Author: Troy Patterson

PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 495: Online Learning is the New Coke

Jokes:  

My friend just left his job as a human cannonball at the circus. They aren’t replacing him. 

  • They can’t find someone of the same calibre. 

How do hipsters talk about shoes? 

  • Converse

Did you hear that Sting was kidnapped?

  • The Police have no lead

Why can’t pirates finish the alphabet?

  • They get lost C.

Don’t run with bagpipes. 

  • You could put an aye out.
  • Or worse yet, get kilt. 

Here’s a thought. 

  • Getting paid to sleep would be a dream job. 

Why did the dog financial advisor suggest to invest in tennis balls?

  • They have a high rate of return

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Meteorology

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Career of the Month“ column written by Luba Vangelova.  Her article was entitled “Meteorologist.”

Meteorology is a branch of atmospheric science.  It emphasizes the study of atmospheric chemistry and physics, with the aim of forecasting weather.  Maureen McCann is the featured meteorologist in this podcast.  She is a meteorologist at Spectrum News 13, a television station in Orlando, Florida

Reports from the Front Lines

  • What does success mean?
    • How much testing are we doing?
  • Technical Troubles
  • Play
  • Where are they?

Advisory:  

Along – SEL Software for the COVID Era

Along is a free tool provided by Gradient Learning, a non-profit committed to helping all students feel encouraged and inspired. Founded and run by educators, Gradient Learning partners with schools and teachers across the country to ensure each student is prepared for life beyond the classroom. With the support of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Gradient Learning works with teachers, learners, and partners to offer free services and tools—such as the Summit Learning program and Along.  As a side note, I’d like to propose their slogan be “Go Along to Get Along” as a marketing campaign.  Maybe not . . . 

https://www.along.org/

The Twitterverse

Pernille Ripp  @pernilleripp

I keep looking at the reports of teachers teaching while hospitalized for COVID or other things and how insane that is. We are replaceable, we may feel as if no one else will ever teach our students the way we do and while perhaps true, we will be replaced when we die or leave

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

Putting “Authentic” in front of any educational word makes it sound novel, unique, and forward thinking…even if it is the same thing you’ve always done: Authentic Assessment Authentic Conversations Authentic Curriculum Authentic Lunch It also means extra hours of PD.  

MMSA @InTheMiddleMMSA

We are thrilled to announce that Michelle Miller has been elected as President of MMSA! @nupseagles She has served as a middle-level educator in various roles including 7th grade LA teacher, Athletic Coach, Gifted & Talented COORD, Instr. Coach and Administrator.

Jeremy Hyler @Jeremybballer

I keep seeing the phrase “best practices for remote teaching” Do we really know what best practices are right now? We have been in the pandemic for less than a year and I am not comfortable saying I know “best practices for remote teaching.” #miched #mschat #6thchat #ncte #nwp

Liz Kleinrock @teachntransform

My favorite procrastination activity during Zoom school is spending an hour deciding which downloadable Google Slides template matches my teaching objective.

AMLE @AMLE

And the finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year are: Alejandro Diasgranados (@ThatDCTeacher), Juliana Urtubey (@urtublj), Maureen Stover (@StoverScience) & John Arthur (@9thEvermore)! Learn more at. #NTOY21 @CCSSO

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

Strategies:  

Teacher Health:  Sleepwatch App

SleepWatch is a health-focused sleep app that automatically tracks sleep with the Apple Watch. It uses A.I. to help you track, achieve, and improve.  

https://www.sleepwatchapp.com/

Primary Source of the Day:  A Warm-Up Activity

Middle Level Learning, National Council for the Social Studies article May/June 2010

Types:  Quotes from notables, political cartoons, physical objects that students can handle, copies of documents (patents, certificates, letters, newspaper articles, etc.), photographs/sketches/artwork.  

Sources:  National Archives, www.nara.gov, Library of Congress, memory.loc.gov/learn, National Museum of American History americanhistory.si.edu/collections/index.cfm, NCSS Online:  U.S. History Collection www.socialstudies.org/teacherslibrary  

Good questions:  Create a question that forces them to answer with evidence from the primary source.  

Teaching this in the Age of COVID:  Use the forum module in Moodle to generate inter-class discussions and allow conversations on posts.  Create a series of glossary modules for random primary source generation in the sidebar in Moodle for student reflection pieces in Moodle both oral and written.  

Usage:  

  • Snag headlines from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/?loclr=blogtea  and don’t reveal the articles.  Ask students to create the article they think went with the headline and then reveal it after they have written for a short bit.  
  • Create a History Jukebox by making a playlist out of songs from particular dates that the kids can peruse and relates to the chapter or unit.  
  • Students use a Backpack type app or their cell phone cameras to record a “You Are There“ segment modeled after the Walter Cronkite series.
  • Send students on a historical figure scavenger hunt using Sparticus Educational.  http://spartacus-educational.com/  

Resources:

Backyard Meteorology

The weather forecasts we see every day are based on an army of meteorological sensing networks and intensive computer modeling. Before the rise of these technologies, forecasts were made by understanding cloud formations and wind directions.

This course will explore the science behind weather systems by teaching the observational skills needed to make a forecast without using instruments or computer models. We’ll discuss the physical processes driving weather and the global forces that shape global climate systems. Finally, we will examine the limits of prediction in both human observations and computer models.

Can the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas? Take this course to find out!

https://online-learning.harvard.edu/course/backyard-meteorology-science-weather?delta=1

Random Thoughts . . .  

Mastodon – open source Twitter like experience. Follow me https://scholar.social/@troypatterson 

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PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 494: Just Don’t Break Federal Law

Jokes:  

No matter how much you push the envelope,

  • It’ll still be stationery

After Beast reverts to his original form as a Prince, he and Belle get married and have kids. This makes him, wait for it, the Fresh Prince of Belle Heirs. 

Hockey season has been cancelled. Nobody has seen the Zamboni driver. Don’t worry though, I’m sure that he will resurface eventually. 

What’s another name for dental x-rays? 

  • Tooth pics

My wife told me that I’ve grown as a person. 

Her actual words were “you’ve gotten fat”, but I know what she means. 

Eileen Award:  

  • WeChat:  Becessie of Shijiazhuang  

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Interdisciplinary Science

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Corner“ column written by Ann Haley Mackenzie.  Her article was entitled “Why Science Teachers Must Employ Interdisciplinary Science Methods to Save the World.”

Interdisciplinary science is when two disciplines come together to broaden the portrait of the concepts being uncovered by their students.  Climate change, cancer, overpopulation, food deserts, pollution, and other critical topics benefit from individuals engaging in collaborative interdisciplinary science.  It is a way to help students see the interconnections of the natural world. 

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Still thinking about the student teacher experience in all of this.  
    • Communication?
    • Back Channel?
    • Lead Teacher
    • Passwords & Access
  • What happens if the technology goes down?  
  • The Future of Tech
    • Recreating Teacher Centered Classrooms

Advisory:  

Pictionary Online Recipe

  1. Student Chromebooks are charged.
  2. Grab  https://randomwordgenerator.com/pictionary.php for random pictionary word generation.
  3. Start a Ziteboard (https://ziteboard.com/) for drawing.
  4. Go!  

Possible scenarios:  

  • Use Google Meet breakout rooms and turn the kids loose on it.
  • You make a board, you invite one student to use a word from the generator and then play as a class.
  • Invent your own method!  

The Twitterverse

Cpjones  @icpjones

Online learning: 3 crucial elements for student engagement | Tes

https://t.co/rOATbAv401?amp=1

AMLE  @AMLE

UPCOMING- “It’s Not Too Early to Begin Planning Middle Level Schedules for School Year 2021-2022” w/ Elliot Y. Merenbloom

Jennifer Abrams  @jenniferabrams

20 Hilarious Bernie Sanders Memes Inspired by His Iconic Appearance at the Inauguration https://mymodernmet.com/bernie-sanders-inauguration-meme/?fbclid=IwAR1QhmLhVeh2xmGdOas0rnF1y7vwQuoLfT8sLG7z_HFKbsI1a98mx-KMR8A  Via  @mymodernmet

Bernie Sits

http://bernie-sits.herokuapp.com/

Nick LaFave  @NFLaFave

QR Code Chrome Extension – Instantly create a QR Code for any site with one click. A convenient way to share links with students. https://buff.ly/2WcpHA1 #EdTech #GoogleEdu #QRCodes

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

Strategies:  

5 Ways to Take the Distance Out of Distance Learning

  1.  Be Dramatic!  Shout and Whisper 
  2. Focus on Connecting with Students
  3. Make sure everyone speaks.
  4. Really see each student – be specific with praise
  5. Incorporate Social Emotional Learning  

https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-ways-take-some-distance-out-distance-learning

Low-Tech Scientific Exploration for Students at Home

https://www.edutopia.org/article/low-tech-scientific-exploration-students-home#annotations:cAc2-lstEeuwAmOE6WFKog

Resources:

The Michigan Council for the Social Studies Resources

This list was produced as a quick go to for January 7th, but certainly could be used well beyond that.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d5iRi2ooD5n9coC3JFv_h37Qjf2GT0v8tJP5fDFxssk/preview?pru=AAABdwE7O4E*yseDaIYDQAlBMb_8zxvhNw

Interdisciplinary At Work!  Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments Aren’t Blank

Dead Sea Scroll Fragments Previously Thought to Be Blank Are Actually ‘Treasures’ With Extremely Faded Text, Scholars Discover

Ozone Layer Game

The game is tied to a similarly-titled animated series. It’s billed as a “2D platform runner” with puzzle solving based on your characters’ unique abilities, such as hacking devices, slowing time and even exploding manhole covers. This won’t be a particularly in-depth adventure game or even a complex shooter like Fortnite, but that’s not really the point — it’s meant to teach science in an engaging way.

The Reset Earth game should be available on February 10th, or slightly later than the January 24th premiere of the series. 

https://www.engadget.com/un-reset-earth-ozone-layer-game-144340172.html

From AXIS:  The Culture Translator – Spotify Playlists as conversation starters

This week we’re making conversation starters out of popular songs. Though we may hope our teens don’t know any of these, if they do, we want to help you meet them in their world. If they like a song, try asking first what they like about it. (FYI: The explicit version of every song here contains profanity, and some contain sexual content, so use discretion.)

1) “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo: a heart-wrenching ballad about driving to places haunted by memories of an ex.

  • It’s tempting to minimize breakup pain, but for teens, pain feels eternal. Consider asking, “How do you feel when you hear this song?” and sharing part of your own story. 

2) “Good Days” by SZA: another song about struggling to get over an ex, but holding out hope for good days in the future. 

  • Key lyric: “All the while, I’ll await my armored fate with a smile”
  • If your teen likes SZA (pronounced “sizza”), consider asking what they think the key lyric means, 

3) “Bad Boy” by Juice WRLD: about sex, drugs, and power, surprising only because Juice WRLD was often more introspective.

  • Consider asking, “What do you think about Juice WRLD? Are you surprised to hear him on a song like ‘Bad Boy’?”

4) “Whoopty” by CJ: another song full of braggadocio, using lots of obscure slang. 

  • Consider asking, “Why do you think so many people rap and sing about how rich they are?” 

5) “34+35 (Remix)” by Ariana Grande: one of the most sexually explicit songs on positions, made more so with Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. 

  • Consider asking, “Why do you think so many women see music like this as empowering?” 

6) “Mood” by 24kGoldn: a song about relational conflict and avoidant attachment styles. 

  • Consider asking, “Have you ever felt the impulse to unattach when you start getting close to someone?” 

7) “Lemonade” by Internet Money: drugs and braggadocio with shimmering guitar.  

  • Consider asking, “How many people do you think actually pay attention to the lyrics in songs like this?” 

8) “WITHOUT YOU” by The Kid LAROI: another painful breakup ballad (reviewed in detail here). 

  • Consider asking, “Do you think most people like this because they’re going through heartache, or for other reasons?” 

9) “positions” by Ariana Grande: about love, commitment, and flexibility in relationship (full album reviewed here). 

  • Key lyric: “Know my love infinite, nothin’ I wouldn’t do”
  • Consider asking, “Is anyone’s love actually infinite? Why?” 

10) “Streets” by Doja Cat: about regretting a breakup and getting back together. 

  • Consider asking, “How will you know if you’re in the right relationship? Is any relationship ever 100% right?”

Bleak

Bleak is a young adult novel inspired from my experiences with bullying in elementary school. Writing the book was a 15 year journey for me and I was continually motivated by my middle school students who said that their voices weren’t being heard. The thought I couldn’t run away from at 11 was if “life is this bad now, it will never get any better.” If you’re struggling with similar thoughts – it is my hope that this book is a light in your world. 

https://benhoneycutt.com/bleak#annotations:XaeyFFwJEeuJylvsWw4X6Q

Whiteboard Chat

https://www.whiteboard.chat/#annotations:cg8tYFshEeuvUkPhL5NwXw

Web Spotlight:  

Can PBIS Build Justice Rather Than Merely Restore Order?

In a multicase qualitative study, inclusive school leaders attempted to move their schools from the excessive use of suspension; they employed positive behavioral intervention and support (PBIS) as an alternative they thought would be therapeutic rather than punitive. However, the PBIS system traded a disciplinary system of control for a medicalized system of restoring order. Unwanted behavior came to be defined as evidence of possible behavioral disability. Hence, the PBIS system exchanged one deficit identity of “disorderly” student for another of “disordered” student, subsuming other considerations of race, class, and gender identity. Following the study’s findings, this chapter proposes more liberatory practices for PBIS that interrupt dominant culture discourses of normal behavior and power, and hold promise for establishing justice, rather than simply reinstating order.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314013323_Can_PBIS_Build_Justice_Rather_Than_Merely_Restore_Order#annotations:gvx8zl2LEeuZi3_5zqrGlg

50 Things You Won’t Be Able to Unsee

The Misremembering of ‘I Have a Dream’

Half a century after the March on Washington and the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, the event has been neatly folded into America’s patriotic mythology. 

Instead, it is hailed not as a dramatic moment of mass, multiracial dissidence, but as a jamboree in Benetton Technicolor, exemplifying the nation’s unrelenting progress toward its founding ideals.

Central to that repackaging of history is the misremembering of King’s speech. It has been cast not as a searing indictment of American racism that still exists, but as an eloquent period piece articulating the travails of a bygone era.

Regardless, any contemporary discussion about the legacy of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech must begin by acknowledging the way we now interpret the themes it raised at the time. Words like “race,” “equality,” “justice,” “discrimination” and “segregation” mean something quite different when a historically oppressed minority is explicitly excluded from voting than it does when the president of the United States is black. King used the word “Negro” fifteen times in the speech; today the term is finally being retired from the US Census as a racial category.

https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/misremembering-i-have-dream/#annotations:Cbx-kFtCEeustOP7vD_IXg

In Congress Assembled . . . 

HR-33 117th Congress – January is Mentoring Month

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-resolution/33?s=2&r=2

HCR-4 117th Congress – Support for National No-Name-Calling Week 

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/4?s=2&r=1

HR-3982 116 Congress – Protect Women’s Sports Act

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8932?s=2&r=3

HR-8797 116 Congress – Establish a Commission on American Civics.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8797?s=2&r=9

HR-8715 116th Congress – Pandemic Planning and Response for Schools Act

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8715?s=2&r=12

HR-8714 116th Congress – Family Friendly Schools Act  

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8714?s=2&r=13

Random Thoughts . . .  

VidGrid

4 Channels of News

https://vidgrid.tk.gg/

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 493: Day, Night, Hold on a Minute (or 59 seconds)

Jokes:  

A lizard went for a job interview. 

Agent: “Can you do retail?”

Lizard: “Yes”.

Today I thought of a color that doesn’t exist. 

Unfortunately, it is just a pigment of my imagination. 

A shop assistant fought off a robber with his labelling gun. 

The police are now looking for a man with a price on his head. 

My son kept chewing on electrical cords. 

I had to ground him.

I’ve got a entryway with broken hinges. If you know how to fix hinges, my door is always open. 

What do you call a chicken that haunts a house? 

A poultrygeist

What do you call it when you put your Grandmother on speed dial?

  • Instagram

Middle School Science Minute  

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

The Day-Night Cycle

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Formative Assessment Probes“ column written by Page Keeley.  Her article was entitled “The Day-Night Cycle: Adding Models to Probe Explanations.”

As you select formative assessment probes to use with your lessons, consider ways to have students use a model to support their explanation.  In this example, students use the Earth’s motion and position in relation to the Sun to explain the day-night cycle and why it seems to us from an Earth perspective, that the Sun appears to rise, move across the sky, and set.  Models, such as a globe and a flashlight representing the Sun are used to explain the pattern of day and night.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Improvisation
  • Back to School?  
  • Vaccination – Are you In?
  • Online Learning Musings –   
  • Student Teaching
    • Second experience
    • Mentoring
  • Evaluation

The Twitterverse

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp

I will have the chance to read aloud 12 picture books to my students – while I have many favorites, I am curious, what would be the one picture book you would read aloud to middle schoolers?

Dr. Trisha Sotropa @t_sotropa

I have noticed that some teachers try to get right to content at the beginning of an online session. But a few minutes visiting at the beginning and end of class can help build relationships with and between students. *Visiting is not wasted time*.

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

25 ways to create experiences your students will remember http://ditchthattextbook.com/2018/08/17/25-ways-to-create-experiences-your-students-will-remember/…

PAMLE   @pamleorg

Recognize those amazing administrators, teachers, student teachers, and students who have made this very difficult year so much better by nominating them for a PAMLE Award https://pamle.org/Awards

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

Resources:

Plagiarism Checker

Best free plagiarism checker for your content, Now paste upto 1500 words in the text area or upload your text file and click “Check for Plagiarism” to get instant & accurate results.

https://searchenginereports.net/plagiarism-checker#annotations:-BQGZlSGEeuviCdTLZ7b0w

The University of Vilnius puts documents online for FREE!

Hundreds of scanned documents from the archives are now available for free.  Court records, land records, maps and photographs are also available.  The written language stuff might not be as useful as the image libraries.  https://kolekcijos.biblioteka.vu.lt/en  

Music for a Pandemic  

Need some music to make it through grading?  Try the following YouTube channels with music from Tchaikovsky and well, if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it!  

Baroque:  https://youtu.be/CuU9q2VKOyc  

Stay at home with Tchaikovsky:  https://youtu.be/uN4ty0xlqp8  

Sponsor a Musician:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/falsobordone/1350-music-for-a-plague/description  

Web Spotlight:  

How to Be Talent

Some really great thoughts and quotes on how to be good at a job. This is focused on being “on-air talent”, but the lessons are appropriate to life in general. 

*Warning: one swear word in the post. 

https://leo.fm/2020/09/talent/#annotations:SmPXRlavEeupQi_KuVAVCQ

Why Scientists Want to Shorten the Minute to 59 Seconds

That includes this new suggestion from scientists: We should consider shortening the minute to just 59 seconds, at least for one “negative leap second” that will better line us up with Earth’s real rotation.

This is on the heels of a year marked by many shorter-than-average days, following several years in which Earth has rotated faster than maybe ever before.

Why does Earth spin differently to begin with? That part is both more natural and more complicated.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a35165130/leap-second-shorten-minute-earth-rotation/

Looks Aren’t Everything, Believe Me I’m a Model

May  be useful to watch without necessarily sharing with students. Important to know your population.  

Taking a Stand Does Not Imply Bias

http://www.michaelkaechele.com/taking-a-stand-does-not-imply-bias/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 492: Insta is the new Santa?

Jokes:  

What do you call stealing someone’s coffee? 

  • Mugging

How come New Year’s Kissing is such a big thing? 

  • After all, it’s the first date. 

Why don’t cats make Resolutions on New Year’s Eve?

  • They are Purrfect.

Did you hear that Dracula passed out at Midnight on New Year’s Eve? 

  • There was a Count Down. 

Why do people in Athens hate getting up early? 

  • Dawn is tough on Greece

I have a friend selling a George Foreman Grill and some Muhammad Ali DVDs. 

  • Pick up is easy, both boxed. 

What do you call a wreath made with $100 bills? 

  • Aretha Franklins

I just saw an ad for a Radio for $1, volume stuck to the loudest setting. 

  • I’m thinking, I can’t turn that down. 

I had a dream that I was getting attacked by a bike repeatedly. 

  • It was a vicious cycle.

Here’s a question for mind readers out there. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

What a Year!

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Note” column written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.  Her article was entitled “What a Year.”

As we move toward the early winter of 2020 we look back at schools following a patchwork of face-to-face, hybrid, and virtual models of instruction.  All teachers, at whatever grade-level, have been returned to their “rookie year” of teaching as they struggle to find ways to meet the needs of learners in their physical classrooms and on screens.

Reports from the Front Lines

Advisory:  

Ira Glass on Storytelling

Ira Glass from This American Life talking about story telling. Part 3, On good taste and falling short.  This is a wonderful episode on how we all go through phases where we know our work is not up to par, even though we are trying so hard to make it perfect.  Keep doing your work, keep focused and don’t give up!

The Twitterverse

AMLE  @AMLE

How do you incorporate multimedia into your lesson plans? #AMLE #NationalShortFilmDay #mschat #middleschool #ela #teachers #classroom #pixar  

Jeremy Hyler @Jeremybballer

If you haven’t been part of the One Word Challenge by @JonGordon11

, I highly recommend it. Do it with your students too. It is my first order of business on Monday. 2021 is going to see me be relentless! #oneword2021 #oneword #miched #mschat #6thchat #edchat

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

Eight Teaching Concerns I Have Going Into 2021 https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2020/12/26/eig  

MiddleWeb  @middleweb

“How We Can Make Research Matter to Kids.” #mschat #tlchat #engchat #sschat #elachat #edchat https://middleweb.com/37737/how-we-c

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

Strategies:  

General Principles of Virtual Learning – Georgia State University  

Key Factors in Virtual Learning:  

  • Intentionally organize the classroom.
  • Scaffold the lesson with intentionality.
  • Set up a single line of communication with parents and students.  
  • Post assignments in one place, one document.  

Click to access Virtual-Learning_Literature-Review_20200707_FINAL.pdf

Could we make the case for additional Encore classes in Social Studies?  

Fordham Institute’s Longitudinal Study on Reading Comprehension:  

  • Elementary school students in the U.S. spend much more time on ELA than on any other subject.
  • Increased instructional time in social studies—but not in ELA—is associated with improved reading ability.
  • The students who benefit the most from additional social studies time are girls and those from lower-income and/or non-English-speaking homes.

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/resources/social-studies-instruction-and-reading-comprehension

Resources:

Good News

Since 1997, millions of people have turned to the Good News Network® as an antidote to the barrage of negativity experienced in the mainstream media. Because of its long history, staying power, and public trust, GNN is #1 on Google for good news.

The website, with its archive of 21,000 positive news stories from around the globe, confirms what people already know—that good news itself is not in short supply; the broadcasting of it is. From our 5-star app, to our new book (And Now, The Good News: 20 Years of Inspiring News Stories), to our weekly Good News Gurus podcast, and Morning Jolt email newsletter, GNN is a daily dose of hope for millions of fans.

Good News, Inspiring, Positive Stories

AXIS Network – The Culture Translator (www.axis.org)  

Instagram is like . . . Santa Claus???

Forget Santa or the Elf on the Shelf, a new lawsuit (paywall) claims that Instagram sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake. The app has been accused of using users’ cameras to collect their data even when they’re not logged in.  

Web Spotlight:  

Tree.fm

Random forest images and audio. 

https://www.tree.fm/

Black Out Poetry

Black Out Poetry is made by colouring over parts of an existing text, so that only selected words remain visible, creating a poem.

To use this tool, you can select a text from the samples, or paste your own text source into the custom text field. Your chosen text will appear in the large box to the right.

With your mouse or touchscreen, select the words from the text you want to keep, and, when you are ready, press the black out button.

If you want to save the result as an image, maybe to post to your social network of choice, scroll down and hit Render as image. You can then save the image directly to your device.

https://blackoutpoetry.glitch.me/#

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 491: France is Bacon…Another Lie I Tell Future Me.

Jokes:  

I want to go on record that I support farming. 

  • As a matter of fact, you could call me protractor.

Interesting fact of the day: In Sweden, all government-owned ships are required to have a UPC code printed on the hull. 

  • When the ships are returned to port, it helps them Scandinavian.

I read that by law you must turn on your headlights when it’s raining in Sweden. 

  • How am I supposed to know when it is raining in Sweden?

I searched for a lighter on Amazon, all I could find was 401 matches…

Did you hear that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be doing a movie about classical music? He’ll be Bach.

Chris Hemsworth is Australian, and Thor is from space, does that make him an Australien?

We all know about Murphy’s Law: anything that can go wrong will go wrong. But have you heard of Cole’s Law? 

  • It’s thinly sliced cabbage.

My friend gave birth in her car on the way to the hospital and her husband named the kid Carson

I begin to read a horror novel in Braille. Something bad is about to happen, I can feel it.

When a woman is giving birth, she is literally kidding.

You know, people say they pick their nose, but I feel like I was just born with mine.

I sold my vacuum cleaner; it was just gathering dust.

Advisory:  

SURPRISE (NOT)! NEW STUDY FINDS APPLYING ASSET-BASED INSTRUCTION HELPS BLACK YOUTH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

“What does ‘school cultural socialization’ look like?” you might ask.

You have to dig a bit into the paper to find it, but here is what they say:

Examples of school cultural socialization practices include assignments that require students to explore their familial histories, connect with their communal histories, and discuss how they can use knowledge in school-based lessons to address current issues in their communities (Dee & Penner, 2017). Subtle types of school cultural socialization include incorporating readings from African American authors and adopting daily classroom meetings where students talk about their lives outside of school (Howard, 2001; Irvine, 1990).

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2020/12/26/surprise-not-new-study-finds-applying-asset-based-instruction-helps-black-youth-academic-achievement/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Count Birds for Science This Winter with Project FeederWatch

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science Scope” a publication for middle school teachers from the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” column written by Jill Nugent.  Her article was entitled “Count Birds for Science This Winter with Project FeederWatch.”

You can feed birds from the comfort of your classroom or your home this winter and contribute to real world scientific discovery with Project FeederWatch!  For more information, visit their website at:

https://feederwatch.org

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Time to Reload:
    • Curate Content Resources
    • Pull together portfolio items
    • Rest 
    • Read:  
    • Planning

The Twitterverse

  Bob Newhart  @BobNewhart

I can’t see how these things work. But they do. So be safe and wear a mask! Happy Holidays to all!

Image

Steve Stewart-Williams @SteveStuWill

This is hilarious

Cpjones @icpjones

Too much data; too many meetings: stop talking and do something. https://teacherhead.com/2016/05/28/too-much-data-too-many-meetings-stop-talking-and-do-something/… via @teacherhead

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

Strategies:  

Unit of Inquiry Planning Process and Resources (open)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GP5Ht6Mghm5hylfOB7JtdoTKS4IWJViVHUV6OrsiSM/edit#annotations:0VFJtkPyEeuFQGv1kX8gsQ

Resources:

Standard Ebooks

Standard Ebooks is a volunteer driven, not-for-profit project that produces new editions of public domain ebooks that are lovingly formatted, open source, and free.

Ebook projects like Project Gutenberg transcribe ebooks and make them available for the widest number of reading devices. Standard Ebooks takes ebooks from sources like Project Gutenberg, formats and typesets them using a carefully designed and professional-grade style manual, fully proofreads and corrects them, and then builds them to create a new edition that takes advantage of state-of-the-art ereader and browser technology.

Standard Ebooks aren’t just a beautiful addition to your digital library—they’re a high quality standard to build your own ebooks on.

https://standardebooks.org/#annotations:IRO9KkPqEeu1ytMDZLevIg

40 Excellent Short Stories For Middle School

40 Excellent Short Stories For Middle School

Web Spotlight:  

Alphabetize This

There are plenty of options when alphabetizing, which are listed below. Please note that these explanations are very basic and don’t fully describe all the functionality available in the web app.

Alphabetize

This option simply alphabetizes your list (abc order). Use it as a sort tool to alphabetize a packing list, a list of movies, television shows, a business directory, comedies, cute boy names or girl names, a todo list, or a list of countries.

Alphabetize by Last Name

If you give The Alphabetizer a list of names, and you need to alphabetize that list by last name, like for a list of wedding guests, insurance companies, lawyers, etc, please choose this option. It will use a special algorithm to detect the last name in each name and will alphabetize your list accordingly.

Sort Titles

This option will help to alphabetize the titles of movies, films, books, records, music, laws, SEO terms – whatever you like – by ignoring articles (the, a, an, some, many) while sorting your list.

Make Lowercase

Sometimes you want to make all your text lowercase. This option will take all your text and make it lowercase.

Capitalize Titles

This will capitalize the titles of each line without alphabetizing the actual list. Once you’ve capitalized your titles, simply select the Alphabetize option and you put your list in alphabetical order.

Remove Duplicates

This option removes any duplicate lines from your list. This can be useful if you don’t realize you have the same thing written on more than one line and you don’t need it listed twice.

Reverse list

This option will take your list and reverse the order in which each term is listed. Turn your list on its head!

Strip HTML

A quick way of removing any extra HTML from your list. Good for when you have a list of links or text copied from the View Source section of a website or if you’re a coder or programmer that needs to display a web page without styling or links.

Randomize!

A fun list randomizer. Arrange the items of a list in random order. You could use this for a text game or to mix up a list. And don’t worry: if you mess up the order, you can select the Alphabetize option and to quickly put your list back in alphabetical order with the best sorting tool on the interwebs!

Number / Letter / Add Roman Numerals

This option lets you add numbers, letters, roman numerals, or another preface to each item in your list. You can also add a separator which will appear between the number/letter/roman numeral and your line of text. This is helpful for legal text, essay outlines, to enumarate lists, label book chapters, list sporting events, or anywhere you might need to add roman numerals to a list.

Add Custom Text

Save the time of manually adding some custom text to the beginning of each item in your list by using this option to automatically add text to the beginning of each item in your list.

Remove Word From Each Line

This option will let you remove the first word from each line in a list before putting it in abc order.

Ignore List Options

Sometimes you want to ignore a word, or words, at the beginning of a line when you alphabetize. This option will let you ignore the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th word at the beginning of each line. You can also ignore definite articles such as “the” or ignore indefinite articles such as “a, an, some, any” in the list.

Separate Terms With

This option functions best if left on “auto” but if you have problems, you can choose a character, or a custom character, with which to separate the terms that are on your list.

https://alphabetizer.flap.tv/#annotations:PF0IwEceEeuMyG8jifCIjA

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 490: The Blob Opera, Can I get you off task….

Jokes:  

Why don’t crabs give to charity? 

  • Because they’re shellfish.

You know, birds might use Facebook. 

– We know they already tweet so… 

What’s the best way to watch a fly-fishing tournament? 

  • Live stream.

How do you tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? 

  • You will see one later and one in a while.

A friend of mine didn’t pay his exorcist. 

  • He got repossessed.

Why do you never see elephants hiding in trees? 

  • Because they’re so good at it.

What did the drummer call his twin daughters? 

  • Anna one, Anna two…

Police arrested a bottle of water because it was wanted in three different states: 

  • Solid, liquid, and gas.

A steak pun is a rare medium done well.

The rotation of earth really makes my day.

The difference between a numerator and a denominator is a short line. Only a fraction of people will understand it.

Do I enjoy making courthouse puns? 

  • Guilty.

I remember as a kid, my dad got fired from his job as a road worker for theft. 

  • I refused to believe he could do such a thing, but when I got home, the signs were all there. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast on Traditional Science Songs and Science

As the holiday season approaches, I am reminded of some of the songs that I recorded with the group, Science Explosion.  All of the songs that we sang were written by group member Fred Ribits.  Many of the songs were written to familiar tunes and some of them were written to the tunes of traditional Christmas songs.  

I share three of the songs.  If you enjoy them and want to share them with others, just visit:

http://k12science.net/scienceexplosion/songs

There you will be able to listen to and download the vocal and instrumental tracks for the songs.  You will also be able to download a Science Explosion songbook that includes the lyrics, critical thinking questions, and mind-mapping opportunities for each song.  

The three songs are most appropriate for elementary and middle school students. 

  1. The first song will be a life science song entitled “Energy Flow” (1:13) written to the tune of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” 
  2. It will be followed by another life science song, “Natures Way” (1:00), written to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” 
  3. The final song is a science practices and concept song entitled “Creative Expression” (1:14) written to the tune of “What Child Is This?”  

Happy Holidays!

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Time to Reload:
    • Curate Content Resources
    • Pull together portfolio items
    • Rest 
    • Where are the kids in terms of curriculum?
    • Shawn’s Kids aren’t Happy with him. 

Advisory:  

Identical Twins Who Look Nothing Alike

Adam and Neil Pearson are identical twins, but you’d never know it from looking at them. Although they share the same DNA, their appearances are vastly different; each suffers from neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic disorder that has affected them in divergent ways. They tell their story in this deeply moving short documentary. 

“I was always aware that I had the same condition as him, but also fully aware that he had the facial disfigurement and I didn’t,” Neil says in the film. Adam suffers from benign tumors that began forming on his face when the Pearsons were boys. They grew progressively worse over time. In school, he endured much bullying-“one of the worst things a human can do to another human,” as he describes it in the film. As an adult, Adam explains that he can never go anywhere without being gaped at. Neil, meanwhile, appears physically unscathed but experiences neurological problems that severely impair his memory.

The Twitterverse

Dr. John Spencer  @spencerideas

What’s the worst typo you’ve made in a professional email? I once invited 100 parents to check out the “International Bachelorette Program.” I had a principal who told parents their kids needed to show up to a “meth intervention.”

The Tatted Teacher (Randy Norman) @english_maven

When you give your students an online quiz, and you give them 6 days to complete it with unlimited attempts, ability to use notes, and automatically take the highest score… Then, a parent asks if you can reopen the quiz because his child didn’t take the quiz… you had 6 days

Apple Education  @AppleEDU

See Apple resources for teachers featured on Gov @GavinNewsom’s new webpage helping educators in CA ensure student success while #LearningFromHome.  https://t.co/XnxZWvtt2b?amp=1  

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

Strategies:  

Formative and Summative Assessment in a Hybrid Classroom

After summative assessments, I designate time within my class for them to review digital feedback so that it does not get lost in their email and so that they can ask me questions. Post-assessment student reflection questions include the following: Did you feel prepared for the assessment? What strategies did you use to prepare for the assessment? What would you do the same and what would you improve? Do you think the assessment gave you an opportunity to showcase your knowledge of the topic?

https://www.edutopia.org/article/formative-and-summative-assessment-hybrid-classroom

Resources:

Welcome to the launch of Enslaved.org

As of December 2020, we have built a robust, open-source architecture to discover and explore nearly a half million people records and 5 million data points. From archival fragments and spreadsheet entries, we see the lives of the enslaved in richer detail. Yet there’s much more work to do, and with the help of scholars, educators, and family historians, Enslaved.org will be rapidly expanding in 2021. Don’t hesitate to give us feedback by visiting our About page.

We are just getting started.

https://enslaved.org/#annotations:Wmr3NDypEeuy9Dund5P7hQ

Web Spotlight:  

Pocket Casts App

Podcast feeder with some benefits.  Gift it to yourself or a friend!  

https://www.pocketcasts.com/podcast-player/

How Ending Behavior Rewards Helped One School Focus on Student Motivation and Character

You would get them for a bunch of different things, like helping the teacher,” said Brian Smith, when recalling the class reward system. “It made the problematic kids not want to be as problematic.”

Rewards can be seductive, …

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/48578/how-ending-behavior-rewards-helped-one-school-focus-on-student-motivation-and-character#annotations:wYOaij8KEeulo-d-o3Oj8w

Random Thoughts . . .  

Blob Opera – A Google Experiment

Which means it is a limited time offer and headed to the Google Graveyard too soon.  

https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/blob-opera/AAHWrq360NcGbw?hl=en

Fireside Fellowship

Free holiday performances of literature.  Max McLean is an incredible oral performance artist.  

https://fpatheatre.com/fireside-smo/?fbclid=IwAR0uqYP4oKwzG-4rOz_eF14KLHT3Lv3xb_xZbtrwair8COp1lWgIzBWX3HE

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 489: It’s a 50/50 . . .

Jokes:  

How much does Santa pay to park his sleigh? 

  • Nothing. It’s on the house

I feel shell shocked over this one:

I carry around a 6 foot book. 

  • I’d tell you why, but it’s a long story.

Banks need to get better at restocking ATM’s around Christmas. 

  • I’ve been to six of them already and they all say “insufficent funds”
  • Plus the reception is terrible when it’s raining cats and dogs. 

My super power is hindsight. 

  • Unfortunately, that doesn’t help us now.

Where did Captain hook buy his hook?

  • At a second hand store

I visited a monastery once. I walked past the kitchen and saw a man frying chips. I asked him “Are you the friar?”

  • He replied, “No, I’m the chip monk”. 

I was just looking at my ceiling. 

  • I’m not sure it is the best ceiling in the world, but it is definitely up there.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • The 50/50 structure
  • Failing 
  • Vaccine Allergies 

I’m Worried About My Students

I’m Worried About My Students – Very Worried. And Here Is What I’m Planning To Do About It

The Twitterverse

Christopher Vilag  @StrongComputers·

I did an experiment today in Advisory. I logged in and didn’t turn on my mic or camera but only typed in the chat. I wanted to see how my students reacted. It was really interesting. Some students said it felt like they didn’t have a teacher and actually really distraught . . . . I had to explain to them that that was the feeling that some of their teachers have when they don’t hear or see from their students. It really put it into perspective for some of them. I hope they’re willing to at least give a smile to their teacher today.  

Doug Robertson  @TheWeirdTeacher

You know what motivates me, as a teacher? Hearing districts say things like, “We know students aren’t really learning under distance learning.” You know what? I’m breaking my tail and you’re telling parents it’s not working? Gee thanks.

Rich Czyz  @RACzyz

Have you checked out the #4OCF12Days yet?! Click for your chance to win 2 copies of #TheSecretSauce! 1 for yourself/1 for a friend! https://fouroclockfaculty.com/2020/12/ss12days-6/… #4OCF #pd4uandme #nt2t #edugladiators @specialtechie Pls RT/Share!  https://twitter.com/RACzyz/status/1337785304388939778/photo/3  

Rick Wormeli  @rickwormeli2

We Have to Prepare Students for the Next Level, Don’t We?:  https://t.co/UhnhijAAq3?amp=1  

Key to Motivation: Student Agency:  https://t.co/kAftRoYetz?amp=1  

NCMLE – NC Association for Middle Level Education  @NCMiddle

Are you sitting on the couch in your PJs this Saturday morning?? You could be earning CEUs!! Join us for the 2021 NCMLE Virtual Mini Conference events on January 30th and March 27th. See link below for more details.  https://t.co/YC3gVRUMn0?amp=1  

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

Strategies:  

New Year’s Resolutions

Forbes- Seven Strategies

Time – Make New Year’s Stick

If You Come to Earth

https://www.brainpickings.org/2020/12/05/if-you-come-to-earth-sophie-blackall/

Resources:

Google Books

https://books.google.com/

Others:

https://www.gutenberg.org/

https://librivox.org/

Web Spotlight:  

Stipple Art

StippleGen is a free, open source, and cross-platform application from Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories that can create stipple drawings and “TSP art,” from image files.

https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/StippleGen

It’s Time to Stop Posting Lesson Plans

It’s Time to Stop Requiring Lesson Plan Submission

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 488: The Fungus, Among Us…

Jokes:  

Trying to figure out what to watch. It’s either Christmas movies or serial killer documentaries. Either way, we slayin (sleighin).

I dropped a copy of “A Christmas Carol” on my foot. 

  • It hurts like the Dickens. 

I got hit in the head with a drum. 

  • I think I have a percussion

I have no idea what borrowing language is, but I’ll take your word for it. 

My battery has two large bumps on it. Upon testing, one came back positive. I hope it’s not terminal.

My friend went bald years ago, but still carries a comb with him.

  • He just can’t part with it.

My friend found out his girlfriend is really a ghost. 

  • He had his suspicions the moment she walked through the door.

Dry erase boards are remarkable!

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Conducting Science Labs in a Virtual World Part 3

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science Scope” a publication for middle school teachers from the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read “The Online Teacher“ column written by Denise Wright.  Her article was entitled “Conducting Science Labs in a Virtual World.”

This is the third in a three-part series on the three strategies for conducting science labs in the virtual world.  

Part 1 — Virtual Simulations

Part 2 — Science at Home

Part 3 — Use of Data Sets

Data sets are a great way to get students to analyze scientific data.  Online science courses can contain virtual labs that can be applied to real life applications.  In the online world, students have the opportunity to create their own experiments, analyze data, and participate in meaningful learning.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Student reports that Mr. McGirr needs to do more work.
  • Siblings signing in.
  • Second Monitor for Teachers

The Twitterverse

gerry brooks @gerrybrooksprin

The camera on one of my student’s computer was broken today. Every three minutes he would unmute and say “I’m still here even if you can’t see me…don’t forget me!” Blessings during stressful times!

Adam Bold  @MrBold05

Took some time to create an Among Us review game that uses google slides and @PearDeck, it could be used for any subject! feel free to use and adapt it for your use. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_TmwW4iRi6fLQAbtvzX8aeuq87ivpc6j?usp=sharing…

Diane Ravitch  @DianeRavitch

Teacher Burnout in the Pandemic

https://t.co/YHbEF9h2xX?amp=1

Yong Zhao, Ph.D @YongZhaoEd

Inventing the Future: Why International Borrowing is no Longer Sufficient for Improving Education – https://goo.gl/scholar/QFo6tN #ScholarAlerts

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

Advisory:  

Interviews 

https://slate.com/tag/interview-with-an-old-person

Resources:

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Ghosts of Segregation

Vestiges of racism and oppression, from bricked-over segregated entrances to the forgotten sites of racial violence, still permeate much of America’s built environment.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/30/travel/ghosts-of-segregation.html#annotations:lhEBZjWNEeu0MldgoMvrew

PDFDrive

PDF Drive is your search engine for PDF files. As of today we have 75,484,431 eBooks for you to download for free. No annoying ads, no download limits, enjoy it and don’t forget to bookmark and share the love!  

https://www.pdfdrive.com/#annotations:lYrv5DHiEeuU1gMPWhg22w

Web Spotlight:  

Gimkit

https://www.gimkit.com/#annotations:EQ8SVDNFEeuSZPPrJzLTKw

Looks Like You Need Iceland

https://lookslikeyouneediceland.com/#annotations:vhTibDV1EeuZu0fVlSD_Bw

Royalty Now

https://www.bigedition.com/s/royalty-now-saladin-portraits-911a9ad5bd644975

Random Thoughts . . .  

Check out these other Podcasts/Resources that we like:

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 487: Linguee-knee and Its Raining in Germany

Jokes:  

I’m trying to avoid jokes about Thanksgiving. I’m not sure that I can go cold turkey though. 

I had a Rudy Giuliani joke, but it lost its appeal. 

Did you know crocodiles can grow up to 15 feet? 

  • I’ve only seen ones that have 4 though

Did you know that every beekeeper has attractive eyes? 

  • Beauty is in the eye of the bee holder.

Why should you never teach a wolf to meditate? 

  • It would become Aware Wolf

I bought some tickets to a stand up comedy show for my daughter. 

  • I told her to have a laugh at my expense. 

Due to restrictions, the Seven Dwarfs have been advised to only meet in groups of six. 

  • One of them isn’t Happy. 

Do they allow loud laughing in Hawaii? 

  • Or are you limited to a low ha? 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Conducting Science Labs in a Virtual World, Part 2

Teachers can include labs in online learning by using science experimentation at home with an emphasis on safety and family involvement.  In this environment, don’t forget that flexibility can be provided by allowing digital options, which allows for student choice and equity.  The results of these experiments can be shared on a virtual bulletin board.  When conducting at-home science experiments, follow National Science Teaching Association guidelines and require parent supervision.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Thankful for a break and will be thankful again in three weeks for an extended break.
  • How do you plan for a short week?  

Advisory:  

From Axis:  The Culture Translator – Some Things Are Just Better In Person

What it is: If there were some conspicuously empty places at your table this Thanksgiving, you weren’t alone. Survey data compiled by marketing research firm YPulse found that 54% of Gen Z said they planned to have intimate gatherings with only people already in their COVID “bubble” to celebrate Thanksgiving this year.

Why it’s a conversation starter: However your plan to celebrate (or not celebrate) Thanksgiving came together this year, it was probably a little bit different than previous celebrations. And that’s okay. It can feel sad to miss out on traditions, and confusing to navigate increasingly conflicting restrictions and guidance during the coronavirus pandemic. Skin hunger—longing to experience the physical touch and closeness of other people—is a real need, similar to thirst for water and hunger for food. Having to limit, or cancel, long-standing plans feels awful, and hashtags about gratefulness won’t do much to numb the sting. In the days after Thanksgiving (and in the weeks before an unprecedented Christmas), give your teen opportunities to express the frustration and stress of physical loneliness, and remind them that feeling their feelings doesn’t mean they aren’t grateful for what they’ve got.

Window Swap

https://www.window-swap.com/window

The Twitterverse

Fixing Education  @FixingEducation

Within a 5 year period, my district trained teachers on… •ClassDojo •Remind •Edmodo •Schoology •ClassTag All of these share many similar functions. We need to stop jumping to ‘the next best thing’, give teachers a break and choose an all-in-one system! #EdChat #EduTwitter

The Modest Teacher  @ModestTeacher

Here’s a stone cold fact: Some kids have used 100% virtual school as a means to effectively drop out and many of their parents have acquiesced. We are going to be dealing with the ramifications of this for years.

MACUL  @MACUL

It is time to gather materials to nominate or apply for the MACUL awards.

Get awards information and nominate an amazing teacher today!

NCMLE – NC Association for Middle Level Education  @NCMiddle

You won’t want to miss these NCMLE mini-conference events! Registration starts this week!

https://twitter.com/NCMiddle/status/1332692413576601603/photo/1

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

Resources:

Linguee

Translation with lots of details. 

https://www.linguee.com/#annotations:hW5X9DGIEeufMTt_bE8JSQ

Bill of Rights Institute – Free eCivics Book!

https://billofrightsinstitute.org/civics-101-ebook/b.html?utm_source=Facebook_Desktop_Feed&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=civics_ebook&utm_content=conservative_civics_ebook_purpose_book&fbclid=IwAR29fN0UYNWUOmp_AwKRBfxwAp5FTMa7-G2Ip5Aa9nSdnaM_Twsj2v556WM

American Battlefield Trust – Gettysburg AR Experience

Step onto the battlefields of Gettysburg and witness history as it happened through virtual recreations and augmented reality technology. Interact with soldiers and civilians who experienced what it was like to be at the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. Be there when President Lincoln gives his famous Gettysburg Address. The Gettysburg AR Experience is now available for FREE via the App Store and Google Play.

https://www.battlefields.org/visit/mobile-apps/gettysburg-ar-experience?fbclid=IwAR1UY5DqaTDIegzL9yFQtqjLtVStOYDE803MyUFfm3c8u7CeX6C-7PAX7XQ

Other mobile apps from ABT:  https://www.battlefields.org/visit/mobile-apps  

Open Source – Public Discourse Unit

https://goopenmichigan.org/courses/public-discourse-unit

Julia Child, The French Chef, 1963

Tuttle Twins Series (Economic Principles in Story Form)

On Sale:  https://tuttletwins.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2243d8fae3f290c0d90e2c101&id=203cbc82d1&e=67e11c9189  

Radio Garden

Radio Stations from around the world. 

http://radio.garden/

Tip Of My Tongue

Find those words that are, well, on the tip of your tongue. 

https://chir.ag/projects/tip-of-my-tongue/#annotations:SzT0GjGFEeu2Pq_cPAnL4g

Web Spotlight:  

K-12 Science Net

I finally resurrected my k12science.net website.

Welcome to Science!

ArchiTechs of Learning

https://techcoaches.dearbornschools.org/2020/11/24/its-happening/

https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1541761752

Random Thoughts . . .  

Fresh for Christmas 2020!  The Pandemic Version of We Three Kings

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 486: We’ve done too much with sowing Discord.

Jokes:  

Brevity by Dan Thompson (https://www.gocomics.com/brevity/2020/11/14)

How can you tell if your donuts are bored? 

  • They get that glazed look….

I used to play triangle in a reggae band, but I had to leave. 

  • It was just one ting after another.

Did you hear that they are going to televise the World Origami Championship? 

  • It’s on Paperview

I’m not always comfortable going to the store. 

  • The cashiers are always checking me out. 

I misplaced my pizza cutter, so I’m using a Bryan Adams CD. 

  • Yep, It cuts like a knife…..

Some people ask me where I store all of these jokes. I think that should be obvious….

  • In a Dad-a-Base

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Conducting Science Labs in a Virtual World Part 1

I was recently reading the November/December 2020 issue of “Science Scope” a publication for middle school teachers from the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read “The Online Teacher“ column written by Denise Wright.  Her article was entitled “Conducting Science Labs in a Virtual World.”

This is the first in a three-part series on the three strategies for conducting science labs in the virtual world.  

Part 1 — Virtual Simulations

Part 2 — Science at Home

Part 3 — Use of Data Sets

Online science labs can be rich experiences that students enjoy.  Teachers can include labs in online learning by using virtual simulations that include written directions, a screencast explaining directions, and questions for discussion.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • When 8th Graders “Repurpose” Google Meet Updates – The Raised Hand  
  • Schticky Stuff – Google Meet Room Monitors, Google Meet Room Hostess/Hosts, 
  • Failure Rates? – Greenville County Schools 
  • BackChannels
  • Checklist Module in Moodle  

Advisory:  

Get To Know Your Students Better

https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-exercises-get-know-your-students-better-and-increase-their-engagement#annotations:Fwn4dCqNEeuqurPfi8w4Zg

The Twitterverse

Karen Vaites  @karenvaites

‘If 38% is our national proficiency rate and it’s also (roughly) the percent of students who learn to read without much effort, we really have to ask ourselves, “What’s the impact of our effort?!”’   

SCAssoc. for Middle  @The_SCAMLE

We are accepting applications for presenters!! Use the link to submit your proposal!! Link: https://scamle.org/event-3961523

Will Richardson-BIG Questions Institute  @willrich45

I think once a year, school communities should have a “‘ Why Do We Do This?’ Day.” Take the most embedded practices, put them on the table and ask that question. And then figure out if they want to live with the answer or change it. Might be eye-opening. #justsayin

Jennifer Gonzalez  @cultofpedagogy

Students are asking teachers to set up school-based @discord groups, but teachers are hesitant because of COPPA, FERPA, CIPA concerns. (Also, creepy strangers..?) It looks like some stuff is in place (link below). Teachers, what concerns do you have?

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm.  

Strategies:  

 56 Ways to Gather Evidence of Student Achievement

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nzhdnyMQmio5lNT75ITB45rHyLISHEEHZlHTWJRqLmQ/pub?slide=id.p

Redefining Annotation

https://ditchthattextbook.com/redefining-annotation-ditch-that-pdf-and-hyper-annotate/#annotations:nM7zdCtQEeujoZsts2gahg

Resources:

Slides Timer

Slides Timer Extension

Summarizing

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jC7CnwsfH28JOutuuTdC1Peh2IncYq1z2btxSA5LIOk/edit#slide=id.ga8f0823e1d_0_0

Digital Notebook

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ux0CZCiJK5WH4x4jM-UMXey97PzrpES8dKM1apJ3eYA/edit#slide=id.ga3c92daea4_0_27

Gettysburg AR Experience – American Battlefield Trust

Step onto the battlefields of Gettysburg and witness history as it happened through virtual recreations and augmented reality technology. Interact with soldiers and civilians who experienced what it was like to be at the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. Be there when President Lincoln gives his famous Gettysburg Address. The Gettysburg AR Experience is now available for FREE via the App Store and Google Play.

https://www.battlefields.org/visit/mobile-apps/gettysburg-ar-experience?fbclid=IwAR1UY5DqaTDIegzL9yFQtqjLtVStOYDE803MyUFfm3c8u7CeX6C-7PAX7XQ

Web Spotlight:  

We Can Help Students with Trauma Face Life More Positively

Mood Weather Report: Learn More About Your Students

Childhood trauma survivors are more likely to feel insecure about their surroundings. Therefore, it is important to record their daily psychological state. To build up confidence and face every day actively, our school asks students to record their “Mood Weather Report” every day.

http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol16/num04/we-can-help-students-with-trauma-face-life-more-positively.aspx#annotations:QVmjrCjXEeustDeRPXYEwA

Are You Smarter Than  Middle Years Kid?

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KfNJYJE9nhcZ90Mq7yyFBGhkI3J_Vw3pedvJFzM83Sk/edit#slide=id.ga3bc1442ab_0_0

15 Second Video Challenge

We invite middle and high school students to create a short video that defines or teaches any of the words in our Word of the Day collection. Contest Dates: Nov. 10-Dec. 15, 2020.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/27/learning/our-8th-annual-15-second-vocabulary-video-challenge.html

Teacher Mental Health Break:  The Homework Song  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

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