Q

Whiteboard Chat

https://www.whiteboard.chat/#annotations:cg8tYFshEeuvUkPhL5NwXw

Web Spotlight:  

Can PBIS Build Justice Rather Than Merely Restore Order?

In a multicase qualitative study, inclusive school leaders attempted to move their schools from the excessive use of suspension; they employed positive behavioral intervention and support (PBIS) as an alternative they thought would be therapeutic rather than punitive. However, the PBIS system traded a disciplinary system of control for a medicalized system of restoring order. Unwanted behavior came to be defined as evidence of possible behavioral disability. Hence, the PBIS system exchanged one deficit identity of “disorderly” student for another of “disordered” student, subsuming other considerations of race, class, and gender identity. Following the study’s findings, this chapter proposes more liberatory practices for PBIS that interrupt dominant culture discourses of normal behavior and power, and hold promise for establishing justice, rather than simply reinstating order.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314013323_Can_PBIS_Build_Justice_Rather_Than_Merely_Restore_Order#annotations:gvx8zl2LEeuZi3_5zqrGlg

50 Things You Won’t Be Able to Unsee

The Misremembering of ‘I Have a Dream’

Half a century after the March on Washington and the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, the event has been neatly folded into America’s patriotic mythology. 

Instead, it is hailed not as a dramatic moment of mass, multiracial dissidence, but as a jamboree in Benetton Technicolor, exemplifying the nation’s unrelenting progress toward its founding ideals.

Central to that repackaging of history is the misremembering of King’s speech. It has been cast not as a searing indictment of American racism that still exists, but as an eloquent period piece articulating the travails of a bygone era.

Regardless, any contemporary discussion about the legacy of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech must begin by acknowledging the way we now interpret the themes it raised at the time. Words like “race,” “equality,” “justice,” “discrimination” and “segregation” mean something quite different when a historically oppressed minority is explicitly excluded from voting than it does when the president of the United States is black. King used the word “Negro” fifteen times in the speech; today the term is finally being retired from the US Census as a racial category.

https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/misremembering-i-have-dream/#annotations:Cbx-kFtCEeustOP7vD_IXg

In Congress Assembled . . . 

HR-33 117th Congress – January is Mentoring Month

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-resolution/33?s=2&r=2

HCR-4 117th Congress – Support for National No-Name-Calling Week 

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/4?s=2&r=1

HR-3982 116 Congress – Protect Women’s Sports Act

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8932?s=2&r=3

HR-8797 116 Congress – Establish a Commission on American Civics.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8797?s=2&r=9

HR-8715 116th Congress – Pandemic Planning and Response for Schools Act

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8715?s=2&r=12

HR-8714 116th Congress – Family Friendly Schools Act  

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8714?s=2&r=13

Random Thoughts . . .  

VidGrid

4 Channels of News

https://vidgrid.tk.gg/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM 493: Day, Night, Hold on a Minute (or 59 seconds)

/ , /

Jokes:  

A lizard went for a job interview. 

Agent: “Can you do retail?”

Lizard: “Yes”.

Today I thought of a color that doesn’t exist. 

Unfortunately, it is just a pigment of my imagination. 

A shop assistant fought off a robber with his labelling gun. 

The police are now looking for a man with a price on his head. 

My son kept chewing on electrical cords. 

I had to ground him.

I’ve got a entryway with broken hinges. If you know how to fix hinges, my door is always open. 

What do you call a chicken that haunts a house? 

A poultrygeist

What do you call it when you put your Grandmother on speed dial?

  • Instagram

Middle School Science Minute  

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

The Day-Night Cycle

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Formative Assessment Probes“ column written by Page Keeley.  Her article was entitled “The Day-Night Cycle: Adding Models to Probe Explanations.”

As you select formative assessment probes to use with your lessons, consider ways to have students use a model to support their explanation.  In this example, students use the Earth’s motion and position in relation to the Sun to explain the day-night cycle and why it seems to us from an Earth perspective, that the Sun appears to rise, move across the sky, and set.  Models, such as a globe and a flashlight representing the Sun are used to explain the pattern of day and night.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Improvisation
  • Back to School?  
  • Vaccination – Are you In?
  • Online Learning Musings –   
  • Student Teaching
    • Second experience
    • Mentoring
  • Evaluation

The Twitterverse

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp

I will have the chance to read aloud 12 picture books to my students – while I have many favorites, I am curious, what would be the one picture book you would read aloud to middle schoolers?

Dr. Trisha Sotropa @t_sotropa

I have noticed that some teachers try to get right to content at the beginning of an online session. But a few minutes visiting at the beginning and end of class can help build relationships with and between students. *Visiting is not wasted time*.

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

25 ways to create experiences your students will remember http://ditchthattextbook.com/2018/08/17/25-ways-to-create-experiences-your-students-will-remember/…

PAMLE   @pamleorg

Recognize those amazing administrators, teachers, student teachers, and students who have made this very difficult year so much better by nominating them for a PAMLE Award https://pamle.org/Awards

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Resources:

Plagiarism Checker

Best free plagiarism checker for your content, Now paste upto 1500 words in the text area or upload your text file and click “Check for Plagiarism” to get instant & accurate results.

https://searchenginereports.net/plagiarism-checker#annotations:-BQGZlSGEeuviCdTLZ7b0w

The University of Vilnius puts documents online for FREE!

Hundreds of scanned documents from the archives are now available for free.  Court records, land records, maps and photographs are also available.  The written language stuff might not be as useful as the image libraries.  https://kolekcijos.biblioteka.vu.lt/en  

Music for a Pandemic  

Need some music to make it through grading?  Try the following YouTube channels with music from Tchaikovsky and well, if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it!  

Baroque:  https://youtu.be/CuU9q2VKOyc  

Stay at home with Tchaikovsky:  https://youtu.be/uN4ty0xlqp8  

Sponsor a Musician:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/falsobordone/1350-music-for-a-plague/description  

Web Spotlight:  

How to Be Talent

Some really great thoughts and quotes on how to be good at a job. This is focused on being “on-air talent”, but the lessons are appropriate to life in general. 

*Warning: one swear word in the post. 

https://leo.fm/2020/09/talent/#annotations:SmPXRlavEeupQi_KuVAVCQ

Why Scientists Want to Shorten the Minute to 59 Seconds

That includes this new suggestion from scientists: We should consider shortening the minute to just 59 seconds, at least for one “negative leap second” that will better line us up with Earth’s real rotation.

This is on the heels of a year marked by many shorter-than-average days, following several years in which Earth has rotated faster than maybe ever before.

Why does Earth spin differently to begin with? That part is both more natural and more complicated.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a35165130/leap-second-shorten-minute-earth-rotation/

Looks Aren’t Everything, Believe Me I’m a Model

May  be useful to watch without necessarily sharing with students. Important to know your population.  

Taking a Stand Does Not Imply Bias

http://www.michaelkaechele.com/taking-a-stand-does-not-imply-bias/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM 492: Insta is the new Santa?

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Jokes:  

What do you call stealing someone’s coffee? 

  • Mugging

How come New Year’s Kissing is such a big thing? 

  • After all, it’s the first date. 

Why don’t cats make Resolutions on New Year’s Eve?

  • They are Purrfect.

Did you hear that Dracula passed out at Midnight on New Year’s Eve? 

  • There was a Count Down. 

Why do people in Athens hate getting up early? 

  • Dawn is tough on Greece

I have a friend selling a George Foreman Grill and some Muhammad Ali DVDs. 

  • Pick up is easy, both boxed. 

What do you call a wreath made with $100 bills? 

  • Aretha Franklins

I just saw an ad for a Radio for $1, volume stuck to the loudest setting. 

  • I’m thinking, I can’t turn that down. 

I had a dream that I was getting attacked by a bike repeatedly. 

  • It was a vicious cycle.

Here’s a question for mind readers out there. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

What a Year!

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Note” column written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.  Her article was entitled “What a Year.”

As we move toward the early winter of 2020 we look back at schools following a patchwork of face-to-face, hybrid, and virtual models of instruction.  All teachers, at whatever grade-level, have been returned to their “rookie year” of teaching as they struggle to find ways to meet the needs of learners in their physical classrooms and on screens.

Reports from the Front Lines

Advisory:  

Ira Glass on Storytelling

Ira Glass from This American Life talking about story telling. Part 3, On good taste and falling short.  This is a wonderful episode on how we all go through phases where we know our work is not up to par, even though we are trying so hard to make it perfect.  Keep doing your work, keep focused and don’t give up!

The Twitterverse

AMLE  @AMLE

How do you incorporate multimedia into your lesson plans? https://bit.ly/3r5Ma0T #AMLE #NationalShortFilmDay #mschat #middleschool #ela #teachers #classroom #pixar  

Jeremy Hyler @Jeremybballer

If you haven’t been part of the One Word Challenge by @JonGordon11

, I highly recommend it. Do it with your students too. It is my first order of business on Monday. 2021 is going to see me be relentless! #oneword2021 #oneword #miched #mschat #6thchat #edchat

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

Eight Teaching Concerns I Have Going Into 2021 https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2020/12/26/eig  

MiddleWeb  @middleweb

“How We Can Make Research Matter to Kids.” #mschat #tlchat #engchat #sschat #elachat #edchat https://middleweb.com/37737/how-we-c

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Strategies:  

General Principles of Virtual Learning – Georgia State University  

Key Factors in Virtual Learning:  

  • Intentionally organize the classroom.
  • Scaffold the lesson with intentionality.
  • Set up a single line of communication with parents and students.  
  • Post assignments in one place, one document.  

Click to access Virtual-Learning_Literature-Review_20200707_FINAL.pdf

Could we make the case for additional Encore classes in Social Studies?  

Fordham Institute’s Longitudinal Study on Reading Comprehension:  

  • Elementary school students in the U.S. spend much more time on ELA than on any other subject.
  • Increased instructional time in social studies—but not in ELA—is associated with improved reading ability.
  • The students who benefit the most from additional social studies time are girls and those from lower-income and/or non-English-speaking homes.

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/resources/social-studies-instruction-and-reading-comprehension

Resources:

Good News

Since 1997, millions of people have turned to the Good News Network® as an antidote to the barrage of negativity experienced in the mainstream media. Because of its long history, staying power, and public trust, GNN is #1 on Google for good news.

The website, with its archive of 21,000 positive news stories from around the globe, confirms what people already know—that good news itself is not in short supply; the broadcasting of it is. From our 5-star app, to our new book (And Now, The Good News: 20 Years of Inspiring News Stories), to our weekly Good News Gurus podcast, and Morning Jolt email newsletter, GNN is a daily dose of hope for millions of fans.

Good News, Inspiring, Positive Stories

AXIS Network – The Culture Translator (www.axis.org)  

Instagram is like . . . Santa Claus???

Forget Santa or the Elf on the Shelf, a new lawsuit (paywall) claims that Instagram sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake. The app has been accused of using users’ cameras to collect their data even when they’re not logged in.  

Web Spotlight:  

Tree.fm

Random forest images and audio. 

https://www.tree.fm/

Black Out Poetry

Black Out Poetry is made by colouring over parts of an existing text, so that only selected words remain visible, creating a poem.

To use this tool, you can select a text from the samples, or paste your own text source into the custom text field. Your chosen text will appear in the large box to the right.

With your mouse or touchscreen, select the words from the text you want to keep, and, when you are ready, press the black out button.

If you want to save the result as an image, maybe to post to your social network of choice, scroll down and hit Render as image. You can then save the image directly to your device.

https://blackoutpoetry.glitch.me/#

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MSM 491: France is Bacon…Another Lie I Tell Future Me.

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Jokes:  

I want to go on record that I support farming. 

  • As a matter of fact, you could call me protractor.

Interesting fact of the day: In Sweden, all government-owned ships are required to have a UPC code printed on the hull. 

  • When the ships are returned to port, it helps them Scandinavian.

I read that by law you must turn on your headlights when it’s raining in Sweden. 

  • How am I supposed to know when it is raining in Sweden?

I searched for a lighter on Amazon, all I could find was 401 matches…

Did you hear that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be doing a movie about classical music? He’ll be Bach.

Chris Hemsworth is Australian, and Thor is from space, does that make him an Australien?

We all know about Murphy’s Law: anything that can go wrong will go wrong. But have you heard of Cole’s Law? 

  • It’s thinly sliced cabbage.

My friend gave birth in her car on the way to the hospital and her husband named the kid Carson

I begin to read a horror novel in Braille. Something bad is about to happen, I can feel it.

When a woman is giving birth, she is literally kidding.

You know, people say they pick their nose, but I feel like I was just born with mine.

I sold my vacuum cleaner; it was just gathering dust.

Advisory:  

SURPRISE (NOT)! NEW STUDY FINDS APPLYING ASSET-BASED INSTRUCTION HELPS BLACK YOUTH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

“What does ‘school cultural socialization’ look like?” you might ask.

You have to dig a bit into the paper to find it, but here is what they say:

Examples of school cultural socialization practices include assignments that require students to explore their familial histories, connect with their communal histories, and discuss how they can use knowledge in school-based lessons to address current issues in their communities (Dee & Penner, 2017). Subtle types of school cultural socialization include incorporating readings from African American authors and adopting daily classroom meetings where students talk about their lives outside of school (Howard, 2001; Irvine, 1990).

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2020/12/26/surprise-not-new-study-finds-applying-asset-based-instruction-helps-black-youth-academic-achievement/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Count Birds for Science This Winter with Project FeederWatch

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science Scope” a publication for middle school teachers from the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” column written by Jill Nugent.  Her article was entitled “Count Birds for Science This Winter with Project FeederWatch.”

You can feed birds from the comfort of your classroom or your home this winter and contribute to real world scientific discovery with Project FeederWatch!  For more information, visit their website at:

https://feederwatch.org

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Time to Reload:
    • Curate Content Resources
    • Pull together portfolio items
    • Rest 
    • Read:  
    • Planning

The Twitterverse

  Bob Newhart  @BobNewhart

I can’t see how these things work. But they do. So be safe and wear a mask! Happy Holidays to all!

Image

Steve Stewart-Williams @SteveStuWill

This is hilarious

Cpjones @icpjones

Too much data; too many meetings: stop talking and do something. https://teacherhead.com/2016/05/28/too-much-data-too-many-meetings-stop-talking-and-do-something/… via @teacherhead

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” 

Strategies:  

Unit of Inquiry Planning Process and Resources (open)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GP5Ht6Mghm5hylfOB7JtdoTKS4IWJViVHUV6OrsiSM/edit#annotations:0VFJtkPyEeuFQGv1kX8gsQ

Resources:

Standard Ebooks

Standard Ebooks is a volunteer driven, not-for-profit project that produces new editions of public domain ebooks that are lovingly formatted, open source, and free.

Ebook projects like Project Gutenberg transcribe ebooks and make them available for the widest number of reading devices. Standard Ebooks takes ebooks from sources like Project Gutenberg, formats and typesets them using a carefully designed and professional-grade style manual, fully proofreads and corrects them, and then builds them to create a new edition that takes advantage of state-of-the-art ereader and browser technology.

Standard Ebooks aren’t just a beautiful addition to your digital library—they’re a high quality standard to build your own ebooks on.

https://standardebooks.org/#annotations:IRO9KkPqEeu1ytMDZLevIg

40 Excellent Short Stories For Middle School

40 Excellent Short Stories For Middle School

Web Spotlight:  

Alphabetize This

There are plenty of options when alphabetizing, which are listed below. Please note that these explanations are very basic and don’t fully describe all the functionality available in the web app.

Alphabetize

This option simply alphabetizes your list (abc order). Use it as a sort tool to alphabetize a packing list, a list of movies, television shows, a business directory, comedies, cute boy names or girl names, a todo list, or a list of countries.

Alphabetize by Last Name

If you give The Alphabetizer a list of names, and you need to alphabetize that list by last name, like for a list of wedding guests, insurance companies, lawyers, etc, please choose this option. It will use a special algorithm to detect the last name in each name and will alphabetize your list accordingly.

Sort Titles

This option will help to alphabetize the titles of movies, films, books, records, music, laws, SEO terms – whatever you like – by ignoring articles (the, a, an, some, many) while sorting your list.

Make Lowercase

Sometimes you want to make all your text lowercase. This option will take all your text and make it lowercase.

Capitalize Titles

This will capitalize the titles of each line without alphabetizing the actual list. Once you’ve capitalized your titles, simply select the Alphabetize option and you put your list in alphabetical order.

Remove Duplicates

This option removes any duplicate lines from your list. This can be useful if you don’t realize you have the same thing written on more than one line and you don’t need it listed twice.

Reverse list

This option will take your list and reverse the order in which each term is listed. Turn your list on its head!

Strip HTML

A quick way of removing any extra HTML from your list. Good for when you have a list of links or text copied from the View Source section of a website or if you’re a coder or programmer that needs to display a web page without styling or links.

Randomize!

A fun list randomizer. Arrange the items of a list in random order. You could use this for a text game or to mix up a list. And don’t worry: if you mess up the order, you can select the Alphabetize option and to quickly put your list back in alphabetical order with the best sorting tool on the interwebs!

Number / Letter / Add Roman Numerals

This option lets you add numbers, letters, roman numerals, or another preface to each item in your list. You can also add a separator which will appear between the number/letter/roman numeral and your line of text. This is helpful for legal text, essay outlines, to enumarate lists, label book chapters, list sporting events, or anywhere you might need to add roman numerals to a list.

Add Custom Text

Save the time of manually adding some custom text to the beginning of each item in your list by using this option to automatically add text to the beginning of each item in your list.

Remove Word From Each Line

This option will let you remove the first word from each line in a list before putting it in abc order.

Ignore List Options

Sometimes you want to ignore a word, or words, at the beginning of a line when you alphabetize. This option will let you ignore the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th word at the beginning of each line. You can also ignore definite articles such as “the” or ignore indefinite articles such as “a, an, some, any” in the list.

Separate Terms With

This option functions best if left on “auto” but if you have problems, you can choose a character, or a custom character, with which to separate the terms that are on your list.

https://alphabetizer.flap.tv/#annotations:PF0IwEceEeuMyG8jifCIjA

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

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