Middle School Matters

On Our Mind: You can now sign up to receive updates via email. From the Twitterverse: * stevefarber Friend: "Someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you've forgotten the words." -Jim Warner * mjsamberg Resources from "Linux in the Classroom": http://www.tinyurl.com/nctieslinux #ncties * zeitz Who's pushing Emerging Technologies in higher education? students . . . http://is.gd/9Niwi * DanielPink Fascinating NPR interview with NCLB supporter-turned-critic Diane Ravitch....http://bit.ly/c8Lfvi * russeltarr Using Edmodo in the classroom: http://tinyurl.com/l2nvsb * Lilylauren Oh the irony- my predictive text doesn't know how to spell Nostradamus * DeronDurflinger RT @NMHS_Principal: Worst thing to do when moving towards change/successful implementation is to "mandate" #GTAdmin Agreed! * drmmtatom Jeopardy Labs: Make Your Own Online Jeopardy Game http://tinyurl.com/yaeha54 * rmbyrne It's Not All Flowers and Sausages: Why The Superintendent Firing All the Teachers in One School Should Be Ashamed... http://ff.im/-gEkyv Twitter MAMSE Special: * Griffbuddy #MAMSE http://www.strengtheningfamiliesprogram.org/ Parents train parents. #mamse10 * Frideswidel #mamse making rainsticks and using the design as a prompt for writing. * Griffbuddy #MAMSE One out of every three middle school students are obsese or in danger of being obese! #MAMSE10 * Smhearty School worked with a court system. Saved the court $64,000 a year. #mamse * Griffbuddy #MAMSE majority of parents are not PITAS (pain in the a**es). We want them involved. #MAMSE10 * Frideswidel #mamse Candy Writing Assignment: Using the senses to create an advertisement for the candy (then they can eat it). * Frideswidel RT @Griffbuddy: #MAMSE Dr. Santo Pino, NMSA, and Dean Hook, presentation: Securing Parent Involvement In Your School. * Frideswidel #mamse Art teacher talking about incorporating Art with writing (6+1 Traits). www.marymillerart.com * Frideswidel #mamse demo of Stratalogica. * dexgeek Technology is only one of the tools that teachers use to engage students. I'm glad I can arm them with the tools and skills. #MAMSE * Smhearty We train kids not to think but how to get an A. #mamse * Smhearty Got a great compliment today - "Aren't you guys presenting today? We have other teachers here today." #mamse * Griffbuddy #MAMSE Be there. Choose your attitude. Make their day. Play. Fish philosophy in schools (choose your attitude when you come to work). * Griffbuddy #MAMSE Advisory is necessary because strong relationships help teachers become adept @ diagnosing student needs. #MAMSE10 * tanyaov #mamse Wow. MAMSE conference is excellent. I LOVE learning new things. Finger Wag: The State of Michigan put out a memo with a bitly link. Advisory: Blame Darwin: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704454304575081613327728110.html#articleTabs%3Dinteractive MAMSE: Dr. Debbie Silver: www.debbiesilver.com Keynotes: http://www.debbiesilver.com/keynotes/ New Favorite Conference Software: Skim Webspotlight: Google Docs for Administrators: Sarah Rolle, Director of Technology for Elisabeth Morrow School, shared tips on GoogleDocs Tips for Administrators. http://www.mguhlin.org/2010/03/googledocs-tips-for-administrators.html Stratalogica: http://www.stratalogica.com/NystromDigital/home/login.html;jsessionid=501B5A5D36B68C44263525336DA8C718.StrataLogica1 Mary Miller: Artist, Teacher, Integrator of Curriculum http://www.marymillerart.com/

Title: Your Master Teacher knows that next week will be even better ... Jokes: A Fisherman's Tale Two guys are fishing in a boat under a bridge. One looks up and sees a funeral procession starting across the bridge. He stands up, takes off his cap, and bows his head. The procession crosses the bridge and the man puts on his cap, picks up his rod and reel, and continues fishing. The other guy says, "That was touching. I didn't know you had it in you." The first guy responds, "Well, I guess it was the thing to do - after all, I was married to her for 40 years." Animal Talk A mother is reading a book to her 3 year old daughter. Mother: "What does the cow say?" Child: "Moo!" Mother: "Great! What does the cat say?" Child: "Meow." Mother: "Oh, you're so smart! What does the frog say?" The wide-eyed little 3 year-old looks up at her mother and in her deepest voice replies, "Bud." On Our Mind: Code Organ: http://www.codeorgan.com/ From our Listeners: Thanks for all of your efforts to try to keep me up to speed. At my age (23) ... I need all the help I can get! My middle school uses Dropbox to track student discipline and parent contacts by team using Excel. We have found this to be an excellent way to keep track. Thanks! Linda Hi guys, Here are a couple more middle school science items you might like to use. On a side note, I did a recent podcast on a one day science institute I went to and did a summation of each of the sessions I went to, similar to what you do with the NMSA sessions you attend. I like the idea of summarizing things we attend--good idea, thanks! It is the "Power of Technology" and can be heard at: http://k12science.net ----------------------------------------------------------------- From the Twitterverse: * wfryer old school, new school is one of the best video clips I've seen yet from PBS digital_nation http://bit.ly/bsVI2z (Old School, New School:Chatham High School students, like many nationwide, are increasingly surrounded by screens. Their teachers debate how to handle their split focus.) * hshawjr RT @irasocol: You have PowerTalk for spoken PowerPoints, right? http://fullmeasure.co.uk/powertalk/ * irasocol All your school computers have Firefox with Click-Speak, right? http://clickspeak.clcworld.net/ * irasocol You do have a bunch of Flash Drives in your school loaded with Free AccessApps, right? http://is.gd/9jKdz * Curriki Dear Middle School Science Teachers, Stop, Drop and Click! Fab resources to follow: http://ow.ly/1bduO * NMSAnews RT @Scholastic and @gatesfoundation announce the largest-ever survey of America's public school teachers: http://bit.ly/9VOBh3 * WebGalPat What does a 3 yr old digital native want from her library?: http://bit.ly/clycvt * principalspage Questions About Google? I've Got Answers. http://post.ly/Po35 * drmmtatom Big, Huge, Free US Presidents Timeline Poster http://tinyurl.com/ykv5z2w #fhuedu508 * eduinnovation "Creativity is not an escape from disciplined thinking. It is an escape with disciplined thinking." Jerry Hirschberg #creativity * jonbecker All public employees should pay attention to this case. The 1st Amendment is tricky: http://is.gd/9i12p Advisory: You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School http://www.walkthetalk.com/pages/inspirational-movies.htm Webspotlight: What Your Master Teacher Knows Marge Scherer "Teaching is the most difficult profession of them all," educator Lee Shulman recently told a group of teachers and psychologists. The only time a physician comes close to doing what a teacher does is when the doctor faces an emergency room of multiple patients with multiple conditions, all of whom need immediate attention. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb10/vol67/num05/What_Your_Master_Teacher_Knows.aspx Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events: NMSA News:

Title: Q & the Mysterious! Jokes: Wedding Woes At a friend's wedding, everything went smoothly until it was time for the flower girl and her young escort to come down the aisle. The boy stopped at every pew, growling at the guests. When asked afterward why he behaved so badly, he explained, "I was just trying to be a good ring bear." Sacrifice Eleven people were hanging on a rope under a helicopter, ten men and one woman. The rope was not strong enough to carry them all, so they decided that one has to drop off, otherwise they are all going to fall. They were not able to choose that person, but then the woman made a very touching speech. She said that she would voluntarily let go of the rope, because as a woman she was used to giving up everything for her husband and kids, and for men in general, without ever getting anything in return. As soon as she finished her speech, all the men started clapping their hands. On Our Mind: Retirement plans change for State of Michigan employees and teachers. (Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals) New retirement rules for Michigan * Retirement years cap at 30 years of earned time. Purchased years do not count. o If you continue beyond 30 years, your employer will contribute 4% to a defined contribution account and the employee will contribute 3% and may contribute up to an additional 3% for a total of 10% cap. * If this goes through there will be an incentive for districts to retain teachers with 30 or more years. Retirement contributions will go from 19% to about 10%. Thanks to Dave Bydlowski for the feedback: Check out his podcast here: http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Podcast.html Here is some information from my February 11 -- 24 Michigan Science Matters eBlast: MathCounts From the Twitterverse: Advisory: Be Lucky (Richard Wiseman): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3304496/Be-lucky-its-an-easy-skill-to-learn.html Webspotlight: 'Algebra-for-All' Push Found to Yield Poor Results By Debra Viadero http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/02/10/21algebra_ep.h29.html?r=327944615 Blue Ribbon Middle School Math comes to YouTube at Palmyra Area Middle School http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/02/math_comes_to_youtube_at_palmy.html Q-Matrix Get your kids to generate questions with a Q-Matrix. http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/assessment/files/pages/strategies/Question_Matrix.pdf Marble http://edu.kde.org/marble/ FCC Expands Broadband Access at Schools http://mobile.reuters.com/mobile/m/FullArticle/CTECH/ntechnologyNews_uUSTRE61H6ZR20100219 Essentially, the bandwidth not being used by schools during school hours will be open to the community. Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events:

Dr. Tatom provides great views on technology, middle school and more.

Shawn and Troy talk the twitterverse, Prezi, advisory ideas, webspotlights and more. Advisory: Project Implicit Discover the bias within. Stupid Inventions: http://students.ou.edu/R/Basil.G.Rayan-1/ Webspotlight: Word Clouds, Student Writing and Ownership http://www.mguhlin.org/2010/02/word-clouds-student-writing-and.html Doodle for Google http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/doodle-4-google-tell-us-what-you-would.html Example: http://www.google.com/doodle4google/2009/images/us_doodle4google2009.gif Competition http://www.google.com/doodle4google/index.html World Maths Day This year features an exciting new format with multi-levels for all age groups. Teachers, parents and media are invited to participate for the first time. Can we beat last year’s world record of 2 million students from 204 countries correctly answering 452,681,681 questions? http://www.worldmathsday.com/2010/Default.aspx? Interview Of The Month: Marvin Marshall On Positive Classroom Management from Larry Felazzo: Marvin Marshall, author of the influential education book “Discipline Without Stress, Punishment or Rewards” and the newer book “Parenting Without Stress.” http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2010/02/02/interview-of-the-month-marvin-marshall-on-positive-classroom-management/ See also: Responsible Thinking Process by Ed Ford. 16 Ways to Use WallWisher http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dhn2vcv5_436f8kscmdc

Title: iPad, Do You? Jokes: Most problems can be Ignored. The more difficult Ones can be slept through. I don't mind being Teased, any more than you mind A skin graft or two. My brain: walnut-sized. Yours: largest among primates. Yet, who leaves for work? Your mouth is moving; Up and down, emitting noise. I've lost interest. There's no dignity In being sick - which is why I don't tell you where. On Our Mind: Dropbox: 1. Free 2. Backup no matter where you are 3. Constant access (Computer always has a copy, Access from anywhere with web connection) 4. Sync 5. No Flashdrives 6. Sharing 7. Cross Platform Apple's iPad Net Safety http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/net-cetera.aspx From the Twitterverse: * shareski most schools have a few interested and able to post content. Classroom teachers struggle to find time to post * ChristianLong @shareski Tell 'great stories' - period. Anything else is trendy (at best). Tell stories. Tell stories. And then tell stories. * cookp prezi is offering some pretty sweet (and free) educator accounts. http://prezi.com/profile/signup/edu/ * shareski Multiple video for Skype users. http://bit.ly/58nzQr * drmmtatom RT @FocusLeadership: "The boss depends on authority - the Leader depends on good will." Anonymous #fhuedu610 * drmmtatom RT @lclandfield: Six things we always say as teachers - new blog post up at http://bit.ly/a5qeXo * bhsprincipal RT @tomwhitby: It has never been a question of Teaching in the 21st Cent. It is more about Accepting the 21st Cent. Attitudes. #educon * Aaron_Eyler "Flipping" Curriculum and how it can revitalize our schools: http://bit.ly/8X5zDC #education #teacher #edchat * skipz Why don’t more teachers integrate technology more effectively?- http://snipurl.com/u64ku * bhsprincipal RT @ShellTerrell: Transform the instructors first? http://bit.ly/5zGoM3 via @mcleod * jimconn Wow. RT @msprincipal62: "Our schools are not failing. They are obsolete--even the ones that score best on standardized tests." Tony Wagner * gardenglen Interesting Blog read "Motivating the Unmotivated" http://bit.ly/99GCJS via @educationweek Advisory: Tongue Twister: Mr. See owned a saw. And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw. Now See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw Before Soar saw See, Which made Soar sore. Had Soar seen See's saw Before See sawed Soar's seesaw, See's saw would not have sawed Soar's seesaw. So See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw. But it was sad to see Soar so sore Just because See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw! Webspotlight: Multiple Intelligences Survey http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/index.htm Scribble Maps: http://scribblemaps.com/# Origins http://www.originsonline.org/dd_classroom.php?resource_type=148 Seven Places to find Free e-books: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/01/seven-places-to-find-free-ebooks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29 Dance Rules: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0126102dance1.html Graph paper: http://www.printfreegraphpaper.com/ Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events:

Title: The Revolution in the Classroom Jokes: On Our Mind: Head on over to iTunes. We're looking for some feedback. http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=261383649 From the Twitterverse: * willrich45 Reading: "Quality of Questions on Common Tests at Issue" http://j.mp/77l7Hi We'll get the assessments we can pay for. Sigh. * tom_peters "Do one thing every day that scares you"-Eleanor Roosevelt. May be best business [and personal] advice ever. * readtoday Excellent discussion on merit pay and Race to Nowhere http://bit.ly/5oIhdQ #edchat * mcleod The bumpy road to student-centered instruction http://post.ly/Jt3J #education #learning #teaching * novemberMonster If you haven't seen Khan Academy (http://bit.ly/tumDj) for #math make sure to check it out. Awesome. Video: http://bit.ly/4XHb2i #edchat * jdthomas7 "2¢ Worth » Applying PLN — A Continuing Question for Me" ( http://bit.ly/5Zo3NH ) #edchat #edtech * Russsauntry Why didn't anyone tell me about this genius? http://bit.ly/64SUsn google tips for teachers. Any more for Twitter? #edchat #edreform * educatoral RT @msmithpds: make an online game more relevant for your students by using classtools.net #edchat * UT_CoE 25 Ways to Motivate Teachers. http://bit.ly/8CPPkE #edchat #teachers #education (via @morsmal) * NMSAnews NMSA is seeking 12-15 members with an interest in reviewing session proposals for its upcoming Annual Conference http://bit.ly/8K3Dof * NMSAnews It’s not too late to submit to present at NMSA2010. Deadline for concurrent sessions: January 31, 2010 http://bit.ly/8mBslV * web20classroom Free Technology for Teachers: Seven Places to Find Free eBooks http://bit.ly/64b6AM * netbook_news VIDEO: Sharper Image LCD Projector only $149 http://tmogul.com/tweet/m_XbV * chickensaltash All we need is Radio Saltash - Doing a radio show in your lessons: http://bit.ly/4CXIxC #edchat #teaching Advisory: MultiTask Webspotlight: Sweet Search Dabble Board- Cosketch- Google Resources for Education Revolution in the Classroom Putting New Standards Into Practice a Tough Job Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events: NMSA News:

The Terrible 2's (There are 52 weeks in a year . . . well, you get it.) Jokes: Buddaist Monk walks into a restaurant. What can I get you? Make me one with everything. Thanks Steven On Our Mind: Thanks to you, we're a Top 20 podcast in K-12 education. Please help us by voting on iTunes. From the Twitterverse: Advisory: Masters of Disaster: http://www.redcross.org/preparedness/educatorsmodule/ed-cd-6-8-main-menu-1.html Try this with your Advisory: Webspotlight: A National Yardstick for Gauging Math Progress States Show Uneven Performance; Even Top Achievers Fall Short By Christopher B. Swanson http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/01/14/17math.h29.html?tkn=R[MF4Qzo6orsW67cZxBzNGAHZdia9LvSag4Z http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/qc/2010/17overview.h29.math.pdf Debunking the Case for National Standards By Alfie Kohn I keep thinking it can’t get much worse, and then it does. A decade ago, many of us thought we had hit bottom—until the floor gave way and we found ourselves in a basement we didn’t know existed. Now every state had to test every student every year in grades 3-8, judging them (and their schools) almost exclusively by test scores and hurting the schools that needed the most help. Ludicrously unrealistic proficiency targets suggested that the federal law responsible was intended to sabotage rather than improve public education. * Let’s be clear about this latest initiative, which is being spearheaded by politicians, corporate CEOs, and companies that produce standardized tests. First, what they’re trying to sell us are national standards. They carefully point out that the effort isn’t driven by the federal government. But if all, or nearly all, states end up adopting identical mandates, that distinction doesn’t amount to much. * Second, these standards will inevitably be accompanied by a national standardized test. * Third, a relatively small group of experts—far from classrooms—will be designing standards, test questions, and curricula for the rest of us. Advocates of national standards say they want all (American) students to attain excellence, no matter where they happen to live. The problem is that excellence is being confused with entirely different attributes, such as uniformity, rigor, specificity, and victory. ...common-core-standards Web site, don’t bother looking for words like “exploration,” “intrinsic motivation,” “developmentally appropriate,” or “democracy.” Instead, the very first sentence contains the phrase “success in the global economy,” followed immediately by “America’s competitive edge.” Yes, we want excellent teaching and learning for all—although our emphasis should be less on achievement (read: test scores) than on students’ achievements. Offered a list of standards, we should scrutinize each one, but also ask who came up with them and for what purpose. Is there room for discussion and disagreement—and not just by experts—regarding what, and how, we’re teaching and how authentic our criteria are for judging success? Or is this a matter of “obey or else,” with tests to enforce compliance? http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/01/14/17kohn-comm.h29.html?tkn=WXUFzMageZQH55f62llSx04pEy9h1dTAV7g0 Epson has new "short throw" data projectors. http://www.eschoolnews.com/2009/11/04/epson-introduces-two-ultra-short-throw-projectors-designed-with-k-12-education-in-mind/ NMSA09: Teaching in 4-D: Rick Wormeli Closing Keynote Expertise Creativity Collaboration Events & Happenings:

Podcast 103: #SkypeFail and Lesson Planning Made Easy Jokes: Shout out: LindaB23 Answer to our Palindromic question from Doc Tatum: "Concerning last podcast - Feb. palindrome: Australia, they do day then month (01-02-2010) Keep up Gr8 work w/ podcast!! Monte" I produce the Michigan Science Matters Network on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month. If you like this information, I can try to send it on a regular basis. You can hear the podcast at: k12science.net and you can view the hyperlinked eBlast at: msta-mich.org/smn Keep up the good work, Dave Bydlowski, Wayne RESA National Lab Day For more information, please visit: http://nationallabday.org On Our Mind: Race to the Top $$ Through Race to the Top, we are asking States to advance reforms around four specific areas: * Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy; * Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction; * Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and * Turning around our lowest-achieving schools. From the Twitterverse: Webspotlight: Lesson Writer: www.lessonwriter.com Create comprehensive literacy lesson plans and student materials from any content in minutes. There are some things that I would like teachers to know, so thanks for giving me the opportunity to bring them to your attention and feel free to include or leave out according to what you think your audience is interested in. GirlTalk Radio: Girls are talking. You should listen. http://www.braincake.org/girltalk/ TRAILS: TRAILS is a knowledge assessment with multiple-choice questions targeting a variety of information literacy skills based on sixth and ninth grade standards. This Web-based system was developed to provide an easily accessible and flexible tool for library media specialists and teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses in the information-seeking skills of their students. http://www.trails-9.org/ Word Warriors: Here's the Word Warriors' 2010 list of sadly underused or overlooked but eminently useful words that should be brought back to enrich our language: http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/2010/ The opposite of this site: Lake Superior State University's Unicorn Hunters NMSA09: Got Student Leadership? Session Description: Can you imagine a positive, contagious, and exciting cultural change in your school? This presentation introduces a vibrant/dynamic school wide student leadership program that develops life skills, enhances student voice, increases student spirit/ participation, and much more. In addition to participants walking away with fun, hands-on activities that teach life skills to their students, they will also leave inspired and motivated to initiate a culture changing leadership program in their school. Events & Happenings:

Jokes: Things Not To Do During Exams For your classroom: http://www.mathteacherstore.com/middle/midlpost/5-8/155101main.htm Letter: Mr. TB: Thanks for letting us know we've been out of contact. We had an issue with the xml file which is now fixed. From the Twitterverse: * phsprincipal They may not listen to what you say but they always see what you do! http://post.ly/GTSK * crafty184 RT @loonyhiker: just found out that "today's date 01-02-2010 is a palindrome" * GameClassroom Schoolhouse Rock...great way to learn about Adjectives: http://bit.ly/5uwcql * drmmtatom RT @NMHS_Principal: Pre-Algebra thru Calculus resources (tutorials, sample problems, quizzes) http://bit.ly/6MzuKF * elemenous Friday 5: Best of 2009 http://www.lucygray.org/weblog/2010/01/friday-5-best-of-2009.html * bjnichols Project/problem-based learning..8 Innovative Schools Provide Ideas & Inspiration for 21st Century Education http://bit.ly/21vGS9 #edchat * dianadell Large collection of iPhone/ iPod Touch Apps for (Special) Education http://ow.ly/P6QU * drmmtatom RT @web20classroom: @TechnologyToday: 59 FREE Websites offering Interactive Educational Gaming Resources: http://bit.ly/7s3kQg * bhsprincipal Why merit pay will not work - Read drive by @danielpink. What's Arne Duncan's Twitter name? * Dumb Arguments for Stupid Ideas: http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/24/dumb-arguments-for-stupid-ideas/ Advisory: Things that happen in one minute: http://www.insurance-quotes-for-you.com/20_Things_That_Happen_In_One_Minute.html Webspotlight: Free Books: This collection features free e-books, mostly classics, that you can read on your computer, smart phone, or Kindle. It includes great works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. To learn how to download these ebooks to your computer/mobile device, please visit our eBook Primer. http://www.openculture.com/free_ebooks LoudLit: Literature for your eyes and ears. http://www.loudlit.org/ Top Documentary Films- Free An aggregation site for documentary films. They don't host them. Well organized and easy to use. You'll probably need to download the films. http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/ Newspaper Headline Create the banner and lead article for your own newspaper. http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp 15 TED Talks for Teachers to Watch Before 2010 by Free Tech 4 Teachers (Richard Byrne) OK so we're a little late- you can still watch them. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/12/10-ted-talks-for-teachers-to-watch.html NMSA09: Events & Happenings: Calendar of Events: NMSA News: * NMSA is looking for both an Executive Director and an Assistant Executive Director. Other 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 Ohio Middle Level Association will hold their annual conference February 18 & 19, 2010. Jack Berckemeyer will be keynoting. o OMLA Registration Form o OMLA Presentation Form * The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Annual Conference is coming up March 4-5, 2010 in Dexter, MI. MAMSE will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary! o MAMSE Exhibitor Form o MAMSE Registration Form o MAMSE Presentation Form (Presenter Deadline Extended!) * Classroom 2.0’s Live Calendar. o Classroom 2.0’s Ning Blog: Archived content is available. * Second Life: o Regular Tuesday meetings are scheduled. See the board on the ISTE Island for up to the minute details. o Video: Educational Uses of Second Life * Google Teacher Academy for Administrators: "For more information, please check out: http://www.google.com/educators/gtaforadmins.html OR Apply before midnight, January 25th here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dE1lYmFfTU4zN1RQWDBpX20wb3BsWXc6MA "

On Our Mind: Interim Executive Director Named: Dr. Pino Get your tax deduction on school supplies. (IRS website) Grown Up Digital by Don Tapscott From the Twitterverse: * rmbyrne Free Technology for Teachers: Week in Review - My Trip to GTA http://ff.im/-cOg0Q * AldridgeDuff "Brain gym" for students is pointless - no basis in science http://bit.ly/7TJ9dy * B_A_Bookworm Change your hubs name in your Blackberry or IPhone to Santa Claus and email him pics of your children misbehaving. Works!RT @kidswap

Shawn & Troy continue the NMSA09 wrap up. On Our Mind: NMSA Director Search! From the Twitterverse: * rmbyrne Free Technology for Teachers: Week in Review - My Trip to GTA http://ff.im/-cOg0Q * JohnMikulsk Furious about new privacy changes on Facebook. I have 2 requests from students now that they can easily search for me and see profile pic. * scottmerrick Looks like the Tue. night ISTE Speaker Session will be SIGVE folks at table at the Skypark or the Campfires. Speedchatting here we come! * chickensaltash Please show your support for the Edublogs Awards http://bit.ly/5X19J1 #edtech * eduinnovation Enjoying Ommwriter on my Mac. The gang at @ommwriter have found a way to make technology used for writing soothing and inspiring. (It has to be better than Google Wave!) * InstructorG 50 Inspirational Quotes for Teachers http://bit.ly/6c9nX3 * drmmtatom RT @MSMatters: RT @NMSAnews: NMSA Executive Director Resigns http://bit.ly/5MLr7D * cfanch so, educators, what books should I add to my amazon wish list? -or- to my books to download to ipod? (no kindle yet...) * simfin iPhone and iPod Touch Apps for Education http://ow.ly/LfoS (via @russeltarr ) (via @dianadell) Advisory: Conversation Starter: Today's episode of CNN Student News has a short segment in which there is a discussion about the differences in the ways in which male and female students learn. The segment talks about the idea of all male or all female middle schools. This segment could be a good prompt for getting students to reflect and discuss the ways in which they learn. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/12/student-conversation-starter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29 Webspotlight: Proprofs - Online Game Creation Practicing new skills and learning new facts is often presented as less than exciting, but education does not have to be this way. Good teachers have always known that puzzle games are some of the best ways to get old and young alike well on their way towards mastering a subject area. ProProfs is dedicated to the mission of combining education and entertainment, providing free online puzzles, brain games, and other fun resources to get people actively involved in the learning process. http://www.proprofs.com/ Free Audio Book: A Christmas Carol (http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/Literature/European-Classics/A-Christmas-Carol/29311) Footnote: Footnote helps you find and share historic documents. We are able to bring you many never-before-seen historic documents through our unique partnerships with The National Archives, the Library of Congress and other institutions. http://www.footnote.com/ Reading Practice Can Strengthen Brain 'Highways' by Jon Hamilton Intensive reading programs can produce measurable changes in the structure of a child's brain, according to a study in the journal Neuron. The study found that several different programs improved the integrity of fibers that carry information from one part of the brain to another. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121253104 NMSA09: Getting School Wise: Carol Josel www.Schoolwisebooks.com http://www.schoolwisebooks.com/blog mailto://carol.schoolwisebooks.com "Helen Ladd: "One theory of action seems to be that holding teachers accountable for their student's scores . . ." "The Pretty Good Student . . . " by Charles Osgood. Time activity

Jokes: Always wanted to be a procrastinator, but never got around to it. ~~~~~ My friend has kleptomania, but when it gets bad, he takes something for it. ~~~~~ Did you hear about the big fight that Madonna, Cher, Jewel, and Fabio had? They're no longer on a first-name basis. ~~~~~ It is hard to understand how a cemetery raised its burial cost and blamed it on the cost of living. ~~~~~ Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film. ~~~~~ I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder. ~~~~~ How do you tell when you run out of invisible ink? http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Neighbors-Ditto-Display-Looks-Like-a-Bright-Idea-78523157.html?yhp=1 From the Twitterverse: * lthumann - Wow! I'm looking at Free Technology for Teachers: 30+ Alternatives to YouTube http://bit.ly/UfEkv --> Great list! #edchat * Glengarden - RT @nharm: http://www.animatedexplanations.com/ Full of animated movies, interactive tutorials & instructional videos, all free * KammieK - RT @LarisaBelliveau: In The Age Of Realtime, Twitter Is Walter Cronkite http://bit.ly/7vpvEm * RT @web20classroom 10 Technologies to Use in A Laptop/Tablet Classroom | Digital Learning Environments http://bit.ly/5JnkCz * tombarret - 10 Digital Writing Opportunities You Probably Know and 10 You Probably Don't http://bit.ly/7Ryqaj * Orrin_Woodward - Every uncomfortable experience in life gives you the choice of growing bitter or better. * web20classroom Collaborative drawing with Flockdraw http://j.mp/6tJpiI * web20classroom RT @AldridgeDuff: Amen to that, Russ. RT @RussGoerend: I think students and teachers could live without grades. Parents on the other hand... * jimknight99 #1 reason kids don't engage is they don't see the relevance of the learning--Bonnie Davis #NSDC * AngelaMaiers 10 Unique Gifts You Can Make with Help from the Web http://ow.ly/Ic3P * brasst @plivings I plan PD w/middle school teachers like I do for students - lots of mini-activities; movement time, etc. No one wants boring PD! MAMSE: Contact your local MAMSE board member and volunteer to be a Regional Coordinator! Webspotlight: A Closer Look at "A Christmas Carol" Primary Source: take a look at the editing that Dicken's did when writing "A Christmas Carol". (Warning- it's written in cursive, which may be a strange language to some middle schoolers). http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/30/nyregion/dickens-christmas-carol-pages.html SimplyBox A neat way to save and share web sites, and parts of web sites, graphically. This can also share bookmarks with Delicious- thus, when you dropped something in a box, it would also put a bookmark in Delicious for you. Here's how they say that teachers can use SimplyBox: I am a teacher, how do I create accounts for my students? a) You, as the teacher, can create a second account with SimplyBox in the name of the entire class. Then you would need to give the kids the user name and password you created for the account. By the way, the account then is only accessible by people that have the user name and password for the account. The students then will be able to see the content of the boxes in the account and add comments - from any computer. Now, if they need to add content to the account, they would need the SimplyBox toolbar (the one with the "Box It" button) downloaded on whatever computer they are using. b) You can simply use Public Boxes (you create them under the Sharing menu option). Each Public Box has a URL. So, students can access the URL and see the content of the box and their comments to the different items. And the creator of the Public Box can delete the box at any time. Since this is a Public Box, students will not be able to add content to the Public Box, only comments. NMSA09: Roadblock to Success: I AM STUPID! Classroom Management Todd Johnson Assertive discipline tried and found not to work.

Podcast 98 NMSA09 Follow up 3 Get Your Wave ON! From the Twitterverse: * lthumann - Wow! I'm looking at Free Technology for Teachers: 30+ Alternatives to YouTube http://bit.ly/UfEkv --> Great list! #edchat * KevG How To Quickly Fix A Phone or MP3 Player With Water Damage http://bit.ly/6sMfzi/ * unklar Empowering Principal Leadership Behaviors - http://shar.es/aic38 I shared this w/ my principal and I hope he's not mad. * web20classroom RT @tomwhitby: Educator Guide for integrating Social Media http://bit.ly/5RuTwM

Jokes: I'm a 7th grade life science teacher, so we often use microscopes. My room is a retro-fitted science classroom, so I don't have big lab benches for microscopes - instead I bring in my power cords from Christmas lights. The first time any class uses microscopes, we spend a good ten minutes of class going over the procedure for plugging in and turning on the microscopes. One particular fifth period I had just instructed the students to plug in the microscope and turn them on - and after sufficient wait time announced "At this point, everybody should be turned on." This is when I got some very strange looks from a group of boys in the corner, and all I could do was laugh. Earlier this year, I was reviewing Celsius/Fahrenheit conversions. I was explaining to the kids that there was a messy mathematical formula we could use to do these conversions, but for our purposes I helped them out and gave them a side-by-side picture of the two thermometers that they could draw lines across to make the conversions. "This way you all can avoid the getting your hands dirt with all the math for now." To which one of my smartalic boys blurted out "But what if we want to do it the dirty way?" As the rest of the class burst into laughter, I chuckled inwardly and then explained that we'll have plenty of chances to get our hands dirty in science this year, but this won't be one of those times. Kate K. From the Twitterverse: * Ransomtech "If a podcast can capture everything you do in class, you deserve to have nobody coming." http://bit.ly/3LGs2N * SimpleK12: Don't miss this: Exclusive4 Admins/Tech Coords The importance of ur teachers using Virtual Field Trips in the classroom http://bit.ly/2KQIe3 * blairteach: RT@colonelb Do we need a new high school model? Will our K-12 culture even allow us? http://bit.ly/VJQCS * zoe1971: RT @web20classroom: An Interesting Graphic from #edchat on Information Overload....http://is.gd/4YQzQ * kate_k: Best example I've seen of using Facebook for course-management! The teacher even uses 'events' for due dates. http://bit.ly/gpDrh * TWilliamson15: Just Posted:http://bit.ly/1suaS4 We're Talking...But Who's Listening? A rambling piece generated from numerous conversations today... * web20classroom RT @kelleygarbero: RT @MATH_IS_IT: Great Algebra activities to reinforce learning, http://bit.ly/p2ETB * kjarrett: Love this too - @mcleod's Don't teach your kids this stuff. Please? - Dangerously Irrelevant http://ow.ly/CrGQ * russeltarr Mathematics in Movies: Nice list for Maths teachers building up a DVD collection!: http://tinyurl.com/mahrna * web20classroom RT @stevejmoore: #ncte everyone follow my colleague @kristinlhoward ! She just joined Twitter and needs your connections! * drmmtatom Education Week: Bill Would Replace Key Federal Literacy Programs: http://bit.ly/7r4EQI via @addthis * AngelaMaiers What Does Learning Mean 2 U? New 30 sec. vid/post http://bit.ly/8WvVcG Would love to hear/see your response #WDLM2U * web20classroom Yep...Santa Claus is following me...I hope I get coal this year...with the price of fuel going up and up and everything.... NMSA09: Taking the Challenge Out of Challenging Students – Unlocking the Mystery of Hard-to-Manage Kids Diana Day Dr. Debbie Silver: Helping Teachers Find the “Beat of Their Different Marchers” Website: www.debbiesilver.com password: iamateacher