Podcasts about middle level education

Often in conversations about the teaching elementary vs. secondary students, it's easy to overlook those at the middle level. More than a simple overlap of both categories, children in these grades have their own unique needs. Fortunately, at our annual conference in Nashville, the NAESP Center for Middle-Level Leadership fellows had an opportunity to sit down with Katie Powell of the Association for Middle Level Education to discuss how principals can better understand and serve middle-level students.   Katie Powell is Director for Middle Level Programs at the Association for Middle Level Education. Dr. Todd Brist is principal of Watertown Middle School in Watertown, South Dakota, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Middle-Level Leadership. Jessica Cabeen is principal of Austin Online Academy in Minnesota, as well as a past fellow at the NAESP Center for Middle-Level Leadership.

David James, Teacher Leader at Harold E. Winkler Middle School in Concord, NC, joins me for a Connected Conversation. David shares his leadership journey and passion for Middle School. David is an active board member of the North Carolina Association for Middle Level Education and serves as one of the organizers for the NCMLE Conference. David discusses his work with NCMLE and their upcoming conference. Additionally, David discusses how his school has developed an innovative model for schoolwide professional development. Learn more about NCMLE (North Carolina Association for Middle Level Education and its 2025 conference: https://ncmle.org/ Follow David: X: https://x.com/heroichistory22

Junior High. Middle School. No matter what the name on the sign outside says, what's important is the work happening on the inside. In this episode, Wendy welcomes Jack Berckemeyer of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) for a candid conversation about the big changes happening in how educators approach middle school. Jack stresses the importance of middle school teachers connecting with their students during this crucial time in their academic careers and how staying up-to-date on the fads, fashion, and slang of this age group can help in student success.Resources for Continued LearningThe Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is an international organization specifically for middle school educators. As the go-to resource for research, best practices, and professional development, AMLE is a community of over 350,000 middle level educators connecting and supporting each other. Learn more and join the community!Jack Berckemeyer is a successful author who has written several books focusing on middle level education. In this episode, Jack and Wendy talk about the following titles:Successful Middle School: This We BelieveSuccessful Middle Schools: TeamingManaging the Madness: A Practical Guide to Understanding Young Adolescents & Classroom ManagementDeliberate Optimism: Still Reclaiming the Joy in Education 2nd Ed

In this episode of Teaching Channel Talks, we're taking a closer look at the middle grades with Jennifer Rose, the Director for Professional Programs at the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). From the importance of differentiated professional development to understanding the complex changes students go through during this phase of adolescence, Jennifer and Wendy's discussion centers around the niche of middle level education and how AMLE is working to support the teachers within it.Resources for Continued LearningThe Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is an international organization specifically for middle school educators. As the go-to resource for research, best practices, and professional development, AMLE is a community of over 350,000 middle level educators connecting and supporting each other.Learn more and join the community!During this episode, Jennifer mentions AMLE's The Successful Middle School: This We Believe. Teaching Channel is proud to partner with the Association of Middle Level Education in upholding the 18 characteristics listed and offering professional development created specifically for middle school teachers.AMLE also offers several books focused on the education of young adolescents aged 10-15, which Jennifer mentions in the episode. AMLE members receive a 20% discount on all titles, but these texts are available to all educators.

Lorraine M. Radice, PhD - Leading a Culture of Reading: How to Ignite & Sustain a Love of Literacy in Your School Community. This is episode 653 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Lorraine Radice, PhD, is the PreK–12 director of literacy in Long Beach Public Schools in New York. There, she leads curricular improvement and facilitates professional learning experiences for teachers. Dr. Radice leads teams to develop literacy curricula, monitor student engagement and progress, bridge literacy experiences between the school and community, and consistently build a culture that promotes and celebrates reading and literacy. She also teaches professional development courses for teachers that align with district goals. Prior to becoming a school leader, Lorraine was an English teacher and literacy specialist. She also taught in programs to support language acquisition for elementary, middle, and high school students learning English. Dr. Radice teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in childhood education and literacy at Hofstra University in New York. Dr. Radice is a member of the National Council of Teachers of English and presents at its national conferences. Her writing has been featured on the NCTE blog. she is also a member of the International Literacy Association and has published in ILA's Literacy Today. Dr. Radice is committed to sharing in professional learning communities at the local, state, and national levels where she presents her research and field work. Her research on digital literacies in middle level classrooms was published in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: Intersecting New Needs and New Approaches, a volume in The Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education. Student work from Dr. Radice's teams has been featured in ASCD's Educational Leadership magazine. Lorraine earned a bachelor's degree in childhood education and psychology and a master's degree in literacy studies at Hofstra University. She earned an advanced certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from St. John's University. She also earned an advanced certificate in educational leadership and a doctorate in philosophy in literacy studies at Hofstra University. Our focus today is Lorraine's book - Leading a Culture of Reading: How to Ignite & Sustain a Love of Literacy in Your School Community. So much to learn! Great conversation. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated with producing the show. That would be cool. Thanks for thinking about it.  Hey, I've got another favor...could you share the podcast with one of your friends, colleagues, and family members? Hmmm? What do you think? Thank you! Okay, one more thing. Really just this one more thing. Could you follow the links below and listen to me being interviewed by Chris Nesi on his podcast Behind the Mic about my podcast Teaching Learning Leading K12? Click this link Behind the Mic: Teaching Learning Leading K12 to go listen. You are AWESOME! Thanks so much! Connect & Learn More: https://www.solutiontree.com/leading-a-culture-of-reading.html https://www.solutiontree.com/lorraine-radice.html https://www.lorrainemradice.com/ https://twitter.com/Lorrainemradice https://www.instagram.com/lorrainemradice/ https://www.facebook.com/people/Lorraine-M-Radice/100095320931842/ Length - 53:28

Ever wondered how much impact your words have on those listening?It can be easy to forget the big role that language plays in education. Language affects the students' behavior, self-confidence, and overall engagement.To state it directly: words can make or break a student.In today's episode, I am joined by Shauna King to tackle this very issue. Shauna, once known as the "yelling teacher," has transformed her approach and now uses the power of words to uplift and motivate her students. Together, we'll dive into the importance of intentional communication, revealing how the right words can set the tone for a hopeful and fair classroom. We'll share classroom management techniques and how educators can lead by example, promoting positive behavior that resonates with them to improve student engagement.You'll learn practical strategies to improve teacher-parent communication and create a better support system for the students.Tune in to learn how to transform your teaching through positive language and join us in shaping a brighter, more inclusive future in education.Stay empowered,JenLet's keep the conversation going! Find me at:Jen Rafferty | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook | LinktreeInstagram: @jenrafferty_Facebook: Empowered Educator Faculty RoomAbout Shauna:Shauna F. King has a talent and passion for connecting with adults who have chosen to serve children. Her energy and experience have led to opportunities to present to national and international audiences. As an education specialist, she has facilitated hundreds of presentations and workshops for schools, churches, and conferences. A self-proclaimed "Yelling Teacher In Recovery," Shauna shares practical and research-based strategies to improve teacher, parent, and student engagement. Her professional experience includes roles as a school climate coach for the University of Maryland Positive Schools Center, school principal, student services specialist, and classroom teacher. Her areas of expertise and passion are fostering student engagement, creating equitable learning environments, and promoting positive student behavior. She has partnered with over 150 schools to improve school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. Through high-impact training and coaching, Shauna assists schools in creating "Classrooms of HOPE," where students are given the will, skill and opportunity to make a difference in the world. Shauna F. King is the author of Children are Listening: What We Say Matters which offers practical strategies and advice for educators and parents. Her articles, What We Say Matters: The Power of Positive Talk and Transitions with the Brain in Mind, are featured in the Association for Middle-Level Education magazine.Connect with Shauna:Website: https://shaunafking.com/IG: @shaunafking

Join our host Dr. Wendy Amato and special guest, Katie Powell from the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), as they explore the unique landscape of middle school. Both former middle grade educators, Katie and Wendy share valuable insights on the nuances of teaching in the middle levels and discuss how AMLE is undertaking initiatives to support and empower middle school teachers to make a lasting impact in these pivotal years of student development.Resources for Continued LearningDuring this conversation, Wendy and Katie talk about the characteristics of a successful middle school. Download AMLE's Successful Middle School Summary to see how your school stacks up and identify places for potential improvement!If you're a middle grade educator ready to "find your people" and better support your students, join the Association for Middle Level Education! Becoming a member of AMLE means joining thousands of fellow middle school educators in a collective movement to elevate the middle school profession and achieve excellence in our schools and our careers.Check out AMLE's Successful Middle School Assessment and learn how you can use this data-driven tool to help middle school educators create meaningful improvement.

Do you want great PD at your school? Do you want it to be specific to your students and the needs of your building? In this episode David James discusses an amazing PD program that he has initiated at his school that is having a huge impact on the staff. David also talks about the power of being a teacher leader. Recognizing the hard work that everyone in the building is doing. Why we should all be expecting excellent and so much more. NCMLE Inspire Conference: https://ncmle.org/2024-inspire-conferenceBio:David James is a 7th grade social studies teacher at Harold E. Winkler Middle School in Concord, NC. He serves his students and colleagues in multiple leadership capacities including the Lead Mentor as part of the Winkler Middle School Beginning Teacher Program, 7th grade level chair, 7th grade social studies lead and new staff liaison. David's leadership extends beyond the walls of Winkler Middle School as he currently serves on the board of directors for the North Carolina Association for Middle Level Education as the Marketing Director and the 2024 NCMLE Inspire Conference Director. David believes effective teacher-leadership is a core component of the K-12 school building that is built on passion, trust, and a growth mindset. David is married to his Ohio University sweetheart Erin and they have a son Aiden who is a 1st grade student in Cabarrus County Schools as well. They enjoy their time traveling to athletic fields, race tracks, and concert venues. Social Media:  @HeroicHistory22 on Twitter/X@HeroicHistory22 on Instagram@HeroicHistory22 on TikTok @NCMiddle on Twitter/X@NCMiddle on Instagram@NCMiddle on TikTok@NCMLE on Facebookwww.ncmle.org

Dr. Porcher & Dr. Bertrand, co-host with Dr. Dywanna Smith, to discuss the lack of fat love in the Black community, classrooms, & schools. This episode is a conversation, we are having with Black folx at our kitchen tables, about the harm we have caused to Black folx in fat frames, and how we can show up better for them. We also discuss how to love ourselves in every iteration, regardless of size. Tap into this episode, if you are ready to go deeper in your healing journey. Dr. Dywanna E. Smith is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Claflin University. She serves as Middle Level Program Coordinator and Advisement Ambassador for the School of Education. Dr. Smith received her doctorate in language and literacy from the University of South Carolina.  Her dissertation interpreted how eighth grade African American girls perceived obesity in their daily lives and analyzed what happened when opportunities were given to create counter-narratives about race, gender, and size.  Informed by Critical Race Theory and Black Feminist Theory, the study centered the body as a textual artifact, broadened notions of what counts as text which can be critically read and provided models for nurturing youth in tackling school and community issues.  Before entering the academy, Dr. Smith served as a 7th Grade ELA instructor, a Middle-Level Reading Coach, Instructional Coach, and as a District Office ELA Curriculum Consultant.  Her experience in Middle-Level Education spans over 15 years.  As a scholar-educator-activist, Dywanna's research focuses on two related interests: 1) examining the intersections of race, literacies, and education and 2) equipping teachers with equity pedagogies to successfully teach linguistically and culturally diverse students. She has presented nationally and internationally on these subjects.  She is a Fulbright Scholar Participant to Cameroon and Ghana to learn about indigenous language and knowledges. Her book project, Transformational Sanctuaries in the Middle Level ELA Classroom (NCTE-Routledge Research Series) is out now! Cop it! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-gaze/support

Opie Blackwell is the current principal of Ridgeview Charter Middle School in Atlanta, GA.  Ridgeview Charter Middle School is an inaugural recipient of the Association of Middle Level Education's (AMLE) prestigious Schools to Watch designation, a nationally recognized 2022-2025 elite "Lighthouse School to Watch" from the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, is a southeast recognized "Showcase School" for AVID, and is an International Baccalaureate program school.  His email address is blackwello@fultonschools.org.   On today's episode Opie describes the hard work surrounding interdisciplinary teaching and learning that his team has been prioritizing.  He lays out the entire journey and emphasizes why a focus of including student voice is so valuable to the success they've achieved at Ridgeview Charter Middle School.  Sponsors Pikmykid Improve your school dismissal and safety response with Pikmykid, the Schools Safety and Dismissal Platform. Help move your dismissal from chaos to calm, get kids to their families faster and safer.  Visit pikmykid.com/be to learn more Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You're pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do. I help you stop putting out fires and start leading. Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

Today our guests are Amber Benson & Ruby Voss, better know as BensonVoss. We talk to BensonVoss about the role that Positive Relationships & Data-Based Decisions play in Student Growth. They share how they work to build positive relationships from day one of the school year, and the positive impact that this has in their classroom. BensonVoss also talk about how they have intentionally done more with less and how they work for total participation with their students. BensonVoss “is” the 2022 Association for Middle Level Education, National “Educator” of the Year. Amber and Ruby are a team of innovative, collaborative co-teachers who believe in data-driven instruction and a focus on developing and nurturing positive relationships with students and parents. These relationships are the foundation for successful teaching, learning, and support. They believe in a free-range classroom environment (aka LOUD) where students are encouraged to learn comfortably and to become part of their BensonVoss family. Amber and Ruby also believe in using Data @ the Door and Total Participation Techniques as their backbone for practice and data collection. They are active members of the VDOE Excellence in Co-teaching Initiative, contributed to the development of the VDOE Just-in-Time Quick Checks for Math 8, and they provide professional development at the local, regional, state, and national levels.   Amber earned her B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Mary Washington in 2011.  She has spent 11 years in the classroom teaching Math 6-8, Algebra I and Geometry. Ruby earned a B.B.A. in Accounting from Texas A&M University in 1990, completed an alternative certification program for Special Education in 1993 and earned her M.S. in Special Education in 2010. Ruby spent 8 years as a stay-at-home mom, 4 years as an educational consultant, and 17 years as an educator teaching Math 8, Algebra I and Geometry.

In this week's episode, Hunter Flesch shares his journey as a teacher, Masters student, and aspiring leader as he learns how to lead a building.  In this episode, we discuss: Asking the correct questions as a new leader Finding ways to bring joy to teachers And his wonderful podcast, The Ed Essentials Podcast!  About Hunter Flesch: Hunter Flesch is a current middle school teacher, mentor teacher, and host of “The Ed Essentials Podcast” where he gives teachers and leaders strategies that work! Hunter holds a degree in Elementary and Middle Level Education and is currently pursuing his Masters in Educational Leadership in hopes of becoming a school principal. Follow Hunter Flesch: Website: https://www.edessentials.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/edessentials_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edessentials_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edessentialscollection Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-flesch-669a36122/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU17aTIV2O8Drt8M3Aoz7gA The Ed Essentials Podcast: https://podfollow.com/edessentials [caption id="attachment_4053" align="alignnone" width="720"] Papa Rob's Coffee, Joshua Stamper, Aspire to Lead[/caption] New OFFICIAL Sponsor of the Aspire to Lead Podcast! As a passionate coffee drinker, I am always looking for the best cup of premium coffee. Once Leslie and I tasted Papa Rob's Coffee, we instantly fell in love with the flavor of the Espresso Special Blend. Papa Rob's Coffee is the only coffee we drink and I'm proud to have them as the exclusive sponsor of the podcast! Papa Rob's Roasting Company was started to pass on the love for premium coffee that is as fresh as it is delicious! Rob sources only the finest green coffee beans from around the world and then roasts them to perfection upon order in small batches, so that they will always be at their peak flavor and freshness. One taste and you will experience the difference! Make sure you use the coupon code "Aspire15" to save 15% off your order!

This episode features Dr. Thomas Ralston, Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Forum for Western Pennsylvania School Superintendents.  Dr. Ralston brings 32 years of experience as a public educator to our conversation about the challenges facing school superintendents as they move beyond the COVID pandemic and look toward the future. As a former classroom teacher, building principal, and superintendent, Dr. Ralston is able to look at these challenges from multiple perspectives. His contributions to the improvement of education have earned him the 2010 Administrator of the Year award from the Pennsylvania Association of Middle Level Education, the 2017 Distinguished Education award from the University of Pittsburgh Tri-State Area School Study Council, and the 2020 Superintendent of the Year from the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association.

Special guest: Phyllis Fagell, LCPC Middle school is a time of seismic shifts—everything is changing from friendships and relationships to hormones, expectations and not to mention the physical, intellectual, moral, social and emotional growth your child is experiencing in just a short amount of time. Fundamental questions are floating around the heads of adolescents such as “who am I?” “Am I normal?” and “do I fit in?” Middle schoolers are thrust into a changing environment where adult involvement is reduced and their own skills become vital as they figure out exactly what they are going to allow to be their social and personal currency. Skills such as making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, considering other people's perspectives, cultivating their own passions and recognizing limitations and of course, making responsible, healthy, ethical choices. Yes, there is a lot to this middle school experience that bridges the gap between childhood and teenhood—and thankfully, we don't need to go it alone. Phyllis L. Fagell, LCPC, is the author of “Middle School Matters,” the counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C., a psychotherapist at The Chrysalis Group and a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and other national publications. She is also a regular columnist for the Association for Middle Level Education and Kappan magazines, and she consults and speaks throughout the country. Phyllis graduated with honors from Dartmouth College, received a master's degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University, and earned her master's degree in counseling from Johns Hopkins University. She tweets @pfagell and blogs at www.phyllisfagell.com The post How to Talk to Middle Schoolers about What Matters Most with Phyllis Fagell, LCPC – ReRelease appeared first on drrobynsilverman.com.

Special guest: Phyllis Fagell, LCPC Middle school is a time of seismic shifts—everything is changing from friendships and relationships to hormones, expectations and not to mention the physical, intellectual, moral, social and emotional growth your child is experiencing in just a short amount of time. Fundamental questions are floating around the heads of adolescents such as “who am I?” “Am I normal?” and “do I fit in?” Middle schoolers are thrust into a changing environment where adult involvement is reduced and their own skills become vital as they figure out exactly what they are going to allow to be their social and personal currency. Skills such as making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, considering other people's perspectives, cultivating their own passions and recognizing limitations and of course, making responsible, healthy, ethical choices. Yes, there is a lot to this middle school experience that bridges the gap between childhood and teenhood—and thankfully, we don't need to go it alone. Phyllis L. Fagell, LCPC, is the author of “Middle School Matters,” the counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C., a psychotherapist at The Chrysalis Group and a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and other national publications. She is also a regular columnist for the Association for Middle Level Education and Kappan magazines, and she consults and speaks throughout the country. Phyllis graduated with honors from Dartmouth College, received a master's degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University, and earned her master's degree in counseling from Johns Hopkins University. She tweets @pfagell and blogs at www.phyllisfagell.com The post How to Talk to Middle Schoolers about What Matters Most with Phyllis Fagell, LCPC – ReRelease appeared first on drrobynsilverman.com.

Kari Pitstick is a 7th grade English Language Arts and math teacher in Illinois. She also coaches track and field. She is the Director of Digital Content for the Teach Better Team. She graduated from Illinois State University in 2015 with a bachelor's in Middle Level Education, and American College of Education in 2018 with a master's in Curriculum & Instruction. Kari has known she wanted to teach at the middle level since she was in middle school herself. One of her main missions is to provide a safe and friendly environment for students to explore their passions as learners and as people. Kari is an avid reader, spending most of her free time reading and writing, and she hopes to share that passion with all those around her - students and adults, alike! Key Takeaways: Making mistakes and learning from them is critical to the learning process and lowering anxiety. Modeling and being present in the classroom is key for leaders. It's not just about being visible, it's about being active in what's going on around you. Start the year off right by getting to know those you lead as people. It's never too late to go back and build relationships. Leaders need to make time for the specific thing you want those you lead to embrace. Hold Ed Camp style staff meetings. The best way to become comfortable in your own skin is to know the why behind everything that you do. Stay in Touch: Twitter Website

This week on the podcast, my guest is Dr. Jared Smith. Jared is the Superintendent for the South Tama County School District. Jared holds a BA in Elementary and Middle Level Education from the University of Northern Iowa, an MS in Educational Leadership from National Louis University, and a PhD in Educational Leadership from Iowa State University. Jared has taught and coached at both the middle school and high school levels. Prior to taking his current role of superintendent, Jared worked as an assistant principal and principal for ten years. Jared is an award-winning blogger, the host of The Group Project Podcast, and recently released his first book - Learning Curve: Lessons Learned on Leadership, Education, and Personal Growth.  Jared was recently named the new Superintendent for the Waterloo Community School District. His duties will begin July 1st, 2022. For more visit https://www.drjaredsmith.com/ or follow him on social media at Twitter: @JaredSmithPhD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jared.smith.90 (Jared Smith) IG: dr_jaredsmith Now is the time! Leadership teams are being reorganized across the US this spring. New members will be replacing members who are retiring or moving on to another role. New administrators will be leaping out of the classroom and into leadership for the very first time. Let's be INTENTIONAL with the development of our leadership teams for next year. High Performance Leadership Teams is designed to align each member of the new leadership team, to dig deep into the core values of the team, and to ultimately identify and plan the goals for the upcoming year. I would love to work with you and your team to help you achieve that High Performance that you are looking for, that your school and district deserve. Let's connect - email me at darrinmpeppard@roadtoawesome.net or call me at (307) 371-8947. It costs you nothing to have a conversation. Professional development with Road to Awesome is just a click away. Connect with us at roadtoawesome.net for leadership coaching and consulting, the High Performance Leadership Teams event, staff culture and climate professional development, and keynote and event/school kick-off speaking. Darrin will make your event awesome and have your team ready to roll on the #RoadToAwesome email Darrin at darrinmpeppard@roadtoawesome.net subscribe to our newsletter at roadtoawesome.net Got a book idea you'd like to pitch to the team at RtA? Go to https://roadtoawesome.net/our-services to submit your idea. Final thought for this set of show notes - folks, as educators we are changing the world and we do that one conversation at a time. Follow me on social media at @DarrinMPeppard on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Alignable, and LinkedIn

#championsofdiscourse #takeupspacepod #education #drwalterleeDr. Walter Lee is a Professor of Middle Level Education at the University of South Carolina and he gave so much insight on the perspective of the teachers in South Carolina. Leah and Dr. Walt discuss the impacts he's seen in education and how the community and those in charge can help alleviate the pressure the teachers are under. Let's not forget that our students have to learn advocacy as well. Follow our guest!https://linktr.ee/drwaltleehttps://www.instagram.com/drwaltlee/https://www.tiktok.com/@itsdrwalt?lang=en

Katie Powell is the director for middle level programs for the Association for Middle Level Education. She began teaching in 2005 and has served as a special education teacher, Title I teacher, instructional coach, and classroom teacher. Katie's first book, Boredom Busters, grew out of this focus on providing interventions for struggling students by leveraging curiosity and fun to increase engagement while driving learning deeper. Katie's newest book, Frustration Busters, unpacks common classroom management frustrations to empower teachers to get the focus back on learning. Katie believes in respecting the expertise of teachers and shares her creative process so they can address instruction and classroom management within their own teaching styles. You can contact Katie through: Website: teachbeyondthedesk.com Twitter: @beyond_the_desk Instagram: @teach_beyond_the_desk --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pixelclassroom/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pixelclassroom/support

We conclude our conversation with author and educator Rick Wormeli by discussing how teachers can implement best practices without burying themselves in work. After touching upon what ideas about grading we should carry with us in a post-pandemic world, we share our takeaways from our interview. Resources for WCPSS staff: Goodwin, B. & Rouleau, K. (2020, September 1). Research matters / grading to encourage re-rearning. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/grading-to-encourage-re-learning Wormeli. R. (2020, May 8). Descriptive feedback techniques - Part 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78y5Csm5N8g Wormeli. R. (2020, May 8). Descriptive feedback techniques - Part 2 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgpumwMOe4g Wormeli, R. (2018). Fair isn't always equal: Assessment and grading in the differentiated classroom. Stenhouse Publishers. Wormeli. R. (2011). Redos and retakes done right. Educational Leadership. https://www.newenglandssc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Redos-and-Retakes-Done-Right-Rick-Wormeli-1.pdf Wormeli. R. (n.d.). Re-learning and re-assessing: Practical tips. Association for Middle Level Education. https://www.amle.org/re-learning-and-re-assessing-practical-tips/ Wormeli. R. (n.d.). We have to prepare students for the next level, don't we? Association for Middle Level Education. https://www.amle.org/we-have-to-prepare-students-for-the-next-level-dont-we/ WCPSS staff can earn credit for listening to and reflecting on completed series. Learn more here. Hosts: Mellisa Smith, Serena Halstead, and Spencer Ziegler Theme music provided by Cary High School's Logan Foster Data, Research, and Accountability department for the Wake County Public School System --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datalit/message

Jen Williams (she/her) is a middle school counselor in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and two children. Her tenure in middle school education spans two decades and includes a state board position for the Pennsylvania Association for Middle-Level Education. Mrs. Williams earned her M.Ed from Villanova University and her M.S. from The International Institute for Restorative Practices. She is the author of Peacekeepers: Empowering Youth Using Restorative Practices.

Dr. Stephanie Behm Cross, the principle investigator for Georgia State's CREATE Teacher Residency Program, and Alexandra James, a recent graduate of Georgia State University's Middle- Level Education program, and a rising second-year resident in CREATE, discuss how the program equips educators with resources, emotional and instructional support to create equitable schools.

This episode features a conversation with Lisa Harrison, associate professor of middle childhood education at the Patton School of Education at Ohio University. Lisa is a teacher of teachers, preparing professionals for middle school classrooms. She is also a researcher, with a core area of focus on young adolescent black girls, a somewhat under-addressed topic in the research literature. She has examined the influences of social context on their identity development, including common negative images of black girls compared to their white young adolescent girl peers, as well as the experiences they have in school, often affected by adult perceptions of them that are embedded in some fundamental inequities.Lisa and Jason talk about her research that extends into the inequitable experiences young adolescent black girls have with school discipline policies; how the national dialog around race over the past several months has impacted the way she thinks about preparing her teachers-in-training, including the importance for them to engage young adolescents in racial dialog more routinely, rather than just around big moments; the latest update of the position paper from the Association for Middle Level Education, or AMLE, called the Successful Middle School, which Lisa co-authored, that outlines core attributes and characteristics for middle schools; and how educators, as well as parents and families and other caring adults in the community can use the book to improve the learning and development experience for young adolescents. Additional Readings and ResourcesThe Successful Middle School: This We Believe, Penny A. Bishop and Lisa M. Harrison, Association for Middle Level Education, 2020. “Redefining Intersectionality Theory through the Lens of African American Young Adolescent Girls' Racialized Experiences,” by Lisa Harrison in Youth & Society, Volume 49, Number 8, Pages 1023-1039, November 2017.“Call Me Worthy: Utilizing Storytelling to Reclaim Narratives about Black Middle School Girls Experiencing Inequitable School Discipline,” by ThedaMarie D. Gibbs Grey & Lisa M. Harrison in Equity & Excellence in Education, Volume 53, Number 3, Pages 325-341, 2020.“Synthesizing Middle Grades Research on Cultural Responsiveness: The Importance of a Shared Conceptual Framework,” by Brianna L. Kennedy, Kathleen Brinegar, Ellis Hurd and Lisa Harrison in Middle Grades Review, Volume 2, Number 3, Article 2, December 2016.Push Out: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, by Monique W. Morris, The New Press, 2018.Association for Middle Level EducationPatton School of Education at Ohio University

Dr. Graciani assumed the position of Director for Middle Level Education, Math and Science, and currently serves as the Director of STEM and Medical Assisting at Esperanza College of Eastern University. Prior to her work at Esperanza, Dr. Graciani held research scientist positions in the pharmaceutical industry. Her research included work with peptides and small molecules in various therapeutic areas including cancer, cardiovascular, inflammation, infectious diseases and women’s health. She has been a speaker at scientific and health conferences. Professor Graciani lives in Garnet Valley, PA with her husband and three children. She is actively involved at her church and her children’s schools. She is on the Advisory Board of the Latina Leadership Network at the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Susan G. Komen Latina Advisory Board. She has also been an influential part in the development of the Hunting Park Science Network in Philadelphia. She’s been instrumental in running the first robotics club at Esperanza College and was honored in 2014 as Community Partner of the Year by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Her role at Esperanza allows her to impact younger generations by sharing her passion and developing in them a love for teaching and becoming professionals in STEM-related fields.

Meet Chris Seldon. He is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and is currently 26 years old. He received his associates degree in Middle Grades Education in December of 2018 and will be receiving his bachelor’s in Middle Level Education in May of 2021. This will certify him to teach students in grades 4-8 in Language Arts and Social Studies. He has written and released two books on May 31, 2020, one is a children’s book and the other is a self help book. @_chriss94 To learn more about the Chasing Dreams Podcast, visit http://tiaranicoleriley.com/host and submit all audience questions to ChasingDreamsPodcast@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tiaranicole/support

Todd is a parent of 3 and 7th grade science teacher at Warren Woods Middle School in Warren Michigan. He’s also a board member of the Association for Middle Level Education, a Middle Level Advocate, and host of the #MSchat on Twitter every Thursday night at 8PM ET. You can find him on Twitter @blocht574.

Weekly Updates March 1, 2020 Hello VAPA Community! This is Dr. Trimis with a few announcements! Monday is a late-start day. ¡Hola Comunidad VAPA! ¡Este es el Dr. Trimis con algunos anuncios! El lunes es un día de inicio tardío.  This month we honor and celebrate the American Red Cross, Arts Education, Music in Our Schools, Middle-Level Education, Nutrition, Social Work, Women's History, and Standing with Immigrant Families Awareness. On Wednesday, March 4th, we will be administering the SAT to our 11th grade students. All juniors must be at their testing locations before 8:30 am. Students will be given testing location assignments on Monday and Tuesday. Congratulations to our Legacy Spring Sports Teams who are off to a great start of their seasons. Bed sure to get all of game schedules at www.bit.ly/legacysportscal Congratulations to our VAPA Showchoir winning 2nd Place in the Chaparral Showcase at Temecula Valley High School Friday night. The Smarter Balanced Assessments are coming soon! All juniors should plan on attending our College Prep Math sessions from 8 am to 12 noon on March 7, 14, 21, and 28. There are some alternate review dates for students who have Saturday performances. There is a sign-up form in the VAPA office for students who are planning to perform in the Senior Recital this year or present and defend a portfolio. All students who participate will receive a special Arts Honors Cord for graduation and may audition for the Honors Performance at the Senior Awards Gala. Be sure to check our website and social media platforms for upcoming programs and events at www.vapalegacy.com Take Care, Dr. Edward Trimis, Principal   American Red Cross Month provides a chance to honor and celebrate the everyday heroes who help fulfill the mission of the American Red Cross. http://www.redcross.org/about-us/red-cross-month   Arts Education Month based on the words of President Kennedy “To further the appreciation of culture among all people, to increase respect for the creative individual, to widen participation by all the processes and fulfillments of art – this is one of the most fascinating challenges of these days.” Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month promotes an understanding of the scope of the disease. https://mymsaa.org   Music in Our Schools Month communicates the importance of music in the learning experience. Sponsored by The National Association for Music Education, https://nafme.org  National Middle Level Education Month encourages middle schools to focus on the educational needs of early adolescents. Sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. www.nassp.org     National Nutrition Month focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. www.eatright.org National Save Your Vision Month promotes eye health, awareness around digital eyestrain and the importance of receiving regular, comprehensive eye exams from a doctor of optometry. https://www.aoa.org  National Social Work Month is an opportunity for social workers across the country and their allies to turn the spotlight on the profession and highlight the important contributions they make to society. https://www.socialworkers.org National Women's History Month celebrates the rich and inspiring heritage of the contributions of women to the United States. For information and materials, visit National Women's History Project at www.nwhp.org  Board Rule 1102. We Are One: Standing with Immigrant Families Awareness Month was designated by the LA School Board through 2020 to increase and improve resources for students, staff, and families, and develop supports for postgraduate college and career opportunities for undocumented students.

LaQuanta M. Nelson has served in education as a mentor, teacher, assistant principal, and principal. She has served in middle level education for the last 15 years.Dr. Nelson is a proud 2006 alumna of Tougaloo College, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. While there, she was very active on campus and served in roles such as Student Government Association President, as well as President of the Gamma Omicron Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority Incorporated. She then matriculated to Mississippi College, earning a Masters of Education degree in Elementary Education. She continued her studies at Mississippi College to obtain an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Administration. In May 2012, Dr. Nelson obtained her Doctorate of Philosophy degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in the area of Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Administration.Dr. Nelson began her career as a 6th grade math, science, and technology teacher at Crystal Springs Middle School in Copiah County School District. There, she had the opportunity to build several clubs, which ultimately increased school spirit and parental involvement. She transitioned to Hinds County School District to serve as an 8th grade technology teacher. While serving in that capacity, she continued to serve as sponsor for multiple clubs and community service projects. In 2009, Dr. Nelson joined the administrative team as Assistant Principal of Byram Middle School, she continued to build student leadership and teacher capacity. She was named Principal of Byram Middle School in January 2014, and moved the school forward with re-establishing its vision and building community partnerships. Under her leadership, the school established several innovative programs for the purpose of preparing students to be competitive in a global society. Dr. Nelson joined the Jackson Public School District and took on the charge of leading a turn-around school in August of 2017. Since then, the school has experienced several history-making events, as it is readily moved from under-performing to one of accelerated growth. She empowered teachers and students to create new organizations geared toward building student leadership and expanding community service. Dr. Nelson, serving as instructional leader, helped to increase the academic rigor and expectation, which has led to increased parental involvement and community support. Under her leadership, this school moved from being the 3rd lowest middle school in the state up an entire letter grade. The school previously had been consecutively deemed a failing school for 12 years, prior to Dr. Nelson's arrival. She attributes a majority of this success due to changing the culture and climate of the school.Dr. Nelson is a member of the Mississippi Association of Professional Educators, Mississippi Association of School Administrators, Association for Middle-Level Education, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She is also a member of the Beta Delta Omega Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She enjoys singing and playing the piano, serving as a church musician. Dr. Nelson is the current Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of Middle Level Education and serves on the Mississippi Department of Education Middle-Level Education Task Force. She is always on a mission to advocate for students and public education. Her areas of specialty include personal development, climate and culture, student and adult motivation, organizational development, and systems development. These areas transcend education and are applicable to businesses, organizations, companies, and other group needs. Her recent endeavor of BOSS EDUCATOR is extension of her passion for educating young and adult learners. Through BOSS EDUCATOR, she is empowering ALL to be BOLD, OPTIMISTIC, SPONTANEOUS, and SUBSTANTIAL!

Special guest: Phyllis Fagell, LCPC Middle school is a time of seismic shifts—everything is changing from friendships and relationships to hormones, expectations and not to mention the physical, intellectual, moral, social and emotional growth your child is experiencing in just a short amount of time. Fundamental questions are floating around the heads of adolescents such as “who am I?” “Am I normal?” and “do I fit in?” Middle schoolers are thrust into a changing environment where adult involvement is reduced and their own skills become vital as they figure out exactly what they are going to allow to be their social and personal currency. Skills such as making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, considering other people's perspectives, cultivating their own passions and recognizing limitations and of course, making responsible, healthy, ethical choices. Yes, there is a lot to this middle school experience that bridges the gap between childhood and teenhood—and thankfully, we don't need to go it alone. Phyllis L. Fagell, LCPC, is the author of “Middle School Matters,” the counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C., a psychotherapist at The Chrysalis Group and a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and other national publications. She is also a regular columnist for the Association for Middle Level Education and Kappan magazines, and she consults and speaks throughout the country. Phyllis graduated with honors from Dartmouth College, received a master's degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University, and earned her master's degree in counseling from Johns Hopkins University. She tweets @pfagell and blogs at www.phyllisfagell.com The post How to Talk to Middle Schoolers about What Matters Most with Phyllis Fagell, LCPC appeared first on drrobynsilverman.com.

Special guest: Phyllis Fagell, LCPC Middle school is a time of seismic shifts—everything is changing from friendships and relationships to hormones, expectations and not to mention the physical, intellectual, moral, social and emotional growth your child is experiencing in just a short amount of time. Fundamental questions are floating around the heads of adolescents such as “who am I?” “Am I normal?” and “do I fit in?” Middle schoolers are thrust into a changing environment where adult involvement is reduced and their own skills become vital as they figure out exactly what they are going to allow to be their social and personal currency. Skills such as making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, considering other people's perspectives, cultivating their own passions and recognizing limitations and of course, making responsible, healthy, ethical choices. Yes, there is a lot to this middle school experience that bridges the gap between childhood and teenhood—and thankfully, we don't need to go it alone. Phyllis L. Fagell, LCPC, is the author of “Middle School Matters,” the counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C., a psychotherapist at The Chrysalis Group and a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and other national publications. She is also a regular columnist for the Association for Middle Level Education and Kappan magazines, and she consults and speaks throughout the country. Phyllis graduated with honors from Dartmouth College, received a master's degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University, and earned her master's degree in counseling from Johns Hopkins University. She tweets @pfagell and blogs at www.phyllisfagell.com The post How to Talk to Middle Schoolers about What Matters Most with Phyllis Fagell, LCPC appeared first on drrobynsilverman.com.

Special guest: Phyllis Fagell, LCPC Middle school is a time of seismic shifts—everything is changing from friendships and relationships to hormones, expectations and not to mention the physical, intellectual, moral, social and emotional growth your child is experiencing in just a short amount of time. Fundamental questions are floating around the heads of adolescents such as “who am I?” “Am I normal?” and “do I fit in?” Middle schoolers are thrust into a changing environment where adult involvement is reduced and their own skills become vital as they figure out exactly what they are going to allow to be their social and personal currency. Skills such as making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, considering other people’s perspectives, cultivating their own passions and recognizing limitations and of course, making responsible, healthy, ethical choices. Yes, there is a lot to this middle school experience that bridges the gap between childhood and teenhood—and thankfully, we don’t need to go it alone. Phyllis L. Fagell, LCPC, is the author of “Middle School Matters,” the counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C., a psychotherapist at The Chrysalis Group and a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and other national publications. She is also a regular columnist for the Association for Middle Level Education and Kappan magazines, and she consults and speaks throughout the country. Phyllis graduated with honors from Dartmouth College, received a master’s degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University, and earned her master’s degree in counseling from Johns Hopkins University. She tweets @pfagell and blogs at www.phyllisfagell.com The post How to Talk to Middle Schoolers about What Matters Most with Phyllis Fagell, LCPC appeared first on drrobynsilverman.com.

Special guest: Phyllis Fagell, LCPC Middle school is a time of seismic shifts—everything is changing from friendships and relationships to hormones, expectations and not to mention the physical, intellectual, moral, social and emotional growth your child is experiencing in just a short amount of time. Fundamental questions are floating around the heads of adolescents such as “who am I?” “Am I normal?” and “do I fit in?” Middle schoolers are thrust into a changing environment where adult involvement is reduced and their own skills become vital as they figure out exactly what they are going to allow to be their social and personal currency. Skills such as making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, considering other people’s perspectives, cultivating their own passions and recognizing limitations and of course, making responsible, healthy, ethical choices. Yes, there is a lot to this middle school experience that bridges the gap between childhood and teenhood—and thankfully, we don’t need to go it alone. Phyllis L. Fagell, LCPC, is the author of “Middle School Matters,” the counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C., a psychotherapist at The Chrysalis Group and a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and other national publications. She is also a regular columnist for the Association for Middle Level Education and Kappan magazines, and she consults and speaks throughout the country. Phyllis graduated with honors from Dartmouth College, received a master’s degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University, and earned her master’s degree in counseling from Johns Hopkins University. She tweets @pfagell and blogs at www.phyllisfagell.com The post How to Talk to Middle Schoolers about What Matters Most with Phyllis Fagell, LCPC appeared first on drrobynsilverman.com.

Shauna King has a talent and passion for connecting with adults who have chosen to serve children. Shauna is a former principal, classroom teacher, intervention specialist and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) coordinator from Prince George’s County, MD. In addition to being a highly sought after presenter, Shauna serves as an adjunct instructor for LaSalle University and The Regional Training Center. As an independent consultant, Shauna is committed to supporting schools and school districts that are implementing positive and proactive initiatives. She also serves as a certified presenter for the Upside Down Organization, and has presented nationally and internationally on topics including executive function, student engagement, gender differences and the power of words. Her articles on positive talk and transitions in the middle school have been featured in the AMLE (Association for Middle Level Education and the NAREN (National At Risk Education Network) magazines.King holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Morgan State University, a Master’s degree in Education from Bowie State and an Education Specialist degree in Adult Learning from Walden University.An active member of her church and community, Shauna is also a proud wife and mother of two elementary age children, Matthew and Morgan, who are the joy of her life. Connect with Shauna F. King Ed.S.-Educator, Author & Speakerwww.shaunafking.comwww.schoolsmartbook.com

Shauna King has a talent and passion for connecting with adults who have chosen to serve children. Shauna is a former principal, classroom teacher, intervention specialist and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) coordinator from Prince George’s County, MD. In addition to being a highly sought after presenter, Shauna serves as an adjunct instructor for LaSalle University and The Regional Training Center. As an independent consultant, Shauna is committed to supporting schools and school districts that are implementing positive and proactive initiatives. She also serves as a certified presenter for the Upside Down Organization, and has presented nationally and internationally on topics including executive function, student engagement, gender differences and the power of words. Her articles on positive talk and transitions in the middle school have been featured in the AMLE (Association for Middle Level Education and the NAREN (National At Risk Education Network) magazines.King holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Morgan State University, a Master’s degree in Education from Bowie State and an Education Specialist degree in Adult Learning from Walden University.An active member of her church and community, Shauna is also a proud wife and mother of two elementary age children, Matthew and Morgan, who are the joy of her life. Connect with Shauna F. King Ed.S.-Educator, Author & Speakerwww.shaunafking.comwww.schoolsmartbook.com

MSM 283: A Love Letter. Dipsticks. Images. and Memory. Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Eileen Award: iTunes: Twitter: Marc Clark, Deborah Kenny, Crystal Davids, Jeff Emerson Google+: Facebook: Email: Advisory: Cryptic Writing http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/09/01/victorian-cryptographic-love-letter/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-LAB SAFETY SPEC ED PARAPROS 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 "Scope on Safety: Question of the Month" written by Ken Roy, director of environmental health and safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Glastonbury, Connecticut. The question of the month, that he responds to, is "Do special education paraprofessionals in my science lab need to have formal training in handling hazardous chemicals?" From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Strategies: 13 Tricks to Help You Remember What You’ve Learned Memory is fallible. If you forget everything in this article, remember this fact: Researchers estimate that we lose 90% of everything we learn immediately after learning it. Ninety percent. Have I got your attention now? http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/13-tricks-help-you-remember-what-youve-learned.html 21 Cool Anchor Charts To Teach Close-Reading Skills Close reading is a hot topic that’s just getting hotter! Here are 21 anchor charts, bulletin board ideas and other resources that you can bring into your classroom to turn your readers into even closer readers. http://www.buzzfeed.com/weareteachers/21-cool-anchor-charts-to-teach-close-reading-skill-h0xt Resources: Image Resources https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages Free PowToon Account We believe in the importance of education so to celebrate 5 million PowToons created we have over 50,000 FREE Classroom Accounts to give away! Each account gives one teacher + 60 students access (normally $96/yr per account). Offer Expires October 31st, 2014. Accounts are valid for one year. http://www.powtoon.com/lp/toonup/ Web Spotlight: Random Thoughts . . . Google Classroom Personal Web Site

MSM 282: Own your own stuff, just don’t call a plumber. Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Eileen Award: Twitter: André Sprang, Joseph Kenney, KJ Wari, Jochen Horst Advisory: Humans Need Not Apply The video below is long (15 minutes), but thoughtful and riveting. It make the case that just as horses have been replaced by technology, humans are next. If that sounds like silly logic, invest one minute, just to see what you think. www.loopinsight.com/2014/08/16/humans-need-not-apply Getting Over Procrastination http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/a-procrastination-gene Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) Middle School Science Minute -- Think Apps 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 "Think Instruments, Think Apps: Using App-Based Technology in the Science Classroom" written by Nancy H. Heilbronner. In the article, Nancy describes 10 apps that would be helpful to use in the science classroom. All 10 of the apps could take the place of costly scientific instruments. From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Strategies: Who's a Math Nerd? *raising hand* http://iamamathnerd.wordpress.com/2014/01/04/countingcircles/ 4 Big Things Transformational Teachers Do http://www.edutopia.org/blog/big-things-transformational-teachers-do-todd-finley Resources: 27 Ways To Promote Intrinsic Motivation In The Classroom by TeachThought Staff http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/27-ways-promote-intrinsic-motivation-classroom/ Web Spotlight: 4 Steps Towards A More Personal Classroom by Linda Pruett http://www.teachthought.com/learning/getting-started-personalized-learning/ 5 Ways to Assess Learning without Giving a Test I ran into a little push-back about assessment. The chief complaint was that increasing the number of assessments requires teachers to give up more instructional time to test kids. I couldn't agree more with. We don't need more tests. We need more instruction. But here's the deal. Assessment is not testing. Assessment is determining if learning is actually taking place. In fact, assessment is a vital component on excellent instruction, and without assessment, you're not delivering instruction. You're disseminating information and opportunities to learn. http://leadlearner2012.blogspot.com/2014/07/5-ways-to-assess-learning-without.html Why All Students Should Write: A Neurological Explanation by Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed., radteach.com http://www.teachthought.com/literacy-2/why-all-students-should-write-a-neurological-explanation-for-literacy/ A strange definition of a ‘bad’ teacher http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/08/09/a-strange-definition-of-a-bad-teacher/ Ideas Of The Mind (Wandering, Divergent And Flipped) In many organizations, we are so intent on the problems and walls that stand before us, that we never allow ourselves the time necessary to think past, around or beyond them. We spend our waking time and mental capacity being now-focused. Completely immersed in plodding forward…and pushing those walls and obstacles with us. Never realizing that taking a step back will not only improve our perspective, but unveil a variety of routes forward that may have not been noticeable, previously. http://dculberh.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/ideas-of-the-mind-wandering-divergent-and-flipped/ Random Thoughts . . . Own your information. eCommunity for Moodle Personal Web Site

Having school administrators who understand and are committed to using digital tools can be transformative. Our guests today are are from a district that is a powerful model. Follow: @Tchr_RachelM @Mrs_CarterSS #edtechchat #edchat #edtech Rachel Sniff is a graduate of High Point University in Middle Level Education, completing culminating research on Transitional Issues in Middle Level Students and Instructional Strategies in AIG Students. Tiffany Carter, a graduate of Wingate University with a degree in Business Administration and minors in Legal Studies and Sociology,is a 7th Grade Social Studies Tiffany is a STAR Discovery Educator who leads professional development on integrating digital resources into instruct to transform teaching and learning.

MSM 281: We’re Rusty. Shut off the Internet to test. Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Eileen Award: iTunes: Twitter: Holly Berchet-Hall, Brian Marks, Andre Spang, Torsten Larbig, MEEMIC, Kyle Stalzer, @sarahdateechur, Kit Hard, Yong Park, Dr. Phil Metzger, Secondary Principals (MASSP), Google+: Ryan Easton, Sandra Wozniak Facebook: Email: Advisory: Too Obvious to share Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) WE GET LETTERS 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 "Letters! We Get Letters" written by Joanna Shubin. In the article, Joanna describes how she has her students write letters to scientists. It is a great way to integrate science and English Language Arts and to generate enthusiasm in all of the students. She suggests that you try having your own students write to scientists, because you will get letters! http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/8/7_Middle_School_Science_Minute-We_Get_Letters.html From the Twitterverse: 4 Ideas To Have A Successful First Year as Principal http://feedly.com/k/1qmcUDJ ~ #ISTEAPLN #fhuedu610 #tn_teta #edchat => @MSMatters #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Stick Pick Twitter Giveaway: So recently I won a copy of Stick Pick. I already have a copy of Stick Pick from back when I reviewed it for the Podcast. If you’d like my copy of Stick Pick, send us an email at middleschooleducators@gmail.com with a short statement on how you use differentiation in your classroom and we’ll throw your name in a random name selector (called Stick Pick) and announce a winner two weeks from the recording of this show. Stick Pick will be making an important product announcement soon and we’ll bring you the news when it happens. Strategies: Random Name Generators Need a way to select students to “volunteer”? http://www.classtools.net/education-games-php/fruit_machine http://primaryschoolict.com/random-name-selector/ http://www.classtools.net/random-name-picker/ * Note that these can also be used for vocabulary words, important terms, etc. Classroom Games http://www.teachhub.com/classroom-games-other-creative-ways-start-day What works in teaching Math http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/MathHome.aspx Resources: Fluency Tutor Fluency Tutor™ for Google is designed to increase the fluency and comprehension skills of emerging readers. It can be used with individual students or whole classrooms. It helps to identify students needing additional support, and is often used with students in older grade levels who have specific reading difficulties. The teacher dashboard and student interaction area are all free. Premium features such as useful analytics and progress tracking are also available for $99 per teacher, per year. http://www.fluencytutorforgoogle.com/ Web Spotlight: Making Connections with Advisory Relationships are among the most important elements of student success. By: Ellen D'Amore ...research has shown that the more teachers foster relationships with their students and focus on their social and emotional needs, the more academic performance, motivation, and attendance improve. Our advisory program includes activities that take approximately one to two hours a week for the first semester, gradually moving the focus from social/emotional awareness to academics. The advisory program involves a series of seamless steps. The results of our advisory program include higher overall GPAs, increased attendance rates, and fewer behavior referrals. In the two years since we implemented the program, my students have commented that they feel like our advisory class is a little family, and they wish we could do more activities together. I feel the same way. http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsHot/WHDet/TabId/271/ArtMID/889/ArticleID/297/Making-Connections-with-Advisory.aspx Random Thoughts . . . Personal Web Site IFTTT Badges

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 davidbydlowski@mac.com) 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

MSM 279: A test of random facts and Weird Al makes the show this week on Middle School Matters! Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Test Questions: Johnny's mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child's name? There is a clerk at the butcher shop, he is five feet ten inches tall and he wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh? Source: http://blog.ivman.com/easy-tests/#more-7571 Random Facts An octopus has three hearts. There’s enough water in Lake Superior to cover all of North and South America in 1 foot of water. You can spell the word “upside down” upside down by using other letters of the alphabet: umop apisdn. The name Jessica was created by Shakespeare in the play Merchant of Venice. The YKK on your zipper stands for “Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikigaisha.” Every two minutes, we take more pictures than all of humanity did in the 19th century. Eileen Award: Twitter: Aaron Duff, Adnan Iftekhar, Kelly Lippard Advisory: Chat out of context https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-qpvjjNfLA#t=33 Perceptions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfZFuw7a13E Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-SCIENTIFIC MODELING 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 "Modeling What We Can't Sense - Using Evidence We Can" written by Juliana Texley. In her article she challenges the thinking that as we look at the history of science, we often imply that ideas were chronologically wrong, then less wrong, culminating with modern scientific theory. From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Resources: Why Reading Matters http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/07/18/nice-bbc-video-why-reading-matters/ The Seven A’s of Successful High Schools Defining what it means to have a “successful” high school is quite the challenge, with stakeholders often disagreeing on the approach to take. Following, I’ve outlined each of the seven attributes I consider essential in a successful H.S., as well as my rationale for selecting each. http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/10620 Weird Al “Tacky” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsWo8apgLys “Word Crimes” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc Leonard Cohen on Creativity, Hard Work, and Why You Should Never Quit Before You Know What It Is You’re Quitting before we quit, we have to have invested all of ourselves in order for the full picture to reveal itself and justify the quitting, which applies equally to everything from work to love http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/07/15/leonard-cohen-paul-zollo-creativity/ Summer Learning Loss So, if all the research says most of the achievement gap is due to summer learning loss, it boggles my mind even more that we are spending huge amounts of resources on countless school reform boondoggles like Race To The Top, Value Added Measurements (VAM), the “next generation” of standardized testing, etc… http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/07/19/is-summer-learning-the-silver-bullet-for-narrowing-the-achievement-gap/ Web Spotlight: Flowboard Presentation software that looks like a magazine layout, functions like HyperCard stacks and is more interactive than Slideshare. It’s an app and until the first 10,000 downloads it’s $9.99. https://flowboard.com/ emaze Think Prezi. With 3D effects. And a translation tool. Basic version is free, the Education version is $2.90/month. http://www.emaze.com/ Random Thoughts . . . ISTE 2014 Personal Web Site

MSM 278: Random Facts, Write about Maths. Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/really-really-bad-puns Random Facts Eileen Award: iTwitter: Adnan Iftekhar, Kyle S., Mike Paul Google+: Patrick Brule Advisory: Spread of Baby Names http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/07/an-interactive-look-at-history-and.html?m=1 Jobs Charted by State and Salary http://flowingdata.com/2014/07/02/jobs-charted-by-state-and-salary/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) Neuroscience-Career Opportunites This is the fourth in a four part series on neuroscience with special guest Aneesha Badrinarayan, Outreach Programs Manager with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, in Ann Arbor, MI. You can visit the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum online at: http://www.aahom.org In this podcast, we look at the question of "How do you prepare for a degree in neuroscience and what are the career opportunities?" http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/7/3_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Neuroscience_Career_Opportunities.html From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Strategies: Using Writing in Mathematics to Deepen Student Learning http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED544239.pdf Anchor Charts Useful or just pretty? http://teachingexperiment.com/2013/11/anchor-charts-all-levels/ School-Wide Twitter Chats http://www.worldtimebuddy.com/new-zealand-wellington-to-est Resources: daFont http://www.dafont.com Shooloo Large repository of Common Core Math Word Problems. https://fun.shooloo.org/ Classroom Icebreakers http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/icebreakers.html What was there Ties historical photos to Google Maps. http://www.whatwasthere.com/ Web Spotlight: The Secret of Effective Motivation By AMY WRZESNIEWSKI and BARRY SCHWARTZ http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/opinion/sunday/the-secret-of-effective-motivation.html?referrer=&_r=0 http://thefederalist.com/2014/01/17/the-death-of-expertise/ Random Thoughts . . .

MSM 277: eHe’s got eSkeletons in e’s Closet! Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Advisory: A few minutes with ... a kid who helps the homeless Robby Eimers spends his Saturdays like a lot of 12-year-olds, heading to baseball games or handing out meals to 150 homeless people. Whoa. Wait. Say what? http://www.freep.com/article/20140615/NEWS/306150058/1001/news Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) Neuroscience for MS Teachers This is the third in a four part series on neuroscience with special guest Aneesha Badrinarayan, Outreach Programs Manager with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, in Ann Arbor, MI. You can visit the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum online at: http://www.aahom.org In this podcast, we look at the question of "Why is neuroscience important for middle school science teachers?" From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Strategies: 20 WORDS THAT ONCE MEANT SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT http://ideas.ted.com/2014/06/18/20-words-that-once-meant-something-very-different/ Visual Note Taking http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2014/06/19/inspired-by-ipadpalooza-2014-visual-notetaking/ http://www.slideshare.net/wfryer/visual-notetaking-with-ipads-june-2014 Resources: Etymonline http://www.etymonline.com/ eSkeletons http://www.eskeletons.org/ Invasion of America Between 1776 and the present, the United States seized roughly one eighth of the habitable world by treaty and executive order. Explore how it acquired North America in this interactive map of every Native American land cession since the birth of the nation. http://invasionofamerica.ehistory.org/ http://www.ehistory.org/ Library of Congress The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching. Find Library of Congress lesson plans and more that meet Common Core standards, state content standards, and the standards of national organizations. http://www.loc.gov/teachers/ Web Spotlight: No one can credibly argue that teachers are trained well enough to be effective and efficient in today’s classrooms http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2014/06/no-one-can-credibly-argue-that-teachers-are-trained-well-enough-to-be-effective-and-efficient-in-todays-classrooms.html 40 Before and After Shots That Demonstrate the Power of Visual Effects http://twistedsifter.com/2014/06/before-and-after-shots-of-visual-effects-in-film/ 11 facts about US teachers and schools that put the education reform debate in context The debate over teacher compensation and job security and its relationship to student performance is incredibly bitter and divisive, featuring two competing sides with drastically competing narratives and visions of education. One good place to start with the issue, however, is with some basic facts. Here are eleven. http://www.vox.com/2014/6/16/5810438/11-facts-about-americas-teachers-and-schools Blog? Wiki? Website? One of the questions that I am asked on a fairly frequent basis is, "should I create a blog, a wiki, or a website for my classroom?" Each platform serves a slightly different purpose. Years ago I created a small set of slides to outline the features of each platform. Yesterday, I rediscovered those slides and found that they are still useful. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/06/blog-wiki-or-website-key-points-to.html#.U6WanY1dXSd Random Thoughts . . . eCommunity for Moodle Personal Web Site

MSM 276: Picture (almost) Perfect! Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Eileen Award: Twitter: Julie Brannon, Tanya Knight, Sharon Ricks Advisory: Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) This is the second in a four part series on neuroscience with special guest Aneesha Badrinarayan, Outreach Programs Manager with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, in Ann Arbor, MI. You can visit the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum online at: http://www.aahom.org In this podcast, we look at the question of "What is the application of Neuroscience?" From the Twitterverse: Strategies: Powtoon http://www.powtoon.com/ http://www.powtoon.com/pricing/edu/ Resources: Historypin Historypin is a way for millions of people to come together, from across different generations, cultures and places, to share small glimpses of the past and to build up the huge story of human history. Everyone has history to share: whether its sitting in yellowed albums in the attic, collected in piles of crackly tapes, conserved in the 1000s of archives all over the world or passed down in memories and old stories. Each of these pieces of history finds a home on Historypin, where everyone has the chance to see it, add to it, learn from it, debate it and use it to build up a more complete understanding of the world. http://www.historypin.com/ Web Spotlight: Images from the Museum of New Zealand Over 14,000 images are available under a Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND. If you aren’t familiar with Creative Commons it can look a little complicated, but what it means is you can use those images if attribute the image (we help you do that at each download page). You can’t make money from using the image, and you can’t change the image. Might sound a little restrictive but there is plenty you can still do, like use it in your homework, on your blog, print it and hang it on your wall… But even better are the 17,000 images that downloadable for any use, any use at all. These images have no known copyright restrictions. Again it would be good if you attributed the original maker of the work, and link to the page on Collections Online so others can find it, but that isn’t mandatory. http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/explore http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/ How (Not) to Talk to Kids About High-Stakes Tests By day, I’m a calm, mild-mannered middle school teacher who would do just about anything to motivate my students to do their best work and fall in love with learning. I praise their achievements and efforts, not just their high scores, and then watch those scores improve. By night, I am the mom of two daughters, and much of my hard-won professional acumen goes out the window. Defenders believe rigorous tests lead to better teaching and better learning only when the tests have sharp teeth: Students, educators, principals, and even whole schools face dire consequences if kids don’t do well. It’s a giant experiment, involving millions of children. 1. Going negative just does not work very well. 2. Praising hard work, not high scores, is more effective. 3. Stereotypes matter. So the takeaway for parents and teachers swept into the vortex of testing mania? Inspire students by helping them to see that their hard work has a purpose that will improve their lives and the lives of those around them. Build up students’ confidence by teaching them to work hard to improve their skills. Praise their tenacity and curiosity, not just their high scores. http://www.rewireme.com/explorations/talk-kids-high-stakes-tests/#sthash.aP67okS6.y7GwnHh9.dpbs Random Thoughts . . . ISTE 2014 eCommunity for Moodle Personal Web Site

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Eileen Award: Twitter: Lee Ann Jung Advisory: Drawing out things songs that don’t make sense http://www.buzzfeed.com/nathanwpyle/nonsensical-lyrics-explained-by-gifs What Your Handwriting Says About You Have your students write about a simple topic. http://www.buzzfeed.com/celestinomark/what-your-hand-writing-says-about-you What do you need for one bedroom housing? Have your students write out how much they think that they would need to make per hour to afford one bedroom housing in your area. This is based upon a 40 hour work week and working 52 weeks a year. This can be extended by having the work out the math to include a vacation. Students could also figure out if they moved how that could impact what they need to make. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/04/22/what-youd-need-to-make-in-every-county-in-america-to-afford-a-decent-one-bedroom/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) This is the first in a four part series on neuroscience with special guest Aneesha Badrinarayan, Outreach Programs Manager with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, in Ann Arbor, MI. You can visit the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum online at: http://www.aahom.org In this podcast, we look at the question of "What is Neuroscience?" From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Resources: What We Can Learn from Oklahoma’s Repeal of Common Core http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2014/06/06/what-we-can-learn-from-oklahomas-repeal-of-common-core/ ExamTime Introduces New Options for Tracking Your Own Study Habits ExamTime is a neat service that students can use to create flashcards, mind maps, and practice quizzes to help them study. The most significant of the new ExamTime features is the new performance tracking option. Performance tracking allows students to keep track of how they scored on practice quizzes, monitor which flashcards they know and which they need to spend more time with, and track their comprehension of nodes of their mind maps. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/05/examtime-introduces-new-options-for.html#.U5MXEZRdX70 Video: A New Version Of “I’m Just A Bill” That’s More Cynical & More Accurate http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/05/22/video-a-new-version-of-im-just-a-bill-thats-more-cynical-more-accurate/ Web Spotlight: SAMR Model Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/archives/2014/04/27/FrameworksForEducationalTechnology_SAMRAndTheEdTechQuintet_CAIS.pdf The Problem with Outcome-Oriented Evaluations “When we play poker, we control our decision-making process but not how the cards come down. If you correctly detect an opponent’s bluff, but he gets a lucky card and wins the hand anyway, you should be pleased rather than angry, because you played the hand as well as you could. The irony is that by being less focused on your results, you may achieve better ones.” Smart decisions and strong performance do not always beget good results; the more factors in-between our actions and the desired outcome, the less predictive power the outcome can give us. Better policy would focus on school and teacher inputs. For example, we should agree on a set of clear and specific best teaching practices (with the caveat that they’d have to be sufficiently flexible to allow for different teaching styles) on which to base teacher evaluations. http://34justice.com/2014/05/19/the-problem-with-outcome-oriented-evaluations/ Random Thoughts . . . eCommunity for Moodle Personal Web Site

MIDDLE LEVEL EDUCATION with AMLE AMLE's Dru Tomlin on MID LEVEL LEADERSHIP Presented by Zaner-Bloser   www.zaner-bloser.com  @zanerbloser

MSM 273: Maestro, my Kindergartener is now “College and Career Ready”. Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: ally-funny Eileen Award: Twitter: Jason Hovey, Tara Becker-Utess, Anna Asti, Andrea McKay, Kevin Sigaty, Jerri Wood, Google+: Heather Valdespino Advisory: 10 Jobs that will http://mashable.com/2014/04/28/jobs-of-the-future/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-HAND WASHING I was recently reading the January, 2014 issue of Science Scope, a magazine written for Middle School Science Teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association. One of my favorite sections in each Science Scope is the "Scope on Safety" section, written by Ken Roy, Director of Environmental Health and Safety for Glastonbury Public Schools. Ken shares his advice on hand washing. From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Strategies: Google Lesson Plans http://www.google.com/insidesearch/searcheducation/lessons.html Resources: Curriculet Create/Use classroom texts that include mark ups, notes, and quizzes. Uses Google sign in. www.curriculet.com Twine is an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories. http://twinery.org/ Google Classroom http://www.google.com/edu/classroom/ Web Spotlight: Digital Reading Poses Learning Challenges for Students By Benjamin Herold Comprehension may suffer when students read on the digital devices now flooding into classrooms, an emerging body of research suggests. When reading on screens, for example, people seem to reflexively skim the surface of texts in search of specific information, rather than dive in deeply in order to draw inferences, construct complex arguments, or make connections to their own experiences. Research has also found that students, when reading digitally, tend to discard familiar print-based strategies for boosting comprehension. And many of the multimedia elements, animations, and interactive features found in e-books appear to function primarily as amusing distractions. ...also quick to acknowledge a big problem: "I understand better when [text] is on paper, because it's all right there, and it's not skipping ahead and back all the time." A study last year by Heather R. and Jordan T. Schugar, a wife-and-husband research team at Westchester University of Pennsylvania, found that a small sample of students comprehended traditional books at "a much higher level" than they comprehended the same material when read on an iPad. "We live in two worlds now," she said. "We have to adapt." http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/05/07/30reading_ep.h33.html?tkn=PMMFo4tLGmh6NCiNzQJqSzJEzUsX5Cmy25wx&cmp=ENL-DD-NEWS1 Kindergarten show canceled so kids can keep studying to become ‘college and career ready.’ Really. An annual year-end kindergarten show has been canceled at a New York school because the kids have to keep working so they will be “college and career” ready. Really. This didn’t come out of the blue. Kindergarten (and even preschool) has increasingly become academic — at the expense of things such as recess and the arts — in this era of standardized test-based school reform. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/26/kindergarten-show-canceled-so-kids-can-keep-working-to-become-college-and-career-ready-reallyV Random Thoughts . . . eCommunity for Moodle Personal Web Site

MSM 272: POST! You gotta fix that. Oh, and get me engaged (not that way). Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: During training exercises, the Lieutenant driving down a muddy back road encountered another car stuck in the mud with a red-faced colonel at the wheel. "Your jeep stuck, sir?" asked the Lieutenant as he pulled alongside. "Nope," replied the Colonel, coming over and handing him the keys, "Yours is." Little Johnny was not paying attention in class so the math teacher called on him and said, “Johnny! What are 5, 2, 28 and 40?” Little Johnny quickly replied, “NBC, CBS, HBO, and Cartoon Network!” Okay, so a Texan rancher comes upon a farmer from Maine. The Texan looks at the Mainer and asks, "Say, how much land you think you got here?" Mainer: 'Bout 10 acres I'd say." Texan (boasting): Well, on my lot, it takes me all day to drive completely around my property!" Mainer: "Yep, I got one of them trucks too." A man put in 10 puns for a pun contest, hoping that at least one of them would win. But sadly, no pun in ten did. Wife: “How’d your doctor appointment go? Husband: “Well, there’s good news and bad news. My blood pressure’s high and I’m overweight. But, at the doctor’s suggestion, I’m going to take up golf!” Wife: “And the good news?” Eileen Award: iTunes: Twitter: Google+: Facebook: Email: Advisory: Birthday Celebrations Around the World Warning, could give students some ideas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWLGvaeDAlU Positive Messages https://twitter.com/FHUPrincipal/status/453508594554531840/photo/1 Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) Place-Based Inquiry I was recently reading the January, 2014 issue of Science Scope, a magazine written for Middle School Science Teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association. In this issue, I was reading the article, "Using Place-Based Inquiry to Inspire and Motivate Future Scientists," written by Callin Switzer. In this article, Callin explains the meaning of scientific inquiry and compares and contrasts place-based education and field-based education. http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/2/7_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Place-Based_Inquiry.html From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Strategies: BookTrack Classroom Create texts for your students. The texts can include sounds. This could be a reading of the book or background music. http://cdn.booktrack.com/education-studio/index.html#!/ Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide.aspx?sid=19 Resources: Why Doesn't America Read Anymore? NPR had a terrific April fool’s joke. http://www.npr.org/2014/04/01/297690717/why-doesnt-america-read-anymore Web Spotlight: More Than Half of Students 'Engaged' in School, Says Poll Students who strongly agree that they have at least one teacher who makes them "feel excited about the future" and that their school is "committed to building the strengths of each student" are 30 times more likely than students who strongly disagree with those statements to show other signs of engagement in the classroom—a key predictor of academic success, according to a report released Wednesday by Gallup Education. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/04/09/28gallup.h33.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1 Random Thoughts . . . Personal Web Site

MSM 271: Nerds, Saving Money, Put it on Paper Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Eileen Award: iTunes: Twitter: Sandra Martin, Carina Soto, Kaley Katherine, Duncan Gunstone Google+: Facebook: Email: Advisory: Wil Wheaton’s Response to being called a nerd Wil Wheaton explains to a girl how to handle being called a nerd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04WJEEb33CY#t=48 Body Language Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success. http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are#t-11094 Dining http://twentytwowords.com/barbarian-eating-different-countries-around-world-7-pics/ Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-STORY ASSESSMENTS I was recently reading the January, 2014 issue of Science Scope, a magazine written for Middle School Science Teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association. In this issue, I was reading the article, "Every Assessment Tells a Story," written by Fred Ende. In this article, Fred shares his design of Story Assessments as a form of evaluation design. His purpose for designing Story Assessments was to reduce student anxiety. http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/3/17_Middle_School_Science_Minute-Place-Famous_Scientists.html From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Strategies: 14-Year-Old Proves U.S. Can Save $370 Million by Changing Fonts Changing the standard typeface used by federal and state governments could save the United States roughly $370 million a year in ink costs, according to a peer-reviewed study by Suvir Mirchandani. The best part of the story? Mirchandani is just 14 years old. It all started when Mirchandani, a student at Dorseyville Middle School near Pittsburgh, Pa., noticed that he was getting a lot more printed handouts in class than he used to in elementary school. He wondered how wasteful it was, and then discovered just how expensive ink is. At up to $75 an ounce, he points out, it's twice as expensive as Chanel No. 5 perfume. http://mashable.com/2014/03/28/save-money-change-fonts/ http://www.emerginginvestigators.org/ Resources: Paper Create all types of graph paper to print or use as a background for Interactive Whiteboards, presentations, etc. http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/ OR http://gridzzly.com/ Lingua.ly Learn Practice Read One free way to learn a new language. There is now a mobile app. Did I mention that it is free? http://lingua.ly/ Comics in Education http://www.comicsineducation.com/ Scrawlar Web based whiteboard. No registration required. No app or plugin required. Teacher creates class accounts. http://www.scrawlar.com/ My Slide Rule Upgrade your skills. Grow in your career. Find MOOC’s that will help you grow. http://www.mysliderule.com/

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Eileen Award: Google+: Kris Ham, Advisory: Yoga http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/low-income-students-combat-stress-mindfulness/ 58 Everyday Things You Never Knew Had Names http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/58-everyday-things-you-never-knew-had-names 77 Facts That Sound Like Huge Lies But Are Actually Completely True http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/77-facts-that-sound-like-huge-lies-but-are-completely-true Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS I was recently reading the January, 2014 issue of Science Scope, a magazine written for Middle School Science Teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association. In this issue, I was reading the article, "Supporting Linguistically Diverse Students" written by Joseph Johnson, Randy Yerrick, and Erin Kearney. In this article, they look six strategies to help provide success for English Language Learners. http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/1/24_Middle_School_Science_Minute-English_Language_Learners.html From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Strategies: How to Trick a Child Into Playing the Violin (or Other Boring Things) http://geekdad.com/2014/03/trick-a-child-into-violin/ Resources: Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy Wheel http://eductechalogy.org/swfapp/blooms/wheel/engage.swf Classic Books http://read.gov/books/ Evolution of a Story from Idea to Publication: A Behind-the-Scenes Look Explains the writing process from a writer. http://www.jamierubin.net/2014/02/26/evolution-of-a-story-from-idea-to-publication-a-behind-the-scenes-look/ Web Spotlight: http://www.scpr.org/blogs/education/2014/03/03/15966/eli-broad-appoints-head-of-philanthropic-education/ Virtual autopsy: explore a natural mummy from early Egypt http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/past_exhibitions/2012/virtual_autopsy.aspx Free CopyRight Courses Peer 2 Peer University is again offering some free courses on Copyright and Creative Commons for educators. Copyright for Educators and Creative Commons for Educators begin in March and run through early May. Copyright for Educators has an enrollment limit and requires an application. Creative Commons for Educators does not have an enrollment limit nor does it require an application. Creative Commons for Educators: The course will run for a period of 7 weeks, as split up to the left and below. Each week has a different task to complete, which is due the following Sunday. Tasks may take anywhere from half an hour to two hours or more, depending on how much effort you and your small group wants to put in that week. Like most things in life-- the more time you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Course break-down 3 March - Week 1: Introduce yourself and your classroom need 10 March - Week 2: Creative Commons in Context 17 March - Week 3: Find the materials with the rights you need 24 March - Week 4: Remix and attribute 31 March - Week 5: Share your work 7 April - Week 6: Collaborate and create 14 April - Week 7: Share your resource about CC https://p2pu.org/en/courses/1283/creative-commons-for-k-12-educators/ http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/02/free-copyright-and-creative-commons.html#.Uxsu1NyxNTN Good Parenting Skills http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/11/good-parenting-skills/ Random Thoughts . . . Personal Web Site

Presented in collaboration with the Association for Middle Level Education. Jokes You Can Use: Eileen Award: Twitter: William Gould, Val Jones, Mark Maudlin, Jessica Herring, Bren Martin Advisory: Skeptic 101 THE SKEPTICAL STUDIES CURRICULUM RESOURCE CENTER is a comprehensive, free repository of resources for teaching students how to think skeptically. This Center contains an ever-growing selection of books, reading lists, course syllabi, in-class exercises, PowerPoint presentations, student projects, papers, and videos that you may download and use in your own classes. Lessons in these resources include: what science is, how it differs from pseudoscience, and why it matters the scientific method and how to use it to investigate and conduct skeptical analyses of extraordinary claims how to construct effective arguments and rhetorical strategies how to effectively use presentations and papers to present an argument reason, logic, and skeptical analysis the psychology of belief how ideas are presented within academia how peer review works and much more… http://www.skeptic.com/skepticism-101/ Hand gestures http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/blog/language-learning/the-hand-jive-hand-gestures-infographic Middle School Science Minute by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com) MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE MINUTE-THE LEONARDO STRATEGY I was recently reading the January, 2014 issue of Science Scope, a magazine written for Middle School Science Teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association. In this issue, I was reading the article, "The Leonardo Strategy" written by Renee Clary and James Wandersee. In this article, they look at scientific discourse and argumentation in an online environment. http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Entries/2014/1/19_Middle_School_Science_Minute-The_Leonardo_Strategy.html From the Twitterverse: #mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!” Strategies: Professional Development Be glad this isn’t you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAy3vJn4pbs#t=34 Cultivate a Learning Mindset: Passion What can be seen in an organization with a learning mindset characterized by passion? http://blog.clerestorylearning.com/cultivate-a-learning-mindset-passion Characteristics of Good Leadership http://infographicjournal.com/characteristics-of-good-leadership/ Resources: Chogger Create comics online. http://chogger.com/ Web Spotlight: 25 Literary Opening Lines Diagrammed on One Giant Poster http://mentalfloss.com/article/55248/25-literary-opening-lines-diagrammed-one-giant-poster 25 maps and charts that explain America today http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/02/24/25-maps-and-charts-that-explain-america-today/ Real Discipline in School http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/02/17/opinion/real-discipline-in-school.html Nine-hour school day is the norm – and a national model – at Oakland middle school http://edsource.org/today/2014/oakland-middle-schools-9-hour-school-day-is-model-program/57269 Random Thoughts . . . Blended Learning. Class I’m taking as a student. Special shout out to Ron King for his contributions.