Jokes:  

I bought some eggs that were already hatching. 

• They were Cheep

I bought a cake the other day. It was to celebrate making progress on my To-Do List. 

To Do:

• Buy a cake
• Organize Classroom
• Clean off desk
• Put bulletin boards up
• Restack books

My kid asked me why the book was so thick. I had to tell her it was a long story. 

Did you hear about the Mega Concert coming up? It’s an event to support kids with minor cuts and bruises. 

• They’re calling it Band-Aid

Did you hear about the Nihilist that gave his friend an empty box? Upon being thanked, he responded:

• “Oh, it’s nothing”. 

Did you hear about the semi truck carrying fruit that overturned on the highway?

• It created a real jam.

I had to enter a new password the other day. I tried “chicken”, but the site informed me that it had to have a capital. Thus, my new password?

• chickenkiev

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Safe Home Science Instruction

I was recently reading the NSTA Safety Blog, published by the National Science Teaching Association and found on their website at:

https://www.nsta.org/blog/safety-hands-science-home-instructions

On the blog, I read “Safety for Hands-On Science Home Instruction”  written by Kenneth Roy.

The information provided in the blog should be helpful for teachers, students, and parents/guardians in planning for safer home science/STEM activity assignments.  Whether hands-on activities are done in a formal academic school laboratory or out in the field or at home, all modes are a springboard for developing scientific concepts and methodology.  This, however, can be a double-edged sword.  Be aware that school staff and school district leaders have a “duty of care” obligation that extends outside the classroom or laboratory to family members who supervise the students during these assignments at home or in the field.

Reports from the Front Lines

• Family Support
• Tech Support
• “Free” Options
• What Class Looks Like Now 
• Things I learned this week in online learning:  
  • Are there positives to this type of learning?  
    • I have a train of thought, I can actually ride that train.  It now leaves the station with me on that train.  
    • Repetitive teaching reduced.
  • Are there negatives to this type of learning?
    • WXYZ television report teaching the kids how to cheat on a computer test – not helpful.  
    • Chaos in the background
      • TV, little blisters and bothers, I mean sisters and brothers.  
      • I have never taught to any current pop music as my background music to my teaching.  I learned this week that that is no longer true.  
    • Repetitive teaching reduced.  
  • Parents will enter your class, hijack it because they’re adults and you will talk to them before you talk to any children.  And they’re adults.  And they have questions that must be answered now.  
  • If you leave the Google Meet room open well before class starts . . . they will come.
  • If your students are done with work in their current class, they will join your Google Meet to hang out with you and your current class.  OR if it is before school, they will join your room as soon as they think you will open it just to hang out with you while you get ready for class.  And run a 99Math game for them.  Please.  
  • Google Meet Closed Captioning “on the fly” isn’t helpful.  Abdul gets translated into something nasty, consistently.  
  • My students are super helpful with each other – I really appreciate their kindness.  
  • Communication streams turn into a raging deluge once school begins.  The excess of access to a teacher.  Creating a culture of communication with parents, students, and administration is the next big challenge.  
• The New “Snow” day?

Advisory:

Hidden

https://en.dailybee.com/40-genius-little-things-that-were-hiding-in-plain-sight-all

Penny or a Million

If you were offered a penny that doubles every day, or a million dollars, which would you take?

https://www.newtraderu.com/2013/08/19/how-much-does-a-penny-doubled-every-day-for-month-end-up-being/#annotations:BoKvXvIwEeqQzUtVe25Q_Q

Ireland Lacrosse sacrifice place in ‘Medicine Game’ tournament for greater good

Would you make the same choice as part of the team?

https://www.rte.ie/sport/other-sport/2020/0905/1163463-iroquois-nationals-lacrosse-ireland-world-games/

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

Remember laughing at that colleague who flipped their entire curriculum a few years back for wasting so much time? Don’t you feel stupid.

The Modest Teacher  @ModestTeacher

Just an FYI…. Google certification is a marketing ploy.

Dr. Indira Koneru  @indirakoneru

#CCIndia workshop participants also learnt how to generate a #CreativeCommons license & apply to their work (PPT & Word doc) and release as #OER on @SlideShare and transform into #prosumers of OER. https://creativecommons.org/choose/

Savithri Singh and 2 others

Typical EduCelebrity  @EduCelebrity

If you are a teacher with children, the next time a parent lectures you about how to teach better at home, you can lecture them on how to parent better at home.

Bill Maher  @billmaher

I mark the onset of American decline to the moment parents started siding with their children instead of with the teachers. #SideWithTeachers

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.  #mschat on Thursday @8:00 pm.  

Strategies:  

Gaming The Grade: How One Middle Schooler Beat A Virtual Learning Algorithm 

When Lazare’s first history assignment of the virtual school year came back scored 50/100, a resounding F, the seventh-grader was crestfallen. 

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/09/03/online-learning-algorithm#annotations:IAvlDu_hEeqKgo_Tg0XLtA

Looking at a Hokusai picture

http://diamantia-kai-skouria.blogspot.com/2011/03/looking-at-hokusai-picture.html#annotations:mowAwu_uEeqw_IPaeiUi8A

Resources:

AMLE & the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Call for Nominations

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is launching its 26th annual search for exemplary young volunteers. Once again, the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is proud to support this unique youth recognition program–-especially in a year when so many students have had to go above and beyond to continue their volunteer service. I hope you’ll encourage your school to take advantage of the opportunities that it provides.  

https://spirit.prudential.com/?_cldee=ZnJpZGVzd2lkZWxAZ21haWwuY29t&recipientid=contact-7fa4693c4f5bde1196b00050568361fd-8762e9e7558e4c73a30ed754063fe8c9&esid=3c1ed941-f5ed-ea11-8109-000d3a044486

H5P OER Hub

The most important part of our roadmap has long been to finish up and integrate an OER Hub in the H5P authoring tool to facilitate global collaboration. It was also the most requested roadmap item by far on the last H5P Conference. The H5P Core Team has now tasked all developers with finishing up the H5P Hub as fast as possible. It will be an integral part of the H5P authoring tool and allow users to easily share their content with every H5P user in the world! Content shared by others will of course be searchable and repurposable.

https://h5p.org/oer-hub-coming#annotations:N-9c-vFTEeq2D39pvx7bTg

Why people fall for misinformation

How does a fact become a misconception? Dig into the world of misinformation to see how facts can become distorted and misleading.

Disinformation

https://www.commoncraft.com/video/disinformation

Lateral Reading

Credibility training on reviewing credibility of websites. 

Web Spotlight:  

Wawa is Offering Free Coffee for Teachers

How Google Classroom became teachers’ go-to tool—and why it’s fallen short

Too often, educators spend their professional development time mastering specific digital tools, rather than broadly applicable best practices. 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90541246/how-google-classroom-became-teachers-go-to-tool-and-why-its-fallen-short#annotations:ZUq1QvBYEeqqtPfzOPMe2g

America Runs on Charli – Axis’s “The Culture Translator”  

What it is: Dunkin’ recently made TikTok star Charli D’Amelio’sgo-to order an official item on the menu.

Why it’s an act of marketing genius: Connecticut native Charli D’Amelio is known for three things: her viral TikTok dance videos, her authentic (and often teary-eyed) Instagram Lives with fans, and carrying an ever-present, mega-size iced coffee. Charli’s favorite drink (cold brewed coffee with whole milk and three pumps of caramel, in case you’re interested) launched as a Dunkin’ menu item on September 9. To market her eponymous drink, a tie-dye clad Charli dances enthusiastically with coffee in hand to a hip-hop song called “The Charli,” which is the perfect TikTok clickbait. If the TikTok enthusiast under your roof is suddenly “running on Dunkin’,” this is why.  

TikTok Fails Its Users, Big Time – Axis’s “The Culture Translator”  

What it is: Over the weekend, footage of a man who live-streamed his death by suicide was edited into harmless-looking TikToks. TikTok’s main “For You Page” algorithm started recommending the posts before it could be contained, exposing countless users to this graphic, heartbreaking footage.

Why it’s a feature, not a bug, of TikTok’s interface: Much has been made over the past year about the possibility that TikTok is used as a tool of Chinese “spyware,” and we’ve yet to know what the outcome of that political battle will be. But perhaps the real hidden danger of the app isn’t its role in geopolitical conflict, but how its algorithms recommend videos they can’t fully comprehend. Young users in the thousands flooded the comment sections of these truly evil posts, and dozens more posted reaction videos on Instagram and other platforms urging viewers to “stay off TikTok” for the weekend, confessing that the footage was “haunting” them and giving them nightmares. When you bring this up to your teen, do it gently, keeping in mind that the posts were deceptively spliced so that they didn’t appear to be upsetting or violent, and your teen most likely wasn’t seeking out the footage. But do ask about what they saw, and if they want to talk about it.  

Singing the Screentime Blues – Axis’s “The Culture Translator”  

What it is: With notifications, texts, and social media always beckoning, teens and adults are looking for a way to send the message that they’re “not available” (language).

Why this thing has legs: If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic restrictions over the past year, it might be this: Being online gets old! While screens continue to be the main source of social interaction for kids who are remote learning, socialization via smartphones can easily become exhausting. And now that notices of all of our obligations come through our handheld devices, people of all ages are looking for ways to “politely disconnect.” We suspect that some forward-thinking app developers will be working on a new auto-reply feature, which can respond to any and all notifications with an “away” message (circa the heyday of AOL Instant Messenger). Until such a thing becomes widely available, ask your teen if they’re sick of their screen yet. Talk as a family about ways to put digital life on “pause,” and try to set an example by doing it yourself for a few hours each day.

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

Did you hear about the person who asked to sign up for the 401K?

The Lego store is reopening

• People are lined up for blocks

I wanted to name my son Lance.

My wife objected. 

I told her that in Medieval days, people were named Lance a lot.

Does swimming in debt count as cardio?

Did you hear about the doughboy with a dough dog? 

• He’s pure bread

A pirate went to the doctor and says, “I have moles on me back, aaarrrghh”

The Doctor says, “It’s OK, they’re benign”. 

The pirate says, “Count again. I think there be ten”

If a knight in Prague dons his armor, does that mean the Czech is in the mail?

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Straight from the Headlines

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

In this issue, I read the Editor’s Note column “Straight from the Headlines”  written by Patty McGinnis.

There are many ways that current events can be incorporated into the classroom.  Current events can be used as an introductory phenomenon to a problem, can support a claim, or can be utilized to provide students with an engineering task.  The use of websites can provide teachers with vetted articles about recent events and current events, most of which are identified by Lexile score.  Resources include:

Readworks — http://readworks.org

• TweenTribune — https://www.tweentribune.com
• Science News for Students — https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org
• Science Daily — https://www.sciencedaily.com

Reports from the Front Lines

• First Week of Virtual Learning
• Kid response?
  • HELP (How to Enjoy Living with Preadolescent)  (https://www.amle.org/shop/productdetails.aspx?productid=%7B6F1D07E3-3A67-4ABB-9C9A-8C9178167B97%7D) 
• Record Keeping
• Defining Success
• Where do you work from?
• Will this change education in the future?
• Leaving education?

Advisory:

The Big Picture

https://www.gocomics.com/thebigpicture/2020/08/31

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

I am a strong advocate for state testing in virtual schooling if parents are made to proctor. One year’s worth of those training videos and there-is-nothing-more-important-in-life-than-test-security and that’ll be end of that.

𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 @DrBradJohnson

It’s not just students who need Maslow. Teachers need: 1) feel safe / supported 2) emotional connection/ relationships 3) feel respected 4) attention/ appreciation 5) value within the team 6) Volition/ autonomy 7) innovation/ creativity 8) self care

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

This year is already challenging for many students. Some are thinking about taking a gap year before starting middle school.

CBLibraries @CBLibraries

Coming soon… Our @CBLibraries will be offering #curbsidepickup! Librarians will be sharing how students can continue to check out library books during distance learning! Stay tuned for more details…  

SanjayaMishra @SanjayaMishra

Happy Teachers’ Day to all teachers in India.  

Don’t forget #Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Resources:

Does This Text Make Me Look Angry?  From Axis Team’s “The Culture Translator” Newsletter

What it is: For teens, “full stops” (i.e. sentences that end with a period) are seen as “intimidating,” and are assumed to convey a tone of anger or frustration.

Why it’s wrecking your text threads with your teen: “Pistaphobia,” or fear of the period punctuation mark, is definitely a thing amongst teens. Since teens see each individual text as a full thought, adding a period can seem unnecessary and even passive-aggressive. Of course, for those of us who aren’t digital natives, skipping the period at the end of a text isn’t exactly second nature. But when your teen pings you with team practice times or a quick message to say they’ll be a little late, be aware that your quick response of “Okay.” could be interpreted as terse or foreboding.  

www.axis.org  

Challenge Unacceptable – From Axis.org  

What it is: The #newteacherchallenge drew headlines this week as parents used the hashtag to prank their kids. The hashtag has 43 million views.

Why it’s pretty sad, actually: Participants pretend to be on a video chat with their child’s new teacher. They then call their child over to “meet their new teacher,” using a photo of a random celebrity, cartoon villain, or visually unusual person, and film their child’s reaction. Several parents who participated in this challenge thought it would be funny to see their child’s reaction if the new “teacher” was a person with a physical abnormality or disability. Some of the photos used were of prominent disability advocates, who have since penned essays on how it feels to be derided and presented to children as some sort of scary monster. Instead of letting your children think that people with disabilities are something to fear, be a part of showing them how every human being has incredible value.  

99Math

Teacher organized, content selected, math game challenge.  Challenge your class, challenge other classes, challenge the world.  www.99math.com  -or- https://99math.com/live-games  where you can join a live 20 min. game and take on others from around the world!  

Web Spotlight:  

We the Young People: For our Teachers

• Please Manage Zoom (or other online learning platforms) better
• Understand the emotional impact of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter uprising on our capacity to learn. 
• Rethink how you engage us online.  
• Engage us offline in different ways
• Please call/text us before you call our parents or guardians.
• Change the way you evaluate us with homework and tests and be clear about grading.

We the Young People: For each other

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j1yHO2GGWzb8SF14qrV0Wm8M2wPoDLRDHGpu0klE_sw/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR3urcNSrL7L-_sdGSpfB-nurn_zOlmWiER7XjHLKH01MwEl-1HFSStH2TU#annotations:-MDZZO7cEeq3d3fudGiqjQ

Blended and Online Learning Strategies from Yong Zhao

Podcast from Silver Lining for Learning   

“Dr. Catlin Tucker is a bestselling author, international trainer, and keynote speaker. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2010 in Sonoma County, where she taught for 16 years. Catlin earned her doctorate in learning technologies at Pepperdine University. Currently, Catlin is working as a blended learning coach and education consultant. Catlin has written a series of bestselling books on blended learning, which are available below. You can find Catlin on Twitter at @Catlin_Tucker and can access numerous free resources at her internationally-ranked blog.”

Google Image Search 

Google has updated the Usage Rights panel. 

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site   

Remember to sign up for notifications.

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

Classical music themes are easy to come up with. 

• I could make you a Liszt.

What did the chemist say when he found two isotopes of Helium?

• HeHe

What happens when you forget to take your restless leg medicine?

• You want to kick yourself

8 vowels, 11 consonants, an exclamation point, and a comma appeared in court today. 

• They are due to be sentenced next week. 

Hey, I just got a job offer at a coffee bar. 

• Pays not great, but it has a lot of perks.

I think the Discovery Channel should be on a different channel number every day. 

I went to see a show about puns.

• It was just a play on words.

Never lie to an x-ray technician.

• They can see right through you.

To the guy who invented the zero:

• Thanks for nothing!

Is your wife technically your ex-girlfriend?

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Create Your Own Rainbow

I was recently looking at ideas for at-home learning and I came across a fun investigation from “Physics Central.”

The investigation is entitled: “Create Your Own Rainbow.”

The investigation and rainbows share the same principles:

• refraction — light bending
• reflecting — light bouncing back

Reports from the Front Lines

• District preparations for teaching online, hybrid, or other.  
  • Teacher stress
  • Strategies
  • Our Best-In-Class Tools
• Resources for teaching remotely/surviving the first week of school B.A. (before academics):
  BBC | Teen’s Anxiety levels dropped during pandemic
• Studio Update – What Shawn is doing -or- What is Shawn doing?
• Video Platform
  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • Others
• Video Creation
  • Loom
  • Screencast-o-matic
  • Flipgrid
• Sharing Videos
  • Embed in Moodle (or Slides, etc)
  • The “dot” trick (reference)
  • QuietTube
  • AdBlock for YouTube – Chrome extension
  • SafeShare.TV
• Quizzes
• Bitmoji classrooms (ADA compliant)

The Twitterverse

Mr. Gupton @GuptonTeaches

I. Want. To. Be. In. The. Building. With. My. Kids. Being selfish today. Ignore me.

NJAMLE @NJAMLE

Special thanks to Lori Chen, @StephJWhite14 @AdamsntheMiddle @LynnThompsonELA @tinamonte @ProfJPizzo for helping me @snydesn2 to establish the first 23 episodes of the Middle Ground Minute. Check out the @NJAMLE website for the Archive and more in the near future. #njed @Amle

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

Don’t get too caught up in the aesthetics of your virtual classroom. While building the airplane that you’re trying to fly at the same time, few are worried about the in-flight movie.

Bridget Bryson @BrysonBridget

Had wonderful and uplifting @AMLE virtual ‘bonfire’ yesterday. Mod’ asked us to share positives about the current teaching scenario. Awkward silence. A brave teacher found one…then ideas flowed. Mine? The sheer joy and humor of amateur videos & unexpected during live meets

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

Resources:

The Perfect Blend:  A Practical Guide to Designing Student-Centered Learning Experiences

Michele Eaton, Author

Annotate PDFs Collaboratively Using Google Drive

The sequence goes something like this:

• Upload a PDF to your Google Drive (New>File upload, or click-and-drag the PDF into your Google Drive).
• Click the PDF to preview it.
• (Optional) Click the share button in the upper right to add other people, or get a link to share.
• Click on the annotate icon in the upper right to start adding notes.  Highlight text or illustrations throughout the document to comment on them.
•  

Web Spotlight:  

Make Your Classroom More Like…El Pollo Loco?

Most people have a favorite restaurant. I go to El Pollo Loco for the avocado salsa. I go for the green sauce. 

http://www.brentcoley.com/blog/make-your-classroom-more-likeel-pollo-loco#annotations:OrQsyOSWEeqOtjOVcsVaKA

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Codicil

1. Content Resource Ideas:  
   1. Begin the year with a Team Olympics:  https://ditchthattextbook.com/end-the-school-year-with-epic-review-olympics-free-templates/  (You’ll have to modify some of this.)
   2. Make a video about myself (the student):  Bill Ferriter  @plugusin

Remember that quick @Flipgrid activity I shared with y’all last week? The private Introduction Video that I asked students to make with 3 facts about them, 2 questions for me and 1 clear pronunciation of their name?  Can be done in Moodle as well.  

1.  Warm-up ideas:  https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Efd2lwYWkAE-xOV?format=jpg&name=4096×4096  
2. Create a self-portrait and share it to the group:  https://t.co/lfBvXNmqLe?amp=1  
3. Dave Burgess’ 50 back to remote learning activities:  https://t.co/Igha8MUr2U?amp=1  
4. Teacher created Kahoot Trivia Challenges
   1. Wooclap . . . meme chose.  
5. Digital Citizenship Presentations:  Digital Citizenship Tips   
6. Self-Care Challenge:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oFT1w59feNVneXGqU-eWa5PwmpBec1eQeMIR8ihmXmY/edit?usp=sharing  
7. Three Family Sale (online radio drama):   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oFT1w59feNVneXGqU-eWa5PwmpBec1eQeMIR8ihmXmY/edit?usp=sharing  
8. Building an Empowered Community (Dr. J. Spencer):  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XSH-iSvAfMj3w1VdE6zkpBzQT9ran13q87ri54EiTf0/edit
9. Create Team Online Expectations?
   1. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LGpT1NZ8m07Q7YLGxMztMa0k8kJ-LJobXx07e55Y4M0/edit?usp=sharing  
10. Design a structure for “Team Meetings” 

Potential topics to cover the first week:  

1. School Schedule  
2. How the team works
3. What Distance Learning looks like this year vs. last year.
4. Team expectations
5. How a Team Meeting works
6. What the sticker in the envelope is for.
7. Introduction letter we sent home and the booklet inside.  
8. Setting a goal for the first five weeks.
9. Setting up a learning zone in the house.
10. What does it mean to study?
11. Finishing the job – the assignment gets done.
12. Team/Teacher expectations for online interactions.
13. Definitions and examples of Civil Discourse.  
14. How to find an assignment online.
15. Understanding a calendar.  
    1. Creativity takes time video
16. Digital Citizenship materials from Wayne RESA.  
    1. Password security
17. Wellness check as a repeated activity each advisory.  
18. Cardinal Challengers Olympics – Wooclap (or other) trivia game, basic facts I should have learned in 6th grade, Science, Math, English, Social Studies general knowledge questions.  
19. Student code of conduct (I heard the planners are in this year . . . )  
20. People at Strong faces recognition game “Who are the people in your neighborhood?” in Wooclap, or other type of app.  
21. AMAA – Ask Me Almost Anything 
22.  Table Topics Cards – Conversation starters  
23. Explain to me:  
    1. how 
       1. to play your favorite game (video or otherwise).  
    2. When 
       1. Is a good time to do homework?
    3. Where 
       1. Is a good place to study?
       2. Is the best place to get ice cream?
       3. Are your little siblings hiding during this Google Meet ‘cause I can hear them!  🙂  
    4. Why 
       1. Did you choose this spot?
       2. Do you listen to that particular music?  
    5. To what extent do you 
24. Brainstorm a list of things you (the student) can do at home to make someone’s day better.  
    1. Make a plan and do it.
25. Short podcasts we could play to generate discussion:  
    1. Astropup and the Seven Mountains of Genius (Video Game addiction):  https://www.storynory.com/astropup-and-the-seven-mountains-of-genius/  
    2. Which is more important:  Liberty or Security?  https://tuttletwins.com/podcast/which-is-more-important-liberty-or-security/  
    3. The Swing (Robert Louis Stevenson) – Short poem:  https://www.storynory.com/the-swing/  
    4. The Moon (Robert Louis Stevenson) – Short poem:  https://www.storynory.com/the-moon-poem/  
    5. The Moon Song (goes with above):  https://www.storynory.com/the-moon-song/  
    6. Six Honest Serving Men (Kipling):  https://www.storynory.com/six-honest-serving-men/  
26.  Reasons why should dihydrogen monoxide be banned – make a list:  
    1. https://www.dhmo.org/facts.html  
    2. https://www.dhmo.org/truth/Dihydrogen-Monoxide.html  
    3. https://www.gulfcoast.edu/current-students/academic-divisions/natural-sciences/biology-project/chemistry-1/documents/dihydrogen-monoxide.pdf
27. 99Math.com competition (not every day) when it gets ready for the new year:  https://99math.com/live-games  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

What creature is smarter than a talking parrot?

• A spelling bee

Who did the zombie take to the prom?

• Ghoul-friend

What did one toilet say to the other?

• You look flushed

What kind of shoes do spies wear?

• Sneakers

What gets wet while drying?

• A towel

How much does it cost a pirate to get ears pierced?

• A buck an ear

Help Stamp out and Abolish Redundancy

What word becomes shorter when you add 2 letters to it?

• Short

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Engaging Families

I was recently reading the July/August, 2020 issue of “Science and Children,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the Editor’s Note column “Engaging Families”  written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn.

During the pandemic, she attended quite a few professional development opportunities.  She has had three essential takeaways:

1.  Access and equity
2.  Social-emotional sensitivities
3.  Sensemaking and other 21st century skills

Reports from the Front Lines

• Did you ever get the nagging feeling that “COVID Stage X” could turn into a viral Chinese Fire Drill where the governor could just pop us in and out of school . . . Things I think About.  
• Online Resources
• Engaging Kids
• Online vs Face to Face
• Studio 
  • Light ring:  https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20200822075018&SearchText=light+ring  

Advisory:

Pointless Inventions

Inspirational Quotes

https://www.lifehack.org/882953/overcoming-challenges-quotes

The Twitterverse

Bill Ferriter @plugusin

Remember that quick @Flipgrid activity I shared with y’all last week? The private Introduction Video that I asked students to make with 3 facts about them, 2 questions for me and 1 clear pronunciation of their name? Here’s proof that it was totally worth the time.

Tamarindtree  @tamarindtree2

When we launched in March, we were skeptical of having volunteers on a sustainable basis. But here we are, running an Orientation every week engaging with folks who want to teach online, create content – help bridge the learning divde. Join! https://tamarindtree.org/main/index.php/our-volunteer-programme/

Mark Moran @markemoran

Imagine searching a history topic on Google and then clicking a filter to eliminate the [worthless] results. It would be just like doing a search on SweetSearch History. http://history.sweetsearch.com #satchat #sschat #historyteacher #HistoryMatters

R Graham Oliver: The Purpose of Education replied

Erin Harrington, emotional junior staffer @ladyhorrors

Had a terrible morning in the #NZHellhole. Visited a busy farmers market where the leeks were too big & I was nearly set upon by a vicious bichon frise. Drove through sea fog (designed to keep us trapped) and had ice cream for brunch bc cereal is rationed. Cried all the way home

R Graham Oliver: The Purpose of Education @rgrahamoliver

You know how we feel for you

Greg Perry @futurebehaviour

Following the success of the government’s recent slogans ie Stay Home, Stay Safe and Eat Out to Help Out, here are some new suggestions: Go swimming, Stay Dry Drink Booze, Stay Sober Avoid the Wind, Fly Kites

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

How Do We Know When Kids Understand?

https://robertkaplinsky.com/know-kids-understand/#annotations:9keyRuDEEeqmnLvAa86dUA

22 Tips for Online Instruction

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2020/08/twenty_tips_for_online_instruction.html

Resources:

Open Education Resource:  Open Textbooks for Hong Kong

http://www.opentextbooks.org.hk/

The Noun Project

The use of visual aids in education has proven vital for classrooms since time immemorial, from preschool through senior year.

learners absorb information more easily — and can better retrieve it later on — when they’re given both verbal and visual cues to “encode” a concept in their minds.

https://blog.thenounproject.com/free-resources-for-teachers-a6a1e32351e6#annotations:a9ZUeOMIEeqMFFtpTxxVPQ

Math Tutorials

LOTS of videos.

http://patrickjmt.com/#annotations:C5bV9OAXEeq6KBc_dKvVDw

Web Spotlight:  

U.S. Billionaire Wealth Surged During The Pandemic

U.S. billionaires saw their wealth surge 20 percent since the start of the pandemic according to an analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness. Between March 18 and June 17, the total net worth of 643 American billionaires increased from $2.9 trillion to $3.5 trillion while a further 29 individuals joined the club. While their collective wealth grew by $584 billion, some 45.5 million Americans filed for unemployment.

https://www.statista.com/chart/22068/change-in-wealth-of-billionaires-during-pandemic/#annotations:GR6DROKREeqHly8iFRFHqQ

Do We Still Believe?

AMLE article by Jack Bereckemeyer

1. Teaming
2. Advisory
3. Flexible block schedule
4. Offering of a variety of exploratory or essentials classes
5. Various forms of assessments
6. Educators who are trained to teach this age group
7. Empowerment of students in their learning
8. Comprehensive guidance programs
9. Ongoing professional development that reflects best middle level practices
10. Students and teachers who are actively engaged in the classroom

http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet.aspx?ArtMID=888&ArticleID=384

Native Land

What Will Middle Schoolers Need When School Reopens?

http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/1171/What-Will-Middle-Schoolers-Need-When-School-Reopens.aspx#annotations:waTQbOC8Eeq5tuunF0NO0A

Name Shoutouts 

https://www.nameshouts.com/#annotations:DkXNmt_cEeqrBU9SJzh_4g

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

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Jokes:  

A customer dropped a steak while in the grocery store. I said “whoops, now it’s ground beef”. They didn’t laugh. 

Shawn: *yawns*

Sean: *yeans*

I’m going to set up a race where reaching Finland is the goal. That way, it’s literally a race to the Finnish line. 

What’s the definition of a will?

• Come on, it’s a dead giveaway

Did you hear about the police department where someone is stealing the wheels off of the police cars?

• Police are working tirelessly to catch the thief

The letters that you receive are obviously mail. 

• But are the bills that you receive Fee Mail?

I may never get over my habit of referencing the Beach Boys, but wouldn’t it be nice?

Why do ants never get sick?

• Because they have little Anty Bodies

Did you know you can hear the Blood in your veins?

• You just need to listen varicosely

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Back to Mars

I was recently reading the July/August 2020 issue of “Science Scope” a publication, for middle school teachers, of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the Scope on the Skies column written by Bob Riddle.  The title of the article was “Back to Mars.”

July 2020 provided an opening window for missions to Mars.  During this window, which occurs every 26 months, a trip to Mars can be completed with 7 – 9 months.  The first launch of the month was by the United Arab Emirates Mars Mission on July 19.  The second launch of the month was by the China National Space Administration on July 23.  The third launch of the month was the NASA and Space X on July 30.  All launches were successful.

Reports from the Front Lines

• Prepped and Ready to Go?
  • H5P – Speak the Text and Speak the Text Set  
• Meet the Teacher
• SEL
  • Wooclap
• Video Conferencing
• Quick Tech Tips vs Online Learning Skills

Advisory:

The Twitterverse

Typical EduCelebrity @EduCelebrity

A good PBL teacher would have led a student project that would produce by now an effective vaccine against Covid.  

EL Magazine @ELmagazine

Which of these 7 habits of highly “affective” teachers will you commit to practicing this school year? @rickwormeli2  #satchat #edchat

Nick Covington @CovingtonAHS

Teacher PD should model the pedagogy we expect to see in the classroom. That’s not a pandemic thing, that’s an always thing. 

M. Guhlin learns @mglearn

RT: You’ve heard of audio books, but what about video books?

http://ow.ly/zGSi50AWv72 mglearn #ela #remotelearning #distancelearning #txedtuesday — TCEA (TCEA) August 13, 2020

Steven Weber @curriculumblog

3 Simple Truths 1. Students want to feel connected #wholechild 2. Students enjoy engagement #Schlechty 3. Students want to ask questions #WhoOwnsTheLearning

College of Education @MSUCollegeofEd

ICYMI: MSU is offering free support programs to help school districts prepare for online instruction this fall. http://spr.ly/6014GcUiu

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

Class App

Create a Google Slide Presentation (or web site) with links to things that an “App” would provide. 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQ1oQKPbKnXz23hwCo8AMCxRunesbwylTz0y6yhhHjTy6VDNSH04Qrb4LDERFDw2JNj20wM_y6xpfU1/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000&slide=id.p

Video Conferencing

teachers hosting video conferencing sessions will want to consider whether whole group, small group, or individual sessions make the most sense given the purpose of that session.

Resources:

Illustrative Math (6-8) Curriculum

Use GeoGebra Classroom to fully engage your students within this middle school curriculum. Monitor all student progress in real-time without the hassle of screen sharing!

https://www.geogebra.org/m/ckm3ffqh

Web Spotlight:  

Teaching U.S. History in a Fractured America

Gez.La

The tours created by digitizing an existing place with different techniques are called virtual tours. It allows you to explore places from your computer, mobile phone or other devices at any time without actually going to that place.

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

What’s the worst part of ancient history class?

• Teachers tend to Babylon.

I made a playlist for hiking. It has music Peanuts, The Cranberries, and Eminem. 

• I call it my Trail Mix

I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. 

• I’ll let you know which one comes first.

If a cow doesn’t produce milk, is it…

1. A Milk Dud
2. An Udder Failure

I had a bunch of Beatle puns, but that was

• Yesterday

I was watching an Australian cooking show. The chef made a meringue. The audience Cheered! I was totally surprised. 

• Usually Australians boo meringue

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: Waves

I was recently reading the July/August 2020 issue of “Science Scope” a publication, for middle school teachers, of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the Editor’s Note Section written by Patty McGinnis.  The title of the article was “The Seemingly Endless Uses of Waves.”

We interact with waves on a daily basis.  When teaching the topic of waves, teachers may want to consider starting with a phenomenon that focuses on how waves transmit energy, interact with materials, or are used for communication purposes.  Simulations can help students interact with waves in order to visualize how waves transmit energy and information.  Two websites to consider are:

The Wonder of Science — https://thewonderofscience.com

PhET — http://phet.colorado.edu

Reports from the Front Lines

• 1-1 vs. BYOD vs. ?
• Using H5P in the coming year.  
  • Speak the Word Set
  • Find the Word
  • Lumi (http://lumi.education/)
  • Wooclap (https://www.wooclap.com/)
• Virtual School
• PD Options
  • Bitmoji Classrooms

Advisory:  

The Twitterverse

Eric Sheninger @E_Sheninger

Teachers Will Get Covid-19. What Will Schools Do? https://buff.ly/2EuRbMN

Rich Czyz @RACzyz

Remote Learning Tips for Teachers #4OCF #satchat

Michael Sharrow @MichaelSharrow2

Agree!

Rich Czyz @RACzyz

Remote Learning Tips for Parents #4OCF #satchat

Dave Burgess @burgessdave

50…yes, FIFTY… Back to School Activities for the Remote Learning Classroom!!! Special thanks to @jmattmiller for this guest cross-post! https://daveburgess.com/50-back-to-school-activities-for-the-remote-learning-classroom/… #tlap #DitchBook #techlap #LeadLAP #remotelearning #edtech #distancelearning #4ocf

Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Strategies:  

Standards Based Learning in Middle School History

https://edtechhistory.blogspot.com/2020/07/standards-based-learning-in-middle.html

Resources:

AMLE:  Middle School Reopening Strategies

https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/1167/Middle-School-Reopening-Strategies.aspx?fbclid=IwAR0hUtxWYIhWm0o50rmuaIp6NS9psaHJjj6nTUvaFU2FHj93jcuPSjcf14I

SOAR – Online Virtual Learning Matrix from PBIS

https://www.pbisrewards.com/wp-content/uploads/pbis-behavior-matrix-virtual-classroom.pdf

Education and Racial Justice

A growing playlist of virtual webinars and workshops focused on racial justice and equity in education- Spring and Summer 2020.

Google Meet Plug-ins

Google Meet Enhancement Suite:  https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-meet-enhancement-s/ljojmlmdapmnibgflmmminacbjebjpno?hl=en-US  

Tiny Tales

Each book contains two hundred of these tiny stories. For each book, I write three hundred tiny stories here at the blog. 

Each completed book is free to read online as a Pressbook or you can download a free digital file (PDF, MOBI, EPUB); you can also listen to a free audiobook. In addition, you can purchase a Kindle version or paperback version from Amazon. There are four books available as of July 26: three books of stories, plus a teaching guide.

https://microfables.blogspot.com/2020/06/tiny-tales-series.html

Web Spotlight:  

Middle Graders Reflect on the COVID Closure

I wrote a survey seeking information from students in our schools.

This is What A Scientist Looks Like

I Am a Scientist is an effort to introduce children to scientists outside of the narrow stereotypes that our culture typically offers (old, male, white, nerdy).

https://theplenary.co/public-blog/2020/6/5/i-am-a-scientist-program-is-live

https://www.iamascientist.info/

#AMLE20 is Virtual

http://www.amle.org/annual/Home/tabid/244/Default.aspx

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jokes:  

Have you ever tried blind-folded archery?

• You don’t know what you are missing.

Did you hear about the Dad who got a tattoo of a thermos?

• He doesn’t want anyone to touch the thermos tat. 

My wife insists she doesn’t want to go to an 80’s fancy dress party, 

but I remain Adamant. 

A woman was informed by the a doctor that she was pregnant. Her response?

• Woman: “What? You’ve got to be….kid in me”. 
• Doctor: “Did you get pregnant just to use that joke?” 
• Women: Get pregnant for a lame pun? That’s inconceivable”. 

I can cut down a tree just by looking at it. 

• I saw it with my own eyes.

Why does a chicken coop always have two doors?

• If it had four, it would be a chicken sedan.

You know, Eagle eyed people aren’t  sure if they are supposed to take it easy

• Or take it to the limit one more time. 

Middle School Science Minute  

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

Middle School Science Minute: CoCoRaHS

I was recently reading the February 2020 issue of “Science Teacher,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. 

In this issue, I read the Citizen Science Section written by Jill Nugent.  The title of the article was “Gauging Rainfall with CoCoRaHS: The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network.”

CoCoRaHS is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network.  CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail, and snow).  By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive website, the aim of CoCoRaHS is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education, and research applications.  CoCoRaHS is now in all fifty states, Canada, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

Reports from the Front Lines

• Summer Prep Plans
  • What do you do for Fall?
  • School Directives?  
    • Principals sending Information Blasts  
    • State Departments of Education General Guidelines.  
• OER materials?  
• Stamped From The Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi     

The Twitterverse

maddie  @_AstroMaddie

i literally spit out my water

Julie Jee 아직도 피곤해  @mrsjjee

I asked my brother (ER director in New Rochelle) if he thought there would be school in September and he replied no before I finished saying September.

Eric Sheninger @E_Sheninger

As it looks like more and more schools will open up with some form of #remotelearning here are some resources to help https://pin.it/G168F67 #edchat #suptchat #edutwitter #cpchat #COVIDー19 #covid19 #Covid_19  https://twitter.com/E_Sheninger/status/1279438075891011586/photo/1

Don’t forget to go to #mschat on Twitter every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST.  Look for your host, Todd Bloch, to have a middle school topic all ready to go!  Make it a strategic part of your personal professional development.

Resources:

University cheating might be up — but don’t just blame students

Academic integrity experts say instructors must change how they assess students online during pandemic.

She said she’s not surprised by reports of students using Google during online exams and sharing answers in group chats with fellow students.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/university-cheating-might-be-up-but-don-t-just-blame-students-1.5618272

Why aren’t teachers using the resources companies sell to their districts?

• How districts procure instructional resources often leaves teachers disconnected from what gets purchased, what is actually needed, and what gets used. One way to understand why teachers do or do not adopt certain resources is through Clayton Christensen’s “Jobs to Be Done” theory.
• Teachers commit to employing a resource when they perceive that doing so will accomplish one of at least two potential Jobs to Be Done: (1) enhance their current practices to help them engage and challenge students or (2) signal to administrators that they are in line with their school’s new initiative. Teachers who expect a resource to fulfill the first of these jobs tend to use the resource more faithfully than do their peers with the latter perspective.

Web Spotlight:  

Mountain Moot

http://mountainmoot.com/

Principals Quarantine

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-principals-in-quarantine-after-15382142.php

Random Thoughts . . .  

Personal Web Site  

Click the Play button below to listen to the show!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download