Middle School Matters

Jokes You Can Use:

There are only two ways of handling a woman - nobody knows either one.

Girl: “Too bad you flunked the test. How far away were you from the right answers?”

Boy: “About 2 seats.”

Boy: “I just had a date with Siamese twins”

Girl: “Did you have a good time?”

Boy: “Yes and no”.

On Our Mind:

Why don’t teachers nominate colleagues for awards?

Eileen Award:

Dave Bydlowski

Advisory:

http://gullible.info/

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

This middle school science minute is about Nature Journaling. In the January, 2012 issue of Science Scope (NSTA publication) Janita Cormell and Toni Ivey wrote an article entitled, "Nature Journaling: Enhancing Students' Connections to the Environment Through Writing." Janita describes how she shared her passion for nature with her sixth-grade students through nature journaling and how her students gained a better understanding of the natural world.

From the Twitterverse:

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

iBooks Author update

News:

Reed-Custer District seeks balance in 'friending' students

Marney Simon - Staff writer

So what is a school district to do when technology advances faster than school policy?

Dr. Butts said that there may very well be educational value to social media such as Facebook, Twitter and other sites, the district has to find it and be able to encourage the use of it appropriately.

School board members noted that finding a balance for how Facebook and other social media is used in relation to the schools is difficult.

"Used appropriately it's an after hours reach-out, I don't want that to be taken away," Speed said. "I just want us to say, hey, if you're going to have it, it has to be maintained in a professional manner. Lead by example. That's why we're here."

http://www.braidwoodjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=143&ArticleID=8490

Resources:

Going Paperless as a Teacher - Part 1

http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/01-2012/going-paperless-teacher-part-1

Web Spotlight:

What’s Wrong with the Teenage Mind

What happens when children reach puberty earlier and adulthood later? The answer is: a good deal of teenage weirdness.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203806504577181351486558984.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_5

The Amazing Educational Jargon Generator

http://www.sciencegeek.net/lingo.html

Everything You Thought You Knew About Learning Is Wrong

By Garth Sundem

Taking notes during class? Topic-focused study? A consistent learning environment? All are exactly opposite of the best strategies for learning.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/01/everything-about-learning/

This is What our Sun will Look Like When It Dies

In a few billion years, our dear Sun will look like this, a beautiful glowing eye of spent starstuff trash in the shape of Sauron's Eye.

http://gizmodo.com/5881048/this-is-how-our-sun-will-look-when-it-dies-yes-its-the-eye-of-sauron

The Faculty Project

The best Professors from the world's leading Universities are coming together to teach online

FOR FREE!

http://facultyproject.com/

Strategies:

“WE PENALIZE KIDS FOR GETTING DISTRACTED FROM BORING STUFF AT SCHOOL”

by DAVE CAOLO

http://52tiger.net/we-penalize-kids-from-getting-distracted-from-boring-stuff-at-school/

Jokes You Can Use:

Whilst escorting his wife to the concert, Jim asked his wife what they were seeing. “Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony” she replied. “Good” Jim responded. His wife was surprised, she didn’t think that Jim really enjoyed going to the symphony. “Well, I’m glad that you’re looking forward to this. Where have you heard this before?, she asked. “Huh”, Jim responded. “I’m just happy that we missed the first four”.

Whenever my wife needs money, she calls me handsome. “Hand some over”.

On Our Mind:

iBooks Author

Listener question: Is Apple’s New Education Initiative Dangerous? ~ Interesting dialogue #fhuedu642 => @msmatters What do you think? tinyurl.com/6m4uzw4 - From Dr. Tatom.

Eileen Award:

Doc Tatom

Donnielle Kota-Moore

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

Metal Safety.

This middle school science minute is about metal safety. In the December, 2011 issue of Science Scope (NSTA publication) Ken Roy wrote an article entitled, "Test Your Metal (safety knowledge)." He investigates the safety issues involved in using metals with middle school students.

From the Twitterverse:

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

Supreme Court Declines Cases on Student Internet Speech

supreme_court_declines_cases_o.html?cmp=ENL-DD-NEWS1

Resources:

25 Audio Editors:

Most Amazing High Definition Image of Earth - Blue Marble 2012

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/6760135001/

100 iPad Apps Perfect For Middle School

http://edudemic.com/2011/11/ipad-middle-school/

http://palmbeachschooltalk.com/groups/ipadpilot/

Seinfeld

Seinfeld teaches History:

Think History, Saturday Night Live.

http://cooperativelearning.nuvvo.com/lesson/9592-seinfeld-tea

Alfie Kohn vs Dwight Schrute

Classic Schrute Bucks episode. Good for talking about classroom management.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G59KY7ek8Rk

Web Spotlight:

Straight from the DOE: Dispelling Myths About Blocked Sites

100 Best YouTube Videos for Teachers

http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/100-best-youtube-videos-for-teachers/

http://t.co/V6EeeuLv

Valentine's Day Teaching Resources

http://www.squidoo.com/valentines-day-teaching-resources

Strategies:

Why Interactive White Boards are Used Ineffectively in Classrooms

An interactive White Board (IWB) or SMART Board has the potential to deliver content better than traditional methods of teaching. Why?

http://www.teachscienceandmath.com/2010/07/28/why-interactive-white-boards-are-used-ineffectively-in-classrooms/

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

ISTE News:

ISTE Eduverse Talks are the recorded sessions held on ISTE Island every week. Join ISTE in their Second Life conference location for their weekly talks on education.

The ISTE Special Interest Group: Virtual Environments is holding meetings on Mondays from 4:00 - 6:00 pm (SLT) on ISTE Island.

Ohio Middle Level Association:

The Ohio Middle Level Association will hold their annual conference.

OMLA Registration Form

OMLA Presentation Proposal Form

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:

The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Annual Conference is coming up March 2012 in Warren Woods, MI.

MAMSE Exhibitor Form

MAMSE Registration Form

MAMSE Presentation Form

MAMSE Conference Program Book (2011)

The North Carolina Middle School Association’s Annual Conference March 13-15, 2012

Conference Brochure

Presenter’s Application

Who They Are . . .

This year’s sessions . . .

Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

Classroom 2.0’s Ning Blog: Archived content is available.

Second Life:

Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details. Check frequently this week as the ISTE Annual Convention is this week.

Video: Educational Uses of Second Life

Jokes You Can Use:

Ever notice:

People who cough incessantly never seem to go to the doctor - they go to concerts, banquets, and church.

People who have a concrete mind - permanently set and all mixed up.

People who have a rare intelligence - as in they rarely show that they have intelligence.

People who have a keen sense of rumor.

On Our Mind:

Last week’s interview with Dave Tucker on homework.

Eileen Award:

Justin Menard

Advisory:

100 Things that we didn’t know last year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2011/12/100_things_we_didnt_know_last_6.shtml

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

This middle school science minute is about cockroaches. In the December, 2011 issue of Science Scope (NSTA publication) Ron Wagler wrote an article entitled, "Using Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches to Develop and Enhance the Scientific Inquiry Skill of Observation in Middle School Students." He shares activities that students can do to enhance their observational skills.

From the Twitterverse:

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

A decade of No Child Left Behind: Lessons from a policy failure

By Valerie Strauss

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/a-decade-of-no-child-left-behind-lessons-from-a-policy-failure/2012/01/05/gIQAeb19gP_blog.html?wprss=answer-sheet

D.C. Lawmakers Propose Requiring Students to Apply to College

Lawmakers in the nation's capital have floated a plan to require high school students to apply to college or trade school -- even if the students have no interest in attending.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/07/dc-lawmakers-propose-requiring-students-to-apply-to-college/

Resources:

Learn Out Loud

LearnOutLoud.com has scoured the Internet to bring you over 5000 free audio and video titles. This directory features free audio books, lectures, speeches, sermons, interviews, and many other great free audio and video resources. Most audio titles can be downloaded in digital formats such as MP3 and most video titles are available to stream online. Enjoy!

http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video

http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/History/Speeches

American Rhetoric

Database of and index to 5000+ full text, audio and video versions of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews, other recorded media events, and a declaration or two.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/

Free Audio Books

Download hundreds of free audio books, mostly classics, to your MP3 player or computer. You’ll find great works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

http://www.openculture.com/freeaudiobooks

Song of the Week

Use the link to sign up for his Song of the Week. Also links to lots of information. Follow him on Facebook to hear his latest work with the students and classrooms he visits throughout the year.

http://www.monteselby.com/

http://www.monteselby.com/Refrigerator.mp3

SchoolHouse Rocks!

Relive my Saturday mornings!

http://community.eflclassroom.com/page/schoolhouserock-1?xg_source=activity

Web Spotlight:

iPad in Education

Tons of information, from soup to nuts of iPad implementation.

http://palmbeachschooltalk.com/groups/ipadpilot/

GapMinder

Gapminder is used in classrooms around the world to build a fact-based world view.

On this page we feature quality examples & resources. Share your own ideas and learn from others in the new Gapminder Movement forum!

http://www.gapminder.org/news/gapminder-desktop-launched/

http://www.gapminder.org/for-teachers/

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

This middle school science minute is about the physics of curling. In the December, 2011 issue of Science Scope (NSTA publication), there is an article entitled, "Swept Away: Exploring the Physics of Curling" by Liza Esser. In the article, Liza explains the game of curling, the physics of curling, and then she develops a 5E lesson that she uses in her unit on forces and motion.

Interview with Mr. Dave Tucker

School Improvement team effort

What things would improve the learning of the students? Proficiency, meeting the needs of the

students.

Changing it from a policy group to a learning policy group.

A strong indicator was the completion of homework.

Started with research and reading.

What should the policy be?

Decided that existing ones were not the best to choose from or merge into a policy.

Read stuff by Doug Reaves (sp?) (Wears a bow tie in the pictures in his research articles.

Yes, it isn’t APA documentation, but will help you find it. :-) )

“No Missing Homework” policy wasn’t the best choice either.

All homework would be accepted, late or not, and accepted for full

credit. No Killer Zeros. A 0 is 10% below a D.

Tiered intervention system.

Homeroom/Advisory 30 mins. (Homework Club Time)

Using Zangle, staff can pull the missing assignment list

for each student.

Provides a coaching role for the Advisory teacher.

Level I: Student gets a pass to Homework Club from Advisory and they have to continue to go there until it is all completed.

Level II: Students are pulled from an elective class of administration’s choosing and put into an elective class called Homework Club II. (Band seems to be an inoculation against Homework Club!)

Level III: Intervention level that requires staying after school with the administrators (This unjustified border is driving you nuts, isn’t it?)

What does homework mean? Why give it?

It’s a good formative assessment.

Good way to introduce a subject.

Practice a skill that has been taught.

We don’t want homework to be a test of academic

stamina.

It needed a systemic response with all of the teachers on board.

It is so labor and detail intensive.

Encore subjects are second to Core curriculum.

Art & Science of Teaching by Marzano

gischools.org

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

ISTE News:

ISTE Eduverse Talks are the recorded sessions held on ISTE Island every week. Join ISTE in their Second Life conference location for their weekly talks on education.

The ISTE Special Interest Group: Virtual Environments is holding meetings on Mondays from 4:00 - 6:00 pm (SLT) on ISTE Island.

Ohio Middle Level Association:

The Ohio Middle Level Association will hold their annual conference.

OMLA Registration Form

OMLA Presentation Proposal Form

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:

The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Annual Conference is coming up March 2012 in Warren Woods, MI.

MAMSE Exhibitor Form

MAMSE Registration Form

MAMSE Presentation Form

MAMSE Conference Program Book (2011)

The North Carolina Middle School Association’s Annual Conference March 13-15, 2012

Conference Brochure

Presenter’s Application

Who They Are . . .

This year’s sessions . . .

Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

Classroom 2.0’s Ning Blog: Archived content is available.

Second Life:

Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details. Check frequently this week as the ISTE Annual Convention is this week.

Video: Educational Uses of Second Life

Jokes You Can Use:

Why are so few men with whiskers in heaven?

Because most men get in by a close shave.

What’s the definition of a financial genius?

Someone who can make money faster than the rest of the family spends it.

I know a woman who has cooked so many TV dinners that she thinks she’s in show business!

On Our Mind:

New Year’s Resolutions.

Feedback

PLN site - http://rmmade.com

Eileen Award:

Happy Birthday to Jeff LaRoux

Nicole Woulfe

Linda Neville

Rachel C.

Advisory:

It has a name you know: http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/25-everyday-things-you-never-knew-had-names

Honest Logo

http://m.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/if-logos-were-honest

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

This middle school science minute is about formaldehyde. In the November, 2011 issue of Science Scope (NSTA publication), in the section on "Scope on Safety" a question was asked about what a teacher should do if they find specimens preserved in formaldehyde. Two very good options are provided.

From the Twitterverse:

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

It's Time to Rethink the Hours America Spends Educating

http://www.edutopia.org/time-out

LearnCentral becomes Blackboard Collaborate

http://www.wecollaborate.com/

Novo 7, DroPad A8i and the Aakaash . . .

So you’re thinking about a cheap tablet . . .

Resources:

Documentary Tube

http://www.documentarytube.com/

Old Television Themes

A vast resource of audio.

http://www.televisiontunes.com/

Sketch in 3D on the Web

About

Remember the old cartoons where hand drawn lines appeared

to vibrate because of differences between frames?

That's what this experiment simulates. It also adds a third

to your drawings by allowing you to rotate the canvas.

http://hakim.se/experiments/html5/sketch/

Web Spotlight:

The 20% Solution

I recently assigned a new project to my 11th grade English students: The 20% Project. Although it’s called a “project”, that term is merely for student understanding and lack of a better word. This project is based on the “20 percent time” Google employees have to work on something other than their job description. It has been well documented, and Google has exponentially grown as a company while giving this 20 percent time.

http://educationismylife.com/the-20-project-like-google-in-my-class/

The Living Room Candidate

Election video ads. Can be sorted by year, by type, or by issue. http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/

10 Funniest Things

http://educationismylife.com/top-10-funniest-things-ever-said-in-education/

MiddleWeb's New Resources (438)

http://tln.typepad.com/middleweb/2011/12/middlewebs-new-resources-438.html

Urgent call to a medieval Help Desk

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/cyberworld/urgent-call-to-a-medieval-help.html

30 Webtools to Transform a Classroom - LiveBinder

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=259021

Continuing to Learn with the iPad- Storytelling

http://langwitches.org/blog/2011/12/28/continuing-to-learn-with-the-ipad/

Strategies:

5 Awesome Things you can do with an iPad and a projector

http://www.classroominthecloud.net/2011/10/5-awesome-things-you-can-do-with-ipad.html

Physicists Seek To Lose The Lecture As Teaching Tool

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/01/144550920/physicists-seek-to-lose-the-lecture-as-teaching-tool

(Referenced in the Twitterverse: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/everybody-is-stupid-except-you/201201/lectures-suck)

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

Jokes You Can Use:

1. What time of day was Adam born? A little before Eve.

Why was Adam a famous runner? He was first in the human race.

2. On our way home from visiting family we stopped at a Culver’s to grab some breakfast. Sitting in the booth across the way was Santa. He had ordered the Eggs Benedict and when the nice Culver’s chap brought out his order he set down a hubcap in front of the jolly old elf. As he passed me I stopped him and asked about the hubcap. He said, “Oh, well, there’s no plate like chrome for the Hollondaise …”

On Our Mind:

Holidays.

Eileen Award:

Luke Rakoczy

Craig Cadman

Michael Palmer

Lynda Gonzalez-Napier

Advisory:

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

This one is about using Gummi Bears in the Science Classroom.

From the Twitterverse:

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

TED Presentation: On-line Charters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L_wfX3MzRE

Can We Really Learn Online? Response to NYTimes on Wall Street's Digital Learning Enterprises

http://hastac.org/blogs/cathy-davidson/2011/12/13/can-we-really-learn-online-response-nytimes-wall-streets-digital-lea

Resources:

Snag Films National Geographic Channel:

*Thanks to Richard Byrne at Free Tech for Teachers - http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/12/watch-75-full-length-national.html

http://www.snagfilms.com/films/browse/category/national_geographic

Web Spotlight:

Overcoming the Divide Between Curriculum and Technology Leaders

The digital revolution is changing how many U.S. school districts create ­engaging learning environments, with collaboration between the ­curriculum and technology ­departments slowly becoming the norm rather than the exception. By ­developing a common language around how students learn best, these leaders are fostering a shared vision for effective 21st century learning.

Unfortunately, there remains a striking gap between this vision and the day-to-day strategic work these leaders are doing.

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2011/12/overcoming-divide-between-curriculum-and-technology-leaders

iPad App listing by Dan Callahan on Pinterest

iPad apps categorized by subject.

http://pinterest.com/dancallahan/

Try these 10th-grade quizzes created from Florida’s standardized test

We decided to do this because of the enormous popularity of a guest post I published last week by educator Marion Brady about a school board member in Florida who decided to take the state standardized test.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/try-these-10th-grade-quizzes-created-from-floridas-standardized-test/2011/12/13/gIQABBR6rO_blog.html?wprss=answer-sheet

A superintendent calls school reformers’ bluff

By John Kuhn

As a public school administrator, I have been a steadfast critic of the legacy of No Child Left Behind. But I’ve recently figured out a way that school reformers can get me on their side. It’s very simple.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/a-superintendent-calls-school-reformers-bluff/2011/12/11/gIQABKBXoO_blog.html?wprss=answer-sheet

Phishing Quiz

Ever wonder how good you are at telling the difference between a legitimate website and one that's a phishing attempt? Take this quiz to find out.

http://www.opendns.com/phishing-quiz/

Strategies:

An Interactive Strategy for Reading Assignments in All Content Areas

http://www.amle.org/Publications/MiddleLeveliNSIDER/Articles/ReadingAssignments/tabid/2532/Default.aspx

AMLE 2011:

Classroom Management & Student Motivation "The Keys to Raising Student Achievement"

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

Jokes You Can Use:

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

Three men were sitting on a bench in heaven discussing how they died. The first man said "I died of cancer." The second man said, "I died of tuberculosis". The third man said "I died of seenus". The first two men said, "No, you mean sinus." The third man said "No, I mean seenus. I was out with my best friend's wife and he seen us!"

A recently hired nurse listened while the doctor was yelling, “Malaria! Chicken pox!

Polio!” the nurse asked another nurse, “why is he going on like that?” The other nurse replied, “Oh, he just likes to call the shots around here.”

On Our Mind:

Holidays.

Eileen Award:

Stephanie Francis

Advisory:

The 45 Most Powerful Images Of 2011

*Warning, you need to review prior to showing live. You’ll probably want to download the ones that you want to share.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-most-powerful-photos-of-2011

or

The year in 60 seconds

http://www.reuters.com/video/2011/12/06/year-in-60-seconds?videoId=226168503

or

Reuter’s Pictures

http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

From the Twitterverse:

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

PE, Recess standards- more schools meet standards

Schools are more likely to offer students 150 minutes of physical education per week if located in a state or district that mandates that level of P.E., according to a study published online today in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/2011/12/study_phys_ed_recess_mandates_boost_school_physical_activity_time.html

Friendly Advice For Teachers: Beware Of Facebook

by NANCY SOLOMON

The new and ever-changing world of social networking has blurred the lines between private and public, work and personal, friend and stranger. It's becoming a particular challenge for teachers who can quickly rile students and parents by posting comments or photos online.

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/143264921/friendly-advice-for-teachers-beware-of-facebook

Resources:

Online Conversion

Take just about any format and convert it to another.

Sections:

Audio

Image

Ebook

Hash Generator

Video

Document

Archive

http://www.online-convert.com/

Web Spotlight:

Strategies:

AMLE 2011:

Thursday Sessions

Keynote: Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education

See Dept. of Education website.

Rick Wormeli: Tiering Assignments and Assessments

"Even a man on the right track will get run over if he just stands there" -Will Rogers.

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

ISTE News:

ISTE Eduverse Talks are the recorded sessions held on ISTE Island every week. Join ISTE in their Second Life conference location for their weekly talks on education.

The ISTE Special Interest Group: Virtual Environments is holding meetings on Mondays from 4:00 - 6:00 pm (SLT) on ISTE Island.

Ohio Middle Level Association:

The Ohio Middle Level Association will hold their annual conference.

OMLA Registration Form

OMLA Presentation Proposal Form

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:

The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Annual Conference is coming up March 2012 in Warren Woods, MI.

MAMSE Exhibitor Form

MAMSE Registration Form

MAMSE Presentation Form

MAMSE Conference Program Book (2011)

The North Carolina Middle School Association’s Annual Conference March 13-15, 2012

Conference Brochure

Presenter’s Application

Who They Are . . .

This year’s sessions . . .

Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

Classroom 2.0’s Ning Blog: Archived content is available.

Second Life:

Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details. Check frequently this week as the ISTE Annual Convention is this week.

Video: Educational Uses of Second Life

Jokes You Can Use:

My cat started his writing career by authoring a feline-oriented soap opera; he titled that project, "Nine Lives to Live."

My cat's writing a feline-oriented Christmas movie script. He has titled this project: "It's A Wonderful Nine Lives."

On Our Mind:

Holidays.

Feedback.

Facebook/Google+

Eileen Award:

Eric Runyan - He followed our advice about Rick Wormeli and was greatly pleased.

Eric Stockmeyer - me too! (to several of his points)

SteveParkerZ: New Twitter follower

Dr. Monte Tatom: Cyberbully article suggestion

Advisory:

Museum of Obsolete Objects

http://www.youtube.com/mooojvm

We are the Solution

The Pledge to Stop Bullying (with video)

http://wearethesolution.net/

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

Dave is back with a podcast about Acrylic Nails in the Lab and the safety concerns that exist.

Student safety - always a focus.

From the Twitterverse:

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

What Kinds of Things DO Teachers Buy for Their Classrooms?

By Bill Ferriter

After swinging through Target and dropping another $10 bucks on supplies that I need for an upcoming science lab, I decided to pull out my envelope o' receipts and see how much I've spent on school purchases so far this year.

http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/tempered-radical/11-2011/what-kinds-things-do-teachers-buy-their-classrooms

Teachers’ newest online worry: ‘cyberbaiting’

11 percent of teachers know a friend who has been 'cyberbaited,' or taunted by a student hoping to record an outburst, according to a new survey.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/11/27/teachers-newest-online-worry-cyberbaiting/

Resources:

Using Wolfram|Alpha in the Classroom

Wolfram|Alpha is a free online computational knowledge engine that generates answers to questions in real time by doing computations on its own vast internal knowledge base. Our long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone. This can be valuable to educators in many ways.

http://www.wolframalpha.com/educators/

HistoryWorld Timelines

http://www.historyworld.net/timesearch/default.asp?&keywords=

Themeefy

Create, Curate, Share

http://www.themeefy.com/landing

Web Spotlight:

Join.Me

Instant screen sharing. Instant Aha!

Get everybody on the same page, when they're not in the same room, instantly. Review documents and designs. Train staff. Demo products or just show off. join.me is a ridiculously simple screen sharing tool for meetings on the fly.

join.me free

screen sharing

250 viewers

share control

multi-monitor

chat

send files

viewer: iPad/iPhone or Android

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

ISTE News:

ISTE Eduverse Talks are the recorded sessions held on ISTE Island every week.

Ohio Middle Level Association:

The Ohio Middle Level Association will hold their annual conference.

OMLA Registration Form

OMLA Presentation Proposal Form

AMLE Affiliate Conferences:

The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Annual Conference is coming up March 2012 in Warren Woods, MI.

MAMSE Exhibitor Form

MAMSE Registration Form

MAMSE Presentation Form

MAMSE Conference Program Book (2011)

The North Carolina Middle School Association’s Annual Conference March 13-15, 2012

Conference Brochure

Presenter’s Application

Who They Are . . .

This year’s sessions . . .

Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar.

Classroom 2.0’s Ning Blog: Archived content is available.

Second Life:

Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details. Check frequently this week as the ISTE Annual Convention is this week.

Video: Educational Uses of Second Life

Jokes You Can Use:

A skeleton once wanted to go to a party but then he realised he had NO-BODY to go with.

On Our Mind:

AMLE Attendance

Flipped Classrooms

Eileen Award:

Vlad Gutkovich of Flowcabulary

Use AMLE11 to get a free month of Flowcabulary for your classroom!

Jack Berckemeyer

Advisory:

Google Fun

http://geekbeat.tv/6-awesome-google-tricks-and-games/

(Correction: Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19th . . . )

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

This middle school science minute is about nature artists. It is based on an article written by Ashley Campbell, entitled, "Avenues to Inspiration: Integrating the Life and Work of Nature Artists into Middle School Science." The article can be found in the October, 2011 edition of Science Scope, which is published by the National Science Teachers Association.

The following nature artists are cited in this podcast:

Marie Sibylla Merian

John James Audubon

Wilson A. Bentley

Andy Goldsworthy

From the Twitterverse:

The former usually is just using tech to do the same as we've always done. #grumpytour

Don’t forget to join the conversation on MiddleTalk and Twitter at #midleved this Friday at 8:00 pm EST.

News:

This American Life

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/449/middle-school

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/449/transcript

Common Core Webinars

http://www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/common-core-webinars.aspx

Resources:

BrainHoney

BrainHoney is learning infrastructure hosted in the cloud. Use complete solutions today, like the BrainHoney LMS, or build cloud solutions using BrainHoney components.

http://brainhoney.com/

Simple Science’s Video

http://vimeo.com/user697789/videos

MathChimp

Welcome to Math Chimp! We collect free online math games and organize them by the common core standards. We're glad you've come to play cool math games here... they're free and always will be!

http://www.mathchimp.com/

Pictures that bring the War home

Draw a StickMan

Fun, time waster. You draw, the story unfolds.

http://www.drawastickman.com/

Web Spotlight:

Strategies:

How to Creatively Integrate Science and Math

AMLE 2011:

Thursday Sessions

NMSA/AMLE Affiliate Meeting Thursday 7:30 am.

Session Title: Advocating for AMLE

Article passed out at registration: Mark of Leadership: If Not You, Then Who? by Tom Burton (p. 44 AMLE) (I get to sit next to Ross Burkhardt!)

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events:

Jokes You Can Use:

1. Why are round pizzas put in square boxes?

2. If a deaf person must appear in court is it still called a hearing?

3. Why does the sign read, “Enter at your own risk" who else could you risk other than yourself?

4. If it's called "frying pan" is it OK to boil something in it?

5. Why doesn't every doughnut have nuts in it?

Do you know what happens to quarterbacks when they reach the ends of their lives?

They just pass away.

Troy’s Backup Jokes:

Test Question: Give a brief explanation of the meaning of the term “hard water.”

Student Answer: Ice

Test Question: What is methane?

Student Answer: Methane is a smelly greenhouse gas that is produced when trees and/or cows are burned.

(F in Exams by Richard Benson)

On Our Mind:

Week and a half to AMLE/NMSA 2011 in Louisville . . .

Sessions

Affiliate Sessions: Contact Doug Herlensky if you’re attending.

Dinner

Eileen Award:

Kam Yousaf

Advisory:

What would it take to make a model look like Barbie?

Here’s a breakdown of what she'd need done to be the kind of doll women aspire to: a brow lift, a jaw line shave, rhinoplasty, a cheek and neck reduction, a chin implant, scooped-out shoulders, a breast lift, liposuction on her arms, and tummy tuck, which would also have to be sculpted as if it were lined in whale-bone from the inside. And that’s just the half of her.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/the-plastic-surgery-a-model-needs-to-look-like-barbie-2584798

Respect

Respect Rap – I use this with grades 2 – 4 but it’s suitable through middle school. Just love the message, the instrumental track, the editing, the kids’ performances (and the Principal’s, too). The choreography is amazing, the scene setup, the dancing at the end … it’s just dripping with awesome. Congratulations, Fearless Lions at Frank Porter Graham Elementary in Chapel Hill, NC. YOU, QUITE LITERALLY, ROCK!

http://www.ncs-tech.org/?p=6844

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

From the Twitterverse:

News:

Testing Costs

As the nation endures its sputtering recovery, significant cuts to state and local education

Will Richardson: Make It Stop. Please.

http://willrichardson.com/post/11862306546/make-it-stop-please

Resources:

60 Seconds

http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/files/2011/06/internet-60-seconds-infographic.jpg

Stitch.it

Simply copy-and-paste a set of links in our text box and click 'Stich It'. We'll convert those links into one short URL for you to share. It's that easy!

http://stich.it/

Good to Know

Stay safe online

Your data on the web

Your data on Google

Manage your data

http://www.google.com/goodtoknow/

WhatFolio

http://www.whatfolio.com/

Primary Sources:

Documents from a variety of eras. From 4000bc - 21st Century.

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/default.asp

Welcome to the David Rumsey Map Collection Database and Blog.

http://www.davidrumsey.com/

Royal Society

http://royalsocietypublishing.org/search

Music Primary Sources:

Victrola Book of Opera

http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/victor-book-of-the-opera

Acoustic Recordings

http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/about/acoustical-recording

iPad Resources

https://sites.google.com/site/iccarsproject/home/ipad-ios-resources

Shift Happens . . . With Resources

http://bigthink.com/ideas/39600

Now with PDF resources for group discussion: http://www.iowafuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/IDYK-DIscussion-Guide.pdf

Web Spotlight:

Larry Ferlazzo

Strategies:

How YouTube Is Changing The Classroom

Events & Happenings:

Calendar of Events: