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: