Category: MSM

Middle School Matters podcast related information

MSM, Podcast, StrategyBy Troy Patterson

MSM 331:  The Moodle is Coming! The Moodle is Coming!

MSM 331:  The Moodle is Coming! The Moodle is Coming!

Jokes You Can Use:  

Name a word that can be five letters, three letters or one letter.

Queue, Cue, Q

 

Where did Noah keep his bees?

In the Ark Kive.

 

What does it mean when a couple wears the same shoes?

They are solemates.

 

Did you hear about the gym instructor who was asked to train someone on the splits?

 

My dog used to chase people on a bike a lot.

It got so bad that I had to take the bike away from him.

 

Why did the physics teacher break up with the biology teacher?

There was no Chemistry.

Podcast 331 - Today - Google Docs 2016-05-21 18-08-48

 

Podcast 331 - Today - Google Docs 2016-05-21 18-09-27

Their our know rules

 

Tear and Tier are pronounced the same

But tear and tear aren’t

 

Advisory:

 

Rube Goldberg with Magnets


 

20 graphs to celebrate women’s progress around the world

By Chelsea German

20 graphs to celebrate women's progress around the world - CapX 2016-05-21 18-08-04

http://capx.co/20-graphs-to-celebrate-womens-progress-around-the-world/

 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

EARTH SCIENCE TRADE BOOKS

 

I was recently reading the March, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.” This podcast features four earth science books that are on this year’s list of Outstanding Trade Books.  The titles include:

  1. Smithsonian: Space!
  2. After the Ashes
  3. When Earth Shakes: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis
  4. Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to Save Them

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/5/19_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Earth_Science_Trade_Books.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

UofM 4T Virtual Con ‏@4tvirtualcon

“Technology should be like Electricity. You only notice it if it not there because it is so essential” — @abrooke13 #4T2016

 

TMSA ‏@tmsa2

#AMLE2016 is big and bright… Deep in the Heart of Texas! @amle http://conta.cc/1smUERJ

 

Elyse Eidman-Aadahl ‏@ElyseEA

And then what happens? -Girls Outperform Boys on First NAEP Technology, Engineering Test – EdWk

 

UWindsor ‏@UWindsor

Good luck to UWindsor grad Paul Reddam and his horse, @TheNyquistHorse, at the @PreaknessStakes today. #UWindsorAlumni

 

Nature on PBS ‏@PBSNature

How can you teach young children about nature? Learn about our NATURE Nuggets program: http://to.pbs.org/1WuQXGP

 

Will Richardson ‏@willrich45

Awesome slide of student affirmations in @kjarrett s classroom. #TCT16 #edchat

 

George Couros ‏@gcouros

Connecting Professional Learning and Leadership http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/6339 …

 

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

 

Strategies:

 

Get kids to love reading

 

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/1-easy-fun-way-to-ignite-a-love-of-reading/

 

Resources:

 

The Fundamentals Of Learning All Students Deserve

From my time there I found there are 4 Beliefs Of Learning every school needs to have:

 

  • All Learning Is Interconnected
  • Personalization Is At The Core Of Learning
  • Inquiry Drives Learning
  • Learning Happens As Part Of A Larger Community

 

http://blog.web20classroom.org/2016/05/the-fundamentals-of-learning-all.html

 

Web Spotlight:

 

Edmodo Revisited  

www.edmodo.com

 

Google Slides Q&A

https://docs.googleblog.com/2016/05/slidesQA.html

 

Tech Coaches

http://iblog.dearbornschools.org/techcoaches/

 

Moodle Update

Coming May 23rd!

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

Personal Web Site

 

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 330:  Let’s talk Moodle, Get Rich, and Color.

MSM 330:  Let’s talk Moodle, Get Rich, and Color.

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

I am finally going to be rich someday… I’ve invested in toilet paper and funeral homes.

‘Cause at some point, everyone has to go!

 

Three animals were having a drink in a cafe, when the owner asked for the money. “I’m not paying,” said the duck. “I’ve only got one bill and I’m not breaking it.”

“I’ve spent my last buck,” said the deer.

“Then the duck’ll have to pay,” said the skunk. “Getting here cost me my last scent.”

 

Advisory:

 

Vikings

Have students quickly draw a picture of a Viking.

http://www.vox.com/2016/4/29/11526568/vikings-horned-helmets

 

Crayon Initiative

http://thecrayoninitiative.org/what-we-do/

 

How Breakfast Became a Thing

http://priceonomics.com/how-breakfast-became-a-thing/

 

Book Title Game

http://twentytwowords.com/this-is-the-hilarious-result-of-removing-one-letter-from-a-books-name/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

 

Life Science Trade Books

 

I was recently reading the March, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.” This podcast features four life science books that are on this year’s list of Outstanding Trade Books.  The titles include:

  1. Fire Birds: Valuing Natural Wildfires and Burned Forests
  2. Birdology
  3. The Call of the Osprey
  4. The Great Monkey Rescue: Saving the Golden Lion Tamarins

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/5/5_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Life_Science_Trade_Books.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Dave Schmittou

⚓️ ‏@daveschmittou May 10

“One day I will…” Making graffiti meaningful

Dave Schmittou ⚓️ (@daveschmittou) | Twitter 2016-05-14 13-25-02

Ron Houtman ‏@ronhoutman May 13

Only 3 days left to apply for $1,500 #MACUL technology grants – http://www.macul.org/grantsawards/grants/ … #MichED #mlc16

 

Katie Osgood ‏@KatieOsgood

And the BIG TEST (NWEA) starts next week. All Ts supposed to do “goal setting” convos w/each kids about their “target score.” Huh?  Katie Osgood ‏@KatieOsgood

My school is doing WEEKLY gradebook audits on us with specific #s of grades in specific categories mandated. It’s killing my spirit.  Katie Osgood ‏@KatieOsgood_

Truth be told, I am more suited to the completely informal, formative, exploratory, engaging & fun type assessments. I hate-HATE-grading.  Katie Osgood ‏@KatieOsgood_  I’m always tweaking my assessments, as in moments before handing out the assignment, how can anyone create one size fits all?  Katie Osgood ‏@KatieOsgood_

Imagine if all these “consultants” and “testing experts” had to actually do the messy work of interacting w/kids? Can’t standardize that.  

 

Alice Keeler ‏@alicekeeler

The gradebook should not dictate your pedagogy.  

 

John R. Sowash ‏@jrsowash

Sad news for #Chromebook users: @TechSmithEDU is Ending Support for Snagit for Chrome. http://buff.ly/1Te0rCe  (via @rmbyrne)

 

MiddleWeb ‏@middleweb

A dozen memorable ideas for the last weeks of #middleschool. @ElyseSScott @amle #satchat #mschat #elachat  http://www.middleweb.com/29647/make-end-of-year-learning-meaningful-fun/  

 

edutopia ‏@edutopia

Grab some tissues & watch veteran teachers write letters to their first-year selves: http://edut.to/1TbdBRI

 

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

 

Strategies:

 

Sketch Note Taking vs Mind Mapping

Really enjoyed the conversation about Sketch Noting/Taking.  The first thing I thought of was Mind Mapping, which was so popular years ago.  I looked up the difference and found:

 

For more targeted uses of drawing-to-learn, Kathy Schrock, an educator, writer and speaker, recommends the video at the top of this post as a good introduction to the overall concept of visual notetaking, and goes on to describe Mike Rohde’s related and popular idea of sketchnoting as, in its purest form, “creating a personal visual story as one is listening to a speaker or reading a text.”

A related concept, mind mapping, goes beyond note-taking and can be used for organizing, problem-solving and brainstorming.

 

Deadlines Are For Kids

I hear endless discussions about deadlines and due dates. About how we need to teach kids responsibility. And how they need to have “consequences” when they don’t turn in their assignment on time. (Never mind that both the assignment and the deadline are often pretty arbitrary, but I digress.)

 

http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2016/03/deadlines-are-for-kids.html

 

ITLL Blog Post

I guess part of what I am struggling with is my own indecisive reaction to our PD.  At times I feel that what I do and the practices I use really align with the Innovators Mindset.  Inquiry based learning, AFL, student centred practices, collaborative teaching, reflection (for myself and students), technologically infused instruction and more permeate my planning and teaching.  Does all of it happen all day every day?  Well no.  But my decisions as an educator are planned and based with all of the above in mind.

One thing that I have heard and learned and felt reaffirmed about is the need to constantly be striving to do more and do better as a teacher.  My personal philosophy values trying new things and challenging myself and my students in a variety of ways.  I have a hard time when I meet a colleague that teaches the same content the same way every year.

 

http://itll.edublogs.org/2016/04/27/itll-blog-post-7/

 

A Better Way to Read

In the era of attention deficits, the new text will not be black and white.

The most important feature is that each line begins with a different color than the line above or below. As Matthew Schneps, director of the Laboratory for Visual Learning at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, explained it to me, the color gradients also pull our eyes long from one character to the next—and then from the end of one line to the beginning of the next, minimizing any chance of skipping lines or making anything less than an optimally efficient word-to-word or line-to-line transition.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/05/a-better-way-to-read/482127/

Resources:

Civil War Facts

http://www.historyfanatic.com/slideshows/23-scariest-facts-about-the-civil-war/1/

 

 

Personal Web Site

 

MSM, Podcast, StrategyBy Troy Patterson

MSM 329:  Ratholes, Rants and Misconceptions.

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

Two truck drivers came to a low bridge. The clearance sign said 10 feet 8 inches. When they got out and measured their truck, they discovered their vehicle was eleven feet. The first man looked at the other and said, “I can’t see any cops around. Let’s go for it!”

 

Have you seen the Russell Crowe movie about the cannibal and his mother in law? Gladiator (glad – he – ate – her)

 

It’s time for all bad spellers to untie.

I yell because I care.

Is it true that cannibals won’t eat a clown because they’re afraid they will taste funny?

Pets welcome: children must be on leash.

He who laughs last, has the best lawyer.

I’ve been dieting for 31 days and all i lost was 31 days.

Warning: I have an attitude and i know how to use it.

Don’t do what I say do what I mean.

At the feast of ego, everyone leaves hungry.

I’m looking for the upper taker not the undertaker.

General Custer wore arrow shirts.

The word verb is actually a noun.

It’s not whether you win or lose, what counts is if I win or lose

 

Q: What do you call a snobbish criminal going down stairs?

A: A condescending con descending.

 

“My mom and dad had a baby. It wasn’t my brother. It wasn’t my sister. Who was it?”

Advisory:

 

Finishing the School Year Strong

Students can reflect on these two questions, turning their answers into posters that can be hung around the classroom as reminders and shared with each other:

  • What are three things you can do to help finish the school year strong academically?
  • What is one thing you can do to help your classmates finish the year strong academically?

 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/larry-ferlazzo-how-to-end-school-year-strong

 

Mahara

Version 16 is now available.

https://mahara.org/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Misconceptions

 

I was recently reading the March, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the article, “What We Call Misconceptions May Be Necessary Stepping-Stones Toward Making Sense Of The Work.” It was written by Todd Campbell, Christina Schwarz, and Mark Windschitl. This article highlights a view of science learning uncommon in schools today–one in which teachers and students view misconceptions as useful for making sense of the world.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/4/28_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Misconceptions.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

TED Talks ‏@TEDTalks  

8 TED Talks to help you practice patience: http://t.ted.com/40Bpjoj

 

Savas Savides ‏@SSavides  

Dear Teacher on the Tired Days, http://buff.ly/1N8o7bV

 

Marlena Gross-Taylor ‏@mgrosstaylor  

A3: Great examples of the power of failure! #leadupchat

Famous Failures

elearninginfographic ‏@eLearngraphic  

The Power of Teachers as… http://dlvr.it/LBdn6s  #TeacherInfographics #CollaborativeCurriculumDesignersinfographic

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

 

Strategies:

 

SketchNotes

Sketchnoting for Beginners - Google Slides 2016-04-30 12-34-16

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1a0TgYBEEQlMv6umZJ_g3KLHGOi1Vv40PHsFhjCN3LkE/edit#slide=id.g5f70fb3e7_059

 

RSA

Examples of SketchNotes turned into Animations.

https://www.thersa.org/discover/videos/rsa-animate/

 

The Secret of Effective Feedback

Feedback is only successful if students use it to improve their performance.

…many studies have shown, students often learn less when teachers provide feedback than they do when the teacher writes nothing (Kluger & DeNisi, 1996)

In general, however (and this is what makes feedback so challenging), the main purpose of feedback is to improve the student’s ability to perform tasks he or she has not yet attempted.

In the longer term, the most productive strategy is to develop our students’ ability to give themselves feedback.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr16/vol73/num07/The-Secret-of-Effective-Feedback.aspx

Resources:

Six Brain Thoughts

 

http://crewblog.wpengine.com/6-things-know-brain-learns/

 

Web Spotlight:

 

Get Rid of Grade Levels

 

Essentially, our personalized learning program will be move from teacher-centered to learner-centered classrooms by supporting the following:

  1. More active learning, so that learners are not merely more active through creating, deciding, and so on, but are also more actively learning through the positive review of their experience and the meaning-making this involves.
  2. More collaborative learning, so that learners come to see themselves and others as resources in meaning-making, rather than the teacher being the sole fount of knowledge
  3. More learner-driven learning, so that learners come to drive the agenda as they generate questions, organize inquiry and evaluate their products and progress.

And here’s the big kicker: we have decided to eliminate grades for our learners.

 

Instead of being confined to grade-level classes, students will move in “studios.” Studios will be aligned to grade level standards determined by four teachers (identified as “studio coaches”), but the students won’t know if they are moving up or down. In fact, there are no numbers involved; each studio will be a letter of our program, called EPIC (Empowering, Personalizing, Innovating, Creating).

 

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-04-28-get-rid-of-grade-levels-a-personalized-learning-recipe-for-public-school-districts

 

Random Thoughts . . .  

Moodle FlashCards

Personal Web Site

MSM, Podcast, TechBy Troy Patterson

MSM 328:  Motivated or not, Make it – Sit on it Potsy! (Then be grateful).

 

Jokes You Can Use:

My friend dropped a box of Italian pastries on the floor.

I cannoli imagine what he felt at that moment.

 

Wife comes downstairs and asks her husband, who is lying on a sofa, “What have you been doing?”

He replies, “Killing Flies.”

“How many you have killed so far?”

“Five, three males and two females.”

“How did you figure that out?”

“Well, three were sitting on the remote and two were sitting on the phone.”

 

At a wedding ceremony, the pastor asked if anyone had anything to say concerning the union of the bride and groom. Everything quickly turned to chaos when a woman carrying a child started walking towards the front.

Everybody was surprised, shocked, and the bride even fainted. The pastor asked the woman if she had anything to say.

The woman replied, “We can’t hear in the back.”

 

Eileen Award:  

  • Twitter:  Angela Meier

 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Everyday Engineering – Chair Design

I was recently reading the March, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the Everyday Engineering column entitled, “Sitting Around Designing Chairs.” It was written by Richard H. Moyer and Susan A. Everett.  In this 5E-learning-cycle lesson, using newspaper and tape, students design and build a chair that is capable of supporting their weight.

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/4/21_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Chair_Design.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Mike Janatovich ‏@mjanatovich Apr 20

Students had an opportunity to update their nature journals today. Awesome opportunity to extend the classroom.

Students nature journals

Social In Detroit ‏@SocialINDetroit

Great new word game for your next game night! Play individually or as teams- http://dld.bz/exDbP  @CommonGroundTG

Common Ground

Erin Klein ‏@KleinErin

Top story via Kleinspiration Should I Download That App? A Ten Question Checkli… https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-04-20-should-i-download-that-app-a-ten-question-checklist-for-making-tools-worth-your-while …, see more http://tweetedtimes.com/KleinErin?s=tnp

1 retweet 0 likes

 

Marlena Gross-Taylor ‏@mgrosstaylor

A5: A reflective leader is an evolving one. Must provide Ts/admin time to think/reflect/dream. #leadupchat

hour minute

Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo

Effective Strategies For ELL Error Correction is my latest Ed Wk column http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2016/04/response_effective_strategies_for_ell_error_correction.html … @nortoneducation

Mistakes

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

 

Strategies:

Strategies to Motivate Unmotivated Students

 

Edutopia has an article about different ways intrinsic motivation is better for students than extrinsic motivation.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-self-persuasion-david-palank

 

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A POSITIVE NOTE HOME TO PARENTS?

I’ve only been writing for a week, but I’ve already learned a few important lessons:

Writing doesn’t take me long at all:  I’ve chosen to write my notes during my lunch period — which is 23 minutes long.  I’ve had no trouble writing two notes AND eating lunch AND shooting the breeze with my colleagues for a few minutes during that period.  That means “finding the time” isn’t an excuse for me any longer.

My kids dig the letters that I’m writing:  I’ve also chosen to leave the letters that I write unsealed and to tell the students whose parents that I write to that they are welcome to read what I’ve written before bringing their note home.  Almost every kid has done just that — pulling out their notes as soon as I hand them out and reading them immediately.  That matters, y’all:  Kids crave praise from the important people around them.  Especially those who struggle academically or behaviorally as compared to their peers.

I had to explain the purpose of my letters to my students so they wouldn’t panic:  The first day that I handed letters to students, both kids said, “Did I do something wrong?”  Talk about a stinging critique of my communication patterns, right?  Letters home from Mr. Ferrriter = Someone’s in trouble.  So I took a few minutes in class to let my kids know that I was sorry for not taking more time to send positive notes home.  Now, my kids are almost always surprised when I hand them an envelope, but surprised in a good way instead of nervous about what’s inside.

Writing letters has made ME feel good, too:  My original goal for writing to parents was to make THEM feel good about their children.  That’s an easy win, right?  Every parent likes to know that others see special things in their kids.  What I didn’t realize was just how good writing to the parents of my students would make ME feel.  The few minutes that I spend identifying and articulating the things that I value the most about the students in my classes — including those who struggle academically and behaviorally — serve as a daily reminder that EVERY kid sitting in EVERY class really is wonderful in their own way.

 

http://blog.williamferriter.com/2016/04/23/when-was-the-last-time-you-wrote-a-positive-note-home-to-parents/

 

Study: Gratitude Increases Self-Control

 

  1. Please write at least three sentences about a time (or times) you have felt successful and happy:
  2. Please write at least three sentences about something that is important to you (friends, family, sports, etc.) and why it’s important:

 

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/04/17/study-gratitude-increases-self-control/

 

Resources:

 

What Teachers Should Know

  • Myth 1: New technology is causing a revolution in education.
  • Myth 2: The Internet belongs in the classroom because it is part of the personal world 
experienced by children.
  • Myth 3: Today’s “digital natives” are a 
new generation who want a new style 
of education.
  • Myth 4: The Internet makes us dumber.
  • Myth 5: Young people don’t read anymore.

http://www.aft.org/ae/spring2016/debruyckere-kirschner-and-hulshof

 

10 Realities About Bullying at School and Online

  • “most educators aren’t aware of the function bullying serves in school,”
  • The majority of kids don’t bully other kids and haven’t been victimized
  • Kids pick on others as a way to secure their standing among their peers or to move up a notch.
  • aggression is intrinsic to status and escalates with increases in peer status until the pinnacle of the social hierarchy is attained.”
  • Children from single-parent homes, and those with less educated parents, are no more apt to bully than kids with married and learned parents. African-Americans and other minorities show the same rates of bullying as their white counterparts.
  • The popular notion of bullies as sullen social outcasts who come from broken homes is a myth.
  • What adults call bullying kids call drama.
  • Cyber-bullying is just an extension of what’s happening in the classrooms, halls, and cafeteria
  • online cruelty merely makes visible what kids are doing in person behind the backs of adults.
  • Just another way for kids to express hostility towards targets they’ve already gone after—or are in retaliation against those who have attacked them in school.
  • Kids don’t intervene because doing so would jeopardize their own standing, they lack the tools to assist, and because they don’t think it will help anyway.
  • Adolescents are fixated on their social standing, and anything that jeopardizes their fragile position will be avoided.
  • students receive scant training on how to help in such a way that it won’t backfire.
  • “Asking students to be empowered and responsible bystanders is tantamount to telling them to be good readers or safe drivers without giving them instructions, guidance, and opportunities to practice,”

 

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/04/22/10-realities-about-bullying-at-school-and-online/

 

Web Spotlight:

 

History Connected

British Museum teams up with Google.

https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/

 

Random Thoughts . . .  

Moodle FlashCards

Interview

https://www.joomlalms.com/blog/expert-interview/student-centered-approach-troy-patterson.html

 

Personal Web Site

advisory, MSM, Podcast, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 327:  Oh, look!  A Soapbox!

MSM 327:  Oh, look!  A Soapbox!

 

Jokes You Can Use:  

 

Waiter: Do you want a cup or bowl?

That’s a good idea. Otherwise, it’d be all over the table.

 

I had dream last night that I was a muffler. I woke up exhausted.

 

I have a friend who has a real fear of elevators. I’m proud of him though. He’s taking steps to avoid it.

 

Why did the A go into the bathroom and come out an E?

It had a Vowel Movement

 

How come Dracula doesn’t have any friends?

He’s a pain in the neck.

 

Do you know why one side of the geese flying V formation is longer than the other?

There’ more geese on that side.

 

Advisory:

 

Superstitions

Britain China Egypt Egypt01 Homeless Japan Japan01 Lithuania POrtugal Russia Russia01 Spain01

http://twentytwowords.com/super-strange-superstitions-from-around-the-world/3/

 

Logical Fallacy

LogicalFallaciesInfographic

https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/poster

https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Current Events

 

I was recently reading the March, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the Editor’s Roundtable column entitled, “Spreading the News – With Care!” It was written by Inez Liftig.  The article emphasizes the need for teachers to share current science news with students, but to make sure that the news is “grade-appropriate.”

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/4/8_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Current_Events.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

 

Dru Tomlin ‏@DruTomlin_AMLE Westerville, OH

A4. My Orwellian fear: tomorrow’s classes will have more monitoring, indoctrination, data w/ less understanding. Must fight now #satchat

 

Library of Congress ‏@librarycongress

Eva Jacques describes conditions in New Guinea in WWII & how troops taught natives US songs http://go.usa.gov/c7SZH

 

Daniel Pink ‏@DanielPink

A clever Harvard experiment with cafeteria workers offers a simple but effective way to motivate employees …

https://t.co/t17Q7Cy3iT

 

Spiri Howard ‏@itsmeSpiri

Favorite Tech Tools For Social Studies Classes #edtech #edchat #K12

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/05/21/favorite-tech-tools-for-social-studies-classes/

Derek McCoy ‏@mccoyderek

Classroom assessments for a differentiated classroom http://buff.ly/22AGcRa

Podcast 327 - Oh, Look! A Soapbox! - Google Docs 2016-04-16 12-48-19

Travis Burns ‏@Dr_TravisBurns

21st Century Classrooms embrace failure. Failure leads to learning. Freedom to Fail Rubric #satchat

Podcast 327 - Oh, Look! A Soapbox! - Google Docs 2016-04-16 12-49-13

Michael Taylor ‏@nyrangerfan42

Michael Taylor Retweeted Megan Pankiewicz

The classroom is not your only learning environment – where will your lesson make the most impact? #satchat

Threaded Comment:  Megan Pankiewicz @MeganPank

A4. Can we all go outside more please? Can we make designated Outdoors While Learning Spaces? OWLS! Build them w/ purpose! #satchat

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

 

Strategies:

 

Breakout

 

All Breakout EDU games teach critical thinking, teamwork, complex problem solving, and can be used in all content areas.

http://www.breakoutedu.com/

http://www.breakoutedu.com/beta

 

Kahoot Team Mode

https://getkahoot.com/blog/kahoot-team-mode-boosts-collaboration

 

Resources:

Build your Infographic Maps with Legos . . .

http://infosthetics.com/archives/2011/02/3d_infographic_maps_built_with_lego.html  

 

Samuel Granados has discovered an efficient way to display geographical data in 3D physical reality. Just use Lego [samuelgranados.es]. One side of the map reveals the emigrants of each zone, the opposite shows the immigrants (both represented by the volume of the pieces).  

 

Micro-Credentialing

 

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/03/30/can-micro-credentialing-salvage-teacher-pd.html

 

Big Learners

Biglearners.com is dedicated to provide high-quality educational materials for K-5 students and teachers. This site features thousands of printable Math and English language worksheets. Our collection include spelling lists, grammar, reading comprehension passages, writing prompts, and flashcards. We have great learning resources in numbers, decimals, fractions, data and graphs, geometry, measurement, and many other topics.

https://www.biglearners.com/

Web Spotlight:

Podcast 327 - Oh, Look! A Soapbox! - Google Docs 2016-04-16 12-52-02

Incubator School

http://incubatorschool.org/playbook.html

 

What one college discovered when it stopped accepting SAT/ACT scores

Hampshire College is a liberal arts school in Massachusetts that has decided not to accept SAT/ACT scores from applicants. That’s right — the college won’t accept them, a step beyond the hundreds of “test-optional” schools that leave it up to the applicant to decide whether to include them in their applications. So what has happened as a result of the decision?

For one thing, U.S. News & World report has refused to include Hampshire in its annual rankings. For another, Hampshire officials say, this year’s freshman class, the first chosen under the new rules, is more qualified by other measures than earlier classes.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/09/25/what-one-college-discovered-when-it-stopped-accepting-satact-scores/

 

Innovation in ELL bodes well for K-12 students

 

http://www.educationdive.com/news/innovation-in-ell-bodes-well-for-k-12-students/416365/

 

Why Teachers Need To Know The Wrong Answers : NPR Ed : NPR

  

www.npr.org

  • Lots of kids think it does. Lots of adults think so too. And they’re wrong.*
  • “Students are full of all kinds of knowledge, and they have explanations for everything.”
  • Sadler says that cognitive science tells us that if you don’t understand the flaws in students’ reasoning, you’re not going to be able to dislodge their misconceptions and replace them with the correct concepts.
  • “It’s very expensive in terms of mental effort to change the ideas that you come up with yourself,” Sadler says. “It’s a big investment to say, ‘I’m going to abandon this thing that I came up with that makes sense to me and believe what the book or the teacher says instead.’ “
  • Sadler gave 20 multiple-choice science questions to a group of middle school students. For each test item, one of the “distractors” was a very common misconception. In fact, often the misconception was far more popular than the right answer.
  • among teachers with stronger knowledge of student weaknesses, their students learned significantly more science, based on a retest at the end of the year.
  • “Teachers who find their kids’ ideas fascinating are just better teachers than teachers who find the subject matter fascinating,” he says.

 

Personal Web Site

 

advisory, MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 326:  Just Your “Average” Podcast . . .

MSM 326:  Just Your “Average” Podcast . . .

 Jokes You Can Use:

 

What did Zero say to Eight?  Nice belt. 0 – 8

I cut off part of my finger cutting cheese. But I think that I may have grater problems.

Today a girl said that she recognized me from the vegetarian club. But I’m pretty sure that I’ve never met herbivore.

I used to work in a calendar factory, but I got fired because I took a couple of days off.

Did you hear about the guy who invented LifeSavers? They say he made a mint.

Did you hear the FedEx and UPS are merging? They are going to go by Fed-Up.

Did you hear about the two peanuts on the street? One was assalted.

 

Eileen Award:  

  • Google+:  Christopher Kochinsky

 

Advisory:

 

When Bullies Called This Girl a Fat Whale, She Decided to Help Actual Whales

 

Long story short, bullies suck. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, they will sniff out your insecurities and find any way to exploit them.

You can cower and lick your wounds, or you can do what this teenager in Lampasas, Texas did, and use their venom in a way that actually does some good.

 

http://twentytwowords.com/when-bullies-called-this-girl-a-fat-whale-she-decided-to-help-actual-whales/

(The Booster project is now closed.)  

 

The Most Terrifying Urban Legends From Every Single State

 

http://twentytwowords.com/the-most-terrifying-urban-legends-from-every-single-state/

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Appropriate Chemicals

 

I was recently reading the February, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Scope on Safety.”  It was written by Ken Roy, director of environmental health and safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, CT.  The article focused in on the safety question of the month, which was: “How do I know whether a chemical is appropriate for my middle level science laboratory activity?”

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/3/28_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Appropriate_Chemicals.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Glenn Robbins ‏@Glennr1809

Too often schools buy 3D printers because they are “bright/shining” items. We need designer first- DONT BUY TO BUY! #satchat

Storyboard That ‏@StoryboardThat

Are you familiar with the story of Romulus and Remus? If not, read through our lesson plan! http://ow.ly/10bRu5

StoryBoard Example

ReadWriteThink.org ‏@RWTnow

Middle level students learn content area vocabulary using the Vocabulary, Language, Prediction (VLP) approach http://ow.ly/IobS6

 

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

 

 

Strategies:

 

ACTIVITY: FEEDBACK ACTION PLANNING TEMPLATE

I’ve been doing a ton of tinkering this year with the way that I give students feedback in my classroom.  My goal is to steal Dylan Wiliam’s idea that our goal should be to turn feedback into detective work.  That just feels right to me.

http://blog.williamferriter.com/2016/04/02/activity-feedback-action-planning-template/

 

Resources:

Differentiated Instruction in the Middle and High School, Strategies to Engage All Learners by  Dr. Kristina Doubet  

We did an interview with Dr. Doubet a while ago on Differentiated Instruction and it seems she has a book on the subject (differentiation, not our interview) which was published while we were in China last year.  

http://www.amazon.com/Differentiation-Middle-High-School-Strategies/dp/1416620184/ref=pd_rhf_schuc_s_cp_7?ie=UTF8&dpID=51%2B9dQKqPOL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR104%2C135_&refRID=1D2G7CFG4WZQ8P3236JD

 

Alternatives to YouTube

Some excellent educational content can be found on YouTube. However, many teachers cannot access YouTube in their classrooms. Therefore, I compiled a list of other places to find educational videos that don’t rely on YouTube.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/09/47-alternatives-to-using-youtube-in.html#.Vv_YQRMrJdA

 

5 tips to improve your critical thinking – Samantha Agoos

Every day, a sea of decisions stretches before us, and it’s impossible to make a perfect choice every time. But there are many ways to improve our chances — and one particularly effective technique is critical thinking. Samantha Agoos describes a 5-step process that may help you with any number of problems.

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/5-tips-to-improve-your-critical-thinking-samantha-agoos

Web Spotlight:

 

What Do We Lose By Measuring ‘Average’ In Education?

 

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/03/28/what-do-we-lose-by-measuring-average-in-education/

 

NOT JUST A GIRL

5 Ways to Help Girls Achieve Their Potential

by Vicki Davis

 

I dropped my end of the heavy battery. Daddy and I needed to “jump off” or start up the irrigation system. I was perhaps eight and my sister and Mom were somewhere else.

“It is too heavy for me Dad, I’m just a girl.” I whimpered as dust swirled around my end of the battery.

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/closing-the-gender-gap-one-girl-at-a-time/

 

Chronicle of the Revolution

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle.html

 

SINGULAR EDUCATION FOCUS

http://sweattoinspire.com/2016/04/02/singular-education-focus/

 

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

Personal Web Site

 

MSM, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 324:  A Day in the Life of The Mind of a Middle Schooler

MSM 324:  A Day in the Life of The Mind of a Middle Schooler

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

How do you find Will Smith in a snow storm? Follow the Fresh Prints.

It’s difficult to say what my wife does, She sells seashell by the sea shore.

How did the hipster burn his mouth? He ate pizza before it was cool.

A neutron walks into a coffee shop and orders a coffee. The barista says “No charge”.

Two goldfish are in a tank. One looks at the other and says “Do you know how to drive this thing?”

How does the NASA organize a party? They planet.

 

Advisory:

A Day in the Life

Use the pictures for the students to  create stories of the times. Have students replicate the project in their neighborhood.

http://mashable.com/2016/03/05/london-ohio-great-depression/#gZr.u31ngkqb

 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

NGSS: Where Do You Start?

I was recently reading the February, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

In this issue, I read the article, “Planning NGSS Instruction – Where Do You Start?”  It was written by Mary Colson and Russ Colson.  If you are planning to implement NGSS, you should consider:

  1.  Authentic Questions
  2.  Engagement in Scientific Practices
  3.  Big Explanatory Ideas

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/3/10_Middle_School_Science_Minute-NGSS__Where_Do_You_Start.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Glenn Robbins ‏@Glennr1809

A4: Too often schools buy 3D printers because they are “bright/shining” items. We need designer first- DON’T BUY TO BUY! #satchat

 

achievethecore.org ‏@achievethecore

Achieve the Core has done some early spring cleaning: check out our newly streamlined site

 

Dr. Justin Tarte ‏@justintarte

The best homework assignments EVER … make the world a better place: via @peterlynch11 #edchat #education

Year Seven Assignment

TeacherPolicy ‏@teacherpolicy

Southern Lawmakers Reconsidering Role of Test Scores in Teacher Evaluations http://mobile.edweek.org/c.jsp?cid=25920011&item=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.edweek.org%2Fv1%2Fblog%2F62%2F%3Fuuid%3D57209 …

 

Sarah Allred ‏@RockStarTchr Archdale, NC

Explains a lot!

How the Mind of a Middle Schooler Works

Bill Powers ‏@MrPowersCMS

As adults sometimes we are our worst enemy in allowing students to tinker. We must give up control #satchat
10 Things That Happen

Daisy Dyer Duerr ‏@DaisyDyerDuerr 3m3 minutes ago

16 Apps and Websites Kids Are Heading to After Facebook | Common Sense Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/16-apps-and-websites-kids-are-heading-to-after-facebook?utm_source=031116+Default&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly# … via @commonsense

 

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

 

Strategies:

Media Center

“You can’t have things that are in one spot,” Kitchen says. “If you put things in fours, they’re going to stay in fours. So everything we have there is movable, whether it’s the chairs, the interactive boards, or the flat panels.”

http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/school-library/

 

Resources:

Periodic Table Puns – Teachers Pay Teachers:  FREE    

A set of puns science teachers can use to help students learn about the periodic table of elements.  

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Periodic-Table-Puns-547062

The Science Of Getting Kids Organized

To help Lilli get stuff done, her parents hired Melissa Power-Greene, a former tutor and special-education teacher, to work with Lilli on something called executive function.

“I think having the routine of meeting once a week is helpful to know that I have a point where I stop what I’m doing and kind of figure out if I’m on the right track,” she says.

That’s something many educators and psychologists say can come from less expensive forms of help — or, in an ideal world, for free in the public schools.

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/02/02/463593878/the-science-of-getting-kids-organized  

 

Experts Say Measuring Non-Cognitive Skills Won’t Work, But Districts Still Try

Federal education law now requires one non-academic measure of school progress, which has led some districts to consider including students’ social and emotional growth as a performance measure.

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/03/02/experts-say-measuring-non-cognitive-skills-wont-work-but-districts-still-try/

 

10+ Tips for Using Brain-Based Methods to Redesign Your Classroom

Creating a Brain-Friendly Enriched Classroom Environment

  1. Layout and Use of Space:
  2. Furniture Choices:
  3. Color Selections:
  4. Lighting:
  5. Nature:
  6. Environmental Print and Design:
  7. Organization of Materials:

 

However, many indirect benefits also followed. We created a space that made it more natural to take our time, relax, and be reflective as we worked towards mastery and understanding. The physical landscape of our room took on a different emotional feel upon entering. Our space was inspiring. It was warm. And most of all, it was an invitation for learning where all felt welcomed and valued. After all, students knew their voice mattered—they helped created their space.

 

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-03-01-10-tips-for-using-brain-based-methods-to-redesign-your-classroom

 

Web Spotlight:

The Changing Role Of The Teacher

This does not mean that the teacher is to stand off and look on; the alternative to furnishing ready-made subject matter and listening to the accuracy with which it is reproduced is not quiescence, but participation, sharing, in an activity. In such shared activity, the teacher is a learner, and the learner is, without knowing it, a teacher—and upon the whole, the less consciousness there is, on either side, of either giving or receiving instruction, the better.

http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/changing-role-of-the-teacher/

 

Comparing Textbooks to Wikipedia – A Student & Teacher Lesson

Last week during NCTIES I shared an activity that I have done with students and teachers to help them identify the similarities and differences between information presenting in their textbooks and information presented in Wikipedia articles on the same topics. An outline of the activity is available here.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/03/comparing-textbooks-to-wikipedia.html#.VuQfs5MrJdA

 

20 Strategies for Motivating Reluctant Learners

Perez says when students are engaged, predicting answers, talking with one another and sharing with the class in ways that follow safe routines and practices, they not only achieve more but they also act out less. And everyone, including the teacher, has more fun.

 

PEREZ’ BRAIN-BASED STRATEGIES

 

  1. Don’t Be Boring
  2. Vote
  3. Set Goals
  4. Form Groups
  5. Quick Writes
  6. Focus on the ABCs: Acceptance, Belonging and Community
  7. Continually change the “state” of the classroom
  8. Empathize
  9.  Do a BRAIN checklist
  10. Simplify
  11. Chunk Information
  12. Props
  13. Breaks
  14. Post-Its
  15. Make Snowballs
  16. Guessing Games
  17. Balanced Inquiry
  18. Mind-streaming
  19. Be Interactive
  20. HOPE

 

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/03/03/20-strategies-for-motivating-reluctant-learners/

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site

 

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 323:  6 Avoidable Mistakes and Hey!  The Letters Keep Jumping Around!

MSM 323:  6 Avoidable Mistakes and Hey!  The Letters Keep Jumping Around!

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

What did the left eye say to the right eye?

  • Between you and me, something smells.

 

What do you call a sleepwalking Nun?

  • A Roamin’ Catholic

 

Why was the teacher cross eyed?

  • The teacher couldn’t control her pupils

 

Why should you knock before opening the refrigerator door?

  • There might be salad dressing

 

Why did the cowboy get a weiner dog?

  • He wanted to get a long little doggie.

Podcast 323 - Today - Google Docs 2016-03-05 13-04-55

Advisory:

 

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg  

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Epigenetics

 

I was recently reading the February, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Epigenetics: A New Science for Middle School – And Why You Should Teach It.”  It was written by Lisa Marriott, Alison Charbonneau, Berk Moss, Jackilen Shannon, Kent Thornburg, and Mitchell Turker.  Epigenetics is the name of a powerful biological process by which gene switches can be regulated.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/3/3_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Epigenetics.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

 

Vox ‏@voxdotcom

This simulation helps show you what it’s like to have dyslexia http://www.vox.com/2016/3/5/11162158/dyslexia-simulation?utm_campaign=vox&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter …

 

Ms. Oxendine ‏@MsOxendine

“What is a fart, except a a lonely cry from a trapped turd.” #stuffmiddleschoolerssay #scamle2016

Rodney Hetherton ‏@RodneyHetherton

27 ways to be a better 21st Century educator via @MiaMacMeekin #COLchat #swcrkPLN

AJ Hartley, Ed.D., Michele Corbat, Dragonometry and 7 others

Sue Gorman ‏@sjgorman

The 8 Best Chrome Extensions As Chosen By Teachers https://www.thegooru.com/8-chrome-extensions-teachers-love/ … via @thegooglegooru #gafe

 

Marci Houseman ‏@marcihouseman Pinehurst, NC

Marci Houseman Retweeted Donald Gately Ed.D.

I love seeing how teachers and admin are using @periscopeco to give SS greater audience for their work! #satchat

Marci Houseman added,

 

Donald Gately Ed.D. @donald_gately

Teacher was using @periscopeco and Ss were responding to Qs in comments in 6 different languages #amazing #satchat

Wired Educator ‏@WiredEducator

Why every educator should apply to at least one conference or institute a year! http://wirededucator.com/the-importance-of-reflection-why-i-apply-to-conferences-and-institutes/ …

 

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

 

Resources:

 

Dyslexia Experience

Wonderful experience of reading while the letters are moving.

http://geon.github.io/programming/2016/03/03/dsxyliea

 

6 Avoidable Mistakes That Can Kill A New Teacher’s Career

 

http://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/6-avoidable-mistakes-that-can-kill-a-new-teachers-career/

 

Providing Extrinsic Reward for Test Performance Undermines Long-Term Memory Acquisition

 

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00079/full

 

Teens do better in science when they know Einstein and Curie also struggled

“In our culture we always say you don’t want to intimidate kids, you don’t want to tell them how hard the work is,” she noted. But the experiment showed the opposite strategy works better: Showing how great scientists had to muddle through lots of tough stuff made the subject matter real and allowed students to connect with them as people.

Lin-Siegler argues that teaching and science textbooks could be vastly improved, to help engage students and promote STEM—if they were transformed from overweight catalogues of formulas to explorations of the fascinating back stories that led to all that scientific knowledge.

http://qz.com/622749/teens-do-better-in-science-when-they-know-einstein-and-curie-also-struggled/

My First Job

From Linked IN:

 

President Obama

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/heres-scoop-why-my-first-job-mattered-president-barack-obama

Ralph de la Vega

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dream-big-humble-lessons-led-me-from-factory-floor-ralph-de-la-vega

Meg Whitman

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-designing-shampoo-bottle-taught-me-business-meg-whitman

Suzie Orman

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-i-lacked-qualifications-learned-make-up-courage-suze-orman

Bernard Tyson

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/practice-makes-career-bernard-j-tyson

Katie Couric

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-first-job-lasted-one-summer-changed-way-i-see-world-katie-couric

 

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

Moodle FlashCards

Yes, Moodle can do FlashCards.

http://troypatterson.me/2016/03/05/moodle-flashcards/

 

Personal Web Site

MSM, Podcast, StrategyBy Troy Patterson

MSM 322:  I don’t feel like cleaning this up.  No one eats their Wheeties anymore.

MSM 322:  I don’t feel like cleaning this up.  No one eats their Wheeties anymore.

Jokes You Can Use:

 

What’s the difference between a Hippo and a Zippo?

Why do scuba divers fall backward into the water?

Have you heard the rumor going around about butter?

Today at the bank, a little old lady asked me to help check her balance. So I pushed her over. Everything’s OK though. The check bounced.

Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It’s very time consuming. Especially when you go back for seconds.

A magician was driving down the street. Then he turned into a driveway.

Two parrots were sitting on a perch. One turns to the other and says “Do you smell fish?”

 

Advisory:

 

The baffling reason many millennials don’t eat cereal

Few things are as painless to prepare as cereal. Making it requires little more than pouring something (a cereal of your choice) into a bowl and then pouring something else (a milk of your choice) into the same bowl. Eating it requires little more than a spoon and your mouth. The food, which Americans still buy $10 billion of annually, has thrived over the decades, at least in part, because of this very quality: its convenience.

 

And yet, for today’s youth, cereal isn’t easy enough.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/23/this-is-the-height-of-laziness/

 

His Smile

She has connected with him and it has made all of the difference in the world. At this point you might be wondering how, why, when? To be quite honest, I don’t know. What I do know is that she has been spending time with him on the weekends. Bonding. Connecting. Having fun engaging in non-school related activities. Even her duty-free lunch period is spent eating with him and a few of his friends. Because she knows that a cafeteria full of students and noise can be difficult for him.

http://www.bamradionetwork.com/edwords-blog/his-smile

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Chemical Cleanouts

 

I was recently reading the January, 2016 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Scope on Safety.”  It was written by Ken Roy, director of environmental health and safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, CT.  The article focused in on the safety question of the month, which was: “How often should middle school science labs have chemical cleanouts?”

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2016/2/25_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Chemical_Cleanouts.html

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Alice Keeler ‏@alicekeeler

ThingLink – Let Students Figure it Out – http://www.alicekeeler.com/teachertech/2016/01/19/thinglink-let-students-figure-it-out/ …

 

Rich Kiker ‏@rkiker

After years of analysis, Google discovers the key to good teamwork is being nice http://buff.ly/1TFkSZt  #GoogleEDU

Podcast 322 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-27 12-09-19

 

Diane Ravitch ‏@DianeRavitch

Amy Frogge: My 9-Year-Old Will Take Tests That Are Longer than My LSAT Exam http://dianeravitch.net/2016/02/27/amy-frogge-my-9-year-old-will-take-tests-that-are-longer-than-my-lsat-exam …

 

Sue Gorman ‏@sjgorman

U.S. Department of Education Recognizes 13 States and 40 Districts Committing to #GoOpen with Educational Resources http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-recognizes-13-states-and-40-districts-committing-goopen-educational-resources …

 

Larry Ferlazzo ‏@Larryferlazzo

How To Use Data – & How Not To Use It – In Schools http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2016/02/response_how_to_use_data_-_how_not_to_use_it_-_in_schools.html … my new Ed Wk post w/ @betamiller @ASCD

Podcast 322 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-27 12-10-21

 

 

Matthew Lynch ‏@Lynch39083

Happier Students, Higher Scores: The Role of Arts Integration http://is.gd/lqY18j  #artseducation #edpolicy

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

Strategies:

 

Strategies for Reaching Quiet, Disengaged, Struggling, and Troublemaking Students

The Quiet Student

The Disengaged Student

The Struggling Student

The Troublemaking Student

 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/reaching-quiet-disengaged-struggling-troublemaking-students-david-cutler

 

Diagnostic Teaching: Pinpointing Why Your Students Struggle

by Terry Heick

 

  1. Fundamental curricular & unit design
  2. Complete all missing or incomplete assignments
  3. Differentiate assessments on non-mastered standards
  4. Isolate and prioritize standards for mastery
  5. Choose new materials/resources that feature more transparent illustration of standard
  6. Daily use of student exit chart
  7. Student goal-setting & progress monitoring
  8. Beyond-the-classroom support systems

 

http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/diagnostic-teaching-why-students-struggle/

 

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/10kQUtJvszYe-5C_suerdfX92vqDyzHkDoNxsiphc_fU/edit?usp=sharing

Resources:

 

3 Reasons Why All Learning is Personal

by George Couros • February 23, 2016 • 2 Comments

Here are three reasons that struck me upon reflection of this experience.

  1. Each individual has their own experiences and acquired knowledge. (Past)
  2. Each person creates their own connections to content based on the reason mentioned above. (Present)
  3. What interests each person biases what they are interested in learning moving forward. (Future)

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/12323

 

4Tests

Tests in 5 Basic areas:

Also have other exams available. There are lots of ads. The questions can be useful examples or good for students to explore. The TOEFL includes Listening questions.

https://www.4tests.com/

 

Web Spotlight:

 

Student Learning Communities (SLC’s)

by dkerr • February 21, 2016

Once a cycle or once every week or two, students will get into their student learning community (grade specific or subject specific, or ultimately, passion specific that isn’t tied to grade level bands or subject areas) and collaboratively reflect on the day to day experience of school.

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/12355

 

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

Open Textbook Post

http://troypatterson.me/2015/08/23/open-textbooks/

 

Personal Web Site

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 321:  Three . . . Two . . . One . . . Go Mindset!

MSM 321:  Three . . . Two . . . One . . . Go Mindset!

 

Jokes You Can Use:

 

My friends say they don’t like my skeleton puns. I should put a little more backbone into them..

I’m close friends with 25 letters of the alphabet, I don’t know y.

Astronomers got tired of watching the moon rotate around the Earth, so they just called it a day.

What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?

I lost my mood ring and i don’t know how to feel about it..

I don’t trust stairs, they’re always up to something.

My friend’s bakery burned down last night. Now his business is toast.

What kind of concert only costs 45 cents? A 50 Cent concert featuring Nickelback

Shout out to the people who don’t know what the opposite of in is.

So what if I don’t know what apocalypse means. It’s not the end of the world.

 

Advisory:

Podcast 321 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-20 12-24-18

 

Podcast 321 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-20 12-24-56

 

Podcast 321 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-20 12-25-34

http://twentytwowords.com/global-fast-food-items-you-cant-get-in-the-u-s/

 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

 

CELLS, PATHOGENS & DISEASE

 

IN THIS ISSUE, I READ THE ARTICLE, “OUTBREAK! CELLS, PATHOGENS AND DISEASE.”  IT WAS WRITTEN BY JANICE ANDERSON, LANA MINSHEW, AND TIFFANY MCLENDON.  THE ARTICLE FOCUSES IN ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOUR MINI-LEARNING CYCLES, BASED ON THE 5E INQUIRY MODEL.  THE FOUR MINI-LEARNING CYCLES ARE:

  1.  COMPARING CELL TYPES
  2.  BACTERIA VERSUS VIRUSES
  3.  CDC OUTBREAK
  4.  CREATING A PUBLIC-SERVICE MESSAGE

 

HTTP://K12SCIENCE.NET/PODCAST/PODCAST/ENTRIES/2016/2/8_MIDDLE_SCHOOL_SCIENCE_MINUTE-CELLS%2C_PATHOGENS_%26_DISEASE.HTML

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Dru Tomlin ‏@DruTomlin_AMLE Feb 18 Tulsa, OK

Keeping the smiles coming as we raise the praise 4 the magical middle grades OMLEA1 #mlem16 @AMLE @JasonGalloway77

Podcast 321 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-20 12-26-19
WeAreTeachers ‏@WeAreTeachers

Hey, #teachers! Check out these #writing resources! #posters #lessons & more! http://ow.ly/VPQ6q  #edchat #k12

Podcast 321 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-20 12-26-46
Linda Hopkins ‏@lindahopkins38

Beautifully put. #NeD16

pammoran ‏@pammoran

“Medium as student blogging platform” by @becline https://medium.com/synapse/a-new-paradigm-in-student-publishing-medium-adobe-voice-adobe-slate-4e9e4e864256#.43qic22u0 … #satchat

Podcast 321 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-20 12-27-15
John Kuhn ‏@johnkuhntx

Parents: Sarcastic Excuse Note From Chicago Parent http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/thisweekineducation/2016/02/parents-sarcastic-excuse-note-from-chicago-parent.html#.VshgVB4rFxN.twitter …
Jennifer Bond ‏@teambond

There are many ways to make formative assessment fun! Check out my @BloomBoard collection http://goo.gl/zTtQGT

Podcast 321 - Today - Google Docs 2016-02-20 12-27-46
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”  

 

Strategies:

 

5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Unmotivated Students

  1. Students are more motivated academically when they have a positive relationship with their teacher.
  2. Choice is a powerful motivator in most educational contexts.
  3. For complex tasks that require creativity and persistence, extrinsic rewards and consequences actually hamper motivation.
  4. To stay motivated to persist at any task, students must believe they can improve in that task.
  5. Students are motivated to learn things that have relevance to their lives.
  1. How is your relationship with your students, really?
  2. How much choice do your students actually have?
  3. Are you relying heavily on carrots and sticks…or Jolly Ranchers?
  4. Do your words contribute to a growth mindset or a fixed mindset?
  5. What are you doing to make your content relevant to students’ lives?

Plain Old Good Teaching

http://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/plain-old-good-teaching-2/

 

Resources:

 

Permission Slips

35 templates to download and use.

http://templatelab.com/permission-slip/

 

Student Instructions For How They Can Create A Cloze (Gap-Fill)

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2016/02/19/student-instructions-for-how-they-can-create-a-cloze-gap-fill/

 

Tech Coaches

Two teachers who work with teachers. They are doing GREAT things in the classroom.

http://iblog.dearbornschools.org/techcoaches/

 

Web Spotlight:

 

Stop Humiliating Teachers

BY DAVID DENBY

 

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/stop-humiliating-teachers

 

The End of Solitude

By William Deresiewicz

“I once asked my students about the place that solitude has in their lives. One of them admitted that she finds the prospect of being alone so unsettling that she’ll sit with a friend even when she has a paper to write. Another said, why would anyone want to be alone?”

 

http://chronicle.com/article/the-end-of-solitude/3708/

 

Today’s Teens

…every two years, the federal government asks thousands of teenagers dozens of questions about whether they are all right.

Most of the survey questions show that today’s teenagers are among the best-behaved on record. They smoke less, drink less, and have sex less than the previous generation. They are, comparatively, a mild-mannered bunch who will probably shoo away from your lawn quite respectfully (and probably wouldn’t dare set foot on your lawn to begin with!)

http://www.vox.com/a/teens

 

How People Learn to Become Resilient

BY MARIA KONNIKOVA

What was it that set the resilient children apart? Because the individuals in her sample had been followed and tested consistently for three decades, Werner had a trove of data at her disposal. She found that several elements predicted resilience. Some elements had to do with luck: a resilient child might have a strong bond with a supportive caregiver, parent, teacher, or other mentor-like figure. But another, quite large set of elements was psychological, and had to do with how the children responded to the environment.

http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/the-secret-formula-for-resilience

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site