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May 1, 2021

MSM 506: We’re All for JMJ on iTunes and everywhere, Games, Games, Games

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Troy and Shawn talk about remote learning moving forward, gamification and more. Dave discusses the importance of curiosity, persistence, and perseverance.

Jokes:  



I’m having a hard time getting rid of old magazines. 

  • I’ve got issues. 

I told my 2 year old to pick out a bedtime story. She chose a seed catalog. 

  • Lettuce get started. 

My wife is still mad at me. Seems I put super glue on her pen yesterday. She just can’t seem to let it go. 




Eileen Award:  

  • iTunes: AllforJMJ

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Technology and Scientific Habits of Mind

I was recently reading the March/April 2021 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the section “Editor’s Corner” written by Ann Haley Mackenzie.  Ann wrote an article entitled “Technology and Scientific Habits of Mind.”

The focus of her article was on the importance of curiosity, persistence, and perseverance.  If we are too busy covering the content instead of providing a place for uncovering the science content with the students, then many chances for curiosity, persistence, and perseverance are lost.  

Reports from the Front Lines

  • The push to the end of the year . . . 
  • How do you build/develop a course in an LMS?
  • Do you share? 
  • What do we focus on moving forward?
  • Tone setting when kids come back

The Twitterverse  

Michelle Wagner @wagnerlearning

Wayne RESA continues to create short snippets of learning for educators. Perfect for your weekly staff email/newsletter. #WayneLiteracy #WRESA #PDminutes @GabrionLaura @HRottermond @strimbel1 @WayneRESAELA https://lln.resa.net/professional-learning/pd-minutes/

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

10 low-prep, high-return activities for class TOMORROW http://ditchthattextbook.com/2018/04/25/10-low-prep-high-return-activities-for-class-tomorrow/… #ditchbook

https://twitter.com/DitchThatTxtbk/status/1388311798768676866/photo/1

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

Strategies:  

How to Build a Resilient School Community, Phyllis Fagell, AMLE Mag. Oct. 2020.

  1. Establish the Mindset – How will they look at this situation?  
    1. Use family stories of how they overcame a situation, resource materials for class that show how people have overcome adversity in the past.
  2. Set up a culture of confidence and competence:  
    1. Create some parenting supports.  
      1. Establish what a learning situation at home looks like.  What teacher skills are useful for a parent in this situation?  Parents won’t be evaluated as teachers, different skill sets.  
    2. Provide supports for the teaching staff. 
    3. Play to student strengths and provide flexible assessments with choice boards that let students have choice in how they show mastery.  
    4. Feedback ratio:  6 positive to 1 negative.  
  3. Emotions spread across a social network – Set the tone!  

https://www.amle.org/download/april-2020-duplicate-1/?version=full

Resources:

AMLE Resource Center

Announcing the new AMLE Resource Center. Search for resources and products across 30 categories, each with short, informative descriptors to help you quickly determine what might meet your school’s requirements. The Resource Center will be regularly updated, so you can check back frequently for the latest listings.

https://my.amle.org/Resources/Resource-Center

Axis – The Culture Translator

From Snapchat to SCOTUS

What it is: On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Levy (a former high school cheerleader) vs. the State of Pennsylvania.

Why it will set a standard: Freshman Brandi Levy was furious when she discovered, four years ago, that she wasn’t going to advance to the varsity squad. So she did what many teens her age might do; she posted an expletive-filled rant to her private Snapchat account, which she anticipated would disappear after 24 hours. Instead, a screenshot of her post was shared with one of the cheer coaches, and Levy was kicked out of the program completely. A federal court ruled that Levy’s speech took place off-campus, making it within her rights to post whatever she wanted. But social media has changed the way that many people define a “place,” and the school argues that it’s hard to pin down where “campus” ends and private life begins. Current free speech protections for students are mostly based on a SCOTUS hearing on students’ rights to protest the Vietnam War, a ruling that came down in 1969. The SCOTUS verdict, expected in June, will likely set a landmark precedent for students’ free speech rights on social media.

Slang of the Week

issa vibe: when all the details of a situation come together to provoke one sensory feeling or experience. (Ex: “Ice cream, flip flops, my favorite tank top, the smell of the lake and an old beach blanket. Issa vibe.”)  

Web Spotlight:  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

https://middleschoolmatters.com/podcasts/MSM-506_ALLFORJMJ.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

April 24, 2021

MSM 505: Same Pig, Different Lipstick?

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss teaching with Tech Tools. Should you change them frequently? Dave has a Cultural Responsive Middle School Science Minute. 

Jokes:  

Why does Waldo always wear stripes?

  • He doesn’t want to be spotted

Which coffee place should you never play basketball against? 

  • Dukin Donuts

What is an unemployed jester?

  • Nobody’s fool

You know a wedding is an emotional day. Even the cake is in tiers.


What do you call an alligator in a vest? 

  • An investigator

The Black Eyed Peas can sing us a tune, but the chick peas can only hummus one. 


According to a recent survey, 9 out of 10 people who are afraid of hurdles never get over it. 


What is it called if you are afraid of giants? 

  • Feefiphobia

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Culturally Responsive Teaching

I was recently reading the March/April 2021 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Note” section, written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.  Elizabeth wrote an article entitled, “Culturally Responsive Teaching.”

At the heart of Culturally Responsive and Relevant Teaching is a willingness to listen, reflect, and celebrate the richness that cultural and linguistic diversity has to offer.  

AMLE.org reference:  https://www.amle.org/12-questions-to-ask-when-designing-culturally-and-historically-responsive-curriculum/  

Reports from the Front Lines

  • The push to the end of the year . . . 
  • Tool Talk
  • Learning Loss
  • Summer Plans
  • MiVU – Research – Key Strategies for Engaging Students in Remote Virtual Learning Opportunities.  

The Twitterverse  

Lydia Jennings, Ph.D.  @1NativeSoilNerd

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was informed by the Blackfeet Nation— and he mixed it up, because he didn’t know how to make it fit within America’s individualized culture.

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

Larry Ferlazzo @Larryferlazzo

The Best Places To Get Accessible History Texts For ELLs

https://t.co/yBe0etKEYr?amp=1

Will Richardson-BIG Questions Institute  @willrich45

A contractual obligation to hand in lesson plans a week in advance? Wow. That’s an interesting story about trust and power and respect, huh? #justaskin

NJAMLE  @NJAMLE

The Hunger for Learning remains a constant for Middle Level Educators in May & we @NJAMLE have just the recipe. Mrs. Kristyn Corace from @DoverMiddleNJ presents “Helping Learners with Disabilities during Remote Learning” Join us 5/12 at 4:00pm EST for this free virtual workshop!

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

Strategies:  

50 English Activities – 5 Minute learning Moments.

The pack contains fifty fun activities that will get your students thinking, talking and collaborating while they learn. Some of them are real classics used by teachers for many years, while others are new ideas sure to inspire your students.  

Fifty Bright Ideas – Card Pack

Video Annotation

Free service from the University of Minnesota. You can annotate videos and share those annotations. Allow your students to annotate as well. 

https://ant.umn.edu/

Pile of Words: Drive Deeper Engagement with Vocabulary at the Beginning of a Unit, Text, or Project

Step 1: Think about the unit, text, or project you are about to start and create a list of vocabulary words and key terms.

Step 2: Group students and give them time to discuss and define.

Step 3: Group the words into categories by shared characteristics and label each category.

Step 4: Ask students to make predictions about what they expect to learn based on the pile of words.

Step 5: As students progress through the unit, text, or project, ask them to revisit their predictions.

<a href=”https://catlintucker.com/2021/04/pile-of-words/#annotations:H2oscqCpEeuieVNcAxJjiQ” data-type=”URL” data-id=”https://catlintucker.com/2021/04/pile-of-words/#annotations:H2oscqCpEeuieVNcAxJjiQ”>https://catlintucker.com/2021/04/pile-of-words/#annotations:H2oscqCpEeuieVNcAxJjiQ</a>

Resources:

Axis:  The Culture Translator

Slang of the Week

lives in my head rent-free: refers to something you dwell on frequently, whether an experience, image, video, or person. (Ex: “I spent so much time learning the TikTok dance for “Savage,” now it’s going to live in my head rent-free forever.”)  

EASY AND QUICK PROMPTS TO HELP STUDENTS CONNECT TO YOUR CONTENT

Easy and Quick Prompts to help students connect to your content

Web Spotlight:  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

https://middleschoolmatters.com/podcasts/MSM-505_Pig_Lipstick.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

April 18, 2021

MSM 504: Underestimating the Plague

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss H5P, kids sneaking in, reopening schools and more. Dave books Middle School STEM. 

Jokes:  

“I read a history of sandpaper recently…The guy who invented it wasn’t sure how to go about it but he had a rough idea.”


“I found a spider in my shoes. He looks ridiculous; they’re way too big for him.”


“My favorite time on the clock is 6:30. Hands down.”


“Why do you never see pigs hiding in trees?


“When musicians perform onstage, the sound bounces around the room off of the walls. When a pigeon performs onstage, the sound does not bounce. 

  • Because a coo sticks.”

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Best STEM Trade Books for Middle School Students

The National Science Teaching Association in collaboration with the Children’s Book Council released the 2021 list of the Best STEM Trade Books for Students.  In this podcast we look at the 7 books recommended for students in grades 6 – 8.

  • All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team
  • Beastly Bionics: Rad Robots, Brilliant Biomimicry, and Incredible Inventions Inspired by Nature
  • Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM
  • Galileo! Galileo!
  • Machines That Think!: Big Ideas that Changed the World
  • Spaceman: The True Story of a Young Boy’s Journey to Becoming an Astronaut
  • Who Gives a Poop?: Surprising Science from One End to the Other

Reports from the Front Lines

  • The push to the end of the year . . . 
  • H5P Interactive Book Module – Love It!  
  • Falsobordone:  1350 – Music for a Plague  
  • Reopening Schools
    • Many are open
    • Air filtering (basic dust)
    • Temperature

Advisory:  

You Can Be a Different Person After the Pandemic

Our personalities are not set in stone. They are more like sand dunes.

Changing a trait requires acting in ways that embody that trait, rather than simply thinking about it. 

For example, in one study, putting more effort into homework led students to become more conscientious — a reversal of the popular notion that conscientious students put more effort into their homework. In another, people were able to become more extroverted or conscientious in four months just by listing the ways they’d like to change and what steps they would take to get there.

Here’s what a post-pandemic dispositional makeover might look like: Someone who was chronically late in the Before Times might work on being more conscientious, or timely. One way to show your friends how much you missed them is to start respecting their time.

Through painful isolation, this past year has, perversely, revealed the value of friendships and social ties. For those who want to renew connections that have atrophied, solidify friendships that have migrated to Zoom, or otherwise live differently, it’s very possible to do so. Remember that your personality is more like a sand dune than a stone.

The Twitterverse  

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC @Pfagell

Fair question.

Colby Sharp  @colbysharp

This school year is hard. I’m so tired. Overwhelmed. Everything feels so heavy.

Chad Livengood  @ChadLivengood

#Michiganian  https://twitter.com/i/status/1383216891645231104  

GIFQuote Tweet

Shailin Thomas  @shailinthomas

Michiganders imply the existence of a Michigoose.

Alice Keeler  @alicekeeler

Students Removing Files from Google Drive https://buff.ly/3dmyLLL via @YouTube

Mary Appleget  @teachtothebrain

Teachers Face Burnout More Than a Year Into Pandemic-Era Learning

https://t.co/d90d486zJ3?amp=1

Alice Keeler  @alicekeeler

Free Gamification Badge Game Template https://buff.ly/3dgQ1mR via @YouTube

https://twitter.com/alicekeeler/status/1383193531746029570/photo/1

Will Richardson-BIG Questions Institute  @willrich45

Apple’s upcoming mixed reality headset will reportedly weigh less than an iPhone

https://t.co/A0M9iocNDt?amp=1

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

Strategies:  

I Didn’t Allow Hand-Raising In My Class. Here’s Why.

https://www.weareteachers.com/student-discussions/#annotations:QeSQvJ1SEeu4l_dpA8JPaw

Resources:

 H5P Free Online Teaching Resources

www.H5P.org  

Top 50 Websites

The 50 Most Visited Websites in the World

Use Text Sets to Benefit Bilingual Students

Use Text Sets to Benefit Bilingual Students

Web Spotlight:  

AMLE Call for Presentations

Call for Presentations

AXIS – The Culture Translator

Slang of the Week

salty: feeling angry, agitated, upset, or annoyed. (Ex: “I tried to tell her I had to be home by my curfew and couldn’t drive her home, but she got real salty about it.”) 

John Hattie: We need to get better at learning transfer

“Surely, the purpose of teaching a child something is so that they can transfer it to another circumstance?” “Over the last 200 years, it’s kind of been our dirty secret: we know it’s important, but it’s hard to find evidence on how to teach it,” he says. 

Three phases of learning – surface learning, deep learning and transfer of learning – all require a different approach, he says.

Hattie believes too much time is dedicated to the surface-level learning, while the process of acquiring and consolidating deeper knowledge, and the transfer of this to other areas, has been neglected – evidence of which he has seen in a body of recent research. 

https://www.tes.com/news/john-hattie-we-need-get-better-learning-transfer#annotations:EC9NhpuHEeuIRxO7IvQ4mQ

MountainMoot 2021

My favorite conference. 

http://mountainmoot.com/ 

Random Thoughts . . .  

H. Resolution 222:  Supporting National Middle School Month

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-resolution/222?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Education%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=38

Polycam

https://poly.cam/

Personal Website   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

https://middleschoolmatters.com/podcasts/MSM-504_Plague.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

April 10, 2021

MSM 503: Two is plural; Just Between You, Me, and Every Listener

Troy / Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy share the importance of family, discuss less work, more focus, types of noise, and Gallery walk ideas. Dave drops some citizen science (and a bit of a red herring).

Jokes:  

I was singing Monkees songs the other day. My friend said that she’d had enough. I wasn’t sure. 

  • Then I say her face. 
  • Now, I’m a Believer

If a piano falls you, your head would B-flat


We’re house hunting right now. In one house, I looked up and told my wife “that’s a pretty good ceiling. It’s not the best, but it’s up there”. 


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


The average person is really mean. 


Why did the illiterate witch get kicked out of the coven? 

  • She couldn’t spell

Where did the college aged vampire like to shop?

  • Forever 21

I tried to come up with a joke about social distancing, but this is as close as I could get. 


I don’t know why Marvel hasn’t put advertisements on the hulk. He is essentially a giant banner. 


Accidentally played Dad instead of dead when I encountered a bear. Now it can ride a bike without training wheels. 

Eileen Award:  

  • Twitter:  Todd Bloch  

Middle School Science Minute  

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

River Herring: A Citizen Science Project

I was recently reading the March/April 2021 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.  Jill wrote an article entitled “The Return of the River Herring.”

The Mystic River Herring Education Project is an online citizen science project with a user-friendly website full of information and resources.  To engage in the citizen science project, students will visit the project home page and watch short video clips of migrating river herring.  They will count the number of river herring that they observe swimming from right to left on the screen.  To learn more, visit:

https://www.mysticherring.org

Reports from the Front Lines

  • The push to the end of the year . . . 
  • Training vs Education
  • Concepts vs Buttons
  • OBSBot Review
  • Podcasts 
    • Over 26% only have 1 episode
    • 44% have 3 or fewer
  • Qlone

Advisory:  

‘So Deep And So Rich’: Seniors Stay Connected Via Their New Life On Zoom

While many of us are suffering from “Zoom fatigue,” I found these women were invigorated by the virtual platform, and just as committed as ever to their meeting every week to discuss their writing.

https://www.npr.org/2021/04/04/983895036/so-deep-and-so-rich-seniors-talk-about-their-new-life-on-zoom

The Twitterverse  

Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

  1. Those who think kids can’t write a full essay haven’t seen the subject lines of emails they send to their teachers.
  2. Sometimes the most effective therapy a teacher gets is the discussion one has with their colleague going to and from their car in the parking lot.  
  3. We need to stop pushing college on every single student. There are good paying jobs that do not require a college education. Somebody, after all, needs to run your inservices.

Shane  @theedpodcast

Be honest: when was the last time you updated your teacher blog?

𝓓𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓢𝓬𝓱𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓾 𝓔𝓭.𝓓.  @daveschmittou

Today, instead of just hitting retweet on a good idea, go to your calendar and put some action on your schedule to put the idea into practice.

Kim Campbell  @KimCamp4Kids

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”  Eileen Award for Todd Bloch’s recommendation on Twitter.  

Strategies:  

25 sites for students with free time on their hands

When students are done with an assignment or project, how can they spend extra time wisely? These sites give them something academic to chew on.

The Wakelet

*I find this completely overwhelming. 

13 Effective Study Strategies to Help Students Learn

Between kindergarten and twelfth grade, students are expected to learn how to study, schedule their time and complete sizable assignments without procrastinating. Yet these skills often aren’t taught explicitly. With the increased self-sufficiency necessitated by virtual education, educators and parents can help students learn and manage their goals more effectively by directly teaching study skills.

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57644/13-effective-study-strategies-to-help-students-learn#annotations:yhksTpYUEeuOqqcU9dphIQ

Resources:

The Louvre

The Collections database consists of entries for more than 480,000 works in the Musée du Louvre and Musée National Eugène-Delacroix. Updated on a daily basis, it is the result of the continuous research and documentation efforts carried out by teams of experts from both museums.

https://collections.louvre.fr/en/#annotations:LPfBBpPtEeuPL-csC-6M3w

Anagrammaker

Anagram Maker is designed to create anagrams by swapping letters in a name, word or phrase, resulting in new words. The generator uses all original letters.

https://anagrammaker.com/#annotations:DVCmYpPIEeuSM29rAVD6EA

Fake Airplane Tickets

http://omatic.musicairport.com/ 

Rules of Sports

Decimal Blocks

Free and paid versions. Very visual representation of blocks. Could be useful to demonstrate or have kids demonstrate (screen capture). 

https://www.mathspad.co.uk/i2/teach.php?id=decimalBlocksTool

Web Spotlight:  

Cartoons

https://mapologies.wordpress.com/2021/03/21/cartoons/

The Culture Translator:  Slang of the Week

edgelord: a person who makes extremely dark or exaggerated statements on social media in order to get attention, be controversial, or be seen as “edgy.” (Ex: “That used to be my favorite online forum, until the edgelords took it over and started posting Joker memes.”)  

milkshake duck: someone who goes viral for something charming and funny, only to be revealed later as offensive or problematic. (Ex: I thought that meme about the stuck shipping container in the Suez Canal was funny, but then I found out the person who tweeted about it boils frogs to death for fun. Total milkshake duck.)  

redpilled: having become “enlightened” (or at least thinking you have become enlightened) about how the world really works, as Neo famously did in The Matrix movies. (Ex: “I used to think social media was just helping us connect with others… then I got redpilled.”)  

Gen Z is planning a Post Panny Party!  Use that one at the next teacher’s meeting . . . 

Regions of the US

Regions of the United States

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

https://middleschoolmatters.com/podcasts/MSM-503_Two.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

April 3, 2021

MSM 502: Expectations, Bad Influence, Moneyball for Education, “You What…”

Troy / Podcast /

Summary:

Ratholes are most of the show. We talk about conferences, teaching and technology, and more. Dave has some things that “bug” him career-wise.

Jokes:  




Why is everyone so tired at the beginning of April?

  • They just finished a 31 day March

I’ve been cleaning up. Going through books and such. A copy of “A Christmas Carol” fell on my toe. 

  • Man, it hurts likes the Dickens 

One friend got another friend a rat for a present. The rat had a tank top on. 

  • The first friend asked why it was wearing a tank top. Ah, it’s a Gym rat. “I hope he works out for you”. 

I finally did it!

  • I bought a new pair shoes with memory foam insoles. No more forgetting why I walked into the kitchen. 

I once a parrot a song. He has since forgotten the words. 

  • Now, he’s just a hummingbird

Where do Dad’s keep their jokes? 

  • In a Dad-a-base

How do you cut an ocean in half?

  • Use a sea saw.

I fell asleep last night while reading old magazines. 

  • I woke up this morning with back issues. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Careers in Entomology

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the section “Career of the Month” written by Luba Vangelova.  Luba wrote an article entitled “Entomologist Ary Faraji.”

Entomologists study insects and may work for educational or research institutions, government agencies, private industry, and consulting.  Ary Faraji works as an entomologist in a local government agency in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The mission of his agency is to reduce the annoyance levels posed by biting mosquitoes and to protect residents from pathogens mosquitoes can carry.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • The push to the end of the year . . . 
  • Practice Interviewing
  • Understanding of Technology
  • Testing…
  • Vaccines (and kids)
  • Virtual Tours
  • Extra Credit

Advisory:  

Teen Vogue

Future Predictions

Here’s How People From The Past Imagined The Future (20 Pics)

Resources:

Complete Knot List

Complete Knot List

Eyes on the Prize

Produced by Blackside, Eyes on the Prize tells the definitive story of the civil rights era from the point of view of the ordinary men and women whose extraordinary actions launched a movement that changed the fabric of American life, and embodied a struggle whose reverberations continue to be felt today. Winner of numerous Emmy Awards, a George Foster Peabody Award, an International Documentary Award, and a Television Critics Association Award, Eyes on the Prize is the most critically acclaimed documentary on civil rights in America.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/eyesontheprize/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

https://middleschoolmatters.com/podcasts/MSM-502_MoneyBall_for_Education.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

March 13, 2021

MSM 501: Door Prize, Field Trip, Paraphrasing, Interstitially.

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Summary:

Shawn and Troy share pandemic strategies, a site about paraphrasing, and more. Dave has some Field Trip information for a lifetime. 

Jokes:  



I didn’t understand using mechanical keyboards. I used one the other day, and suddenly

  • It clicked

I switched all the labels on our spices at home. I’m not in trouble yet, but

  • The thyme is cumin


I went to Spelling bee:

  • Announcer: Your word is “embarrassing”
  • Student: That’s OK you can say it.
  • Announcer: It’s really embarrassing
  • Student: I promise not to laugh

There were 3 sailors on a boat. They had 4 cigarettes, but nothing to light them with. How did they solve their issue?

  • Throw one of the cigarettes overboard. The boat then becomes a “cigarette lighter”.

You know the rule, i before e except after C. This has been disproved by science. 


I hired a handyman. I gave him a list of jobs. He only did 1, 3, and 5

  • Yep, he only does odd jobs. 


Middle School Science Minute  

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

Field Trips Last a Lifetime

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the section “Current Science Classroom” written by Chris Anderson.  Chris wrote an article entitled “Field Trips Last a Lifetime.”

Nothing can replace the authenticity and impact of an in-person field experience for kids, however, until the public health and school funding battles are won it’s up to us to get creative and bring the world to our students.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Roman Emperors – Pokemon Go    
  • Weighted Survey in Moodle
  • Who is doing the work?

Advisory:  

Rocking Chair Hat Knitter

Challenge: Combine two things into one useful thing. 

https://mashable.com/2018/03/27/rocking-knit/#annotations:561AmIKuEeu8mffpwXW9Ig

The Twitterverse  

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

Administrators: when school is fully back to normal, you better have one …. of a special pencil to give on Teacher Appreciation Day.

Bob Harrison  @R_O_Harrison

Engagement is higher when curriculum is a conversation.

Georgia Association for Middle Level Education  @GAMLEtoday

What advice would you offer your former self? #MLEM21AMLE #AMLE #gamle #mschat

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

Q3 Where would you guide a new teacher to go to get informal pd and to build their PLN? #Ditchbook

Bob Harrison  @R_O_Harrison

Didn’t know it had a name: The Carrot Principle. One of the 1000+ things that makes @Smhearty the great genuine leader he is. @Gwizzy, @kennibc, tech dept.: I’m sure you’d agree that we don’t have a greater advocate, guide, encourager, or cheerleader than Troy Patterson.  

Dr. Joanne Freeman  @jbf1755

I do wave at the end of Zoom calls. Someone (@TheTattooedProf?) named these end-of-Zoom-meetings waves “muppet waves”—and they will be that for me forever.

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

Resources:

National Virtual Teacher Association Resources

Resources

QuillBot

Paraphrasing tool

https://quillbot.com/

Web Spotlight:  

Female historians and male nurses do not exist, Google Translate tells its European users

If you were to read a story about male and female historians translated by Google, you might be forgiven for overlooking the females in the group. The phrase “vier Historikerinnen und Historiker” (four male and female historians) is rendered as “cuatro historiadores” (four male historians) in Spanish, with similar results in Italian, French and Polish. Female historians are simply removed from the text.

Female historians and male nurses do not exist, Google Translate tells its European users

Random Thoughts . . .  

ArchiTechs of Learning

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/architechs-of-learning/id1541761752

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

https://middleschoolmatters.com/podcasts/MSM-501_Interstitial.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

March 6, 2021

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

Troy / Podcast /

Overview:

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

Jokes:  

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

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

What does Unlockable mean?

  • It cannot be locked?
  • It can be unlocked

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

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

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


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

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

Did you follow directions last Thursday? 


I used to be afraid of speed bumps. 

  • I’m slowly getting over it.

My friends had a clam dinner without me. 

  • I told them they were shellfish




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

  • I’m now the CIEIO….

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

  • Looks like a Boa cons tricked her. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Instant Wild: A Citizen Science Project

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

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

https://instantwild.zsl.org

Reports from the Front Lines

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

Advisory:  

How Masayoshi Matsumoto creates his magic balloon artworks

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

The YouTube Channel:

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

TemplateMaker

Fold paper into a variety of useful shapes: 

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

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

The Twitterverse

Shawn McGirr @Frideswidel

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

Quote Tweet

Mark Ryan@RunEducator

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

𝓓𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓢𝓬𝓱𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓾 𝓔𝓭.𝓓.   @daveschmittou

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

Ryan Hazen @MisterHazen

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

GIFasdf

𝓓𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓢𝓬𝓱𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓾 𝓔𝓭.𝓓.   @daveschmittou

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

Jay McTighe @jaymctighe

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

Karen Bosch @karlyb

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

Katie Hurley @katiefhurley

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

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

Resources:

ISTE on YouTube

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

Project Gucciberg

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

https://projectgucciberg.mschfmag.com/

Web Spotlight:  

Folded Map Project

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

https://www.foldedmapproject.com/

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

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

The Culture Translator – Axis

The Original Problematic Fave

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

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

Slang of the Week

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

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

https://middleschoolmatters.com/podcasts/MSM-500_Swear.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

February 27, 2021

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

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Jokes:  

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

  • He complained that it tasted funny

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

  • It was a corn on the cobbler

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

  • Plagiarism

Did you hear about fish that are in schools? 

  • Sometimes they take debate

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

  • It was a whisk that he was willing to take

What do you get if you boil a funny bone?

  • Laughing stock

That’s humerus


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

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

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

  • It became a Soap Opera

Did you hear about the group of Baby Soldiers? 

  • They are the infantry

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

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

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

  • There was mass confusion



Middle School Science Minute  

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

What is Engineering?

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

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

Reports from the Front Lines

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

Advisory:  

How old is my sister?

The Twitterverse

 Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

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

Jenna @jennavd22

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

SCAssoc. for Middle @The_SCAMLE

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

 Jordan Shapiro @jordosh

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

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

EL Magazine  @ELmagazine

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

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

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

Strategies:  

Emoji Writing Prompts

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

Resources:

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

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

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

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

On Knowing

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

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

Slang of the Week

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

Same Energy

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

https://same.energy/

Web Spotlight:  

1000 Fails Lead to a Single Success

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

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

Random Thoughts . . .  

Legislative Update:  

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

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

https://middleschoolmatters.com/podcasts/MSM-499_Whistle.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

February 20, 2021

MSM 498: Pin and Click – You told on yourself

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Jokes:  




I wrote a book about poltergeists, 

  • It’s flying off the shelf

Did you know Yoda has a last name? 

  • Layheehoo

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

  • Lack toes intolerant.

Do they allow laughing in Hawaii? 

  • Or just a low ha? 

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


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


At first there were only 25 letters in the alphabet. 

  • Nobody knew why

Why do bees stay in their hives during winter? 

  • Swarm

Why did the cow get a ticket?

  • Moooo-ving violation

Eileen Award:  

  • iTunes:  AllforJMJ – Thanks for the rating!!

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute — Pinterest

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

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

http://k12science.net/pinterest/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • H5P in Instructional Design
    • H5p.org and lumi.education    
  • Does “Hybrid” mean the same as Distance learning, just that some do it in the same room and some do it . . . distance?  
  • Technological skills? Sound matters
  • Do we finally have a consistent, daily use for the Swivl?  

Advisory:  

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

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

The Twitterverse

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

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

Mike Roberts  @BaldRoberts

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

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp

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

Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

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

Mark Ryan  @RunEducator

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

Senator Dayna Polehanki  @SenPolehanki

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

Quote Tweet:  

Bridge Michigan  @BridgeMichigan

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

John R. Sowash  @jrsowash

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

Yesterday @GoogleForEdu announced more than 25 updates to #GoogleClassroom, #GoogleMeet, #GoogleDrive, and #Chromebooks.

Here's a quick summary of the most important updates.#LearnWithGoogle #TeacherTwitter pic.twitter.com/Z39byUwQl4

— John R. Sowash (@jrsowash) February 18, 2021

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

Strategies:  

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

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

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

Resources:

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

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

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

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

Web Spotlight:  

Wad-Ja-Get

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

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

WWII Museum

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

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

Speak Up About Racial Microaggressions in Schools

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

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

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

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

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

https://middleschoolmatters.com//podcasts/MSM-498_Pin.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

February 13, 2021

MSM 497: TikTok Pasta Dancing Down By the Bayeux

Troy / MSM, Podcast /

Jokes:  

Why do ice cream vendors make the best reporters?

  • They always get the scoop


My friend married a woman who installs internet connections. 

  • Definitely a Wifi can proud of.

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

  • You are Ranch dressing

What’s the opposite of Lady Fingers? 

  • Mentos

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

  • Luftwaffe



Middle School Science Minute  

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

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Middle School Students

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

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

Reports from the Front Lines

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

Advisory:  

Life Lessons from 100 Year

If my cake fails, I made pudding…

People give up too easily…

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

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

Free Bayeux App

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

Free Online App Lets You Create Your Own Bayeux Tapestry

The Twitterverse

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC  @Pfagell

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

Me: “Smizing?” 

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

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

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

Run And Rant PLN   @runandrant

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

Michigan.gov  @migov

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

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

Strategies:  

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

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

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

Resources:

How to Spot Fake News

How To Spot Fake News

100-Plus Mentor Texts for Documenting Your Life in 2020

First Book Free Resources

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

Synth Podcasting Platform Updates

View at Medium.com

The Culture Translator

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

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

Slang of the Week

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

TikTok On a Platter

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

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

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