Jokes You Can Use:  

My son told me he didn’t understand cloning.

• I told him, “That makes two of us”.

Where did Captain Hook buy his hook?

• At the second hand store.

All the comic books I bought from the store are missing the last page.

• I have to draw my own conclusions.

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

• Age is clearly a word.

I often wonder if the guy who came up with the term, “One Hit Wonder”…

• Came up with any other phrases.

I spent hours trying to remember what the opposite of “night” was.

• But, in the end, I just had to call it a day.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Using Critical Thinking to Counter Misinformation

I was recently reading the April/May, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read the section “Commentary” written by Andrew Zucker. He wrote an article entitled, “Using Critical Thinking to Counter Misinformation.” Andrew wrote that “as scientific misinformation proliferates, due largely to growing use of social media, our profession has learned the hard way that it is not enough to teach students accurate science. Science teachers need to help students use critical thinking to examine claims they see, hear, or read that are not based on science.”

From the Twitterverse:  

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

STICKERS! #EDrenaline Rush arrives in just a few weeks. Will be happy to send a freebie sticker or two your way. Just reply to this message and I’ll follow up with a DM to get it your way!

MiddleWeb‏ @middleweb

MiddleWeb Retweeted MiddleWeb

We mailed 26 books out for review today. That may be a record! #mschat #edchat #educoach

MiddleWeb added,

MiddleWeb @middleweb

REVIEW FOR US! Choose a free professional book for review this summer from our lengthy list of choices. Set your own deadline. Keep the book! Details: https://t.co/RJ39wpwDS7

Jacqui Cheng‏Verified account @ejacqui

This trove of previously unpublished photos from the Tiananmen Square protests & massacre is truly amazing, and inspired by the photographer’s own daughter never having learned about it.

John Faig‏ @johnfaig

Lots of words that were not around when I was a kid. We are either more enlightened or more sensitive or both. (via @DavidRozado)  https://twitter.com/DavidRozado/status/1134041329292460032  

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

Strategies:

Interleaving

The concept of mixing closely related concepts when learning.

• Also free guides (free as in FREE, not even an email address needed).

https://www.retrievalpractice.org/interleaving

Resources:

Nonoseconds

Did a quick search on nanoseconds and how it fits into NGSS.  Here is some information from Educational Innovations:

1-PS4-1

MS-PS4-1

HS-PS4-1

Students can use the Nanosecond Bar in an investigation to illustrate the Speed of Light. The Nanosecond Bar is a great way to demonstrate how fast light travels. This durable, three-dimensional bar is exactly 30 centimeters long – the distance light travels in a nanosecond.

MapMaker Interactive

Wicked Awesome! Cool maps with different overlays.

https://mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org/#/

Word Wanderer

http://wordwanderer.org/#annotations:Al6RlnvAEemyWav_V0y7Mg

Vocabulary Word Options

https://cascadingbytes.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/main-qimg-b4bf1406649dcff04c80de713977f00a.jpg#annotations:gPShFnsDEemhdjeNv5TzBA

https://verbaliststravel.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/the-language-and-vocabulary-wheel-for-feelings-verbalists.jpg#annotations:cJJ7wnsDEem8cXctTHGKnQ

Web Spotlight:

Teenagers Are Skeptical of Praise for Good Effort, Study Finds

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/04/11/teenagers-are-skeptical-of-praise-for-good.html#annotations:3BYcKIFmEemSAUeHsYyAEQ

Finland is winning the war on fake news. What it’s learned may be crucial to Western democracy

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/05/europe/finland-fake-news-intl/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

Where do you learn to make ice cream?

• Sunday school

Did you see the new pencil with an eraser on each end?

• I just don’t see the point

I have a friend who was afraid of elevators.

• He’s taking steps to avoid them.

He’s also afraid of speed bumps.

• He’s slowly getting over it.

You know what really makes my day?

• A full revolution of the earth.

Want to hear a joke about construction?

• I’m still working on it.

I really like sidewalks.

• They keep me off the streets.

What kind of dog doesn’t bark?

• A Hush puppy

When does a Dad joke become a Dad joke?

• When it becomes “apparent”  

Advisory:

Facts that Sound Fake but are True

https://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/facts-that-sound-fake-but-are-true

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Brandy Hill

I was recently reading the March, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read the “Member Spotlight” section where NSTA highlights a middle school science teacher, from across the United States. This month, Brandy Hill is featured. She is a Sixth Grade Science teacher in Oregon. Her advice for a new science teacher is:

“Get looped in, ask questions, and ask for support.”

From the Twitterverse:  

Rodney Robinson‏ @RodRobinsonRVA

Imagine what the world would be if all the educators (state teachers of the year) sitting in the seats of the education committee today actually got to make education policy.

Cameron Wei‏ @CameronWei3

The Beginners Guide to Google Classroom https://www.brightclassroomideas.com/the-beginners-guide-to-google-classroom/ …

Ditch That Textbook‏ @DitchThatTxtbk

20 tools for a more accessible classroom Incredible resources curated from last night’s #DitchBook chat! https://wp.me/p3bT67-2yJ  via @jmattmiller

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC‏ @Pfagell

“Always compliment a kid when they take a responsible risk & don’t get the best result, like answering a Q wrong. Volunteering to go 1st for a class presentation is also a responsible risk. Seize opportunities to build optimism, confidence & risk-taking.”

https://t.co/i1o6gQ6w6C

Screencastify 🎬‏ @Screencastify

Have you tried the new real-time closed captioning feature for #googleslides? If not, try it with @Screencastify Closed captions for the students in the room and a video for the students who are absent to watch later It’s @GoogleForEdu

NJAMLE‏ @NJAMLE

Summer Skills Sharpening Spectacular 2019 (via http://www.smore.com ) https://www.smore.com/tvnx6  Pick one or present and attend all three. Call for Presenters is on and Registration is Open. Point Pleasant, Marlton and Somerville. Three Great PD opps to share and learn.

Ara Brown‏ @ara_brown

Excited to be one of the social media volunteers for today’s @DCculture #PassportDC2019 There are over 50 embassies open today. First stop for me is @EmbPanama_US This is their 1st year participating & are excited to show the world everything about this wonderful country

Nola-rae Cronan‏ @NolaraeCronan

Looking for great books for grades 6-8 this summer? Check out @girlsschools Books of Interest list, curated by the amazing @ColsSchForGirls.

https://t.co/bogsVsToNm

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

Resources:

MiTechKids Index

https://awesome-table.com/-LK73yvuGrh3kKQghO-8/view#annotations:61aVeG3ZEemzLesUx3A5QQ

The Teaching of Listening Comprehension

Rinvolucri begins with reflections and practical ideas related to getting listeners to give full attention. Several contributions look at the nature of listening materials, and a key theme is authenticity (in the chapters by Besse, Nakić, Dirven, Rixon, and Fish, for example). Other chapters (for example, those by Dudley-Evans and Johns, and Vandermaelen) focus on teaching methodology. Finally, Urbain focuses on needs to teach pronunciation in the context of development of listening comprehension, while Riley concludes with a chapter on using video.

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/pub_F044%20ELT-46%20The%20Teaching%20of%20Listening%20Comprehension_v3.pdf

This book is free to download below as a pdf file.  

From the “You Need This” Files:  Gemini

Pre-order: Gemini 1080p/4K Portable Monitor

• Boost productivity: can work with any brand of laptops. No matter it is HDMI, Mini DP/DP or Type C, you just need plug and play.
• Play games on a big screen: allows you to transform any space into your own personal gaming environment. No matter where you are, all you have to do is plug it in and play (supporting Xbox, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Smartphone!)
• Turn Android phones into a computer: Scale up your smartphone apps, view images and enjoy HD videos by connecting your phone to. It can unleash your smartphone’s power and turn it into a laptop.
• More usages: is versatile and you can easily find many ways to use it, such as sharing the screen in conversations or displaying more lines for coding.
• Patented kickstand design: It gives rock-solid stability and allows you to use it in both portrait mode and landscape mode.
• Built-in battery: is powered by its own onboard battery that provides power for more than 5 hours. Also, the large battery works as a convenient power bank to charge your other devices anytime.

Web Spotlight:

Venice

Eva Stories

https://www.instagram.com/eva.stories/

Silicon Valley Came to Kansas Schools. That Started a Rebellion.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/technology/silicon-valley-kansas-schools.html#annotations:0SHYvmj-EemrnMMm6SB-qw

Girl Born Without Hands Won National Handwriting Competition Because Nothing Can Stop Her

http://time.com/5577252/girl-without-hands-wins-handwriting-contest/#annotations:rMoqaGnOEemhhxNAxkouVQ

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

I met a guy from Australia who works in IT.

I asked him, “Do you come from a LAN down under?”

Have you heard of the blind cyclops brothers?

• Neither have eye.

Where do naughty rainbows go?

• Prism.

Advisory:

Smart Home

The film opens in a smart home, where the slightly smug owner can do everything from making a smoothie to unlocking the front door simply by voice command. Everything runs smooth (sic) until a trip to the dentist and a numbing Novocaine injection…  [Run time: 1:10]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwPtcqcqz00#annotations:qz3WxmOKEem0aZewj9dYsQ

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Outstanding STEM Books for 2019 Part 2

This is the second of a two-part podcast series initiated by reading the March, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read the article on the “Outstanding STEM Trade Books for Students K-12: 2019. In this podcast, I feature four STEM books:

1. Cyrus Field’s Big Dream: The Daring Effort to Lay the First Transatlantic Cable
2. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World From the Periodic Table of the Elements
3. How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World
4. Inga’s Amazing Ideas

From the Twitterverse:  

Jessica Golz‏ @teachergolz

“Mrs Golz, do you have any good books?” …currently working on making our library shelves come alive with these *genre exploration stations* book summaries read to our kids by my amazing staff #empower203 #edtech #librarylife #millstreetmustangs

Kathi Kersznowski‏ @kerszi

WHOA! You’ve just GOT to see this! There is magic in this cube, I swear! Check out this quick video I made to see some of the new awesomeness brought to us by @MergeVR #edtech #MIEExpert #MicrosoftEdu #MergeCube #merge #ARVRinEDU #FlipgridFever  

Global Problem Solvers: The Series‏ @gpstheseries

While Millennials spend an average of 35 hours every week on digital media, nearly six out of 10 can’t do basic tasks such as sorting and searching for and emailing data from a spreadsheet.

Michigan History Day‏ @mihistoryday

Who’s in the auditorium, ready for the opening ceremony? #MHD2019

Will Richardson-Moving schools to Modern Learning‏ @willrich45

“If we don’t assess what we value, we will end up valuing what we assess.” Truth is, most of what we assess for has little or nothing to do with learning. It’s the “immeasurables” that will determine whether or not kids thrive. #satchat

Ms.Lavery‏ @fssdPGMSLavery

Teacher Tip Print out premade late passes and include your @Bitmoji for a personal touch! Check out these below These are great when you are busy teaching and need to quickly fill in the information. @WeAreTeachers @teacher2teacher

Jacie Maslyk‏ @DrJacieMaslyk

Great Ways to Make Learning Visible #satchat

Screencastify 🎬‏ @Screencastify

Have you applied to be our April Teacher of the month yet? If not, what are you waiting on? You could win $300 in @DonorsChoose , a free #Screencastify premium account, and a lot of bragging rights TODAY IS THE LAST DAY. Apply now!

Ditch That Textbook‏ @DitchThatTxtbk

30 activities for any Depth of Knowledge level Fabulous ideas curated from last night’s #DitchBook chat https://wp.me/p3bT67-2y3  via @jmattmiller #DOK

Chad Frye‏ @ModestlyChad

Bears do love their honey. I love doing drawings in my toned tan paper sketchbook. Have a happy weekend everybody! #animation #illustration #cartoon #animals #bears #bear #InkSketch #inked #sketchbook #sketch #drawing #honey #bees

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

Strategies:

Benchmark Assessments: Weighing the Pig More Often?

Benchmark Assessments: Weighing the Pig More Often?

Brain Breaks and Focused Strategies – Edutopia  

Quick breaks that help students refocus so they can return to work feeling centered and ready to learn.  But do be aware that half of them are the old “Brain Gym” strategies that Britain spent millions of dollars researching to discover that they don’t work.  

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/brain-breaks-focused-attention-practices-lori-desautels

For information on the British view of “Brain Gym” see:  

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/apr/07/education

The Daily Mail quotes Education Secretary Ed Balls on “Brain Gym”:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1237042/Brain-gym-pupils-pointless-admits-Balls.html  

Resources:

Evidence for ESSA

Our goal is to provide clear and authoritative information on programs that meet the ESSA evidence standards and enable educators and communities to select effective educational tools to improve student success.

https://www.evidenceforessa.org/#annotations:oM5xOmN9EemkzoOlpFbHZw

Principles of Instruction

This booklet is about the most effective methods of teaching and presents ten research-based principles of instruction. These principles come from three sources:

(a) research on how the brain acquires and uses new information;

(b) research on the classroom practices of those teachers whose students show the highest gains; and

(c) findings from studies related to students’ learning strategies.

http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/document/principles-instruction-educational-practices-21#annotations:IPgQ4mN9Eem71ut24oSETw

Creative Law Center – Open Access

Nicely done information about Open Access. Great list of museums which have resources available.

https://creativelawcenter.com/museums-open-access-images/

Open GLAM

Welcome to OpenGLAM Open Collections. We have brought together collections from around the world that provide digital scans or photos that can be freely used without any restrictions. This is an ever expanding list so if you know of collections that are not listed here please add them through our contribute an item page and we will get them online!

https://openglam.org/open-collections/

Open Access at the Cleveland Museum of Art

http://www.clevelandart.org/open-access

Web Spotlight:

Cheery Thoughts

https://www.middleweb.com/40050/why-i-keep-a-supply-of-cheery-thoughts-nearby/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

How do you make a water bed more bouncy?

• Add spring water

What do you call a polite man who builds bridges?

• A civil engineer

I just Googled the phrase “missing medieval servant”.

• It came back with “Page not found”.

I’ve written a book about falling down a staircase.

• It’s a step by step guide.

A friend asked me if I knew anything about 1’s and 0’s.

• I told him I knew a bit.

If you aren’t impressed with the picture of the first black hole…

• You clearly don’t understand the gravity of the situation.

I totally understand why people work at fragrance factories.

• Makes scents

A cop pulled me over and asked me, “Where were you between 5 and 6?”

• I replied, “Kindergarten.”

Advisory:

Teach Girls to be Brave, not Perfect

We’re raising our girls to be perfect, and we’re raising our boys to be brave, says Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code. Saujani has taken up the charge to socialize young girls to take risks and learn to program — two skills they need to move society forward. To truly innovate, we cannot leave behind half of our population, she says. “I need each of you to tell every young woman you know to be comfortable with imperfection.”

May be best to be shared with Staff.

How risk-taking changes a teenager’s brain

Why do teenagers sometimes make outrageous, risky choices? Do they suddenly become reckless, or are they just going through a natural phase? To find out, Kashfia Rahman — winner of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (and a Harvard freshman) — designed and conducted an experiment to test how high school students respond to and get used to risk, and how it changes their still-developing brains. What she discovered about risk and decision-making could change how we think about why teens do what they do.

Optical illusions show how we see

Beau Lotto’s color games puzzle your vision, but they also spotlight what you can’t normally see: how your brain works. This fun, first-hand look at your own versatile sense of sight reveals how evolution tints your perception of what’s really out there.

Rube Goldberg Machine

135 Facts

http://mentalfloss.com/article/508255/amazing-facts-people-who-amazing-facts

Easter in European Languages

https://jakubmarian.com/easter-in-european-languages-map/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

OUTSTANDING STEM TRADE BOOKS 2019 – PART ONE

This is the first of a two-part podcast series fostered by reading the March, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the article on the “Outstanding STEM Trade Books for Students K-12: 2019.  In this podcast, I feature three STEM books:

1.  Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact

2.  Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree

3.  Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon

From the Twitterverse:  

MiddleWeb‏ @middleweb

REVIEW: Strategies for Building on Students’ Strengths. @Dr_Armstrong #mschat #educoach #edchat @ASCD In the 4th edition of his Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, Thomas Armstrong offers a practical, balanced approach. #tlap #elachat #ellchat https://www.middleweb.com/40131/strategies-for-building-on-student-strengths/ …

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

A4. Every Thursday our admin team sends a weekly enewsletter with faculty Shout Outs! Once a year for teacher appreciation week, we even ask students to submit their own shout outs to teachers who are making an impact in the classroom. Great way to spotlight great work! #satchat

George Couros‏Verified account @gcouros

It’s Friday GIF Day 🙂 You get an email from your admin that just says, “Come see me at the end of the day.”. In GIF form, share how you are feeling. Go!

Secondary Principals‏ @massp

Would your students benefit from an hour lunch break with built in time to make up assignments & get extra help? Learn about one school’s “half time” program: http://sbne.ws/r/BXYa

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

A3. We’ve rolled out the @oconnellhs “igKnight Academy” – a radical self-guided approach to PD where teachers pursue their passion projects and earn “course” credit for asynchronous learning. Now sleepy PD meetings become collaboration days! Details: https://edrenalinerush.com/resources/igknight-academy/ …

Ditch That Textbook‏ @DitchThatTxtbk

50+ awesome end-of-year ideas, activities and projects Brilliant ideas curated from last night’s #Ditchbook chat https://wp.me/p3bT67-2wo  via @jmattmiller

Eric Curts‏ @ericcurts

Google Tools for English Language Learners https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2018/08/google-ell.html … #GSuiteEDU #edtech

Kayla Weidert‏ @MrsWeidert

Alright twitter, do your magic… our 7th grade geo class needs your help. We are collecting data from around the US about words that are prounced [sic]  differently by region. Please consider filling out this survey! Our goal is 1000 responses! RETWEET away! https://t.co/uy6kTcyrO5  

Karalee Nakatsuka 🐸‏ @historyfrog

John Brown is getting a lot of support for his Raid on Harper’s Ferry. My Ss did a great job creating historical Go Fund Me campaigns. @historysandoval @lantonha @FirstAveMS Happy #FrogtasticFriday

Lee Araoz‏ @LeeAraoz

Genius Hour projects are an awesome way to end the school year with passion-based, student-directed learning!! #satchat My updated collection of Genius Hour resources is here:

https://www.smore.com/8u0qp

Edgar Allan Foe‏ @blacksmoke1033 Apr 18

This cretin has been dropping sticks down our chimney for weeks and today he finally accidentally dropped himself, this is the face of someone who knows they’ve been HAD

Let’s jump right in! How can we build a culture of readers in our classrooms and/or at home? #pd4uandme

Teresa Gross 📝📚‏ @teresagross625

Our librarian does flipgrid videos and then puts them in the stacks as QR codes. The Ss fill out a form, record and submit to her. @PMMSLibrary #pd4uandme

John Faig‏ @johnfaig

John Faig Retweeted Simon Kuestenmacher

Thanks. Where were you when I needed this in the 6th grade (40 years ago).

John Faig added,

Simon Kuestenmacher @simongerman600

The Mercator projection distorts size of countries on a map. This animation compares the real area of countries with the distorted view in Mercator projections. Source: https://buff.ly/2Gx4ydJ

0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes

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

Strategies:

Is Your School Schedule Flexible?  AMLE and Elliot Merenbloom

Early leaders of the middle school concept established the goal of flexible organizational structures. But what is flexibility? The answer might include

• The utilization of opportunities to make change
• The absence of rigidity
• An openness to various ways of implementing decisions, programs, or policies
• Recognition of the unique needs of individuals

http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/1018/Is-Your-School-Schedule-Flexible.aspx

Resources:

GREAT – & I MEAN GREAT! – COLLECTION OF SCIENCE EXPERIMENT YOUTUBE CHANNELS

Great – & I Mean Great! – Collection Of Science Experiment YouTube Channels

TEACHING OUR KIDS ABOUT THE NECESSARY WORK TO HAVE AN OPINION

“I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that

I don’t know the other side’s argument better than they do.”

— Charlie Munger

Teaching Our Kids About The Necessary Work To Have An Opinion

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pomological Watercolor Collection

The USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection documents fruit and nut varieties developed by growers or introduced by USDA plant explorers around the turn of the 20th century. Technically accurate paintings were used to create lithographs illustrating USDA bulletins, yearbooks, and other series distributed to growers and gardeners across America.

https://usdawatercolors.nal.usda.gov/pom/home.xhtml#annotations:yIc1xFu_Eemvhns7HcPOOg

Museum of Endangered Sounds

http://savethesounds.info/

Web Spotlight:

Crowd

Be a virtual volunteer!

Anyone can contribute. Improve access to history by transcribing, reviewing, and tagging Library of Congress documents.

https://crowd.loc.gov/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

Science Humor

• Two satellite antennas got married. The ceremony was only so-so, but the reception was fantastic.

• I thought about cutting my sodium intake, but then I was like, “Na.”

• Parallel lines have so much in common, it’s a shame they’ll never meet.

Did you hear about the Dad who taught his daughter the definition of “bargain”?

• She said, “Thanks, Dad, that means a great deal”.

Did you hear about the guy who was looking at Tuxedo’s? He was irritated that the salesman kept hanging around and asked him to leave. The salesman’s response?

• Fine, suit yourself

Seems every morning someone is putting a bunch of celery on my porch.

• I think I’m being stalked.

What do you call friends that you like to eat with?

• Tastebuds

Middle School Science Minute  

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

I was recently reading the February, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read the “Member Spotlight” section where NSTA highlights a middle school science teacher, from across the United States. This month, Michelle Stagnitta is featured. She is a middle school General Science and Living Environment teacher in New York. Her advice for a new science teacher is:

“Use inquiry whenever possible to get your students thinking.”

“The dihydrogen monoxide parody involves calling water by the unfamiliar chemical name “dihydrogen monoxide” (DHMO), or “hydroxylic acid” in some cases, and listing some of water’s well-known effects in a particularly alarming manner, such as accelerating corrosion and causing suffocation. The parody often calls for dihydrogen monoxide to be banned, regulated, or labeled as dangerous. It illustrates how a lack of scientific literacy and an exaggerated analysis can lead to misplaced fears.”

From the Twitterverse:  

John Spencer‏ @spencerideas

My daughter created a sketch-note writing prompt. She’ll be adding music tomorrow. She wrote it, recorded it, edited it, and then decided to scrap it when she didn’t like her voice. Then, she said today, let me record again, and she’ll be posting it.

Richard Byrne‏ @rmbyrne

One of my new hobbies is unfollowing ed tech “influencers” who are clearly only influenced by the companies who pay them. Doing that has tremendously lowered my blood pressure.

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

Slideshows 101: 1. SEVEN words. Max. 2. With kids: Take the age of the youngest person in the room. Double it. That’s the smallest font you’re allowed. 3. With adults: Take the age of the oldest person in the room. Divide it in half. That’s the smallest font you’re allowed.

Maire Cervenak‏ @MaireCervenak

Standardized tests were not created to understand kids, they were created to segregate them.

Gary G. Abud, Jr.‏ @MR_ABUD

Get a head start on your summer reading list this weekend at @BookstockMI. The largest event of its kind pays it forward by making great used books available at great deals, and for a great cause! #michED #AD #Detroit Spread the word!

WeAreTeachers‏ @WeAreTeachers

Use plastic eggs for classroom curriculum! Check out these curriculum ideas using Easter eggs. Plus more ideas here —-> https://bit.ly/2WwVpHi  #ClassroomHack #Upcycling #HandsOnLearning

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC‏ @Pfagell

To kick off a positive cycle, urge teen girls to replace selfies & party pics w/ shout-outs for friends who’ve reached personal goals. Girls want to reciprocate kind gestures, & they learn that loyalty & tenacity matter more than popularity or appearance.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/on-parenting/7-ways-parents-can-teach-girls-to-build-each-other-up-instead-of-tearing-each-other-down/2018/10/29/92550976-c016-11e8-9005-5104e9616c21_story.html?utm_term=.731d3cee440c  

Larry Ferlazzo‏Verified account @Larryferlazzo

Class Invention Project – Including Handout & Examples https://t.co/lVJnI5xb3b  

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

Strategies:

The Science of Drawing and Memory

https://www.edutopia.org/article/science-drawing-and-memory#annotations:1YExlFelEemuMPfneGojSw

Don’t Let Questioning Be Like a Ping Pong Game

https://www.middleweb.com/40018/dont-let-questioning-be-like-a-ping-pong-game/

Resources:

Sans Forgetica

Sans Forgetica is a font designed using the principles of cognitive psychology to help you to better remember your study notes.

It was created by a multidisciplinary team of designers and behavioural scientists from RMIT University.

Sans Forgetica is compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems. Download it for free today, or keep scrolling to learn more about how it was made.

http://sansforgetica.rmit/

Writing A Better Multiple-Choice Question: What Does Research Indicate?

https://theeffortfuleducator.com/2018/09/26/wabmcq/#annotations:maHPMFQXEemv9itslo5ggg

Fold 3:  Civil War Records Free Until April 15th

http://fnote.it/6wzm

Web Spotlight:

Vox Article:  The Dunning-Krueger Effect

There are some interesting quotes to take away from the article and use in class.  A meme generator would be good here. “When arguing with a fool, first make sure the other person isn’t doing the same thing.”  

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/11/18/16670576/dunning-kruger-effect-video?fbclid=IwAR2bJoqcAwxZblRwatoCwVMCkR9NkCcNyO1_na5mfS0WPaTALiykdPxrE7Q

This Program Preps Middle Schoolers for Top-Notch High Schools

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/04/04/this-program-preps-middle-schoolers-for-top-notch.html#annotations:NxfRBlemEemebhdf-ZuWyQ

Launch Michigan

https://launchmichigan.org/press-release-nearly-17000-educators-share-perspectives-in-launch-michigan-statewide-survey/#annotations:KZ1w-FemEemC9Idow2h93g

7 Future Driven Questions to Discuss With Your Team

http://www.davidgeurin.com/2019/04/7-future-driven-questions-to-discuss.html

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

Advisory:

Fancy Shoe Tying

http://digg.com/2019/fancy-shoe-lacing

I've been doing it wrong all my life…. pic.twitter.com/gB5J8N76oN

— Kitt Bob (@bob_kitt) March 17, 2019

Middle School Science Minute  

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

CLIMATE CHANGE PRACTICES

I was recently reading the February, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the article, “Sound Practices in Climate Change Education” written by Peggy M. McNeal and Heather L. Petcovic.  In the article, they identified three broad themes that showcase sound practices in climate change education. They include:

1.  Connecting students with local climate change impacts.

2.  Encouraging students to collect, analyze, and draw conclusions from their own data.

3.  Fostering relationships between climate scientists, teachers, and students.

HTTP://K12SCIENCE.NET/PODCAST/PODCAST/ENTRIES/2019/3/21_MIDDLE_SCHOOL_SCIENCE_MINUTE__CLIMATE_CHANGE_PRACTICES.HTML

From the Twitterverse:  

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

THANK YOU to everyone who’s helped make the #EDrenaline Rush #EggDashChallenge a hit in classrooms around the world! In just one week: 70K+ views! Games in 20 states and 4 countries! Thousands of RTs, likes & shares! Come join the fun! https://edrenalinerush.com/resources/eggdashchallenge/ …

NJAMLE‏ @NJAMLE

NJAMLE Retweeted NJAMLE

Join as an individual or as an entire school. We are #bettertogether. @tinamonte @4theMiddle @sanwoz @JenFitzMath @LynnThompsonELA @C_Requa @StephJWhite14 @kaity_haley @DrFrankRud @MrCorleyMath @JohnFritzky @kedwards51 @JohnFritzky @breicher @BRMSPRINCIPAL @historycomics

Kevin Honeycutt ‏ @kevinhoneycutt

Project this template on the wall at whatever size kids like and let them cut out, adjust, redesign and assemble their own helicopters! Add lights, circuits, apps and other STEAM/TEM elements to let creative learning take flight! #cardboardrules

Kevin Honeycutt ‏ @kevinhoneycutt

Project the template on the wall, trace it and cut it out with kids and let them make their own copy of Amelia’s plane! #paperhistory

John Meehan‏ @MeehanEDU

Have a class of students who can’t get enough @FortniteGame? I made a thing! Turn any close reading (poetry, numbers, historical documents, etc.) into a squad vs squad BATTLE ROYALE! #Fortnite Open source templates here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pVsv4S500RDkYUoYlh7LCRTiHEbLi5FxAXSELfbmDgU …

Melissa Majeski‏ @m0majeski

This strategy encourages students to work together and share thinking. #berkleydifference #iteachmath #kagan #middleschool

Ditch That Textbook‏ @DitchThatTxtbk

Sketchnoting in the classroom: 12 ways to get started Online tutorials @YouTube Channels #HyperDocs Book recommendations #Sketch50 Challenge and more! https://wp.me/p3bT67-2si  via @jmattmiller

Screencastify 🎬‏ @Screencastify

Want to know who watched your Screencast? “Take attendance” with Screencastify and Google forms. Upload your video into a form and require a name submission. Then – easily download all names on one spreadsheet from the responses tab #edtech @GoogleForEdu

MindShift‏ @MindShiftKQED

Parents can relate to their #teens with simple personal disclosures that remind kids that even if technology is different, human emotions are the same. #Parents can bond with their kids by focusing on these similarities @dr_fraga http://owl.li/97mS30odrHK  #edchat #parenting

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

Resources:

Mr. N365

Reading prompts and questions – just like standardized tests.

https://www.mrnussbaum.com/readingpassageindex/#annotations:xmhcglI8Eem0hLONab-hkA

100 Writing Prompts

Get a Free PowerPoint with 100 Writing Prompts for Middle School

ReWordify

“I created this site to help more people understand more of what they read.

For ten years, I’ve been teaching English to people who need to work very hard to understand what they read.

My students are interesting, perceptive people who understand (for example) what pollution is, but they don’t understand what chronic, pervasive atmospheric toxicity means.”

I’m a public school teacher, and I pay for this site’s operation out of my own pocket. (Note: it’s not cheap.) Please help me out by using it only for your own personal use or for that of your students.

• Neil M. Goldman

https://rewordify.com/index.php#annotations:RC7C-k_CEemF8qspbu6TXQ

Web Spotlight:

One minute on the Internet

Re

https://infographic.statista.com/normal/chartoftheday_17518_internet_use_one_minute_n.jpg

https://www.statista.com/chart/17518/internet-use-one-minute/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

What do you call it when you take a picture of your favorite bookcase?

• A shelf-ie!”

What do you get when you throw a bunch of books into the ocean?

• A Title Wave

Why did the man take his clock to the vet?

• It has ticks.

Which vegetable should you never take on a boat?

• A leek

Which is faster heat or cold?

• Heat – you can catch a cold.

Passes:

4 Word Challenge

1.  “Time to head back!”

2.  “One student is missing.”

3. Van Gogh is missing.

Advisory:

Reverse Poems

https://www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/reverse-poems/#annotations:tenEzD-uEemkpPsQkgEpGw

Middle School Science Minute  

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

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE: OUTSTANDING SCIENCE TRADE BOOKS 2019 – PART ONE

HTTP://K12SCIENCE.NET/PODCAST/PODCAST/ENTRIES/2019/3/3_MIDDLE_SCHOOL_SCIENCE_MINUTE__OUTSTANDING_SCIENCE_TRADEBOOKS_2019_-_PART_ONE.HTML

This is the first of a two part podcast series fostered by reading the February, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the article on the “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: 2019.  In this podcast, I feature Physical Science three science books:

1.  Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree

2.  Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation

3.  Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species

From the Twitterverse:  

Russel Tarr‏ @russeltarr

As a teacher, I once loved Twitter as a source of sharing ideas and inspiration. Does anyone else feel it’s now more of a soapbox for tiresome virtue signalling?

NJAMLE‏ @NJAMLE

Six More Days Until #NJAMLE19 @KeanUniversity! After @4theMiddle Welcomes Everyone, It’s Time to Get Fired Up with @DrFrankRud who will be #beyondepic. You don’t want to miss the passion and wisdom that the Good Doctor has to share. He even has Gold Shoes for this Gold Medal Day.

Russel Tarr‏ @russeltarr

My lesson starters sorted for next week…

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC‏ @Pfagell

Second grader: “What do you DO when you’re not at school with all of us?” Me: “What do you think I do?” Second grader: “Probably sit somewhere REALLY quiet and eat Party Oreos.”

Richard Byrne‏ @rmbyrne

Two Good Ways to Create Choose Your Own Adventure Stories #creativewriting

https://t.co/xdsA3zfEmY

Bored Teachers‏ @Bored_Teachers

Every single day! (w/ @NicholasFerroni)

Benjamin K. Woodcock‏ @bnjmn_k_wdcck

NEW POST! March is here which means Book Bracket is starting soon! Check out my overview of this student choice activity! #MarchIsReadingMonth #MarchMadness #BookBracket https://benjaminkwoodcock.com/2019/03/09/book-bracket-an-overview/ …

Corinne Galligan‏ @cmgalligan

Interesting idea… How Pineapple Charts Revolutionize Professional Development https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/pineapple-charts/ … via @cultofpedagogy

https://t.co/k4Od4ZhlqM

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

Strategies:

Resources:

Jeopardy! Google Slides

Richard Byrne has a neat write up on using Google Slides to create a Jeopardy! game.  Check it out:

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2019/03/get-copy-of-my-jeopardy-gameboard.html

Web Spotlight:

Are Children More Creative?

Watch this with Sir Kenneth Robinson’s seminal TED Talk. Compare and contrast.

It’s Not All About You:  CBC Radio

Reader threatened to sue technology magazine for using what he thought was his image.  But it wasn’t . . .

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.5046925/man-angry-his-photo-was-used-to-prove-all-hipsters-look-alike-then-learns-it-wasn-t-him-1.5046933?fbclid=IwAR1JMv8F2R06fTDm-A3_ao12XEtlZyc5feZra-VmLQsXIowxtmuZ7YPPzSE

Random Thoughts . . .  

Top 15 and Top 5 Podcast on iTunes.

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Jokes You Can Use:  

“Daddy, did you know that girls are smarter than boys?”

“No, I didn’t know that.”

“There you go.”

******

“The ditch-digger didn’t just quit, he yelled, ‘Take this job and shovel it!’”

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Budburst

I was recently reading the February, 2019 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” section, written by Jill Nugent.  The title of the article was “Plant Phenology for Budding Biologists: Study Seasons of Change with Budburst.”  In this article, we learn about the citizen science project – Budburst. Budburst is a national phenology citizen science project that launched in 2007 and is currently based at the Chicago Botanic Garden.  To learn more about this project, visit:

http://budburst.org

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2019/2/28_Middle_School_Science_Minute__Budburst.html

From the Twitterverse:  

Jill Gerweck‏ @jillgerweck

Logged some professional development hours this afternoon diving into @studysync’s Teaching Labs! So nice to have relevant, applicable PD from the comfort of my classroom! #DigitalLearning #ProfessionalDevelopment #PowerUpMMS

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC‏ @Pfagell

11-year-old boy during carpool: “We played Sharks & Minnows in PE, but Daniel wouldn’t tag a single minnow!” Me: “Why? Isn’t that the whole point of the game?” Boy: “Yes, but Daniel says he’s a pacifish.”

Alice Keeler‏ @alicekeeler

Tip: the @nytimes has a weekly “what is going on in this graph” that removes the headline and article so students can just wonder and analyze. It’s wonderful. #wsmi

https://www.nytimes.com/column/whats-going-on-in-this-graph

WeAreTeachers‏ @WeAreTeachers

Someone freed the lion. Okay, now you go.

Donnie Piercey‏ @mrpiercEy

Want to know how your students can create their own Google Expeditions in about 10 minutes? I made a bunch of quick video tutorials to help: Site: https://sites.google.com/view/mrpiercey-resources/geo/tour-creator … Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLvbESajcYXWcZWUKwKG1x6sdlSda8PWC … Tour Creator: https://vr.google.com/tourcreator/  #EdTechTeam #KyGoDigital #EdTech

Screencastify 🎬‏ @Screencastify

Today is HUGE!!We officially have over 10 MILLION users! Thanks for all that you have done to #sharescreencastify. To celebrate, we thought we’d offer 10% off today but ya’ll are too awesome for that – we’re doubling it. Enjoy 20% off an upgrade all day with code “10MILL”

Jennifer Gonzalez‏ @cultofpedagogy

The Cure for Bad PowerPoint: A Review of Presentation Zen @presentationzen http://ow.ly/Sdim30nOS7M  #edtechchat #teaching #profdev #deeperlearning #edtech

Rich Czyz‏ @RACzyz

A3: Here are some alternatives to HW https://fouroclockfaculty.com/2018/08/5-alternatives-to-homework/ … #4OCF #satchat

Mandy Froehlich‏ @froehlichm Feb 28

A1 At the risk of shameless self-promotion, this is what I have created the Hierarchy of Needs for Innovation and Divergent Thinking for. This kind of support has little to do with technology and more to do with creating brainspace. #createedu

Ditch That Textbook‏ @DitchThatTxtbk

Although it may not be possible to actually add hours to our day, we can utilize the resources available to us to spark our imagination and give us ideas for lessons we can use right away….

https://t.co/RdOX64rasQ

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

Strategies:

Use Digital Notebooks to Facilitate Book Clubs and Literature Circles at the Secondary Level

Different books appeal to different readers. Many students do not become readers until they encounter “the book.”

One challenge teachers face when students are reading different texts simultaneously is how to cover the standards if every student is reading a different book. While coaching a teacher in Palm Springs, I developed a digital notebook using Google Slides that teachers can use to facilitate a book club or literature circle unit.

https://catlintucker.com/2019/02/book-clubs-and-literature-circles/#annotations:DNrywDh-EemI3Iv9jLTJfQ

Why It’s Crucial — And Really Hard — To Talk About More Equitable Grading

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52679/why-its-crucial-and-really-hard-to-talk-about-more-equitable-grading#annotations:B7ka7Dh5Eemcl_tsOSLHtw

What’s the best way to teach math?

A boy in Lafayette, Indiana, recently thought his struggle with math was an emergency. He called 911 and told the operator he’d had a bad day at school and had tons of homework.

https://whyy.org/segments/whats-the-best-way-to-teach-math/#annotations:wlNwbjhqEemcr_ObEQVGjg

Resources:

Harry Potter

The exhibition was split into rooms that reflected the subjects taught at Hogwarts, like Potions, Divination and Defence Against the Dark Arts, which echo the stories the British Library have shared on our platform through a series of fascinating online exhibits.

https://artsandculture.google.com/project/harry-potter-a-history-of-magic

Read.Inquire.Write

Welcome to Read.Inquire.Write.! Our free, downloadable curriculum creates a process to support middle school students’ argument writing through reading of sources and analysis of complex social and historical problems. Across investigations, students write increasingly complex forms of argument – from interpretations to critiques to counterarguments – with support from disciplinary literacy tools. Use our investigations and disciplinary literacy tools to support your students in the reading, thinking, and writing process, adapting the investigations to meet the particular needs of students in your classroom. Or, use our literacy tools and Library of Congress sources to structure your own investigations of social studies topics you teach.

http://readinquirewrite.umich.edu/

National Online Safety

At National Online Safety, it is our mission to make the internet a safer place for children. We will achieve this through equipping school staff, parents and children with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers and how best to react should an incident arise.

https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/#annotations:bALngDxmEemzjjtag-x75g

Web Spotlight:

Portmanteau & Rhyme Generator

https://www.punchlinedesign.net/pun_generator

Pair Just-right Texts and Reading Strategies

https://www.middleweb.com/39693/pair-just-right-texts-and-reading-strategies/#annotations:_Sbp9jh4Eem5ZqdmCHhjYQ

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!