Author: Shawn McGirr

I’ve been kicking around Prensky’s book, “Don’t Bother Me Mom – I’m Learning!”, and he talks about computer simulations and their impact on learning (teacher sense is tingling … this might be a future podcast … or Troy is getting ready to spitball me …) and am reminded that there are physical simulations out there for middle schools as well.

Experientia provides a couple of simulations and encounters at facilities around the country. One of them is Exchange City. Students work through an economics curriculum (think Junior Achievement) in preparation for a day at Exchange City. Students man the shops, provide the labor, consume the goods produced, take out loans, pay for utilities, run a credit union, create and abide city laws, and exercise the franchise through City Hall. Some of the program is scripted, but the rest is a limited microcosm of Adam Smith’s invisible hand. Students experience the red tape of City Hall and the loan process, maintaining a checkbook, earning a “paycheck”, overdrafting (“Impossible, I have checks left!”) and the need to market as well arrange for supplies to produce. There are several goals for each student. Some are entrepreneurs and have to be concerned about turning a profit or at least paying back their initial loan. All have to worry about spending their paychecks without going over their limits. Students have to learn to manage their time and be back from breaks so that others can take theirs. If the entire shop goes on break, staff have been known to go into a shop and take supplies or inventory. They truly have to “mind the store.”

The curriculum includes a post-trip reflection piece that involves looking at the individual accounts for each student and each business. A post-trip business meeting yields interesting conversation analyzing each group’s business plan.

This is also an excellent community service project for high school seniors who are willing to be volunteers in each of the businesses assisting the middle school students as they work through their work day.

There are Exchange City locations in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Tennesee. You can view each state location here. I’m partial to Stacey Mehler. She’s always a great help. If you give them a hollar, mention you saw Exchange City on Middle School Matters.

There was an impressive supply of vendors and exhibitors at this year’s Michigan Association of Middle School Educators’ Annual Conference. I didn’t get a chance to visit with all of them but here’s a sampling of some of the ones that caught my eye.

Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum – Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ): The DEQ has five curriculum modules they can send to your classroom for mini-units or curriculum support (GLCE/MCF). Ecosystems, Land Use, Water Quality, Energy Resources, and Air Quality kits include a binder, a CD-ROM, extension lessons, background information for teachers, hands-on activities and experiments, MEAP style unit assessments (not useful in October), and colorful posters and worksheets. The kits incorporate both science and economic sustainability as well as the role of government in environmental decision making. If you’re interested in more information on the kits and free workshops and materials, contact the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality at: www.michigan.gov/deq-meecs. I’d even try if your school isn’t in Michigan.

Michigan Art Education Association: The MAEA holds an annual conference for art teachers and advocates for the arts in Michigan. They also sponsor an art contest for art students and are affiliated with the National Art Education Association. Through them the National Junior Art Honor Society is made available for middle school students. Students have the opportunity to participate in the Middle School State Exhibit and award winners from the Michigan Youth Arts Festival are made part of the Governor’s Traveling Show which is shown around the state for one year. For more information contact them at www.miarted.org.

The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum: This is a hands on science museum with a particular emphasis placed on physics. Students get to handle objects and see how science describes the real world. Field trips can be arranged through the museum at a cost of $5.00 per student and an additional student lab can be arranged for $3.00 more per student. There is a small fee for use of the lunchroom if your group is eating on site. An additional experience to consider in conjunction with a trip to the museum is an Amtrack trip. The museum is two blocks up and two blocks over from the train station in Ann Arbor. Outreach programs that come to the school are also available for things like parent nights and crime labs. They also maintain a distance learning program. You can reach the Ann Arbor Hands-On Science Museum at (734) 995-5439, education@aahom.org, or at www.aahom.org. This is a nice alternative to Toledo, Ohio’s COSI Science Museum which has closed their building but maintains their distance learning program.

mimio Portable Interactive Whiteboard System: The mimio company was present with a demonstration of their smartboard system. The number of templates and resources from the company is growing which makes the mimio a serious choice for teachers and principals in expanding classroom learning to the internet and reaching into the home or after school hours. If you’re interested in looking at the product wander over to www.mimio.com. You can also reach the Michigan representative at jenni.molnar@mimio.com.

Eastern Michigan University – Master of Arts in Middle Level Education: EMU has a masters program centered around NMSA’s Standards and focused on preparing teachers for the middle level classroom. No GRE or Thesis is required for the program. Fall and winter, classes are in the evenings and assignments are classroom based for incorporation into your curriculum. Cohort classes include Middle Level Theory & Practice, Issues in Middle Level Curriculum, and Effective Teaching in Middle Schools. If you’re looking at developing and enriching your teaching you should consider this program. Contact Dr. Pat Williams-Boyd at either patwilliamsboyd@aol.com or call (734) 417-9947.

I ‘d love to hear about the vendors and exhibitors you visited at the conference. Post a message and tell us!

Looking for a creative way to write to send us a comment?  Give The Bureau of Communication a try.  Select the appropriate form, fill in information you’d like us to know and zip it off to middleschooleducators@gmail.com.

The National Middle School Association’s Annual Conference will be in Denver next year and the deadline for presenting is January 31, 2008.  You can also make nominations to the Board of Trustees on the website.

The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators will be holding their Annual Conference on March 13 & 14 at Saline Middle School in Saline, MI.  Visit the website for conference registration information and put it on your calendar (or iPhone) and make plans to attend!  Links have been included here, but you can always check up on the website by clicking the MAMSE direct link here on the website.

This is a little late to post, but some might still be able to swing it. The Ohio Middle School Association is doing a workshop on Scheduling for a Middle Grades School in Columbus, Ohio on January 14th. The cost is $95.00 and lunch is included. Bring a copy of your school’s schedule and look at the schedules from featured schools.

The OMSA’s Annual Conference will be on February 21 & 22 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton in Columbus, OH. Kathy Hunt Ullock, Cynthia Johnson, and Monte Selby are the featured speakers this year. If you can’t make the session on scheduling this is a very good place to get some middle school ideas and be around people that love people that you love: your students.