Author: Troy Patterson

advisory, MSM, Podcast, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 235: The Longest Day . . . or Show . . .

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.   

Jokes You Can Use:

Why was the broom late for work?
Did you hear that Oxygen and Magnesium are going out?
Did you hear about the two antennas that got married?
What is ET short for?

Advisory:

From rotary to Siri: How the phone numbering system came and went

The recent death of John E Karlin of Bell Labs, the father of the push-button phone and other innovations, has sparked a lot of reminiscing about land line phones. According to the New York Times, Karlin was also “the most hated man in America” for killing the named exchanges (like Butterfield 8). However the story of how our phone numbers got to be the way they are is a much longer and more interesting one.
In 1950 it got really interesting, with the introduction of area codes. The designers wanted to minimize the number of numbers people had to dial, so all the area codes were set up to have 1 or 0 as the second number. The switches were set up so that if first number dialed was a 0 then it went to operator. If the second digit was 1 or 0, then it was an area code. If the second number was another number, then it knew it was a local rather than long distance number. That’s how it was going to distinguish between 7 and 10 digit numbers.
http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/number-crisis-world-zone-1.html

Bazooka shoots ping-pong balls at Mach speed

The magic of physics can turn the mundane into something marvelous. Mark French, a mechanical engineering professor at Purdue University, designed a supersonic air-powered ping-pong ball cannon that shoots the lightweight object at speeds so fast I would consider the device a lethal weapon of science.
A ping-pong ball reportedly blasts out of the special cannon at speeds equivalent to Mach 1.23 — nearly as fast as an F-16 fighter jet.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57569069-1/bazooka-shoots-ping-pong-balls-at-mach-speed/

Ocean Facts:

In celebration of the upcoming premiere of DinoFish on Nat Geo Wild (Sunday, April 1, 10pm EST/PST), I’m excited to present the first of what we we hope will be a long series of comic strips by Dr. Byron Beekle.  We will be presenting a whole series of these comics today and through the weekend, we hope you enjoy.
http://tvblogs.nationalgeographic.com/2012/03/30/amazing-ocean-facts-premiere/

Telling the Truth

http://gawker.com/5982653/something-tells-me-john-is-lying-about-not-eating-those-sprinkles

MIT Media Lab

Learning Creative Learning is a course offered at the MIT Media Lab. It introduces ideas and strategies for designing technologies to support creative learning. This semester, for the first time, P2PU and the Media Lab are working together to bring the course online. We are opening up the seminars, course materials, and hands-on activities to anyone with a computer and Internet access. It’s a big experiment, we expect to learn a lot, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.
What you are looking at here is a BIG experiment. For the first time, we are opening the course to online participants. In the spirit of learning and technology, we hope that participants will jump in as collaborators rather than passive recipients. We want to tinker together. Things will break, but we are committed to fixing them along the way. We invite you to break and fix them together with us.
http://learn.media.mit.edu/

The Shame of Smell…

http://www.retronaut.com/2013/02/when-tears-of-shame-smell/

Blend into the environment

http://bencebakonyi.com/index.php?/projects/transform/

Things that fit perfectly into other things

http://thingsfittingperfectlyintothings.tumblr.com/

Middle School Science Minute

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

INTERVIEWS TO EXPLORE STUDENT IDEAS

I was recently reading the January, 2013 of Science Scope, a magazine for middle school teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  In the magazine was an article entitled, “Using Interviews to Explore Student Ideas in Science,” written by Rosemary Russ and Miriam Gamoran Sherin.  The focus of the article is that educators need to be aware of what children already know because teaching that builds on students’ existing ideas and is likely to produce robust and meaningful learning.

Keep up the great work,
Dave
PS — Loved the magic trick idea in the last podcast and how it helps with spelling.

By the way, I added a Twitterverse to my bi-monthly Michigan Science Matters Network eBlast.  Check it out at:
http://www.msta-mich.org/educator-support/84-science-matters/256-science-matters-e-blast-january-24-2013

From the Twitterverse:

* Todd Williamson ‏@Twilliamson15
@vtdeacon up for Pringles Challenge again this year? Even if not, would love for you to pass it along! http://ow.ly/hOq6X
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
5 Free Video Editing Tools For Project-Based Learning [PC & Mac] http://flip.it/W4HBZ  #fhucid #fhuedu320 #eLearning ~ for @MSMatters

Cool Graphic on Learning in The 21st Century http://flip.it/tk3z8  #eLearning #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 #fhucid ~ for @MSMatters followers

6 Examples Of Successful Classroom Tablet Integration http://flip.it/dgMdA  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 #mLearning

How To Secure Your Online Data http://flip.it/cS8Rw  #fhucid #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers

A Dress-Code Enforcer’s Struggle for the Soul of the Middle-School Girl – Jessica Lahey – The Atlantic http://flip.it/6Onv0  #fhupsy306

How to Fuel Students’ Learning Through Their Interests | MindShift http://flip.it/WFAr6  #fhuedu508 #fhuedu320 #fhucid #fhupsy306

The 16 Apps & Tools Worth Trying This Year http://flip.it/Zx8Md  #fhucid #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 #eLearning
* Ron King ‏@mthman
MT@Philip_Cummings: My Middle Schoolers Actually LOVE Our Unit Overview Sheets! http://buff.ly/15l0tzo  via @plugusin #midleved #mschat
* Scott B. Goldscher ‏@ScottBGoldscher
Why Scoopit Is Becoming An Indispensable Learning Tool http://zite.to/XIzWF1  #edtech #edchat
* DeeAnna Nagel ‏@TherapyOnline
Boy meets girl. Girl strips on webcam. Tells boy to do the same. Girl blackmails boy http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2013/02/18/blackmail-webcam-strippers/ …
* amber mac ‏@ambermac
GTA: talking the coolest fitness gadget around on @1045CHUMFM this morn 825am
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: New Tools Seek to Evaluate Ed Tech Products
* Cheryl Lykowski ‏@CLykowski
12 Interesting Ways To Start Class Tomorrow http://zite.to/12Zx89V  via @zite
* Diane Ravitch ‏@DianeRavitch
How Charter Schools Exclude the Kids They Don’t Want http://wp.me/p2odLa-3YA
* eInstruction ‏@eInstruction
2013 Presidents’ Day Quiz. http://wapo.st/WH4k5l
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

http://thisishangingrockcomics.tumblr.com/post/42546243887/actual-diary-entry-from-when-i-was-in-5th-grade-oh

Copy Right Poster

http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/teachers-copyright.jpg

A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods

http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html

A Cleaner Internet

We make iPhone, iPod and iPad apps as well as browser extensions that declutter the video viewing experience.
http://clea.nr/

Web Spotlight:

Killing Lincoln

http://killinglincolnconspiracy.com/

Dio

Make your own space.
https://www.dio.com/

News:

 

Disease and sleep: Recent studies find new links

One in five U.S. adults shows signs of chronic sleep deprivation, and a shortage of sleep has been linked to health problems as different as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies have found some interesting connections between illness and what is happening in our brains as we snooze.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/disease-and-sleep-recent-studies-find-new-links/2012/12/03/003ef1ba-3d9e-11e2-bca3-aadc9b7e29c5_graphic.html

advisory, MSM, News, Podcast, Tech, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 234: There is a squirrel eating your internet connection.

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzAyLzAxLzZiL1FUZTVoZ2cuMTczNWYuanBn/b9ee4fce/fb8/QTe5hgg.jpg

Which side of the chicken has more feathers?
What do you call a man who shaves 20 times a day?
Why should you never trust an atom?
What do you call Santa’s little helpers?
What did the hat say to the hat rack?

Eileen Award:

 

  • Facebook:  Karen Decker

 

Advisory:

 

Money Tips for Parents & Teens

http://dailyinfographic.com/money-101-for-parents-teens-infographic

The Radio Show

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/01/29/radio-an-illustrated-guide-ira-glass-jessica-abel/
The $2 ebook is available here: https://store.thisamericanlife.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RADIO%3AANILLUSTRATEDGUIDE

Water Changes Everything

http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/2012/12/31/water-changes-everything.html

Magic Trick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tlQiuCeezUA

Politeness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nhekhBKkDXw

Middle School Science Minute

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

I was recently reading the NSTA Ready Reference Guide for Safer Science, Volume 2, written by Ken Roy, director of environmental health and safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, CT. Within the book are topics dealing with “Safer Science” and questions that teachers have sent him regarding “Safer Science.”  The focus of this podcast is on a question from a teacher regarding the teaching of science in a mathematics classroom.

By the way, I added a Twitterverse to my bi-monthly Michigan Science Matters Network eBlast.  Check it out at:
http://www.msta-mich.org/educator-support/84-science-matters/256-science-matters-e-blast-january-24-2013

From the Twitterverse:

* ConnectEDU ‏@ConnectEDUInc
“Change happens at the speed of trust” #learnlaunch13
* Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo
The Best Ways To Deal With Rudeness In Class http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2013/02/02/the-best-ways-to-deal-with-rudeness-in-class/#.UQ0oJY43ax4.twitter …
* Richard Byrne ‏@rmbyrne
Blubbr – Create Interactive Quizzes Using YouTube Clips http://ow.ly/hlOGY
* Karen Horne ‏@mrskhorne
@syded06 Now I have discovered google docs (and free!) I rarely use Microsoft office, the purchase of a chromebook was the icing on the cake
* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45
“The Coming KIPP Bubble” http://buff.ly/11sEGkH  Long, but interesting. #edchat #education
* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45
Posted: The Missing Layer http://buff.ly/11u35pY  Sincerely interested in your comments/thoughts. #education #edreform #edchat
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
DI: Learning no longer has to stop #edtech
* Mark Barnes ‏@markbarnes19
Quizpoo Is An Easy & Unique Tool For Making Online Tests – Quizpoo lets you create, without requiring registration, … http://ow.ly/2uD2tN
* Sheri Edwards ‏@grammasheri
CCSS: Teaching Argument vs. Evidence | MiddleWeb #midleved http://www.middleweb.com/5719/ccss-teaching-argument-vs-evidence/ …
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
Rigor v. Vigor. Let’s change the conversation here in Iowa! #iaedfuture #plaea
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Reading Rockets

Reading, and a love for reading, begins at home. The Reading Tip of the Day widget offers easy ways for parents to help kids become successful readers
http://www.readingrockets.org/sharing/widgets/tipoftheday/

iCivics

iCivics prepares young Americans to become knowledgeable, engaged 21st century citizens by creating free and innovative educational materials.
In 2009, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics to reverse Americans’ declining civic knowledge and participation. Securing our democracy, she realized, requires teaching the next generation to understand and respect our system of governance. Today iCivics comprises not just our board and staff, but also a national leadership team of state supreme court justices, secretaries of state, and educational leaders and a network of committed volunteers. Together, we are committed to passing along our legacy of democracy to the next generation.
In just two years, iCivics has produced 16 educational video games as well as vibrant teaching materials that have been used in classrooms in all 50 states. Today we offer the nation’s most comprehensive, standards-aligned civics curriculum that is available freely on the Web.
http://www.icivics.org/

Web Spotlight:

 

The One Math Skill You Need to Succeed at Work

 

  • The key to improving today’s workforce could lie in the elementary school math class, new research shows.
  • lack of a specific math skill in first grade correlated to lower scores on a seventh-grade math test
  • United States Center for Educational Statistics revealed that one in five adults lacks the math competency expected of an eighth-grader
  • specific numerical skill as a target, we can focus education efforts on helping deficient students as early as kindergarten and thereby give them a better chance at career success in adulthood
  • identified was “number system knowledge,” which is the ability to conceptualize a numeral as a symbol for a quantity and understand systematic relationships between numbers.
  • The study found that having this knowledge at the beginning of first grade predicted better functional mathematical ability in adolescence.
  • “Poor understanding of mathematical concepts can make a person easy prey for predatory lenders,” he said. “Numerical literacy, or numeracy, also helps with saving for big purchases and managing mortgages and credit-card debt.”
  • 180 13-year-olds who had been assessed every year since kindergarten for intelligence, memory, mathematical cognition, attention span and achievement.

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/3856-how-elementary-math-class-can-improve-today-s-worker.html?

Where the iPhone 5 Kicks the Mars Rover’s Butt

“You’re carrying more processing power in your pocket thanCuriosity,” Ben Cichy, chief flight software engineer, told an audience at this year’s MacWorld. Specifically:

  • Processors: Curiosity’s is 132MHz; the iPhone 5’s is 1.3 GHz.

  • Memory: Curiosity’s has 128 MB; the iPhone 5 has 1 GB.

  • Storage: Curiosity holds 4 GB; iPhone 5 holds 64 GB.

  • OS: Curiosity runs Wind River VxWorks 6.7 Real-time OS; the iPhone runs iOS 6.

One of the team’s biggest challenges is having to script instructions for Curiosity within a 12 to 16 hour window. Each day, after the lander downloads the latest batch of data to the 100 scientists watching her movements, the team determines what they want her do next and make sure that their goals align with Curiosity’s capabilities. Then the software team writes the necessary script and sends it off via uplink. Because of the roughly 14 minutes it takes for the instructions to reach Mars, all of this has to be done within the window, when Curiosity is sleeping.
http://slashdot.org/topic/bi/mars-rover-curiosity-less-brainpower-than-apples-iphone-5/

Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock 01/29/2013

Posted by Vicki Davis

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2013/01/teach-this-teaching-with-lesson-plans_29.html

The Google Science Fair is an online science competition open to students ages 13-18 from around the globe. We’re looking for ideas that will change the world. To get started, all you’ll need is a Google account.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/01/google-wants-to-hear-from-teenage.html

News:

Data: No deus ex machina

 

  • Data-based decision-making is all the rage. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (2009) has emphatically declared, “I am a deep believer in the power of data to drive our decisions. Data gives us the roadmap to reform. It tells us where we are, where we need to go, and who is most at risk.”
  • Data expose inequities, create transparency, and help drive organizational improvement.
  • But something is amiss – push to narrow schooling to test scores and graduation rates
  • the data—which are relatively crude, consisting mostly of reading and math scores—are unequal to the heavy weight they’re asked to bear.
  • Data can be a powerful tool. But we must recognize that collecting data is not using data; that data are an input into judgment rather than a replacement for it; that data can inform but not resolve difficult questions of politics and values; and that we need better ways to measure what matters, rather than valuing those things we can measure
  • Ellwood Cubberley (1919), cheered such assessments, insisting, “We can now measure an unknown class and say, rather definitely, that, for example, the class not only spells poorly but is 12 percent below standard” (p. 694)
  • Standardized tests have meant nothing less than the ultimate changing of school administration from guesswork to scientific accuracy. The mere personal opinions of school board members and the lay public … have been in large part eliminated.
  • In the 1960s and 1970s, proponents of data and accountability again insisted that they had it right.
  • Lessinger was hardly alone; more than 4,000 books and articles on data and education accountability were published in the late 1960s and early 1970s
  • Yet in 2001, No Child Left Behind’s architects started from the bipartisan conviction that U.S. schooling was nearly bereft of good data.

http://www.aei.org/article/education/k-12/leadership/data-no-dues-ex-machina/

CA Gov. Jerry Brown: “I would prefer to trust our teachers”

California Jerry Brown just gave his State of the State address.

  • We seem to think that education is a thing—like a vaccine—that can be designed from afar and simply injected into our children.
  • I would prefer to trust our teachers who are in the classroom each day, doing the real work – lighting fires in young minds.

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2013/01/24/ca-gov-jerry-brown-i-would-prefer-to-trust-our-teachers/

Why You Truly Never Leave High School

  • There are some people who simply put in their four years, graduate, and that’s that. But for most of us adults, the adolescent years occupy a privileged place in our memories, which to some degree is even quantifiable: Give a grown adult a series of random prompts and cues, and odds are he or she will recall a disproportionate number of memories from adolescence
  • Yet there’s one class of professionals who seem, rather oddly, to have underrated the significance of those years, and it just happens to be the group that studies how we change over the course of our lives: developmental neuroscientists and psychologists.
  • For years, we had almost a religious belief that all systems developed in the same way, which meant that what happened from zero to 3 really mattered, but whatever happened thereafter was merely tweaking.”

 

  • “If you put adults in a similar situation”—meaning airlifted into a giant building full of strangers with few common bonds—“you’d find similar behaviors.” Like reality television, for instance, in which people literally divide into tribes, form alliances, and vote one another off the island. “And I think you see it in nursing homes,” says Faris. “In small villages. And sometimes in book clubs.” And then I realized, having covered politics for many years: Congress, too. “It’s not adolescence that’s the problem,” insists Faris. “It’s the giant box of strangers.”
  • As adults, we spend a lot of time in boxes of strangers. “I have always referred to life as ‘perpetual high school,’
  • Today, we also live in an age when our reputation is at the mercy of people we barely know, just as it was back in high school, for the simple reason that we lead much more public, interconnected lives. The prospect of sudden humiliation once again trails us, now in the form of unflattering photographs of ourselves or unwanted gossip, virally reproduced. The whole world has become a box of interacting strangers.
  • Maybe, perversely, we should be grateful that high school prepares us for this life. The isolation, the shame, the aggression from those years—all of it readies us to cope. But one also has to wonder whether high school is to blame; whether the worst of adult America looks like high school because it’s populated by people who went to high school in America. We’re recapitulating the ugly folkways of this institution, and reacting with the same reflexes, because that’s where we were trapped, and shaped, and misshaped, during some of our most vulnerable years.
  • one datum was interesting: At 24, the princesses had lower self-esteem than the brainy girls, which certainly wasn’t true when they were 16.
  • Until Facebook, the people from my high-school years had undeniably occupied a place in my unconscious, but they were ghost players, gauzy and green at the edges. Now here they were, repeatedly appearing in my news feed, describing their plans to attend our reunion. And so I went, curious about whom they’d become. There were the former football players, still acting like they owned the joint, but as much more generous proprietors. There were the beautiful girls, still beautiful, but looking less certain about themselves. There was my former best pal, who’d blown past me on her way to cheerleaderhood, but nervous in a way I probably hadn’t recognized back then. I was happy to see her. And to see a lot of them, truth be told. We’d all grown more gracious; many of us had bloomed; and it was strangely moving to be among people who all shared this shameful, grim, and wild common bond. I found myself imagining how much nicer it’d have been to see all those faces if we hadn’t spent our time together in that redbrick, linoleum-­tiled perdition. Then again, if we hadn’t—if we’d been somewhere more benign—I probably wouldn’t have cared.

 

Tony private schools aren’t paying their teachers based on test scores

My child should not be responsible for anyone’s pay based on one test on one day. . . . I keep checking the tony private schools to see when they are going to pay their teachers based on test scores and I have yet to find one that thinks this is credible nor do any believe in this data-driven model of high stakes testing for their students.
http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2013/01/tony-private-schools-arent-paying-their-teachers-based-on-test-scores.html

advisory, AMLE, MSM, Podcast, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 233: BaaaNaaaNaaaa, Quote the Movie

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

Why is 6 afraid of 7?
What do you call a pencil without lead?
What is Mozart’s favorite fruit?
How do you make an octopus giggle 10 times?
Why do gorilla’s have big nostrils?

Eileen Award:

 

  • Scoopit:  Jim Farmer
  • Twitter:
  • Facebook:  C. Joan Seager
  • Google+:
  • iTunes:
  • eMail:

Advisory:

Ordering a Pizza by Phone

in 1974.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=94d_h_t2QAA#!

Living to 100

The Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator uses the most current and carefully researched medical and scientific data in order to estimate how old you will live to be. Most people score in their late eighties… how about you?
http://www.livingto100.com/

Middle School Science Minute

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

I was recently reading the January, 2013 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

I went on to read the Editor’s Roundtable, written by Inez Liftig.  The title of the editorial is, “You Can’t Wing It.”  The purpose of the editorial is to emphasize the skills that are needed by teachers.

By the way, I added a Twitterverse to my bi-monthly Michigan Science Matters Network eBlast.  Check it out at:
http://www.msta-mich.org/educator-support/84-science-matters/256-science-matters-e-blast-january-24-2013

From the Twitterverse:

* Chris Christensen ‏@christensen143
Lots of good stuff from @edutopia today! Five Ways to Use Online Portfolios in the Classroom http://ow.ly/h4L08  #edtech #edchat
* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45
Technology at Home: Developing the Social Self http://buff.ly/Wjfjmi  Nice parenting piece by @rushkoff via @edutopia
* Nathan Triplett ‏@NathanTriplett
Today is Michigan Statehood Day! 176 years ago, January 26, 1837, President Andrew Jackson signed the act admitting Michigan to the Union.
* Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo
Bill Gates Endorses Merit Pay & Says We Need To Measure “Value Being Added By Colleges” http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2013/01/25/bill-gates-endorses-merit-pay-says-we-need-to-measure-value-being-added-by-colleges/#.UQPXy6QsNYc.twitter …
* Susie Highley ‏@shighley
EduCore – Tools for Teaching Common Core – Free ASCD resources (funded by Gates Found) #ccss
* pammoran ‏@pammoran
reading “The School Principal as Effective Leader” … new case study by Wallace Foundation http://tinyurl.com/azcy2ww
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Teaching Objects – A Lesson Planner That Integrates Google Drive http://flip.it/OV6HT  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Digital Tools for the Common Core | MiddleWeb http://flip.it/rO11K  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Embracing social media use in schools with a toolkit for administrators http://flip.it/Eu5DS  #fhuedu642 #edtech ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: Subtext iPad app enables classroom collaboration around digital texts
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Subzin

Find quotes from movies quickly and easily.
http://www.subzin.com/

Free Online OCR

Convert pdf, jpgs and more to editable documents.
http://www.onlineocr.net/default.aspx

Mission US

Mission US is an interactive adventure game designed to improve the understanding of American history by students in grades 5 through 8. Mission 1: “For Crown or Colony?” explores the reasons for Revolution through the eyes of Loyalists and Patriots in 1770 Boston. Mission 2: “Flight to Freedom” explores resistance to slavery along the Kentucky-Ohio border in the years preceding the Civil War. Additional missions will follow in the coming years.
http://www.mission-us.org/

Google Cultural Institute

http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/home

Web Spotlight:

Hollywood Hates Math

A super cut of Math in movies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3uYBoWH3nFk

Learn Something New

Take a class online. Based out of London. The idea is to share knowledge from those who have been doing something. Billed as helping the next generation.
http://www.theamazings.com/

Crisis-I Feel Like Switching Careers

By Megan Allen
I was feeling beaten down, judged, and downtrodden by people outside my field who don’t understand what teachers do every day
The truth—I’m not the only one.
So many wonderful teachers I know are having similar thoughts. This should send off red flags to our legislators, administrators, and parents
Teachers must have TIME TO TEACH.
We must use data correctly
create a culture of support without intimidation
rethink our definition of success.
Administrators and teachers must stand up and say enough is enough.
Administrators must shelter their teachers
refocus on what is important in education
http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/01-2013/crisis-i-feel-switching-careers

Take Control of a Noisy Class

This could be useful for basic classroom management. There are 3 videos to watch.
http://www.behaviourneeds.com/noisyclass/video-1/

Mindset Examples

This video is from the Vook “Mind in the Making: The Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs Volume. Download this Vook here: and experience all of the fascinating findings and helpful tips to your child’s development.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TTXrV0_3UjY

Picasso, Kepler, and the Benefits of Being an Expert Generalist

One thing that separates the great innovators from everyone else is that they seem to know a lot about a wide variety of topics. They are expert generalists. Their wide knowledge base supports their creativity.
As it turns out, there are two personality traits that are key for expert generalists: Openness to Experience and Need for Cognition.
http://99u.com/articles/7269/Picasso-Kepler-and-the-Benefits-of-Being-an-Expert-Generalist

News:

Palaeolithic Park? Harvard professor seeks ‘adventurous’ woman to give birth to baby Neanderthal

 

  • A Harvard professor is looking for an “adventurous” woman to give birth to a baby Neanderthal.
  • Although the 58-year-old is not certain his plan would work, he says he is now ready to put theory into practice.
  • Professor Church’s plan is to create artificial Neanderthal DNA based on the genetic code found in bone samples, then put this DNA into stem cells
  • Professor Church is one of the scientists who helped initiate the Human Genome Project that successfully mapped human DNA
  • Professor Church believes Neanderthals were highly intelligent
  • Human cloning is illegal in many countries, but as Professor Church is theoretically dealing with a Neanderthal, not a Homo Sapien, existing laws may not apply.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/palaeolithic-park-harvard-professor-seeks-adventurous-woman-to-give-birth-to-baby-neanderthal-8460273.html

iPad App:

European Exploration: The Age of Discovery

Explore the new world as a European power in the 15th Century by funding and sending expeditions out into the unknown. Hire captains, build ships and outfit voyages to learn of the wonders of the new world. Expeditions can be dangerous however, so be careful or else Europe may never hear of your discoveries!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/european-exploration-age-discovery/id393625741?mt=8

HotKeys

Turn your iPad into a visual keyboard shortcut master controller.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hotkeys/id374164481?mt=8

Bonus Material:

13+ Things Your Kid’s Principal Won’t Tell You
Straight from the principal’s office: Use these tips for a better school year.

1. If you want to talk to me about a problem, schedule a morning appointment, when I’m fresh.
By the afternoon, I can get pretty frazzled.

2. You’re right, that teacher does stink.
I’m actually in the process of firing her. Legally, I can’t tell you that, though, so that’s why I’m sitting here quietly while you complain.

3. Of course I’m going to disapprove of a child missing class for vacation.
What I won’t tell you is that I encouraged my own daughter to pull her kids out of school to visit me during my break.

4. We had a young man struggling to focus during year-end tests.
“My underwear is on backward,” he said. That’s the problem with all this testing: We’re being judged by assessments taken by kids who may have their underwear on backward.

5. You think that what happens at home stays at home?
We hear about your financial problems, your nasty fights, your drinking problem. We end up knowing way too much about everybody.

6. The child you see at home?
That’s almost never the one we see at school.

7. Don’t tell me your child would never lie to you.
All kids make mistakes, and great students are often the ones most afraid to tell their parents when they screw up.

8. When we have a child who throws things or tries to hit when she’s angry…
…her parents inevitably say, “I don’t have a problem with her at home, because I spank her.”

© Jupiterimages/Creatas/Thinkstock
9. My biggest pet peeve?
Parents who complain to me before talking to the teacher.

10. Don’t ask me to make a teacher forgive a homework assignment or not to teach a specific subject.
We don’t dictate to teachers; we work with them.

11. I’ve had a few students who were bullies.
We suspend them again and again, but it’s very tough to expel a student. The truth is, they have a right to an education.

12. Kids are easy.
It’s the parents who are tough. They’re constantly trying to solve their kids’ problems for them.

13. What do I love about this job?
I can influence and inspire kids and adults, help work through problems, and find solutions. And every day I can pop into a classroom where something interesting is going on. What other job gives you all of that?

14. C’mon parents, this is your child’s homework, not yours.
We know what a seventh-grader can do, and we know what an adult with an engineering degree can do, so please don’t do your child’s work for him. Kids need to make mistakes and struggle through things; it’s how they learn.

15. Principals never know what the day will hold.
One minute you’re mopping up vomit, the next you’re in a special ed meeting, and the next you’re dealing with two kids who got in a fight. Then you shovel snow off the sidewalk in front of school, you meet with teachers to decide whether to change the language arts curriculum, and you play basketball with a group of kids. And that’s just in the first two hours.

16.The last thing I want to do on the sidelines of a basketball game or during intermission at the school play is have a conference with you about your child.
If you have something to talk to me about, come by my office during the day or even better, make an appointment.

17. If you and your child don’t like his teacher, tough luck.
Think of it as a lesson: In school, as in life, sometimes you have to learn to deal with things you don’t like.

18. When an unruly student gets sent to my office, my favorite strategy is not to engage right away.
I just let them sit there in agony while I keep working. It gives them a chance to calm down and de-escalate. Try it at home; it works.

19. For years, folks have said that if you can’t do anything else, you can always go into education.
The truth is, we’re not the leftovers, and this is what most of us wanted to do. I had been accepted to law school, but I chose this.

© iStockphoto/Thinkstock
20. Our favorite kids aren’t necessarily the ones with the highest IQs.
What we really value is hard work.

21. Since the economy has gotten bad, it seems that more parents are taking any job they can get, working crazy hours and neglecting their children.
Then a lot of them try to make up for that by coming to their child’s rescue when there’s an issue with a teacher, coming in here and hollering at us.

22. As a principal, you’re expected to know about bus routes, curriculum, communication, school lunches, adolescent development, conflict management, learning disabilities, and more.
You have to be an expert on everything, sometimes in the same 20 minutes.

advisory, AMLE, MSM, News, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 232: Fresh Prince of Buying Happiness

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

A spider just crawled under the keyboard, oh wait, it’s under “control”.
What’s Michelle O’Bama’s favorite vegetable?
What are the strongest days of the week?
My friends and I put on performance about puns. It was basically a play on words.
Why do the French only use one egg for an omelette?
What did the shy pebble wish?

BTW, you mentioned Chemistry Jokes during the podcast.  Well you are right, I so share them “periodically.”  Here you go:

Tell a Potassium Joke?  K
(
What did the element say to the police?   I CU (Copper)

Do you know any jokes about sodium?  Na

How much do I make?  Iron enough

Advisory:

Can Money Buy Happiness

We often hear it, but how true is the phrase ‘Money can’t buy happiness’? Is there a correlation between the two, and if so, what can we learn from it? It turns out, if you think money and happiness are exclusive, you simply aren’t spending it right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JSIkdWxotKw#!

2012 Sports Illustrated Kids of the Year

Featuring LeBron James,
Conner is 9-years-old, and Cayden is two years younger. Cayden was born with a debilitating condition called spastic cerebral palsy, but that hasn’t stopped him from competing in triathlons (with a little help from his big brother). Cayden ditches his wheelchair for a cart or stroller, and Conner runs and bikes with Cayden in tow.
http://mashable.com/2013/01/15/brothers-cerebral-palsy-video/
4:42

Family Treasures

Posted by Vicki Davis
I’m supposed to turn in the words for my son’s annual ad today. I’ve been writing at 5 am. It is just one page. One page to summarize how I feel and what I want him to carry with him.
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2013/01/family-treasures.html

Translation

Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire – Translated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LMkJuDVJdTw

Middle School Science Minute

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

I was recently reading the Winter 2012-2013 issue of Green Teacher Magazine, a magazine for Education for Planet Earth.  I read an article entitled “Concrete Without Quarries” written by Sam Stier, Dona Boggs and Dave Jones.  The focus of the article is on sustainable chemistry labs inspired by nature.  They provide a lab that helps students create concrete from car exhaust and seawater.  But the greater focus of the article was to get teachers who teach chemistry to students to think of the approaches and message we send.  They provide a framework for sustainable chemistry inspired by nature.

From the Twitterverse:

* Todd Bloch ‏@blocht574
@jskramer28 We are moving to a new model in district with NWEA tests that is helping moral of staff but State data is pointless now. #mschat
* Two Teacherz ‏@askteacherzcom
#TwoThumbZup RT @MrL_PHSHistory: RT @LauraGilchrist4: 13 Resources 4 Social Studies Teachers http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/01/13-good-resources-for-social-studies.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+freetech4teachers%252FcGEY+%2528Free+Technology+for+Teachers%2529#.UPldMt20l3g.twitter … #sschat #wrldchat #mschat
* Karen S. ‏@Karen550k
What English classes should look like in Common Core era http://wapo.st/13iSQsg  Pay attention #English #teachers #educhat #edchat #mschat
* Education Shift ‏@ED_SHIFT
Great social studies lesson Guide to worldwide etiquette from @swissotel http://www.swissotel.com/promo/etiquette-map/ … #sschat #edchat #engchat ##pbl #mschat #edu
* edutopia ‏@edutopia
[Free Downloads] Lesson Plans & Resources for #Arts Integration http://edut.to/OkMfW7  #artsint #midleveled #mschat
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Is 1:1 the New One Size Fits All? http://flip.it/38R8B  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
7 Teacher Questions About Common Core State Standards http://flip.it/WrMAR  #fhuedu610 #fhuedu508
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
5 Fun Online Games that Disguise Important Lessons http://flip.it/EHCnK  #fhuedu320 #eLearning
* Scott Meech ‏@smeech
A Look Back – EdReach http://flip.it/B0cbr
* Rod Rock ‏@RodRock1
#MichEd Gov Snyder: 2013 is the last year 4 MEAP. Results will have 0 meaning. Save $ by not giving it next year. Use $ for tech or e-c-hood
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

 

Free Plagiarism Checker

Duplicate Content Checker for Students, Teachers, Writers. Free Turnitin Alternative.
http://plagiarisma.net/

Google Doc Sharing

Simplifying Sharing through Google Docs with students. Control whether documents can be seen by just a few students or groups or the whole class.

Install doctopus from any Google Spreadsheet, though preferably one that you can use as a one-time roster for tracking a particular project with a particular group of students.

Install from the Script Gallery…accessible from the “Tools” menu in a Google Spreadsheet.

Currently, doctopus is in the “featured” section of the gallery!

Note: Upon wise advice from my wife, I got rid of the apostrophe referenced in this video and renamed it simply DOCTOPUS…  making it easier to search, and to say;)

Also Note: Make sure to FREEZE THE TOP ROW of your roster sheet prior to running in group project mode.  The script should also prompt you to do this.

If you like Doctopus, you’ll probably also like:

autoCrat – easy to use, flexible Docs merge utility that does personalized creation, sharing, and emailing of templated Docs using Google Spreadsheet data.

formMule – a multipurpose, flexible merged email creator that runs from Google Spreadsheets

http://www.youpd.org/doctopus

Listening Circles

Each such circle pulls in students from different social, racial, and interest groups from around the school to identify and solve problems related to campus climate. Adults sit outside the circle, in a “listen only” mode
http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2013/01/listening-circles.html

Web Spotlight:

 

The Shape of Stories

By Maya Eilam
My take on visually presenting Kurt Vonnegut’s theories about archetypal stories, designed after researching the subject.
http://mayaeilam.com/2012/01/01/the-shapes-of-stories-a-kurt-vonnegut-infographic/

silenc

How much of a language is silent? What does it look like when you take the silence out? Can we use code as a tool to answer these questions?
http://ciid.dk/education/portfolio/idp12/courses/data-visualisation/projects/silenc/

How to Read Faster: Bill Cosby’s Three Proven Strategies

“Nobody gets something for nothing in the reading game.”
Bill Cosby may be best-known as the beloved personality behind his eponymous TV show, but he earned his doctorate in education and has been involved in several projects teaching the essential techniques of effective reading, including a PBS series on reading skills.
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/01/16/how-to-read-faster-bill-cosby/

Why you can’t cry in Space

Astronauts can, certainly, tear up — they’re human, after all. But in zero gravity, the tears themselves can’t flow downward in the way they do on Earth. The moisture generated has nowhere to go. Tears, Feustel put it, “don’t fall off of your eye … they kind of stay there.”
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/01/why-you-cant-cry-in-space/267147/

Look at yourself objectively

In the 1840s, hospitals were dangerous places. Mothers who went in to give birth often didn’t make it out.
http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/semmelweis

News:

U.S. Education Deserves the Same Statistical Sophistication as Baseball and Elections

by Martin Carnoy (Co-authored with Richard Rothstein)
For better or worse, we’re a nation that’s coming to respect statistics.Billy Bean convinced us that better statistics could beat bigger payrolls in sports. Nate Silver helped humble Karl Rove’s money machine with better statistics.
But here is where a more careful look at statistics suggests a very different story. In a report we just completed, What Do International Tests Really Show about American Student Performance, we show that Duncan and other pundits’ conclusions from international test results are oversimplified, often exaggerated, and misleading. They ignore the complexity of testing and may lead educational policymakers to pursue inappropriate and even harmful reforms.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-carnoy/us-education-deserves-the_b_2481128.html

Half-Baked Ideas . . .

Moodle and BigBlueButton- if each teacher was given $100 to get their own shared hosting, would it be considered expensive? from Moodle Community.

advisory, AMLE, Conferences, MSM, News, Podcast, Tech, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 231: Pidgeons, Pick Pockets, Bi Icycles and Brains.

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

How does Jack Frost get to work?
Why did the face of Joe go to the party by himself?
What happened when Ali found out his toaster was not waterproof?
How often does Dave Bydlowski make Chemistry jokes?
In fact, he told one the other day…
Why did Cleopatra fall off the swing?
What is orange and sounds like parrots?

Advisory:

Modeling

Share the video with the students. Ask them to describe how the puppy learns to go down the stairs. How can we apply this to our learning?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fDKDC_IUnOA

Brief Interruptions

Challenge the kids to explain how they multi-task. Use the information from this article to help them realize how they can improve their work.
http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/brief-interruptions-spawn-errors/

Sexism in Ads

http://adsvoice.pblogs.gr/2013/01/sexism-in-vintage-ads.html

Misperception

Pickpocket at work. Have the kids pay attention to see what he steals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OLm_dQzoC5E
Then on Fox news station:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dTa7rC1oUnk
Finally, On NOVA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fdqSmUnd4cU

Middle School Science Minute

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

I was recently reading the Winter 2012-2013 issue of Green Teacher Magazine, a magazine that cares about Education for Planet Earth.  I read an article entitled “Zambian Girl Inspires Water Action” written by Michelle Macdonald.  It traces the story of a girl named Tikho, who lives in Zambia.  She was asked to share the story of her daily life as it related to water, sanitation and hygiene.  Her story has provided an example for North American youth to recognize local and global water challenges and look for solutions.

From the Twitterverse:

* Miguel Guhlin ‏@mguhlin
For Teachers http://dlvr.it/2nFMZ8
* John Spencer ‏@johntspencer
Which goes back to the Starship Enterprise. Let Data inform rather than drive decisions. #rechat
* Eye On Education ‏@eyeoneducation
What is school for if it is no longer the place to go to acquire knowledge? http://ow.ly/gJryX  @PrincipalPC #cpchat #eduleaders #edchat
* royan lee ‏@royanlee
Just blogged ~ Stop Mystifying Creativity: 5 Things That Might Help #edchat #rechat #5thchat #mschat
* Diane Ravitch ‏@DianeRavitch
Support the Teachers of Seattle http://wp.me/p2odLa-3CA
* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45
10 Predictions for Personalized Learning for 2013 http://buff.ly/ZeF1uN  Most are “personal” not personalized. Interesting list. #edchat
* GOOD ‏@GOOD
Why every school needs an ‘innovation day’ http://ow.ly/gK8Gf
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom

  1. 26 Ways to Use Comics in the Classroom and 5 Free Tools for Creating Comics http://flip.it/kqvMD  #fhuedu320 #fhuedu508 #eLearning
  2. RT @rmbyrne: Doodlecast Pro Makes It Easy to Create Flipped Classroom Videos http://flip.it/ZTLeb  #fhucid #fhuedu320 #mLearning
  3. Tip of the Day: Looking for a New Lesson Idea? http://flip.it/dtAR4  #fhuedu320 #fhuedu508
  4. Podcastomatic Turns Your Blog Posts Into Podcasts http://flip.it/Ugsjf  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320
 CAMLE ‏@camlecolorado
Are you smarter than an 8th Grader from 1912? http://bullittcountyhistory.org/bullitthistory/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html … #midleved #mschat
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Three Ways to Create a Digital Classroom Library for Your Students

Walk into an English teacher’s classroom, and you might be able to guess how long they’ve been there. Take a look at the classroom library. It takes time to collect hundreds of books for your kids to read, and veteran teachers have worked for years to amass those giant collections.
Luckily, modern technology gives us an alternative: extend your classroom library with free eBooks. There are literally thousands of free eBooks available for your students to read, and with free apps your students can turn their smartphones or tablets into eReaders.
The biggest logistical problem is turning that vast digital catalog into something more personal. You need to use a tool to collect a small number of books that you think your students will be interested in, and then put those books in front of them.

http://www.angelamaiers.com/2013/01/three-ways-to-create-a-digital-classroom-library-for-your-students.html

Three Tools Students Can Use for Collaborative Brainstorming on the Web

One of the first challenges that students face when beginning to work on a group research project is organizing and connecting all of their ideas. These three tools can help students collaboratively organize their ideas on the web.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/01/three-tools-students-can-use-for.html

Guide to Budgeting

https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/1611/26335/9h/dramsey.download.akamai.com/23572/daveramsey.com/media/broadcast/mytmmo/pdf/guide-to-budgeting.pdf?ictid=btxt.ny13

Creating Comics
Comics apps such as Comic Zeal are compatible with a couple of DRM-free comic book file formats, namely .cbr and .cbz. Those are both compressed formats, related to RAR and ZIP files, respectively.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2023746/convert-image-files-to-comics.html

Web Spotlight:

Why Scratch Club?

By Wesley Fryer On January 10, 2013
Learn more about the IES Scratch Club on scratchclub.yukonps.com. Check out Mason’s Scratch project,“About Me” on the Scratch community website.
http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2013/01/10/why-scratch-club/

Reading Like a History

The Reading Like a Historian curriculum engages students in historical inquiry. Each lesson revolves around a central historical question and features sets of primary documents designed for groups of students with diverse reading skills and abilities.
This curriculum teaches students how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading. Instead of memorizing historical facts, students evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues. They learn to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence.
http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh

News:

Vending Machine Dispenses MacBooks for Student Use

Providing a solution to students who don’t want to carry a laptop while walking late at night from their dorm or off-campus housing to the library, Drexel introduced a 24-hour, self-service kiosk located in its Hagerty Library that will dispense MacBooks to students, faculty and staff. Drexel is the third university on the East Coast to introduce the vending machine, which holds up to 12 MacBooks that could be checked out free by anyone with a Drexel ID for five hours of use.
http://newsblog.drexel.edu/2013/01/04/vending-machine-dispenses-macbooks-for-student-use/

AMLE Annual Conference Sessions:

Teaching to gender differences.
Brain-based teaching
1.  How do boys and girls learn differently?
2.  What can we do to balance literacy strategies for gender differences?
Women and Men:  New Research
•  One out of three women become more attractive as they grow older.
•  One out of three men become more attractive as they grow older.
•  Men – a better understanding of women
•  Women = give up.
What percentage of a high school class drops out?
26% is the national average
Males in school
•  Make up the majority of high school dropouts.
•  Make up the majority discipline problems.
see paper handout and wiki
The Trouble with Boys
Males in Jails
In 2008, 1 in 18 men versus 1 in 89 in times previous
The Silent Epidemic
1.7-2.3 million dollars in cost to jail a male.
The Minds of Boys
Are there really differences?
Testosterone physically changes the brain at 26 weeks.
Single Gender classrooms:  NASSPE conference (usually in Orlando)
Points to Remember
Nature <———————————–> Nurture
Brain structure is not equal to particular gender behaviors.
Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine.
How do we make learning more engaging for boys and girls?
The Minds of Girls
Brain Based Teaching
The corpus callosum is the bundle of nerves that sends signals across the two parts of the brain.  This enables “cross talk” between hemispheres.
A girl’s stronger neural connectors and a larger hippocampus may provide greater use of sensory memory details in speaking and writing.
Speaking of Tone
A couple was driving down a country road and had a just had a fierce argument.  The passed a herd of goats.  Relatives of yours?  Yes, my in-laws.
One simple solution:  Predicting/Summarizing ABCs
“Young girls’ brains tend to mature faster in the front part, which is responsible, among other things, for language learning and controlling aggression and impulsivity.”
“Women actually get a buzz out of hearing their own voices.  The simple of . . . ”
Single Men are like Waffles and Single Women are like Spaghetti
“For women, every thought and issue is connected to every other thought and issue in some way [spaghetti].  Life is much more of a process than it is for men.”
What’s Happening?  book by Bill McBride
Provide activities that allow girls to share and model their better verbal skills.
See his template on pre-reading paper.
With more cortical areas devoted to verbal functioning, girls tend to be better at:  sensory memory, sitting still, listening, tonality, mental crosstalk and complexities of reading and writing.  i.e. the very skills and behaviors often rewarded in school.
“Girl behavior becomes the gold standard.  Boys are treated like defective girls.”
The Minds of Boys
“For boys, the fastest development is in the back of the brain, which performs visual-spatial tasks at which males tend to excel, such as geometry and puzzle-solving.”
The Minds of Teens
Blue=large differences
Purple=little differences
White=very similar
The Minds of Girls and Boys
“Critical thinking and reasoning develop rapidly through adolescence.”
“These are skills that have to be learned and practiced.”
“If teens do not learn to think strategically they may never do so.”
Critical Thinking – Organizing
Students can use phones or email to:
•  Call in reminders to themselves
•  Send emails or text messages about assignments or homework.
•  Listen to podcasts of information.
•  Send text messages to help classmates in collaborative . . .
Critical thinking – Categorizing
The Minds of Teens
“Our jobs as adults is to serve as external frontal lobes.”
Brain-Based teaching
The Minds of Girls
Two gas pedals
Two brake pedals
Girls have more serotonin and tend to make fewer impulsive decisions than boys.
The MInds of Teens
Teenagers don’t always think of the consequences.
Why do we let 16 year olds drive?
The Minds of Boys
Ladies!  Sportka Ford commercial with the pidgeon.
The Minds of Boys and Girls
Boys systematically overestimate their own ability, while girls are more likely to underestimate their abilities.
“One of the most reliable predictors of whether a boy will succeed or fail in high school rests on a single question:  who is the male adult they chose as their mentor?
Fisher, D & Frey, N.  “Motivating Boys to Read.”
•  Always have kids reading for a reason.
Set it up as a problem to solve.
•  Read aloud to kids and speak your thoughts out loud as you read.
•  Give students choices.
Comic Life software

Bill McBride’s contact information is in the packet.
http://billmcbride.pbworks.com/

We need to bring in media.  Movement is good for boys.
Book:  Entertaining Elephant:  Carrying a Load of Feathers by Bill McBride.

advisory, MSM, News, Podcast, Teaching Tip, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 230: The Makings of a Good Teacher

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

What do you call a 4 foot psychic who escapes from jail?

Why did the mermaid wear seashells?

What concert costs 45¢?

How did the hipster burn his tongue?

What do get when cross the Atlantic with the Titantic?

What did one eye says to the other eye?

Listen to the show for answers  🙂

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Richard Ball, Kenna Wilson

Advisory:

Seeing things differently

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/01/brilliant-urban-interventions-by-oakoak-turn-crumbling-city-infrastructure-into-a-visual-playground/

Middle School Science Minute

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

Heat Safety

I was recently reading the December, 2012 issue of Science Scope, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association for middle school teachers.  In the monthly section, “Scope on Safety “written by Ken Roy, director of environmental health and safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, CT, he wrote about using heat sources safely in the middle school science laboratory.  The article was entitled “Turning Up the Heat on Safety.”  Safety-wise, the hot plate is probably by far the best choice.

From the Twitterverse:

* Dayna Lauckner ‏@Laucknerdig
Profanity is a strong way to express a weak mind
* WORLD Magazine ‏@WORLD_mag
Pakistani girl shot by Islamist militants leaves hospital http://ow.ly/gyUMs
* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45
Creativity, A Literacy http://buff.ly/S92j3p  #edchat #education
* jennyluca ‏@jennyluca
“@mcleod: Why So Many Schools Remain Penitentiaries of Boredom http://huff.to/Zmx5Yr  #iaedfuture #plaea” by @MsEnglishTweets
* Huffington Post ‏@HuffingtonPost
Teen creates awesome Twitter account to spread compliments about kids at his school http://huff.to/Z44Bht
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: Battling the “Bad Teacher” Bogeyman

New bookmark: The Mystery of Good Teaching | Education Next
* Miguel Guhlin ‏@mguhlin
Teach with Moodle course available on the MOOCH http://dlvr.it/2lNwvR
* Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo
Documentary examines Rhee’s legacy in D.C. http://wapo.st/Wts89Z
* Ron Peck ‏@Ron_Peck
NOVA | Ancient Worlds http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/ … Excellent resource. #sschat #wrldchat
* David Britten ‏@colonelb
RT @OaklandSchools: What Learning Will Look Like in 2013 http://ow.ly/gpunT  via @anniemurphypaul #EdChat
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

How We Know the Earth is Round

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o_W280R_Jt8#!

Banished Word List

http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

The Power of Mindset

Eduardo Briceño is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mindset Works (http://www.mindsetworks.com), an organization that helps schools and other organizations cultivate a growth mindset culture. The growth mindset was discovered by Stanford professor and Mindset Works co-founder Carol Dweck, Ph.D., and is described in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (http://www.mindsetonline.com). Mindset Works offers Brainology, an innovative blended learning program to teach a growth mindset to students, teachers and schools, as well as teacher professional development and tools (http://www.mindsetworks.com/brainology/).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pN34FNbOKXc

Essay Bank

9000 essays to steal look at.
http://www.essaybank.com/

Web Spotlight:

The Power of Love

The effect of a teacher and the effect in the classroom. Very motivating. Useful for principals especially.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9bSu_Snlbsw#!

Dying teacher’s quest: Did I make a difference?

..nothing to do with my speaking, more to do with my listening…
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/23/inspirational-teacher/1785739/

News:

More Evidence Showing The Dangers Of Using High-Stakes Testing For Teacher Evaluation

Though slogging through academic papers like these often lead me to thoughts of shooting myself, I think this paragraph sums it up and is worth a read:

In sum, the results indicate that a teacher’s effect on test scores and other non-cognitive outcomes are largely orthogonal such that teachers who tend to improve test scores are no more or less likely to improve non-test score outcomes…. It is clear that a teacher’s effect on non-cognitive skills is essentially missed by her effect on test scores.
This implies that roughly half of teachers classified as above average at improving test score will be below average at improving non-cognitive ability and roughly 25 percent of teachers in the top 25 percent of improving test scores will be in the bottom 25 percent at improving non-cognitive ability. Because unexplained variability in outcomes associated with individual teachers is not just noise, but is systematically associated with their ability to improve unmeasured noncognitive skills, classifying teachers based on their test score value-added will likely lead to large shares of excellent teachers being deemed poor and vice versa
…. Another implication is that if teachers must expend less effort improving non-cognitive ability in order to improve cognitive ability, regimes that increase the external rewards for test scores (such as paying teachers for test score performance or test-based accountability) may undermine the creation of students’ non-cognitive skills (Holmstrom & Milgrom, 1991). In light of the large estimated benefits to higher noncognitive skills (particularly for students at the lower end of the earnings distribution) in Table 2, this may be cause for concern.

A cause for concern, indeed….

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2013/01/04/more-evidence-showing-the-dangers-of-using-high-stakes-testing-for-teacher-evaluation/

Sure, Big Data Is Great. But So Is Intuition.

By STEVE LOHR
Published: December 29, 2012

The problem is that a math model, like a metaphor, is a simplification. This type of modeling came out of the sciences, where the behavior of particles in a fluid, for example, is predictable according to the laws of physics.
Models can create what data scientists call a behavioral loop. A person feeds in data, which is collected by an algorithm that then presents the user with choices, thus steering behavior.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/30/technology/big-data-is-great-but-dont-forget-intuition.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=1&

advisory, AMLE, MSM, Podcast, Tech, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 229: SuperSize this Half Baked Idea…

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

After trying a new shampoo for the first time, Morris mailed
off an enthusiastic letter of approval to the manufacturer.

Several weeks later he came home from work to a large carton
in the middle of the floor. Inside were free samples of the
many products the same company produced: soaps, detergents,
tooth paste, and paper items… with a “thank you” note from
the manufacturer.
“Well, What do you think?” asked his smiling wife, Ruth.

“I think that next time,” Morris replied. “I’m writing to
General Motors.”

*********************************************

1. Another flight attendant’s comment on a less than perfect
landing: “We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo
bounces us to the terminal.”

2. After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the Flight Attendant came
on with, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash
and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate.
And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we’ll open
the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.”

3. Part of a flight attendant’s arrival announcement: “We’d like
to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you
get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized
metal tube, we hope you’ll think of US Airways.”

********************************************************

Three strings walk into a bar and sit down at a table. The first string walks up to the bartender and says, “Bartender, three beers please.” The bartender looks at the string and says, “I’m sorry, but we don’t serve strings here.” Disappointed, the string walks back to his buddies and explains. The second string says “No problem, I’ll go get our beers.” The second string walks up to the bartender, “Bartender, three beers please.” The bartender says, “Listen man, I told your buddy that we don’t serve strings here.” Empty handed, the second string walks back to his buddies. The third string says, “No problem. Tie me in a knot at one end and fray my ends at the other.” He struts up to the bartender, “Bartender, three beers please.” The bartender proceeds to get him the beer when he suspiciously turns to look at the string and says, “Excuse me, but are you a string?” The string replies, “I’m a frayed knot!”

http://www.middleweb.com/5053/humor-in-the-classroom/

Eileen Award:

 

  • Scoopit:
  • Twitter: Christina B. Steele, Ryan Becker
  • Facebook:
  • Google+: King Almojuela,
  • iTunes:
  • eMail:

Advisory:

Art Wolfe Photography

Great wildlife photos. Have the kids make stories for each picture. (For fun, search for camoflage).
http://artwolfe.photoshelter.com/

How to Write Letters

Above all, it reminds us that sentiment lives not only in what is being communicated but also in how it is being communicated — an osmosis all the more important today, when cold screens and electronic text have left the written word homogenized and devoid of expressive form.
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/12/21/how-to-write-letters-1876/

How Fast Can You Name…

Come up with a common list. Have the students name them as quickly as possible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xly_lNW_2o4#!

How to Make A Puppet by Jim Henson

Ask the kids if they’ve ever seen the Muppets. This is a 15 minute video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AC440k6iByA

Middle School Science Minute

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

I was recently reading the December, 2012 issue of Science Scope, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association for middle school teachers.  There was a very interesting article on clouds written by Tina Cartwright, Rommel Miranda, Ronald Hermann, and Deb Hemler entitled, “Clear Skies Ahead: Clearing Up Confusion About Clouds.”

They provided a very helpful semi-dichotomous cloud key that seems very helpful in helping students in the cloud identification process.  A version of the cloud key containing color photos of each cloud type can be found at:

http://wvscience.org/clouds/Cloud_Key.pdf

 

From the Twitterverse:

* ESSDACK ‏@ESSDACK
One of the best Middle Schools Apps! iTooch #mschat
* Eric Hanson ‏@HansonEP
Great livebinder – iPad Apps http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/119771 … for U.S. History
* Erin Klein ‏@KleinErin
3 Popular Video Creation Tools Being Used By Teachers http://zite.to/12UyDYB
* Wesley Fryer, Ph.D. ‏@wfryer
MT @DMaxMJ: Share & sign this “end testing obsession” petition.Free students 2B learners,teachers 2 teach https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/cease-harmful-public-education-policies-relying-standardized-testing/w8ZrZwVT … #fb
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: A Simple Guide To 4 Complex Learning Theories | @edudemic
* David Britten ‏@colonelb
RT @OaklandSchools: What Learning Will Look Like in 2013 http://ow.ly/gpunT  via @anniemurphypaul #EdChat
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
The 20 Best Education Apps & Web Tools Of The Year http://flip.it/ddclh  #fhucid #fhuedu320 #fhuedu642
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
25 Tablet Idea to Enhance Learning Experiences http://flip.it/1fUtr  #fhucid #fhuedu320 #fhuedu642
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
5 Components to a Quality Education http://flip.it/cstvP  #fhuedu610 #fhuedu508 #fhucid ~ for @MSMatters followers
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Books to Read

http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/tempered-radical/12-2012/three-professional-reads-are-worth-your-time

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome

Kathy Hoopman

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1843104814/

Explania

Welcome to Explania! Watch hundreds of animated explanations, interactive tutorials and instructional videos, and feel free to embed them on your own web pages.

http://www.explania.com/en

Free NASA e-Book

This book is available for download on your iPad with iBooks or on your computer with iTunes.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hubble-space-telescope-discoveries/id588428410?mt=11

BadgeMaker

Make your own ID card, press pass, name tag, unofficial Flickr badge, or any other kind of identification. Print it out, laminate it, wear it with pride! Make any kind of identification* easily in just a few seconds.
http://bighugelabs.com/badge.php

Web Spotlight:

When Creative Musical Genius Meets YouTube

By Wesley Fryer On December 26, 2012
There are some people in this world who have creative, musical genius that absolutely knocks your socks off when you hear and see it. Jon Cozart (Paint on YouTube) is one of those people.
His 104 second video with himself, “Lord of the Rings in 99 Seconds,” has 1.3 million YouTube views to date. It makes the video I created with my kids in the summer of 2011, “The Hobbit In Five Minutes,” look like a far more coarse and amateurish attempt at a 3 novel / movie plot summary.
http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2012/12/26/when-creative-musical-genius-meets-youtube/

What’s the difference between Holland and The Netherlands?

Posted on Sunday, December 23rd, 2012 at 12:11 pm. PT
Written by Shawn King
Have you ever wondered what the difference between “Holland” and “The Netherlands” is? Of course you haven’t – not many have.
But just in case you have even a mild interest, this video by C. G. P. Grey does an amazing job of explaining this odd little quirk of geography. And, for even more explanation of geographic and historical anomalies, check out his“The Difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England Explained”.
http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/12/23/whats-the-difference-between-holland-and-the-netherlands/

TregoED SCAN

So I gave it a go this last marking period and . . . .

 

Half-Baked Idea . . .

So I got these “electronic resource devices” for my classroom and I tried this idea on the day before Christmas break . . .

advisory, AMLE, Conferences, MSM, Podcast, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 228: Power Hungry Internet- Raspberry Pi . . . Ummm, Pie…

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

Two prisoners were making their escape over the jailhouse roof when one of them dislodged a tile. “Who’s there shouted a guard. The first prisoner replied with a convincing imitation of a cat’s meow. Reassured, the guard when back to his rounds
But then the second prisoner dislodged another tile. The guard repeated, “Who’s there?”
“The other cat,” answered the prisoner.

A circus owner walked into a bar to see everyone crowded around a table watching a little show. On the table was an upside down pot and a duck tap dancing on it. The circus owner was so impressed that he offered to buy the duck from its owner. After some wheeling and dealing they settled for $10,000 for the duck and the pot.
Three days later the circus owner runs back to the bar in anger, “Your duck is a rip-off! I put him on the pot before a whole audience and he didn’t dance a single step!” “So?” asked the duck’s former owner, “did you remember to light the candle under the pot?”

Teacher: What are the four main food groups?
Students: Canned, frozen, instant, and lite.

A little girl complained that she didn’t want to go back to school.
“But why, Lisa?” asked her mother.
“Well, I can’t read, I can’t write, and they won’t let me talk.”

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Bethany Beaudrie, Derek McCoy, Vinnie Stocker
  • eMail:  Dr. John Harrison

Advisory:

Unrelated People Who Look Like Each Other

http://twentytwowords.com/2012/12/13/portraits-of-people-who-arent-related-but-look-like-each-other-6-pictures/

Middle School Science Minute

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

Middle School Science Minute — Citizen Science

I was recently reading the November, 2012 issue of Science Scope, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association.  In the magazine, Jennifer Fee and Nancy Trautmann, wrote an article entitled “Connecting to Your Community Through Birds and Citizen Science.”  Within the article they explained what is meant by the term “Citizen Science.”  They defined a citizen scientist as a person who collaborates with scientists to gather data on projects and contributes to scientific research.

From the Twitterverse:

* Steve ‏@2learn2
Why Nate Silver Can Save Math Education in America http://goo.gl/ZW1QF
* David Tebo ‏@tebotweets
Pantophobia in Education: http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/6837
* Jerry Blumengarten ‏@cybraryman1
My Project Based Learning page: http://cybraryman.com/projectbasedlearning.html … #rechat
* Bill Ferriter ‏@plugusin
This @samchaltain bit on the pros and cons of longer school days should be required reading for #edpolicy wonks: http://ow.ly/fVT6M
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
10 Steps to a Successful School iPad Program #edtech #plaea #ukstl
* nancyflanagan ‏@nancyflanagan
Common Core headed towards a $500 billion scandal. Imagine the horror as state after state reports drastic “drops”… http://prorevnews.blogspot.com/2012/12/common-core-headed-towards-500-billion.html …
* Steve Cushing ‏@Montberte
The Best Social Studies Sites Of 2012 — Part Two http://goo.gl/YVMIw
* Eric Sheninger ‏@NMHS_Principal
Infographic: How Does Digital Learning Contribute to Deeper Learning? http://buff.ly/Zka48g
* Beth Still ‏@BethStill
Guest post by @kris_still on how to be prepared in the event of a crisis. http://bethstill.edublogs.org/2012/12/14/preparing-for-the-worst-case-scenario/ … #nebedu #cpchat
* CBC Toronto ‏@CBCToronto
Ontario teachers confirm 1-day walkout
Monte Tatom @drmmtatom
8 Useful Video Apps for your #iPad flip.it/AphMQ #fhuedu320 #fhucid ~ for @MSMatters followers
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Teachers are talent scouts

Spotting talent and helping students see their own gift is one of those things that makes teaching so intoxicating to me. I get to do this? I am a talent scout. Are you?
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2012/12/teachers-are-talent-scouts.html

Web Spotlight:

Bomb Sight Mapping

The Bomb Sight is using the Bomb Census Maps as the primary data in the tools we are developing. The maps are part of an extensive array of material collected during the Bomb Census Survey 1940 to 1945, organised by the Ministry of Home Security. The records are held in The National Archive (TNA), and we are using the maps with a non-commercial education licence.
http://bombsight.org/#16/51.5034/-0.0987

INFOGRAPHIC: A POWER HUNGRY INTERNET

We know the internet is huge but it’s also growing at a crazy fast pace – doubling in size every 18-24 months! While this is staggering many people fail to think about what it actually takes to keep the Internet up and running every day. As it turns out its actually more than the auto industry and all that energy isn’t being used very efficiently.
http://www.infographicsarchive.com/tech-and-gadgets/infographic-a-power-hungry-internet/

Amazing Anamorphic Illusions!

You’ve got to see it to believe it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBNHPk-Lnkk&sns=em

Anatomy of Preservation

This time-lapse video from LSA’s Museum of Zoology takes the bat species Artibeus jamacanensis from specimen to display. The process might be a little stomach-churning, but then again, good science isn’t always mess-free.

As one of the largest university museums in the world, the Museum of Zoology is a crucial resource for use in research, conservation, and education. Studying animals such as Artibeus jamacanensis allows scientists to craft a tangible record of life on Earth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VwT6RLsYe1c#!

Departing Space Station Commander Provides Tour of Orbital Laboratory

In her final days as Commander of the International Space Station, Sunita Williams of NASA recorded an extensive tour of the orbital laboratory and downlinked the video on Nov. 18, just hours before she, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency departed in their Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft for a landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan. The tour includes scenes of each of the station’s modules and research facilities with a running narrative by Williams of the work that has taken place and which is ongoing aboard the orbital outpost.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=doN4t5NKW-k

How long will we live — and how well?

A new analysis looks not only at the number of years we can expect to live, but also at the number of years we can expect to live in good health. In most of the world, life expectancy is longer than it was 20 years ago, but often a smaller percentage of those years will be healthy ones.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/health/healthy-life-expectancy/

Taking Responsibility


This was apparently from a group project.
http://i.imgur.com/mEOv7.jpg

AMLE Annual Conference Sessions:

State Affiliate Meeting
Update on the state of AMLE
Where were we last year?
Top Priorities for his first year
Taking steps

Top Priorities for his first year.
People come first
Emphasize the AMLE mission
Develop a vision for customer service
We are the brand
Taking Steps
1.  Through stakeholder input determine if this draft vision aligns to the Mission Statement and Goals of AMLE and what AMLE wants to become.
2.  Prepare the board of trustees to consider adopting a new strategic plan.
3.  Develop measures of success to chart progress of the mission and goals for striving towards the vision.
4.  Annually identify key strategic priority areas and execution plans for accomplishment of these annual priorities.
Where are we now?
Strategic Plan was approved by Board of Trustees in April.
Strategic Plan goals distributed to stakeholders in August
Strategic Plan strategies distributed of stakeholders in September
Structure of Strategic Plan
•Mission, Vision, Core values
•Six goals
•28 Strategies
Updated Mission and Vision
•Mission:  The Association for Middle Level Education is dedicated to improving the educational experiences of all students ages 10-15 by providing vision, knowledge, and resources to educators and leaders.
•Vision:  The Association for Middle Level Education is the leading national and international organization advancing the education of all students ages 10 to 15, helping them succeed as learners and make positive contributions to their communities and to the world.
(Current membership is around 30,000)
Strategic Plan Goals
Goals are numbered, but not according to priority.
•Goal 1:  Increase AMLE’s visibility with educators and policymakers worldwide.
•Goal 2:  Refine research-based professional development programs and services to ensure they are timely and relevant.
•Goal 3:  Develop partnerships and collaborative relationships with affiliates and other coalitions to influence programs and legislation to improve middle level education.
•Goal 4:  Increase membership.
•Goal 5:  Develop a business model and financial plan that places AMLE on sound financial footing and allows flexibility for strategic initiatives.
Goal 6:  Strengthen the board’s capacity to deliver AMLE’s mission and vision.

Commentary:  The focus of the association is now looking at state affiliates as partners in a coalition, not competitors.

Goal 1:  Increase AMLE’s visibility with educators and policymakers worldwide
•1.1:  Promote the significance of middle level education philosophy and practice.
•1.2:  Create web-based delivery models, including social media, for content and communications.
Lots of folks liked the app for the conference.
•1.3:  Make the website current, visually attractive, and user-friendly.
The number of iPad users visiting the site doubles monthly.
•1.4:  Review the efficacy of the current brand and make necessary changes.
Unify the brand logo through a uniform standard of “look”.
Doing a new brand study and it’s representation.
#4 on this list will come before #3.

Goal 2:  Refine research-based professional development programs and services to ensure they are timely and relevant.
•2.1:  Regularly review This We Believe and revise as needed.
•2.2:  Initiate and publish ongoing middle level education research.
•2.3:  Continue to present a high-quality annual conference that offers relevant and timely content.
•2.4:  Develop theme based conferences based on regional or national topics that are research based, relevant, and needs based.
•2.5:  Revise the content of Leadership Institutes to serve new and continuing participants and provide follow-up activities.
•2.6:  Increase partnerships with state departments of education.
Commentary:
Could we commission a study that the characteristics of This We Believe improve school achievement.
How do we get to the point where the association is driving the research in the field?
Our numbers this year are half of the numbers from the last time in Portland.
How do we make the flagship product meet the attendees where they are?
IDEA:  gear our conference to meet the initiatives in the state to get the State Board of Ed on board.
Theme based mini-conferences.
That’s ironic!  Think of the things we’re doing with drive-in conferences in Michigan.
We need to survey districts to find out what their strategies are.
Conference attendees are not always repeaters and so they don’t get the benefit of having repeating presenters.
Revise the content to serve new attendees vs. repeaters.
Goals:
Increasing affiliate capacity
Increasing partnerships with affiliates and teacher preparation and the superintendents at State Depts. of Education.
How do we get a piece of legislation codified in 50 different locals?

Goal 3:  Develop partnerships and collaborative relationships with affiliates and other coalitions to influence programs and legislation to improve middle level education.
•3.1:  Update the “Success inthe Middle” policy guide as a tool for influencing public policy and education standards.
•3.2:  Provide advocacy tools for AMLE members and partners.
•3.3:  Provide resources relevant to targeted education policy issues.
•3.4:  Engage with the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association to enhance their understanding of the needs of middle grades youth.
•3.5:  Collaborate with affiliate and coalition leaders, including organizations with missions that foster diversity in education.
•3.6:  Reconsider recommendations from the 2010 Affiliate Task Force Report.
•3.7:  Develop a plan to collaborate with international associations.
Commentary:
There is a legislative piece of software that would be more cost effective to provide to affiliates vs. affiliates purchasing for each state.
Getting Ex. Dir.s at the table with State Boards on implementation legislation.  i.e. Common Core
Goal is to have half of the Affiliate Task Force recommendations done by next year.

Goal 4:  Increase membership.
•4.1:  Determine membership benefits.
Is there a benefit to having a “free” membership?  Enticement.
•4.2:  Evaluate current  membership structures and fees.
•4.3:  Target new-entry educators.
•4.4:  Develop a plan to increase Collegiate Middle Level Association chapters and members.
•4.5:  Develop global membership.
•4.6: Cultivate diverse membership.
Commentary:
Reduce the types of membership.  Too many choices.
Building membership (5) usually listed, not all the teachers in the building.

Goal 5:  Develop a business model and financial plan that places AMLE on sound financial footing and allows flexibility for strategic initiatives.
•5.1:  Develop financial reports that align resources to mission, vision, and core values.
•5.2:  Develop an operating plan to launch an opportunity fund to support new iniatives that align to the  mission, vision, and strategic goals of AMLE.
How would we launch something big if we had the opportunity to?

Goal 6:  Strengthen the board’s capacity to deliver AMLE’s mission and vision.
•6.1:  Prepare board members to advance and articulate AMLE’s messages.
•6.2:  Review the board’s structure, composition, and function and make adjustments, as needed, to support AMLE’s mission and vision and reflect the changing demographics of students and educators.
•6.3:  Provide appropriate and ongoing professional learning for the board.
Commentary:
Board structure and governance needs to be revisited.
Do you need an Executive Board?  If so, your board is too big.
Does your board represent geography or expertise?
Finding more professional development for the board.
Training to be better board members.

Can we reach the summit, together?
These strategies will take time to implement.

Additional dialogue
Questions
Comments

advisory, News, Podcast, Tech, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 227: We’re Not New & Noteworthy, We’re Hot!

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Eileen Award:

 

  • Facebook:  Joyce Capcara Fisher, Nelly Korman, The Simply Scientific Classroom

 

Jokes You Can Use:

A boy always asks for 50 cents from his mother. So his mother questioned the boy on why he kept asking for 50 cents. The boy replied that his friend told him that if you eat 50 cents worth of peanuts a day you would become smarter. Quickly his mother gave him $5. The boy asks “Why $5”, and the mother replied, “Buy 50 cents of peanut for yourself and buy peanuts for your father with the balance.”

One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little to her class. She came to the part of the story where Chicken Little tried to warn the farmer. She read, “…. and so Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!”

The teacher paused then asked the class, “And what do you think that farmer said?”

One little girl raised her hand and said,
“I think he said: ‘Holy Mackerel! A talking chicken!'”

The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.

A man needing some legal help walks into a law firm. He asks an attorney,
“If I give you $300 per hour to help answer two legal problems I have, will you help me?” The attorney replies “Sure, what’s the other question?”

Advisory:

Perceptions:

Here’s an interesting video. It is an interesting take on perception. Entertaining and instructive. 4:33 long. (via Larry Ferlazzo)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FUv-Q6EgEFI

A blind person describes color

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=59YN8_lg6-U

What would you do?
Here is a 12-year-old middle school wrestler,Justin Kievit showing a great amount of humility and sportsmanship to his fellow competitor Jared Stevens. I dare you to watch this video and not let out a tear or two.
http://cosbysweaters.com/2012/12/04/middle-school-wrestler-shows-us-all-what-sportsmanship-is-about/

Middle School Science Minute

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

Culturing Microorganisms
I was recently reading the December, 2012 issue of the Science Teacher, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association.  In the magazine, Key Roy, Director of Environmental Health and Safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Connecticut wrote an article entitled, “Dangers in a Dish.”  In this article he shares the dangers of culturing microorganisms in the K-12 classroom.

From the Twitterverse:

* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
5 Great Ways for Teachers to Collaborate on Twitter http://flpbd.it/iUJT2  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
How Teachers Are Using Social Media Right Now http://flpbd.it/of7jF  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers
* Diane Ravitch ‏@DianeRavitch
Setting Schools Up to Fail http://wp.me/p2odLa-36b
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: 20 Tech Trends for 2013
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: An iPad Workflow for the Classroom Using Google Drive & Pages, Keynote, or Numbers & Notability | …
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
The 50 Most Popular Books For Teachers http://flip.it/hE0io  #fhuedu508 #fhuedu320 #fhupsy306
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Top 10 Bookmarking Websites for Teachers http://flip.it/kg7gV  #fhucid #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320
* International Center ‏@RigorRelevance
Have You Flipped Your Faculty Meeting Yet?by @PeterMDeWitt
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
Common Core Big Idea 5: Consider Meaningful Assessment http://flip.it/FXoEz  #fhuedu610 #fhuedu508
* WORLD Magazine ‏@WORLD_mag
Debt and destruction: Insights into America’s rise illuminate the causes of her unraveling http://ow.ly/fVOHF  @MarvinOlasky
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Resources:

Gallery of FakeBook Profiles

Some good examples of fake FaceBook profiles.
http://www.classtools.net/main_area/fakebook/gallery/

Sign Up Genius

If you are a group leader and find yourself organizing volunteers, meals, service projects, or events… we want to make your life a lot simpler! Now you can coordinate it all online… FREE!
http://www.signupgenius.com/

Introduction to the Living Wage Calculator

In many American communities, families working in low-wage jobs make insufficient income to live locally given the local cost of living. Recently, in a number of high-cost communities, community organizers and citizens have successfully argued that the prevailing wage offered by the public sector and key businesses should reflect a wage rate required to meet minimum standards of living. Therefore we have developed a living wage calculator to estimate the cost of living in your community or region. The calculator lists typical expenses, the living wage and typical wages for the selected location.
http://livingwage.mit.edu/

Web Spotlight:

Books to Read

‘Tis the time of year that many people pick up additional books to read. Here are some thoughts:
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/12/04/best-psychology-philosophy-books-2012/

Whole Novels

I’m writing a chapter of my book on Whole Novels–in which students read an entire novel more or less on their own before having substantive discussions about it–about support and differentiation for diverse learners. The classes at my school could not be more diverse, with reading levels spanning from second or third grade through first year college.  It’s rewarding and mind-blowing!
http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/shoulders-giants/11-2012/my-co-teachers-weigh-whole-novels

7 Habits of Effective Teachers who use Technology:
We’ve all heard about Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Some teachers out there may have heard of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers. Below are our 7 habits of highly effective teachers who use technology:
1) They always start with the why.
2) They are malleable and can easily adapt.
3) They embrace change.
4) They share, share, and then share some more.
5) They think win-win-win-win.
6) They are extremely thorough and think two steps ahead.
7) They actively care.
http://blog.alwaysprepped.com/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-teachers-who-use-technology/

News:

The Weight of Obesity

Obesity has become an epidemic in our society called developed, according to the OECD. What is the extent of this phenomenon ? Which countries are most affected ?
http://visual.ly/weight-obesity

Top 10 Bad Tech Predictions

Think today’s pundits and scientists can really forecast the future? Not if history is any lesson. Relive the folly of predictions past with 10 particularly ill-fated tech prophecies that did not stand the test of time.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/features/top-10-bad-tech-predictions/

STEM Students Must Be Taught to Fail

As a mechanical engineering professor at Northwestern University, I believe that that’s precisely what we should be teaching our students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects: how to fail. Right now, we do not explicitly teach our students how to fail so that they can get right back up. That’s in direct conflict with our goal: to prepare students to play competitively upon graduation. If our students are going to stop deadly pandemics, solve the energy crisis, and cure world hunger and poverty, they will have to be prepared to fail, over and over—and more important, they will need to know how to learn from those failures. STEM innovator Albert Einstein recognized that falling is an inevitable part of innovation; he’s quoted as having said, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” Another STEM innovator, Marie Curie attributed her success the fact that, as she put it, “I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.”
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/11/23/stem-students-must-be-taught-to-fail

2 Mesa students forced to hold hands as punishment for fighting

Two high schoolers in Mesa, Arizona were given a choice of punishment after getting into a fight at school — Be suspended or sit in the courtyard all day holding hands. You can see what they chose…
The Mesa school district wants everyone to know that they don’t condone this type of corrective strategy and will be discussing it with the principal who sentenced these boys to public humiliation.
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/mesa/two-mesa-students-forced-to-hold-hands-as-punishment-for-fighting

advisory, AMLE, ConferencesBy Troy Patterson

MSM 226: Cheesy Penny Lane, I Used to Think…

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Eileen Award:

 

  • Google+: Patti Gray

 

Jokes You Can Use:

When his teenage son asked to borrow twenty dollar, the man said, “Son, don’t you realize that there are more important things in life than money?”
“Yes, sir,” the youth replied, “I do. But you need money to take them to the movies.”

A tourist in Vienna goes through a graveyard and all of a sudden he hears some music. No one is around, so he starts searching for the source.
He finally locates the origin and finds it is coming from a grave with a headstone that reads: “Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827.”
Then he realizes that the music is the Ninth Symphony, and it is being played backward! Puzzled, he leaves the graveyard and persuades a friend to return with him. By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music has changed. This time it is the Seventh Symphony, but like the previous piece, it is being played backward. Curious, the men agree to consult a music scholar.
When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony is playing, again backward. The expert notices that the symphonies are being played in the reverse order in which they were composed, the 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th.
By the next day the word has spread and a throng has gathered around the grave. They are all listening to the Second Symphony being played backward.
Just then the graveyard’s caretaker ambles up to the group. Someone in the group asks him if he has an explanation for the music.
“Don’t you get it?” the caretaker says incredulously. “He’s decomposing.”

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a midwest town he planned to visit on his vacation. He wrote, “I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?”
An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who said, “I’ve been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I’ve never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls. I’ve never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. and I’ve never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you’re welcome to stay here, too.”

Advisory:

Cost of a penny


http://what-if.xkcd.com/22/

Middle School Science Minute

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

Public Laboratory (not lavatory 🙂

Troy Patterson, of the “Middle School Matters” podcast mentioned Raspberry Pi recently, and it got me to wondering if most people knew what it is.  Raspberry Pi is is a credit-card sized computer which can help kids do spreadsheets, play games, watch HD videos and learn programming, all for about $25.

It got me to thinking of other “Do It Yourself” gadgets that middle school students might also enjoy.  This then took me to the Public Laboratory:
http://publiclaboratory.org
a community where you can learn how to investigate environmental concerns using inexpensive “Do It Yourself” techniques.

From the Twitterverse:

* Will Richardson ‏@willrich45
“My Kindergartner had 14 tests this year…” http://wapo.st/QV4dE6  I’m telling you, reformers are going to test themselves out of business.
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
Just a Reminder: American Teachers Do More Work for Less Pay Than Their International Peers #edreform #iaedfuture
* Lucas Gillispie ‏@PCSTech
Full middle-grades language arts curriculum based in WoW and CommonCore aligned is here – http://wowinschool.pbworks.com/  #BYOTchat
* Gary Johnston ‏@GaryJohnston1
My First 3 Days In A 1:1 iPad Classroom http://edudemic.com/2012/11/my-first-3-days-with-a-11-ipad-classroom/ … via @edudemic Great advice from someone who hit the ground running.
James ‏@CrashCourseTech
CommBadge gives you a Star Trek: TNG experience…almost: Tired of plugging a Bluetooth earpiece i… via @phonearena
* Miguel Guhlin ‏@mguhlin
A Must Have App Evaluation Rubric for Teachers http://dlvr.it/2Z0RPX
* BethRitterGuth ‏@BethRitterGuth
RT @bausel: Free Resources for Teachers | Online Student Code of Conduct http://www.diigo.com/bookmark/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collaborizeclassroom.com%2Fresources%2Fgetting-started%2Fonline-student-code-of-conduct …
* Steve ‏@2learn2
TED: Paolo Cardini: Forget multitasking, try monotasking – Paolo Cardini (2012) http://goo.gl/NY7QJ
NASA ‏@NASA
Did you know there’s a great online source with almost 60K NASA images & 30K videos? Visit: http://www.nasaimages.org
* Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod
New bookmark: Legal and ethical issues surrounding use of VAM for teacher evaluation
* Monte Tatom ‏@drmmtatom
How Teachers Are Using Social Media Right Now http://flpbd.it/of7jF  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers

5 Great Ways for Teachers to Collaborate on Twitter http://flpbd.it/iUJT2  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers

6 #iPad Apps That Help You Create Interactive Study Guides http://flpbd.it/WYrvX  #mLearning #fhuedu320 ~ for @MSMatters followers

Report: Middle School Students Using Smartphones More Interested in STEM — THE Journal http://flpbd.it/3ZyOU  #fhuedu642 #fhuedu320
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  

Resources:

Transcribe

http://transcribe.wreally.com/

Why Everything Sucks

*Note – some Not Safe For Work Language (NSFW) is present.
http://twentytwowords.com/2012/11/25/craig-fergusons-rant-against-the-deification-of-youth-and-stupidity/

Questioning Autism?

Questioning Autism? is an iOS app designed to help concerned parents understand the signs and symptoms of autism, and to convey their observations to their pediatrician. The app features 12 simple questions, and the ability to share the observations with notes via email. Parents and caregivers can track a child’s progress over time, and save their observations for multiple children. Also included are helpful resources and the ability to share the app socially.
http://asddad.com/2012/11/20/questioning-autism-app-is-available/

15 Cheesy Christmas Music Videos on YouTube

Well, the title pretty much says it all.

http://mashable.com/2012/11/24/cheesy-christmas-music-videos/

Historical Figure Greeting Cards

This morning I used the web version of the Trading Card Creator to create an Abraham Lincoln trading card. To create the card I found a public domain image of Lincoln, uploaded it to the template provided by RWT, and completed the fields that asked for information about Lincoln’s life. When my card was completed I was able to download it to my computer. I could have also emailed it to myself or to a friend.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/11/create-trading-cards-for-historical-and_27.html

Web Spotlight:

Primary Sources

Docs Teach offers seven free tools that teachers can use to create interactive learning activities based on primary source documents and images. The seven tools are Finding a Sequence, Focusing on Details, Making Connections, Mapping History, Seeing the Big Picture, Weighing the Evidence, and Interpreting Data.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/11/create-your-own-interactive-primary.html

I used to think…

In a beautifully candid and beautifully written piece for PLP Network’s Voices from the Learning Revolution, Canadian teacher Shelly Wright examines how her thinking and her classroom practice have changed.
http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/teachmoore/11-2012/read-i-used-think-teacher-reflections
http://plpnetwork.com/2012/11/08/think/

The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Too many kids already hate school. Why do we want to make them do more of it?
http://practicaltheory.org/blog/2012/11/23/the-beatings-will-continue-until-morale-improves-2/

News:

Homework

A study led by an Indiana University School of Education faculty member finds little correlation between time spent on homework and better course grades for math and science students, but a positive relationship between homework time and performance on standardized tests.
Contrary to much of the published research, a regression analysis of time spent on homework and the final class grade found no substantive difference in grades between students who complete homework and those who do not. But the analysis found a positive association between student performance on standardized tests and the time they spent on homework.
The authors suggest in their conclusions that other factors such as class participation and attendance may mitigate the association of homework to stronger grade performance.
“We’re not trying to say that all homework is bad,” Maltese said. “It’s expected that students are going to do homework. This is more of an argument that it should be quality over quantity. So in math, rather than doing the same types of problems over and over again, maybe it should involve having students analyze new types of problems or data. In science, maybe the students should write concept summaries instead of just reading a chapter and answering the questions at the end.”
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/23471.html?emailID=23471

AMLE Annual Conference Sessions:

Dr. John Medina:  Brain Rules

The field of neuroscience doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with education.
Brain Mythologies
10% usage
Left brain vs. Right brain
Cross brain/physical thingy:  bunk
Interpretation of data is everything!
We don’t know much about the brain, but we do know some things.
Solve problems, related to surviving, outdoors and constantly on the move.
Lecture Part One:  Exercise and the brain
Exercise boosts brain power and counteracts the effects of stress.
“Ode to a Sedentary Carnivore”
1989- Paper called ?

Baby boomers were aging either beautifully or not so beautifully.

Sedentary lifestyle made all the difference.

Executive function vs sedentary.  The scores are hugely different for those that had exercise.

   20-150% difference in scores after introducing exercise.
Aerobics and toning exercise does not improve your memory.
How much exercise to get benefit?
150 minutes of walking, enough that you couldn’t sing while you walk.
Exercise boosts cognition
Sweet spot:  20% increase in learning if the exercise comes right before the classroom experience.
Aerobic trumps strengthening.
Structure:  Exercise, class, class, exercise, class class
Lecture Part Two:
Arousal States
Being digitally exposed during studying is the same as being drunk.