Category: MSM

Middle School Matters podcast related information

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 497: TikTok Pasta Dancing Down By the Bayeux

Jokes:  

Why do ice cream vendors make the best reporters?

  • They always get the scoop

My friend married a woman who installs internet connections. 

  • Definitely a Wifi can proud of.

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

  • You are Ranch dressing

What’s the opposite of Lady Fingers? 

  • Mentos

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

  • Luftwaffe

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Middle School Students

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

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

Reports from the Front Lines

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

Advisory:  

Life Lessons from 100 Year

If my cake fails, I made pudding…

People give up too easily…

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

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

Free Bayeux App

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

Free Online App Lets You Create Your Own Bayeux Tapestry

The Twitterverse

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC  @Pfagell

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

Me: “Smizing?” 

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

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

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

Run And Rant PLN   @runandrant

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

Michigan.gov  @migov

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

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

Strategies:  

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

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

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

Resources:

How to Spot Fake News

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-to-spot-fake-news/#annotations:TIGZ9GypEeu0sQcYollOVw

100-Plus Mentor Texts for Documenting Your Life in 2020

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/learning/100-plus-mentor-texts-for-documenting-your-life-in-2020.html#annotations:J9vf1GwXEeutKKuT8fxHqw

First Book Free Resources

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

Synth Podcasting Platform Updates

View at Medium.com

The Culture Translator

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

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

Slang of the Week

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

TikTok On a Platter

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

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

What is Love?  

What does love look like?  No, not that .. . . 

400 Years of Literary Examples

Web Spotlight:  

Maintaining Classroom Discipline (1947)

Why most schools won’t ‘reinvent’ themselves after the pandemic

http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2021/01/why-most-schools-wont-reinvent-themselves-after-the-pandemic.html#annotations:nMo78GjfEeud3qeMjn2rVw

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 496: Crisis or Opportunity?

Jokes:  

Did you hear about the rogue Mimes who kidnapped the Banker? 

  • They did unspeakable things.

If a drummer comes out of retirement will there be …

  • repercussions?

If you notice cows sleeping in a field, what does that mean?

  • It’s pasture bedtime

Why is it always unexpected when an Australian cook makes meringue on a cooking show and the audience applauds? 

  • Australians usually boo meringue

Why did the fisherman bring the shark back? 

  • It was a loan shark

Started a new job as a delivery man. The first delivery there was a note, “Delivery person, we’re out, please hide in the garage”. It’s been eight hours and nobody’s found me yet. 

I swallowed a dictionary. 

  • It gave me thesaurus throat I’ve ever had. 

How are carpenter ants different than Regular Ants?

  • Rainy Days and Mondays get them down. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk“ column written by Patty McGinnis.  Her article was entitled “Learning for All.”

The changing demographics of our classrooms require differentiation strategies to ensure all students are working toward the performance expectations outlined in the NGSS.  One resource that you may find useful is the Universal Design for Learning framework, in which the teacher thoughtfully analyzes the learning environment and plans for all learners by removing barriers to learning.

Reports from the Front Lines

  •  Technical Troubles
    • Wiring vs Wifi 
  • Schedules
  • Restricted Access Fun in Moodle

Advisory:  

The Big Fib (Formerly Pants On Fire)

This is a podcast now with Disney adapted for Disney+.  Two adults, one is an expert and one is an absolute liar.  They bring on a middle schooler and they get to ask questions to find out who is the liar and who is the expert.  Play the podcast and then over time create your own.  You can find The Big Fib over here:  https://gzmshows.com/shows/listing/the-big-fib/  

A Capella Group Does Sound Effects  

Play the YouTube video and have the students figure out the sound.  Don’t let them see the video, they have an iPad showing the answers.  How many can they guess?  

Where Are You From?

The World’s Most Dangerous Fart

The Twitterverse

The Modest Teacher @ModestTeacher

I wish weight loss worked the same way as learning loss.  

M. Yip @melyiplit

Michigan teachers- join us March 11 and 17 for Analyzing Propaganda and Teaching Media Literacy with @HolocaustMI hosted by @WashISD FREE and all welcome! https://reg.abcsignup.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0050-0007-2046C6006ECA47E69F5ACD047378F045

Detroit Inst of Arts  @DIADetroit

The DIA joins the Detroit community in celebrating life of artist Charles McGee, who has passed away at the age of 96.  

Miguel Guhlin @mguhlin

That Chrome zero-day bug affects Edge, Vivaldi, and other Chromium-tinged browsers

AMLE  @AMLE

How can you promote good citizenship & mental wellness in a #virtualclassroom? Join us on 2/18 for a #webinar presented in assoc. w/ @pamleorg to learn best practices: #AMLE #PAMLE #middleschool #ICanHelp #mschat  

AIMS  @aimsnetwork

Have you checked out @AMLE‘s podcast: Middle School Walk & Talk? Timely topics related to all things middle school! https://buff.ly/3tAfzSf #AIMSNetwork

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

In each of my classes, a student gives a “daily dedication” where they talk about a fictional or real person who inspires them (idea borrowed from @edutopia article). SO MANY students get inspiration from anime ! I knew it was popular, but was ignorant of its power  https://t.co/5HEAq8Vxrx?amp=1  

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

Strategies:  

It’s a “Selfie” Thing:  The Role of Artifacts in Teacher Evaluation

“Don’t be afraid to document your achievements as an effective instructor.”

It’s a “Selfie” Thing: The Role of Artifacts in Teacher Evaluation

17 Bellringer Activities for Remote Learning

17 Bell Ringer Activities For Remote Learning

Scheduling

https://catlintucker.com/2021/02/hybrid-schedule/

Resources:

Primary Source Sources for Primary Source of the Day . . .  

Identifying children at risk of later being frequent online-technologies users

https://news.psu.edu/story/645008/2021/01/22/research/identifying-children-risk-later-being-frequent-online-technologies#annotations:KwBUGGAgEeuH07NmUeKgaw

Open Middle Problems

Ditch those worksheets! This book serves as a collection of digitally interactive Open Middle problems.  Be sure to check out Open Middle’s site: https://www.openmiddle.com/. This volume will continue to grow over time. This book also contains great resources from Steve Phelps and John Ulbright.

https://www.geogebra.org/m/jazvukfd#annotations:PKpPtmJ4EeuHcCdUnIyUdA

Great Gatsby

49,752 words (3 hours 1 minute) with a reading ease of 73.07 (fairly easy)

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-great-gatsby

Trinket

https://trinket.io/

Web Spotlight:  

Snowflake Generator

https://viviariums.com/projects/snowflake/interactive/

Proposed Legislation

HR8570  Teachers and Parents at the Table Act

Establishes a Teacher Advisory council to make sure the ESSA is implemented.  Headed up by the Secretary of Education.  

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8570?s=2&r=17

HR-8551  The Interstate Teacher Mobility Act

Participating states would accept the teaching certificates from other member states without additional teacher education so that a teacher can accept a position in another state without worrying about additional coursework.  

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8551?s=2&r=19

HR-8550  The Students Helping Younger Students Act of 2020

College students can get Federal money for working after school programs.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8550?s=2&r=20

HR-8623 Supporting Students with Disabilities During COVID Act

Supplemental funds for states to support children with disabilities and early childhood education.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8523?s=2&r=22

Virtual Based Opportunities from the Arab American National Museum

Educator Virtual Open House4:30-6 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 16FREE with RSVP
AANM invites Educators to join us for our first Educator Virtual Open House of 2021, taking place virtually over Zoom. The Open House will showcase the many educational, cultural and digital offerings and resources that AANM has available for educators locally and nationally to utilize in their classrooms. We are also excited to reveal, for the first time, some of the things we have been working on throughout 2020. Our goal is to equip teachers with appropriate materials and resources to better educate the masses about the Arab American community.
For questions, email Dave Serio, Education & Public Programming Specialist, at dserio “at” accesscommunity.org  Registration and more information can be found by clicking here.  
SURA Arts Academy: Online Photography Spring SemesterRegistration Deadline: 5 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 19
Conducted completely online from the comfort of students’ homes, once a week via Zoom, both Beginner (ages 11-18) and Intermediate (ages 17+) 10-week courses are available for students nationwide. 
Students will learn the art of photography during a 10-week online course designed to help students share stories about their lives, community and culture, developing skills in composition, lighting and storytelling. The curriculum includes visual presentations, photographic challenges, activities and more. Students’ work will focus on documenting our world in the age of Covid, and will be celebrated in the annual SURA Student Photography Exhibition in 2021. 
Register today, space is limited!
Museum Members: $75General Public: $100Scholarships awarded based on financial need + availability
Beginners Course (Ages 11-18): 4-6 p.m. EST Tuesdays, Feb. 23 – May 4, 2021No experience necessary. Students must have access to a cell phone with a high quality camera.
Intermediate Course (Ages 17+): 4-6 p.m. EST Wednesdays, Feb. 24 – May 5, 2021Students must have their own DSLR camera and have some experience using and understanding their camera.  More information and registration can be found by clicking here.  

Educators: want to learn more about best practices for teaching about the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)? 

The Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies (CMENAS) at the University of Michigan, in partnership with the Duke-UNC Center for Middle East Studies, is offering Grade 6-14 educators a series of five interactive 90-minute trainings, “How to teach about the Middle East — and Get it Right!” Register here. 

Educators may register for any or all of the sessions. SCECHs from the Michigan Department of Education are available.  

AXIS – The Culture Translator

Your Laugh Is Cringe

What it is: According to a Twitter thread started by The New York Times’ Taylor Lorenz, who reports on influencers and Gen Z, the youth have deemed the crying-laughing emoji as “cringe” and it is now reserved for people 30 and above.

Why you could choose to switch it up, or not: Affectionately dubbed “cry-face,” the “crying-laughing” emoji has been used for over a decade by iPhone and Android users alike as a shortcut to depict laughter or amusement. When teens text with each other, the cry-face might be interpreted as sarcasm or a passive aggressive response. If you’re still using “cry-face,” rest assured, your teen probably isn’t judging you. A parent sending “cry-face” will have different implications than it would when teens send it to each other. (Digital life has heaped layers of context onto our communication that will take years to untangle.) To better speak your teen’s (texting) language, you could try texting the skull emoji (as in, “that’s so funny, I’m dead”) or the actually crying emoji (as in, “that’s so funny, I’m weeping”).  

2021 Self C.A.R.E – AMLE 

“‘Educator” is synonymous with selfless. We wear this title with pride, even neglecting ourselves in the process, but it’s a new year, so why not start a new tradition of self-care? Self-care is any intentional way we focus on ourselves. This year—especially given our unique context–let’s consider ourselves as much as we consider those in our middle schools using C.A.R.E.: community, activity, reflection, and elimination.”

2021 Self-C.A.R.E.

Student ‘Compliance Does Not Equal Engagement’

Some research suggests that as students get older, their engagement with school tends to decrease. 

 Our nation’s infatuation with winning and being first is closely related to Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest situated in the realm of the education system.

Our students who are not the best or the brightest are viewed as liabilities who should fend for themselves and make it the best way they can. High-stakes testing, which compares schools, students, and services, has an unintended consequence of placing blame on the very students the system claims it wants to help educate.

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-student-compliance-does-not-equal-engagement/2021/01#annotations:g8TsMmfGEeuGn1doKOmRrw

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

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

Jokes:  

A lizard went for a job interview. 

Agent: “Can you do retail?”

Lizard: “Yes”.

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

Unfortunately, it is just a pigment of my imagination. 

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

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

My son kept chewing on electrical cords. 

I had to ground him.

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

What do you call a chicken that haunts a house? 

A poultrygeist

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

  • Instagram

Middle School Science Minute  

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

The Day-Night Cycle

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

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

Reports from the Front Lines

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

The Twitterverse

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp

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

Dr. Trisha Sotropa @t_sotropa

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

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

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

PAMLE   @pamleorg

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

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

Resources:

Plagiarism Checker

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

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

The University of Vilnius puts documents online for FREE!

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

Music for a Pandemic  

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

Baroque:  https://youtu.be/CuU9q2VKOyc  

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

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

Web Spotlight:  

How to Be Talent

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

*Warning: one swear word in the post. 

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

Why Scientists Want to Shorten the Minute to 59 Seconds

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taking a Stand Does Not Imply Bias

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

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 492: Insta is the new Santa?

Jokes:  

What do you call stealing someone’s coffee? 

  • Mugging

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

  • After all, it’s the first date. 

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

  • They are Purrfect.

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

  • There was a Count Down. 

Why do people in Athens hate getting up early? 

  • Dawn is tough on Greece

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

  • Pick up is easy, both boxed. 

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

  • Aretha Franklins

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

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

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

  • It was a vicious cycle.

Here’s a question for mind readers out there. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

What a Year!

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

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

Reports from the Front Lines

Advisory:  

Ira Glass on Storytelling

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

The Twitterverse

AMLE  @AMLE

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

Jeremy Hyler @Jeremybballer

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

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

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

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

MiddleWeb  @middleweb

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

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

Strategies:  

General Principles of Virtual Learning – Georgia State University  

Key Factors in Virtual Learning:  

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

Click to access Virtual-Learning_Literature-Review_20200707_FINAL.pdf

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

Fordham Institute’s Longitudinal Study on Reading Comprehension:  

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

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

Resources:

Good News

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

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

Good News, Inspiring, Positive Stories

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

Instagram is like . . . Santa Claus???

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

Web Spotlight:  

Tree.fm

Random forest images and audio. 

https://www.tree.fm/

Black Out Poetry

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

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

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

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

https://blackoutpoetry.glitch.me/#

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

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

Jokes:  

I want to go on record that I support farming. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • It’s thinly sliced cabbage.

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

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

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

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

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

Advisory:  

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

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

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

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

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

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Count Birds for Science This Winter with Project FeederWatch

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

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

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

https://feederwatch.org

Reports from the Front Lines

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

The Twitterverse

  Bob Newhart  @BobNewhart

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

Image

Steve Stewart-Williams @SteveStuWill

This is hilarious

Cpjones @icpjones

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

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

Strategies:  

Unit of Inquiry Planning Process and Resources (open)

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

Resources:

Standard Ebooks

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

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

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

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

40 Excellent Short Stories For Middle School

40 Excellent Short Stories For Middle School

Web Spotlight:  

Alphabetize This

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

Alphabetize

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

Alphabetize by Last Name

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

Sort Titles

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

Make Lowercase

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

Capitalize Titles

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

Remove Duplicates

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

Reverse list

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

Strip HTML

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

Randomize!

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

Number / Letter / Add Roman Numerals

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

Add Custom Text

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

Remove Word From Each Line

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

Ignore List Options

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

Separate Terms With

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

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

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 489: It’s a 50/50 . . .

Jokes:  

How much does Santa pay to park his sleigh? 

  • Nothing. It’s on the house

I feel shell shocked over this one:

I carry around a 6 foot book. 

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

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

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

My super power is hindsight. 

  • Unfortunately, that doesn’t help us now.

Where did Captain hook buy his hook?

  • At a second hand store

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

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

I was just looking at my ceiling. 

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

Reports from the Front Lines

  • The 50/50 structure
  • Failing 
  • Vaccine Allergies 

I’m Worried About My Students

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

The Twitterverse

Christopher Vilag  @StrongComputers·

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

Doug Robertson  @TheWeirdTeacher

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

Rich Czyz  @RACzyz

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

Rick Wormeli  @rickwormeli2

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

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

NCMLE – NC Association for Middle Level Education  @NCMiddle

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

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

Strategies:  

New Year’s Resolutions

Forbes- Seven Strategies

Time – Make New Year’s Stick

If You Come to Earth

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

Resources:

Google Books

https://books.google.com/

Others:

https://www.gutenberg.org/

https://librivox.org/

Web Spotlight:  

Stipple Art

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

https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/StippleGen

It’s Time to Stop Posting Lesson Plans

It’s Time to Stop Requiring Lesson Plan Submission

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 488: The Fungus, Among Us…

Jokes:  

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

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

  • It hurts like the Dickens. 

I got hit in the head with a drum. 

  • I think I have a percussion

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

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

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

  • He just can’t part with it.

My friend found out his girlfriend is really a ghost. 

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

Dry erase boards are remarkable!

Middle School Science Minute  

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

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

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

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

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

Part 1 — Virtual Simulations

Part 2 — Science at Home

Part 3 — Use of Data Sets

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

Reports from the Front Lines

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

The Twitterverse

gerry brooks @gerrybrooksprin

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

Adam Bold  @MrBold05

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

Diane Ravitch  @DianeRavitch

Teacher Burnout in the Pandemic

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

Yong Zhao, Ph.D @YongZhaoEd

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

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

Advisory:  

Interviews 

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

Resources:

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Ghosts of Segregation

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

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

PDFDrive

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

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

Web Spotlight:  

Gimkit

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

Looks Like You Need Iceland

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

Royalty Now

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

Random Thoughts . . .  

Check out these other Podcasts/Resources that we like:

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

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

Jokes:  

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

How can you tell if your donuts are bored? 

  • They get that glazed look….

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

  • It was just one ting after another.

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

  • It’s on Paperview

I’m not always comfortable going to the store. 

  • The cashiers are always checking me out. 

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

  • Yep, It cuts like a knife…..

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

  • In a Dad-a-Base

Middle School Science Minute  

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

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

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

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

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

Part 1 — Virtual Simulations

Part 2 — Science at Home

Part 3 — Use of Data Sets

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

Reports from the Front Lines

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

Advisory:  

Get To Know Your Students Better

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

The Twitterverse

Karen Vaites  @karenvaites

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

SCAssoc. for Middle  @The_SCAMLE

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

Will Richardson-BIG Questions Institute  @willrich45

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

Jennifer Gonzalez  @cultofpedagogy

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

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

Strategies:  

 56 Ways to Gather Evidence of Student Achievement

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

Redefining Annotation

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

Resources:

Slides Timer

Slides Timer Extension

Summarizing

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

Digital Notebook

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

Gettysburg AR Experience – American Battlefield Trust

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

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

Web Spotlight:  

We Can Help Students with Trauma Face Life More Positively

Mood Weather Report: Learn More About Your Students

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

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

Are You Smarter Than  Middle Years Kid?

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

15 Second Video Challenge

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

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

Teacher Mental Health Break:  The Homework Song  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 485: Copy/Copy/Copy Conundrum – My Evil Twin

Jokes:  

I did a study on introverts, but I’m keeping it to myself.

I tried to write a bio on the Beatles, but I couldn’t get it to…Come Together, Right Now. 

I’m writing a blog post on procrastination. But I’ve stopped. Then I circled back. Then I zigged. Then I zagged. 

I wrote a blog post on Greed, but I’m not going to share it with you. 

If you have the ability to temporarily block an opening and move when someone needs to pass through, what does that make you?

  • A door able

Do you know what Sin City is? 

  • Las Vegas, NV

How about Den city?

  • Mass divided by volume

Eileen Award:  

  • iTunes:  
  • Twitter:
  • Facebook:
  • Diigo:  
  • District Email:  

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Using Literature in the Science Classroom

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

In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk“ column written by Patty McGinnis.  Her article was entitled “Using Literature in the Science Classroom.”

The Next Generation Science Standards contain numerous connections to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts as verification of the supporting role that literature serves when learning science.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Parent Feedback
  • Due Dates
  • The Copy/Copy/Copy Conundrum
  • Knowing that the kids are reading, EVERY WORD
  • Reset and Go
  • Wordsearch

My Evil Twin

Advisory:  

Today’s chat question: what perplexes you about adults?  GREAT conversation starter Wooclap opportunity . . . 

The Twitterverse

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp

Our youngest has declared tomorrow “Snuggle Book Holiday.” To partake you must drink hot cocoa, eat pumpkin dip, and read books by a fireplace or somewhere else warm. Please celebrate accordingly…

Diane Choe Moon @MrsDianeMoon

A colleague shared a video of a teacher putting stickers on her face every time a new student participated. I tried out the idea, and my classes were determined to get as many stickers on my face in an hour! Needless to say, I looked crazy by the end of it!

#whateverittakes

Mrs M Lapinskas  @mrslapinskasmfl

My top favourites for MFL elearning:  Quizlet, Kahoot, Quizizz, Linguascope, Languages online, Language gym, Kerboodle, Spanish Dict, Active Learn, Task Magic – what are yours? #MFLchat

Christie @ChristieNold

So… I can just invite my family into my classroom this Thanksgiving, right? Schools are magically immune?

Don’t forget #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm.  Join host Todd Bloch for a scintillating discussion!  

Strategies:  

Why Do Teachers Love Sad Books Like Where the Red Fern Grows?

https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/11/why-teachers-make-kids-read-sad-books.html#annotations:trRFMiTjEeuosH8yiIvCVw

Resources:

Math Language/Content Objectives

https://robertkaplinsky.com/content-and-language-objectives-using-the-standards-for-mathematical-practice/

Formative Assessment

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qzntgblfkrptpau/DVD2.pptx?dl=0

ELL Support

Thirteen Instructional Strategies & Web Tools To Support ELLs In Distance Learning

Web Spotlight:  

Armistice Day Resource – Sabaton, In Flanders Fields

Greenville News (SC) – The Number of Students Failing

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/education/2020/11/11/number-students-failing-greenville-sc-schools-has-tripled-2020/6241547002/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 484: Digital Learning – It’s about time.

Jokes:  

My TV started playing random Netflix shows. It was weird…

  • But I’ve seen Stranger Things

People who can’t tell the difference between whole numbers and decimals are missing the point. 

My wife asked if I could clear the table. 

  • I had to get a running start, but I made it!

What Do You Get When You Pick a Pigs Nose

  • Ham boogers  (yes, I know…Snot funny)

What is Yoda’s last name? 

  • Layheehoo

I told my carpenter that I didn’t want carpeted. 

  • He gave a Blank Stair

LumberJack #1: I can cut a log in half just by looking at it. 

LumberJack #2: That’s impossible.

LumberJack #1: I know it’s hard to believe, but I saw it with my own two eyes. 

My child will not eat fish, what can I replace it with? 

  • A cat. Cats love fish.

Someone missed an opportunity. Why is a “randomized clinical trial controlled with a placebo” not called “trick or treatment?

A joke doesn’t become a Dad joke until it’s full Groan. (That should be Apparent). 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Formative Assessment Probes

I was recently reading the September/October 2020 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the “Formative Assessment Probes“ column written by Page Keeley.  Her article was entitled “Using Formative Assessment Probes with Real or Virtual Field Trips.”

Using a formative assessment probe prior to a real-time or virtual field trip activates students’ thinking about the concepts and phenomena they will be learning about during their experience.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Google Classroom -> Moodle
  • Is it about the kids?
  • Who is working hard? (and how)
  • Timing (it’s usually hard to get everything in during a “normal” year)
  • Substitutes

Advisory:  

Media Multitasking Disrupts Memory, Even in Young Adults

…“media multitasking”—or engaging with multiple forms of digital or screen-based media simultaneously, whether they are television, texting or Instagram—may impair attention in young adults, worsening their ability to later recall specific situations or experiences.

…media multitasking correlated with a tendency toward attentional lapses and decreased pupil diameter, a known marker of reduced attention.

…“We found evidence that one’s ability to sustain attention helps to explain the relationship between heavier media multitasking and worse memory,”

“Individuals who are heavier media multitaskers may also show worse memory because they have lower sustained attention ability.”

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/media-multitasking-disrupts-memory-even-in-young-adults/#annotations:z540oh-fEeu83weTHLtaLA

The Twitterverse

Yong Zhao, Ph.D  @YongZhaoEd

Starting now #edtech #edutwitter Interactive XR Learning Aids in Myanmar and Beyond https://youtu.be/jezseIvBh5Y

JJARC@jaemjenarchive  #JENO

Student’s Self-Introduction in Middle School

Catherine Stolarski @stolarc

Middle school math pedagogy from 1898. #AllenMath #allenlearns #iteawonclass #MTBoS

Don’t forget #mschat on Thursdays at 8:00 pm EST.  

Strategies:  

The Neuroscience of Viewing Your Past Like a Fly on the Wall

…recalling autobiographical memories from a third-person, observer-like perspective (as opposed to replaying a memory through your own eyes) can influence the vividness of one’s recollections.

St. Jacques and Iriye found that adopting a third-person, observer-like visual perspective when recalling autobiographical memories alters the functional connectivity between different parts of the brain compared to when someone recalls a memory in the first person through his or her own eyes.

St. Jacques speculates that choosing to adopt an observer-like perspective when recalling one’s past could have therapeutic value. In closing, she said: “This may be an effective way of dealing with troubling memories by viewing the past from a distance and reducing the intensity of the emotions we feel.”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/202008/the-neuroscience-viewing-your-past-fly-the-wall#annotations:Z5vkUh-bEeuykJurHa6Pug

Resources:

Among Us Template

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1r0IYtaTi8bOoKkP9rdKM6pYV9yP7W1PxF2jmHxt83dc/edit?usp=sharing

Critical Reading: 50 Sentence Stems To Help Students Talk About What They Read

https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/critical-reading-sentence-stems-discussion-journal/#annotations:W-jAoh-NEeu26lfdOCDsyA

Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide

Your involvement in your child’s education can lead to better learning results and outcomes. This “Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide” will inform you, as a parent or caregiver, as you monitor your child’s progress as your child accesses and uses technology for learning.

This guide aims to help all parents and caregivers, including those who have limited experience with digital tools, those who are experts with these tools, and anywhere in between. Each section starts with foundational pieces and builds from there.

https://tech.ed.gov/publications/digital-learning-guide/parent-family/#annotations:idlr5h-EEeuqmT-VJALxPw

Web Spotlight:  

Other Data: 20 Signs You’re Actually Making A Difference As A Teacher

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/other-data-20-signs-youre-actually-making-a-difference-as-a-teacher/#annotations:0chRuh35EeuilTfRuh9COg

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

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