We’ve talked about handwriting before. Granted, it’s been a little while. However, I came across this article about handwriting. It brings up an agreement that I don’t think we discussed. Basically, the physical act of writing can have some effects on the brain.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704631504575531932754922518.html
Said the officer to the soldier, “Private, why did you salute that refrigerator?” The soldier replied, “Because it was General Electric.” “And that jeep?” the officer asked. Replied the soldier, “Because it was General Motors.”
Standardized Testing
by Dave Bydlowski
2 big events:
Earth Science Week – Oct. 10th – 16th
National Fossil Day – Oct. 13th
 *colwar Colin Warrentwitter’s like being at a parade & catching s(t)weets thrown into the crowd. Some we pick up, some we miss, but there’s always more. #yam |
 *phsprincipal Dave MeisterRT @bhsprincipal: RT @web20classroom: Some Cool Lesson Plans Using Various Google Apps: http://bit.ly/98cSUR Nice! #PCHS |
 *RichWhite Rich WhiteDesign Blocks is a lot like MIT Scratch but in the browser … http://www.designblocks.net … Dan Green shared with me today #Scratch |
 *phsprincipal Dave MeisterRT @bjnichols: Challenge/Competition Resources… 21 Century Skills and PBL For All Subjects… Part One http://bit.ly/bLPLfw #PCHS |
 * ipadeducators iPads replacing paper for German parliament (schools too!): http://www.9to5mac.com/29571/ipads-replacing-paper-for-german-parliament |
 * mbteach @chrislehmann @BeckyFisher73 I wonder why they don’t hold themslves accountable 4 not hiring these ‘amazing’ teachers they want in 1st place. |
 * mischakrilov Warning, puns can cause physical damage: “England doesn’t have a kidney bank; but it has a Liverpool.” |
 * jutecht What Administrators Need? I Need Teachers Who Think like Distance Runners http://bit.ly/amutPL |
How do people spend their money?
http://www.creditloan.com/infographics/how-the-average-consumer-spends-their-paycheck/
An elephant and a dog become best friends. We use it to talk about how people might be different, but can still get along.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0TjfOKnF-c
The follow up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljcfWFZaYzs
Here are six visual dictionaries and thesauri that can help your students better understand the meanings of words.
From Free Technology for Teachers.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/10/six-visual-dictionaries-and-thesauri.html
What is QuizBreak!?
QuizBreak! is a highly flexible program that allows teachers to create fun, Jeopardy©-like games for the language classroom.
QuizBreak! allows you to:
Program Features
http://clear.msu.edu/quizbreak/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11470304
OK, this one is just silly- but with a good cause behind it. The idea plays off of the talking baby meme. You can type in up to 600 characters, pick a baby and listen/watch the fun. The cause supports no baby born with HIV by the year 2015. Check it out.
http://www.one.org/international/actnow/babyprotest/widget.html
Karen shared her Paper Blog activity with me a few months ago and I’ve used it with my students to get them ready to blog with the “real thing.” My students have practiced writing and most of all commenting appropriately.
http://macmomma.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-be-good-commenter.html
ISTE 2010: Steve Hargadon’s “Birds of A Feather” Session
Website for this session: www.tinyurl.com/iste10crb and http://tinyurl.com/isteclassrom2-0
Note: It looks like the links are broken …
Format:
Ask a question, take two or three answers from the audience.
Show a site or something online that you like.
Posterous will upload anything for free.
Pearson will sponsor a NING, but it’s limited and you’re tied to the vendor.
Topos will transition stuff from NING to another site.
Site Show Off:
Scientists Space (NING)
Click on members
Kids took on the persona of a scientist and they worked on the project in groups of three.
They could use any number of Web 2.0 tools to show their understanding of the content.
Wordle
Graphics
Music
Kid who posted it is below grade reading level.
These were SPED kids who put together the Mendeleev page.
Question: For the scientist site: They’re using a gmail hack (cheat). Use a gmail account with a + but all the email account escheats+(scientist name)@gmail.com
Web demo: TypeWithMe (www.typewith.me)
Web demo: WallWisher
Post a question and get responses.
Is there a way to merge the stickies?
It’s designed to be strictly online.
Software: Microsoft Mouse Mischief
Instead of the wall wisher website.
Does work with wired mice.
Highest number mentioned so far has been six mice at a time.
Site Show Off: www.historyplace.com/speeches
Use with www.wordle.net
Tagxedo is a Wordle in a picture/art work form.
Note: Tagxedo is a pay site.
Just for fun: Copy and paste a school policy into Wordle …
Jen Wagner is posting a puzzle called “Guess the Wordle”
jenuinetech.com/gtw
Put people’s tweets in there to see what their interests are.
General Question: How do you avoid teacher burnout?
Look at what you are teaching first and then look to apply the tool.
Quizlet.com
General Question: How do you define Web 2.0?
Ask Todd Williamson
Website: www.voki.com
Create characters that talk. Speaking avatar for everyone (free).
Site Show Off: National Lab Day
Scientists commit to help out for a day.
e.g. Civil war Sally
e.g. Madame Curious (Madam Curie) and sent her around the world to different scientists and had them use the “doll” like Flat Stanley.
Site Show Off: Adobe Connect Now
Polling system.
Twitucate: designed for classrooms.
Edmodo
Global Education Conference.com www.globaleducationconference.com
NMSA News:
Other News:
One of the things that we frequently deal with is whether or not a student is telling the truth. Might this article in Psychology Today be helpful?
The main gist is that one of the easiest ways to detect lying is to have the individual draw out what happened instead of vocalizing it. Would this work for you?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/neuronarrative/201010/if-you-want-catch-liar-make-him-draw
One of the most popular ways of thinking about classrooms, is the simple question: Would you want your child in the classroom? Scott McLeod has posted an blog reference which asks some specific questions. Some interesting questions. Which questions would you ask?
http://www.minddump.org/steven-weber-would-i-want-my-child-in-this-cl
Wrong Ends
A contractor hired two brothers to install home siding. He demonstrated the process and sent them off to their first job. Things were going smoothly when the older brother saw that his younger brother was throwing nails away. He asked, “Why are you throwing those nails away?” The younger brother replied, “The heads are on the wrong end.” The older brother laughed, “Those are for the other side of the house.”
Languages
A Swiss man, looking for directions, pulls up at a bus stop where two Americans are waiting. “Entschuldigung, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen” he asks. The two Americans just stare at him. “Excusez-moi, parlez vous Fracais?” he tries. The two continue to stare. “Parlare Italiano?” No response. “Hablan ustedes Espanol?” Still nothing. The Swiss guy drives off, extremely disgusted. The first American turns to the second and says, “Y’know, maybe we should learn a foreign language.” “Why?” says the other. “That guy knew four languages, and it didnt do him any good.” (If you liked that one . . . try this!)
What did one math book say to the other? I have so many problems . . .
NMSA is a month away . . .
by Dave Bydlowski
 ** shannonmmiller Need inspiration for your career? icould includes 1000 films of personal career stories, across all occupations. http://ow.ly/2JFYR |
 ** willrich45 Need examples…schools/teachers that intentionally help students publish online with full names to prepare for global interaction. Anyone? |
 ** paulawhite RT @mikecrain: Want to teach your students about plagiarism? Here’s a Youtube video: http://youtu.be/Mwbw9KF-ACY |
 ** kevcreutz Resources for teachers who are new to twitter http://bit.ly/bKQ4vY |
 ** brasst Math teachers – great Order of Operations shirt on Woot® today – shirt.woot.com – especially if you like smores 🙂 |
 ** shannonmmiller Super Teacher Tools http://ow.ly/2JLmq #vanmeter |
 ** shannonmmiller Make your own magazine – OpenZine.com http://ow.ly/2JLeb |
 ** kellyhines RT @joevans: 20 Google Doc Templates for use in Science and Math Classrooms http://ow.ly/2JLnb |
 ** web20classroom The Teacher’s Guide To Everything Google Sketch Up: http://bit.ly/b6CrXc |
 **web20classroom Blogging With Middle Schoolers-First Steps and Frontloading: http://bit.ly/aIuLlc <-Good tips for any level |
 * appleplaza Report: Slimmer Apple iPad with Mini USB, Camera in 2011 http://sns.ly/stZ53 |
 * gtoppo RT @MarcusLeaver: Today is the 568th anniversary of the first printed book. Thanks Mr. Gutenberg. |
This would be a discussion centered around the trapped minors. The focus of the conversation could be around what it would be liked to be trapped for months.
The link has a visual of the size of the whole which everything must pass to get to the minors.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/13/back-story-think-of-the-miners.html
Philippe Croizon, who lost his limbs in an electrical accident, swam across the English Channel. Nice story about what determination can do. The video is 1 minute and 40 seconds long. It includes quotes from Philippe. (Could also discuss the difference between a quad amputee and a quadriplegic).
http://www.newsy.com/videos/quadruple-amputee-swims-across-english-channel/
Educate
Educate helps you keep track of student data on your iPad.
http://www.ikonstrukt.com/educate.php
Data visualization. Great for those who see in pictures.
http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/
Many people are unaware that YouTube has “channels”. Channels are essentially the videos from a particular user. At least one trick is that these can be subscribed to. That means that you’ll get notification when a new video is uploaded.
Mr. Robb’s Math Videos is all about, well, math. Most of the videos are around 5 minutes.
Great site from the National Archives Experience. Includes both Activities and Primary Resources.
http://docsteach.org/
by Angela Maiers.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/37782099/26-Keys-to-Student-Engagement
Worldmapper is a collection of world maps, where territories are re-sized on each map according to the subject of interest.
There are now nearly 700 maps. Maps 1-366 are also available as PDF posters. Use the menu above to find a map of interest. To learn a little more about this and other map projections read this: Worldmapper and map projections.
We recently added a new series of maps of the world’s population using a new mapping technique: Worldmapper Population Atlas
http://www.worldmapper.org/
by Nicholas Lemann
An interesting article about education. A different perception than we are used to.
“We have a lot of recent experience with breaking apart large, old, unlovely systems in the confidence of gaining great benefits at low cost. We deregulated the banking system. We tried to remake Iraq. In education, we would do well to appreciate what our country has built, and to try to fix what is undeniably wrong without declaring the entire system to be broken. We have a moral obligation to be precise about what the problems in American education are—like subpar schools for poor and minority children—and to resist heroic ideas about what would solve them, if those ideas don’t demonstrably do that.”
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2010/09/27/100927taco_talk_lemann
by Mark Wagner
“For this video I cut right to the chase and did my best to explain the IF formula for beginners… while keeping under a 5 minute time limit. I hope it’s helpful for you and your colleagues and I hope you’ll let me know what you think.”
http://edtechlife.com/?p=2600
Listener Question for Troy via Twitter: From @Mthman: @MSMatters Help me to understand a procedural Q…do the teachers in your building need guidance w/advisory lesson plans? Mine do!!! (Listen to the show for the answer!)
Other presentation opportunities:
North Carolina Middle School Association: Presenter Application
ISTE 2010: Steve Hargadon’s “Birds of A Feather” Session
Website for this session: www.tinyurl.com/iste10crb and http://tinyurl.com/isteclassrom2-0
Note: It looks like the links are broken …
Format:
Ask a question, take two or three answers from the audience.
Show a site or something online that you like.
Posterous will upload anything for free.
Pearson will sponsor a NING, but it’s limited and you’re tied to the vendor.
Topos will transition stuff from NING to another site.
Site Show Off:
Scientists Space (NING)
Click on members
Kids took on the persona of a scientist and they worked on the project in groups of three.
They could use any number of Web 2.0 tools to show their understanding of the content.
Wordle
Graphics
Music
Kid who posted it is below grade reading level.
These were SPED kids who put together the Mendeleev page.
Question: For the scientist site: They’re using a gmail hack (cheat). Use a gmail account with a + but all the email account escheats+(scientist name)@gmail.com
Web demo: TypeWithMe (www.typewith.me)
Web demo: WallWisher
Post a question and get responses.
Is there a way to merge the stickies?
It’s designed to be strictly online.
Software: Microsoft Mouse Mischief
Instead of the wall wisher website.
Does work with wired mice.
Highest number mentioned so far has been six mice at a time.
Site Show Off: www.historyplace.com/speeches
Use with www.wordle.net
Tagxedo is a Wordle in a picture/art work form.
Note: Tagxedo is a pay site.
Just for fun: Copy and paste a school policy into Wordle …
Jen Wagner is posting a puzzle called “Guess the Wordle”
jenuinetech.com/gtw
Put people’s tweets in there to see what their interests are.
General Question: How do you avoid teacher burnout?
Look at what you are teaching first and then look to apply the tool.
Quizlet.com
General Question: How do you define Web 2.0?
Ask Todd Williamson
Website: www.voki.com
Create characters that talk. Speaking avatar for everyone (free).
Site Show Off: National Lab Day
Scientists commit to help out for a day.
e.g. Civil war Sally
e.g. Madame Curious (Madam Curie) and sent her around the world to different scientists and had them use the “doll” like Flat Stanley.
Site Show Off: Adobe Connect Now
Polling system.
Twitucate: designed for classrooms.
Edmodo
Global Education Conference.com www.globaleducationconference.com
NMSA News:
Other News:
Google Docs is very powerful. Mark Wagner has shared some directions in how to create a self-graded quiz using Google docs (via Google Forms).
I’ve never been invited to be a part of something like Education Nation-probably not a big surprise. I thought this article by Stephan Lazar was really interesting. It’s a good idea to read all the way to the end of the post. An interesting description of being part of the process.
http://stephenlazar.com/blog/2010/09/education-nation-i-should-have-known-better/
Lots has been posted over the yesterday and today about “Education Nation”. That is the, the federal government’s emphasis on education. This is an interesting post on how the issue of poverty was glossed over and ignored. Add this article about Snooki and education, and, well, you’ve got a few things to think about.(Quote: When we talk about teachers, and we try to lay all the blame on them and we say, ‘why can’t that teacher get that kid’s score up,’ watch Jersey Shore. Watch it. And tell me what teacher could possibly have reached anyone of them, to get any one of their scores up, in any subject.)
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/lawrence-odonnell-has-the-last-word-on-snooki-and-education/
I remember back a few years ago (OK, quite a few years ago), when “they” were saying that Michigan would need a large number of teachers. I was happy as I was just graduating. However, the number of teachers needed never really materialized. I thought of this with the recent articles on how the retirement incentive didn’t work out as the legislators had predicted (that was a real surprise-um, not really). Now comes an article from Rhode Island about how they graduate more teachers than they need. Every year, they graduate about 1,000 teachers. In a good year, they hire 200-250. The teachers who are graduating are specializing in elementary education. Fewer than 50 specialized in math. They are cutting back due to economic pressures and a declining population. Interesting. In light of President Obama’s chatting today, I wonder how many times we are going to hear about the lack of teachers.
Some interesting numbers from the article (http://www.projo.com/news/content/teacher_glut_09-26-10_KEJUER0_v247.1fc0ad5.html):
BY THE NUMBERSR.I.’s teachers
50,000+
Approximate number of adults certified to be teachers in Rhode Island
15,000
Total number of certified teachers currently teaching in the state, both public and private schools
12,000
Number teaching in R.I. public schools
1,000
Approximate number of graduates from the state’s eight traditional teacher training programs each year
390
Number of graduates who specialized in elementary education in 2008-2009
49
Number of graduates who specialized in math in 2008-2009
44
Number of graduates who specialized in secondary special education, mild to moderate in 2008-2009
19
Number of graduates who specialized in biology in 2008-2009
4
Number of graduates who specialized in chemistry in 2008-2009
3
Number of graduates who specialized in physics in 2008-2009
Source: R.I. Dept. of EducationTeacher training in R.I. — A snapshot
Special Thanks to Dr. Tatom for sharing his experience with us:
The discussion centered around iPad use in education. We discussed iPad use at the college and middle school level. Lots of good tips.
*The sound is less than perfect is some spots. However, the content is really good.