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/