advisory, MSM, Podcast, StrategyBy Troy Patterson

MSM 296:  Doin’ Some Reading.  Not Much, Just a Spritz!

MSM 296:  Doin’ Some Reading.  Not Much, Just a Spritz!

Jokes You Can Use:

 

Q: Why do little melons have to have big weddings?

A: Because they “cantelope.”

 

It was an extremely rough English Channel crossing from Weymouth to Jersey, and one wretched green-faced passenger was hugging the rail when a steward approached him.

“Lunch, sir?” asked the tactless steward.

“No, thanks,” groaned the passenger. “Just throw it overboard and save me the trouble…

This door opens outwards please do not stand directly in front of doors. (Also in braille).
This door opens outwards please do not stand directly in front of doors. (Also in braille).

 

It’s hard to see, but the same thing is written in Braille at the bottom of the sign.  The Law of Unintended Consequences just waiting to happen here . . .

Paraprosdokians

http://www.economicnoise.com/2011/09/05/182-paraprosdokians/

Eileen Award:

  • iTunes:  BWPennyS

 

Advisory:

Nice Guys Finish First

*Warning, Tit for Tat is a phrase that is used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr6lsTgZKAQ

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

Baking Bread

I was recently reading the November, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read an article entitled “Scope on Safety” which includes the Science Safety Question of the Month.  The article is written by Ken Roy, Director of Environmental Science for the Glastonbury, Connecticut Public Schools.  This month’s question is:

“I am having students bake bread and test factors that affect how it rises.  Can students eat the bread after they have completed the activity?”

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2015/1/6_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Baking_Bread.html

 

 

From the Twitterverse:

Skype Classroom ‏@SkypeClassroomTeachers, bring the magic of @BBC’s Enchanted Kingdom into your classroom with Skype! http://sk.ype.ms/iwfO1Y  #projectbasedlearning
Alice Browning ‏@atbrowningHeadbandz en français! @THS_UpperSchool @AATFrench

FrenchHeadbanz
Jonathan Byrne ‏@jbteachermanRolls Royce: Phantom Menace #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

Alpha Romeo and Juliet #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

Flight of the Navigator #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

Mercedes Benz-Hur #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

A Land Rover Before Time #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Film Festival #DriveThruMovieTitle #cheating

(Harrison Ford) Escape From Alcatraz #DriveThruMovieTitle #freep
Scott McLeod ‏@mcleodGrading New York Teachers – When the Formulas Lie | @nytimes http://nyti.ms/1yUqfvZ
Monte Tatom retweeted APPS and EDTECH @AppsEdTech  ·  Jan 21

A list of 27 teacher-reviewed #FETC #edtech tools on @EdShelf http://ow.ly/HIPMR  #FETC15 #satchat #FETC2015 #edchat
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

 

Follow Up:

When we share “MY NASA DATA” and go to the Live Action Server (LAS), teachers and students can access information at a basic, intermediate, and advanced level:

http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/live-access-server/

When we share “Skeptical Science” with teachers, the information in things like the “Climate Myths” provides science at a basic, intermediate, and advanced level:

http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-change-little-ice-age-medieval-warm-period.htm

or

http://www.skepticalscience.com/solar-activity-sunspots-global-warming.htm

These are great sites, but they give teachers the opportunity to “tailor” the use of data to the appropriate needs of the students.

 

 

Strategies:

 

Spritz

Spritz is the best way to engage with content in the digital age.

We deliver a focused reading experience and help readers get their

content faster, with less effort and across any device or screen size.

http://www.spritzinc.com/where-can-i-experience-spritz/

Let the kids have fun:

http://www.lucymovie.com/spritz/

 

Readsy

Readsy is a tool to help you skim large amounts of text by focusing your eyes on one word at a time without having to move them. It is powered by Spritz – you can read more about it here. To register for higher speeds, click “Login” on the top right of the Spritz box, and create an account with Spritz.

Akash Jain is a 3rd year undergraduate at Princeton University majoring in Computer Science. The code for the site is hosted on GitHub here and the logo was designed by the talented Matteo Kruijssen.

http://www.readsy.co/

 

 

Spreeder

Spreeder.com is a free online speed reading software designed to improve your reading speed and comprehension.

Spreeder is a free service provided by 7-Speed-ReadingTM.

http://www.spreeder.com/

Resources:

Every Kid Needs a Hero

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

 

Introduction to Forgotten Books

“WELCOME to Forgotten Books, the world’s largest online library with 484,473 books available on demand. This website has been designed using the very latest technologies to provide our members with many features never seen before.

Our flagship technology Intelligent Bookshelf™ is a world leader in book recommendation and uses artificial intelligence to determine exactly the books you’d most like to read from our vast library.

More than just books; Forgotten Books also features advanced analytical data. Every single word, page and image inside each and every one of our 484,473 books have been analyzed, indexed and classified. With this valuable research information, we can tell you virtually anything about anything, from the most commonly used word in fiction books published in 1765, to the book with the most images of cats in the first 20 pages. Or perhaps some more useful information, such as a list of every word in the English language in order of usage frequency.”

 
Offers Free and Paid memberships. Free membership comes with a book a day (or not, you can skip that).

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/

 

Web Spotlight:

Police Investigate Family for Letting Their Kids Walk Home Alone. Parents, We All Need to Fight Back.

Danielle and Alexander Meitiv explicitly ally themselves with the “free range” parenting movement, which believes that children have to take calculated risks in order to learn to be self-reliant.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/01/16/maryland_parents_investigated_by_the_police_for_letting_their_kids_walk.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/maryland-couple-want-free-range-kids-but-not-all-do/2015/01/14/d406c0be-9c0f-11e4-bcfb-059ec7a93ddc_story.html

 

Random Thoughts . . .

Personal Web Site

 

 

advisory, MSM, StrategyBy Troy Patterson

MSM 295:  What is this “Differentiation” you speak of?

Jokes You Can Use:

A woman visited a modern-art gallery. One painting was bright blue with vivid orange swirls and the one hanging next to it was black with lime-green splotches.

The artist stood nearby, so as politely as she could, the woman said to him, “I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand you paintings.”

“I paint what I feel inside me,” the artist replied.

“I see,” the woman replied innocently. “Have you tried Alka-Seltzer?”

 

A corny talk on the farm…

Do you know what the lettuce asked the radish? Let us be best friends?

And what did the radish answer? You naughty thing, you make me blush! you make me reddish!

 

Two old friends met by chance on the street. After chatting for some time one said to the other, “I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve forgotten your name. You’ll need to tell me”.

The other stared at him thoughtfully for a long time, then replied, “How soon do you need to know?”

 

A brilliant young boy was applying for a job with the railways. The interviewer asked him: “Do you know how to use the equipment?” “Yes”, the boy replied. “Then what would you do if you realized that 2 trains, one from this station and one from the next were going to crash because they were on the same track?” The young applicant thought and replied “I’d press the button to change the points without hesitation.” “What if the button was frozen and wouldn’t work?” “I’d run outside and pull the lever to change the points manually” “And if the lever was broken?” “I’d get on the phone to the next station and tell them to change the points,” he replied. “And if the phone was broken and needed an electrician to fix it?” The boy thought about that one. “I’d run into town and get my uncle” “Is your uncle an electrician?” “No, but he’s never seen a train crash before!”

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Shane Howard, Ryan Coxx, Brad Bridges

 

Advisory:

Physical Fitness

http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/docrepository/FM21_20_1946.pdf

 

Yelp! Reviews

Have student write Yelp! like reviews of local restaurants.

 

Memory

Did you know about these 7 ways to improve your memory?

  1. Synaesthesia
  2. Landmarks
  3. The Peg System
  4. Rhymes
  5. Mnemonics
  6. Remembering people’s names
  7. Repetition

http://bookboon.com/blog/2013/07/did-you-know-about-these-7-ways-to-improve-your-memory/

 

 

20 Life Lessons Everyone Should Learn from Chef

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/20-life-lessons-everyone-should-learn-from-chefs.html

 

 

The weird science behind first impressions

POSTED BY JORY MACKAY

First impressions can make or break your career.

http://blog.pickcrew.com/weird-science-first-impressions/

 

Champions Against Bullying: Too Late

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1HrCiLK7wc&app=desktop

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

Water Rockets

 

I was recently reading the November, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read an article entitled “Redesigning the Water Rocket,” written by Allison Antink Meyer and Stephen Bartos.  The activities described in this article were developed to frame physical-science concepts appropriate to seventh- and eighth-grade classrooms in the context of a multiphase engineering-design challenge.

 

Dave

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/12/23_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Water_Rockets.html

 

From the Twitterverse:

Calvin and Hobbes ‏@Calvinn_HobbesLow expectations, no tensions!

Calvin & Hobbes- Low Expecations
Susan M. Bearden ‏@s_beardenThere’s a calendar of edu Twitter chats within @tweechmeapp – makes it easy to add to your mobile device calendar 🙂 #nt2t
Mikkel Storaasli ‏@MStoraasliWell, this just got interesting. Chicago Public Schools defies mandate on new standardized exam, #PARCC http://ow.ly/HtTsr  #CCSS
Diane Ravitch ‏@DianeRavitchTeacher: The Néw High School Equivalency Exam is a Travesty http://wp.me/p2odLa-9ml
Vicki Davis ‏@coolcatteacherNEW BLOG! RT @edutopia: 5 Fantastic, Fast Formative Assessment Tools: http://j.mp/1CjfpfW  via @coolcatteacher
Monte Tatom @drmmtatom  ·  7 Ways Students Use Diigo To Do Research & Collaborative Project Work ~ #fhuedu642 #tn_teta #edwebchat => @MSMatters http://ln.is/com/3FmNE
Jay McTighe ‏@jaymctigheGrant Wiggins’ response to the ED Week article, Differentiation Doesn’t Work. https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/on-differentiation-a-reply-to-a-rant-and-a-posing-of-questions/ …
MiddleWeb ‏@middlewebMT @rickwormeli2: Also check out Tomlinson’s http://Differentiationcentral.com  for more responses to Mike Schmoker and others who diss differentiation.
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

 

Strategies:

Differentiation Doesn’t Work

Let’s review the educational cure-alls of past decades: back to basics, the open classroom, whole language, constructivism, and E.D. Hirsch’s excruciatingly detailed accounts of what every 1st or 3rd grader should know, to name a few.

Starting with the gifted-education community in the late 1960s, differentiation didn’t get its mojo going until regular educators jumped onto the bandwagon in the 1980s.

Differentiation is a failure, a farce, and the ultimate educational joke played on countless educators and students.

In theory, differentiation sounds great, as it takes several important factors of student learning into account:

  • It seeks to determine what students already know and what they still need to learn.
  • It allows students to demonstrate what they know through multiple methods.
  • It encourages students and teachers to add depth and complexity to the learning/teaching process.

Although fine in theory, differentiation in practice is harder to implement in a heterogeneous classroom than it is to juggle with one arm tied behind your back.

‘We couldn’t answer the question … because no one was actually differentiating,’

“In every case, differentiated instruction seemed to complicate teachers’ work, requiring them to procure and assemble multiple sets of materials, … and it dumbed down instruction.”

It seems that, when it comes to differentiation, teachers are either not doing it at all, or beating themselves up for not doing it as well as they’re supposed to be doing it. Either way, the verdict is clear: Differentiation is a promise unfulfilled, a boondoggle of massive proportions.

The biggest reason differentiation doesn’t work, and never will, is the way students are deployed in most of our nation’s classrooms.

It seems to me that the only educators who assert that differentiation is doable are those who have never tried to implement it themselves: university professors, curriculum coordinators, and school principals.

Differentiation is a cheap way out for school districts to pay lip service to those who demand that each child be educated to his or her fullest potential.

Do we expect an oncologist to be able to treat glaucoma?

Do we expect a criminal prosecutor to be able to decipher patent law?

Do we expect a concert pianist to be able to play the clarinet equally well?

No, no, no.

However, when the education of our nation’s young people is at stake, we toss together into one classroom every possible learning strength and disability and expect a single teacher to be able to work academic miracles with every kid … as long as said teacher is willing to differentiate, of course.

A second reason that differentiation has been a failure is that we’re not exactly sure what it is we are differentiating: Is it the curriculum or the instructional methods used to deliver it? Or both?

The terms “differentiated instruction” and “differentiated curriculum” are used interchangeably, yet they are not synonyms.

Differentiation might have a chance to work if we are willing, as a nation, to return to the days when students of similar abilities were placed in classes with other students whose learning needs paralleled their own. Until that time, differentiation will continue to be what it has become: a losing proposition for both students and teachers, and yet one more panacea that did not pan out.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/01/07/differentiation-doesnt-work.html

Responses:

https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/on-differentiation-a-reply-to-a-rant-and-a-posing-of-questions/

http://differentiationcentral.com/

 

Random Thoughts . . .

Personal Web Site

 

advisory, Conferences, MSM, News, Strategy, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 294:  Another Rathole! Formative Sideburns and Pexels.

Jokes You Can Use:

Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl use the bathroom?

Because the “P” is silent

 

What do you call a group of musical pigs?

An oinkestra!

 

Why did the belt get locked up?

He held up a pair of pants!

 

 

Thoughts for the day:

  • Seniors graduating in the class of 2015 have never been alive while The Simpsons was not on TV.
  • New York City is further south than Rome, Italy.
  • There were still people making their way across the United States via the Oregon Trail the year the fax machine was invented.

 

Eileen Award:

 

  • Twitter: Kevin McGoldrick,
  • Google+: Whitney Hickman

 

Advisory:

He Was Tormented By Bullies But What He Did In Response Taught Everyone An Important Lesson

“Being nice should be the norm,” Josh explains. “It’s not something I expected to stand out.”

http://www.reshareworthy.com/opening-doors-against-bullying/#Xkq473Jlu9APkj3R.99

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-COMPUTATIONAL THINKING

I was recently reading the November, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read an article entitled “Exploring the Science Framework and NGSS: Computational Thinking in the Science Classroom, written by Cary Sneider, Chris Stephenson, Bruce Schafer and Larry Flick.  Computational thinking is a fundamental skill for everyone, not just computer scientists.  To reading, writing and arithmetic, we should add computational thinking to every child’s analytical ability.

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/12/19_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Computational_Thinking.html

 

 

From the Twitterverse:

Ron Houtman ‏@ronhoutmanParaphrasing @tebotweets -it’s time for educators that are circling the airport to leave our airspace. #miflip15
Maria Popova ‏@brainpickerAmbiverts, problem-finders, and the surprising psychology of making your ideas happen http://buff.ly/14eV2Fp
Kristine Quallich ‏@KQuall“@justintarte: Great steps to have in a school: #edchat #mathchat ” @KarenMcGinty @ClaggettWay2BEE #mathpractice

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B6_OkMjCAAAgUC3.png:large
Scott McLeod ‏@mcleodAll You Need to Know About the ‘Learning Styles’ Myth, in Two Minutes http://wrd.cm/1y2y92T  #edchat #plaea
Adam Savage ‏@donttrythis“@HistoricalPics: Advertisement for the TRS-80 Pocket Computer with Isaac Asimov from 1982. ” EPIC SIDEBURNS!!

https://twitter.com/HistoricalPics/status/553642446845124608/photo/1

EPIC_Sideburns
Patti Kinney ‏@pckinney5 Strategic Tips for First-Year Administrators | @scoopit http://sco.lt/75sIyn
pammoran ‏@pammoranguess it’s better 2b able 2 print a wrench in space than come back to earth 4 one  #satchat

Wrench printed in space.
Monte Tatom @drmmtatom  ·  I liked a @YouTube video http://ln.is/www.youtube.com/f96Aq … Using Technology to Connect Students & the Environment
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

 

Strategies:

13 Ways to Use Socrative as a Formative Assessment

  1. True or False Questions
  2. Multiple Choice Questions
  3. Short Response
  4. Visual Data (Bar graphs and visual short responses)
  5. Exit Ticket
  6. Pre-Assessment
  7. Post-Assessment
  8. Create Short Quizzes
  9. Upload Premade Quizzes
  10. Reflection
  11. Collect Background Knowledge
  12. Quick Check for Understanding
  13. Voting on best responses

http://www.thelandscapeoflearning.com/2012/02/11-ways-to-use-socrative-as-formative.html

 

Moodle eCommunity


https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=277170

 

 

Resources:

 

Pexels

Free High Quality Images that are free to use.

http://www.pexels.com/

 

DuoLingo for Schools

Bring the world’s most popular language-learning platform to your classroom. No ads, 100% free.

https://schools.duolingo.com/

 

Oregon Trail – Online

https://archive.org/details/msdos_Oregon_Trail_The_1990

 

Web Spotlight:

Minnesota schools hit glitches with online testing

Minnesota’s $38 million contract with Pearson for online proficiency testing is just a few months old, but it already has technology staff in many schools scrambling to ensure their systems are compatible.

…shocked when Pearson suggested schools run computers online in what they consider an “unsecure” mode.

Pearson’s vice president of state services, acknowledges that her company should have been more specific about its system requirements.

Unfortunately, Apple’s popular Safari Web browser and Pearson’s TestNav testing portal don’t play well together.

 Pearson’s system relies on versions of Java and Flash software that are no longer supported by Apple’s browser and will work only if security is disabled on students’ computers.

“I was very surprised they rolled out a memo that said just turn your security off,” said Dave Heistad, director of assessment, evaluation and research for Bloomington schools. “That blew me away. I couldn’t believe a multimillion-dollar company would roll something out that wasn’t secure.”

…both Java and Flash are notorious for their vulnerabilities and need for their code to be updated.

Despite problems, district across Minnesota have successfully used Pearson’s TestNav system to administer practice tests.

Tomhave said the challenges his district faced ranged from problems with Pearson’s test portal to issues with their Internet services provider and the district’s internal system.

“We are looking forward to a future online testing experience that is device agnostic with fewer software interventions,” he said.

Schaeffer says a national Gallup poll of teachers from last summer shows a majority don’t feel their students or schools are ready for online tests. Just 17 percent of educators polled said their schools were “very well prepared” for online testing, with 46 percent answering their schools were “not well prepared” for Web-based tests.

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_27211647/minnesota-schools-hit-glitches-online-testing

 

 

Grading Thaime! The Originals.

Last year, I swept the nation with an album I posted on reddit where I explained my “Little Red Writing Pen” rule.  Unfortunately the nation didn’t know it was being swept.  So now I will attempt to re-sweep (and possibly mop, wax, and finally get that weird brown-yellow stain out of) the nation by releasing the same exact images!  But this time with some descriptions and the names blacked out.  Also I am going to release the rest of the collection.

To explain, I was an 8th-9th grade science teacher at an all girls Thai school in Bangkok, and I established a rule with my students:  If you draw something, I will add to it.

They drew, I added, and this is the original album of drawings I posted.  I continued to draw on their papers, but I did not continue to post them.  This is what is referred to as “foreshadowing.”  I have many more images to come!

http://squeezymo.wordpress.com/

 

 

Higher Level Thinkers

http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2015/01/higher-level-thinkers-dont-just-magically-emerge-from-low-level-thinking-spaces-slide.html

Random Thoughts . . .

Conference Thoughts

Personal Web Site

 

 

advisory, MSM, StrategyBy Troy Patterson

MSM 293:  New Year’s Rememberlutions!  

Jokes You Can Use:

A guy found a penguin and showed him to a policeman.

The policeman said, “Take that penguin to the zoo, now.”

Next day the policeman sees the man with the penguin again.

The policeman stops the guy and says, I told you yesterday to take the penguin to the Zoo, what on earth are you doing with the penguin in your truck again?”

The guy says, “What is there to do? Yesterday I took him to the zoo and today I’m taking him to the movies.”

 

 

Teacher to a student: “Can you think of a solution to end unemployment?”

“Yes, sir! I’d put all the men on one island and the women on another.”

“And what would they be doing then?”

“Building boats!”

 

A young ensign had nearly completed his first overseas tour of sea duty when he was given an opportunity to display his ability at getting the ship under way. With a stream of crisp commands, he had the decks buzzing with men. The ship steamed out of the channel and soon the port was far behind.

The ensign’s efficiency has been remarkable. In fact, the deck was abuzz with talk that he had set a new record for getting a destroyer under way. The ensign glowed at his accomplishment and was not all surprised when another seaman approached him with a message from the captain.

He was, however, a bit surprised to find that it was a radio message, and he was even more surprised when he read, “My personal congratulations upon completing your underway preparation exercise according to the book and with amazing speed. In your haste, however, you have overlooked one of the unwritten rules — Make Sure The Captain Is Aboard Before Getting Under Way.”

 

 

A man steals paintings from a museum and gets a few blocks away, runs out of gas and the cops catch him. When asked what happened he replied…”I didn’t have enough Monet to pay for Degas to make the Van Gogh!!!!

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Pete Jabbour, Julie George

 

Advisory:

Singer’s Paradox

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/12/cutting-through-singers-paradox.html

 

 

20 Life Lessons from Harry Potter

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/20-life-lessons-learned-from-harry-potter.html

 

 

Rememberlutions

It’s called a “rememberlutions” jar and it’ll make you feel good all year.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/im-so-im-so-proud-of-you#.ayRB1xJJZ

 

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

EQuIP Rubric

 

I was recently reading the November, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read the Editor’s Roundtable, written by Inez Liftig, the editor of Science Scope.  Her topic for the month was: EQuIP-A Tool to Help Keep the NGSS on Course.”  The EQuIP Rubric provides “criteria by which to measure the alignment and overall quality of lessons and units with respect to the NGSS.”

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/12/12_Middle_School_Science_Minute-EQuIP_Rubric.html

 

From the Twitterverse:

Jeff Crews ‏@crewsertech3 Good Resources to Download Public Domain Educational Videos: January 2, 2015 Below are some good platforms … http://ln.is/com/9msrA
Chromebook Institute ‏@ChromebookInstChromecast Add-Ons to Play Various Video File Formats http://zite.to/1tHWT23
Jeff Crews ‏@crewsertechTeachers Easy Guide to Creating Quiz Shows on Google Drive: January 3, 2015 Flippity is a powerful web tool th… http://ln.is/com/tsurw
Brad Meltzer ‏@bradmeltzerIf you liked #LostHistory, here’s the cover to my new historical thriller, out in June. The President’s Shadow: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/044655393X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1420261143&sr=8-1 …
Luann ChristensenLee ‏@stardiverr@shareski If I’m reading this right, Chrome appears to be, um. sneaky. 1 window with 1 tab open in FF and in Chrome.

Chrome Img
Dr. LaTonya Goffney ‏@drgoffneyTop 15 apps for Educators in 2014 – http://go.shr.lc/1xilY2P  via @Shareaholic
Shelley Joan Weiss ‏@ShelleyJoWeissWhat Drives a Great Lesson? http://fb.me/71XWFhR7e
Teachers.Net ‏@TeachersNetAlfie Kohn: GRIT – A Skeptical Look at the Latest Educational Fad http://gazette.teachers.net/gazette/wordpress/alfie-kohn/grit-a-skeptical-look-at-the-latest-educational-fad/ … via @TeachersNet
Monte Tatom @drmmtatom  ·  “@MindShiftKQED: 7 Big Hurdles In Education & Ideas For Solving Them http://ow.ly/Ejfvb  @DigitalPromise ”

Solutions
Mark Hess ‏@MarkHess98Trading Cards – ReadWriteThink. Great app. Check it out. #wleced http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/mobile-apps/trading-cards-30922.html?utm_source=socmedia&utm_medium=updates&utm_campaign=tlg …
Scott McLeod ‏@mcleodTeacher hopefuls go through big data wringer http://politi.co/1xF0oV3
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

 

Rat Hole:

Prijector

Prijector is a slick and powerful device that directly connects to your Television or to any Projector. It enables one to share their

full-screen and present wirelessly from Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS and Android Devices.

Prijector makes every meeting room video conferencing capable by running apps like Skype, Microsoft Lync, Google Hangouts and more.

https://prijector.com/

 

 

Strategies:

E-Learning Challenges

https://community.articulate.com/search?tags%5B%5D=E-Learning+Challenges

 

 

Resources:

Google Chrome Extensions Every Teacher should try (ALL FREE)

http://www.edudemic.com/free-google-chrome-extensions-for-teachers/

 

Neil deGrasse Tyson Selects the Eight Books Every Intelligent Person on the Planet Should Read

by Maria Popova

Neat bonus. All of them can be found for free.

http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/12/29/neil-degrasse-tyson-reading-list/

 

Web Spotlight:

 

Why Reading Matters: An Interview with a School Leader

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/why-reading-matters-interview-school-leader-bob-lenz

 

 

In Teaching Algebra, the Not-So-Secret Way to Students’ Hearts

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/12/to-learn-algebra-the-not-so-secret-way-to-students-hearts/

 

Random Thoughts . . .

Personal Web Site

 

 

 

advisory, MSM, Podcast, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 292:  Riddle Me This Sherlock, We’re done for this year.  

Jokes You Can Use:

An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely.

 

“The front row please.” she answered.

“You really don’t want to do that”, the usher said. “The pastor is really boring.”

“Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired. “No.” he said.

“I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked.

“No.” she said.

“Good,” he answered

 

Why did the 3-legged dog go back to Dodge City?

To see who shot his “paw.”

 

Q: An electric train is traveling South and the wind is blowing East. Which way is the smoke blowing?

A: There is no smoke it’s an electric train.

 

It was the end of the school year, and a kindergarten teacher was receiving gifts from her pupils. The florist’s son handed her a gift. She shook it, held it overhead, and said, “I bet I know what it is. Flowers.” “That’s right!” the boy said, “But, how did you know?” “Oh, just a wild guess,” she said. The next pupil was the sweet shop owner’s daughter. The teacher held her gift overhead, shook it, and said, “I bet I can guess what it is. A box of sweets.” “That’s right, but how did you know?” asked the girl. “Oh, just a wild guess,” said the teacher. The next gift was from the son of the liquor store owner. The teacher held the package overhead, but it was leaking. She touched a drop off the leakage with her finger and put it to her tongue. “Is it wine?” she asked. “No,” the boy replied, with some excitement. The teacher repeated the process, tasting a larger drop of the leakage. “Is it champagne?” she asked. “No,” the boy replied, with more excitement. The teacher took one more big taste before declaring, “I give up, what is it?” With great glee, the boy replied, “It’s a puppy!” SURPRISE!

 

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Sandy Cameli, Leigh Ann Eck, Todd Bloch
  • Email: Camilla Elliot

 

Advisory:

Riddles

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/answer-these-riddles-and-you-will-find-the-answers-life.html

 

House Misconceptions

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF62VeRsjvU

 

How to Build your Confidence

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-develop-your-charisma-and-become-more-likable-1673988208

 

How to Read People Like Sherlock Holmes

http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/12/how-to-read-people/

 

Great Questions

http://storycorps.org/great-questions/

 

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

Hazardous Glues

 

I was recently reading the October, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read an article entitled “Scope on Safety,” written by Ken Roy, Director of Environmental Health and Safety for the Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, CT. Within this article is the “Question of the Month.”  This month’s question is, “Are some glues hazardous to use?”

 

BTW, I liked the comment on podcasting being the new radio.  It has been like that for me, for quite a while.  I hardly ever listen to radio in the car, it is always podcasts.  My son has finally jumped on the bandwagon.  It was funny hearing his share items he heard on a podcast, with me the other day.  

 

Have a great Christmas,

Dave

 

 

From the Twitterverse:

Rovy Branon ‏@rovybranoniPads are Replacing Waiters in Airport Restaurants | Digital Trends
Scholastic Teachers ‏@ScholasticTeachWe applaud these 9 celebrities who are self-proclaimed #booknerds & champions of #literacy! #sharepossible
Mary Appleget ‏@teachtothebrainYep…the brain likes that 🙂 TY!“@Fashions_life: A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything. ”
TED Talks ‏@TEDTalks7 TED Talks to watch on your holiday travels: http://t.ted.com/KCB4fco
Silke Yardley ‏@SilkeYardley“@Joe_Mazza: Latest Post – Principals’ 15 Point Winter Break Inspection  http://www.leadlearner.com/principals-15-point-winter-break-inspection/
Collette Reynolds ‏@ColletteRIt made me laugh! #christmas #funny

Christmas Group Therapy
Scott McLeod ‏@mcleodComparison Chart: Backchannel / Informal Assessment Tools | @rmbyrne
Larry Ferlazzo ‏@LarryferlazzoStatistic Of The Day: The Myth Of Data-Driven Instruction http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/12/27/statistic-of-the-day-the-myth-of-data-driven-instruction/ …
Ian Jukes ‏@ijukes Cape Town, South AfricaThe 27 Characteristics Of Highly Effective Teachers http://www.edudemic.com/2013/06/the-27-characteristics-of-highly-effective-teachers/ …

27 Ways to be an Effective Classroom Teacher
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

 

Strategies:

Travel by Drone

http://travelbydrone.com/

 

Teach using graphics

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/links/how-to-write-a-letter/

 

Digital Workstations

As children rotate through a series of stations throughout the week, I am free to work with small groups on differentiated needs, offering personalized instruction. In a way, I’ve cloned myself. Now, there are two of me teaching at the same time!

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/12/how-set-digital-workstations

 

Resources:

How It Happens

Understand the science behind the headlines in How It Happens, which combines simple explanation and elegant animation to reveal the inner workings of the physical world.

http://www.nytimes.com/video/how-it-happens/

 

 

15 Uses for a Swivl

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/15-uses-swivl/

 

3 Timers

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/12/three-handy-timer-tools-for-teachers.html#.VJ7GosAA

 

 

Word Usage Through History

Type in a word or two and see a graph of how often it has been used.

http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=civil%20rights

https://books.google.com/ngrams

Web Spotlight:


29 Ways to Stay Creative

Random Thoughts . . .

 

Happy New Year!!  See you next year!

 

Personal Web Site

 

 

 

advisory, AMLE, MSM, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 291:  (Mystery) Science Theater, SAMR and Plagiarize Check This. Bye Doug.

Jokes You Can Use:

 

A businessman dragged himself home and barely made it to his chair before he dropped exhausted.

His sympathetic wife was right there with a tall cool drink and a comforting word. “My, you look tired,” she said. “You must have had a hard day today. What happened to make you so exhausted?”

“It was terrible,” her husband said. “The computer broke down and all of us had to do our own thinking.”

 

EVER WONDER

 

– Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

– Why women can’t put on mascara with their mouth closed?

– Why don’t you ever see the headline “Psychic Wins Lottery”?

– Why is “abbreviated” such a long word?

– Why is it that doctors call what they do “practice”?

– Why is it that to stop Windows, you have to click on “Start”?

– Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

– Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

– Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

– Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?

– When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?

– Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

– Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

– You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don’t they make the whole plane out of that stuff?

– Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?

– Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

– If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

– If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Did you hear about the elephant who was always left out of things and thus felt irrelephant?

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Angie Jenny, Christopher Pappas, Aaron Andrew Alford
  • Diigo: Sue Highly, Ron King

 

Advisory:

Advisory Activities:

http://roosevelt.4j.lane.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/great_advisory_ideas.pdf

Pinterest Ideas:

https://www.pinterest.com/bernern1/middle-school-advisory/

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

Science Theater

 

I was recently reading the October, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Students Modeling Molecule Movement Through Science Theater,” written by David Stroupe and Anna Kramer.  In the article, they describe how Science Theater served as an intellectual and instructional anchor for students and for teachers, as they all made sense of observing relationships and interactions between matter and energy.

 

From the Twitterverse:

Sylvia Duckworth ‏@sylviaduckworth

@jennyluca @joedale @anamariacult Caution: Chrome extensions can slow down your browser. Use Extensity to manage https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/extensity/jjmflmamggggndanpgfnpelongoepncg?hl=en …
Joanna Van Raden ‏@joannavrteaches

Teacher’s week before winter break activity results–>13 hours of sleep! Myth: teachers have an easy job.
Brad Wilson ‏@dreambition

welcome to the podcast age http://ow.ly/FZSQg  more production, more storytelling, more narrative
Steve Reifman ‏@stevereifman

Looking 4 a set of short, inspirational non-fiction texts that support the Common Core standards? NEW book @ http://tinyurl.com/pox8w3s
Steven Singer ‏@StevenSinger3

When you require teachers to learn every new unproven education fad, they have no time left to teach
Katherine Schulten ‏@KSchulten

So good: “Everything You Need To Know About The Dangerous Teen Trend ‘Wodehousing’” http://www.clickhole.com/article/everything-you-need-know-about-dangerous-teen-tren-1138 …
Lori DiMarco ‏@TCDSB21Csup

Predictions for K-12 Education in 2015 | @Edudemic #tcdsb21c http://www.edudemic.com/predictions-for-k-12-education-in-2015/ …
Alex Fitzpatrick ‏@AlexJamesFitz

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

 

Strategies:

SAMR

A variety of videos to introduce and explain SAMR.

http://edtech-mi.blogspot.com/search?q=SAMR

 

Study better

One of the interesting things about the mind is that even though we all have one, we don’t have perfect insight into how to get the best from it.

Karpicke and Roediger asked students to prepare for a test in various ways, and compared their success

On the final exam differences between the groups were dramatic. While dropping items from study didn’t have much of an effect, the people who dropped items from testing performed relatively poorly: they could only remember about 35% of the word pairs, compared to 80% for people who kept testing items after they had learnt them.

dropping items entirely from your revision, which is the advice given by many study guides, is wrong. You can stop studying them if you’ve learnt them, but you should keep testing what you’ve learnt if you want to remember them at the time of the final exam.

the researchers had the neat idea of asking their participants how well they would remember what they had learnt. All groups guessed at about 50%. This was a large overestimate for those who dropped items from test (and an underestimate from those who kept testing learnt items).

But the evidence has a moral for teachers as well: there’s more to testing than finding out what students know – tests can also help us remember.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141202-hack-your-memory-learn-faster

Resources:

Plagiarism Checkers:

PaperRater.com is a FREE resource that utilizes Artificial Intelligence to improve writing. We believe that accessibility to quality educational tools is the fundamental component of our mission. We thank our advertisers, users, and socially-minded investors for allowing us to continue improving the quality and scope of our services.

We also offer a premium membership for those who are interested in an ad-free experience and those who would like to submit longer papers in a single submission.

How do you make money off this service?

We are focused primarily on growth at this point (we are a startup), but we offer a premium membership for those interested in more features. Costs are also offset by the ads that you may have noticed on some pages of our site.

What is the maximum length of text that I can submit?

We allow 6 pages at roughly 300 words/page for our free service. We have a premium service at http://premium.PaperRater.com that allows up to 15 pages.

 

For teachers, PlagTracker.com offers:

A fast, easy method for scanning students’ papers for plagiarism violations

Free plagiarism checking (TurnItIn licensing for colleges and universities is expensive)

Accurate plagiarism scanning against a huge database of millions of published works

We at PlagTracker want our customers to be able to check a great amount of words for FREE, so we give you a limit of 5000 words. However, if you are exceeding that amount, you can always sign up for our Premium account and have unlimited access.

If you have a Premium account, you will be able to upload your .doc or .txt file, and PlagTracker will scan it for you. This service is only available through our Premium subscription.

Q: How does Duplichecker work?

A: Duplichecker analyzes each sentence entered in the text box. The text can be entered either ways; copy-paste your text into the text box, enter the URL of the content destination required to be checked, or upload a text file.

Q: How to use Duplichecker?

A: Using Duplichecker is quite simple, and everyone can use it; registered users (unlimited searches) as well as unregistered users (3 searches per day). A user can enter text by copy-paste method, entering the url, or by uploading a text file. Press the ‘Search’ button below the box to enter text. The results will be displayed immediately.

Q: Is it necessary to register?

A: You can only perform 1 searches per day as an unregistered user. In case, you are a person related to the field of writing or editing, then it is beneficial to register yourself, as a registered user has the privilege to perform 50 searches per day.

 

PBL

You have to give up your email address to download. The “book” has a few interesting projects. You get access to three “books” K-5, 6-9, and 10-12.

http://hub.globaldigitalcitizen.org/download-pbl-ebook?mc_cid=8727b94086&mc_eid=b72d6a747f

 

Online Games

The games found on Try Engineering are appropriate for middle school and elementary school use. The games could be good activities for students to try after you have used one of the Try Engineering lesson plans addressing a game topic.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/12/36-online-games-kids-can-play-to-learn.html#.VJXOmsAA

Web Spotlight:

Are you a bad teacher?

I lost it.  I actually only dimly recall what happened next.  I’m sure I didn’t actually drag him by the collar into the hall, but that’s what I remember.  All I know for sure is that a friend of mine who taught several doors down said that she could hear me yelling at him even with her door shut.

All I could think was: I am a terrible teacher.  I was ashamed of my loss of control.

Despite everything the books tell you, teaching is above all a deeply messy human endeavor; for all the exhilarating highs, there are terrible days when you feel like a profound failure, and those are the days when you long for a reality check.  Am I really a bad teacher?  How would I know?

I know, I know: teacher evaluation rubrics are supposed to alleviate this worry, but if like me you don’t believe that the rubric measures what you’re doing, they’re no comfort and can actually be crazy-making when you score low on something you don’t even value, like the robotic re-iteration of a three-part objective, which would send me into a tailspin of that’s insane! and then no, what if I’m insane? and then a dystopic the whole world has gone insane and I’m completely alone because nothing has any meaning any more! a conviction that rarely leads to good teaching.

Take this short quiz and at the end I will tell you if you’re a bad teacher.

https://gatsbyinla.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/are-you-a-bad-teacher/

 

Random Thoughts . . .

 

Doug Herlensky leaves AMLE – Thanks for all the affiliate work and good luck on the next part of your career.

 

Personal Web Site

MSM, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

MSM 290: The Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen Show.

 

Jokes You Can Use:

An optometrist was instructing a new employee on how to charge a customer. “As you are fitting her glasses, if she asks how much they cost, you say ‘$150.’ “If her eyes don’t flutter, say, ‘For the frames. The lenses will be $100.’ “If her eyes still don’t flutter, you add, ‘Each.’”

 

An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy.

He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, “Pull, Nellie, pull!” Buddy didn’t move.

Then the farmer hollered, “Pull, Buster, pull!” Buddy didn’t respond.

Once more the farmer commanded, “Pull, Coco, pull!” Nothing.

Then the farmer nonchalantly said, “Pull, Buddy, pull!” And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.

The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.

The farmer said, “Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn’t even try!”

 

A motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that measured his speed using radar and photographed his car. He later received in the mail a ticket for $40 and a photo of his car. Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $40. Several days later, he received a letter from the police that contained another picture, this time of handcuffs. He immediately mailed in his $40.

 

 

Eileen Award:

 

  • Twitter: Mike Reading, Jason Katcher, Jenna Dixon, Brandon Ouellette, Chris Wherley
  • Email: Sierra Bishop

 

Advisory:

 

Choice

Is the American obsession with individual freedom really such a great idea? What other cultures know about how to make good choices.

http://ideas.ted.com/2014/10/21/how-cultures-around-the-world-make-decisions/

 

36 Life Changing Poems

http://www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyandoli/life-changing-poems-everyone-should-read

 

How to fold the world record paper airplane

How to fold the world record paper airplane. John Collins design, Suzanne, broke the Guinness World Record for distance in 2012. The New World Champion Paper Airplane Book contains the world record paper airplane design and instructions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDiC9iMcWTc&app=desktop

 

5 Steps to Internet Safety

5 Steps to Internet Safety

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12135939/5%20Steps%20to%20Internet%20Safety

 

 

Mr. Farrer – you inspire us.

Bruce would be the first person to tell you he’s just your regular, average teacher. More than 20 years after taking his class, his students will wholeheartedly tell you otherwise. We can all learn something from Mr. Farrer. His ability to leave such a profound and long-lasting impression is truly something to be admired. We hope his story is as inspiring to you as it is to us. Thank you, Bruce.

http://www.aboveandbeyond.ca/bruce-teacher-letters-students/

 

How juries are fooled

Oxford mathematician Peter Donnelly reveals the common mistakes humans make in interpreting statistics — and the devastating impact these errors can have on the outcome of criminal trials.

http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_donnelly_shows_how_stats_fool_juries?language=en

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

Model Synergy

 

I was recently reading the October, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association. In this issue, I read the article, “Model Synergy,” written by David Kujawski. In the article, he combines classic modeling practices and digital simulations to augment deeper conceptual understanding.

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/11/7_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Model_Synergy.html

 

 

From the Twitterverse:

Richard Byrne ‏@rmbyrnePresent and Share Your Prezi Presentations Remotely via Free Technology for Teachers – Earlier … http://tinyurl.com/qfmveec
Sue Gorman ‏@sjgormanLesson plan for a flipped classroom with Book Creator – Book Creator app @BookCreatorApp http://www.redjumper.net/blog/2014/12/lesson-plan-for-a-flipped-classroom-with-book-creator/ … #edtech #iosedapp #edchat
Smhearty ‏@SmheartyThe evolve-D(earborn) theme keeps getting better! Great work Chris. You can check it out for FREE #moodle http://buff.ly/1A1v9DC
Smhearty @Smhearty  ·  Dec 8Richard Byrne posts great stuff. iPad Apps to create visual representations. http://buff.ly/1G5cfiL  #teach
Luann ChristensenLee ‏@stardiverrUsing student test scores to evaluate teacher prep programs; a lesson in tort law for Arne. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/12/02/the-concept-education-secretary-duncan-has-entirely-missed/ …
Lindsay Nowak ‏@LindsNowak Dec 10#engagemath approaching problem solving from a different angle creates a deeper understanding! @BergsEyeView, enjoy!
Ian Jukes ‏@ijukes  Durban8 TED Talks That Promote Creativity http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/12/10/december-ted-creativity-893/print/ … … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjSuaeVfE9I …
Christopher Weiss ‏@ChrisWeissCTLove it!“@ipadqueen2012: @bradmcurrie Support group for the amount of ed acronyms thrown down the pipeline #satchat ”
Karen Bosch ‏@karlybComic Book app free today only! Great app to use with students for digital storytelling! #iosedapp #ADEdu
Karen Bosch ‏@karlybFun Free Creative Christmas apps! http://blogs.southfieldchristian.org/elemapptitude/free-christmas-apps-for-creativity/ … #iosedapp #ipaded
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

 

Strategies:

The Real Revolution in Online Education Isn’t MOOCs

Data is confirming what we already know: recruiting is an imprecise activity, and degrees don’t communicate much about a candidate’s potential and fit. Employers need to know what a student knows and can do.

 

Even the latest hoopla around massive open online courses (MOOCs) amounts to more of the same: academics designing courses that correspond with their own interests rather than the needs of the workforce, but now doing it online.

It’s called online competency-based education, and it’s going to revolutionize the workforce.

Online competency-based education is the key to filling in the skills gaps in the workforce.

They include measurable learning objectives that empower students: this person can apply financial principles to solve business problems;

Competencies themselves are nothing new. There are schools that have been delivering competency-based education offline for decades, but without a technological enabler, offline programs haven’t been able to take full advantage of what competencies have to offer.

The key distinction is the modularization of learning.

Here’s why business leaders should care: the resulting stackable credential reveals identifiable skillsets and dispositions that mean something to an employer. As opposed to the black box of the diploma, competencies lead to a more transparent system that highlights student-learning outcomes.

College transcripts reveal very little about what a student knows and can do. An employer never fully knows what it means if a student got a B+ in Social Anthropology or a C- in Geology.

Most colleges measure learning in credit hours, meaning that they’re very good at telling you how long a student sat in a particular class — not what the student actually learned.

Competency-based learning flips this on its head and centers on mastery of a subject regardless of the time it takes to get there. A student cannot move on until demonstrating fluency in each competency.

Major companies like The Gap, Partners Healthcare, McDonald’s, FedEx, ConAgra Foods, Delta Dental, Kawasaki, Oakley, American Hyundai, and Blizzard are just a few of the growing number of companies diving into competencies by partnering with institutions such as Brandman, CfA, and Patten.

https://hbr.org/2014/10/the-real-revolution-in-online-education-isnt-moocs/

 

 

Resources:

Clarisketch

from: Richard Byrne

Clarisketch allows you to add your voice and drawings to pictures or to a blank canvas. While you are talking about your picture you can draw on it to highlight sections of it. Completed projects are shared as links to the video file hosted on Clarisketch. You can share the link to your Clarisketch video and have it play on nearly any device that has a web browser.

Available for Android and as a Chrome App.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/10/create-instructional-videos-on-your.html#.VIxYEorF-PN

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.handlix.clarisketch&hl=en

 

200 Free Kids Educational Resources: Video Lessons, Apps, Books, Websites & More

This collection provides a list of free educational resources for K-12 students (kindergarten through high school students) and their parents and teachers. It features free video lessons/tutorials; free mobile apps; free audiobooks, ebooks and textbooks; quality YouTube channels; free foreign language lessons; test prep materials; and free web resources in academic subjects like literature, history, science and computing. This newly-released list is a work in progress.

http://www.openculture.com/free_k-12_educational_resources

 

Flubaroo

Flubaroo is a free tool that helps you quickly grade multiple-choice or fill-in-blank assignments.

I designed it for my own classroom, and want to share it with other teachers… for free!

More than just a grading tool, Flubaroo also:

  • Computes average assignment score.
  • Computes average score per question, and flags low-scoring questions.
  • Shows you a grade distribution graph.
  • Gives you the option to email each student their grade, and an answer key.
  • Lets you send individualized feedback to each student.

http://www.flubaroo.com/

 

Google Drawings – Templates

Below are Google Drawings to be used as fill-in templates or pre-made activities for graphic organizers.  These Drawings are view only so you will need to make your own copy of each (open the Drawing, click File, then click Make a copy). You will then have your own copy of the Drawing that you can edit.

http://www.appsusergroup.org/resources/drawings-templates

 

Introduce Word Problems to Students Sooner, Studies Say

Earlier exposure found to boost learning

By Sarah D. Sparks

If Ms. Smith’s 8th grade algebra class works through 10 word problems in an hour, and Ms. Jones’ class works through 10 equation problems during the same time, which class is likely to learn more math concepts by the end of class?

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/11/19/13mathwords.h34.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

 

Web Spotlight:

Unsplash

Free, totally free, royalty free, copyright free images.

https://unsplash.com/grid

 

Random Thoughts . . . 

Personal Web Site

 

 

 

advisory, MSM, Podcast, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 289:  Upcoming Vacation, Back to the Future – Grammar, and Election (Signs)

Jokes You Can Use:

 

A skeleton walks down empty Main Street. Suddenly he sees another skeleton carrying a gravestone. “Hey, what are you doing?” the other skeleton answers “Just strolling”, “Why do have the gravestone, buddy?”, “Because I always want to have some ID”.

 

A crying, three-legged dog walks into a ice cream and says, “I’m looking for the man who shot my paw.”

 

A mother mouse and a baby mouse were walking along, when all of a sudden, a cat attacked them. The mother mouse goes, “BARK!” and the cat runs away.

“See?” says the mother mouse to her baby. “Now do you see why it’s important to learn a foreign language?”

 

During a recent password audit by a company, it was found that an employee was using the following password:

“MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofySacramento”

When asked why she had such a long password, she rolled her eyes and said: “Hello! It has to be at least 8 characters long and include at least one capital.”

 

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Dan Balestrero

 

Advisory:

Halloween Candy

http://mentalfloss.com/sites/default/files/styles/insert_main_wide_image/public/candyx600_103014.png

 

Idioms

http://www.hotelclub.com/blog/idioms-of-the-world-infographic/

 

Back to The Future Grammar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXIZoaD8NBg#t=119

 

10 Greatest Changes of the past 1,000 years

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/30/10-greatest-changes-of-the-past-1000-years

 

Octothorpe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEVOM0VycMI

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

 

Lakes Alive!

 

I was recently reading the October, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read the article, “Lakes Alive,” written by Karla Eitel, Frank Wilhelm, Ross Parsons, and Jan Eitel. In the article, the authors explain how they used the 5E Learning Cycle to engage their students in authentic field-data collection of the conditions for life under lake ice in winter.

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/10/28_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Lakes_Alive!.html

 

 

From the Twitterverse:

EdTechFam ‏@EdTechFamCould This Chicago Teen’s App Put an End to Cyberbullying? http://buff.ly/1szrcjA  #Edtech
Chris Kesler ‏@iamkeslerI’ll go on record and say I agree w/ a lot if this RT: Much of what we believe about teaching science is wrong http://zite.to/1DFPGOJ
Chris Sousa ‏@csousanhCommon Core and the End of History http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6050456 … #nhed #ccchat
Apple Plaza ‏@ApplePlazaCops Can Force You To Unlock Phone With Apple Touch ID, Judge Rules http://www.snsanalytics.com/Ultry0
Mark Barnes ‏@markbarnes19Let Them Play: Enhancing Student Motivation Through #Simulations http://goo.gl/fb/sLC1GZ  #pbl #strategy #gaming
Bill McShane ‏@billmcshaneNew post: “Leaving The Church Of Data” http://ift.tt/1DEDzBs
Ian Jukes ‏@ijukes Auckland City25 Things Skilled Learners Do Differently http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2014/10/16/25-things-skilled-learners-do-differently/ …
Mark Hess ‏@MarkHess98The “Really Loves Signs” Party http://chzb.gr/1wGePGO

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

 

Strategies:

Counter Factuals

Given the perilous political circumstances in some regions of our world today, understanding what could have been, may in fact help us better understand what might be.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/119357/altered-pasts-reviewed-cass-r-sunstein

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/27/opinion/history-without-hitler.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad&_r=0

 

Resources:

6th – 8th Grade Paired Text Question Sets

http://www.readworks.org/rw/6th-8th-grade-paired-text-question-sets

 

 

Yummy Math

http://opencurriculum.org/user/yummymath/

 

 

NASA Library of Space Sounds

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/10/nasa-posts-huge-library-space-sounds-youre-free-use/

https://soundcloud.com/nasa

 

 

Socrative Quiz List

One of the nice administrative aspects of Socrative is the ability to share quizzes with colleagues and import quizzes that are shared with you. This morning on the Socrative Facebook page I found their massive spreadsheet of more than 1,000 shared quizzes. The spreadsheet is arranged by subject and grade level. You can find a quiz by opening the filter menu and selecting a subject. Once you have found a quiz you can import it into your Socrative account. Click here for directions on that process.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/10/access-more-than-1000-socrative-quizzes.html#.VFTVdlPF94U

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dtoP6ivVNJtqTw0d6OSKLEq5WlZZ7ak9onjU1kph0Co/edit#gid=20451944

 

Election Day Resource

www.electoral-vote.com

 

 

Teacher & Student Assessment

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/10/26/here-are-forms-my-students-are-using-to-evaluate-themselves-me/

 

 

 

Web Spotlight:

Gifted & Talented…and Afraid

http://eduguideblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/gifted-talented-and-afraid/

 

50 Great Teachers: Socrates, The Ancient World’s Teaching Superstar

Today, NPR Ed kicks off a yearlong series: 50 Great Teachers.

We’re starting this celebration of teaching with Socrates, the superstar teacher of the ancient world. He was sentenced to death more than 2,400 years ago for “impiety” and “corrupting” the minds of the youth of Athens.

 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/10/29/359325963/50-great-teachers-socrates-the-ancient-worlds-teaching-superstar

 

Random Thoughts . . .

 

Personal Web Site

eCommunity

 

 

advisory, MSM, Podcast, StrategyBy Troy Patterson

MSM 288:  Search, Forms, Images, PhotoMath- Your Life on Earth.

Jokes You Can Use:

What is the difference between a cat and a comma?

One has the paws before the claws and the other has the clause before the pause.

 

What’s the best or fastest way to tune a banjo?

With wirecutters.

 

What could you call the small rivers that flow into the Nile?

Juveniles.

 

Heard about the math teacher with constipation?  Worked it out with a pencil.

 

A chicken walks into a library, goes up to a librarian and says, “Book book book.” The librarian decides that the chicken wants a book so he gives the chicken a book and the chicken walks away. About ten minutes later the chicken comes back with the book, looking a bit agitated, saying, “Book book book.” The librarian decides the chicken wants another book so he takes the old book back and gives the chicken another book. The chicken walks out the door. Ten minutes later the chicken comes back again, very agitated, saying, “Book book book!” so quickly it almost sounds like one word. The chicken puts the book on the librarian’s desk and looks up – waiting for another book. This time the librarian gives the chicken another book and decides that something weird is happening. He follows the chicken out the door and into the park, all the way to the pond. In the pond is a frog sitting on a lily pad. The chicken gives the book to the the frog, who then says, “Reddit, reddit.”

 

Q: Why did the pig leave the costume party?

A: Because everyone thought he was a boar.

 

Q: How do astronomers organize a party?

A: They planet.

 

Q: What do you call a Filipino contortionist?

A: A Manila folder.

 

 

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Trevor Mattea

 

 

Advisory:

 

Reader


Star College athlete’s take on reading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPLwQm2y83E#t=132

FROM: http://www.teachingquality.org/content/blogs/bill-ferriter/what-growth-mindset-looks-action

 

 

How to do nothing

…being alone with a screen is not quite being alone at all, so the art of taking joy in one’s own company slips further and further out of reach.

http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/10/24/how-to-do-nothing-with-nobody-all-alone-by-yourself/

 

 

Your Life on Earth

Enter some data to see how the person and the world has changed. This could be done with students or with historical figures.

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141016-your-life-on-earth

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-CAUSE AND EFFECT

 

I was recently reading the September, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Roundtable: Cause and Effect,” written by Inez Liftig, Editor of Science Scope. In the roundtable, she shares her thoughts and the research which supports that the teaching of cause and effect cannot be an afterthought in instruction; it must be considered an integral part of lesson planning integrated seamlessly with other dimensions of a lesson.

 

 

From the Twitterverse:

Tracie Cain ‏@TracieGCainRT @skimbriel: Use Aurasma to create presentation on historical figure in lieu of living wax museum #edcampdallas #leapesc11
Russel Tarr ‏@russeltarrCSI Web Adventures – Lessons in Forensic Science: http://tinyurl.com/4xrgc5u
Dr. Justin Tarte ‏@justintarteHow to make that redo/retake policy actually work! http://goo.gl/JYHlHD  #edchat #unionrxi #sblchat
Susie Highley ‏@shighleyMy fav resource from #sljsummit so far: @livebinders by @jlgdeborahford Booktalks to go http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1198808 … #tlchat
Paul Bogush ‏@paulbogushDoc for “Assessments that don’t stink” http://goo.gl/l9FsOf  #edcampseacoast
Clay Shirky ‏@cshirkyI just heard little Chinese girls belting Let It Go. It’s their London Calling, a signal flare of rebellion, the global punk of girlhood.
Karen Bosch ‏@karlyb30 Techniques to Quiet a Noisy Class | Edutopia http://www.edutopia.org/blog/30-techniques-quiet-noisy-class-todd-finley …
Real Life English ‏@RealLifeEng[New Podcast] Learn how to express all of your favorite body noises with the newest episode of RealLife Radio. http://ow.ly/Dj8Mg
Jennifer Dorman ‏@cliotechCheck out TED-Ed’s awesome interactive periodic table, with videos for every one of the 118 elements! http://ed.ted.com/periodic-videos  via @TED_ED
Brenda Dyck ‏@bdyck“@millerg6: Technology And Video Games Make Kids Think Differently About Old Questions #educ23253 #eder679 http://zite.to/1nROWkF ”
Sue Waters ‏@suewaters Sep 3For more free image sources check out The Ultimate Directory of Free Image Sources http://www.theedublogger.com/2014/07/09/the-ultimate-directory-of-free-image-sources/ …
#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”

 

Strategies:

Google Search Tips

Can be useful for students and you.

http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en//educators/downloads/Tips_Tricks_85x11.pdf

 

 

Resources:

Try the New Add-ons for Google Forms

Applications for Education

The Form Limiter Add-on mentioned above is useful for delivering timed assessments. Form Limiter can also be used to close the form when you a designated number of submissions have been made. That option is useful when you’re using Google Forms to create capped registration lists.

 

gMath for Google Forms is another that teachers will find useful. gMath allows you create and insert graphs and mathematical expressions into your Google Forms. That feature is one that math teachers have wanted for years.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/10/try-new-add-ons-for-google-forms.html#.VEmfD5PF_5k

 

PhotoMath

PhotoMath reads and solves mathematical expressions by using the camera of your mobile device in real time. It makes math easy and simple by educating users how to solve math problems.

https://photomath.net/

 

ReadWorks

Contains lessons and units K-6. This also includes Standards alignment. Additionally, they have resources that are aligned to grade level/strategy. These can be printed.

http://www.readworks.org/

 

Random Thoughts . . .

Personal Web Site

 

 

 

advisory, MSM, Podcast, Strategy, Web SpotlightBy Troy Patterson

MSM 287:  If Siri can answer, don’t take the bet or the bribe!

Jokes You Can Use:

 

Everybody should pay their taxes with a smile, said Bob. “I tried it but they wanted cash.”

 

Wife: “There’s trouble with the car. It has water in the carburetor.”

Husband: “Water in the carburetor? That’s ridiculous.”

Wife: “I tell you the car has water in the carburetor.”

Husband: “You don’t even know what a carburetor is. Where’s the car?”

Wife: “In the swimming pool.”

 

A girl walks into a supermarket and asks the clerk,” Can I have a turkey for my grandma?” the clerk responds,” Sorry. We don’t do exchanges.”

 

CHICAGO CUBS VIRUS: Your PC makes frequent mistakes and comes in last in the reviews, but you still love it.

AT&T VIRUS: Every three minutes it tells you what great service you are getting.

MCI VIRUS: Every three minutes it reminds you that you’re paying too much for the AT&T virus.

PBS VIRUS: Your programs stop every few minutes to ask for money.

ELVIS VIRUS: Your computer gets fat, slow and lazy, then self destructs; only to resurface at shopping malls and service stations across rural America.

PAUL REVERE VIRUS: This revolutionary virus does not horse around. It warns you of impending hard disk attack—once if by LAN, twice if by C:>

 

A butcher saw a Lawyer passing by his shop one day, and asked him: Atty., what would you do if a dog came in and stole your meat? Lawyer replied: why? of course, I’ll make the owner pay for it! The butcher said: If that is so, now you owe me $15 because it is your dog. The Lawyer replied: very well, just deduct the $15 from the $25 you owe me for the advice, I’ll collect the remaining $10 the next time I pass by here.

 

 

Eileen Award:

  • Twitter: Jenny Lee, Amy Rugg

 

Advisory:

 

10 Amazing Bets


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4sapsEXKpQ#t=92

 

 

Middle School Science Minute

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

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-CUSTODIAL SCIENCE TRAINING

 

I was recently reading the September, 2014 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

 

In this issue, I read an article entitled “Scope on Safety,” written by Ken Roy, Director of Environmental Health and Safety for the Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, CT. Within this article is the “Question of the Month.”  This month’s question is, “Do custodians need safety training prior to cleaning the floors in a science lab?”

 

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/10/10_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Custodial_Science_Training.html

 

 

From the Twitterverse:

Lucy Gray ‏@elemenous  12m12 minutes ago

American Schools Are Training Kids for a World That Doesn’t Exist | WIRED http://www.wired.com/2014/10/on-learning-by-doing/ …
juandoming ‏@juandoming  26m26 minutes ago

List of 20+ #Apps and Extensions for Chromebookers – #EdTechReview™ (ETR) via @jtoufi http://sco.lt/845uFt

HP Storage ‏@HPStorage  Oct 15

Add highly available shared storage to virtualized #Intel servers. Get your free 1TB of HP #storage to get going.
Ms. Diem ‏@GetTeaching  33m33 minutes ago

Homework conversation in full swing! #edcampou (Hint: if Siri can answer all your HW questions, it’s not good HW!)
Todd Bloch ‏@blocht574  46m46 minutes ago

Want to know more about #michED https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tfeVBvTSQwzza8SwQVbR3rX1qcPsqrwGESt0-FDWqI8/edit?usp=sharing … This might help! #edcampAMI #edcampNoMI  #edcampou
Scott McLeod ‏@mcleod  1h1 hour ago

The State of Educational Blogging 2014 | @edublogs #edtech
Jennifer L. Scheffer ‏@jlscheffer  42m42 minutes ago

5 key elements of effective PD via @MaineSchoolTech #edscape

http://images.pearsonassessments.com/images/NES_Publications/2002_08Dunne_475_1.pdf
Erin Klein ‏@KleinErin  10m10 minutes ago

Why It Is So Important to Visit Other Schools (and how to do it right) via @ajjuliani
Monte Tatom @drmmtatom · 20h20 hours ago

Here’s the link for the #K12online14 Conference: http://k12onlineconference.org/  / #fhuedu642 Advanced Technology http://moi.st/6897c01

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

 

Strategies:

BoomWriter

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/10/halloween-themed-writing-lessons-from.html#.VEJ-_JPF_Kg

 

A veteran teacher turned coach shadows 2 students for 2 days – a sobering lesson learned

 

http://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/a-veteran-teacher-turned-coach-shadows-2-students-for-2-days-a-sobering-lesson-learned

 

Resources:

 

Schools told: cash bribes ‘fail to improve GCSE grades’

 

Schools are wasting thousands of pounds each year attempting to bribe pupils to try harder in exams, according to government-funded research.

In the biggest study of its kind, it was claimed that promising children cash rewards in exchange for higher levels of attendance, behaviour and homework led to increased effort in the classroom.

But the use of incentives had little “direct impact” on pupils’ ability to learn and failed to actually improve their GCSE scores in core academic subjects, it emerged.

The conclusions raise serious questions over tactics employed by schools across Britain that spend tens of thousands of pounds each year on elaborate reward schemes.

One popular scheme – Vivo Miles – allows pupils to accumulate points for good work and behaviour before cashing them in for rewards such as iPods, iTunes vouchers, digital watches, bike equipment and clothes.

It is used by around 500 secondary schools in the UK, with more than nine-in-10 saying it has aided academic performance and improved student motivation and behaviour.

Many parents also make similar promises, with a survey this summer suggesting that 38 per cent of pupils were offered cash incentives by mothers and fathers. This includes those promised laptops, holidays and even cars.

“The study suggests that while incentives can increase effort in the classroom, their direct impact on learning is low. “

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11135444/Schools-told-cash-bribes-fail-to-improve-GCSE-grades.html

 

Web Spotlight:

 

Online Conference

The Pre-Conference Keynote is up today, Monday, 10/13/2014.

This online conference is a little different in that the sessions have already been taped and will be opened on the day of the presentation.

Here is the link to today’s Keynote and introductions to upcoming sessions: http://k12onlineconference.org/

Here is the link to the various topics being presented over the two week period: http://k12onlineconference.org/?page_id=2480

Dr. Tatom’s Presentation:

My presentation is scheduled for Friday, 10/24/2014.  It will be available at 8:00 AM, EDT.

 

Why I now Friend Student via Social Media

I tell my students that if they choose to friend me, I will friend them back but they need to know that I’m relating to them as a teacher. Anything they communicate to me is as if I am at school.

They can unfriend me at any time and refriend me — just as they wish, no questions asked. If they communicate anything to me, I keep screenshots (with time and date stamps.)

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/videos/now-friend-students-social-media/

 

8th-grader Writes Hilariously Epic Algebra Problem. JJ Abrams Would Be Proud…

When Cody Swanek was told by his math teacher to take a certain algebra problem and convert it into a story, the 8th-grader dug deep into his knowledge of the Star Wars universe and wrote the most epic possible math question.

http://twentytwowords.com/8th-grader-writes-hilariously-epic-algebra-problem-jj-abrams-would-be-proud/

 

A surprising new argument against using kids’ test scores to grade their teachers

When a teacher whose students do well on tests moves to a school where test scores were improving the previous year, and average scores continue improving after that teacher arrives, it is hard to know how much of that continued improvement is due to the new teacher and how much to other factors.

This dispute is just one example of the mathematical acrobatics required to isolate the effect of one teacher on their students’ test scores, when so many other factors inside and outside the school’s walls affect how students perform.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/13/a-new-argument-against-using-kids-test-scores-to-grade-their-teachers/

 

Random Thoughts . . . 

Personal Web Site