Category: MSM

Middle School Matters podcast related information

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 613: I’m Just Gonna Put You Over Here

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about the Vision Pro, conferences, math, and more. Dave has his head in the clouds.

Jokes:  

My part-time job repairing computer keyboards might not work out.

  • I can’t get any shifts.

My propensity for making dry salads needs addressing.

Archaeology really is a career in ruins.

Just read a few facts about frogs. They were ribbiting.

I was in an 80’s band called the Prevention. 

  • We were better than the Cure.

I woke up this morning so sure I was an 80s pop star… 

  • I was adamant.

I got an email today promising to teach me how to read maps backwards.

  • It turns out it was SPAM

Does anyone know if I can buy the entire chess set at a pawn shop?

What do you call a crowd of chess players bragging about their wins in a hotel lobby? 

  • Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

I been watching a channel on TV that is strictly just about origami 

  •  it is paper-view.

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

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Clouds and the Middle School NGSS

I was recently reading a community blog post on the GLOBE website, dated January 18, 2024.

In this blog, I read the post “GLOBE Clouds and NGSS (Elementary and Middle School.”  It was posted by Marile Colon Robles.

A new resource is now available created by GLOBE educator Mr. Roger Rose as part of his NASA internship in 2023 titled, GLOBE Atmosphere Clouds and NGSS.  This document compares portions of the clouds protocol to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for elementary and middle school with tips and resources to use in the classroom.  To view this blog post, please visit:

https://www.globe.gov/globe-community/blogs/community-blogs/-/blogs/120484191/maximized

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/k12science/id/29753518

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Vision Pro
  • AI applications
  • Conferences
  • Moodle Login Page

The Social Web

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘constult’ (17th century): to act stupidly together. It’s one of several I vote to resurrect from the historical dictionary.

Word of the day is ‘explaterate’ (19th century): to waffle on continuously as a means of avoiding a difficult question.

tonyvincent@tonyvincent@mastodon.cloud

Aftel.net is an online timer made for teachers.

📺 Full screen

💬 Show description

⏯️ Pause/start with spacebar

🔗 Share a link to a specific timer duration

🚫 Prevent screen sleep

🚦 Show progression with colors

🎁 Free, no login, no ads

Aftel.net - Online timer made for teachers

Robert Scoble  @Scobleizer

Apple Vision Pro is the best consumer electronics appliance of my life. By far.

Faygo Beverages  @Faygo

What does a Lions victory taste like? Grit, hard work, determination, and another not-so-secret ingredient. #Lions #Detroit #DetroitLions #Faygo

Strategies:  

Stop Using These Four Words in Math Class

https://www.middleweb.com/50208/stop-using-these-four-words-in-math-class/

AI Text Adventure

https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai-text-adventure/

AI Guided Notes

https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai-guided-notes/

STUDENT EXAMPLE OF TEACHING A COMPLEX TOPIC “TO A FIVE YEAR OLD”

Periodically, to test out the idea and to also provide a change-of-pace in my IB Theory of Knowledge classes, I ask students to present complex topics so that a five year-old could understand it.

I ask them to search online to get an idea of a five-year-old’s vocabulary (I generally tell them they can stretch it to a seven-year-old), and that they have to use accessible words in both their slides and in their oral presentation.  They also have to create slides that they think would look interesting to a child.

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2023/04/22/student-example-of-teaching-a-complex-topic-to-a-five-year-old/

Resources:  

Dollar Street

DOLLAR STREET

In the news people in other cultures seem stranger than they are. We visited 264 families in 50 countries and collected 30,000 photos. We sorted the homes by income, from left to right.

https://www.gapminder.org/dollar-street

Math Teachers Advice for Parents

Find experiences of math that will develop an affinity for the subject itself, a joy that’s more robust, a want-to that goes beyond mere pride in their know-how.

Guard the candle of your want-to, and the know-how will carry you far.

https://mathwithbaddrawings.com/2024/01/29/a-math-teachers-advice-for-parents/

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 612: Lies That 7th Graders Tell

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about student success, Moodle, and more. Dave has a Science Series for you. 

Jokes:  

Did you hear about the man driving a train got struck by lightning? 

  • He was a good conductor.

I knew a guy who collected candy canes, 

  • they were all in mint condition

I decided to sell my Hoover… 

  • well it was just collecting dust.

A friend just got fired from a florist, 

  • apparently,  took too many leaves.

My pet mouse ‘Elvis’ died last night. 

  • He was caught in a trap.

I was running around my bed the other evening.

  • I was trying to catch up with my sleep.

My boss told me to have a good day… so I went home.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Science Fair: The Series

I was recently reading the December 11, 2023 issue of “Forbes” magazine. 

In this issue, I read the article “Bright Minds, Big Innovations: Exploring ’Science Fair: The Series’.”  It was written by Tony Bradley.

“Science Fair: The Series,” National Geographic’s latest documentary series, is a deep dive into the world of young scientific minds, capturing their journey through the highly competitive International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).  It is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.  This documentary series is a must-watch for anyone interested in the power of education, the resilience of youth, and the hopeful future shaped by bright, young minds.

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/k12science/id/29650548

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Moodle
    • Upgrading
    • Using
      • Prepared Material
      • H5P – and reusing
      • Training
      • Summary Task
    • StudentQuiz – StudentQuiz enables students to collaboratively create their own question pools in Moodle. Students can filter these questions into quizzes, and they can rate and comment questions while working through the quizzes. StudentQuiz computes each students contribution and learning progress and compares this with the community. The created questions become part of the Moodle question bank and can be reused in other Moodle quizzes.
  • Weather
  • Michigan History Day Presentations:  https://www.hsmichigan.org/programs/k-12-education/mhdwww.nhd.org
    • Websites
    • Documentaries
    • Presentations

The Social Web

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

Writing by hand may increase brain connectivity more than typing, readings of student brains suggest

https://t.co/qlnAUgw0GV

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘quockerwodger’ (19th century): a puppet individual whose strings of action are pulled entirely by someone else.

For those asking, the ‘hoolie’ in ‘blowing a hoolie’ may come from the Orkney Scots ‘hoolan’, a strong gale, influenced by the Irish use of ‘hooley’ for a very noisy party.

Ric Burton  @ricburton

Imagine when you can generate 3D Midjourneys & explore them with Apple Vision Pro

Lori Emerson @loriemerson@post.lurk.org

the last of today’s nerd dump: look at this incredible illustration of the complexity involved in sending photos via cable across the Atlantic in 1926! I believe this is an illustration of the Bartlane Cable Picture Transmission System which translated images into variations of five-hole punches onto Baudot telegraphic tape and then transmitted, reversing the process at the other end using a teletype machine. #othernetworks    –   https://post.lurk.org/@loriemerson/111818576272784347 

Resources:  

8 NEW Characteristics of Middle School Kids: What Can We Do?

Here are some of the new (or perhaps intensified) characteristics I see emerging in young adolescents. Let’s look at each and then consider some ways we might respond.

 ​​https://www.amle.org/8-new-characteristics-of-middle-school-kids-what-can-we-do/ 

Kurt Vonnegut on the Secret of Happiness: An Homage to Joseph Heller’s Wisdom

True story, Word of Honor:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer
now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.

I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22’
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”
Not bad! Rest in peace!

https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/16/kurt-vonnegut-joe-heller-having-enough/

Suno AI

Make your own song. 

https://www.suno.ai/

Enslaved

Since 2018, Enslaved: Peoples of the Historical Slave Trade (Enslaved.org) has been serving the needs of scholars, genealogists, students, and members of the public interested in the people of the historical slave trade. Enslaved.org is a discovery hub that helps users to search and find information from a large and growing number of datasets and digital projects.  Researchers can learn from linking data, visualizing larger relations and movements, and connecting the traces of people from one dataset to the next. 

https://enslaved.org/

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Guns Blazing

What it is: PC and Xbox game “Palworld” has rapidly found a huge following, peaking last week with 2+ million players online at once. Now they’re under investigation by Nintendo’s Pokémon Company for intellectual property infringement.

Mobbed Up

What it is: The latest “trend” to resurrect on TikTok is a style that’s being called the “mob wife.” One TikTok went so far as to declare, “Clean girl is out. Mob wife is in!”

Web Spotlight: 

 The Last Repair Shop

https://kottke.org/24/01/the-last-repair-shop

How to Draw 3D Art

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnU1UG4HHqcBznSUMvu9PDX0_foVbWFlg

Big Ball Machine

Jelle Bakker of Netherlands-based Jelle’s Marble Runs began building marble runs when he received one on his fourth birthday. Today, he creates giant marble races, runs, and attractions for his YouTube channel, as well as for in person events.

https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/jelles-wooden-ball-marble-run-landal-build

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 611: Faster Than the Columbus Method

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI, school closings, Zyn trouble and more. Dave has 40 years of the Science Olympiad. 

Jokes:  

My job is top secret. 

Even I don’t know what I’m doing. 

As I suspected, someone has been adding soil to my garden. 

  • The plot thickens.

They’re making a movie about clocks. 

  • It’s about time

I heard there was a new store called Moderation. 

  • They have everything there

Last night me and my wife watched three DVDs back to back. 

  • Luckily I was the one facing the TV.

Did you know crocodiles could grow up to 15 feet?

  • But most just have 4.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Science Olympiad

I was recently reading the September-October, 2023 issue of “Connected Science Learning,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the article “40 Years of Inspiring Students to Explore STEM: What has Science Olympiad Learned?”  It was written by John F. Loehr and Jenny Kopach.

In May 2024, Science Olympiad will celebrate the 40th Annual Science Olympiad National Tournament at Michigan State University.  The Olympiad has been successful over these 40 years because it has demonstrated the following four factors:

*  Recognition – Students’ work and efforts are displayed and recognized in a very public fashion.

*  Personal Choice – Students have the autonomy to decide how they want to be involved in the program.

*  Peer and Professional Networks – Students’ passion and interest in topics is recognized and celebrated by both their peers and STEM professionals.

*  Responsiveness – The 23-event structure gives Science Olympiad the flexibility to adapt to changing interests, circumstances, and needs.

http://k12science.net/science-olympiad/ 

Reports from the Front Lines

  • AI Conference

The Social Web

Jim Costa@JimCosta_

“South Detroit” is on board

Kory E. Woods   @KoryEWoods

The city of Windsor held a special Detroit Lions flag raising ceremony yesterday outside of Windsor City Hall to show support for the Lions hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s divisional round game. :

@RenaldoAgostino  @cityofwindsor    https://twitter.com/i/status/1748485929981931884   

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘finifugal’, from the 19th century: avoiding the end of something (a box set, an excellent book, sleep, etc.) because you want it to go on forever.  

For anyone who hasn’t heard it, to ‘hurkle-durkle’, from 19th-century Scots, is to linger under the covers of a warm bed long after it’s time to get up.

Word of the day is a reminder of ‘mubble-fubbles’: a fit of gloom and despondency combined with a sense of impending doom. Essentially the mubble-fubbles are the 16th-century equivalent of the Sunday evening blues.

Pixelmator Team  @pixelmator

Photomator and Pixelmator are coming to #AppleVisionPro  Starting February 2nd, enjoy all your favorite tools and features from Photomator and Pixelmator on iPad in a whole new creative space. We simply can’t wait! Learn more on our blog: https://pixelmator.com/blog/2024/01/1

Richard Byrne  @rmbyrne

Google Bard can be used to create multiple choice and true/false quizzes about a variety of topics commonly taught in middle school and high school classrooms.  https://youtu.be/SL8uSUrs7WE  

Eduease is a new AI tool that you can use to quickly convert PDFs into online quizzes. Watch this video to see how it works.  https://youtu.be/_LlraJxSQU4  

Historic Vids  @historyinmemes

They don’t make cartoons like this anymore

Marcus Green @marcusgreen@fosstodon.org

This amused me. Taken from the Linkedin feed of John Fila who describes himself as “an award-winning educator and curriculum coordinator who promotes equitable access to high-quality educational materials and experiences for all learners:  

Strategies:  

5 Metacognitive Questions For Students Learning New Material

 mportant?

https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-metacognitive-questions-students-learning-new-material/

Resources:  

Youglish

Use YouTube to improve your English pronunciation. With more than 100M tracks, YouGlish gives you fast, unbiased answers about how English is spoken by real people and in context.

https://youglish.com/

First 5

  • FREE daily resource for educators!
  • Practical ideas and activities that are perfect for the first five minutes of class time!
  • Arrives in your email inbox every morning at 7 AM EST.
  • 18+ NEW activities and ideas each day that focus on classroom connections, self-care, care for others, and the development of character.
  • Ideas and resources for building dynamic and trusting relationships within classroom communities.
  • Users pick 1 of the 9 activities from either the Primary or Secondary First Five.

https://www.edtomorrow.com/first-5

Emoji Kitchen

Combine emoji. 

https://emojikitchen.dev/

Origin of Everything

Every aspect of our daily reality, whether it’s the words we use, the pop culture we love, the technology that gets us through the day, or even the identities we give ourselves, emerges from thousands of intersecting histories. And, in this series, we’re going to explore them ALL! . . . . Okay, maybe not ALL, but you get the idea.

https://mainepublic.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/origin-of-everything-collection/

Civics

Civics for All of US is a new education initiative that promotes civic literacy and engagement.

https://civics.archives.gov/homepage

Folger Shakespeare Library Opportunity

The Folger Shakespeare Library is seeking 25 middle and high school teachers eager to participate in a two-week institute centered around explorations of and conversations between The Taming of the Shrew and Othello.

https://www.folger.edu/teach/professional-development/neh-teaching-shakespeare-institute/?fbclid=IwAR3WxuMT-Q0b1npls782Y-ABhFBfY-yvmmHEV6kJDHkpSgxkbZ1jQcjs8Jw

Web Spotlight: 

Crip Camp

Crip Camp shares with insight, humor, and joy the experiences of a group of disabled teenagers and their journey to adulthood and activism, and in doing so, provides an opportunity to delve into this rich and powerful story of disability activism, culture, and history. The curriculum deepens the knowledge and understanding of disability and of disabled people offered in the film.

https://journeysinfilm.org/product/crip-camp-guides/

“Evidence Based” Does Not Mean What You Think It Does

Evidence-based means:

1) Shows a statistically significant effect on student outcomes via strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-done study. You’ve got at least one study, and it seems like a decent study, and it gives solid evidence.

2) Shows a statistically significant effect on student outcomes via moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-done study. Your decent study shows some meh evidence.

3)  Shows a statistically significant effect on student outcomes via promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-done study. Your study evidence is not great, but it can be massaged into looking like maybe better things are coming.

It can also mean (ii) something you kind of think probably could work. Maybe a shade better than an educated guess.

They looked at 1359 programs. Of the programs rated by more than one clearinghouse, only about 30% got similar ratings. In other words, the answer to “Is this program effective,” depends pretty much on who you’re asking.

https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2024/01/evidence-based-does-not-mean-what-you.html

Japanese Manhole Covers

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/01/japanese-manhole-covers/

School Lunches Around the World

https://www.upworthy.com/school-lunches-around-the-world-rp

Restaurant of Mistaken Orders

In Japan, known as a super-aging society, dementia is predicted to affect one in five people by 2025. [1] In such circumstances, an innovative social experiment has caught the attention of Japan and the world.

“The restaurant is not about whether orders are executed incorrectly or not,” notes Oguni. “The important thing is the interaction with people who have dementia.”

Although succeeding as a “restaurant of never-ending laughter,” Oguni was initially concerned about possible criticisms, such as, “Don’t treat dementia like a carnival sideshow!” and “Don’t make a laughingstock out of them!” But actually, when guests see the smiles of the staffers with dementia, and the joy that motivates their work, some feel a spirit of courage, while others are moved to tears. And invariably, the servers say such things as “I’m still capable. This has gaven me confidence.” The negative image of dementia was replaced by a fun, positive one. 

https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2019/winter2019/restaurant_of_mistaken_orders.html

Snowplow Parents

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/29/opinion/grades-parents-students-teachers.html

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Zyn Trouble

What it is: Oral nicotine pouches are being advertised to teens through influencers. They are far from harmless. 

What’s happening here? Zyn pouches contain nicotine powder, not tobacco leaf. Other brand names include On! and Velo. That means the FDA can’t classify them as a “smokeless tobacco product” the way it would with dip or e-cigarettes. This classification wrinkle has meant marketing regulations of this product are more lax than they are for similar products. Zyn’s other qualities make it an easy habit to conceal: the pouches dissolve under the lip, so they don’t require spitting. Reporting in the New York Times discusses an entire class of meme-driven accounts on social media, dubbed “Zynfluencers,” who are advertising Zyn products. Hundreds of thousands of young followers seem at least aware of what tobacco pouches are, with sales figures skyrocketing. Many parents, on the other hand, remain still blissfully unaware that Zyn pouches even exist.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 610:  Satisfying The Friend Requirement

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about break, Reader’s Theater, culture, and more. Dave brings us down to earth with the International Space Station. 

Jokes:  

I applied to be a doorman but didn’t get the job due to lack of experience. That surprised me, I thought it was an entry level position.

I have the heart of a lion… and a lifetime ban from the San Diego Zoo.

I couldn’t get a reservation at the library. They were completely booked.

They say Tiger Stadium can hold up to fifty-six thousand people, but that is just a ballpark figure.

Do you want a brief explanation of what an acorn is? In a nutshell, it’s an oak tree.

When my wife told me to stop impersonating a flamingo, I had to put my foot down.

I’m glad I know sign language, it’s pretty handy.

I started a new business making yachts in my attic this year…the sails are going through the roof

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast: International Space Station

I was recently reading the October, 2023 special issue of USA Today, entitled, “NASA at 65.”

In this issue, I read the article “25 Years Up There: International Space Station Operators are Preparing for the Outpost’s Demise.”

25 years ago, the first two elements of the International Space Station were connected by shuttle astronauts.  After 2030, NASA will need to bring the space station out of orbit.

http://k12science.net/international-space-station/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • The Juice
  • Moodle Forums
    • Privacy
    • Secure
    • Consistent
  • Video vs Text 
  • Reader’s Theater
    • Group Choice
    • StudentQuiz
  • AI thoughts

The Social Web

Matt Miller   @jmattmiller

It’s been 8 years. This is my first teacher work day in 8 years. Desks are arranged. My desk is cleaned. Planning lessons. I used the words “my classroom” recently for the first time in years. Excited. Let’s do this. #MattsBackInClass

Ron Houtman  @ronhoutman

Google is getting into the AI generated video game too – check out VideoPoet from Google Research https://buff.ly/3Rr6F68 #ai

Sloan-Keynote Speaker, Workshop Facilitator  @psloanjoseph

As we return for the new year, now is a great time to reflect, review, and redo the following. #InformInspireInfluence  https://teacher2teacher.education/2023/08/14/four-first-week-of-school-mindsets-i-try-to-hold/

Larry Ferlazzo  @Larryferlazzo

Infographic: “Countries With the Highest Prevalence of Slavery”

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘phrontistery’ (17th century): a place to withdraw to for thinking or contemplation. If no phrontistery is available, then to ‘latibulate’ is to find a corner and hide in it.  

Resources:  

CK-12 Plix

https://interactives.ck12.org/plix

Language GuessR

Listen to a language and guess where the language comes from. You can sign in or not. 

https://languageguessr.io/

Spin The Wheel

I like this one because you can do multiple wheels. 

https://spinthewheel.io/

Robert Orben’s Card File of Jokes

If you happen to be looking for a joke about the Cuban Missile Crisis, Watergate, air pollution, or miniskirts, the Robert Orben Papers in the Manuscript Division has what you need. Robert Orben was a comedy writer, humor consultant, and speechwriter for President Gerald R. Ford. In 2019, Orben donated a stockpile of thousands of jokes, one-liners, and witty patter that he generated over more than fifty years. He created some of the material while writing for television in the 1960s, prepared some of it for specific performers and public figures, and published many of jokes in compilations for use by anyone who needed to get a laugh.

https://blogs.loc.gov/manuscripts/2023/12/lots-of-laughs-comedy-writer-robert-orbens-stockpile-of-jokes/?fbclid=IwAR1LeqQl3FQnEmFQYHMBDP9QMMdPKItbOF63wVU5EMyc240G5jxVQq5D_VE

Graphite

Graphite is an in-development raster and vector graphics package that’s free and open source. It is powered by a node graph compositing engine that fuses layers with nodes, providing a fully nondestructive editing experience.

https://graphite.rs/

4 POWERFUL Anti-Procrastination Tips!

Tired of falling victim to procrastination?  In this video, I’ll reveal 4 powerful anti-procrastination tips that will help you unlock your productivity potential and conquer your goals! Say goodbye to wasted time and hello to unstoppable progress!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQb4C0DOQKs

Web Spotlight: 

Access Mars

https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/

Social media made $11 billion in U.S. ad sales from minors and therefore has ‘overwhelming financial incentives’ to avoid protecting children, study finds

https://fortune.com/2023/12/27/social-media-us-ad-revenue-minors-harvard-study/

A Busy Person’s Guide to Large Language Models

This is a 1 hour general-audience introduction to Large Language Models: the core technical component behind systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Bard. What they are, where they are headed, comparisons and analogies to present-day operating systems, and some of the security-related challenges of this new computing paradigm.

As of November 2023 (this field moves fast!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjkBMFhNj_g

AI Tube

All the videos are generated using AI, for research purposes only. Some models might produce factually incorrect or biased outputs.

https://jbilcke-hf-ai-tube.hf.space/

AXIS The Culture Translator

Airwrapped

What it is: One of teens’ top Christmas list items for 2023 was a $600 hair styling system called the Dyson Airwrap.

What it means: As of this writing, #dysonairwrap has 5.9 billion TikTok views. The tool comes with multiple attachments and claims to help users achieve a range of hairstyles, including the voluminous beach waves that influencers favor. Like many other expensive things that teens favored this year (including Stanley tumblers, White Fox sweats, and Hoka sneakers), owning an Airwrap is seen as a status symbol as much as a useful, high-quality product. 

Over Yondr

What it is: Public schools in the US have spent at least $2.5 million on individual slipcases called Yondr pouches that make smartphones inaccessible during school hours.

What people are saying: Yondr pouches have been available for almost ten years, and used in schools for eight. But as scrutiny over how device use may impact how young brains develop has continued to increase, so have schools’ orders for Yondr products. School officials interviewed by NBC News noted that the pouches successfully redirected students’ attention in the classroom and enhanced the quality of their social interactions face-to-face. 

The Alphas Have Arrived

What it is: The New York Times published 12 predictions for the forces that will shape trends and culture this year, noting that Gen Alpha is poised to influence what’s in style.

What else could be in store? Style forecasters in The Times predict that rosettes will adorn our clothing, athletic prowess will be cool again thanks to Travis Kelce, smartwatches will inundate elementary schools, and more men will be getting their nails done. And the senior members of Gen Alpha, finally old enough to (legally) engage in public social media spaces, may be out in full force to let Gen Z know that old age comes for us all. It’s a powerful turning point when you consider the elements (like COVID-19, YouTube shorts, and ubiquitous iPads) that have already shaped childhood for this group of people. Gen Alpha is currently defined as the people born from 2010 to 2024, and it is estimated that they will number 2 billion—the largest generational cohort in history.

Find more at:  https://axis.org/resource-category/culture-translator/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Culture%20Translator&utm_content=288815354&utm_source=hs_email  

Random Thoughts . . .  

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MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 609: Scurryfunge Songs

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about Moodle, Christmas Break, Public Domain, and more. Dave continues with the best books about Science.

Jokes:  

“How many people does it take to change a light bulb?”

That’s just one of the many questions I should have asked before buying this lighthouse.

When you misspell things because you are over-excited, you’re making hypos

Walking home late last night , I passed a hot fudge sundae, a lemon cheesecake, and a slice of apple pie.

I thought to myself…

The streets are strangely desserted tonight.

Just bought “59 Ways To Remove Glue From Your Hands.”

Can’t put it down.

I really love my furniture… me and my recliner go way back.

They’ve crossed a homing pigeon with a woodpecker.

It not only delivers the message, it also knocks on the door.

What’s the best unusual Christmas present to receive?

  • A broken drum, you can’t beat that.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Two More of the Best Science Books of 2023

I was recently reading the December 7, 2023 issue of “Smithsonian” magazine. 

In this issue, I read the article “The Ten Best Science Books of 2023” written by Bridget Alex, Riley Black, Dan Falk, Shi En Kim, Carlyn Kranking, and Joe Spring.  

In the article they shared their top nonfiction science titles from the past year, selected by “Smithsonian” magazine’s editors and frequent contributors. In our last podcast, I shared the reviews of two of the top ten books.  In today’s podcast, we will look at the reviews of two more books from the list:

  • Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb
  • Starborn: How the Stars Made Us (and Who We Would Be Without Them) by Roberto Trotta

http://k12science.net/two-more-of-the-best-science-books-of-2023/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Plans for Break
  • Flooding in Maine
  • AI in Education
  • Moodle Comparisons

The Social Web

Jonathan Spike  @jonathanspike

Super disappointed that my #ISTELive session “Clippy Has Gone Rogue: What to do When Microsoft’s AI Starts Critiquing Your Bank Account” was NOT accepted at #ISTE24 #ISTERejects #ISTE2024

Image

Richard Byrne  @rmbyrne

If you like the Peanuts comics, you’ll want to take a look at these lesson plans.

https://t.co/44ejqxBkd8

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the Day, because it’s getting closer, is ‘scurryfunge’ (from US dialect): to frenziedly tidy up the house just before guests descend.

Richard Byrne@rmbyrne·

The Fastest Way to Create Video-based Lessons  (English teachers take note.)

https://youtu.be/QQ92bruGrLI

Benjamin Waller @jamestagal@techhub.social

New & Unreleased H5P Creations by Oliver Tacke | A Detailed Showcase! In this video, I take a look at the new @H5PTechnology Game Map and some unreleased content types developed by our Lead H5P Ambassador, @otacke Check it out.https://youtu.be/xsauYHDUt9Y?si=bRzmxM

Strategies:  

EXAMPLES FOR TEACHING WITH FAKE NEWS AND PSEUDOSCIENCE

https://blog.tcea.org/fake-news-pseudoscience/

Resources:  

Public Domain Day

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2024/

10 Tips To Design Learner-Centered Training

Social Media and Adolescent Health

https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27396/social-media-and-adolescent-health

H5P Content Types

https://www.olivertacke.de/labs/h5p-content-types/

Web Spotlight: 

Web Design Museum

https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/web-design-history

INFOGRAPHIC: “AMERICA’S TOP NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2024”

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2023/12/23/infographic-americas-top-new-years-resolutions-for-2024/

The last day of this year is 123123

This won’t happen again…for awhile

UPDATED Most Popular Websites 1995 – 2023

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 608:  Bayardism – It’s Going to Hit This Week

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about the upcoming break, virtual school days, AI and more. Dave shares a couple of the best science books of 2023.

Jokes:  

Did you hear about the Red ship that collided with the blue ship?

  • They were marooned

I’m letting anyone who wants to use my French Revolution joke. 

  • It’s Royalty free

I got kicked out of the coffee club.

  • I wore a tea shirt

did you know Pavlov was known to have great hair?

he did a lot of conditioning

A man walks into a chemist’s and says, ‘Can I have a bar of soap, please?’ The chemist says, ‘Do you want it scented?’ And the man says, ‘No, I’ll take it with me now.

Lowe’s has all the Christmas stuff in the second row. In other words: 

  • Aisle B – home for Christmas

The bad thing about being the first to ascend a mountain?

  • It’s all downhill from there

People who drive electric cars, do they listen to AC/DC?

  • Or something current?

i just learned about recency bias. Gotta say that’s the most interesting bias I’ve ever heard of

Dave considered majoring in mime but decided he didn’t want to get boxed in with a career.

On his last report card, Rudolph went up in Math and down in History.

How did Joseph and Mary weigh baby Jesus at birth?

They had a weigh in a manger.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  The Best Science Books of 2023

I was recently reading the December 7, 2023 issue of “Smithsonian” magazine.  

In this issue, I read the article “The Ten Best Science Books of 2023” written by Bridget Alex, Riley Black, Dan Falk, Shi En Kim, Carlyn Kranking, and Joe Spring.  

In the article, they shared their top nonfiction science titles from the past year, selected by “Smithsonian” magazine’s editors and frequent contributors.  In this podcast, we look at two of their selections:

  • “Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World” by John Vaillant
  • “Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell” by Sy Montgomery

http://k12science.net/the-best-science-books-of-2023/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Break
  • Last Day Plans
    • Attendance
    • Moodle
    • Executive Functioning
  • Town Council Meeting
  • Virtual Schooling Days

The Social Web

Fixing Education  @FixingEducation

I’m convinced 95% of my students spend 15 hours each day on TikTok. 

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘bayardism’ (17th century): a confidence that is rooted in ignorance or a wilful misunderstanding of reality.

NJAMLE  @NJAMLE

Don’t forget to submit a proposal for the NJAMLE annual conference! Submissions due December 15th!

https://t.co/6qNbCUBkpo

MAMSE  @MI_MAMSE

Looking for an opportunity to learn with other educators from the middle? Join us on March 9th for the 2024 MAMSE Conference! For more information: https://mamse.org/conference

Strategies:  

Calendar End of Year Review

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2023/12/16/duh-why-have-i-never-thought-of-having-students-do-a-calendar-year-in-review/

New Years Resolutions

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/12/31/the-best-ways-to-help-make-your-new-years-resolutions-succeed/

Resources:  

Choice Boards

https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/category/choice-boards/

Bookmarking

Raindrop

Bookmarking service. 

https://eduk8.me/2023/12/managing-and-sharing-your-bookmarks-with-raindrop/

Hypothesis

I use Hypothes.is (open source and free). This is an annotation tool, but also does bookmarking. 

https://web.hypothes.is/

Clipboard Managers

The Case for Clipboard Managers

https://sixcolors.com/post/2023/12/the-case-for-clipboard-managers/

Clipy

This is the one that I use. This is an open source project, based on an earlier open source project (ClipMenu). 

https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/58124/clipy

https://clipy-app.com/

How to create substitute teacher plans in 15 minutes with AI

https://ditchthattextbook.com/sub-plans/

Spanish: Beyond the Words

From the richness of regional dialects and accents, to vibrant modern culture across the Spanish-speaking world, “Spanish: Beyond the Words” tells the story of a truly global language.

https://artsandculture.google.com/project/spanish-language

Web Spotlight: 

Professional Development Is Dying — and It’s Most Evident in My Local Teacher Community

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-12-13-professional-development-is-dying-and-it-s-most-evident-in-my-local-teacher-community

101 Hidden Gems: The Greatest Films You’ve Never Seen

https://www.openculture.com/2023/12/101-hidden-gems-the-greatest-films-youve-never-seen.html

US does surprisingly well on COVID-era declines in latest PISA math test

https://jabberwocking.com/us-does-surprisingly-well-on-covid-declines-in-latest-pisa-test/

Can Kids Grow Up If They’re Constantly Tracked and Monitored?

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-12-05-can-kids-grow-up-if-they-re-constantly-tracked-and-monitored

Random Thoughts . . .  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 607: Rememble This, Or Not . . .

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about student research in Moodle, some inquiry cubes, and more. Dave hears an Acoustician.

Jokes:  

So, according to this BMI chart, my height has not been keeping up with my weight.

“Why is that book so thick?”

“It’s a long story.”

I tell strangers I’m “when Amazon only sold books” old.

In reality, I’m “when Amazon was only a river” old.

Got kicked out of the Liar’s Anonymous for telling them I was happy to see them.

Dave was lonely so he started a business.

Now he has a little company.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Acoustician

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the section “Career of the Month” written by Luba Vangelova.  In this section, she focused on the career of an acoustician. 

An acoustician is an expert in the branch of physics concerned with the properties of sound.  Tony Hoover is an acoustician and recommends interested students to have a great understanding of acoustics, which is an interdisciplinary field that involves a lot of physics, math, and engineering.  

http://k12science.net/acoustician/

Reports from the Front Lines

  • Database Activity in Moodle for Research
    •    
    •    
  • Professional Development – self-paced

The Social Web

Kevin Honeycutt  @kevinhoneycutt

129 free drawing lessons by me designed to fit the time you have in class! Everything from simple machines to national symbols to habitats. https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1bC

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

(Unofficial) word of the day is ‘rememble’: to have a false memory of something. Possibly a blend of ‘remember’ and ‘fumble’.

John R. Sowash  @jrsowash

Taking screenshots is a #Chromebook feature I use dozens of times every day! I recorded this video for students to teach them how to use the screen capture tool: https://youtu.be/cGcUeTr_XMM?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=jrsowash&utm_content=edtechposts

Human Kind — Be Jingley @qurlyjoe@mstdn.social

I wonder what the part of my brain that used to store peoples’ phone numbers is doing now?

Mark Dunk @unklar@mastodon.education

A Free and Open-Source (FOSS) Geographic Information System

written by Miguel Guhlin

https://blog.tcea.org/social-studies-f

johnkuti @johnkuti@social.coop

visiting profiles of the Open Educators in this list https://edtechfactotum.com/open-educat

#mschat, #H5P, #msmatters

Strategies:  

Inquiry Cubes

https://passionatelycurioussci.weebly.com/blog/patterns-in-science-inquiry-cubes

Creating Experience Prototypes

https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/educator-guide-this-is-a-prototype

Resources:  

EpicPBL 

Some Free materials

https://www.trevormuir.com/epicpbl

Revision History

Revision History adds a bar to the top of Google Docs with basic statistics like time spent writing, number of deletions and copy/pastes.

The replay feature (in beta) lets you watch a video of the student writing their paper.

Click on the details button to open a sidebar with more information about the student’s writing process, including what was copy/pasted and information on writing sessions.

  • The plugin pulls from data that is already stored by Google. All the analysis is done on your computer. This tool respects your privacy (and that of your students), so no student data, including the document text, is ever sent to our servers.

https://www.revisionhistory.com/

Kialo Edu

Kialo Edu is a custom version of Kialo (kialo.com), the world’s largest argument mapping and debate site, specifically designed for classroom use. Its clear, visually compelling format makes it easy to follow the logical structure of a discussion and facilitates thoughtful collaboration. Kialo’s mission is to promote well-reasoned discussion online, and to that end, Kialo is free for educators to use.

https://www.kialo-edu.com/

Web Spotlight: 

 AXIS:  The Culture Translator

A Charismatic Selection

What it is: The Oxford University Press has chosen “rizz” for their 2023 word of the year.

What it means: The word “rizz,” if you aren’t familiar, is essentially short for “charisma,” and is generally used to refer to someone with an ability to attract others through their sense of style, charm, or general attractiveness. Other contestants for word of the year were “Swiftie” (referring to a Taylor Swift fan), “situationship” (referring to a romantic relationship that hasn’t been clearly defined), and “prompt” (referring to instructions given to an AI program like ChatGPT). As per usual, now that the word “rizz” has been given so much attention, expect it to fall swiftly and completely out of use with everyone under 25.

Slang of the Week

Erm: Maybe one of the more self-explanatory slangs, “erm” is an interjection used to express hesitation or as a response to something annoying someone said or did. It serves double-duty as a vocal-filler and a response. It’s not really new, but it’s been seeing a resurgence as vernacular with content creators, which, in turn, has trickled down to their audiences. To see some members of Gen Alpha explain “erm” and other slang, check out this TikTok by Nicole Pellegrino.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 606: What are you thinking about, The Roman Empire or AI?

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about AI in the classroom and education. Dave spotlights Joanna Haigh.

Jokes:  

I made a Belgium waffle this morning,

  • This afternoon I’m going to make a Frenchman talk nonsense.

The guy at the computer store may have mentioned that I needed more RAM on my laptop.

  • But I have no memory of it.

Why was Santa’s helper on the wall?

  • He was a “SH…” elf

When did the cranberry sauce cross the road?

  • To get to the other sides.

I met someone from a foreign country the other day. We got to talking. They stated that their country had banned scales. I said….”No way”. 

My wife is tired of cheese jokes. 

  • She says that they really grate on her.

According to my chocolate Advent calendar….there are three days until Christmas

My friend met someone new, as soon as she told him she worked in the monkey exhibit, I knew…

  • She’s a ‘keeper.

I told one of my jokes on a Zoom meeting today.

Turns out I’m not even remotely funny.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Joanna Haigh

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the article “The Use of Storytelling to Model NGSS Science and Engineering Practices” written by Adrienne Larocque and Anna Babarinde. 

An important strand of three-dimensional learning in the Next Generation Science Standards is science and engineering practices.  These practices replace the oversimplified “scientific method” often presented in science textbooks that bears little resemblance to actual scientific research. It requires time and effort to research and prepare accounts about people who model the Scientific and Engineering Practices.  Joanna Haigh is one of those people.

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/k12science/id/28816788

Reports from the Front Lines

  • AI in the Title
  • AI in the Classroom
  • Tech Fair
  • Google Tools
  • AI for US
    • How do you use it?
    • Environmental Concerns?
    • Cost concerns?
    • Ethical concerns?

The Social Web

Shannon McClintock Fitzgerald  @shannonmmiller

It’s Here, Friends…Our December Choice Boards!  You will find everything you need here to use this with your students and teachers, including Holidays, 12 Days of Making, Hour of Code and more. Find the published link and link to copy here… https://buff.ly/48fTGev…

rebelEducator  @rebelEducator

This is an 8th grade graduation exam from 1912. 8th graders then were better prepared for life in the real world than 12th graders are today.

Joy Kirr (she/her)  @JoyKirr

Quote from a seventh grader today: I don’t know why I can’t do whatever I want to do. Why do I have to do what YOU want me to do? #mschat #middleschool #teacher

Matt Miller @jmattmiller

UNBOXING VIDEOSto show what they know Add some FUN to your video activities! Example unboxing videos to watch Downloadable student planning guide 20 video activity ideas Microsoft Flip tips http://ditchthattextbook.com/unboxing #ditchbook

Strategies:  

Bringing Artificial Intelligence to Middle School Classrooms

MIT researchers and collaborators have developed an open-source curriculum to teach young students about ethics and artificial intelligence.

Lots of resources. Seems to be a cost of about $50 per robot. 

These materials are licensed as CC-BY-NC under creative commons.

https://news.mit.edu/2019/bringing-artificial-intelligence-and-mit-middle-school-classrooms-1230

https://httyr.media.mit.edu/

Resources:  

Free Resources from Larry Ferlazzo

https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2023/11/26/free-resources-from-all-my-books-35/

AXIS – The Culture Translator

Not Kidding

What it is: Gen Z is complaining on TikTok that kids thirteen and under are poorly behaved—and they think parents who enable too much screen time are to blame. #ipadkids has 833 million views.

Watermelon Activism

What it is: The watermelon emoji is being used as a symbol of the pro-Palestinian cause, primarily because the red, black, and green colors of a watermelon are the same as the Palestinian flag.

Web Spotlight: 

LRT Christmas Special

What does Santa look like in Lithuania?  What kind of problems does he have to solve?  Here’s LRT’s take on that:  https://fb.watch/oH4f6PoXrM/  

Random Thoughts . . .  

I’ve shared my H5P presentation on my personal blog.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 605: A Precipitous Decline of Creativity

Summary:

Shawn and Troy struggle with the jokes, review the web, hear voices (and create voices), and more. Dave has the concepts and practices of science. 

Jokes:  

Just trying to read the Led Zeppelin wikipedia entry about when Jimmy went missing, but it says Page Not Found.

How many pastry chefs does it take to make a pie?

  • 3.14

NASA is launching a mission to say sorry to all the aliens.

  • They are calling it Apollo G.

Question:  What did Worf say when small ice asteroids began hitting the Enterprise hull?

Answer:  “Captain, we are being hailed.”

Lumberjack reply guys are like “well axe-ually”

I just finished my income review for the IRS

  • It was very taxing. 

I had a dream that I was an oil-field. 

  • I can’t tell you how bored I was.

Mary and James Smith walk into the doctor’s office. 

“What seems to be the problem?” The doctor asks.

“Well, my husband keeps referring to himself as a separate person,” Mary explains worriedly.

“James doesn’t see a problem with this,” James says.

“Ah, I see,” the doctor says.

“Have you ever heard of anything like this before?” Mary asks desperately.

“Only twice. Which means that your husband… is the third person.”

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Scientific Ways of Doing

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the section, “Commentary” written by John Suchocki. He wrote an article entitled, “Pathways to Science Literacy.”

The concepts of science and the practices of doing science are not the same.  As science teachers, we should pull the rich practices of science (the ways of doing science) out front and center as a helix wrapping around the core concepts of science.

Reports from the Front Lines

The Social Web

Veoveo  @Veoveoshop

This Year’s ‘Stand Out From Crowd’ Christmas Eye-Catching Grinch Sweatshirt lol 

AaronDavid@AaronDavid@mastodon.world

The News-Herald  @NewsHeraldMI

Cursive makes a comeback — by law — in public schools https://trib.al/dNrEy8j

TeacherGoals  @teachergoals

Accurate.   http://teachergoals.com

Susie Dent  @susie_dent

Word of the day is ‘dumfungled’ (19th century): worn out, used up, and totally spent. See also ‘depooperit’ and ‘forswunk’.

Anna Spanner@Annaspanner@bookstodon.com

Today one of my top set year 10s called me Mum. I gave him a gold star and awarded myself one too for the heck of it. #EduGlow

Resources:  

NASA +

New FREE streaming service. Lots of great resources and scheduled live events. 

Home

Voice Generator

This web app allows you to generate voice audio from text – no login needed, and it’s completely free! It uses your browser’s built-in voice synthesis technology, and so the voices will differ depending on the browser that you’re using. You can download the audio as a file, but note that the downloaded voices may be different to your browser’s voices because they are downloaded from an external text-to-speech server. If you don’t like the externally-downloaded voice, you can use a recording app on your device to record the “system” or “internal” sound while you’re playing the generated voice audio.

https://voicegenerator.io/

Bonus:

Change voices for fun effects. 

Note: For some voices (Bane and Dalek, for example), you’ll need to put on the correct “accent” for the voice transformation to work properly. Basically, try to make your voice sound like the target voice, and the engine will add some effects to make it sound like the real thing. Another random tip: You’ll need to talk relatively slowly if you’re using any of the “echo-ey” voices, otherwise the echos will make it hard to understand.

You can use the generated audio clips for any purpose at all (commercial usage included). There’s no need to credit voicechanger.io if you don’t want to. You can leave feedback here, but please note this is just a hobby project so I won’t be updating the site regularly. Thanks for stopping by – I hope you find this site useful! 😄

https://voicechanger.io/

AXIS:  The Culture Translator

Here are 5 conversation starters to help spark meaningful, memorable, and fun discussions around the Thanksgiving table. Thanks for being a part of the Axis family!

  1. There was a lot of discussion in 2023 about how often men think (or don’t think) about the Roman Empire. Do you ever think about the Roman Empire? Or, is there a different era of history you often find yourself thinking about?
  2. “Barbenheimer” might be over, but the question remains: if you could watch two movies back-to-back on the big screen with your friends, what would you pick? 
  3. It looks like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce might be introducing their families to each other this weekend. How soon do you think couples should meet each other’s parents? 
  4. A “Mean Girls” reboot will hit theaters early next year—and, it’s apparently a musical. What’s one reboot or sequel that you think was better than its original? 
  5. “Girl math” was trending earlier this year as people discussed the unusual ways they sometimes justify spending money (i.e. anything you buy on a gift card feels like it might be free). Do you have any quirky spending habits like these?

Web Spotlight: 

How Stories Shape Our Minds

The 20 Internet Giants That Rule the Web

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/The-20-Internet-Giants-That-Rule-the-Web.jpg
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/20-internet-giants-rule-web/

Stories Behind the Most Famous Photos in History

Random Thoughts . . .  

It is Michigan-Ohio State Week:  https://youtu.be/9ak9Uxtntfk  and for 2023:  https://files.mastodon.social/cache/media_attachments/files/111/471/590/843/454/385/original/8c7463b4c0e8c043.mp4  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 604: Hot Stuff Inside the Fish Bowl

Summary:

Shawn and Troy talk about YIG (Youth In Government), breaks, jokes, hacks, and more. Dave eclipses us all. 

Jokes:  

I’m not superstitious

  • Just slightlysticious

I thought that the dryer was shrinking my clothes. 

  • Turns out it was the refrigerator all along

I work outside. When the weather is nice I put on sunglasses, but when it’s really sunny…

  • …I ask for my supervisor.

How do you wash your hands over the holiday?

  • With Santatizer. 

Did you hear about the guys that stole a set of golf clubs?

  • They’re still looking for the driver

If I could time travel I’d visit Holland back when everyone wore hand carved footwear…

  • …wooden shoe?

My daughter is roaming around the house drawing polka dots on everything she sees. Right now, I’m hiding in the closet

  • and hoping she won’t spot me.

The founder of IKEA got elected Prime Minister in Sweden.

  • He’s now assembling his cabinet.

Thank you for explaining the concept of regenerative braking.

  • It was slow going at first, but in the end I got quite a charge out of it.

I keep hitting “Accept All Cookies” but, so far, NOTHING.

Middle School Science Minute  

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

K12Science Podcast:  Things to Know About the Solar Eclipse

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  

In this issue, I read the section, “Science 101” written by Matthew Bobrowsky. He wrote an article entitled, “What Can My Students See During the Upcoming Solar Eclipse?!”

The total solar eclipse that will take place on April 8, 2024, will probably be your last chance to see one until 2045.

Reports from the Front Lines

  • YIG  https://www.myig.org/  
  • Break
  • Computer Science Week
    • Dec 4->10
  • Kindergarten Stories
  • State of Maine Hack

The Social Web

Tim Chilcote  @TimChilcote

Efforts underway to reintroduce Arctic grayling to Michigan waters after a century-long absence

Taipei Times  @taipei_times

A Taipei high-school student was ordered to pay NT$70,000 in restitution to a classmate for posting their childhood photographs online and making fun of their appearance and family background https://taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ar

CU Boulder – ALTEC  @CUBoulderALTEC

Today is the day! Don’t forget about ALTEC’s “Creating Interactive Language Materials with H5P” workshop presented by Maggie Rosenau (they/she). Link: https://tinyurl.com/28vnddmd  

Strategies:  

10 Classic Klaxons… Things to avoid doing or saying

https://teacherhead.com/2023/11/05/10-classic-klaxons-things-to-avoid-doing-or-saying/

Resources:  

92 ESSAY TRANSITION WORDS TO KNOW WITH EXAMPLES

https://annmichaelsen.com/2023/11/13/92-essay-transition-words-to-know/

CALCULUS MADE EASY

BY SILVANUS P. THOMPSON

Calculus Book in public domain. 

https://calculusmadeeasy.org/

Web Spotlight: 

Students Are Busy but Rarely Thinking, Researcher Argues. Do His Teaching Strategies Work Better?

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-11-07-students-are-busy-but-rarely-thinking-researcher-argues-do-his-teaching-strategies-work-better

Science says teens need more sleep. So why is it so hard to start school later?

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/11/09/1211610533/science-says-teens-need-more-sleep-so-why-is-it-so-hard-to-start-school-later

How we’ve created a helpful and responsible Bard experience for teens

https://blog.google/products/bard/google-bard-expansion-teens/

Random Thoughts . . .  

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