Category: MSM

Middle School Matters podcast related information

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 505: Same Pig, Different Lipstick?

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss teaching with Tech Tools. Should you change them frequently? Dave has a Cultural Responsive Middle School Science Minute. 

Jokes:  

Why does Waldo always wear stripes?

  • He doesn’t want to be spotted

Which coffee place should you never play basketball against? 

  • Dukin Donuts

What is an unemployed jester?

  • Nobody’s fool

You know a wedding is an emotional day. Even the cake is in tiers.

What do you call an alligator in a vest? 

  • An investigator

The Black Eyed Peas can sing us a tune, but the chick peas can only hummus one. 

According to a recent survey, 9 out of 10 people who are afraid of hurdles never get over it. 

What is it called if you are afraid of giants? 

  • Feefiphobia

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Culturally Responsive Teaching

I was recently reading the March/April 2021 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Note” section, written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.  Elizabeth wrote an article entitled, “Culturally Responsive Teaching.”

At the heart of Culturally Responsive and Relevant Teaching is a willingness to listen, reflect, and celebrate the richness that cultural and linguistic diversity has to offer.  

AMLE.org reference:  https://www.amle.org/12-questions-to-ask-when-designing-culturally-and-historically-responsive-curriculum/  

Reports from the Front Lines

The Twitterverse  

Lydia Jennings, Ph.D.  @1NativeSoilNerd

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was informed by the Blackfeet Nation— and he mixed it up, because he didn’t know how to make it fit within America’s individualized culture.

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

Larry Ferlazzo @Larryferlazzo

The Best Places To Get Accessible History Texts For ELLs

https://t.co/yBe0etKEYr?amp=1

Will Richardson-BIG Questions Institute  @willrich45

A contractual obligation to hand in lesson plans a week in advance? Wow. That’s an interesting story about trust and power and respect, huh? #justaskin

NJAMLE  @NJAMLE

The Hunger for Learning remains a constant for Middle Level Educators in May & we @NJAMLE have just the recipe. Mrs. Kristyn Corace from @DoverMiddleNJ presents “Helping Learners with Disabilities during Remote Learning” Join us 5/12 at 4:00pm EST for this free virtual workshop!

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

Strategies:  

50 English Activities – 5 Minute learning Moments.

The pack contains fifty fun activities that will get your students thinking, talking and collaborating while they learn. Some of them are real classics used by teachers for many years, while others are new ideas sure to inspire your students.  

https://teacher-toolkit.co.uk/products/fifty-bright-ideas-teacher-toolkit-cards?fbclid=IwAR3EDPZa7Fn5bGegXR5yIndAz0ieaXz_fuVl-UydKx3s_iu1UnHbuRWbu9k

Video Annotation

Free service from the University of Minnesota. You can annotate videos and share those annotations. Allow your students to annotate as well. 

https://ant.umn.edu/

Pile of Words: Drive Deeper Engagement with Vocabulary at the Beginning of a Unit, Text, or Project

Step 1: Think about the unit, text, or project you are about to start and create a list of vocabulary words and key terms.

Step 2: Group students and give them time to discuss and define.

Step 3: Group the words into categories by shared characteristics and label each category.

Step 4: Ask students to make predictions about what they expect to learn based on the pile of words.

Step 5: As students progress through the unit, text, or project, ask them to revisit their predictions.

<a href=”https://catlintucker.com/2021/04/pile-of-words/#annotations:H2oscqCpEeuieVNcAxJjiQ” data-type=”URL” data-id=”https://catlintucker.com/2021/04/pile-of-words/#annotations:H2oscqCpEeuieVNcAxJjiQ”>https://catlintucker.com/2021/04/pile-of-words/#annotations:H2oscqCpEeuieVNcAxJjiQ</a>

Resources:

Axis:  The Culture Translator

Slang of the Week

lives in my head rent-free: refers to something you dwell on frequently, whether an experience, image, video, or person. (Ex: “I spent so much time learning the TikTok dance for “Savage,” now it’s going to live in my head rent-free forever.”)  

EASY AND QUICK PROMPTS TO HELP STUDENTS CONNECT TO YOUR CONTENT

Easy and Quick Prompts to help students connect to your content

Web Spotlight:  

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 504: Underestimating the Plague

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss H5P, kids sneaking in, reopening schools and more. Dave books Middle School STEM. 

Jokes:  

“I read a history of sandpaper recently…The guy who invented it wasn’t sure how to go about it but he had a rough idea.”

“I found a spider in my shoes. He looks ridiculous; they’re way too big for him.”

“My favorite time on the clock is 6:30. Hands down.”

“Why do you never see pigs hiding in trees?

“When musicians perform onstage, the sound bounces around the room off of the walls. When a pigeon performs onstage, the sound does not bounce. 

  • Because a coo sticks.”

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Best STEM 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 Best STEM Trade Books for Students.  In this podcast we look at the 7 books recommended for students in grades 6 – 8.

  • All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team
  • Beastly Bionics: Rad Robots, Brilliant Biomimicry, and Incredible Inventions Inspired by Nature
  • Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM
  • Galileo! Galileo!
  • Machines That Think!: Big Ideas that Changed the World
  • Spaceman: The True Story of a Young Boy’s Journey to Becoming an Astronaut
  • Who Gives a Poop?: Surprising Science from One End to the Other

Reports from the Front Lines

  • The push to the end of the year . . . 
  • H5P Interactive Book Module – Love It!  
  • Falsobordone:  1350 – Music for a Plague  
  • Reopening Schools
    • Many are open
    • Air filtering (basic dust)
    • Temperature

Advisory:  

You Can Be a Different Person After the Pandemic

Our personalities are not set in stone. They are more like sand dunes.

Changing a trait requires acting in ways that embody that trait, rather than simply thinking about it. 

For example, in one study, putting more effort into homework led students to become more conscientious — a reversal of the popular notion that conscientious students put more effort into their homework. In another, people were able to become more extroverted or conscientious in four months just by listing the ways they’d like to change and what steps they would take to get there.

Here’s what a post-pandemic dispositional makeover might look like: Someone who was chronically late in the Before Times might work on being more conscientious, or timely. One way to show your friends how much you missed them is to start respecting their time.

Through painful isolation, this past year has, perversely, revealed the value of friendships and social ties. For those who want to renew connections that have atrophied, solidify friendships that have migrated to Zoom, or otherwise live differently, it’s very possible to do so. Remember that your personality is more like a sand dune than a stone.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/opinion/covid-personality-change.html

The Twitterverse  

Phyllis Fagell, LCPC @Pfagell

Fair question.

Colby Sharp  @colbysharp

This school year is hard. I’m so tired. Overwhelmed. Everything feels so heavy.

Chad Livengood  @ChadLivengood

#Michiganian  https://twitter.com/i/status/1383216891645231104  

GIFQuote Tweet

Shailin Thomas  @shailinthomas

Michiganders imply the existence of a Michigoose.

Alice Keeler  @alicekeeler

Students Removing Files from Google Drive https://buff.ly/3dmyLLL via @YouTube

Mary Appleget  @teachtothebrain

Teachers Face Burnout More Than a Year Into Pandemic-Era Learning

https://t.co/d90d486zJ3?amp=1

Alice Keeler  @alicekeeler

Free Gamification Badge Game Template https://buff.ly/3dgQ1mR via @YouTube

https://twitter.com/alicekeeler/status/1383193531746029570/photo/1

Will Richardson-BIG Questions Institute  @willrich45

Apple’s upcoming mixed reality headset will reportedly weigh less than an iPhone

https://t.co/A0M9iocNDt?amp=1

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

Strategies:  

I Didn’t Allow Hand-Raising In My Class. Here’s Why.

https://www.weareteachers.com/student-discussions/#annotations:QeSQvJ1SEeu4l_dpA8JPaw

Resources:

 H5P Free Online Teaching Resources

www.H5P.org  

Top 50 Websites

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-50-most-visited-websites-in-the-world/#annotations:G8wEYpu6EeuiiEcEXihNYg

Use Text Sets to Benefit Bilingual Students

Use Text Sets to Benefit Bilingual Students

Web Spotlight:  

AMLE Call for Presentations

Call for Presentations

AXIS – The Culture Translator

Slang of the Week

salty: feeling angry, agitated, upset, or annoyed. (Ex: “I tried to tell her I had to be home by my curfew and couldn’t drive her home, but she got real salty about it.”) 

John Hattie: We need to get better at learning transfer

“Surely, the purpose of teaching a child something is so that they can transfer it to another circumstance?” “Over the last 200 years, it’s kind of been our dirty secret: we know it’s important, but it’s hard to find evidence on how to teach it,” he says. 

Three phases of learning – surface learning, deep learning and transfer of learning – all require a different approach, he says.

Hattie believes too much time is dedicated to the surface-level learning, while the process of acquiring and consolidating deeper knowledge, and the transfer of this to other areas, has been neglected – evidence of which he has seen in a body of recent research. 

https://www.tes.com/news/john-hattie-we-need-get-better-learning-transfer#annotations:EC9NhpuHEeuIRxO7IvQ4mQ

MountainMoot 2021

My favorite conference. 

http://mountainmoot.com/ 

Random Thoughts . . .  

H. Resolution 222:  Supporting National Middle School Month

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-resolution/222?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Education%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=38

Polycam

https://poly.cam/

Personal Website   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 501: Door Prize, Field Trip, Paraphrasing, Interstitially.

Summary:

Shawn and Troy share pandemic strategies, a site about paraphrasing, and more. Dave has some Field Trip information for a lifetime. 

Jokes:  

I didn’t understand using mechanical keyboards. I used one the other day, and suddenly

  • It clicked

I switched all the labels on our spices at home. I’m not in trouble yet, but

  • The thyme is cumin

I went to Spelling bee:

  • Announcer: Your word is “embarrassing”
  • Student: That’s OK you can say it.
  • Announcer: It’s really embarrassing
  • Student: I promise not to laugh

There were 3 sailors on a boat. They had 4 cigarettes, but nothing to light them with. How did they solve their issue?

  • Throw one of the cigarettes overboard. The boat then becomes a “cigarette lighter”.

You know the rule, i before e except after C. This has been disproved by science. 

I hired a handyman. I gave him a list of jobs. He only did 1, 3, and 5

  • Yep, he only does odd jobs. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Field Trips Last a Lifetime

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the section “Current Science Classroom” written by Chris Anderson.  Chris wrote an article entitled “Field Trips Last a Lifetime.”

Nothing can replace the authenticity and impact of an in-person field experience for kids, however, until the public health and school funding battles are won it’s up to us to get creative and bring the world to our students.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Roman Emperors – Pokemon Go    
  • Weighted Survey in Moodle
  • Who is doing the work?

Advisory:  

Rocking Chair Hat Knitter

Challenge: Combine two things into one useful thing. 

https://mashable.com/2018/03/27/rocking-knit/#annotations:561AmIKuEeu8mffpwXW9Ig

The Twitterverse  

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

Administrators: when school is fully back to normal, you better have one …. of a special pencil to give on Teacher Appreciation Day.

Bob Harrison  @R_O_Harrison

Engagement is higher when curriculum is a conversation.

Georgia Association for Middle Level Education  @GAMLEtoday

What advice would you offer your former self? #MLEM21AMLE #AMLE #gamle #mschat

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

Q3 Where would you guide a new teacher to go to get informal pd and to build their PLN? #Ditchbook

Bob Harrison  @R_O_Harrison

Didn’t know it had a name: The Carrot Principle. One of the 1000+ things that makes @Smhearty the great genuine leader he is. @Gwizzy, @kennibc, tech dept.: I’m sure you’d agree that we don’t have a greater advocate, guide, encourager, or cheerleader than Troy Patterson.  

Dr. Joanne Freeman  @jbf1755

I do wave at the end of Zoom calls. Someone (@TheTattooedProf?) named these end-of-Zoom-meetings waves “muppet waves”—and they will be that for me forever.

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

Resources:

National Virtual Teacher Association Resources

https://virtualteacherassociation.org/resources?fbclid=IwAR0amZxnIF8b2CGDran-Bvhbra0HL8AQGM309wOfxdcQpGoYJZ_uszOa8wI

QuillBot

Paraphrasing tool

https://quillbot.com/

Web Spotlight:  

Female historians and male nurses do not exist, Google Translate tells its European users

If you were to read a story about male and female historians translated by Google, you might be forgiven for overlooking the females in the group. The phrase “vier Historikerinnen und Historiker” (four male and female historians) is rendered as “cuatro historiadores” (four male historians) in Spanish, with similar results in Italian, French and Polish. Female historians are simply removed from the text.

https://algorithmwatch.org/en/google-translate-gender-bias/#annotations:FNzsQoKsEeuwhHsQvc362Q

Random Thoughts . . .  

ArchiTechs of Learning

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/architechs-of-learning/id1541761752

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 499: Whistle, not while you work, but at home and on Video

Jokes:  

Hey, did you hear about the guy who ate some Clownfish? 

  • He complained that it tasted funny

Did you hear about the shoe repairman who wanted a callus removed? 

  • It was a corn on the cobbler

Did you hear about the new word that I came up with yesterday? 

  • Plagiarism

Did you hear about fish that are in schools? 

  • Sometimes they take debate

Did you hear about the chef who lost his job for stealing utensils?

  • It was a whisk that he was willing to take

What do you get if you boil a funny bone?

  • Laughing stock

That’s humerus

Did you hear about the guy named Joseph who went on the Dolly Parton diet? 

  • It really made Joe lean, Joe lean, Joe lean

Did you hear about the guy who was singing in the shower and got shampoo in his mouth? 

  • It became a Soap Opera

Did you hear about the group of Baby Soldiers? 

  • They are the infantry

Did you hear about the guy who handed his Dad his 50th birthday card?

  • His Dad said, “You know, one would’ve been enough”

Did you hear about the country that switched from pounds to kilograms overnight? 

  • There was mass confusion

Middle School Science Minute  

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

What is Engineering?

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “Science  & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read an article written by Matt Bobrowsky.  His article was entitled “Q: Can a Simple Engineering Project Be Used to Teach Some Science?.”

Within the article, the author takes a quick look at the difference between science and engineering.  Science increases our knowledge about the universe and our surroundings in a systematic way, while engineering is the application of this knowledge to create new and better products.

Reports from the Front Lines

  •  Video in the Classroom
    • Remote
    • After times
  • Parents controlling access   
  • Tabs
    • Tools
    • “Cost”
  • Acquire
    • Whiteboard.fi | Kahoot!
    • Nearpod | Renaissance
    • Mystery Science | Discovery Education
    • Hoonuit | Powerschool  

Advisory:  

How old is my sister?

The Twitterverse

 Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

You gotta hand it to the administrators who say that student homework is busy work and also expect teachers to turn in a reflection from what they learned at inservice.

Jenna @jennavd22

Some jerk sent my kid home for the weekend with a whistle.

SCAssoc. for Middle @The_SCAMLE

Check out the SCAMLE Conference Program at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yML4-DCfCYWD-c-hwus1b1nZ_wKZAQ_gIO6JNuHcD4M/edit?usp=sharing… #scamle2021 @Princess_of_Edu @dmcdonald141 @jenkinstiger @MrsIngram @RJMotivates @JBerckemeyer @JemellehCoes @TeachMrReed @latoyadixon5 @psloanjoseph @Pied_SCAMLE

 Jordan Shapiro @jordosh

How to Help a Teen Out of a Homework Hole @lisadamour

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

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/26/well/family/teens-homework-school.html

EL Magazine  @ELmagazine

Want to make your school a better place for everyone? Make emotional health a habit. @rickwormeli2 outlines the 7 habits of highly “affective” teachers.

#edchat

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

Strategies:  

Emoji Writing Prompts

https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2016/11/emoji-writing-prompts.html#annotations:GrjKjHdxEeu1oUP2D6HMsA

Resources:

75 Questions Students Can Ask Themselves Before, During, and After a Lesson.  

Are there questions students can ask themselves while you’re teaching? Questions that can guide and support their own thinking and awareness before, during, and after your teaching?

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/questions-students-ask-before-during-after-teaching/?fbclid=IwAR20GZxB7zRHbT01nNpC5r7W-NIz1jJ3_6v9Ui9Qc_3r_0VXlkRMQWPFz-0

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

On Knowing

What it is: New York Times columnist Ben Smith wrote at length (paywall) about the resignation of Donald McNeil, a public health reporter at the paper. It was conversations that happened on an international field trip with teenagers that brought an end (language) to McNeil’s 40-year career.

Why it’s insight into how teens are thinking: Some teens seem to be taking the Taylor Swift lyric, “I knew everything when I was young” pretty seriously. One of the people who went on the trip, who was 17 at the time, noted that McNeil wasn’t at all receptive when she and other students told McNeil that his opinions were offensive to them. Not only do many teens feel a certain moral obligation to point out when they feel an older person “needs educating” (the most withering of Gen Z insults), they presume that the older person would be open to learning from them, and would want to apologize. Of course, it’s nothing new for teenagers to think they know everything there is to know, but never before has a generation had access to so much information that can be instantly called upon; maybe it’s even somewhat understandable that Gen Z would think they know more about the world than their elders. As parents and caregivers, it’s important that we understand where our teens are coming from, and also that we help them understand that truly transcendent wisdom can’t be bestowed by a Google search or two.

Slang of the Week

we live in a society: a phrase originally used to describe the feeling of being left out or left behind in society, but now often used to make fun of people who think they’re being deep. (Ex: “I saw the Mayor of New York City eating pizza with a knife and fork. Truly we live in a society.”)  

Same Energy

Same Energy is a visual search engine. You can use it to find beautiful art, photography, decoration ideas, or anything else.

https://same.energy/

Web Spotlight:  

1000 Fails Lead to a Single Success

Pro freestyle mountain bike rider Matt Jones wants to try a new trick, something no one has ever done before. In this video, you see him go through the entire process of bringing a new idea or invention into the world:

https://kottke.org/21/02/1000-fails-lead-to-a-single-success

Random Thoughts . . .  

Legislative Update:  

  1. H.R.542 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) Save Education Jobs Act  
  2. S.45 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) School Security Enhancement Act  
  3. H.R.204 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) STEM Opportunities Act 

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 498: Pin and Click – You told on yourself

Jokes:  

I wrote a book about poltergeists, 

  • It’s flying off the shelf

Did you know Yoda has a last name? 

  • Layheehoo

Did you hear about the couple that had to break up? One of them only had 9 toes. The other one was

  • Lack toes intolerant.

Do they allow laughing in Hawaii? 

  • Or just a low ha? 

Nothing in the English language starts with an N and ends with a G. 

Whenever someone tells me a knock-knock joke, I sit there quietly and pretend that I’m not home until they leave.

At first there were only 25 letters in the alphabet. 

  • Nobody knew why

Why do bees stay in their hives during winter? 

  • Swarm

Why did the cow get a ticket?

  • Moooo-ving violation

Eileen Award:  

  • iTunes:  AllforJMJ – Thanks for the rating!!

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute — Pinterest

I was recently reading the January/February 2021 issue of “Science  & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read an article written by Ryan S. Nixon, Shannon L. Navy, Sarah Barnett, Marissa Johnson, and Delaney Larson.  Their article was entitled “Pinning and Planning: Five Tips for Using Pinterest to Teach Science.”

Pinterest is an online resource that teachers seem to enjoy and find useful.  Pinterest is a social media website where individuals can bookmark content found elsewhere on the internet in one convenient place.  Nixon and his students spent several months closely analyzing 1600 pins and their associated websites for teaching the topics of force/motion and adaptations.  Their research pointed out the benefits and weaknesses of Pinterest as a teaching resource.

http://k12science.net/pinterest/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • H5P in Instructional Design
  • Does “Hybrid” mean the same as Distance learning, just that some do it in the same room and some do it . . . distance?  
  • Technological skills? Sound matters
  • Do we finally have a consistent, daily use for the Swivl?  

Advisory:  

Word(s) of the Year – George Grant, wordsmith

“The use of the right word, the exact word, is the difference between a pencil with a sharp point and a thick crayon.” – Peter Marshall   So, if you had to choose the precise word to describe 2020, what might it be?  

https://soundcloud.com/world-news-group/word-play-pandemic

The Twitterverse

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

Create Netflix-style learning with screencasts http://ditchthattextbook.com/2017/09/21/create-netflix-style-learning-with-screencasts/…

Mike Roberts  @BaldRoberts

Teachers – Please complete this sentence. “The thing I miss most about pre-pandemic teaching is…” (I’m just trying to remember back to the good ol’ days…)

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp

Are there other websites out there like the Pacific Northwest tree octopus one that is more recent?

Typical EduCelebrity   @EduCelebrity

One of the most important lines an educator should know is “Look, I don’t make any of the decisions around here”.

Mark Ryan  @RunEducator

How do you want your students to enter your classroom? Reply with an emoji

Senator Dayna Polehanki  @SenPolehanki

“Take it from a former teacher: focusing on the state summative assessment in the middle of a pandemic…will not provide any accurate measurement of performance and educational attainment.” @koleszar_matt

Quote Tweet:  

Bridge Michigan  @BridgeMichigan

Opinion | If teachers think standardized tests stink, maybe we should listen  

John R. Sowash  @jrsowash

Yesterday @GoogleForEdu announced more than 25 updates to #GoogleClassroom, #GoogleMeet, #GoogleDrive, and #Chromebooks. Here’s a quick summary of the most important updates.

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

Strategies:  

Toolkit for “Mathematics in Context: The Pedagogy of Liberation”

This toolkit will help educators consider how to “humanize math” using Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards. It provides opportunities for reflection and examples of real-world applications.

https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/spring-2021/toolkit-for-mathematics-in-context-the-pedagogy-of-liberation#annotations:Wkb08m_8EeukKX_rM-MXIg

Resources:

The in-school push to fight misinformation from the outside world

“Overall, young people’s ability to reason about the information on the Internet can be summed up in one word: bleak,” the study’s authors wrote.

More than one third of middle school students report rarely or never having learned how to judge the reliability of information sources, which is “really the fundamental of what media literacy is,” said Helen Lee Bouygues, president of the Reboot Foundation, who is an expert on misinformation and critical thinking.

The in-school push to fight misinformation from the outside world

Web Spotlight:  

Wad-Ja-Get

Wad-Ja-Get? is a unique discussion of grading and its effects on students. The book was written by three education professors who have had first-hand contact with the problems of grading in all its forms. Written in the form of a novel, the topic is explored through the eyes of students, teachers, and parents in one high school embroiled in a controversy around grading. Possible alternatives to the grading system are examined in detail and the research on grading is summarized in an appendix. This 50th anniversary edition of the book includes a new introduction by Professor Barry Fishman, updating the research and setting the original book in the context of today’s educational and societal challenges. Wad-Ja-Get? remains timely five decades after its original publication, and will be inspiring to students, parents, educators, and policymakers.

https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/z316q358r#annotations:AGualHCZEeuLne9aK4-6jQ

WWII Museum

The National WWII Museum offers a number of fun and educational programs for classrooms and individual students. In addition to an annual Essay Contest, the Museum serves as Louisiana’s sponsor for National History Day, hosts an annual High School Quiz Bowl, and much more!

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers

Speak Up About Racial Microaggressions in Schools

Microagressions – like that comment – tend to be subtle, unconscious or unintentionally prejudiced. But they are not harmless.

https://www.iste.org/explore/education-leadership/speak-about-racial-microaggressions-schools#annotations:oHJWdnCaEeu9kx_6yVWStQ

I Tracked Down The Girls Who Bullied Me As A Kid. Here’s What They Had To Say.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/middle-high-school-bully-depression_n_602c0800c5b65259c4e52240

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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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   

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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   

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

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

Jokes:  

A lizard went for a job interview. 

Agent: “Can you do retail?”

Lizard: “Yes”.

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

Unfortunately, it is just a pigment of my imagination. 

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

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

My son kept chewing on electrical cords. 

I had to ground him.

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

What do you call a chicken that haunts a house? 

A poultrygeist

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

  • Instagram

Middle School Science Minute  

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

The Day-Night Cycle

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

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

Reports from the Front Lines

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

The Twitterverse

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp

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

Dr. Trisha Sotropa @t_sotropa

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

Ditch That Textbook  @DitchThatTxtbk

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

PAMLE   @pamleorg

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

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

Resources:

Plagiarism Checker

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

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

The University of Vilnius puts documents online for FREE!

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

Music for a Pandemic  

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

Baroque:  https://youtu.be/CuU9q2VKOyc  

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

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

Web Spotlight:  

How to Be Talent

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

*Warning: one swear word in the post. 

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

Why Scientists Want to Shorten the Minute to 59 Seconds

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taking a Stand Does Not Imply Bias

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

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 492: Insta is the new Santa?

Jokes:  

What do you call stealing someone’s coffee? 

  • Mugging

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

  • After all, it’s the first date. 

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

  • They are Purrfect.

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

  • There was a Count Down. 

Why do people in Athens hate getting up early? 

  • Dawn is tough on Greece

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

  • Pick up is easy, both boxed. 

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

  • Aretha Franklins

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

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

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

  • It was a vicious cycle.

Here’s a question for mind readers out there. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

What a Year!

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

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

Reports from the Front Lines

Advisory:  

Ira Glass on Storytelling

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

The Twitterverse

AMLE  @AMLE

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

Jeremy Hyler @Jeremybballer

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

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

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

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

MiddleWeb  @middleweb

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

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

Strategies:  

General Principles of Virtual Learning – Georgia State University  

Key Factors in Virtual Learning:  

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

Click to access Virtual-Learning_Literature-Review_20200707_FINAL.pdf

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

Fordham Institute’s Longitudinal Study on Reading Comprehension:  

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

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

Resources:

Good News

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

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

Good News, Inspiring, Positive Stories

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

Instagram is like . . . Santa Claus???

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

Web Spotlight:  

Tree.fm

Random forest images and audio. 

https://www.tree.fm/

Black Out Poetry

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

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

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

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

https://blackoutpoetry.glitch.me/#

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

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

Jokes:  

I want to go on record that I support farming. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • It’s thinly sliced cabbage.

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

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

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

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

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

Advisory:  

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

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

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

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

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

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Count Birds for Science This Winter with Project FeederWatch

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

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

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

https://feederwatch.org

Reports from the Front Lines

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

The Twitterverse

  Bob Newhart  @BobNewhart

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

Image

Steve Stewart-Williams @SteveStuWill

This is hilarious

Cpjones @icpjones

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

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

Strategies:  

Unit of Inquiry Planning Process and Resources (open)

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

Resources:

Standard Ebooks

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

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

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

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

40 Excellent Short Stories For Middle School

40 Excellent Short Stories For Middle School

Web Spotlight:  

Alphabetize This

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

Alphabetize

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

Alphabetize by Last Name

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

Sort Titles

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

Make Lowercase

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

Capitalize Titles

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

Remove Duplicates

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

Reverse list

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

Strip HTML

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

Randomize!

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

Number / Letter / Add Roman Numerals

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

Add Custom Text

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

Remove Word From Each Line

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

Ignore List Options

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

Separate Terms With

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

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

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

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