Summary:

Shawn and Troy theoretically discuss the end of the year. Dave finds inspiration with End of the Year activities. 

Jokes:  

• At the job interview, they asked me, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
• I told them, “I think we’ll still be using mirrors in five years.”

---

• How many clickbait articles does it take to change a lightbulb? The answer will shock you!

---

• How do you make a water bed bouncier? 
• Add spring water.

---

• I always knock on the fridge door before opening it, just in case there’s a salad dressing.

---

• Where do dads store their dad jokes? 
• In the dad-a-base.

---

• I tried to start a professional hide-and-seek team, but it didn’t work out. 
•  Turns out, good players are hard to find.

---

• A cop started crying while he was writing me a ticket. I asked him why and he said, “It’s a moving violation.”

---

• What is the difference between a literalist and a kleptomaniac?
• A comma. A literalist takes everything literally. A kleptomaniac takes everything, literally.

---

• I just found out Albert Einstein existed. My whole life I thought he was a theoretical physicist.

---

• Why is it a bad idea to eat a clock? 
• Because it’s so time-consuming.

---

• Why should you never brush your teeth with your left hand? 
• Because a toothbrush works better.

---

• I like to spend my weekends playing chess with elderly men in the park. But it’s becoming more difficult.
• You try finding exactly32 old guys.

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: Finding Inspiration as the School Year Winds Down

I was recently reading the May/June 2022 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.  She wrote an article entitled, “Finding Inspiration as the Year Winds Down.”

This is the time of the year when teachers need a boost of energy or inspiration to help finish the school year.  One way of finding that boost of energy is to create space for large-scale investigations and in-depth activities where the students are in the driver’s seat.

http://k12science.net/finding-inspiration-as-the-school-year-winds-down/

Reports from the Front Lines

• June 6th Genius Week
• End of the School Year Strategies
• Meta Cognition

The Twitterverse  

Jack Berckemeyer  @JBerckemeyer

Parents- As the school year comes to an end-send an email to your child’s teacher and administrator and thank them for keeping your child safe while they are at school. Thank them for teaching the values of kindness and empathy. Tell educators you appreciate them. They need it!

Shake Up Learning  @ShakeUpLearning

Teach Like the Tonight Show: Internet Pop Quiz w/ Google Slides (Teacher Ed.) https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/teach-like-tonight-show-internet-pop-quiz-google-slides-teacher-edition/  #edtech

RUTH BUZZI@Ruth_A_Buzzi

I ate a kid’s meal at McDonalds yesterday. I have to say his mother sure overreacted.

Bob Harrison  @bharrisonEDU

With the rise of GPT-3 and other text generators, all bets are off on the authenticity and educational value of any written assignment.

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

Resources:

50 Best Games for Speech and Language Development

Free eBook!  

http://usafiles.net/14X2/The_50_Best_Games_for_Speech_and_Language_Development.pdf  

Great Teaching Toolkit

www.greatteaching.com#annotations:-o1GgN1YEeyy2J-cqxS1vA 

  

Web Spotlight:

College Graduates Overestimate Starting Salaries

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/29/study-says-college-graduates-overestimate-starting-salaries-by-50000.html#annotations:s536ZNeiEeyUE7v6EE6W-w

These Words Were Invented by Mistake

https://www.wordgenius.com/how-were-these-words-invented-by-mistake/Xr0yWBPAJQAG8xAP

The Best Commencement Speeches

By Larry Ferlazzo

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/05/15/the-best-commencement-speeches/

How I Finally Stopped Working at Home as a Teacher

https://truthforteachers.com/how-i-finally-stopped-taking-work-home-as-a-teacher/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about relationships with Administrators, remote conferences, and more. Dave kind of gives us the Bird.

Jokes:  

My doctor told me I was going deaf. 

• The news was hard for me to hear.

---

A century ago, two brothers decided it was possible to fly. And as you can see, they were Wright.

---

I’m reading a horror story in braille. 

• Something bad is going to happen, I can just feel it.

---

Anyone looking to buy a Delorean? Good shape, good mileage. 

• Only driven from time to time

---

During my calculus test, I had to sit between identical twins. It was hard to differentiate between them.

---

Does anybody know where a guy can find a person to hang out with, talk to, and enjoy spending time with? I’m just asking for a friend.

---

Why did the Invisible Man turn down a job offer? He couldn’t see himself doing it.

---

I didn’t want to believe that my dad was stealing from his job as a traffic cop, but when I got home, all the signs were there.

---

I have a joke about trickle down economics. But 99% of you will never get it.

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Mark My Bird!

I was recently reading the May/June 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” column, written by Jill Nugent.  She wrote an article entitled, “Mark My Bird!”

Mark My Bird is a global online citizen science project associated with the University of Sheffield that invites participants to study the how and why of bird biodiversity and change over time by studying bird bills.  For more information, please visit:

https://www.markmybird.org

http://k12science.net/mark-my-bird/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Moodle Moot UK
• Building Relationships with Admin
• MOOSE

The Twitterverse  

Katie Powell  @Beyond_the_Desk

Looking for a fun, easy, but impactful activity? Check out the #HungryHippos #BoredomBusters TikTok: https://tiktok.com/t/ZTdtuMMDN/?k=1 @dbc_inc  (featuring Grayson Kitty)

Alice Keeler  @alicekeeler

CommonLit: An Online Library of Free Texts https://cultofpedagogy.com/informational-text/  Via  @cultofpedagogy  

Patrick Calzone  @MrPCalzone

Abandoned art project found in the bus loop…I am naming it: “Teaching Middle School in May”

𝓓𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓢𝓬𝓱𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓾 𝓔𝓭.𝓓.   @daveschmittou

Principals- Visiting every classroom every day is not instructional leadership if the goal is to simply be seen. That’s your ego. Leadership is support, encouragement, and guidance when and where it’s needed…for them, even if it’s in the shadows and background.

Save Your Sons  @SaveYourSons

A great father is a great teacher Here are five critical thinking skills to master and teach to your kids (thread)  

1. Pattern recognition Figuring out “what things have in common” Our brains are pattern recognition machines. We constantly analyze the similarities between people, events, and scenarios to make decisions. Pattern recognition is how we deduce danger. It’s also how we prosper.

2. Reverse engineering Figuring out “what’s required” It’s nearly impossible to create anything if you can’t first picture it in your mind. Effective thinkers begin with the result in mind and work backward to determine what steps they need to take. The whole informs the parts.

3. Inference Figuring out “why something happened” We won’t always have all the facts. And a smart person doesn’t always need them. They’re able to analyze scattered facts and make deductions about why and how certain outcomes came to be. You can train this in your kids.  

4. Prediction Figuring out “what will happen next” Cause-and-effect runs our lives. We must constantly determine the consequences of our actions. If we can’t deduce an action’s outcome, we can’t make beneficial decisions. And if we make bad decisions, we lead horrible lives.

5. Synthesis Figuring out “what’s important” As an adult you’ll need to sort through masses of information, retaining what’s relevant and discarding what’s not. Our brains are incredible, but they function best when we’re able to focus on what matters and ignore what doesn’t.

Conclusion:  The world is full of data. Don’t rely on schools to teach your kids how to think. Everyday events can be used to spur countless conversations about how the world works. As your children get older, scale up the difficulty. Tailor the discussions to their interests.  

Todd Finley  @finleyt

How to Make Student Thinking Visible–Assess Kids’ Processes of Learning and Depth of Understanding | #students #k12 #edchat #education #teachers #ukedchat #teaching #thinking

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

Resources:

Merlin Bird ID

Merlin is powered by eBird, allowing you to build custom lists of the birds you’re likely to spot wherever you are. Use the filter options to explore birds for different locations or time of year, or switch to show all the species in the Bird Packs you’ve downloaded. Get more from the app with these Merlin Tips and Tricks.

https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

The Kids Should See This

The Kid Should See This is a Webby Award-winning collection of 5,000+ kid-friendly videos, curated for teachers and parents who want to share smarter, more meaningful media in the classroom and at home. And thanks to our members, it’s free and available for everyone.

Selections are grown-up-friendly, too. TKSST champions smart STEAM, history, and culture-focused content by museums, organizations, and creators who celebrate curiosity, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, kindness, and other essential themes for all ages.

Enjoy around 10 to 15 newly-added videos every week, browse the collections, and search topics in the archives. Founded in 2011, The Kid Should See This is curated and maintained by me, Rion Nakaya, with input from my 11 and 14-year-olds.

https://thekidshouldseethis.com/#annotations:2n9tJNC5EeyE1muU8iW5_g

Coco Material

Discover CocoMaterial, the Open Source hand-drawn illustration library with 1,927 images. Customize & download!

https://cocomaterial.com/#annotations:ynnPitUqEey06oupkBwHPA

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Beau Bots

What it is: Chatbots like the Replika app are creating avenues for romantic relationships between people and AI. Replika allows users a limitless chat experience for free, but requires a payment plan to provide a girlfriend or boyfriend experience.

More Than Words

What it is: The terms “algo-speak” and “Voldemorting” have been coined to refer to ways social media posters modify certain phrases to sneak past automated algorithm censorship.

Web Spotlight:

Trent Shelton

Trent Shelton had what can only be described as a failure in his career as a pro football player. But at his lowest point, he found the strength to turn his life around. He joins “CBS Mornings” to share his wisdom.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/former-football-player-turned-motivational-speaker-trent-shelton-says-only-giving-up-is-failure/

What Makes A Good Life?

What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it’s fame and money, you’re not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you’re mistaken. As the director of a 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life.

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about the end of the school year, visual literacy, and more. Dave has an important minute on equity. 

Jokes:  

Someone complimented my parking today! 

• They left a sweet note on my windshield that said “parking fine.”

---

I just applied for a job down at the diner. 

• I told them I really bring a lot to the table.

---

“Cop: I’m arresting you for downloading the entire Wikipedia.” 

• Man: “Wait! I can explain everything!”

---

I’m Buzz Aldrin, second man to step on the moon. 

• Neil before me.

---

This year’s Fibonacci convention is going to be really special. 

• Apparently it’s as big as the last two put together.

---

I’m addicted to collecting vintage Beatles albums.

• I need Help.

---

In 2017 I didn’t do a marathon. I didn’t do one in 2018, 2019, or 2020, either. 

• This is a running joke.

---

Ever since we started quarantining, I’ve only been telling inside jokes.

---

If you’re feeling depressed, try drinking a gallon of water before you go to sleep. 

• It’ll give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

---

My landlord told me we need to talk about the heating bill. 

• “Sure,” I said. “My door is always open.”

---

I built a model of Mount Everest and my son asked if it was to scale. 

• “No,” I said. “It’s to look at.”

---

My friend claims he glued himself to his autobiography. 

• I don’t believe him, but that’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

---

When I was a kid, my mother told me I could be anyone I wanted to be. 

• Turns out, identity theft is a crime.

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Equity in the Science Classroom

I was recently reading the May/June 2022 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.  She wrote an article entitled, “Equity in the Science Classroom.”

Despite advances in science education, there remains an opportunity gap; historically underperforming populations often opt out of advanced courses and are not equitably represented in the STEM fields.  As teachers, we are tasked with closing this gap through practices that allow all students to succeed and thrive.

Reports from the Front Lines

• The Heat is On!  Warm Weather Behavior 
• MoodleMoot IE & UK 2022  
  • Is the future in AI?
    • WriteSonic AI authoring software:  https://writesonic.com/  
    • DALLE-2 AI generated art from caption to image instead of image to caption.  https://openai.com/dall-e-2/ 
• The Beginning of the End
• PD Plans
• Created vs Creation

The Twitterverse  

Frank Noschese@fnoschese

Did this in class today. 10/10 would recommend

Quote Tweet

     Joe Cossette  @cossettej

New Blog Post!! https://passionatelycurioussci.weebly.com/blog/mcwordle-review

My students needed extra practice on multiple choice questions but I wanted something more group-worthy and interactive, so I created a game called “MCwordle”. All of the details and files are shared in on the blog. https://twitter.com/cossettej/status/1520871067841187840/photo/1  

Alice Keeler  @alicekeeler

8 Google Classroom BUMMERS https://alicekeeler.com/2020/03/29/8-g

Richard Byrne  @rmbyrne

How to Create and Send Personalized Certificates in Google Workspace https://freetech4teachers.com/2022/05/how-to

Nika Melkozerova  @NikaMelkozerova

Bonnie and Clyde were presented as “Ancestors who faught Nazism until victory” during a concert dedicated to May 9 celebration in Russia. Ahahah. That explains looting.

Ukrainian Memes Forces  @uamemesforces

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

Strategies:

24 ideas for creating a discussion-rich classroom

https://ditchthattextbook.com/discussion/

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

It Takes a Dataset

What it is: A tool called the Opportunity Atlas shows that choosing where your children will grow up might be one of the most important indicators of their earning potential and stability.  

Slang of the Week

Buy the Dip: A term used by crypto enthusiasts and in-app daytraders to mean “buy when the market gets low,” now being used sarcastically to refer to something that’s going down and probably not going to come back up; the joke is that since everyone’s assets are tanked, nobody can buy the dip. (Ex: “Robin: I can’t believe this, my entire savings just crashed now that Dogecoin is worth nothing.” “Little John: Well, you know what they say — buy the dip!”)

Old Maps Online

https://www.oldmapsonline.org/

Living Wage Calculator

WHAT IS THE LIVING WAGE CALCULATOR?

Families and individuals working in low-wage jobs make insufficient income to meet minimum standards given the local cost of living. We developed a living wage calculator to estimate the cost of living in your community or region based on typical expenses. The tool helps individuals, communities, and employers determine a local wage rate that allows residents to meet minimum standards of living.

https://livingwage.mit.edu/

Web Spotlight:

Why So Many Teachers Are Leaving, and Why Others Stay

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/teachers-leaving/

Rollins College Commencement Speaker

Rollins College valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker ’22, who is affected by non-speaking autism and communicates solely by typing, urges her fellow graduates to use their voices, serve others, and see the value in everyone they meet.

https://www.rollins.edu/college-of-liberal-arts/news/elizabeth-bonker-commencement-address

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Shawn’s new computer, conferences, and more. Dave is all about Cool Water. 

Jokes:

If a pig loses its voice…does it become disgruntled?

---

A panic-stricken man explained to his doctor, “You have to help me, I think I’m shrinking.” “Now settle down,” the doctor calmly told him. “You’ll just have to learn to be a little patient.”

---

A ship carrying red paint and a ship carrying blue paint collide in the middle of the ocean. Both crews were marooned.

---

What is a guitar player’s favorite Italian food? 

• Strum-boli.

---

Why’d the alternate universe Spider-Man do so well on his driving test? 

• He’s an excellent parallel Parker.

---

Never date a tennis player. 

• Love means nothing to them.

---

What did Yoda say when he saw himself in 4K? HDMI.

---

What’s an astronaut’s favorite part of the computer? 

• The Space Bar.

---

Why didn’t the vampire attack Taylor Swift? 

• She had bad blood.

---

Today I’m attaching a light to the ceiling, but I’m afraid I’ll probably screw it up.

---

I hate it when people say age is only a number. 

• Age is clearly a word.

---

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Cool Water

I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the Science 101 column, written by Matt Bobrowsky.  He wrote an article entitled, “What’s Cool About Water?”

Water is a good example to use when discussing how matter can be in different states — solid, liquid, or gas.  Students are quite familiar with solid water and liquid water but gaseous water is a bit more abstract.  Bubbles in boiling water are made of water vapor (gaseous water).  They are not empty, they are not air bubbles, and they are not made of separate hydrogen and oxygen gases.

http://k12science.net/cool-water/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Spark & Tell – AMLE 
  • SES-09050-S7M6  The Online Tools You Need – H5P   
• ACTEM
• End of year testing . . . lots of testing . . . 
• MoodleMoot IE & UK begins on Monday!  
• Moodle 4.0 Theme:  LearnR https://moodle.org/plugins/theme_learnr  
• Mountain Moot July 20-July 22

The Twitterverse  

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

12 FREE social media-inspired Google Slides templates! Yelp Spotify YouTube Netflix LinkedIn Twitter Snapchat TikTok Instagram Facebook Pinterest Get ’em here: http://ditchthattextbook.com/social-media-t… #DitchBook #TechLAP

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

The beginning of May is a time when school isn’t quite yet over but everyone likes to think it’s good enough.  

Monica Burns, Ed.D. #EdTech  @ClassTechTips

Although you might have students create a comic strip using a digital medium, this type of activity is perfect for connecting to print experiences.

Jack C Berckemeyer

Love this

PACE Scholarship Academy  tSernsp18Mytau94:8 t  4at0A Mg7a

REPOSTING AGAIN

Parents PLEASE stress the importance of email etiquette to your children. Students send me emails ALL THE TIME with their entire question in the subject AND NO GREETING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EMAIL. If they send emails like this to me, they will surely do it with a scholarship organization. Another reason why your child may not win a scholarship . Follow us on Facebook for daily scholarship posts PACE Scholarship Academy

#fullridesarepossible

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

Resources:

Voices of Hope

Beginning in May, Maine Public will share stories of recovery from across the state with the program, Voices of Hope: The Rugged Road to Recovery. Voices of Hope is a documentary series aimed at reducing the stigma associated with substance use disorder, interviewing young people sharing their recovery stories. This documentary series was created for use in classrooms to facilitate conversations about the use of chemicals and their consequences. This in-depth documentary series dives into how substance use disorder is affecting lives across the state.

https://www.mainepublic.org/voices-of-hope-documentary-series#annotations:RyayOsvSEey7YweegIqWVQ

11 Mysterious Monuments From Around the World

https://www.interestingfacts.com/mysterious-monuments/YkuaY1m3LQAHz-TC

Web Spotlight:

103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known

https://kk.org/thetechnium/103-bits-of-advice-i-wish-i-had-known/#annotations:LSMJvMjnEey7H5NgPBWSkQ

BeamNG.Drive

The BeamNG physics engine is at the core of the most detailed and authentic vehicle simulation you’ve ever seen in a game. Every component of a vehicle is simulated in real-time using nodes (mass points) and beams (springs). Crashes feel visceral, as the game uses an incredibly accurate damage model.

https://www.beamng.com/game/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqx2KKWI8aM

Most Common Passwords: 

1. 123456
2. 123456789
3. Qwerty
4. Password
5. 12345
6. 12345678
7. 111111
8. 1234567
9. 123123
10. Qwerty123
11.  1q2w3e
12. 1234567890
13. DEFAULT
14. 0
15. Abc123
16. 654321
17. 123321
18. Qwertyuiop
19. Iloveyou
20. 666666

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/27/most-common-passwords-hackers-leak-on-the-dark-web-lookout-report.html

Slang of the Week

Mary Sue: An overly idealized fictional character, the phrase has been borrowed from comic books and fanfiction communities but may now be used to describe any person who presents as a sort of Pollyanna-esque figure. (Ex: “I’ve never seen that girl look anything less than perfect, she gets straight As, and everyone she meets adores her. She’s such a Mary Sue.”)  From AXIS the Culture Translator

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Moodle 4, moving resources to digital, and more. Dave has an Ocean full of good stuff. 

Jokes:  

After an unsuccessful harvest, why did the farmer decide to try a career in music?

• Because he had a ton of sick beets.

---

I only seem to get sick on weekdays. 

• I must have a weekend immune system.

---

My friend was showing me his tool shed and pointed to a ladder. “That’s my stepladder,” he said. 

• “I never knew my real ladder.”

---

I don’t get why Marvel doesn’t use the Hulk to advertise more. 

• He’s basically one big Banner.

---

What brand of underwear do scientists wear? 

• Kelvin Klein.

---

Did you know your pupils are the last part to stop working when you die?

• They dilate.

---

My wife asked me the other day where I got so much candy.

• I said, “I always have a few Twix up my sleeve.”

---

Where do pirates get their hooks? 

• Second-hand stores.

---

Of all the inventions of the last 100 years, the dry erase board has to be the most remarkable.

---

What do you call a line of men waiting to get haircuts? 

• A barberqueue.

---

What do you call a beehive without an exit? 

• Unbelievable.

---

This morning, Siri said, “Don’t call me Shirley.” 

• I accidentally left my phone in Airplane mode.

---

It’s easy to convince ladies not to eat Tide Pods, 

• but harder to deter gents.

---

I can’t take my dog to the pond anymore because the ducks keep attacking him. 

• That’s what I get for buying a pure bread dog.

---

• Have you heard about those new corduroy pillows? They’re making headlines.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  The Ocean

I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the Formative Assessment column, written by Page Keeley.  She wrote an article entitled, “Uncovering Student Ideas About Earth’s Defining Feature: The Ocean.”

Earth’s ocean is the defining feature of our planet.  Principle #1 of the “Ocean Literacy Framework” states the Earth has one big ocean with many features.  But research shows that both children and adults believe a common misconception that the oceans are not connected and act alone.

http://k12science.net/the-ocean/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Moodle perceptions
• Moodle 4 impressions

The Twitterverse  

Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher

Wow. The stories we tell kids are so important. Hat tip @michaelcatt for this one.

Quote Tweet

  C. S. Lewis  @CSLewisDaily

“Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” -C.S. Lewis

Brian Mendler  @BrianMendler

#Teachers with few behavior issues have the following in common: 1. Rarely gets offended. 2. Provides very little down time. 3. Talks w kids before/after class. 4. Asks lots of questions. 5. Don’t need the last word. Add to the list #ThatOneKid #edchat

Todd Finley  @finleyt

Some alternatives to final exams | Brain Blast #edchat #assessment #edleadership #cdned #teachers #education #students

Nicholas Ferroni  @NicholasFerroni

Teaching gives me life, but being a teacher is sucking the life out of me.

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

Strategies:  

3 Counterintuitive Findings About Motivation That Teachers Can Use

• Myth: To motivate students for a difficult task, it’s important to make it fun and entertaining
• Myth: A student who needs a bit of a push on homework just needs some advice from their teacher.
• Myth: Getting students to set goals for themselves is the most important way to motivate them.

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/3-counterintuitive-findings-about-motivation-that-teachers-can-use/2022/04#annotations:6c1cnMSmEeyYTvfWy6_mGg

Resources:  

Wick Editor

Free, open-source editor for creating animations. This can also be used to create games.  Web version (great for Chromebooks) as well as a downloadable version. 

https://www.wickeditor.com/#/

DisplayNote

Display the teacher screen on student devices (computers, iPads, etc). Site creates a URL that is shared. Only the teacher needs a (free) account. 

https://www.displaynote.com/solutions/broadcast

Web Spotlight:

‘It’s Life or Death’: The Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Teens

Lots of interesting points in this article. Important on the changes https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/23/health/mental-health-crisis-teens.html#annotations:U80WisSfEeyScPdiKqMXkw 

Can You Dig This 1940s Slang?

Just some interesting slang to share (*note that “Buzzed” is included)

https://www.wordgenius.com/1940s-slang/YjzGDn-L6wAG0x8Q

Schools are struggling to hire special education teachers. Hawaii may have found a fix

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/21/1092343446/special-education-teachers-hawaii#annotations:NQnzoMWXEeyuczPjOdYRrA

Middle School Go Be Great Digital Journal

116 page journal from Varsity Brands. This is done as a Google Slides. 

https://www.varsitybrands.com/biydigitaljournals

The ‘Science of Reading’ and English-Language Learners: What the Research Says

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/the-science-of-reading-and-english-language-learners-what-the-research-says/2022/04

AXIS The Culture Translator  

Too Much, Too Soon

What it is: A longform feature and a short documentary from the New York Times examines the neuroscience behind the mental health crisis in today’s teenagers.

Why it offers new insight: The reporting here synthesizes several things we know about teens right now. The onset of puberty continues to drop to an earlier age, with many kids starting sexual maturity while still in elementary school. This occurs at the same time that young people are being absolutely deluged with different types of digital information and experiencing a new awareness of social structures around them. However, that doesn’t mean that the “brake-system” in the brains (the prefrontal cortex) is keeping up with these other changes. Some teens feel trapped inside their bodies as they wait for their brains to mature. One mental health professional interviewed reminded parents that talking to teens early about suicidal ideation, self-harm, and other issues isn’t going to introduce or suggest these issues in a way that causes them to happen, but could in fact be a powerful preventative measure.  

Slang of the Week  

Villain Arc: Used by people, especially girls, who are tired of pretending to be “good” and have decided that the events in their life or the world have launched them into a stylized and aesthetic period of “evil”. (Ex: “My best friend’s boyfriend cheated on her, so she bought a ton of tight dresses and started doing really heavy eyeliner. I guess this is her villain arc.”)

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about time off last week, kids decoding, and more. Dave isn’t all wet, he drop lets us in on some water issues for our world. 

Jokes:  

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A friend of mine converted his van from diesel to electric. He used a motor from a dryer. He had trouble getting it to start.

• Then he realized he hadn’t shut the door all the way

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There’s apparently a crime spree going on at the local IKEA. 

• The cops are having a hard time putting it together. 

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Seven days without a pun…

• Makes one weak.

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Do they allow loud laughing in Hawaii? 

• Or just a low ha?

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Can you tie a knot by telekenesis?

• Thought not

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I’m writing a book about the things I want to do in life. 

• It’s an oughtobiography

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Why should you never yell into a colander? 

• You’ll strain your voice

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Walking around the neighborhood last night, I saw an apple pie, a cherry cheesecake, and an ice cream sundae. 

• I thought these streets are strangely deserted.

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I middle schooler accidentally sprayed deodorant into his mouth.

• Now he speaks with a weird axe scent. 

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I  can make you laugh, but not as good as a clown. 

• Those are some pretty big shoes to fill. 

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Water In Our World

I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the Editor’s Note column, written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.  She wrote an article entitled, “Water In Our World.”

Water is critical whether we are floating in canoes, learning about waterfowl habitats, saving a local swamp, or building weather models.  With over 2 billion people struggling to find safe drinking water access, the topic remains one of the most critical issues of this century.

http://k12science.net/water-in-our-world/

Reports from the Front Lines

• AMLE Presentation Proposal
  • H5P.org  
  • Lumi – H5P authoring tool. Lumi is a desktop app that allows you to create, edit, view and share interactive content with dozens of different content types. It’s free and open source.
• Vacation
• Moodle 4

The Twitterverse  

Revolving_Door_Admin  @RAD_is_awesome

The superintendent and executive cabinet have decided that teachers are only allowed to input scores to assignments that a student completes. So a student only completing 1 out of 10 assignments will only be graded on the 1 they completed.

ABC News  @ABC

Beijing is on alert after 10 middle school students tested positive for COVID-19, in what city officials say was an initial round of testing.

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

A Look Back: The 4 Best Websites For ELL Teachers

https://t.co/A5DK4dR0YX

Eric Curts  @ericcurts

Battlesheets! Google Sheets Battleship Game Template http://controlaltachieve.com/2016/11/battlesheets.html  #ControlAltAchieve

Jolita Dūdienė

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Here is this “Lithuania dear”, this last song, sung at “Song Festival”, directed by maestro Lionginis Abaris, was also sung by me…

The joy, love, admiration, pride, and listening to the crowd is impossible to describe. Just need to be there..

And one of those wizards who so enchanted the crowd of thousands of singers was always maestro Lionginas Abarius.

He was respected, loved and listened to, followed every click of his finger, facial expression and eye look from the youngest to the oldest singer.

We looked at him and the melody from each of us walked as if from the very heart..

Hearts, thousands of hearts sang for a.a. Lionginas Abarias…

In the upcoming “Song Festival” we will no longer get the bridges of Lionginas Abarius, but the melodies from the hearts of the singers will definitely be dedicated to the memory of the maestro.

The angels are singing right now!   

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

Resources:  

Guiding Students to Develop a Clear Understanding of Their Cell Phone Use

https://www.edutopia.org/article/guiding-students-develop-clear-understanding-their-cell-phone-use#annotations:SIElFMKSEeyrA_M7lZ10DQ

Web Spotlight:

Why retaining middle school teachers is critical to student achievement

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/4/8/23015094/retaining-middle-school-teachers-critical-factor-in-student-achievement-shortage

The Ethiopian Calendar

https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/ethiopia-calendar.html

Today Is…

https://www.checkiday.com/#annotations:N5jTGL_wEey3Bvs297ogCg

Teacher Fellowship Program

https://www.c-span.org/classroom/opportunities/

How Much Garden You Would Need to 100% Survive On

https://lifehacker.com/how-much-garden-you-would-need-to-100-survive-on-1848829190

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Michigan & Maine, kids on vacation, language, and more. Dave takes a look at some land.  

Jokes:  

I have a friend who fell in love with an electrician. 

• He got shocked.

Then he fell in love with a crane operator, but

• He got let down. 

---

Did you hear about the new movie called “Constipation”?

• It hasn’t come out yet.

---

Google can tell you the following:

• tell me the formula for nitrogen oxide
• tell me the formula for sodium hydride
• tell me the formula for sodium hypobromite

---

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*ABBAKiss

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If it weren’t for blinds it would be curtains for all of us. 

---

If you share music puns, you will be….

• Band

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

Land Loss Lookout

I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science Scope” 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, “The Land Loss Lookout Project.”  

Land Loss Lookout is a citizen science project from Healthy Gulf and Northeastern University designed to monitor land loss in the Mississippi River Delta region.  Students can help categorize wetland impact patterns by looking at color infrared aerial images online.  For more information, please visit the project’s website at: 

Contact

Reports from the Front Lines

• Markdown in Google Docs – Cheatsheet
  • Must be turned on in Preferences (Tools | Preferences)
  • Teach your students
  • Mermaid – Flowcharts using Markdown like language (Live Editor)
  • ADA compliance
• Middle Schoolers & eMail Vacation settings 
• Ramadan
• The TESTing season is upon us!  
  • Gao Kow
  • State Testing Truc et Chose!  

The Twitterverse  

Christine Thielen @cmt215il

@Pfagellreminding us that we NEED to take care of ourselves. #AMLE22Recharge

Katie Powell  @Beyond_the_Desk

“We need to be the thermostat even if kids are thermometers.” We need to be steady even if kids’ emotions go up and down.  @Pfagell  @AMLE  #AMLE22Recharge

Secretary Miguel Car-don’t Care   @SecCarDontCare 

I love to hear from our educators in the field, but please no complaints during my lunch hour. I can’t problem solve on an empty stomach.  

  Detroit Free Press  @freep

It’s soda, not pop.  https://t.co/agiQwn5iH4  

Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

Today is #NationalCrayonDay. To commemorate this day, I would like to suggest to @Crayola new teacher-inspired colors: 

-High Importance Email Red 

-Faded Bulletin Board Paper Black 

-Sharpened Pencil Graphite Gray 

-Vintage Overhead Projector Blue 

-Florescent Light Off-White

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

Strategies:  

International Fact-Checking Day

https://factcheckingday.com/

Resources:  

Virtual Reality Fieldtrips

Earth Day (or any day) is a great time to explore the globe. This school year, jumping around from one corner of the world to another might be out of this (sic) question. But even if your field trip budget is currently at zero, digital tools can help you transport students around the world. If you want to take students on a tour of our planet this April 22nd, try out these virtual reality field trips for Earth Day.

10 Virtual Reality Field Trips for Earth Day

Fun With Language  

Luis Van Rooten made a book of English nursery rhymes with French words in nonsensical context.  

“Lit-elle messe, moffette

Satan ne te fête,

Et digne somme coeurs et nouez.

À longue qu’aime est-ce pailles d’Eure.

Et ne Satan bise ailleurs

Et ne fredonne messe. Moffette, ah, ouais!”

You can get a copy of all the poems here, but it is outrageously pricey!  

Latvia for Ukraine – “Resistance”

“Musicians from Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, and Ukraine have united in a song called “Resistance”. The song calls on everyone to support Ukraine in its fight against the military aggression of Russia. It honours the bravery and strength of its defenders and stands firmly for European values and the right to freedom of every nation. The musicians appeal to everyone not to be ignorant and encourage to support Ukraine in any way possible. The singers also call on other artists to create projects that keep Ukraine and its people in the spotlight. All proceeds from the streaming and performing of “Resistance” will be donated to support Ukraine.”  

Video:  https://youtu.be/GAtlZjkdkVs?list=RDGAtlZjkdkVs  

Purchase:  https://fanlink.to/resistance_latviaforukraine  

AXIS – The Culture Translator

Fake Skews

What it is: A political PR firm paid for by Meta may have partnered with local media outlets across the US to make TikTok look bad, according to the Washington Post. 

Slang of the Week

Material gowrl: from Saucy Santana’s song “Material Girl,” a cheeky, endearing description of a person who prioritizes buying the things that they want over the things that they need; can also simply refer to having wealth and a confident attitude. (Ex: “Fridge might be empty but my closet’s full of Zara. MaTeRiAl GoWrL.”)

Web Spotlight:

Vietnam Draft Picker

During the Vietnam War young American men faced the possibility of being involuntarily drafted into military service, but there were many ways to avoid it with certain connections. “If you’ve got the dough,” it was said, “you don’t have to go.”

As the war went on, selective service requirements, deferments and exemptions changed in an effort to make the draft appear more fair. One of those changes was the institution of a draft lottery, which gave young men a random number between 1 and 366 corresponding to their birthdays. Lower numbers were called first.

The draft lottery did not fix all the inequities of selective service, but it did force young men with low numbers to directly face the prospect of going to war or actively seek a way around being drafted into active duty.

If you had been born in 1950, what would your draft number have been?

https://www.usatoday.com/vietnam-war/draft-picker/

WordTune

Say exactly what you mean through clear, compelling and authentic writing. Chrome add-on. 

Free version allows for 10 per day. 

• Focused on Rewrite

Explore new ways to rephrase sentences

https://www.wordtune.com/

Quillbot

Your words matter, and our paraphrasing tool is designed to ensure you use the right ones. With 2 free modes and 5 premium modes to choose from, QuillBot’s paraphraser can rephrase any text in a variety of different ways, guaranteeing you find the perfect language, tone, and style for any occasion. Just enter your text into the input box, and our AI will work with you to build the best paraphrase from the original piece of writing.

https://quillbot.com/

Google Docs Assistive Writing

https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2022/03/more-assistive-writing-suggestions-in.html#annotations:KysrCrHFEeyLqJtXPOv1Ng

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Spring Break, Learning Loss, and more. Dave journals Nature. 

Jokes:  

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I’m thinking of getting trained to use trucks in reverse.

• It’s a backup job

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I talk to myself. 

• Sometimes I need expert advice.

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I asked my German student if he knew what 10-1 was equal to.

• He told me no.

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I just saw a Cure cover band. They were amazing. If anything, they were even better than the Cure. 

• They’re called Prevention.

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There’s a contest to name a bridge. The leading name is currently Chuck Norris. I don’t think that is going to work. 

• Nobody crosses Chuck Norris

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My day started out really bad. I rear ended a car so I got out with my documents. Out of the car I hit came a dwarf looking angry. I said you’re not Happy are you…that’s when the fight started.

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I just saw a car being driven by a sheep in a swimsuit.

• It was a Lamb Bikini

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A friend of mine called and asked to meet at the music shop in 45. I made it in 33; which is record speed.

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Did you know the word “gullible” is not in the dictionary? True, you can look it up. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Nature Journals

I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the section, “Interdisciplinary Ideas,” written by Katie Coppens.  She wrote an article entitled, “Creating Confidence and Community Through Nature Journals.” 

Nature journals are a great tool for teaching students how to think about and express science in a way that’s individualized to their needs, while also connecting them to their classmates, teacher, and nature.  Nature journaling also allows students to grow in their ability to observe, reflect, and document their own scientific understanding.

http://k12science.net/nature-journals/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Summer PD
• Moving buildings – chip shortage
• Tools that you have
• Instructional Coaching
• Router Update
• Apple Learning Coach

The Twitterverse  

Jack Berckemeyer  @JBerckemeyer

Middle School Educators- I am working on a list of what teams need from their admin. Some examples- Permission to be flexible with core time, ability to create reward systems for our students on our team, one parent communication log verse one per core teacher…… What else?

dailySTEM (Chris Woods)  @dailystem

Hey teachers…here’s a fun paper project on @instructables for your students… Instructions: https://instructables.com/Easter-Egg-3D-

The Kyiv Independent@KyivIndependent

Award-winning film composer Hans Zimmer interrupted his own concert in London on March 25 to show a video of Lviv-based pianist Alex Pian performing Zimmer’s pieces from the film Inception “Time,” amid air raids.  https://twitter.com/i/status/1507515074264641538  

RandomTeacher

@TheReelRandom

I was today years old when I learned you can just drop an emoji on the GIF search bar and “POOF”… you get results… proving once again that I’m old as dirt.

Yasin Dahi  @ymdahi

5 New #H5P Content Types now available on #LibreStudio, bringing the total number to 55! There are also 6200+ openly licensed (mostly #CC) H5P in the Catalogue, making it the largest openly shared @H5PTechnology repo (I think?!) #OER https://studio.libretexts.org

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

Strategies:  

Readlee

Effortlessly identify struggling readers, monitor progress, and automate differentiated scaffolding. 

https://www.readlee.com/

Resources:  

Analyze My Writing

Several interesting choices. These could be used by students or teachers. 

• Basic Text Statistics
• Common Words and Phrases
• Readability
• Lexical Density
• Passive Voice
• Cloze Test

https://www.analyzemywriting.com/index.html#annotations:g5Y2bKeUEeyhIU8loz1lYA

TEACHING THE HARD HISTORY OF AMERICAN SLAVERY

https://www.splcenter.org/teaching-hard-history-american-slavery#annotations:-TX61KxhEeyaLQvee9dPMw

Civics Connected

https://www.civicsconnected.com/virtual-field-trip/#annotations:klM-5KncEey9V89QUdS6KA

Incredible Comparisons

https://magazine.lensvid.com/article/tw/1170023852/incredible-comparisons-show-us-things-in-a-new-way/#annotations:0N4_TKxcEeyluBvrtWiPag?pg=34

The Art of Luca

https://disney-studios-awards.s3.amazonaws.com/luca/books/flipH45pEt23wR/index.html#annotations:CU9g-Kk0Eeyk7fNzJkiIBA

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Julius Caesar, go on a rathole or two, and conferences. Dave is all about implicit bias. 

Jokes:  

Where do you go if you are injured while playing Peek-a-Boo!?

• The ICU

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If the first picture is a pair of scissors, what is the second?

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What if my dog only brings back the ball because she thinks I like throwing it?

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Intentionally losing a game of rock, paper, scissors is just as hard as trying to win.

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What has four letters, never has five letters, and always has six letters?

---

I was having dinner and the waitress screamed “does anyone know CPR?” I yelled, “I know the entire alphabet” and we all laughed and laughed. Well, except for this one guy.

---

People have always told me that icy is the easiest word to spell. Now that I think about it, 

• I see why

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

Implicit Bias

I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the section, “From the Editor’s Desk,” written by Patty McGinnis.  She wrote an article entitled, “Implicit Bias Has No Room in the Classroom.” 

The tendency for stereotype-confirming thoughts to pass spontaneously through our minds is what psychologists call implicit bias.  One way to cultivate an awareness of our own implicit biases is to participate in Harvard University’s Project Implicit:

https://bit.ly/3rpscjM

The project website contains numerous tests designed for individuals to uncover their biases.

http://k12science.net/implicit-bias/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

• Julius Caesar Forums
• Conferences going in-person
  • ISTE hybrid
• Looking forward to break
• Surprise!  

The Twitterverse  

Dr. John Spencer  @spencerideas

Debunking 5 Myths About Project-Based Learning https://edutopia.org/blog/debunking-five-pbl-myths-john-larmer

Via  @edutopia

Nick LaFave @NFLaFave

Transform text with this awesome font generator. Choose from a variety of popular fonts from products to video games to movies and TV shows. https://ift.tt/HmAzTPC #EdTech #EdChat #Fonts

TeacherGoals  @teachergoals·

For real! 

𝓓𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓢𝓬𝓱𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓾 𝓔𝓭.𝓓.   @daveschmittou

Dear Principals- This spring, ask your staff if they can identify your three most important principles. You are a more effective principal if you have clearly defined and explicitly activated principles.

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

Strategies:  

Resources:  

Axis:  The Culture Translator

1. Tokking Points:  What it is: The White House briefed TikTok stars on the Russian invasion and subsequent humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.  
2. Slang of the Week:  Flop era: a period in your life when it feels like everything is falling apart. (Ex: “That time my face was breaking out, my parents grounded me from my phone, and I couldn’t pass advanced calculus… that was my flop era.”)

Hemingway App

Useful for students to review their own writing. There are two modes, write and edit. Students get lots of feedback. 

https://hemingwayapp.com/

Habits for a Healthy Democracy

The principles, habits, and behaviors that are important to support a healthy democracy

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/lessons/habits-healthy-democracy#annotations%3AIYSPGKYAEeyywstBe3ljlw=

StorySet

https://storyset.com/#annotations:RD3ECqRoEeymeN_6oLq8xQ

Web Spotlight:

Does Teaching Experience Increase Teacher Effectiveness? A Review of the Research (Tara Kini and Anne Podolsky)

Does Teaching Experience Increase Teacher Effectiveness? A Review of the Research (Tara Kini and Anne Podolsky)

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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