Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss using AI to make up lesson plans, develop parent newsletters, and more. Dave has some disciplinary science tips. 

Jokes:  

Just ordered a takeaway from the local Chinese. I ordered a 7, a 13, a 21, and a 33, unfortunately, I had to take them all back, though.

• They tasted odd.

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You can only “ran” through a campsite as it’s past tents.

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My new thesaurus is terrible. In fact, it’s so bad, I’d say it’s terrible.

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The biggest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from eating too much pi.

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I was in New Mexico and a cowboy asked me if I could help round up 18 cows. I said: Yes, of course, that’d be 20 cows.

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I was on the Oreo website and I clicked Accept All Cookies.

• Now we wait…

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If it’s not related to elephants…

• It’s irrelephant.

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Walking into solid objects can be painful, according to a recent pole.

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Disciplinary Literacy

I was recently reading the July-August 2025 issue of “The Science Teacher”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “Editor’s Corner” written by Brooke A Whitworth.  She wrote an article entitled, “Developing Disciplinary Literacy.”

We can think of disciplinary literacy in two ways, when it comes to science:

1.  Broadly, in terms of how science compares to other content areas.

2.  Specifically, in terms of how the subdiscipline of chemistry differs from biology or physics or earth science.

https://k12science.net/disciplinary-literacy/

Reports from the Front Lines

• What I Did With AI This Week:
  • Team/Building Newsletter for Parents (Sora)
  • First Quarter English & Social Studies Integration 10 Day Unit.
    • Prompt Process:
      • What are the commonalities of these Michigan GLCE standards: RL: 7.1* RL: 7.2* RL: 7.3* RL: 7.4* RL: 7.5* RL: 7.10* W: 7.3a* W: 7.3b* W: 7.3c* W: 7.3d* W: 7.3e* W: 7.4* W: 7.10* SL: 7.1a* SL: 7.1b* SL: 7.1c* SL: 7.1d* SL: 7.6* L: 7.6*
      • Ok. How do these Michigan GLCE standards intersect with those English standards and what are 5 interdisciplinary projects I could propose to the English teacher? Standards: H1.1.1, H1.2.1, H1.2.2, H1.2.5, H1.4.2, H1.4.3 H1.1.1, H1.2.1, H1.2.2, H1.4.2, H1.4.3, W1.1.2, G4.3.2 
      • Please take option 3 and turn it into a two week mini-unit with day-by-day tasks, text sets, and a co-grading rubric with content and language objectives. 
      • Ok. Give me 2 complete versions of Lesson 1. Include student readings, formative and summative assessment questions.
      • Ok. Do the same thing for Lesson 2 in the Unit Plan.  
    • Unit Plan Published
• Results of Last Week’s Poll:  Should Troy do the podcast in a Maine accent?  
• Posted the updated Michigan History Day course to MoodleNet.  

The Social Web

AMLE  @AMLE

Take a bite out of B2S classroom management! @beyond_the_desk shares a favorite boredom buster that’s perfect for building relationships and getting kids moving at the start of the year.  https://x.com/i/status/1953531658579193978  

Will Berard @MrBerard@mastodon.acm.org

I’ve separated the Male and Female voices in a #NotebookLM audio overview (the one backing this video).

The top track is the male voice, the bottom the female voice.

Unsurprisingly reproducing biases of the training data, etc…
#AI #LLM #Podcasts #Sexism #AIBias

https://scholar.social/deck/@MrBerard@mastodon.acm.org/114987255586821177

Laura McFarren  @lauramcfarren

Set your clocks social studies peeps. @CarlAzuz. Is. Back.

Quote

Carl Azuz  @CarlAzuz

BE THERE— Monday, August 18th— When The World from A to Z returns!

John R. Sowash  @jrsowash

Before you can use technology as an instructional tool, there are some basic technology skills students MUST master. Download my free tech skills checklist: https://chrmbook.com/student-technology-skills-checklist/  #GoogleEDU #chromebookEDU

Eric Curts  @ericcurts

 Gemini’s Guided Learning: https://controlaltachieve.com/2025/08/guided-learning.html

 Instead of Gemini giving the answer  Gemini guides students through the learning process  Great for HW, essays, review, learning & more!  Watch my demo video #edtech #GoogleEDU #earlyaccess  @GeminiApp  @GoogleForEdu

Alice Keeler  @alicekeeler

The NotebookLM about @waygroundai  https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/9d88860c-78a0-4f4b-b541-41ca9dade2c5

Check it out, try the chat!

I uploaded almost the entire help center from http://wayground.com to NotebookLM It was a LOT OF PAGES. No way to read them all individually, Google NotebookLM to the rescue!!  

https://twitter.com/alicekeeler/status/1952852131456672227/photo/1

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

The Third Summer of Turning Pretty

What it is: Popular teen romantic drama The Summer I Turned Pretty is back for a third season, and teens are eating up the melodrama and love triangles.  

Why audiences love it: As of this writing, there are five episodes (about half of the season) available on Amazon Prime, and they’re packed full of soap-opera-esque drama, poor communication skills, cheating, a marriage proposal, and a not insignificant amount of sex and sensuality. It’s also full of themes of responsibility, familial conflict, and yearning. The show often feels cheesy, but it’s also escapism in the purest sense; it’s easy to forget your own troubles when you’re caught up in the drama of fictional characters figuring out their own feelings.  

Getting the News From TikTok

What it is: A recent poll from Pew Research Center found that 39% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they regularly get their news from TikTok.  

Web Spotlight: 

Maybe It’s Time to Make Peace With Your Smartphone

This much we know: Smartphones are making us dumber.

https://archive.is/UaaX0

What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/08/kids-smartphones-play-freedom/683742

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about ISTE, accents, and more. Dave has some Real-World Problems.

Jokes:  

Once you get past my sense of humor, intelligence, charm, and good looks, ONLY my modesty will stand out.

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Planning to take up meditation. I figure it’s better than sitting around doing nothing.

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I got a job organizing opera singers in northern New England. I’m the aria manager.

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Sometimes it would take my entire 8-hour shift to get nothing accomplished.

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Love ruining the plot of Dorian Gray for people. 

• Never gets old

I think the sailor was a little in to into sweeping the deck.

• He went overboard.

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I used to work for autocorrect until they fired me for no raisin.

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Why are button-controlled remotes better than voice command? 

• It goes without saying.

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I had a thought…

• Then poor little thing died a lonely death.

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My sock collection is by far the best.

• It is simply unmatched.

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Why don’t vampires bet on horses? 

• They can’t handle the stakes.

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“Have you seen the dog bowl?” 

• “I didn’t know he could.”

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The fear of long words is called Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. The 36-letter word was first used in the first century BCE to criticize writers with an unreasonable penchant for long words.

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Real-World Problems

I was recently reading the July-August 2025 issue of “Science and Children”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “Editor’s Note” written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.  She wrote an article entitled, “Exploring Real-World Problems.”

Students in classrooms are encouraged to act as problem-solvers, inventors and young scientists.  Real-world problems, big or small, offer meaningful opportunities to engage students in authentic science that matters.

https://k12science.net/real-world-problems-2/

Reports from the Front Lines

• ISTE Session:  Student Agency in Education

• Poll:  Troy’s Accent:  https://app.wooclap.com/KARKFY?from=status-bar  

The Social Web

MiddleWeb  @middleweb

Review: MOVING PAST MATH ALGORITHMS TO DEEPER REASONING Developing Mathematical Reasoning is a valuable resource offering fresh insights. An eye-opening read that will reinvigorate your approach to teaching #math, says

@Kathie_Palmieri . #mtbos #mathchat https://middleweb.com/52456/math-rea

NEW: Strong Sentence Frames to Support Your ELLs. Sentence frames built on clear objectives serve as effective scaffolds for English language learners. Ortiz-Agib & Cummins share their classroom-tested strategies.

@SundayCummins  #ELLs #ESL #edutwitter https://www.middleweb.com/52443/strong-sentence-frames-to-support-your-ells/

AMLE  @AMLE

How to hire for middle school success? Resumes aren’t enough. In his fifth and final leadership lesson, Dr. Cedrick Gray outlines his 5 must-haves for middle school staff. Don’t miss our new Strategies for Middle School Leadership video series: Full video: https://ow.ly/PfI150WrZ2E Summary article: https://ow.ly/Hi9b50WrZ2B More resources for leaders: https://ow.ly/J6BW50WrZ2A

https://middleschool.org/resources

National Park Service  @NatlParkService

There’s nothing wrong with following your heart, but it doesn’t hurt to check the map now and then.

Strategies:  

AI Use Case

How can we use AI to intersect standards to set us up for interdisciplinary lesson design?  Here’s one idea.

1. Find your priority standards.  Find one other team member’s priority standards.  I’d recommend putting those in a two column Google document for future reference.  
2. Ask Perplexity.ai to:  “Create a table correlating my state’s ELA standards (put standards codes here) and Social Studies standards (put standards here).  Apply the pedagogy of Rick Wormeli, Jack Berckemeyer, Judith Baenan, and Katie Powell to create a table with the English standards in the left column, correlated Social Studies standards in the next column, Interdisciplinary lesson ideas next, and 2 culminating project ideas in the last column.”   Insert your own two curricula selections, I just happened to use English and Social Studies.  It should be noted that none of the AIs I tried this on have the actual text of any of these authors.  According to them.  
3. Mash Return.  

Here’s a sample of what it could look like.  Add a twist to yours by asking for another column suggesting products from Imogene Forte & Sandra Schurr’s Curriculum Planner.  Have fun with it!  

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/i-d-like-them-organized-with-t-8aS6oGG9Rh6RlV6cVLHZQg?fbclid=IwY2xjawLt3WlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHj3IDDvp531ASXOdjub2nrL7q7IIbhBGa42vVAcGIE70Tjdd_q0nl35GdnBr_aem_8vjlbHxo9HZ929ydQqxa9g

Before You Decorate Your Classroom, Here’s a Better Idea

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/classroom-decor-one-word

Resources:  

Our 2025-26 Student Contest Calendar

• Sept. 10-Oct. 22, 2025 – New! Growing Up With A.I.: A Multimedia Contest for Teenagers and Educators
• Oct. 22-Dec. 3, 2025 – My Tiny Memoir: Our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/learning/our-2025-26-student-contest-calendar.html

Word Lab

Think Wordle. Pick 3, 5, or 7 letter words (or do all three choices). 

https://www.weareteachers.com/interactives/word-lab

AXIS The Culture Translator

Slang of the Week:  Chopped

This week’s slang of the week is the term chopped, defined as “something messy, ugly, sloppy, or unattractive.” Using chopped as an adjective is the Gen Z equivalent of something looking “busted” or “beat.” It can be used as an insult to describe a person, but it can also describe a thing that was poorly executed or just didn’t turn out the way you hoped it would. (Ex: “I’m so glad he’s not my boyfriend anymore—he’s looking chopped.”)

Spilling the Tea

What it is: A social media app called Tea Dating Advice (or just “Tea”), designed to be a platform where women could warn each other about specific men, was hacked this week.

How it went down: Tea’s creator, Sean Cook, cites his mother’s “terrifying experience with online dating” (which included her being catfished and unknowingly dating men with criminal records) as inspiration for creating this app. It was meant to be a way women could verify information about men before going out with them. Some men, however, became concerned that they were being wrongfully defamed on the women-only app with no way to defend themselves. As retaliation, a group of hackers on the anonymous forum 4Chan stole and began posting images and personal information of women who used the app. The whole debacle creates many opportunities for conversation, including around questions like “What should accountability look like in an online world?” “Where’s the line between a healthy warning and gossip?” and “How can we know whether meeting up with someone we met online is safe?”

Web Spotlight: 

WORLD Magazine:  ChatGPA

“Flaming is among the first generation of young teachers receiving their diplomas in a world where generative AI tools are fast becoming near-ubiquitous.

The moment feels symbolic—a point of no return for educators who have spent the last few years scrambling to keep up with an ever-expanding universe of labor-saving tools while playing cat-and-mouse with plagiarizing students. While some hail AI tech as a revolutionary key to learning—opening the door to more tailored and accessible strategies—others argue tools like ChatGPT are eroding students’ capacities to think critically and pursue truth.”  

https://wng.org/articles/chatgpa-1752553977

Middle School Cheerleaders Made a TikTok Video Portraying a School Shooting. They Were Charged With a Crime.

https://www.propublica.org/article/social-media-arrests-school-threats-law-tennessee

The Science of Sesame Street

https://www.techlearning.com/news/the-science-of-sesame-street

Teens say they are turning to AI for advice, friendship and ‘to get out of thinking’

https://archive.is/gQxD0

Random Thoughts . . .  

AMLE Interdisciplinary Teaming Survey

Help AMLE better understand interdisciplinary teaming practices across middle schools! Complete the member survey by August 22nd AND we’ll select 5 survey takers to receive an amazon gift card. The results will be posted on September 2nd at amle.org/resources. 

AMLE periodically conducts surveys on emerging or hot topics in middle level education to further our understanding of trends across schools. Have a suggestion for a future survey topic? Submit it to membercenter@amle.org. 

Dan Olinger

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy continue to talk about ISTE. Dave moves outside the classroom.

Jokes:  

People who confuse entomology and etymology bug me in ways I don’t know how to put into words

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The great thing about stationery shops is they’re always in the same place…

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I can hear opera coming from my wallet..

• I think it might be the 3 tenners

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I have a bunch of old batteries

• they are free of charge!

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Saw an ad for very expensive mens wigs… 

• I thought it was way too much toupee…

If I stand on a copy of Clarissa to reach a corner I need to paint can I say I’m working on a novel

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How do you fix a broken pizza? 

• With tomato paste.

a yawn is a silent scream for COFFEE

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My mother warned me against giving my daughter a silly name, but I called her bluff…

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: Outside the Classroom

I was recently reading the July-August 2025 issue of “Science Scope”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “From the Editor’s Desk” written by Patty McGinnis  She wrote an article entitled, “‘Science Beyond Classroom Walls.”

Moving science beyond the classroom can cultivate a sense of environmental stewardship.  

https://k12science.net/outside-the-classroom/

Reports from the Front Lines

• ISTE Sessions
  • AI to the Mean
  • Craiyon.ai
  • Claude

The Social Web

Alice Keeler  @alicekeeler

Read here: https://alicekeeler.com/2025/07/13/5-google-releases-to-be-excited-about/

5 Google Releases To Be Excited About Which ones are you the most excited about? #GoogleEDU #GoogleWorkspace  

Want a magic AI button to create lesson plans that collects NO DATA?! Try Educator AI Assistant Install: https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/educator_ai_assistant/336256034275?flow_type=2

Fully transparent prompts Editable and shareable Add-on for Google Sheets Outputs are in Google tools #GoogleEDU #GoogleWorkspace #AIteacher

Midwest vs. Everybody  @midwestern_ope

Europeans can’t comprehend driving 10 hours and still being in Michigan

Quote:  

Edison Carter 𓅃  @EdisonCarterN23

The American mind can’t comprehend that 80% of car trips could be taken in a car like this.

National Park Service  @NatlParkService

One day you’re young and wild; the next, it’s Tuesday, and you’re dialing into a team’s call.

You got this. Go out and paw-sitively crush it today. May your meetings be short, your coffee plentiful, and your problem-solving skills on par with a bear. For example, bears are resourceful creatures and can adapt to changing circumstances in their environment.

Resources:  

ISTE 2025 Session Spotlight:  The Jedi’s Guide to AI Leadership by Karle Delo (Michigan Virtual University)

Useful tools for assessing your AI integration into your curriculum.  Assessment tools and implementation ideas.  Are you AI ready?  Here’s how you can find out.  

https://linktr.ee/kdelo

QuickDraw

Can a neural network learn to recognize doodling? Help teach it by adding your drawings to the world’s largest doodling data set, shared publicly to help with machine learning research.

https://quickdraw.withgoogle.com

Terms of Service; Didn’t Read

“I have read and agree to the Terms,” is the biggest lie on the internet.  

https://tosdr.org/en

Use AI to evaluate Terms of Service

Copy and paste the following prompt in the AI tool of your choice. 

Claude: claude.ai

Perplexity: perplexity.ai

Latimer: latimer.ai

Perspective: Act as an intellectual property lawyer with special interests in AI ethics. Purpose: Review this legal documentation and share your concerns. Parameters: Explain your concerns on a fifth-grade reading level so it is easy to understand.

Language teachers’ associations in the Nordic-Baltic region

FINLAND Suomen kieltenopettajien liitto SUKOL RY (SUKOL)

www.sukol.fi

ICELAND Association of Foreign Language Teachers in Iceland

(STIL) FIPLV http://stil-is.weebly.com

SWEDEN The Language Teachers’ Organization of Sweden

https://spraklararna.se

ESTONIA Eesti Võõrkeeleõpetajate Liit (EVOL) (Estonian

Association of Foreign Language Teachers)

www.voorkeelteliit.eu

LITHUANIA Language Teachers Association of

Lithuania/Lietuvos kalbų pedagogų asociacija (LTAL/LKPA)

https://lkpa.vdu.lt

LATVIA The Latvian Association of Teachers of English (LATE)

https://late.lv

Free Charlie Chaplin Films

A few things to know about Charlie Chaplin. He starred in over 80 films, reeling off most during the silent film era. In 1914 alone, he acted in 40 films, then another 15 in 1915. By the 1920s, Chaplin had emerged as the first larger-than-life movie star and director, if not the most recognizable person in the world.

https://www.openculture.com/2011/12/free_charlie_chaplin_films_on_the_web.html

Web Spotlight: 

Our minds don’t learn or recall like an AI. Embrace the difference

“I see this playing out with undergraduate students, who, for the first time, believe they can achieve the best measured outcomes by fully outsourcing the learning process.” 

https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=6ba8c5de-804f-49c1-85f6-27b9da97446d

“A gigantic public experiment that no one has asked for”

…the companies behind popular AI tools are making an aggressive push to make their products a fundamental part of K-12 and higher education.

https://popular.info/p/a-gigantic-public-experiment-that

Drum Machine

‘This is a drum machine where you can search classic literary works for specific words at a defined rate, triggering drums each time your favored terms are found.’

https://10kdrummachines.com/machines/wordsearch/wordsearch

Is Your Partner Phubbing You?

“Phubbing is when you are snubbing your family and friends because you’re immersed in your phone, and you’re ignoring everybody that’s around you,” said Dr. D’Arienzo. “Clinical research shows that we actually have a phubbing blindspot, where we underestimate the negative impact that our phubbing has on other people.”

https://www.vice.com/en/article/is-your-partner-phubbing-you/

AI Will Never Be Your Kid’s Friend

ChatGPT thinks I’m a genius: My questions are insightful; my writing is strong and persuasive; the data that I feed it are instructive, revealing, and wise. It turns out, however, that ChatGPT thinks this about pretty much everyone. Its flattery is intended to keep people engaged and coming back for more.

The chatbots’ appeal to kids, especially teens, is obvious. Unlike human friends, these AI companions will think all your jokes are funny. They’re programmed to be endlessly patient and to validate most of what you say. For a generation already struggling with anxiety and social isolation, these digital “relationships” can feel like a refuge.

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/07/ai-companion-children-frictionless-friendship/683493

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy discuss ISTE, summer, and more. Dave has us naturally looking. 

Jokes:  

My kids love their trampoline, but they only spend 50% of the time bouncing up, wasting the other 50% falling down.

That’s why I’m not spending another penny on trampoline maintenance until they can improve efficiency and reduce wasted falling time to at most 25%.

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What do you call a snail on a boat?

• A snailor.

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Im color blind and the other day I thought I could actually detect purple… …but it was just a pigment of my imagination.

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don’t run behind a car…

• you’ll get exhausted

don’t run in front of a car

• you’ll get tired

Me: I used to use an exercise bike

Daughter: Did you?

Me: Yeah, but I stopped

Daughter: Why?

Me: It was getting me nowhere

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When I was abducted the aliens made me wipe my feet, blow my nose, and eat my greens…I think I was on the mother ship…

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What do you call someone who has 10 ants? 

• A landlord.

Do you think the movie Singing in the Rain would have been more effective is it was filmed in Singapore?

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Nature Scavenger Hunt

I was recently reading the May – June 2025 issue of “Science and Children”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “Science 101” written by Matt Bobrowsky.  He wrote an article entitled, “‘What Would Be An Activity That Involves Both Learning and Play?.”

A nature scavenger hunt can encourage exploration, observation, and critical thinking while being fun and engaging which shows that it can be an activity that involves both learning and play.

 http://k12science.net/nature-scavenger-hunt/

Reports from the Front Lines

• New Building
• Alaskan Heat Advisory
• WWDC
• Room Clean Out
  • Flags
• Next Year Planning
  • Field Trips
  • Mi Youth in Government
• ISTE Prep
  • EduCelebrity Sessions
  • Food
  • Wander
• Poetry Update

The Social Web

The OED  @OED

OED #WordOfTheDay: spring fret, n. A sense of restlessness or desire to wander, felt by humans or animals in the spring. View entry: https://oxford.ly/4kjWTj8

Gitanas Nausėda  @GitanasNauseda

84 years ago, on June 14, the Soviet occupiers began the mass deportations from Lithuania. On this Day of Mourning and Hope,  honor the memory of the hundreds of thousands of Lithuanians who were torn from their homes, families, and homeland by totalitarian Kremlin regime. Children, parents, intellectuals—entire generations—were deported in cattle cars to the unknown, condemned to hunger, suffering, and death. Their broken lives became the price of our lost freedom. But Lithuania did not surrender. Through resilience and courage, our people endured and reclaimed liberty. The pain of the past became the seed of our freedom. We remember. We carry their names, their stories, their truth. And we vow: never again.

MiddleWeb  @middleweb

REVIEW: Support student-driven learning in ELA classes. “Step Aside” is full of ideas secondary teachers can use to build classrooms that support and encourage students to be involved and engaged readers and writers. By Sarah Zerwin. https://middleweb.com/52319/support-

MiddleWeb‬ ‪@middleweb.bsky.social‬

Review: SUPPORT STUDENT-DRIVEN LEARNING IN ELA CLASSES. “Step Aside” is full of ideas secondary teachers can use to build classrooms that support and encourage students to be involved and engaged readers and writers. #edusky #educoach @laurenadavis.bsky.social www.middleweb.com/52319/suppor…

‪Foeke Postma‬ ‪@foeke.bsky.social‬

We ran 500 tests and: LLMs are quickly passing the threshold of being the most useful tool out there, if you’re looking for the location of a photo from scratch.

‪Yanis Varoufakis‬ ‪@yanisvaroufakis.bsky.social‬

Against Technofeudal Education – Pillars For Protecting Our “Core Infrastructure” From OpenAI theamericanvandal.substack.com/p/against-te…

‪AMLE‬ ‪@amleorg.bsky.social‬

AMLE is committed to supporting future educators. ⭐ That’s why we’re excited to announce a new program to celebrate exceptional middle level teacher prep programs. Congrats to @GeorgiaCollege & @NationalLouisU for their 2025 recognition! 🥳 Learn more: ow.ly/GJr050W7FRM

Strategies:

How to Make Learning Stick

For decades, there has been evidence that classroom techniques designed to get students to participate in the learning process produce better educational outcomes at virtually all levels. A Harvard study suggests it may be important to let students know it. The study shows that, though students felt as if they learned more through traditional lectures, they actually learned more when taking part in classrooms that employed so-called active-learning strategies by scoring higher on tests. 

https://esheninger.blogspot.com/2021/05/how-to-make-learning-stick.html

Scaffolding Strategies to Teach Challenging Text

1 – Frontloading Key Concepts or Vocabulary

2 – Making Connections to Prior Experiences

3 – Partially Completed Graphic Organizers

Question-Answer Relationships, or QAR (Raphael, 1986)

https://www.middleweb.com/52305/scaffolding-strategies-to-teach-challenging-text/

Getting Math Students to Show Their Reasoning

…it feels like no matter what we do, students resist showing their reasoning.

https://www.middleweb.com/52313/getting-math-students-to-show-their-reasoning/

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

Fake Plastic Trees

What it is: A new game on Roblox called “Grow a Garden” is attracting millions of players—and was reportedly created by a 16-year-old.

Why it’s popular: You might have guessed that the game would be about tending to a virtual garden. What you might not have guessed, unless you’re familiar with Roblox’s game mechanics, is how the game incentivizes spending (your parents’) real-life money to get ahead. Players start with a small amount of in-game currency, called “Sheckles.” They get enough to buy a few seeds, which grow into carrots, strawberries, and other crops—and they can then sell their harvest to make more Sheckles. It’s satisfying, but it also takes time—and seeing other players’ elaborate, gorgeous gardens might make the average player want to ask mom for her credit card to purchase more Sheckles and keep up. For more on how Roblox works, check out our 7 Minute Video.  

Rock Lobster

What it is: Nautical-themed knitwear, such as lightweight beach sweaters emblazoned with lobsters, are selling out for Gen Z this summer.  

Why it makes sense: “Coastal grandma” and “tomato girl summer” were both trending aesthetics in the warmer months last year, and this summer’s must-haves combine both. Searches for “lobster sweater” are surging, but the trend is bigger than Maine’s favorite fresh catch. Teen girls are aiming for a look that feels breezy, luxe, and kitsch—informed by proximity to wealth, but ultimately too cool to care. (See also: jewelry that celebrates sardines). This trend also reflects a change in how Gen Z wants to spend their summer. Jet-setting to a splashy (read: spendy) destination is still seen as desirable, but young people are also looking to elevate more humble experiences, like road tripping to quaint beach towns in Massachusetts or Rhode Island (“townsizing”)—locations where an embroidered crustacean is right on vibe. 

National History Day Theme 2026

Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History:  https://nhd.org/en/contest/theme/  

Organizer:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1baC7qfreopboC5D19RRAQfmhAHCcx_URFT2q2SxyO5g/copy?usp=sharing  

Web Spotlight: 

The Phrases That Keep Us Stuck and What to Do About Them

These phrases are more than just words—they’re warning signs of fixed mindsets, low expectations, and a resistance to change. Left unchecked, they become part of the culture, quietly influencing decisions, limiting innovation, and undermining student success.

1. “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

2. “These kids can’t…“

3. “We tried that already.“

4. “It’s not my job.“

5. “They’re just not motivated.“

6. “That won’t work with our kids.“

https://esheninger.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-phrases-that-keep-us-stuck-and-what.html

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about summer, jobs, and more. Dave is planning an amazing summer.

Jokes:  

My friend who’s a knitter told me she has a pattern for sunglasses.

• I think she’s trying to pull the wool over my eyes.

---

According to the will, I’m getting a couple of yurts.

• That’s my inheri-tents.

---

What’s a dinosaur’s least favorite reindeer?

• Comet!

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Odorless perfumes are non-scents.

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I’ve got some racing geese for sale. 

• Let me know if you want a quick gander

My book, How to say no emphatically in German, Is now available –

Only $9.99.

In all good bookstores…

---

I had a dream where I weighed less than a thousandth of a gram.

I was like 0mg.

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I just discovered that the word nothing is a palindrome…

• Backwards it spells gnihton, which also means nothing.

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Amazing Summer

I was recently reading the May – June 2025 issue of “Science and Children”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “The Poetry of Science” written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater.  She wrote an article entitled, “‘Out of the Box Summer.”

As we enter, “Summer Vacation Time,” it is helpful to provide students with some creative ways that they can enjoy summer outdoors. 

http://k12science.net/amazing-summer/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

• End of the school year
• WWDC

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day, from Pennsylvanian Dutch, is ‘ferhoodled’, meaning ‘tangled’ or ‘all mixed up’. Can be used of anything from a sock drawer to life.

‪Ron King‬ ‪@mthman.bsky.social‬

Good morning from the #PNW #pnwonderland

‪MiddleWeb‬ ‪@middleweb.bsky.social‬

REVIEW: Grammar Inquiries in Middle School. In his latest book, teacher educator Sean Ruday prioritizes inquiry-based learning and asset-based practices to foster a deeper understanding of English grammar. @seanrudayliteracy.bsky.social #edusky #iteachEnglish www.middleweb.com/52298/integr…

‪Keep Indiana Learning‬ ‪@keepinlearning.bsky.social‬

Level up your skills this summer! ☀️ Dive into Building Thinking Classrooms, Secondary Science of Reading, ILEARN Checkpoints, Supporting multilingual learners, SIOP, & Teacher Evaluations. Invest in YOU! Register now: keepindianalearning.org/events #EduSky

Resources:  

AXIS The Culture Translator

The Ties That Bind

What it is: A story in the New York Times explores the unique challenges of so-called “grandfamilies,” in which grandparents serve as primary caregivers for their grandkids.  

Who it is impacting: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 6.7 million adults live with their grandchildren. Of this number, about a third are the primary or sole caretaker for their grandkids. This dynamic occurs for all sorts of reasons—financial convenience or a preference for community living, for example. But oftentimes, there are tragic circumstances at play, including mental illness, disability, and death of an adult child. The grandparents highlighted in this first-person essay are a Christian couple raising four grandchildren after raising five of their own kids. They admit that they’re very, very, tired. But they also say that raising their daughter’s children feels like a deep and special way to love their daughter, who lives with substance use disorder.  

Twine

https://twinery.org

Web Spotlight: 

It’s Not Just a Feeling: Data Shows Boys and Young Men Are Falling Behind

https://archive.md/GB8QH

Impossible Fold

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Uph85if3lEs

You Can Use ChatGPT for Looksmaxxing, but You’ll Regret It

https://www.vice.com/en/article/you-can-use-chatgpt-for-looksmaxxing-but-youll-regret-it/

Greater awareness behind ADHD surge, study suggests

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg5vp62dnnro

Random Thoughts . . .  

Forget Paper Routes—12-Year-Olds Are Making Bank Online

Side hustles used to mean lemonade stands, mowing lawns, or babysitting your neighbor’s kid. Now, some 12-year-olds—barely out of elementary school—are making $14 an hour streaming Minecraft, flipping sneakers, or editing TikToks from their bedrooms.

Popular online income streams include selling clothes (20.1%), streaming games (14.1%), editing content (10.5%), and influencer marketing (9.1%). For a growing number of Gen Z and Gen A, this work is structured, intentional, and profitable. It’s starting to replace traditional part-time jobs altogether—and, in many cases, out-earning them.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/forget-paper-routes-12-year-olds-are-making-bank-online/

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, Metacognition, banning water, and more. Dave plays around. 

Jokes:  

To everyone that received a book from me for Christmas, they’re due back at the library next Monday.

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While most puns make me feel numb. math puns make me feel number.

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I know a man who can chop down trees in his sleep.

• He’s a slumberjack.

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My friend said he didn’t understand what cloning was. I said that makes two of us.

---

To the person who stole my glasses.

• I will find you, I have contacts!

---

I’ve been teaching myself to juggle clocks. 

• People are saying I’ve got too much time on my hands.

What do you call a man in a slow cooker painting a portrait?

• Stuart.

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Playful Classroom

I was recently reading the May – June 2025 issue of “Science and Children”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “Editor’s Note” written by Elizabeth Barret-Zahn. She wrote an article entitled, “‘Prioritizing Play.”

We can’t turn every lesson into an open-ended discovery session. But where can discovery, creativity and fun be sprinkled in? With a subtle mindset change, we can make learning feel less like work and more like play.

 http://k12science.net/playful-classroom/

Reports from the Front Lines

• DHMO Update
• Seeking Socrates
  

The Social Web

Marco Luna  @mluna360

Happy Last Day of School 2025 to all elementary thru high school students whose last day of school for the 2024-2025 school year is today!    

TIME  @TIME

Today’s Word of the Day with  @MerriamWebster is ‘apotheosis.’

https://twitter.com/i/status/1096423953218879488

‪Keep Indiana Learning‬ ‪@keepinlearning.bsky.social‬

Discover a wealth of professional development opportunities on the Keep Indiana Learning YouTubechannel! 💡It is packed with options for teachers, administrators, and counselors, and we’re constantly adding new content. Check it out & subscribe today – youtube.com/KeepIndianaL… #EduSky

‪AMLE‬ ‪@amleorg.bsky.social‬

Our celebration of advisory wraps up this week! As the school year also closes, it’s a great time to reflect on how your team advocated for students this year. Share what worked in the comments! Need advisory support? Check out these resources from AMLE: ow.ly/L8wX50VZ8kN

Mike Shaw‬ ‪@mikeshaw.bsky.social‬

Word of the day

ALT

Strategies:  

What Happens to Reading Comprehension When Kids Focus on the Main Idea

Why do so many students struggle to understand what they read, even after they learn how to read?

One camp has been arguing that schools have been going about it all wrong. These critics say that instead of drilling students on the main idea (similar to questions students will see on annual state exams), teachers should spend more time building students’ background knowledge of the world.

“If we want all the children to read, we have proven that they can be taught with the right strategies,”  

…drilling students on the main point or the author’s purpose isn’t helpful because a struggling reader cannot come up with a point or a purpose from thin air. (She’s also not a fan of highlighting key words or graphic organizers, both common strategies for reading comprehension in schools.

…first step is to guide students through a series of questions as they read, such as “Is there a problem?” “What caused it?” and “Is there a solution?” Based on their answers, students can then decide which structure the passage follows: cause and effect, problem and solution, comparisons or a sequence. Next, students fill in blanks — like in a Mad Libs worksheet — to help create a main idea statement. And finally, they practice expanding on that idea with relevant details to form a summary.

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/65536/what-happens-to-reading-comprehension-when-kids-focus-on-the-main-idea

Affirming Neurodiversity Through Our Practices

Neurodiversity recognizes that every person’s brain functions uniquely, contributing a wide array of perspectives, skills, and ideas to society. 

Neurodivergent, however, specifically describes individuals whose neurological characteristics diverge significantly from what society has established as norms. Conditions typically classified under neurodivergence include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, epilepsy, and Tourette’s syndrome. 

https://www.middleweb.com/52270/affirming-neurodiversity-through-our-practices/

Resources:  

Chat-Animator

https://motion-tools.com/chat-animator

AXIS The Culture Translator

Meme of the Week:  “Holy Airball”

This trend is much easier to understand if you see it, so here’s an example! “Holy airball” is a social media trend that involves someone (usually a girl) saying something about themselves, a faceless responder (usually a boy) misunderstanding what they mean and asking a presumptive question, and then an image or response proving their ignorance, accompanied by the phrase “holy airball!” The expression offers a tongue-in-cheek commentary about the often incorrect assumptions people make when they are getting to know someone. It also plays on some cultural idioms, with the term “airball” referring to missing a shot in basketball so badly that it only hits the air, as well as the idea of “shooting your shot” being the moment someone tries to ask someone for a date.  

Screentime Regrets

What it is: A handful of Gen Zers explained to The Guardian why they plan on implementing significant restrictions in their own kids’ smartphone and social media use.  Se also The World from A to Z at https://youtu.be/VSfBQ48w8MM?t=193 

Web Spotlight: 

‘Metacognitive Laziness’: How AI Helps Students Offload Critical Thinking, Other Hard Work

Tech evangelists may be dazzled by the promise of AI, but two well-designed new studies — one in China and one by a leading AI company — signal trouble ahead.

Many students are letting AI do important brain work for them.

To the researchers’ surprise, the students in the ChatGPT group improved their essays the most — even more than the group with human writing teachers. But the ChatGPT group didn’t learn more about the topic they read and wrote about, nor did the ChatGPT students feel more motivated to write and learn than students in the other three groups. Indeed, there were signs that the students who enjoyed the assignment the most and maintained interest were those who merely received the writing checklist but otherwise completed the assignment without AI or human handholding.

As the researchers analyzed how students completed their work on computers, they noticed that students who had access to AI or a human were less likely to refer to the reading materials. 

“This highlights a crucial issue in human-AI interaction,” the researchers wrote. “Potential metacognitive laziness.” By that, they mean a dependence on AI assistance, offloading thought processes to the bot and not engaging directly with the tasks that are needed to synthesize, analyze and explain.

“This raises questions about ensuring students don’t offload critical cognitive tasks to AI systems,” the Anthropic researchers wrote. “There are legitimate worries that AI systems may provide a crutch for students, stifling the development of foundational skills needed to support higher-order thinking.”

The hope is that AI can improve learning through immediate feedback and personalizing instruction for each student. But these studies are showing that AI is also making it easier for students not to learn.

AI advocates say that educators need to redesign assignments so that students cannot complete them by asking AI to do it for them and educate students on how to use AI in ways that maximize learning. To me, this seems like wishful thinking. Real learning is hard, and if there are shortcuts, it’s human nature to take them.

“Writing is not correctness or avoiding error,” she posted on LinkedIn. “Writing is not just a product. The act of writing is a form of thinking and learning.”

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/65511/university-students-offload-critical-thinking-other-hard-work-to-ai

I was a first-round MLB bust. Here are 5 lessons I learned

1. The hard moments teach you what the easy ones never could
2. Your identity must be bigger than your achievements
3. Sometimes the greatest growth comes after letting go
4. Letting go of something allowed an even better version of myself to emerge
5. What feels like a loss can actually be relief in disguise

https://archive.md/rCt74

But what if you ask an AI?  Here’s what it says:

Bloom’s Taxonomy Levels and Perplexity Usage

Bloom’s Level

Definition & Example Activities

How Perplexity Supports This for 13-Year-Olds
Remember	Recall facts, definitions, lists.“List Newton’s laws of motion.”	Perplexity provides quick, accurate retrieval of factual information, dates, names, and definitions, helping students memorize and recall key concepts.
Understand	Explain ideas, summarize, interpret.“Summarize the plot of a novel.”	Students can ask Perplexity to explain or paraphrase concepts, summarize readings, or clarify confusing topics in accessible language.
Apply	Use knowledge in new situations.“Solve a math problem using a formula.”	Perplexity helps students apply learned concepts by guiding them through problem-solving steps or showing how to use information in practical scenarios.
Analyze	Break down information, compare, contrast.“Differentiate between two theories.”	Students can use Perplexity to compare sources, analyze arguments, and break complex topics into parts for better understanding.
Evaluate	Judge, critique, defend positions.“Assess the credibility of a source.”	Perplexity’s citation feature allows students to evaluate the reliability of information, critique arguments, and justify their opinions with evidence.
Create	Produce new work, design, invent.“Write a story or design an experiment.”	Students can synthesize information from Perplexity to generate original projects, essays, or creative work, using the tool to gather and combine ideas.

Key Points

• Bloom’s Taxonomy is hierarchical: each level builds on the previous one

By mapping Bloom’s Taxonomy to Perplexity’s capabilities, educators can design activities and assessments that leverage AI to foster higher-order thinking skills in young learners.

Perplexity’s features—such as natural language querying, source citations, and summarization—support learning objectives at every level of the taxonomy.

For 13-year-olds, this means Perplexity can be used not just for memorizing facts, but also for deeper understanding, critical thinking, and creative synthesis, aligning with modern educational goals

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about DHMO, student conferences, and more. Dave buzzes about the bees. 

Jokes:  

What is the leading cause of dry skin? 

• Towels

---

According to this BMI chart, I need to grow a lot taller.

---

If Watson isn’t the most famous doctor in the world… Then Who is.

---

Scottie always finds fastening two pieces of metal together to be riveting.

---

Good bread dough always rises to the occasion.

---

I taught a creative writing class at a prison.

It had it’s prose and cons.

---

DIET DAY 1

I have removed all the bad food from my home.

It was delicious.

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Good night to everyone except people who use various color fills in spreadsheet rows without telling anyone what the colors mean.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Bumble Bee Watch

I was recently reading the May – June 2025 issue of “Science Scope”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “Citizen Science” written by Jill Nugent.  She wrote an article entitled, “‘Participate in Pollinator Science This Season with Bumble Bee Watch.”

Spring and summer serve as a rewarding time for students to survey pollinator biodiversity.  In fact, the month of June is known as pollinator month, making this a natural time of the year to incorporate pollinator science in your classroom.  Bumble Bee Watch is a collaborative project focused on tracking North American Bumble Bees.  To learn more, visit the project website at:

https://www.bumblebeewatch.org

http://k12science.net/bumble-bee-watch/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

• DHMO – 92% of the vote . . . and how to make the lunch ladies cry.  
• MLTI Conference
• Flint K-12 AI
  • Tutor for students
• Great or Gimmick

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘ingordigiousness’ (19th century): extreme greed at the expense of principles.

‪Rick Wormeli‬ ‪@rickwormeli.bsky.social‬

ICYMI: New piece, candid and practical, hopefully useful: “When Our Grading Philosophies Conflict With Those of Our Faculty,” Principal Leadership from NASSP, May 2025 www.nassp.org/publication/…

‪Rene Corbeil‬ ‪@utrgv-edtech.bsky.social‬

“Ella Stapleton said she was surprised to find that a professor had used ChatGPT to assemble course materials. “He’s telling us not to use it, and then he’s using it himself,” she said.” nytimes.com/2025/05/14/t… #edtech #ILoveEdTech #ImFutureReady #elearning #AIEd

https://archive.md/sTgpX

AMLE‬ ‪@amleorg.bsky.social‬

Excited to be launching our account here on Bluesky! We’re the Association for Middle Level Education, the only international organization of its kind for middle school educators. AMLE is dedicated to helping middle school educators reach every student, grow professionally, & create great schools.

Resources:  

101 Rules of Effective Living

https://mitchhorowitz.substack.com/p/101-rules-of-effective-living

Five small habits sports psychologists wish everyone did

• Switch out the word “but” for “and”
• Scenario plan
• Be on time
• Call yourself out when you notice your mood is based on results
• Break large tasks down into steps

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6358944/2025/05/16/five-small-habits-sports-psychologists-wish-everyone-did

It’s Not Just a Feeling: Data Shows Boys and Young Men Are Falling Behind

https://archive.md/cqwvG

A Parent Guide Through the Middle Grade Years

https://www.middleweb.com/52264/a-parent-guide-through-the-middle-grade-years/

https://www.middleweb.com/52027/why-its-hard-to-teach-parent-middle-graders/

​​7 Graphic Organizers to Scaffold Student Learning

https://www.middleweb.com/52250/7-graphic-organizers-to-scaffold-student-learning/

Flint K12 AI

https://app.flintk12.com

Have you considered having an AI create a chat around your math or reading resources?  Flint K12 is an AI with prebuilt resources that can have a “chat” with your students around 

Web Spotlight: 

ChatGPT Rewrote a Newsweek Article in Gen Alpha Slang, Here’s What It Said

https://www.newsweek.com/chatgpt-newsweek-article-gen-alpha-slang-2073347

I’m a college writing professor. Here’s what AI still can’t do

https://mashable.com/article/how-a-college-writing-professor-teaches-students-about-ai

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, creative counting, PD, and more. Dave is passionate about passionate teachers. 

Jokes:  

Professional drum solos are hard to beat.

---

Why are pediatricians always so angry? 

• They have very little patients

I asked a friend how it was going down at the National Ambidextrous Society. He said people are joining left and right.

---

At an interview..

First question: Describe yourself in 3 words

Me: Not very good with numbers

---

I’ve just deleted all the German names from my phone. 

• Now it’s completely Hans-free.

What sound does a cow make when it runs out of milk?

None.

There is udder silence.

---

Drilling holes is boring

---

I saw a microbiologist today…

they were much bigger than I expected…

---

A guy has just assaulted me with a strawberry flavored milk!

How dairy!

---

My son: The manual in the car says not to turn up the volume of the stereo to the maximum.

I told him that’s…. sound advice.

---

This lady is taking FOREVER to tell this story and now I’m really regretting eavesdropping in the first place.

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Which mountain do they harvest the dew from? 

• Is it a trade secret?

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: A Passionate Teacher

I was recently reading the May – June 2025 issue of “Science Scope”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “From the Editor’s Desk” written by Patti McGinnis.  She wrote an article entitled, “‘The Power of a Passionate Teacher.”

Passionate teachers inspire their students to learn, they create collaborative learning environments where risk-taking is encouraged, and they help students connect their learning to real-world applications.  Passionate teachers are committed to their discipline, are knowledgeable to world events, and are committed to ensuring their students learn.

http://k12science.net/a-passionate-teacher/

Reports from the Front Lines

• Presentation Acceptance
• AI PD
• End of the Year Planning
• Creative Counting
• DHMO

The Social Web

@vanderZwan@vis.social

Hey, psst, would you like an intuitive explanation of binary and hexadecimal numbers? (and really, any number base as long as it’s a positive whole number)

Because I may have something for you.

https://observablehq.com/@jobleonard/binary-counting-made-easy

Made with @observablehq

(I started working on this all the way back in 2019 and then completely forgot about it for six years)

Kōtare @jdmcg@mastodon.nz 

My 17yr old was ranting last night about teachers encouraging the use of AI and how stupid it was.

They had done a quiz about a film, and the quiz had been ai generated. They spent most of the lesson pointing out all of the mistakes in the quiz and the woefully incorrect answers.

It became an impromptu lesson on why you *shouldn’t* use AI.

“I hate everything about it” she finally said.

L. Rhodes ⁂@lrhodes@merveilles.town 

Striking sailors would sometimes sign their petitions with their names arranged in a circle to prevent management from singling out the first signatories for retaliation as strike leadership, hence the term “ringleaders.”

Generika @generika@bananachips.club 

If everything around seems dark, look again, you may be the light!
~Rumi

Cassidy James @cassidy@blaede.family

I recently tried to search the web for whether or not it was possible to embed a calendar in a Google Doc. Every single result I found said yes it totally is, and then invented steps that do not exist. In hindsight, clear AI slop.

Not some “AI overview” (I don’t use those); actual articles on actual websites that do not disclose they are machine generated—and flat out lies.

The Web we once knew is dead, murdered by the world’s richest corporations burning our planet and shilling their garbage.

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

I love this, almost as much as German’s ‘Fernweh’: ‘far-sickness’.

Quote:  The OED @OED

OED #WordOfTheDay: spring fret, n. A sense of restlessness or desire to wander, felt by humans or animals in the spring. View entry: https://oxford.ly/4kjWTj8

Katie Powell  @Beyond_the_Desk

When you’re interviewing middle school students about their school, and they keep using the word… Joyous. 

Resources:  

“Fast Fourteen” Bellringers

https://blog.tcea.org/fast-fourteen-bellringers/

Web Spotlight: 

AXIS The Culture Translator

Slang of the Week:  “Aura Farming”

Have you ever met someone who you’re convinced does certain things to try to look cool? There’s a new term for that: “aura farming.” For teens, “aura” is the charisma and coolness you exude. “Aura farming” is doing specific things to try to elevate that “aura.” Young people continue to value authenticity above almost anything else, so calling out aura farming is a way to call out people who are trying maybe a little too hard. Online, the term is often used to poke fun at certain storytelling clichés, like Batman overlooking Gotham City in the rain or Darth Vader doing… pretty much anything.

It’s Breathtaking How Fast AI Is Screwing Up the Education System

https://gizmodo.com/its-breathtaking-how-fast-ai-is-screwing-up-the-education-system-2000603100

U.S. Department of Education “Humans In The Loop”

USDE guidance on using AI in local school districts is here.  

https://www.paulmcafee.com/paul_mcafee_educator/artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-teaching-and-learning-us-dept-of-education

Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College 

ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project.

Lee used AI to breeze through with minimal effort. When I asked him why he had gone through so much trouble to get to an Ivy League university only to off-load all of the learning to a robot, he said, “It’s the best place to meet your co-founder and your wife.”

Although Columbia’s policy on AI is similar to that of many other universities’ — students are prohibited from using it unless their professor explicitly permits them to do so, either on a class-by-class or case-by-case basis — Lee said he doesn’t know a single student at the school who isn’t using AI to cheat. To be clear, Lee doesn’t think this is a bad thing. “I think we are years — or months, probably — away from a world where nobody thinks using AI for homework is considered cheating,” he said.

https://archive.md/a93f7

Craig Mod on the Creative Power of Walking

“From this boredom, words flow. I can’t stop them.”

When I’m not talking, just walking (which is most of the time), I try to cultivate the most bored state of mind imaginable. A total void of stimulation beyond the immediate environment. My rules: No news, no social media, no podcasts, no music. No “teleporting,” you could say. The phone, the great teleportation device, the great murderer of boredom. And yet, boredom: the great engine of creativity. 

https://lithub.com/craig-mod-on-the-creative-power-of-walking

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Blookit, AI, and more. Dave fosters Innovation, Creativity, and Curiosity. 

Jokes:  

Napoleon and his wife are buried next to each other.

• They’re only a bone apart…..

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Every horse in the 2025 Kentucky Derby traces back to Secretariat.

• This is a clear case of neighpotism.

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I just saw a sign “Laser hair removal” Why would anyone want to remove their laser hair? Laser hair would be awesome

---

the formula to measure the area of a pun is

• Length time wit!

---

I don’t mean to alarm anyone, but the orcas now have two F/A-18 Hornets

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DO people in electric cars listen to AD/DC…

• or something current?

---

I have a phobia of trampolines.

I can’t help it, they just always make me jump.

---

what do you call fire fighters who become influencers?

• Stop, Drop, and Roll Models!

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My favorite butcher links their own sausage, to make ends meat…

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What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common?

• Same middle name.

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Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Innovation, Creativity and Curiosity

I was recently reading the May – June 2025 issue of “The Science Teacher”, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, “Editor’s Corner” written by Brooke A. Whitworth.  She wrote an article entitled, “‘Fostering Innovation, Creativity, and Curiosity in Science Education.”

In this article, Brooke shared many practical strategies that teachers can implement immediately, regardless of resources, in the areas of:

• Community-Connected Science
• Resource-Conscious Innovation
• Curiosity-Driven Learning

http://k12science.net/innovation-creativity-and-curiosity/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

• ACTEM Spring 2025
  • AI DIY
  • JAMF
  • Google Admin
• Blookit!
• DHMO Project Update

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Wonderful. Although I quite like ‘restaurant’ because it rests on the idea of being ‘restored’. Restaurants were originally establishments supplying fortifying meat broth intended to restore health.  

Wylfċen @wylfcen

DON’T say “restaurant,” which is from French. The native English word is SNEEDINGHOUSE. 

Dupont La Joie  @HyperDupont

Indeed, Restaurant being derived from French should be the word for places serving food fit for human consumption whereas. Another word is needed for places offering British food.

4 Frens  @4_frenz

I feel like this is knowledge I was never, ever meant to learn.

‪Martin Compton‬ ‪@martc.bsky.social‬

The AI festival is just round the corner … a ton of events and an entire day dedicated to AI in Education – if you can be in London 20th-24th May, sign up for events here: www.kcl.ac.uk/events/serie…

‪Bernie Goldbach “topgold”‬ ‪@topgold.bsky.social‬

Ethics, morals, road rage killing, and forgiveness: www.bbc.com/news/article…

‪Dublin City University‬ ‪@dublincityuni.bsky.social‬

Who owns my child’s data? Teachers, parents and children should have a say in the role of technology in schools. Piece by DCU’s Dr Eamon Costello  @eam0.bsky.social and Dr Rob Lowney @lwnyrb.bsky.social for @rtebrainstorm.bsky.social. Read here: launch.dcu.ie/3EZO0Mt #RTEBrainstorm

‪Duncan at CAPDM‬ ‪@capdm.com‬

This is a *really* good set of tactics for reducing the impact of AI rot in teaching and learning.

Dan Hassler-Forest‬ ‪@danhf.bsky.social‬

After the brutal reality of dealing with student papers in the ChatGPT era finally hit me, here are a few tactics that I’ve found at least somewhat effective in getting students to do their own writing:

1. LOWER THE BAR: most students don’t think they write well, so they are easily tempted to “improve” their writing by asking AI for alternatives. Giving them extra credit for imperfect but genuine writing while teaching them to take ownership of their words and ideas has helped.

2. MAKE IT PERSONAL: Rather than asking students to explain a theory, apply a conceptual framework, or reproduce material they rarely feel confident they really understand, I ask them to reflect in writing on what an essay or an idea has meant to them.

3. FEEDFORWARD, NOT FEEDBACK: instead of having students submit a paper and return a grade (with maybe a little bit of feedback), I now have students submit a first complete draft, for which I give them a provisional grade and feedforward that they can use to revise and resubmit for a final grade.

4. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE: in every course I teach, I now make sure to incorporate at least two moments in which I launch into a diatribe about the evils of AI. It gives me an opportunity to vent and the students love it because deep down, they know it’s wrong and need to hear that.

5. DON’T PANIC: after a moment of deep depression, I realized that most students really can be persuaded to do work in good faith. Some will of course end up cheating, but this has always been the case and it always will be. So focus more on inspiring them and less on making courses “AI-proof.”

6. NEVER USE IT YOURSELF. EVER! The most common issue I hear from students is that some of their lecturers use ChatGPT for feedback, syllabus creation, etc., so why shouldn’t they? Of course I’m not the boss of you, but as soon as you use it for ANYTHING, you’re giving students implicit permission.

Reposted by

Rick Wormeli

‪Hypervisible‬ ‪@hypervisible.bsky.social‬

“Massive numbers of students are going to emerge from university with degrees, and into the workforce, who are essentially illiterate…Both in the literal sense and in the sense of being historically illiterate and having no knowledge of their own culture, much less anyone else’s.”

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/openai-chatgpt-ai-cheating-education-college-students-school.html

Reposted by

Rick Wormeli

Jane Rosenzweig‬ ‪@janerosenzweig.bsky.social‬

Reply to

Jane Rosenzweig

What structures are in place that make students choose to outsource their own thinking, and how we got to a point where the step that seems important to do yourself is the “writing up” of a bot’s ideas rather than the thinking. /2

Resources:  

Your Student Finished Early—Now What?

These extension activities for all grades will help teachers keep fast finishers engaged in meaningful work.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/fast-finishers-school-keeping-students-any-grade-engaged

AXIS The Culture Translator

Please Don’t Stop The Music

What it is: Some young people are taking a break from listening to music

Why it’s happening: There was a time when hearing music required access to an actual musician. Now, the infinite availability of music on apps like Spotify can lead to a paradox of choice, and to a desire to find the “perfect” soundtrack for every moment. Some young people are finding that the ability to completely control every sound they hear is turning into an unhealthy coping mechanism—a way of managing their thoughts and feelings into submission, instead of truly sitting with them. Others find that constantly filling their space with music is making it harder to think clearly. As Dazed puts it, “The rise of algorithmically generated playlists and near-constant headphone use means music has often become background noise, something to fill space, not deepen experiences.

Web Spotlight: 

The LLMentalist Effect: how chat-based Large Language Models replicate the mechanisms of a psychic’s con

https://softwarecrisis.dev/letters/llmentalist

Parents’ Phone Use May Harm Kids’ Health and Development

A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that when parents use technology in the presence of their young children—a behavior researchers call “parental technology use” (PTU)—it may be harming key aspects of kids’ health and development.

https://www.newsweek.com/parents-phone-use-harm-kids-health-children-screen-2067235

Productive Struggle: What We Lose When AI Does the Thinking

https://ideasandthoughts.org/2025/05/06/productive-struggle-what-we-lose-when-ai-does-the-thinking/

AI Is Bad At Grading Essays (Chapter #412,277)

The main hurdles to computerized grading have not changed. Reducing essay characteristics to a score is difficult for a human, but a computer does not read or comprehend the essay in any usual understanding of the words.

Like self-driving cars, robograding has been just around the corner for years. 

The Learning Agency. TLA is an outfit pushing “innovation.” It (along with the Learning Agency Lab) was founded by Ulrich Boser in 2017, and they partner with the Gates Foundation, Schmidt Futures, Georgia State University, and the Center for American Progress, where Boser is a senior fellow. 

TLA has dug through data again, to produce “Identifying Limitations and Bias in ChatGPT Essay Scores: Insights from Benchmark Data.” They grabbed their 24,000 argumentative essay dataset and let ChatGPT do its thing so they could check for some issues.

This particular study found bias that it deemed lacking in “practical significance,” except when it didn’t. Specifically, the difference between Asian/Pacific Islanders and Black students, which underlines how Black students come in last in the robograding.

…result is that ChatGPT just isn’t very good at the job. At all. There’s more statistical argle bargle here, but the bottom line is that ChatGPT gives pretty much everyone a gentleman’s C. 

Using ChatGPT to grade student essays is educational malpractice. It is using a yardstick to measure the weight of an elephant. It cannot do the job.

TLA ignores one other question, a question studiously ignored by everyone in the robograding world– how is student performance affected when they know that their essay will not be read by an actual human being? How does one write like a real human being when your audience is mindless software? What will a student do when schools break the fundamental deal of writing–that it is an attempt to communicate an idea from the mind of one human to the mind of another?

“The computer has read your essay” is a lie. ChatGPT can scan your output as data (not as writing) and compare it to the larger data set (also not writing any more) and see if it lines up. Your best bet as a student is to aim for the same kind of slop that ChatGPT churns out thoughtlessly.

https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2025/05/ai-is-bad-at-grading-essays-chapter.html

Why Even Try if You Have A.I.?

https://archive.md/DaoUj

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