Middle School Matters

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. AMLE Feature: Fundamentals for Student Success in the Middle Grades http://amle.org/Advocacy/AdvocacyToolstoUse/FundamentalsPresentation/tabid/793/Default.aspx# Jokes You Can Use: Bad Dog: http://dog-shaming.com/ On Our Mind: Starting of the school year... Eileen Award: Eric Huff Scoopit: Twitter: Todd Bloch, Debbra Uttero, Khadigah A. Facebook: Google+: iTunes: Advisory: Classrooms Around the World http://www.juliangermain.com/projects/classrooms.php Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-STEM ACROSS MIDDLE GRADES This podcast is based on the article "STEM Across Middle Grades Curriculum," written by Chad Pavlekovich, Jenny Benardi, and Jayne Malach. It was published in the August 2012 edition of "Middle Ground," a magazine published by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). Salisbury MIddle School in Salisbury, Maryland has had a STEM program for three years. The program serves 90 students, 30 in each grade level. The STEM program includes three core subjects (science, ELA, history), technology education, and computer science. For more information, please visit: http://www.amle.org/Publications/MiddleGround/Articles/August2012/Article3/tabid/2674/Default.aspx From the Twitterverse: Join #mschat on Thursdays at 8:00 pm EST on Twitter! Resources: 150 Book Report Alternatives: http://cheekylit.com/75-book-report-alternatives/ How to Turn Your Classroom into an Idea Factory Here are eight tips to borrow from classrooms where teachers are reinventing yesterday’s schools as tomorrow’s idea factories. http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/08/how-to-turn-your-classroom-into-an-idea-factory/ First Day of School Activity http://cherraolthof.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/day-1/ ISTE: New Times, New Solutions: Strategies to Sustain Professional Development News: WizIQ for Free Create and deliver courses Create synchronous and asynchronous courses with tools designed specifically for teachers. Add compelling courseware with videos, PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, and PDFs. Deliver courses in the WizIQ Virtual Classroom and connect in real-time with students from anywhere in the world. Enjoy all the premium features of WizIQ Use the WizIQ Virtual Classroom to conduct live online classes, flip your classroom, hold office hours, or meet students online for regular discussions and homework help. Take full advantage of every WizIQ feature, including screen-sharing, polling, video-conferencing, shared whiteboards, and more. Record and archive all your online classes Your free account includes 15 GB of storage for class recordings, which means approximately 1500 recorded classes that your students can review at their own pace. We host recordings in the cloud, for free. http://www.wiziq.com/academic/ Web Spotlight: If Sal Khan Says He’s Teaching, Are Students Learning? [Achievement vs. Learning] By TeacherSolutions 2030 Team Teachers, Cheating, and Incentives http://danariely.com/2012/07/07/teachers-cheating-and-incentives-2/ A running theme that the only thing that matters is test scores BY SCOTT MCLEOD http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2012/08/a-running-theme-that-the-only-thing-that-matters-is-test-scores.html Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events:

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. AMLE Feature: Characteristics To comprehend their breadth and focus, the characteristics are grouped in three general categories: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Characteristics ●Educators value young adolescents and are prepared to teach them. ●Students and teachers are engaged in active, purposeful learning. ●Curriculum is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant. ●Educators use multiple learning and teaching approaches. ●Varied and ongoing assessments advance learning as well as measure it. Leadership and Organization Characteristics ●A shared vision developed by all stakeholders guides every decision. ●Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practices. ●Leaders demonstrate courage and collaboration. ●Ongoing professional development reflects best educational practices. ●Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships. Culture and Community Characteristics ●The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all. ●Every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate. ●Comprehensive guidance and support services meet the needs of young adolescents. ●Health and wellness are supported in curricula, school-wide programs, and related policies. ●The school actively involves families in the education of their children. ●The school includes community and business partners. You can find the This We Believe Jokes You Can Use: Eileen Award: ●Charles G. Timm ●Jennifer Johnson ●Marianne Mangels ●Jenifer Fox ●Mark Wills Advisory: Ten Rules for Class http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/08/10/10-rules-for-students-and-teachers-john-cage-corita-kent/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) Josh Fullan wrote an article entitled, ”Pedestrian City,” for the magazine Green Teacher, summer edition 2012. The purpose of the article was to present a way that middle school students could investigate the walkability of their urban neighborhoods. He presented three activities: Learning Activity 1: Introduction to walking as a mode of transportation. Learning Activity 2: Experiential lesson on walking in which the teacher leads the students on a neighborhood walk. Learning Activity 3: Culminates the unit with a creative hands-on activity on walking in which students create a hand-drawn map of a walk they do regularly. For more information, please visit: http://www.greenteacher.com/contents96.html From the Twitterverse: Join #mschat on Fridays at 8:00 pm EST on Twitter! Resources: 5 Video Projects to Try With Your Students Richard Byrne Here are five ideas and tools for video projects that you can try with your students this year. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/08/5-video-projects-to-try-with-your.html http://thedirectorintheclassroom.ning.com/page/director-book ISTE: Digital Historians Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events:

AMLE Feature: This We Believe: In This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents, the Association for Middle Level Education, formerly National Middle School Association, describes the nature of an educational program that reflects what research and vast experience have demonstrated to be best for 10- to 15-year-olds. Major Goals of Middle Level Educators To become a fully functioning, self-actualized person, each young adolescent should This I Believe Poster: http://www.amle.org/AboutAMLE/ThisWeBelieve/ThisIBelieve/tabid/2320/Default.aspx Jokes You Can Use: Hear about the gymnast that was disqualified at the Olympics? On Our Mind: Eileen Award: Scoopit: Jennifer Mangler Twitter: CAMLE, Facebook: Jennifer Johnson, Marianne Mangels Google+: Zahid Hassan, Andy Winchester iTunes: Advisory: Presidential Birthday Gifts: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/62717 Why grammar is important- http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/i_wont_hire_people_who_use_poo.html Build a Meerkat http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activity/build-meerkat/?ar_a=1 Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) Summer Reading -- Back to School The Summer, 2012 edition of Science Scope, a magazine for middle school science teachers produced by the National Science Teachers Association, featured an article entitled "Book Your Summer Vacation." The article was written by Juliana Texley. In this podcast, the third and final installment in this series, three books are featured. They include: Snap by Katherine Ramsland The Failure of Environmental Education by Charles Saylan and Daniel Blumstein Uncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy: 45 New Formative Assessment Probes by Page Keeley All of these books are available in the NSTA Store: http://nsta.org/store From the Twitterverse: Join #mschat on Fridays at 8:00 pm EST on Twitter! ISTE: Stratosphere Integrating Technology, Pedagogy and Change Knowledge. By Michael Fullan Events & Happenings:

AMLE Feature: Scheduling More on scheduling: Jokes You Can Use: This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore. What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus. On Our Mind: #mschat restart on Twitter August 9 - 8:00 pm EST (Todd Bloch) Eileen Award: ●Scoopit: Jennifer Mangler ●Twitter: National History Bee, Electric Eggplant, Toshiba Innovation, Scott Newcomb, Bethany Beaudrie, Professor Michael Mills, the Doceri Team, Sandra Wozniak, Ellie Dix, Haikuary, Round Lake Middle, Scott Ziegler, Present Me, and Kyle Pekurney. ●Facebook: Stacy Nichols Belson, ●iTunes: No new follows this week. Advisory: Fictitious Dishes: http://www.dinahfried.com/fictitious-dishes/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) Summer Reading Through Time and Space The Summer, 2012 edition of Science Scope, a magazine for middle school science teachers produced by the National Science Teachers Association, featured an article entitled "Book Your Summer Vacation." The article was written by Juliana Texley. This is the second in a three part series of podcasts, on this article. In this podcast, three more books are featured. They include: Billions of Years, Amazing Changes: The Sory of Evorution, by Laurence Pringle Mission Control: This is Apollo, by Andrew Chalkin Space, Stars, and the Beginning of Time, by Elaine Scott All of these books are available in the NSTA Store: http://nsta.org/store From the Twitterverse: ISTE: Social Media ISTE 2012 Using iPads in the Classroom Edubloggercon/SocialEdCon session. Brad Flickinger hosting. What are people using in their classrooms> Open mic time Wanted the iPads as a tool not as a thing to learn in itself. App Craft: Kids creating apps and animations for other kids to use. The free version has a lot of Japanese commercials. Penguin Palooza on wikispaces.com apps were the tacky/techie? books. Smithsonian institute book on penguins. Penguin app that hooks up with an aquarium in Calif. Consumer apps: used apps. Producer apps: created content with the app. Comic Creator, etc. Digital Storytelling. Use teleprompter software and sandwich two iPads together. Use it with English Language Learners. Prompterous: teleprompter software. Collabaracam: combine 4 different iphones or ipads to one. One person becomes the director and then combine the feeds on one device. http://collabracam.com/ Animation Puppet pals Animate on the fly. Use it with kids to do digital storytelling. Toontastic Animating in real time. Facejack: Does the same thing as Blabberize. Stopmotion Animation iStopmotion Stopmotion Pro Smoovie Scott Meech Stopmotion Studio QR Code Scavenger Hunts. Putting QR codes next to teacher names as a way to connect with teachers and content. Green Screens Action Movie app. Music creation with the iPad Google easy chords for the song. iPad Band . . . hehehe Give the kids a chance and they'll go for it like nobody's business. Kids learn on the virtual instrument and it leads to the real instrument. Assessories iRig Teaching with one App: Reflection reflectionapp.com Air Parrot: mirror your MacBook. Use Reflections and put an iPEVO next to the computer and then you can show your fingers touching the screen. Stylus: Just mobile An allupen . . . ? Events & Happenings:

AMLE Feature: Scheduling Scheduling: Key Principles: There are two drivers to the schedule: bus and lunch. Everything else can be adjusted. Don’t be locked into “this is how we’ve always done it”. Decide what you want to “solve”. There is no perfect schedule. Look at multiple days. Prep for teachers to move to a new schedule? Routine? AMLE Resource: http://www.amle.org/Publications/OnTarget/BlockScheduling/tabid/296/Default.aspx http://www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/On_Target/scheduling/scheduling_5.pdf Research Rationale: http://www.amle.org/Research/ResearchSummaries/FlexibleScheduling/tabid/1140/Default.aspx Can’t access some of the articles on AMLE? Become a member! Contact: middleschooleducators@gmail.com Jokes You Can Use: Puns: How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it. I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now. I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time. Middle School Chemistry Theme Song (this one’s for Dave): Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Sodium-Batman! On Our Mind: Highland Park Public Schools Sued: http://t.co/UylIRygp 81,904 4th graders (note: number is the entire state of MI, not just Highland Park) still not proficient in Reading. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012) David Gornto- Nice work. Let us know how the kids react. Thought about using Google Docs for your script then copy/paste into your blog as a transcript? Up for screencasting like Camtasia? Me either. Not yet. Eileen Award: Scoopit: Jennifer Mangler Twitter: Valia Reinsalu, Pora Ora, Facebook: Jennifer McAvoy-Anteau (liked a link on FB) iTunes: Advisory: The 11 Ways That Consumers Are Hopeless at Math This is your brain on shopping, and it's not very smart. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/07/the-11-ways-that-consumers-are-hopeless-at-math/259479/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) The Summer, 2012 edition of Science Scope, a magazine for middle school science teachers produced by the National Science Teachers Association, featured an article entitled "Book Your Summer Vacation." The article was written by Juliana Texley. In this podcast, three books from the article are featured. They include: Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology, by David B. Williams The Visitor's Guide to American Gardens, by Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp Concrete Planet, by Robert Courland All of the books can be found at: http://nsta.org/store From the Twitterverse: ISTE: iPad Flipped Classroom: Troy’s notes from ISTE. Half-Baked Idea: A “school only” cell phone Ingredients: 1. Cheap cell phone (www.pandawill.com & cheapest available at this posting: F8 Quad Band Phone Dual SIM) 2. Google phone number and app 3. Optional: Pay-As-You-Go card (H20) Web Spotlight: Homograph/Homophone Venn Diagram If, like me, you have difficulty remembering the difference between homophones,homographs, homonyms, heterographs, and heteronyms, you should find this WikipediaVenn diagram useful. http://www.englishblog.com/2012/07/homographhomophone-venn-diagram.html Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events:

On Our Mind: ISTE: After conference thoughts Preparing for AMLE in November Eileen Award: Twitter: Rich Kiker, Steve Chen, Chris Sousa, Gina Gallo, Pora Ora, IAIB Network, Michael Richardson, Charles Perry, Mary Clark, Elana Leoni, Riaz Abdulla, Michael Cohen, Vilia Reinsalu, Ann-Caryn Cleveland, Jason Eifling, Diethild, ViewARcom, Valencio Cardoso, Schoology, Jeff Bradbury, TeacherCast, Sandra Wozniak, @Lilylauren, DonFriesen, Tori McMurray, Ellie Dix, “Teenage Whisperer”, Jazz Caine, Epic Limo Bus (which we didn’t use . . . ), and Emil Ahangarzadeh (Director of the Calif. Tech Statewide Education Tech Service). Facebook: Kyle Paul If I had to guess what was the ISTE PLN vehicle of choice, I’d guess . . . Advisory: Book Club. Here is one example: http://2busybrunettes.com/2012/03/23/25-series-to-read-if-you-love-the-hunger-games/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) In the Summer, 2012 issue of Science Scope, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association, the safety question of the month was "After lab work, should students use antibacterial hand wipes or just plain soap and water to clean their hands?" Ken Roy, director of environmental health and safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, Connecticut provides a great answer. If you would like more information on science safety, you can purchase Ken's book, "The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science," through the NSTA bookstore. From the Twitterverse: ISTE News: Guest Post: “Four ISTE Challenges” July 1, 2012 by Larry Ferlazzo GUEST POST by Ben Curran Less Tools, More Teaching The End of the Echo Chamber Diversity is Lacking The End of Excess http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/07/01/guest-post-four-iste-challenges/ ISTE Keynote: What were they thinking? Posted by Brad Flickinger on Jun 26, 2012 in school technology As I have said before in this blog, I attend edtech conferences to be inspired and to steal ideas to take back to my own school. But when I left the keynote that opened this year’s ISTE 2012 Conference, I was scratching my head wondering what was the purpose of what I had just witnessed. I felt embarrassed to be an educator. Did ISTE really just do this to me? Did they sell out? Did they take inspiring me too far? http://www.schooltechnology.org/2012/06/26/iste-keynote-what-were-they-thinking/ ISTE Resources: All of my notes can be found here. ISTE Web Spotlight: TIMMS/PISA vs. Entrepreneural Spirit: http://zhaolearning.com/2012/06/06/test-scores-vs-entrepreneurship-pisa-timss-and-confidence/ Events & Happenings:

AMLE Feature: Jokes You Can Use: Boss: I’ve noticed that you go out and get your haircut during work hours. Employee: It grows during work hours. Boss: It also grows during non-work hours. Employee: I didn’t get it all cut. What did the leftovers say when put into the freezer? Foiled again. What’s another name for a nursery? Bawlroom. On Our Mind: Eileen Award: ●Annie Murphy Paul ●Alise Herrara ●Joe Webb ●Sara Davenport Sisk Advisory: World of Coins http://twentytwowords.com/2012/06/09/a-world-map-made-of-the-worlds-coins/ Food Tweeting Around the World http://foodmood.in/ Challenges http://twentytwowords.com/2012/06/11/10-bets-youll-always-win-unless-the-other-bettor-has-se en-this-video-too/ Fun with Visual Charades and Narrated Slideshows Based on Fairy Tales In their recently published article, “Five-Picture Charades: A Flexible Model for Technology Training in Digital Media Tools and Teaching Strategies,” in the journal Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, Curby Alexander and Tom Hammond present a persuasive case for using “visual charades” as a learning activity with students involving media and creativity. http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2012/06/06/fun-with-visual-charades-and-narrated-slideshows- based-on-fairy-tales-edtech4u/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) In the Spring Edition of "Green Teacher," Emily Harris wrote an article entitled, "Fostering Students' Water Wisdom." The purpose of the article was to bring water awareness into the classroom and contribute to a better global future. She says that teachers play a vital role in helping foster an early appreciation of this most precious resource. For this reason, WaterCan developed curriculum resources in both English and French which can be freely downloaded from the "Water Wisdom Portal" at: http://www.watercan.com/students She then goes on to share one of her favorite lesson plans for 7th - 8th grade students, entitled "Water Around the World." This class project introduces students to water usage, and to data gathering and analysis. Dave’s Water Cycle Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw275056JtA Hey Dave, what do you think about this? “Voyager 1 Spaceship to Break Out of Solar System, Into Outer Space http://abcn.ws/N0eYA8” From the Twitterverse: News: Thompson: The Humiliation Of High-Stakes Standardized Testing http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/thisweekineducation/2012/06/thompson-pearson-anti -testing-rally-illuminates-the-essence-of-bubble-in-testing.html Future Shock I'll have more to say on the iPad later but one can't help being struck by the volume and vehemence of apparently technologically sophisticated people inveighing against the iPad. http://speirs.org/blog/2010/1/29/future-shock.html Computers Grade Essays Fast ... But Not Always Well http://www.npr.org/2012/06/07/154452475/computers-grade-essays-fast-but-not-always-well?ft= 1&f=1019 What's Wrong With the Teenage Mind? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203806504577181351486558984.html Tools: Quipper Quipper produces entertaining and educational quiz apps. We also allows users to create their own apps! Also available on iOS and Android. http://www.quipper.com/ Go Class http://www.goclass.com/guestapp/index.aspx Resources: 50 Summer Learning Activities for Kids Common Sense Media has produced a 16 page guide to summer learning activities. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/06/50-summer-learning-activities-for-kids.html Summer Reading List http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/06/11/summer-reading-list-2012/ Web Spotlight: TIMMS/PISA vs. Entrepreneural Spirit: http://zhaolearning.com/2012/06/06/test-scores-vs-entrepreneurship-pisa-timss-and-confidence/ Events & Happenings:

MSM 209: AMLE Feature Presentation . . . Popcorn Please! AMLE Feature Kick off...Tech in 20, we take longer. Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. AMLE Feature: Today, join us for a interview with Todd Williamson. Director of Technology and Science for Carteret County Schools, MiddleTalk contributor, and NCMSA Technology Specialist. ●Science Experiment ●Tech-in-20 Series ●Math and Science Portal ●ISTE? Jokes You Can Use: Sign in a business: We understand that your phone call is important. So, we will not interrupt by serving you when you are on the phone. RUTH BUZZI ‏@Ruth_A_Buzzi Cats inherently dislike water. That explains why so many turn to alcohol. #HappyCATurday On Our Mind: ●The power of crowdsourcing: Jerry Blumengarten goes to ISTE12. ●Death of MiJEC . . . ? ●Edmodo finally tips its hand: http://www.hackeducation.com/2012/03/06/edmodo-makes-the-move-from-social-networ k-to-education-platform/ Eileen Award: ●Facebook: Julie Smith Flack ●Twitter: John Winsor, US School Counselors, Microsoft TeachTec ●Special Guest: Todd Williamson Advisory: How big is your city? http://twentytwowords.com/2012/06/07/how-big-is-l-a-at-least-8-other-major-u-s-cities-could-fit-in side-it/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) In the Spring Edition of "Green Teacher," Emily Harris wrote an article entitled, "Fostering Students' Water Wisdom." The purpose of the article was to bring water awareness into the classroom and contribute to a better global future. She says that teachers play a vital role in helping foster an early appreciation of this most precious resource. For this reason, WaterCan developed curriculum resources in both English and French which can be freely downloaded from the "Water Wisdom Portal" at: http://www.watercan.com/students She then goes on to share one of her favorite lesson plans for 5th - 6th grade students, entitled "Water Alive!" This is a research based activity designed to help generate an understanding about the universal dependence on water, through the "eyes" of an African animal. From the Twitterverse: News: Teacher tenure: a Fairfax schools firing case http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/teacher-tenure-a-fairfax-schools-firing-case/201 2/06/02/gJQAVt4l9U_story.html Resources: KanBan2Go https://kanban2go.com/ ScrollKit A website builder that works more like drawing. No coding required. https://www.scrollkit.com/ Web Spotlight: The Greatest Teacher I Had in College by Vicki Davis http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2012/06/greatest-teacher-i-had-in-college.html BookType http://www.sourcefabric.org/en/booktype/ 4 Great & Free Museum Apps to Teach your Students (or to simply enjoy!) http://www.edukwest.com/4-great-free-museum-apps-to-teach-your-students-or-to-simply-enjoy / Events & Happenings:

Jokes You Can Use: RUTH BUZZI ‏@Ruth_A_Buzzi Our cat ate a neighbor's canary this morning; his favorite breakfast is Shredded Tweet. #HappyCATurday RUTH BUZZI ‏@Ruth_A_Buzzi People who steal cats are not cat burglars; they're purr-snatchers. #HappyCATurday RUTH BUZZI ‏@Ruth_A_Buzzi You can't stand puns and you hate cat jokes? You gotta be kitten me. #HappyCATurday On Our Mind: AMLE Registration opened this week. Kathy Hunt donations can be made to the AMLE Foundation Fund, use the code “KHU” when making a donation. The Summer Slide ( http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/05/30/how-im-helping-my-students-try-to-avoid-the-summer-slide/ ) ISTE 2012 . . . Eileen Award: Dr. Monte Tatom, FunDave: Twitter Curtis Fuller: email Carol DenOtter: Facebook Advisory: 32 Innovations that will change the world http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/03/magazine/innovations-issue.html Where kids sleep or A Girl and her room: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/05/30/a-girl-and-her-room-rania-matar/ http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/08/08/where-children-sleep-james-mollison/ The New (AB)Normal: Big portion sizes have become the new abnormal, and it's time to scale back. http://makinghealtheasier.org/newabnormal Liter of Light http://isanglitrongliwanag.org/ Effect of Sunlight http://twentytwowords.com/2012/06/01/what-the-sun-did-to-the-face-of-a-veteran-truck-driver/ How to be Kind: http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2012/06/10-inexpensive-ways-to-be-kind.html Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) In the April/May, 2012 issue of Science Scope, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association, there is an article entitled, "More Than Just Guessing: The Difference Between Prediction and Hypothesis," written by Michelle Scribner-MacLean. The topic of the article is to help teachers and students understand the difference between the two terms. Knowing the difference between making a prediction and formulating a hypothesis can go a long way toward helping students develop scientific literacy. From the Twitterverse: News: Bunkum Awards http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P-hJagz6ytM http://nepc.colorado.edu/think-tank/bunkum-awards/2011 Resources: Google World Wonders Project http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/ or http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2012/06/world-wonders-new-flipped-classroom.html How Long Would It Take You to Read "War and Peace?" http://www.leekolbert.com/2012/05/how-long-would-it-take-you-to-read-war.html Web Spotlight: Child Poverty http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/thisweekineducation/2012/05/charts-pay-no-attention-to-the-nations-child-poverty-rate.html The Chart: http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54f8c25c988340168ebef9408970c-popup Examples of PBL APHistory. Interesting use of Google Sites. What if projects. The kids also published their work. https://sites.google.com/a/micds.org/apush-2011-2012-final-projects/ Nathan Hall: 100+ Student Sites that don’t require registration http://www.diigo.com/list/nathanghall/no-registration-needed-for-students Strategies: Games to Enhance Classroom Teaching http://people.uncw.edu/ertzbergerj/all.html ScienceFix: YouTube Science Channel for Middle School Experiments http://www.youtube.com/user/sciencefix Video of the Podcast: http://youtu.be/Bh_3Jl_eHEk Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events:

Jokes You Can Use: All visual jokes today. (Go see the Google+ recording.) On Our Mind: Kathy Hunt-Ullock 1951-2012 Virtual Presentations: MiddleTalk: 9 Dangerous Things & Book Club this summer 9 Dangerous things you were taught in school: Eileen Award: Twitter People: Gary Johnston, Jeff Trudell, Aric Haley, Michael Jones, Connect Michigan (Michigan Public Service Commission), and @HeyLeeAnn! Advisory: New Computer Algorithm Knows Your Phony Smile [VIDEO] Can you tell whether a smile is real or not? http://mashable.com/2012/05/25/algorithm-smile/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) In the April/May, 2012 issue of Science Scope, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association, two articles dealt with the topic of misconceptions In the first article, "Misunderstanding Misconceptions," Page Keeley defines the term misconceptions. In the second article, "Investigating Students' Ideas About the Flow of Matter and Energy in Living Systems," authors Melanie Taylor, Kimberly Cohen, R. Keith Esch, and P. Sean Smith give examples of student misconceptions and provide the corresponding correct ideas. The topic of this podcast mainly focuses in on the process of photosynthesis. From the Twitterverse: News: Educators Use Mobile Devices More Than General Public http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2012/05/educators_more_likely_to_use_m.html How summer increases the achievement gap http://hechingered.org/content/how-summer-increases-the-achievement-gap_5072/ Our Principal’s Reaction To Being Included In The Wash. Post’s List Of Top High Schools http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/05/20/our-principals-reaction-to-being-included-in-the-wash-posts-list-of-top-high-schools/ Standards would immerse Arizona students in science http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/05/17/20120517arizona-science-standards.html Student Principals (Contributed by Ron King) How would students run the show if given a chance? http://groups.diigo.com/site/redirect_item/student-principals-5342100 Resources: Mr. Rogers talks sarcastically about children and consumerism Apparently, kids and consumerism is nothing new. http://twentytwowords.com/2012/05/25/mr-rogers-talks-sarcastically-about-children-and-consumerism/ Web Citizenship and Media Literacy Curriculum (Contributed by Ron King via Diigo) http://groups.diigo.com/site/redirect_item/digital-literacy-and-citizenship-curriculum-for-grades-6-8-5342096 Play me a story? Playfic, the online community that lets you write, remix, share, and play interactive text-based games with the world. There is definitely a learning curve with the site. http://playfic.com/ Burn Note Burn Note lets you send messages that are deleted after they are read. You can use Burn Note to send a password or have an off-the-record conversation with a friend. https://burnnote.com/#/ Readlists What’s a Readlist? A group of web pages—articles, recipes, course materials, anything—bundled into an e-book you can send to your Kindle, iPad, or iPhone. http://readlists.com/ Easy Web Calendar Localendar is great for Churches, Schools, Teams, Non-Profits, Families, and Webmasters that need a free web calendar http://www.localendar.com/elsie Web Spotlight: Honesty In The Computer Lab http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/05/25/honesty-in-the-computer-lab/ Knowledge Graph http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/introducing-knowledge-graph-things-not.html Strategies: Project-Based Learning: Success Start to Finish http://www.edutopia.org/stw-project-based-learning-best-practices Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events: Classroom 2.0’s Ning Blog: Archived content is available.

Jokes You Can Use: Auntie Matilta won’t kiss you with that dirty face! That’s what I’m hoping. Girl: I need a new dress Dad: Why? Girl: The girl in my class has the same one. Dad: Why does that mean you need a new dress. Girl: It’s cheaper than switching colleges. On Our Mind: ISTE Noob-ness! Wrapping up the year yet? Eileen Award: Jeffry Prickett - Facebook & Twitter Pamela Schneider - Facebook Advisory: How to Use a Paper Towel: http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html and http://creativewealthprinciples.com/archives/285 The Other Side of the World http://www.antipodemap.com/ Olympic Torch Relay Route http://www.london2012.com/torch-relay/route/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) Drying Hands in the Lab. In the March, 2012 issue of Science Scope, a publication of the National Science Teachers Association, the safety question of the month was "Are there any alternatives to paper towels for students to wash and dry their hands with at the end of lab?" Ken Roy, director of environmental health and safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, Connecticut provides a great answer. If you would like more information on science safety, you can purchase Ken's book, "The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science," through the NSTA bookstore. Please visit: http://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781933531281 From the Twitterverse: News: Homeschool Is The Future http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2012/03/09/homeschool-is-the-future/ Dartmouth Researchers Are Learning How Exercise Affects the Brain http://now.dartmouth.edu/2012/05/dartmouth-researchers-are-learning-how-exercise-affects-the-brain/ Are today's students truly 'tech savvy'? It is difficult to prove that the Generation Y and young people today are not more technologically adapted than their older counterparts. They may sometimes display an unhealthy level of dependence on their mobile phone, become bored easily when taught in school how to use basic commands in Microsoft Word and be called upon often to fix the problem with the printer, but are all members of this age bracket clued-up and comfortable with technology? According to the research, there was little evidence that today’s students demand modern technology when entering university that the academic institution cannot provide. Technological integration is expanding, however in terms of study, students may not be as reliant on it to learn as we stereotype them to be. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/are-todays-students-truly-tech-savvy/16147 Congrats to Mike Muir, AMLE President-Elect! Resources: iPad Resource Links http://www.21innovate.com/ipadipod.html Documentaries On-Line Watch free documentaries online! Full videos are available. Educate yourself with thousands of good documentaries about diverse subjects. The newest, latest, best and greatest top documentaries online can be watched here for free. http://www.documentaryz.com/ A Twenty-One Protest Song Salute [Warning to parents and teachers: Some songs contain profanity. Also, Moyers & Company and Public Affairs Television do not endorse any advertisements or promotional links contained within the embedded videos.] http://billmoyers.com/content/a-twenty-one-protest-song-salute/ Web Spotlight: iWitness IWitness is an online application that gives educators and students access to search, watch, and learn from more than 1,000 video testimonies of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses. http://iwitness.usc.edu/SFI/Default.aspx Graduation Speeches http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/06/10/best-commencement-graduation-speeches/ http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/05/18/commencement-speeches-2/ Strategies: The Graphic Classroom http://www.graphicclassroom.org/ Events & Happenings:

Jokes You Can Use: “I haven’t slept for days.” How come? I only sleep at night. On Our Mind: ESL objectives, Professional Development & How to Win Friends and Influence People. #PLNfail Congrats to all the EMU students who were dismissed today . . . Eileen Award: Jeffry Prickett (Facebook & Twitter) Eleanor Ricardo Advisory: Food http://twentytwowords.com/2012/04/25/chart-showing-the-10-companies-that-own-most-of-the-food-products-we-buy/ Split or Steal Here’s the deal. £13,600 are on the line. Each contestant must choose Split or Steal. If they both choose Split, they each get half of the money. If one chooses Split and the other Steal, the one who chose Steal gets all the money. And if they both choose Steal, nobody gets any money. Before they choose, they are allowed to discuss their plan together. It is a battle of wits, combining both logic and the ability to read and manipulate one’s opponent. Check out how one ingenious contestant chose to let this scenario play out… http://twentytwowords.com/2012/04/28/split-or-steal-a-creative-and-kind-use-of-logic-and-manipulation/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) The topic is Reading Ladders and Science. "Climb on up and enjoy the podcast." From the Twitterverse: News: Change the World Parents who sued school over son's punishment for cheating receive hate messages http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county-times/ci_20493867/parents-who-sued-school-over-sons-punishment-cheating and the follow up: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-school-cheat-20120427,0,1656872.story Evaluate Me, Please http://teachfromtheheart.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/evaluate-me-please/ Resources: KANEX Pro- AirPlay® Mirroring For VGA Projector http://www.kanexlive.com/atvpro Technology Integration Matrix Grade Level Index This page provides a breakdown of videos within the Technology Integration Matrix by grade level. Although you may be primarily interested in a particular level, we encourage you to view the ways in which technology is used in other grade levels. For example, you will find videos of high school classrooms in which the technology tools could be used in the same way with middle school or elementary level students. Some videos involve students from both middle and high school grades and some involve students from both middle and elementary grades. These videos appear in both lists below. http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/gradelevel.php TED-Ed - Insults by Shakespeare Watch Quick Quiz Think Dig Deeper If you sign in, you can make adjustments on most sections of the page. For example, you can deselect Quick Quiz questions, add Think questions, and add links to the Dig Deeper section. http://ed.ted.com/lessons/insults-by-shakespeare Google Education On-Air https://sites.google.com/site/eduonair/home Virtual 4T Conference The Virtual Conference will be held May19th through May 22nd. It is a 24/7 conference and is free and open to any educator. *Disclosure- I’m presenting a session. http://4tvirtualcon.soe.umich.edu/ Conference Sessions: http://4tvirtualcon.soe.umich.edu/?page_id=54 or https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Amyg3kn2ZRP0dC1yMGxfVV9xTzkwYVIzVDhhbUtfUGc&output=html Web Spotlight: Broomstick I'm Sebastian, a 14 year old Kiwi innovator, Mac app developer, student and tech enthusiast from New Zealand, currently living in Paris. http://www.zibity.com/broomstick Dangerously Irrelevant: Web videos educators should see http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2010/11/12-videos-to-spark-educators-thinking.html Strategies: TinkerCad Design in 3D what you've always dreamed of, but never thought possible. Until now. Join the Tinkercad community and learn how to create your first real things in just a few minutes. https://tinkercad.com/home/ or 3D Tin Create 3D models in your browser. http://www.3dtin.com/ Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events:

Jokes You Can Use: Johnny Depp is making another Pirates of the Carribean. It’s “Arrrrgh” Rated . . . RUTH BUZZI ‏ @Ruth_A_Buzzi My cat can hardly wait until his favorite holiday comes around next week: "Cinco de Meowo." #HappyCaturday (w/ thanks to @Liedertafel_pdx!) On Our Mind: Bad Pirate Jokes . . . Eileen Award: Dave Brown Mary Alise Herrera Craig Malkin Advisory: Thou Shall Not Commit Logical Fallacies A logical fallacy is usually what has happened when someone is wrong about something. It's a flaw in reasoning. They're like tricks or illusions of thought, and they're often very sneakily used by politicians and the media to fool people. Don't be fooled! This website and poster have been designed to help you identify and call out dodgy logic wherever it may raise its ugly, incoherent head. If you see someone committing a logical fallacy, link them to the relevant fallacy to school them in thinky awesomeness and win the intellectual affections of those who happen across your comment by appearing clever and interesting e.g. yourlogicalfallacyis.com/strawman (rollover/click icons above). http://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) The National Science Teachers Association has recently announce its Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12. In this podcast we look at three more of the books which are very appropriate for students in grades 6 - 8. They are: Baby Mammoth Mummy Frozen in Time! A Prehistoric Animal's Journey into the 21st Century by Christopher Sloan The Elephant Scientist by Caitlin O'Connell and Donna M. Jackson Elephant Talk: The Surprising Science of Elephant Communication by Ann Downer From the Twitterverse: News: Can You Make Yourself Smarter? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/can-you-make-yourself-smarter.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=magazine Resources: CorePlanner CorePlanner: Resource tool for teachers planning their lessons around the Common Core Standards. http://coreplanner.com/ ???? http://www.mylessonplanner.com/ PBS Kids Cyberchase - Dozens of Math Activities http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/pbs-kids-cyberchase-dozens-of-math.html 3D Toad http://www.3dtoad.com/ Taylor Mali http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/get-fracas/04-2012/taylor-malis-what-teachers-make-book-winner YouTube Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU Web Spotlight: 33 Animals Who Are Extremely Disappointed In You Not angry, just disappointed http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/animals-who-are-extremely-disappointed-in-you The 5 Worst Things a Teacher Can Say to Students By Dan Brown 5. “I know this may seem pointless but we have to get through it…” 4. “I don’t know what I’m doing.” 3. “The other class did well with this. What’s wrong with you guys?” 2. “You will never be able to (fill in the blank).” 1. “I get paid whether you (fill in the blank) or not.” http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/get-fracas/04-2012/5-worst-things-teacher-can-say-students Test Scores and Housing Costs http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/test-scores-and-housing-costs/ A Child’s Helping Hand on Portions http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/dining/a-child-offers-plan-on-portion-control-for-dieters.html Events & Happenings:

Jokes You Can Use: “Doctor, will I be able to read with these new glasses?” “Of course, perfectly. Why?” “Because, I couldn’t read before”. When I got a bill for an operation, I found out why they wear masks. On Our Mind: Eileen Award: Gr8t Lakes Teacher: Thanks for the feedback on iTunes! Advisory: Book Spine Poetry Stack books up so that the Titles on the spine form a poem. http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/tag/book-spine-poetry/ Odd Advertisements NSFW: Prescreening required http://oddstuffmagazine.com/funniest-advertisements-ever.html 11 “Modern Antiques” Today’s Kids Have Probably Never Seen http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/122762 Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) The National Science Teachers Association has recently announced its Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12. In this podcast we look at three of the books which are very appropriate for students in grades 6 - 8. They are: Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships by Catherine Thimmesh Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans Bug Shots: The Good, the Bad, and the Bugly by Alexandra Siy From the Twitterverse: News: Student “Learning Styles” Theory Is Bunk (Daniel Willingham) http://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/student-learning-styles-theory-is-bunk-daniel-willingham/ The Pineapple Story Tests Us: Have Test Publishers become Unquestionable Authorities? http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2012/04/the_pineapple_story_questions.html http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/04/20/151044647/the-pineapple-and-the-hare-can-you-answer-two-bizarre-state-exam-questions?sc=tw Professional Development Sweating my way through a workout the other day, I stumbled across an article titledGetting Principals to Think Like Managers in the Bloomberg Businessweek magazine. Considering that nearly every expert on the 21st Century principalship would argue that leading schools is about WAY more than "managing," the title caught my eye. http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/tempered-radical/04-2012/will-75000-really-change-your-principals-leadership-skills Earth's quietest place http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2124581/The-worlds-quietest-place-chamber-Orfield-Laboratories.html Resources: Block Print Create any size poster from any size picture. http://www.blockposters.com/ iSLCollective Free, printable ESL worksheets by teachers for teachers. Allows a variety of criteria: Level, Student Type, Grammar Focus, Vocabulary Focus, Skill, Material Type, Solution. http://en.islcollective.com/ WorkFlowy Easy ToDo list manager. https://workflowy.com/ National Parks Tour Provides a virtual tour of various parks: Grand Canyon, Great Smokies, YellowStone. http://naturevalleytrailview.com/ Positive Thoughts You might recall a charming antidote: Everything Is Going to Be OK, the lovely pocket-sized anthology of positive artwork. Now, it’s available as equally lovely 20 different note cards, featuring artists like Gemma Correll,Jessica Swift, Danna Ray, and Amy Borrell. http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/04/19/everything-is-going-to-be-ok-cards/ KiKuText Kikutext is all about parent engagement. We truly believe that an increase in parent engagement will mean an increase in student achievement. Every part of our application is designed to help you easily and quickly communicate with parents more regularly. Parents can sign up for text messages. Teachers get a proxy phone number - no need to give out your personal cell phone number. http://kikutext.com/ Web Spotlight: 5 Historical Misconceptions Warning: Lady Godiva and bare bottom is included. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sYzfKiIWN4g Strategies: Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events:

Jokes You Can Use: A little boy was starting to dig into his dinner. His father gently reminded him that they hadn’t said a prayer yet. “It’s OK, we don’t have to. Mommy is a good cook”. On Our Mind: The Drunkard’s Walk by Leonard Mlodinow 8 weeks to go. ISTE Eileen Award: ●PivotalEllie Ellie Dix ●Ron Peck: Thanks for the Twitter answer. Advisory: How to Listen to Music Music has a powerful grip on our emotional brain. It can breathe new life into seemingly lifeless minds. But if there is indeed no music instinct, music — not just its creation, but also its consumption — must be an acquired skill. How, then, do we “learn” music? Even more curiously, how do we “learn” to “listen” to music, something that seems so fundamental we take it for granted? http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/04/12/elliott-schwartz-music-ways-of-listening/ Body Language Decoder http://lifehacker.com/5901468/use-this-body-language-cheat-sheet-to-decode-common-non+verbal-cue s Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) This is a three part feature on outstanding science tradebooks for students in Grades 6 - 8. Part 1: The National Science Teachers Association has recently announced its Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12. In this podcast we look at two of the books which are very appropriate for students in grades 6 - 8. They are: Biomimicry: Inventions Inspired by Nature by Dora Lee Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 feet Below the Chilean Desert by Marc Aronson From the Twitterverse: Watch for middle level tweets on Twitter with the hashtag #midleved. Resources: An Open Letter to Educators http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-P2PGGeTOA4 TED offers free video lessons for high school and college students By Lyndsey Layton, Published: March 12 Imagine you’re a high school biology teacher searching for the most vivid way to explain electrical activity in the brain. How about inserting metal wires into a cockroach’s severed leg and making that leg dance to music? Starting Monday, that eye-popping lesson, performed in a six-minute video by neuroscientist and engineer Greg Gage, is available free online. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/ted-offers-free-video-lessons-for-high-school-and-colle ge-students/2012/03/09/gIQAuw5O6R_story.html http://www.youtube.com/tededucation Web Spotlight: Sound Maps Use the interactive maps to find recordings of regional accents and dialects, wildlife and environmental sounds, and selected world and traditional music. Includes dialects, and the Millenium Memory Bank. Also includes Holocaust survivors. http://sounds.bl.uk/sound-maps Ultra Slow Motion http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/04/13/ultra-slow-motion/ What Happens When A 35-Year-Old Man Retakes The SAT? *Warning - Not Safe for Work language is used. Shockingly, little about the SAT has changed since I set foot in that classroom. Most students still have to take the test using bubble sheets and a No. 2 pencil, which is insane to me. They've managed to digitize VOTING http://deadspin.com/5893189/what-happens-when-a-35+year+old-man-retakes-the-sat Strategies: Seussisms http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/04/11/seuss-isms/ How Long Is a Piece of String? BBC and Comedian Alan Davies Explore Quantum Mechanics by Maria Popova In How Long is a Piece of String?, they enlist standup-comic-turned-physics-enthusiast Alan Davies in answering the seemingly simple question of the film’s title, only to find in it a lens — a very blurry lens — on the very fabric of reality. http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/04/09/how-long-is-a-piece-of-string-bbc/ Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events: