MSM 280: I’d argue that, Ugly Fruit, SPLAT!

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education.

Jokes You Can Use:

A chicken walks into a ice cream store.

The clerk says, "We don't serve poultry!"

The chicken says, "That's OK, I just want a cone."

Eileen Award:

Twitter: Jason Hovey

Advisory:

Many Kids Who Are Obese Or Overweight Don't Know It

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/07/23/334091461/many-kids-who-are-obese-and-overweight-dont-know-it

The End of ‘Genius’

WHERE does creativity come from? For centuries, we’ve had a clear answer: the lone genius. The idea of the solitary creator is such a common feature of our cultural landscape (as with Newton and the falling apple) that we easily forget it’s an idea in the first place.

But the lone genius is a myth that has outlived its usefulness. Fortunately, a more truthful model is emerging: the creative network, as with the crowd-sourced Wikipedia or the writer’s room at “The Daily Show” or — the real heart of creativity — the intimate exchange of the creative pair, such as John Lennon and Paul McCartney and myriad other examples with which we’ve yet to fully reckon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/20/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-genius.html

Mishapen Fruit

300 million tons thrown away each year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2nSECWq_PE

Happy in Your State

http://twentytwowords.com/do-you-make-enough-money-to-be-happy-in-your-state/

Middle School Science Minute

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or [email protected])

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-KNOWLEDGE THROUGH ARGUMENTATION

I was recently reading the Summer, 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 "Scientific Explanations and Arguments: Building New Science Content Knowledge Through Argumentation" written by Lauren Brodsky and Andrew Falk. In the article, they describe a process by which to develop science lessons that support students in engaging in and learning through argumentation. They also provide a few suggestions for smaller things you can do to incorporate elements of argumentation, if you don't have time for the entire process.

http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/7/16_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Knowledge_Through_Argumentation.html

From the Twitterverse:

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

Strategies:

5 Essential Ingredients For Learning (SPLAT)

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/10630

Metacognition

Metacognition is, put simply, thinking about one’s thinking. More precisely, it refers to the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance. Metacognition includes a critical awareness of a) one’s thinking and learning and b) oneself as a thinker and learner.

http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/metacognition/

Resources:

Principals in U.S. Are More Likely to Consider Their Students Poor

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/upshot/principals-in-us-are-more-likely-to-consider-their-students-poor.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1

Class Timers

Use multiple timers. Set timers to music. Pause all timers at once.

http://www.classtools.net/timer/

Open Curriculum

Teacher-curated and Common Core standards-aligned sets of high-quality lessons, activities and assessments.

http://www.opencurriculum.org/

Web Spotlight:

Gravity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlTVIMOix3I#t=73

Random Thoughts . . .

Personal Web Site