Speaking of History........

Podcast #215 - "Watching" the State of the Union Through the Eyes of Twitter

2012-01-26T15:12:00.000-06:00

Today's podcast is sort of a rambling (consider yourself warned) about how I watched my Twitter feed about the State of the Union Address last night before I listened to it on my own. Viewing events like debates, speeches and sporting events is definitely different when you are commenting and watching it live on Twitter. What does this say about us socially? Do you watch live events with your phone or i-Pad in one hand commenting to Twitter? Please listen to the podcast and then leave a quick comment.

Direct link : Speaking of History Podcast #215 "Watching the State of the Union Address Through the Eyes of Twitter" - MP3 file (9 minutes)

Podcast #214 - Antique Radio Time Machine

2012-01-25T19:41:00.000-06:00

Hello. Today's podcast is part do-it-yourself, part technology. I discuss how in a couple of minutes we took our family antique cabinet radio from the 1930's and soon had it playing Glenn Miller big ban music and reports from D-Day.

Direct link : Speaking of History Podcast #214 - Antique Radio Time Machine - MP3

Links from podcast:

Old World Radio - great site to download original music, comedy shows and dramas

Montgomery Ward Airline 62-215 Radio - 1935

Podcast #213 - I'm Back

2012-01-08T16:11:00.000-06:00

Hello. It has been 535 days since my last podcast but I'm back. I really enjoy podcasting and it is my hope to rejuvenate the post here in 2012. I have been busy the past 2 years working on my doctorate and that time that I used to spend on the podcast has largely been consumed by doctorate work. I am now finished with my course work and am writing my dissertation. Today's podcast is a short recap of what has been happening in the past two years and my desire to get back on track. Thanks for listening.

Direct link : Speaking of History Podcast #213 - I'm Back (10:00 minutes)

WordFoto App

2011-12-02T20:00:00.001-06:00

I have used Wordle for years in class but recently have also been playing with the WordFoto app on my I-pad. WordFoto isn't as "texty" as Wordle - meaning that it is not intended to take an entire speech or paragraph like Wordle. It is more about taking a photo and adding text elements to the photo.

I have enjoyed taking some family photos and making this year's Christmas card and making an graphic of a Husker football player. I think it also has potential for making interesting images of historical figures and places. Below is a quick WordFoto made of a picture I took of Mount Vernon a couple of years ago while attending a Gilder Lehrman summer workshop. I have include the original photo as well to allow you to compare.

The WordFoto app is currently available only as an Apple app. If you would like to check out some great examples of what WorldFoto can do check out their Flickr page.

New Pearl Harbor Interactive from National Geographic

2011-12-01T22:56:00.001-06:00

As we prepare to observe another anniversary of Pearl Harbor, an excellent new interactive site from National Geographic is available for teachers to use in the classroom.

Thanks to @explorehistory for sharing this resource on Twitter.

2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship - Okonomiyaki

2011-07-19T11:25:00.002-05:00

This is the sixth in a series of blog posts describing my experiences as part of the 2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship Program.

Okonomiyaki at a Hiroshima restaurant

Okonomiyaki mid process on a hot plate

Our KKC group making Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima

One Japanese food dish from the my recent trip to Japan deserves its own blog post – Okonomiyaki. Wikipedia describes okonomiyaki as “a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients and is derived from the word ‘okonomi’ : what you want and ‘yaki’ : grilled”. My host family prepared it for me during my home stay and then we visited a restaurant as a group where we prepared one for ourselves on a hot plate which sat in front of us.

The okonomiyaki is a mixture of batter, cabbage, pork and optional items including squid, octopus and cheese. On top of this combination are placed noodles, a fried egg, okonomiyaki sauce and mayo. My host family also sprinkled the finished plate with dried tuna shavings and dried seaweed. The dish is most popular in the Kansai and Hiroshima areas. Different regions have different proportions of ingredients. The mixture is fried on a hot plate and turned over several times like a pancake with spatulas. It was relatively easy to eat with chopsticks and has so many ingredients it is easy to find something that everyone likes.

2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship - Baseball in Japan

2011-07-14T21:55:00.000-05:00

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts describing my experiences as part of the 2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship Program.

My new favorite Japanese Baseball player

Poster promoting the game we attended

One of the things I hoped to have an opportunity to do while in Japan was watch a major league Japanese baseball game. This ultimately was a reality because of the generosity of my host family. A week prior to visiting Japan my host family contacted me to see what I would like to do during my homestay in Japan. I replied to Noriko, my host, and explained that if possible I would love to attend a game. She said it would be possible to attend a game on July 3rd at Osaka.

Noriko, Mizuki (Noriko’s niece) and I took a combination of subways and trains from Kyoto to Osaka to watch the Osaka Orix Buffaloes and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks play at the Kyocera Osaka Dome. The teams in Japan are sponsored by companies and the corporate names are included in the name of the team – Orix sponsors the Osaka team and SoftBank sponsors the Fukuoka team. The Osaka Orix Buffaloes are the team Ichiro Suzuki played for in Japan before coming to the United States to become an All-Star with the Seattle Marines. Ichiro is one of my favorite players to watch and there were a ton of advertisements in the stadium featuring him promoting a Japanese brand of beer.

I met these super fans for the Osaka team prior to the game

The couple which sold us our tickets to the game

We arrived at the Osaka Dome looking to get tickets for the game. We wanted to get some cheap tickets so we went to the area of the stadium where the general admission seats are sold for the game. We were just walking up to the ticket booth to buy some tickets, which cost about 1,500 yen each, when a family approached us and asked if we were looking to buy tickets. Noriko explained that we did want to buy some tickets. The family explained they had some extra tickets since their friend was unable to make it today. He offered to sell us two tickets for 1,000 yen – about $8 in U.S. currency. We agreed and then when he saw we needed a total of three tickets he gave us the third one for free and then handed me the jersey the team was giving away that day. I was so thrilled to get the tickets and the free jersey that I told him thanks in Japanese repeatedly and asked to take a picture with his family. We were in!

Enjoying the game with my host family

We entered the stadium and found it to be very much like any domed stadium in the United States – fans milling around, concession stands and places to buy souvenirs. I went to the souvenir stand to get some items to take home. I saw many fans walking around with a large towel they wore around their neck which had the team name and featured the name and number of their favorite player. I decided I needed one of these so I bought one with the name of my new adopted favorite player in Japan – #9 Tomotaka Sakaguchi of the Osaka Buffaloes. I also found a team autographed baseball with Sakaguchi’s signature. I also picked up a couple of game programs for free. The programs were really cool and even gave directions for specific team songs and chants as well as directions for waving your towel in a certain manner.

Shopping for souvenirs at the game

View from our seats in the upper deck, slightly right field

The concourse was full of food options included a hot dog stand, traditional Japanese cuisine (including octopus and sushi), a Kentucky Fried Chicken and a McDonald’s. I had not yet tried a burger at a McDonald’s in Japan and the other options didn’t appeal to me so I decided this was the time to do a taste comparison. I got a Big Mac, fries and a Coke. The Big Mac tasted pretty close the same as in the states with the exception of maybe a little more pepper on the patty. My hosts also got burgers at McDonald’s.

McDonald's concession stand inside Osaka Dome

We reached our seats, the first row of the upper deck of the Osaka Stadium just to the left of center field. It was much like an American game except for the dressed up samurai warriors running around the field and the chanting from the fans. The fans for the opponent were louder than their home counterparts. They had a band with drums and trumpets while waving several very large team flags. The fans also did a unique celebration using different colored balloons. At the end of the 6^th inning half of the stadium blew up large yellow balloons and then between innings on cue half of the stadium let them go, causing them to fly in the air a short distance and then fall to the ground. The action was repeated in the middle of the 7^th with the opposite side of the stadium doing the same thing with pink balloons. I had never seen anything like it at an American stadium.

Fans prepare for the pink balloon launch at the game

The game was a defensive battle with the score at 1-0 in favor of Osaka when we had to leave in the 8^th inning to catch the train back to Kyoto in time. The game itself wasn’t really all that different than one in the states with the exception of a more bunt attempts. Each team had a couple of American players each and the starting pitcher for Osaka was an American. It was fun day at the ballpark and I’m glad that I can say that I was able to attend a game in Japan and I have a new favorite player to follow in Japan.

Enjoying a ice cream helmet sundae at the game

Osaka Dome

2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship - Tokyo is One LARGE City

2011-07-11T17:54:00.001-05:00

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts describing my experiences as part of the 2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship Program.

View of Tokyo from 45 floor of Ritz-Carlton in midtown Tokyo

I must admit that I was astounded by the sheer number of people in the city of Tokyo. Those of you who know me well know that I grew up in Howells, Nebraska - a small farming village in northeast Nebraska with an official 2000 census population of 632 people. We stayed in Tokyo on this fellowship for a total of four nights. Tokyo is the world's most populated metropolitan area with a total of 35 million people.

View of Tokyo from 40th floor of Tokyo Dome Hotel

It was hard for me to get a grasp of what 35 million people look like until I open the window to my hotel room at the Tokyo Dome Hotel. My room was on the 20th floor (the hotel has an observation lounge on the 45th floor). It was about 11:00 PM at night when we got into our hotel room and when I opened the window I could see nothing but lights from skyscrapers in every direction. The site was amazing and even more so considering that many buildings in the Tokyo area are not fully lit at night due to the efforts to conserve energy following the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in the 3/11/11 earthquake. The next morning I looked out over the city in the dawn of the morning light and it was even more impressive than the evening before. It was now daylight and in every direction not only could I see buildings, but skyscrapers in every direction going on forever on the horizon. It was very impressive.

I took some pictures of the Tokyo skyline from my hotel window but also ventured to higher locations including the 45th floor of the Tokyo Ritz-Carlton hotel and the 40th floor of the Tokyo Dome Hotel and took pictures and video from these locations.

Video of Tokyo from 45th floor of Ritz-Carlton hotel

The sheer number of people of in Tokyo is almost too much to comprehend. The urban core of Tokyo has 2,700 square miles with a population density of 12, 296 people per square mile. I was impressed.

Me looking out over Tokyo from the 40th floor of the Tokyo Dome Hotel

2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship - Vending Machines

2011-07-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

This is the third in a series of blog posts describing my experiences as part of the 2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship Program.

Row of vending machines in Koyto

For some reasons I was fascinated with the number and quality of the vending machines in Japan. Vending machines were everywhere and they had tons of choices. Some vending machines for beverages had almost 40 choices. I admittedly drink too much soda – Diet Pepsi is my vice at home – and so I would occasionally use the vending machines to get my daily caffeine fix. I never saw Diet Pepsi but they did have Pepsi Max and Pepsi Dry in the Japanese market. I tried the special Pepsi Max but it had a different taste than the same product in the states and I generally drank Coca-Cola since it was more readily available. The restaurants also often had Coke and my host family bought Coke in advance of my home stay because they had once hosted some American students and they drank a lot of Coke while visiting their house.

Vending machines in Japan

Since it was extremely hot during our stay in Japan I would sometimes stop at a vending machine to purchase something to drink. I tried some of the fruit juices and thought they were pretty good. My favorite new drink that I discovered was milk tea. This drink, as stated, is a mix of milk and tea - sort of like buying a Starbucks Frappuccino at a convenience mark mart in a bottle but with less kick. It was a great drink to cool down when I didn’t want a soda. I drank milk tea quite a bit while in Japan and hope to find it somewhere in the states for a treat.

I liked this Orange type fruit drink

Many beverage choices at vending machine in Japan

We also did see a number of vending machines selling food items, ice cream, newspapers and cigarettes. It was also surprising to see that you could buy beer and even sake in a vending machine. I can’t imagine a vending machine in the states that would sell alcohol.

Vending machine for newspapers in Japan

2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship - Getting Around in Japan

2011-07-11T16:26:00.004-05:00

This is the second in a series of blog posts describing my experiences as part of the 2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship Program.

Subway in Osaka

My journey to Japan literally included a variety of trains, planes and automobiles (in addition to subways, buses and ferries). The first leg of my journey was delayed when my flight from San Francisco to Osaka was canceled due to mechanical issues. I was put up in a hotel in San Francisco for the night and my new flight plan now included flying to Tokyo instead and then a connecting flight into Osaka. This new itinerary concerned me a little since I would be flying into one of the world’s largest airports where I did speak the language, had to clear customs immigration and customs within an hour to make my connecting flight. I was more relieved when I discovered that one of the other teachers in our group would be on the same flight and we would be attempting to make this connection together. Our flight sat at the gate an extra hour and a half at San Francisco with an issue loading the luggage so it really made it difficult once we landed in Tokyo.

Our connecting flight to Osaka from Tokyo was on Japan Airlines and the staff at the airport did an amazing job of helping us get through immigration, collecting our luggage, clearing customs and then finally making our flight with about 2 minutes to spare. We did have to run through the airport but we made it. The flight on Japan Airlines was smooth and uneventful. The most memorable aspect of the flight was how clean the airline was and the way the flight attendants checked on us about 5 times during the hour long flight.

During our excursions in the city we often traveled by a chartered bus but we also used taxis. Several times while traveling in taxis I sat in the front seat on the left side, opposite of how we drive in the United States. I sometimes caught myself catching my breath as we made some quick turns in traffic unto what appeared to be the wrong lane.

Riding the subway in Kyoto with Mizuki, a member of my host family

The subways in Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo were always clean and on time. Tokyo had the busiest subways by far but nothing that we couldn’t handle and everyone was very respectful when the cars became full. Whenever we had a question about which train to take the individuals we asked were always very gracious and helpful. The program gave us a credit card preloaded with enough yen so we could use it throughout our stay and not worry about buying individual tickets each time. All we had to do was hold it up to the sensor and then pass through the gate – very smooth.

Enjoying my first trip on the Bullet Train in Japan

My favorite mode of transportation in Japan was by far the bullet train – or as it is called in Japan, the “Shinkansen”. I knew we would be traveling on the bullet train because it appeared on our initial itinerary and it was one of the things I was most excited about experiencing while in Japan. I can remember reading about the bullet train when I was a kid growing up and thinking it would be an awesome way to travel. We rode the bullet train twice – one from Kyoto to Hiroshima and then later from Hiroshima to Tokyo.

Inside the "Green Car" on the Bullet Train

The first trip – Kyoto to Hiroshima – was about 2 hours long. It was still light when I started so we could see cities and the countryside as we zoomed along at roughly 170 miles per hour. The tour organizer had arranged an upgrade for us to the first class car, known as the “green car”. The seats were spacious and comfortable. Each seat had its own power outlet to accommodate a laptop. Attendants came through the car offering to sell beverages or snacks. It was a very comfortable trip.

The Bullet Train arrives to take us to Tokyo

The second trip – from Hiroshima to Tokyo – was roughly 4 hours. Again, we started in daylight and then it gradually got darker as night fell. Since it was dark we did not see Mt. Fuji on this trip. We didn’t score the green car this time but the regular class tickets still offered many of the same services and the seats were just a tad smaller but still very comfortable. We grabbed a bento box and headed for Tokyo. The bullet train made several stops along the way but each one lasted only a couple of minutes. The bullet train is always exactly on time and gives you a couple of minutes to board at each stop before zipping on to the next destination. A study done in 2003 showed that in over 160,000 train trips the average arrival time of each train was within 6 seconds of its scheduled stop. I also found it amazing that in its 45 year history transporting more than 7 billion passengers there has never been a fatality due to derailments or collisions!

Ticket to Ride - Bullet Train to Tokyo

During our time in Japan we utilized public transportation often and found it easy, relatively cheap on consistently on time. It made me wish that I lived in a city where I could get on a subway or train and head down to the baseball game or a visit to a museum. Overall I was very impressed with transportation in Japan and found it to be enjoyable.

2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship - Fourth of July in Hiroshima

2011-07-11T16:00:00.002-05:00

This is the first in a series of blog posts describing my experiences as part of the 2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship Program.

Waseda Junior High Students welcoming us to their school

This year I celebrated July 4th outside of the United States for the first time in my life. This year on July 4th I woke up on the 16th floor of a hotel in Hiroshima, Japan while participating in a study tour of Japan from the Keizai Koho Center. I was welcomed to the sight of a bustling Japanese city when I opened the windows of my hotel room in the morning. We had arrived late the night before via the bullet train from Kyoto. On the taxi ride from the train station to the hotel the night before my first impression was the dramatic comparison from Kyoto. The buildings in Hiroshima were much newer and the city looked distinctively modern in comparison to Kyoto. Then the reason for the stark contrast in cities dramatically struck me - this was a relatively new city because on August 6, 1945 an atomic bomb was dropped from the B-29 Bomber Enola Gay and in a matter of minutes had destroyed much of the city.

In the previous 24 hours several of us in the group had mentioned in casual conversation that it was it was somewhat unusual that we were celebrating July 4th in a Japanese city with this unfortunate link to our own history. Would the people we would meet in Hiroshima show any resentment toward Americans? So far on our study group we had been the recipients of extraordinary hospitality from the people of Japan but would Hiroshima be different?

After breakfast our group set out for the two scheduled appointments on our itinerary. First we were visiting Waseda Jr. High School in Hiroshima. In the afternoon we were visiting the site where the atomic bomb was dropped and the accompanying world peace park and museum. It was a full day, and just as we did for every day on this study tour, we looked forward to the adventure and the exploration.

Our bus pulled up to the front of Waseda Jr. High School. We removed our shoes and were asked to follow the principal. It was quiet in the hallway. As we approached the gym, we noticed signs created by the students welcoming us to their school which featured American flags. We entered the gymnasium to see a sight which surprised many in the group. The entire student body of Waseda Junior High was assembled in the gym - absolutely quiet and standing in meticulously straight rows. As we entered the gym, the students were smiling and offered a thunderous round of applause which continued until all of us were seated in designated chairs lined up on the baseline at the far end of the gym.

Sign welcoming Keizai Koho Fellows to Waseda Jr. High School on July 4th

The response from the students was moving to say the least. The students had prepared a welcoming program for us which including greetings, a traditional drum performance and signing. They told us they wanted to help us celebrate the 4th of July since it was an important day for us. I was moved to the brink of tears. Just an hour before at breakfast I had a sense of uncertainty concerning how Americans would be treated in Hiroshima. The actions of the students at Waseda Junior High answered my question and this spirit of hospitality and friendliness was repeated consistently over the course of the next couple of days.

Students perform for us at opening ceremony at Waseda Jr. High School

The remainder of our school visit was a wonderful experience and our time at the peace park was excellent as well. Each of these visits warrant their own specific blog entry so I will not expand on it at this time. I will also defer discussion on the politics and circumstances which resulted in the atomic bomb being dropped over 65 years ago - all great discussions for a different blog entry. But what I felt in that gym on the morning of July 4th was not about the past, not about a horrific war fought between our grandparents and great grandparents, not about looking at the past. For that one moment in time, for me personally, it was about looking toward the future and an understanding that we have so much to gain from helping and working with each other. I did not spend the 4th of July in the United States this year but I will remember sitting in that gymnasium on July 4th for the rest of my life.

Students of Waseda Jr. High sing a song for us at opening ceremony

2011 Keizai Koho Fellowship Introduction

2011-07-11T15:42:00.000-05:00

Visiting Kinkaku-ji - The Golden Pavilion - in Kyoto, Japan

Hello. This summer I went on an adventure of a lifetime. I was selected this past spring to participate in the 2011 Keizai Koho Center Fellowship Program. I had the good fortune of traveling in Japan between June 29th and July 8th with nine other social studies teachers from the United States.

We visited a variety of cities in Japan including Kyoto, Hiroshima and Tokyo. We toured schools, businesses, historic sites, factories, temples and shrines. We have a home stay with a Japanese family. We ate things we couldn't describe and sang Karaoke in downtown Tokyo for three hours. We met the major of Hiroshima and rode the bullet train. It was an experience I will never forget as well as the people I shared it all with for nearly two weeks.

I took a lot of pictures during the trip. It would probably not shock anyone who knows me that I took over 1,100 pictures in 10 days and had my handy Flip Video cam along to collect some of the memories on video. While we were in Japan it was difficult to update the blog and do a quality job of capturing the experience so I have waited until after the trip to really reflect and write. My upcoming posts will include my thoughts on aspects of the trip, mostly organized into themes. I will include accompanying photos and videos. I hope my blog posts will accurately convey some of my experiences on this amazing trip.

If you are interesting in participating in a Keizai Koho Fellowship - and I highly recommend it if you have any remote interest in Japan - please check out their website for more information on how to apply for future trips.

KKC Japan Fellowship - Day 1 - The Golden Pavilion

2011-07-01T09:48:00.002-05:00

The second temple we visited today was Rokuon-Ji Temple – also known as The Golden Pavilion because the structure is wooden with gold-leaf on Japanese lacquer. The building is truly stunning as it sits on a pond. This is my favorite temple of the trip and it think the pictures of The Golden Pavilion are my best so far on this trip.

The site of the temple was also busy with numerous school groups – hundreds of Japanese students in their school uniforms covered the grounds. We talked with several groups of students and they asked us questions to practice their English. Japanese students also requested to have their picture taken with American teachers before we left the site.

KKC Japan Fellowship - Day 1 - Ryoanji Temple

2011-07-01T09:29:00.000-05:00

Our first visit today was to the Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto. This Buddhist temple is famous for it’s rectangular Zen rock garden. As we entered the grounds of the temple we walked through gorgeous landscaping and Kyoyochi Pond with lilies. This pond dates back to the 12th century. The surrounding grounds had trees and flowers. It was incredible and at this time of the summer everything looked great.

The rock garden has a gravel base and 15 stones. At first the garden honestly did not impress me. It looked very simple. Our guide then explained that the garden contained exactly 15 stones because the moon becomes new again in 15 days. The aspect of the garden I liked the most was that the stones in the garden are arranged in such a way that it is impossible to stand and view al 15 at one time – symbolizing that it is impossible for anyone to be perfect.

The temple itself was also very impressive. We took off our shoes off upon entering the temple and one of the teachers in our group had a great comment as we left. He said that without wearing shoes it was possible to interact more with the temple itself – feeling it with your feet. I thought that was a great observation.

2011 Keizai Koho Center Japan Fellowship - Day 1

2011-06-30T09:47:00.000-05:00

Hello. For the next nine days I will be visting Japan as a member of the 2011 Keizai Koho Fellowship program. The fellows for this year consist of 10 social studies teachers from the United States. We will be visting schools, factories, businesses and historical locations in Japan in order to better understand Japan and the Japanese culture.

I will be posting some reflections and thoughts from this experience a little later but while I had a little time tonight I wanted to post a couple pictures from our experiences today.

Me in front of The Golden Pavilion - Rokuon-Ji Temple

The Golden Pavilion - Rokuon - Ji Temple

Our lunch at the Doshisha International Jr / Sr High School

8th Grade Japanese History Class at Doshisha International Jr / Sr High School

One of the seven courses we enjoyed tonight as guests of Mr. Hisao Sakuta, Chairmen of Omron Corporation

Help History Teachers in Joplin, Missouri Rebuild Their Classroom

2011-06-15T16:26:00.004-05:00

Many of you are probably aware of the devastating EF5 tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011. Over 150 individuals lost their lives on that Sunday afternoon and the cost to rebuild Joplin has recently been estimated at over $3 billion. The estimated cost of rebuilding the Joplin School District alone is over $150 million.

Joplin High School - Joplin, Missouri

This tragedy has touched the lives of many here in Missouri. I live in Liberty, Missouri - around 170 miles north of Joplin - and there have been many opportunities to help Joplin through food drives and monetary donations. Yesterday, I received an e-mail from Bill Gerling, Social Studies Consultant\Assistant Director of Assessment for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Bill forwarded on a specific request which I thought social studies teachers across the nation would be interested in if they want to help their fellow social studies teachers in Joplin.

Amber Travis is a social studies teacher at Joplin High School, a building which was destroyed in the May 22nd tornado. The 12 teachers who make up the social studies department of Joplin High School have lost everything and are in need of all the supplies and materials required to start school in the fall of 2011.

Here is the text of Amber’s e-mail as it was forwarded to me :

Myself along with 11 other Social Studies teachers at Joplin High School recently lost everything in our classrooms as a result of the May 22 tornado in Joplin, Missouri. I'm trying to contact individuals and organizations who would be willing to send us materials, posters, or anything that we could use in our new rooms. We're looking for things to hang up in classrooms, phamplets, books, videos, and lesson plans. Any freebies you have can be sent to:

Amber Travis
2619 S. Delaware Ave
Joplin, MO 64804

atravis@joplin.k12.mo.us

As I have watched the news coverage following the tornado and its tremendous devastation, I have felt a desire to help in as many ways as possible. This request is a opportunity for social studies teachers across America to help a fellow teacher in need. Maybe you have an extra DVD that you love to show in your class and would like to send, or a book that you think is a must for every classroom. Maybe you would like to buy a poster or map that could help decorate a history classroom next fall for Joplin students. This is your chance to help

I don’t personally know Amber Travis and am only passing along this request but I know that sending materials to Joplin is one thing I can do to help a fellow history teacher and the students in their classrooms. The Joplin School District is also offering a "Adopt A Classroom" program for anyone looking for ways to help Joplin students.

Please pass this request along in any way you can - blogs, e-mails, Twitter, etc. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of Joplin.

MSTA Change Agent Conference - Standards Based Grading

2011-06-07T07:15:00.000-05:00

Link to download a PDF version of the presentation

Link to Diigo list of resources collection on Standards Based Grading

Blogging the Royals - What Education and Baseball Can Learn From Social Media

2011-05-19T09:43:00.004-05:00

Those of you who follow my blog know that the tag line for my podcast has always been that this space is a discussion for the topics of “education, technology and history”. This post is a combination of all those topics but this time they collide in an unlikely location – Kaufman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals major league baseball team.

I have blogged for the past six years and in the past couple of years I have become a fan of Twitter. Those of you that know me outside of the classroom also know that I enjoy following the Kansas City Royals. During the season I often tweet about the Royals while I watch at home or am sitting in the stands at the K. So when I saw a tweet about a week ago from the Royals asking for applications to attend a game as a social media member - "Blog Your Way to the K" - I jumped at the chance. I was selected as one of the eight social media members and graciously accepted their invitation. I arrived at Kaufman Stadium on Tuesday night armed with my digital audio recorder, a Flip cam, a digital camera and my Droid phone – ready to report for duty as a member of the new age media. I felt relived to discover that joining me on this crazy adventure was another teacher – Sean Nash of St. Joseph, Missouri. Some of the participants maintain incredible, up to date blogs which cover the Royals. Several of us were a little lighter on Royals content and selected because of our familiarity with social media.

It was clear from that start that we were the guinea pigs. This was the first time the Royals had invited social media members to a game and provided access to some players and members of the organization. In this circumstance being a guinea pig was more than alright. Before the game we met with Ned Yost and were allowed to ask questions of the Royals manager. We had similar question and answer opportunities with players Eric Hosmer and Bruce Chen during batting practice. All time Royals save leader Mike Montgomery spent time answering our questions before we headed up to where we would watch the night’s action between the Royals and the first place Cleveland Indians – a suite attached to the press box complete with food, comfortable chairs and an incredible view. We were provided a Royals media guide, game day stats, a scorebook and a couple of t-shirts to take home.

(To provide a little context, last week I attended Hosmer’s first game with my brother and sat in the Hy-Vee seats of the upper deck. Tonight I was interviewing Eric Hosmer during batting practice and then enjoying the game from a suite courtesy of the Royals. Yes, I am crazy lucky.)

In the suite prior to the first pitch we had a question and answer session with Royals broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre and Royals General Manager Dayton Moore. The discussions were candid and much of the talk centered on the roster moves of the day including the call up of Danny Duffy. There was a lot of baseball “shop talk” and I enjoyed the insider view of the team but threaded throughout the conversations of the evening was the theme of social media and how it fits into the timeless traditions of baseball.

There were numerous examples of how the rapidly changing social media landscape is changing the business of baseball. Mike Swanson, the Royals VP of Communications and Broadcasting, discussed how earlier in this career he would spend considerable time gathering newspapers from around the country with stories on a variety of games, fax them across the country to the manager and keep notebooks full of notes. He smiled as he commented, “Today you have all that instantly on one i-Pad.” Granted, Ryan Lefebvre still has his “Big Blue Book of Knowledge”, which he mentioned in his discussion with us, but the times are a changn’. The geek in me was impressed when Fox announcer Joel Goldberg showed me how he uses the i-Score app on his i-Pad to keep score. The amount of time saved in gathering information compared to 20 years ago is staggering.

I was also intrigued by the Royals approach to players blogging. Mike Swanson discussed how the Royals ENCOURAGE their players to actively use Twitter and Facebook. He added it can be a very powerful way to connect with the fans, as long as they use it wisely. He discussed an example of when a player innocently tweeted earlier this year about a friend getting the call up to the show before it was officially announced (BAD) and how some teams have players Tweet out they are hanging out in a location and they have 20 tickets to give away (GOOD). We talked to Eric Hosmer about how he uses Twitter a little right now. Bruce Chen doesn’t currently have a Twitter account but seemed to warm up to the idea when we explained that you only have to type less than 140 characters. David Holtzman, Director of Media for the Kansas City Royals, also spoke about a willingness for the players to positively use social media as a way to connect with the community.

I took the following video from our discussion with Eric Hosmer on his use of social media :

My general feeling for the night was that the Royals aren’t really sure how to fully incorporate or embrace social media but they see it has tremendous potential and they aren’t afraid to give it a chance. My personal light bulb moment of the night came when Sean Nash said, “Baseball is trying to figure out social media in basically the same way that education is trying to figure out social media.” I thought that was brilliant. Education need to take the same approach and see social media for the potential that it does provide if used in a positive manner. If baseball, one of the most tradition entrenched cultural icons in American history, can give social media a try surely our educational system can as well.

The Royals fell to the Indians 3-7 but the game was an experience that I will never forget. Every member of the Royals organization we met was first class and showed us great hospitality - Erin Sleddens, Mike Swanson, David Holtzman, Mike Montgomery, Ryan Lefebvre, Joel Goldberg, Dayton Moore, Eric Hosmer, Bruce Chen and Ned Yost. I would also like to thank all the fellow bloggers who I shared the experience with on Tuesday. I walked away both entertained and impressed with your talents.

The Royals told us they were impressed by the response to the event and they are hoping to have another “Blog Your Way to K” event later in the year. The organization also commented on the possibility of creating some promotions for fans via Twitter at Kaufman Stadium. I would encourage all fans to follow the Royals on social media like Twitter and Facebook. They provide a wealth of information prior to, during, and after the game. Thanks again.

I am also sharing some of the photos I took during the event as a Flickr set if you are interested.

Read additional experiences from other "Blog Your Way to the K" participants :

Michael Engel - Blogging Away - Kings of Kauffman

Aaron Stilley – Blog Your Way to the K Report – I70 Baseball

Jeff Zimmerman – Bloggers Night at the K – Royals Review

Sean Nash – Searching for a Royal Spring – Also a set of photos by Nash on Flickr

Kate Canterbury – The Columbia Tribune

Jordan Sheat – @jordankcfan

Chris Kamler – @fakenedyost – His guest post on Kings of Kauffman

2011 NETA - Not Your Dad's History Class

2011-04-28T13:21:00.001-05:00

Not Your Dad's History Class

View more presentations from South Valley Jr. High School / Park University

This presentation was given at the 2011 NETA Conference in Omaha, Nebraska on April 28, 2011.

Links to sites mentioned during the presentation are listed below :

South Valley Jr. High School

Park University

Walden University

Twitter

Skype

National Constitution Center visit via Skype

Declaration of Independence Break Up Letter video on You Tube

Mission US - American Revolution Simulation

The Redistricting Game Simulation

Smithsonian Webinar on Lincoln

eLections Game from Cable in the Classroom

Colonial Williamsburg Education Resources

Flickr

Eric's Flickr

You Tube

Eric's You Tube Channel

You Tube Education

Stanford University Lectures on Geography of Elections

iTunes U

Common Craft Type Video Project

Reach by Jeff Utecht

A Gardener's Approach to Learning by David Warlick

Social Media and The History Classroom - 2011 MCSS

2011-02-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hello. Today I'm presenting at the 2011 Missouri Council for Social Studies Conference in Kansas City. My topic is how history teachers can use social media to collaborate and enrich their curriculum.

You can view the Prezi that I will be sharing at the conference. A list of links related to the presentation are included below the Prezi.

MCSS Social Media on Prezi

Twitter

TweetDeck

Twitter Site for #historyteacher hastag

Flickr

Eric's Flickr Collection

Clay County Museum Flickr Collection

National Archives Flickr Collection

Smithsonian American History Museum You Tube Channel

Musket You Tube Video

Declaration of Independence Break Up Letter You Tube Video

Mount Vernon You Tube Video

Skype

Skype in the Classroom

2010 MSTA - Building Your PLN

2010-11-11T22:23:00.000-06:00

MSTA 2010 Building A Personal Learning Network

View more presentations from South Valley Jr. High School / Park University.

Twitter

Eric's Twitter Account

MSTA Twiter Account

Delicious

Eric's Delicious Account

Flickr

Eric's Flickr Account

MSTA Flickr Account

Blogger

Eric's Speaking of History Blog

MSTA Blog

Skype

MSTA Podcast

YouTube

Eric's YouTube Channel

MSTA YouTube Channel

Google Call

MSTA 2010 - Improving Parent Communication

2010-11-11T21:46:00.002-06:00

MSTA 2010 Improving Parent Communication

View more presentations from South Valley Jr. High School / Park University.

Eric's BlackBoard Classroom Site

Google Forms

Podcast #212 - Washington's Big Decision Lesson Plan from Mount Vernon

2010-07-25T17:07:00.000-05:00

Many people think of George Washington as a general or a president but he was also a very innovative farmer. During my week at Mount Vernon this summer as a participant in the 2010 Gilder Lehrman Summer Seminar I spent time studying Washington's actions as a farmer. He did some amazing things on his farms and was on the cutting edge of technology for his time. Today on a visit to Mount Vernon you can visit a reconstruction of the 16 sided round barn he built and designed to thresh grain.

One of Washington's most important decisions as a farmer came in 1765 when he decided to shift the from growing tobacco to wheat. He was one of the first to do this on a large scale in Virginia. He made this decision for several reasons and it ultimately allowed him to make a profit at a time when those who stayed with tobacco eventually fell further in debt.

During the seminar I created a lesson plan to help students analyze why Washington made this decision. The lesson is created primarily for a middle school or junior high history class and can be conducted in one 45 minute period. Students will also be using a couple of primary resources from George Washington. The podcast describes the lesson plan and this blog post includes a full description and materials in PDF format.

This blog entry also includes a short video shoot at Mount Vernon with Daniel Purkey, Lead Interpreter for Historic Trades at Mount Vernon, describing the reasons for Washington's decision.

Link to a full text description of the Washington Decision lesson plan (PDF file)

Link to the student graphic organizer used in the lesson along with a copy of a completed teacher version (PDF file)

Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at i-Tunes here

Direct link to Podcast #212 - Washington's Big Decision Lesson Plan

Podcast #211 - Sunrise at Mount Vernon

2010-07-22T00:23:00.013-05:00

Hello. Several weeks ago I was very fortunate to participate in the 2010 Gilder Lehrman Summer Seminar for Teachers at Mount Vernon. One great opportunity while attending the seminar was the opportunity to stay on the grounds at Mount Vernon. On a couple of the mornings I got up around 5:15 AM and walked to the mansion to see the sunrise over the Potomac River from the back porch. Today's podcast is a very quick reflection on that experience. I have also added several of the pictures from that morning at the mansion with this blog post.

You can view over 900 of the pictures I took while attending the week long seminar at this Flickr set.

Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at i-Tunes here

Direct link to Podcast #211 - Enjoying Sunrise at Mount Vernon

2010 Gilder Lehrman Summer Institute at Mount Vernon

2010-06-28T07:17:00.003-05:00

Hello. This week I will be attending the 2010 Gilder Lehrman Summer Institute at Mount Vernon. I will be spending the week touring the grounds, listening to presentations about Washington and learning as much as possible about the life of our first president.

I will be Tweeting, writing some blog posts and sharing lots of pictures (the one above is the mansion this morning as I took my morning walk). I hope to share this experience through the blog.

Video Chat with Author Pat Hughes

2010-05-07T19:41:00.003-05:00

Today my 8th grade American history classes in Liberty, Missouri participated in a live video chat with Pat Hughes, author of Guerrilla Season. Guerrilla Season is a book with a focus on Clay County (the county in which we live) in the years just before the Civil War. We used G-mail video chat - free - to visit with Pat from her home in Philadelphia.

I also used a Flip cam to record the conversation for students who missed it and wanted to watch it. Pat spoke with us from her sun room and then took us upstairs to show us her office and shared some of the resources she uses to write books about Civil War era Missouri.

Pretty amazing that this all took place today with no technical glitches at all and we were able to have a great conversation with an author 1,200 miles away! Why aren't classrooms doing more of this?

Podcast #210 - Update on 365 Photo Project

2010-05-05T09:03:00.008-05:00

Hello. Today's podcast is an update on my 365 Photo Project for 2010. I am taking a picture each day this year and posting it on Flickr. You can check out my photos so far this year below on the slideshow.

Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at i-Tunes here

Direct link to Podcast #210 - Update on 365 Photo Project

Press PLAY button below to listen to podcast on this page.

Podcast #209 - Review of "The Monuments Men" by Robert M Edsel

2010-04-28T21:42:00.014-05:00

Hello. For the past couple of weeks I have been reading "The Monuments Men" by Robert M Edsel. This books tells the fascinating story of American troops racing across Europe to find and save the priceless art work taken by Hitler and the Nazi war machine.

This podcast is my quick review of this novel and how it could be implemented into an interdisciplinary lesson in the classroom.

"The Monuments Men" by Robert M Edsel

Official Monuments Men Foundation Site

The Greatest Theft - Lesson Plans and DVD Set

Robert M Edsel's Blog

Follow Robert M Edsel on Twitter (RobertEdsel)

Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at i-Tunes here

Direct link to Podcast #209 - Review of The Momuments Men by Robert M Edsel

Hit Play button below to listen to Podcast

Podcast #208 - Ask the Experts Donner Party Project

2010-04-07T07:36:00.009-05:00

Hello. I am a big fan of the American Experience series from PBS and WGBH. This series has produced some of the most fascinating and engaging historical documentaries I have ever seen. One episode that I have used repeatedly in my class over the years is "The Donner Party" by Ric Burns. This documentary is both haunting and descriptive in telling the tale of this group's fateful journey west.

For the past several years I have had my students participate in a debate after finishing the video. The debate is centered on the role of Lansford Hastings - the person who told the Donner Party to take the shortcut that cost them valuable time on the attempt to reach California. The Donner Party becomes trapped in the mountains and some resort to cannibalism. The class is divided into two groups and debates whether the blame should be placed upon Hastings or the Donner Party themselves. While watching the film students have been recording events and information which could be used to defend both sides of the debate.

Two years ago I started recording the debate in audio format. I then contacted several Donner Party experts - authors and writers who have experience with the Donner Party - and asked if they could critique the debate and provide feedback for my students. I sent the audio file as an attachment with the e-mail. This was very successful and my students loved the feedback.

This year we used a Flip camera to record the debate in video format and I then posted it to YouTube. I contacted a variety of Donner Party experts through web searches and found five individuals who were willing to take the time to comment on the student debates. I then gathered the responses from all the experts and created a handout for my students. I am always amazed at the amount of detail these experts provide.

The technology used in this project is pretty simple - posting a video on YouTube and then sending an e-mail but the ability to find experts in the field and then have them comment directly to students is extremely powerful.

Special thanks to my experts who were willing to share their time and respond to my students :

Dr. Julie M. Schablitsky, Archaeologist with University of Oregon

Daniel James Brown, author of The Indifferent Stars Above : The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride

Kristin Johnson - Historian for Donner Party Archaeology Project and author of The Donner Party Blog

Chelsea Walerscheid - Truckee Lake Historical Society

Katie Holley - Truckee Lake Historical Society

To learn more about this project please listen to the podcast. I have also included the links to the student debates and included one video as a portion of this blog post. I am also posting the feeback from the experts as a PDF if you would like to see the comments the experts returned to my class.

If you have any comments on this project please feel free to leave a comment on this blog post.

Period 2 Class Debate

Period 3 Class Debate

Period 4 Class Debate

Period 5 Class Debate

Period 7 Class Debate

Period 8 Class Debate

Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at i-Tunes here

Direct link to Podcast #208 - Ask the Experts Donner Party Project

Mount Vernon Summer Institute

2010-04-06T11:02:00.003-05:00

I recently learned that I've been selected to attend the 2010 Gilder Lehrman Summer Institute on George Washington at Mount Vernon this summer. I'm very excited for this opportunity. I visited Mount Vernon a couple of years ago with my wife and we spent the entire day in awe of this location. I'm looking forward to visiting and of course will be blogging as well as posting pictures and recording some podcasts from Mr. Washington's house.

Request a Free DVD Set of "America The Story of Us" from the History Channel

2010-03-15T12:48:00.004-05:00

Attention history teachers : The History Channel is offering a FREE set of DVDs from their upcoming (April 2010) new series "AMERICA The Story of US". Each school in the country can request a free DVD set if their principal fills out the information on this site.

This series will be amazing and I'm sure each school would benefit from having it in their collection.

Here is some more information about the upcoming series from History:

Video Trailer for "America The Story of Us"

Press Release on the Educational Connections to "America The Story of Us"

History Channel page for "America The Story of US"

Winner of "The Presidents" DVD Set from American Experience

2010-03-10T21:52:00.003-06:00

The winner of "The Presidents" DVD set from PBS and the American Experience is CONNIE SITTERLEY of Spartansburg, Pennsylvania. Congratulations to Connie! Please e-mail me your address (or leave it as a comment to this blog, it will get to me and I will not post it) and I will be sending you the DVD set soon.

My daughter drew Connie's name out of a hat. Thanks to all of the 28 people who left a comment on the president they would most like to meet over coffee and which question you would ask. I plan to do a podcast on the responses in the near future.

St Louis - Morning Walk to the Arch

2010-02-21T19:37:00.003-06:00

I spent part of last week in St. Louis at the MCSS (Missouri Council for the Social Studies) Conference. Our conference was held at the Hyatt about a block away from The Arch. On Saturday morning I walked over at around 8:00 AM and took some great pictures. The clouds were just right and the winter sun was shining. You can check out my Flickr set of The Arch here.

2010 MCSS Presentation - Bringing the Novel to Life - Creating Historical Book Clubs

2010-02-18T23:03:00.002-06:00

Bringing the Novel to Life - Creating a Historical Book Club

View more presentations from South Valley Jr. High School / Park University.

2010 Presentation - A Dozen Ways to Incorporate Technology into the History Classroom

2010-02-18T22:57:00.001-06:00

A Dozen Ways to Incorporate Technology in the History Classroom

View more presentations from South Valley Jr. High School / Park University.

Happy 201st Birthday Abe

2010-02-12T20:40:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday Abe! Abraham Lincoln was born 201 years ago. We're big fans of President Lincoln at our house - we have a huge framed Lincoln print in our hallway. Tonight we celebrated by singing Happy Birthday to Abe and then celebrating with cupcakes before the girls went off to bed. Yes, we are a family of History Geeks - that is how we roll in the Langhorst house.

Podcast #207 - Presidents Day and the American Experience DVD Set Giveaway

2010-02-10T23:20:00.009-06:00

Hello. Today we're talking about presidents and giving away an amazing prize to one listener, courtesy of our friends at WGBH and the PBS series "American Experience". Since it is close to Presidents Day I thought we would discuss which president - living or deceased - you would most like to sit, enjoy a cup of coffee with and chat.

It was a close call for me between Washington and Truman. To find out who and why listen to the podcast.

I encourage you to leave a comment on this blog and tell us : 1) which president you would most like to meet for a cup of coffee and 2) what topic would you most like to bring up in conversation with the president. Please also include your name and where you live.

I will collect all the names of those who commented telling us their choice between today and February 23, 2010. I will place all the names in a hat and have one of my daughters draw out a name. The name chosen will win "The Presidents" DVD set from American Experience. I will mail the winner the set. This 15 DVD set has biographies of Roosevelt, Wilson, FDR, Truman, Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, and Bush - over 35 hours of content. The set has a retail value of $130.00.

American Experience Official Site

Sign up for the American Experience E-Mail Newsletter

American Experience "The Presidents" DVD Set

Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at the Zune Social

Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at i-Tunes here

Direct link to Podcast #207 - Presidents Day and the American Experience DVD Set Giveaway

Walden University Video - Using Technology to Expand the Classroom

2010-02-05T07:59:00.005-06:00

Hello. I'm currently working on my doctorate degree in Teacher Leadership from Walden University. I have completed one year of the program to date and have two more before I'm finished. Last summer while attending a residency for my program in Minnesota I was asked to sit down and talk a little about my classroom and my experiences as a Walden student. Below is one of these videos. In this segment I discuss some of the ways that I have incorporated technology into the classroom.

PBS Looking for Innovative Teachers

2010-02-04T14:37:00.006-06:00

Are you an innovative teacher? Enter the 2010 PBS Innovation Awards. Check out the information below and enter before March 12, 2010.

Show us how you inspire your students and you could win a behind-the-scenes trip to the Premier Annual PBS Event! America’s teachers innovate every day. From math and science to music and the arts, your inventive thinking continuously fuels, inspires and engages young minds. Whether you teach your students physics with rocket launchers, social studies by re-enacting historical events, or literature by inviting kids to create digital stories, you are innovating and making a difference – and we want to recognize and thank YOU! PBS and local public television stations invite you to enter the PBS Teachers Innovation Awards!

Click here to enter

How to Enter :

1. Join PBS Teachers
2. Tell us why you are an innovative educator in 200 words.
3. Submit a video clip or a photograph showing us how you inspire your students. Be sure to have the video or image ready before you click "Enter Now".

Our panel of judges will select 50 PBS Teachers Innovators as winners.

1st PRIZE : The TEN most innovative teachers will win an EXCLUSIVE, behind-the-scenes trip to the PBS Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas on May 17-20 to see sneak previews of programs, meet producers and attend premiere events!

2nd PRIZE : FORTY teachers will win a bag chock full of PBS gifts!
All Winners will receive a FREE Teacherline professional development course and will be invited to partner with PBS and local public television stations as leaders in classroom innovation.

All Teachers who enter will be registered as members of the PBS Teachers online community and will receive a 10% discount to our online PBS Store.

What is the deadline for entries?
The PBS Teachers Innovation Awards runs January 25th through March 12th.

Winners will be announced April 5, 2010 and winning entries will be featured on the PBS Teachers web site.

PBS and local member stations thank you for your daily boundless energy and innovation! You inspire us to create high-quality programs and local services that we hope help make your work a little bit easier. Thank you!

Teacher Opportunities at Truman Library

2010-02-01T11:53:00.002-06:00

Hello. Today I would like to share some exciting opportunities for teachers from the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri :

History Day Judging
Saturday March 13, 2010

The History Day regional competition will be held again at the Truman Library and we are seeking judges for the junior and senior events on Saturday morning. Students from western Missouri will compete to move on to the state competition in five areas: historical paper, individual or group dramatic performance, table top exhibit, and website and documentary media presentation. It will be a memorable experience to see students put to use higher level history thinking skills. If you have ever thought about entering students in this annual event this would be of value to you. If you have questions please call Mark Adams at 816-268-8236 or email him at mark.adams@nara.gov

Life, Leadership & Legacy: George Washington & Harry Truman
June 4, 2010 (Friday evening) and June 5, 2010 (all day) teacher workshop

Educators and other staff from both the George Washington Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens and the Truman Library will compare and contrast these two great presidents. Teachers will be introduced to related primary sources and teaching activities. One hour of graduate credit in education from the University of Missouri - Kansas City will be offered for an additional $75.00. For further information and enrollment check the Truman Library's education webpage for updates: www.trumanlibrary.org/education.htm

America At War: 1950 - 2010
July 12-16, 2010 - national summer conference

This is the 7th annual teacher conference offered at Truman for teachers. This year's conference will start with the Korean War and cover America's involvement in world conflicts up thru recent times. Noted historians and educators from nine presidential libraries will serve as presenters. Teachers will do primary document research, create lesson plans, and take part in an experiential session as Korean War advisors to Harry Truman in the White House Decision Center. You must apply for this conference. The conference cost is $100.00 and hotel rooms are available for teachers coming from beyond the metropolitan area. Many meals are provided. Two hours of graduate credit in education is available from the University of Missouri - Kansas City for an additional $150.00. For more information and enrollment go to: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/summer2010.htm

2010 State of the Union Bingo Lesson Plan

2010-01-23T22:02:00.003-06:00

Hello. President Obama will be giving his first State of the Union on Wednesday, January 27th. If you are looking for a great classroom activity for your students please check out the 2010 State of the Union Bingo lesson plan from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

This is a fun and engaging way to have your students watch the State of the Union. Check it out.

Link to 2010 State of the Union lesson plan from the National Constitution Center

Podcast #206 - 365 Project, Barringer Fellowship and School Lunch Blog

2010-01-23T21:34:00.006-06:00

Photo of Monticello from afagen on Flickr, Creative Commons

Hello. It has been almost a month since my last podcast. Today I dive back into the podcasting pool with some reflections on a wide variety of topics.

I start by discussing the start of my 365 Project in which I take a picture each day during the year and post it on Flickr.

The next topic is the Barringer Research Fellowship - a great opportunity this summer for any teacher who wants to learn more about Jefferson at Monticello.

The last topic is a great new blog that I have started following : Fed Up With School Lunch Follow along as a teacher eats school lunch each day in 2010 and then describes it and takes a photograph of the meal. You can also follow this project on Twitter : @fedupwithlunch

If you have any comments please feel free to leave a comment on this blog entry. If you are spammer who just wants to leave a link with some totally generic comment, please move along. Thanks.

Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at the Zune Social

Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at i-Tunes here

Direct link to Podcast #206 - 365 Project, Barringer Fellowship and School Lunch Blog

1/19/2010 - Journal

2010-01-20T08:09:00.001-06:00

1/19/2010 - Journal
Originally uploaded by eric.langhorst

This is part of my 2010 365 Project in which I take a picture each day during the year.

I love having a smoething with me so that I can write down notes and ideas. Last spring I found a great little journal that is the perfect size - about 3" x 5". I have since filled up several of them and my wife gave me two new ones for Christmas. They are made by PaperBlanks and I highly suggest them to anyone who loves to jot down notes and ideas.

Photo taken with my camera.

1/7/2010 - My Desk

2010-01-07T19:17:00.001-06:00

1/7/2010 - My Desk
Originally uploaded by eric.langhorst

Today's picture is a shot of my home desk. We remodeled our basement and this is where I work and create at home on the web - most of the time. This is also my podcast studio for most of my "Speaking of History" episodes. I enjoy my set up and have decorated it with all pictures of family, memories and the things I love. We are at home today for the third snow day in a row so I picture of snow or ice would have worked today as well but I'm getting tired of snow. We have also already canceled school for Friday as well so instead of a "snow day" it has truly been a "snow week".

Photo taken with my camera.

1/6/2010 - Let It Snow, Again

2010-01-06T15:24:00.001-06:00

1/6/2010 - Let It Snow, Again
Originally uploaded by eric.langhorst

This afternoon it started to snow again and we had our second straight snow day from school in a row. This is our third snow day of the year so far after having none last year. They are predicting a couple more inches of snow tonight and then a wind chill of around 30 degrees below zero for tomorrow. It looks like we might not have school for the rest of the week. The picture today is from the front of our house as the snow falls this afternoon. Photo taken with my camera.

1/5/2010 - Snow Day Breakfast

2010-01-05T09:55:00.001-06:00

1/5/2010 - Snow Day Breakfast
Originally uploaded by eric.langhorst

Today we were supposed to start back with students after Christmas break but we have a snow day instead (roads are still not cleared from the last couple snowfalls and we have bitter cold). The rest of the week may actually be worse so we'll see how many days we get in this week. I chose today to take a picture of my snow day breakfast - a piping hot bowl of chocolate Malt-O-Meal - the good kind made on the stovetop with milk. It takes a little longer than the microwave version but it's worth it.

We have a birdfeeder that sits at at window level just outside of our kitchen. (You just can't see it in the picture because of the glare off the window.) We love sitting at breakfast and watching the Cardinals, Blue Jays and various woodpeckers. With the forecast for the next couple of days we'll need to be sure to keep it filled for our friends.

Photo taken with my camera.

My 2010 365 Photo Set

2010-01-04T14:05:00.002-06:00

The past couple of years I have wanted to start a 365 photo project but for various reasons never started. This year I decided I should take on this project. Each day during 2010 I will be taking a picture of something during the day and adding it to my collection. Some days it might be a scenic shot (as my first photo is) or it might just be something on my desk or a view outside my window.

I will be posting each of these images to my 365 Flickr photo set. I like the Flickr option for collecting my 365 photos because I can also add notes to parts of the photo which anyone can view by mousing over that portion of the photo and people can also leave comments directly to the photo. I also plan to create a photo book at the end of the year using all the images and having them on Flickr and using Lulu will make this a snap.

I love taking pictures and think this project will be a lot of fun. Most of the photos will probably be taken with my camera - a Canon PowerShot A1000 which I really enjoy. Some of the photos will also be taken with my BlackBerry, which I think takes pretty good shots for a phone.

If you are attempting a 365 project, or just want to comment on mine, please leave a comment on this blog. Thanks.

My first photo of the 2010 365 project. This photo was taken with my camera on the drive down to Cheyenne from Torrington in Wyoming. I loved the way the windmill set up the picture with the clouds and the snow on the ground. If you look behind the windmill you can see a powerline in the distance - sort of a cool "past and future of power on the Plains" message. Photo taken with my camera.

Project : Building a Comprehensive Twitter List of American History Teachers

2009-12-18T10:38:00.004-06:00

Hello. I am attempting to create a comprehensive Twitter list of any classroom teacher who teaches American History. You can check out the list - even if you don't have a Twitter account here : http://twitter.com/ELanghorst/american-history-teachers

If you are a classroom teacher who teaches American History and have a Twitter account please send me a tweet - my Twitter name is @elanghorst - and I will add you to the list.

More on this project later but I wanted to start to get the word out to get the ball rolling. Thanks.

Podcast #205 - 2010 Summer Workshop Opportunities for History Teachers

2009-12-17T23:15:00.005-06:00

Hello. The holiday break is right around the corner - a time to spend some time with family and recharge the batteries. I would also encourage you to think about applying for a great summer history workshop through either Gilder Lehrman or the National Endowment for the Humanities. Both offer amazing workshops that allow you to experience a historical setting, learn from amazing presenters and share ideas with fellow history teachers from across the country. Both include stipends if you are selected to attend. I have attended workshops from both of these organizations in the past and they were outstanding.

Please listen to the podcast and then check out the links below to learn more about these opportunities. The deadline for the Gilder Lehrman seminars is February 15, 2010 and the deadline for the NEH workshops is March 2, 2010.

I would be interested in hearing about your experiences with either of these workshops if you have attended on in the past. Please leave a comment on this blog post to share with others. Thanks.

Gilder Lehrman Summer Seminars for History Teachers 2010

NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops 2010

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Direct link to Podcast #205 - Summer Workshop Opportunities for History Teachers in 2010

Wordle of Obama Speech on Afghanistan

2009-12-01T22:35:00.008-06:00

I was working on a couple of projects tonight while listening to President Obama's speech on the war in Afghanistan. It is clearly a critical moment for the United States in this situation. As I thought about the meaning of what the President said tonight, I automatically thought about placing the text of the speech into a Wordle so I could visualize it. I have included the Wordle from tonight's speech on our role in Afghanistan with this post. I think this is an amazing way to reflect on this speech. Look at some of the most prominent words : "security", "must" and the mentions of "Vietnam" and "Pakistan".

There are a ton of ways this could be used in a classroom to start a discussion with students. Incredible. A couple of years ago I would have never used this tool and tonight it was one of my first thoughts as I began to think about the speech.

Podcast #204 - The History Geeks Book Club

2009-11-25T00:17:00.006-06:00

Hello. One of the ways we engage our students in history outside of the classroom is the History Geeks Book Club at South Valley Jr. High School. In this podcast I discuss the History Geeks Book Club - the books we are currently reading, how the book club is created, etc.

Book #1 - Guns for General Washington, A Story of the American Revolution by Seymour Reit

Book #2 - George Washington Spymaster by Thomas B. Allen

Book #3 - Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

If you have any suggestions for books that we might consider in the future please leave a comment on this blog. Thanks.

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Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at i-Tunes here

Direct link to Podcast #204 - The History Geeks Book Club

2009 Veterans Day Program - Join Us Live on the Internet

2009-11-09T21:20:00.005-06:00

Download the 2009 Veterans Day Poster shown above here

Hello. This week we celebrate Veterans Day and I wanted to do something special this year along the lines of the History Channel's "Take A Veteran to School" program. I contacted our local VFW here in Liberty, Missouri and Commander Pate was very helpful in finding me two World War II veterans who would be willing to visit my classroom on Wednesday morning (November 11, 2009) and speak to my 8th grade students about their experiences. Every World War II veteran has an important experience to share and I feel especially honored to have these to veterans coming to my classroom. One fought at Iwo Jima and the second one fought in five campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge and Normandy.

I feel very lucky to have these two gentlemen in my classroom and if possible I want to share the experience. I will attempt to stream the presentation on the Internet live for anyone who cares to join in with us. I can't promise it will go off without a hitch but I'm willing to try and see what happens. I also plan to video tape it and post some of it on YouTube later.

If you would like to join us please visit www.livestream.com/speakingofhistory at 9:30 AM central time on Wednesday - November 11, 2009. The presentation should last around 45 minutes.

I would also be interested in any questions you and your students might have for these two gentlemen. I will encourage my own students to ask questions but if time allows I would like to include some from others as well. Please leave your questions as a comment to this post prior to our presentation. I'm posting this on Monday evening so it is rather short notice but it would be great to include some other schools.

Thanks and please keep your fingers crossed that everything works on Wednesday morning.

Teaching History with Technology article in Canada History Magazine

2009-10-28T19:33:00.005-05:00

I was honored last spring when Joel Ralph, Manager of Education and Outreach Programs for Canada's National History Society of asked me to write an article for a special education issue of Canada's History Magazine : The Beaver to be published this fall. The issue is now available and in addition to the print copy you can also view the entire magazine online as an interactive publication, complete with active links. I have embedded a copy of the online interactive magazine in this blog post. You can also view the online edition by using this link (starts on page 30). If you speak French you can also view the entire issue in French here, which I think is pretty cool even though I don't understand any French.

It was a pleasure working with Joel and the staff in Canada and I thank them for asking me to write for their publication. I encourage you check out the education issue with lots of great ideas for connecting with history students in the classroom. I also encourage you to check out Joel's blog : The New Digital History Education.

Presentation at Wright City School District in Missouri

2009-10-15T13:20:00.004-05:00

Does Technology Make You A Better Teacher

View more presentations from elanghorst.

Friday I'm spending some time with the staff at Wright City, Missouri to discuss the use of technology in the classroom. I'm providing a morning session on podcasting and editing audio, at lunch I'm giving a short presentation entitled "Does Technology Really Make You A Better Teacher?" and in the afternoon my session is on the power of collaboration and a variety of web 2.0 tools which can help teachers in the classroom. I'm excited and looking forward to a great day of discussing and sharing ideas about technology in the classroom.

Podcast #203 - History Geek Author Visit - Author, Historian and Illustrator Cheryl Harness

2009-10-12T18:55:00.006-05:00

Last year I started a group at South Valley Jr. High called the "History Geeks". It is an extracurricular group to provide students opportunities to explore historical topics - a field trip to a historic site, a book club which reads an historical book and providing historically themed speakers. During the school year we try to have one historic speaker a month. Last week we started our historical speaker programs with Cheryl Harness sharing her experience as an author, historian and illustrator.

Cheryl is an incredible artist how also writes historical biographies. Her work is well known nationally and associated with National Geographic. Our students enjoyed listening to Cheryl discuss her start in art and how she researches her books. The podcast today is the audio from Cheryl's presentation and is about 50 minutes in length.

Be sure to check out Cheryl's site and one of her recent books, a graphic novel about the life of Harry Truman : "The Harry Book - A Life of President Truman in Words and Pictures" . You can check out more books from Cheryl Harness here.

If you have any thoughts you'd like to share please leave a comment on this blog. Thanks.

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Direct link to Podcast #203 - History Geeks Author Visit - Cheryl Harness

Videos from Watkins Mill Fall on the Farm Day

2009-10-04T10:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday the family went out to Watkins Mill State Park in Lawson, Missouri to attend their annual Fall on the Farm Day. Watkins Mill is a great place to learn about Civil War era Missouri. Each year they host a day in fall with living history exhibitions to demonstrate life on a farm in this era. I brought along my Flip camera and took some video which I have shared with this blog post. I have included videos on sheep shearing and a blacksmith. It was a great day and I look forward to attending a similar event in the spring when they host Spring on the Farm.

Podcast #202 - Using History Alive! for Constitutional Convention Activity

2009-10-01T17:14:00.006-05:00

Hello. Today's podcast is an update from Speaking of History Podcast #197 when I asked for suggestions on teaching the Constitutional Convention with each student representing a delegate in Philadelphia. I received some great suggestions - check out the comments from podcast #197 - and several of them pointed me in the same direction : the History Alive! United States History curriculum.

I remembered receiving a History Alive! curriculum kit a couple of years ago from a representative at a conference and am very excited about using it in my classroom in a couple of months when we cover the Constitutional Convention.

Another great idea came from Lance who suggested that my students try out the quiz from the National Constitution Center which matches you with one of the Founding Fathers based on your answers. Very cool and something I plan to do with my students during our Constitution unit.

Thanks for all the suggestions and e-mails. It is amazing that you can throw a question out there and so many people are willing to respond and contribute to the conversation. If you have any comments for this blog post - maybe you currently use the History Alive! curriculum - please leave a comment on this blog post.

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Direct link to Podcast #202 - Using History Alive! to Teach the Constitutional Convention

Podcast #201 - Using David McCullough's 1776, The Illustrated Edition in the Classroom

2009-09-28T20:53:00.011-05:00

Hello. In today's podcast I want to recommend a great resource for your classroom if you teach the American Revolution. David McCullough's 1776 is an amazing book which every history teacher should read but there is another edition which should be in each classroom in America - 1776, The Illustrated Edition. The edition has over 130 beautiful illustrations with an abridged version of the text. Most impressive, though, are the 37 facsimile documents scattered throughout the book in pouches which allow you to take them out and pass them around the classroom.

Please listen to the podcast and if you have any ideas on using this resource in your classroom please leave a comment on this blog post. Thanks.

1776: The Illustrated Edition

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Direct link to Podcast #201 - Using David McCullough's 1776 - The Illustrated Edition In the Classroom

Revolutionary War Musket Talk from Bunker Hill

2009-09-28T07:47:00.004-05:00

Hello. A couple of months ago I was in Boston and while at the Bunker Hill site I heard one of the park rangers describe the use of muskets in the Revolutionary War. I had my Flip camera along so I recorded it and am currently sharing it with my class as we discuss the Revolution. I thought you might also enjoy the description and possibly use it in class as well.

CNN Video Clips Discusses Low Student Scores on Citizenship Test

2009-09-20T22:10:00.005-05:00

Check out this video clip from CNN which discusses the results of a survey given to Oklahoma high school students. The questions are from the citizenship test. The results are surprising and the "expert" interviewed by CNN blames teachers and public education. He states twice that our students are getting "smoked by Iceland and other industrialized countries around the world in test scores".

Just a couple personal observations here from me :

Once again, as is the case in many of these "sound bite" stories, there is no discussion about a solution. Please don't just gripe, offer a solution.

The survey was a phone survey that these students were not aware they would be taking. A little different than an actual school situation or taking a citizenship test.

Once again education is bashed because it takes makes up a large portion of the budget. I would hope that education makes up a large percentage of any local or state government - don't you?

What do you think after watching this clip? Please leave a comment on this blog post.

Podcast #200 - Why Do I Podcast?

2009-09-19T23:51:00.003-05:00

Hello. Today is the 200th episode of Speaking of History!

This crazy adventure started on July 7, 2005 as an experiment to see if I could use the hardware and manage the software to post a podcast. It has resulted in over years of reflection, meeting amazing people and learning a ton from my personal learning network.

In this episode I look back over the past four years and try to answer the question - Why do I podcast?

Thanks for listening and if you have any comments, questions or thoughts please leave a comment on this post or e-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Direct link to Podcast #200 - Why Do I Podcast?

Animoto History Video

2009-09-15T22:45:00.006-05:00

I've been having some fun creating Animoto videos since receiving my free educator account last week. I'm inviting my students to join a book club next week in which we'll be reading "Guns for General Washington" by Seymour Reit. I wanted to create some excitement about joining the History Geeks for the book club so I put together this little video.

Always Remember

2009-09-11T07:56:00.001-05:00

Always remember. The 8th grade American history students in my classroom today were only in kindergarten when this day changed our country forever. It is our duty to remember, we owe them this at the very least.

Source : http://www.rebirthstudios.com/articles/

Obama Speech to Students Wordle

2009-09-07T22:21:00.004-05:00

The text for the speech President Obama will deliver to students across America tomorrow was released tonight so I thought I would make a Worlde out of it. (Click to enlarge) What do you think?

Podcast #199 - Students Listening to President Obama's Speech on September 8th, Your Thoughts

2009-09-02T23:15:00.009-05:00

Hello. The topic of today's podcast is the upcoming speech President Obama will be making to the students of the United States on September 8th, 2009 (11:00 AM central time) on the Internet and C-Span. This is the first time a sitting President will specifically address students across the United States.

The White House released the following information about the topic of the speech : "The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning." Some have expressed concern over the president speaking directly to students and the amount of influence the speech could have on a group of young people.

Some thoughts as I try to wrap my head around the issue (or non-issue). Please leave a comment on this blog post. I'm very interested to see what teachers across the country are thinking about this topic.

- Does it surprise anyone else that this is the first time a sitting president has specifically addressed the students of the United States?

- At what point does a speech from a president become more "political" than "educational"?

- How is this situation different than the inauguration speech that many students watched across the country several months ago? Was that speech considered more "historic" and therefore not as controversial when aired in classrooms across the country?

- Is your school planning on showing the speech to all students, none of the students, or based on the decision of each teacher?

(Note : I just read on the Department of Education website that the length of the speech is to be 15-20 minutes. In the podcast I mentioned that I was not sure how long the speech would last.)

Information about President Obama's Address to the Students of the United States on September 8, 2009 (includes FAQ and lesson plan ideas)

Direct link to Podcast #199 - Students Listening to President Obama's Address on September 8th, Your Thoughts

Podcast #198 - Resources for Teaching About the Jamestown Settlement

2009-09-02T11:27:00.007-05:00

Hello. We begin our curriculum each year with an awesome topic - the Jamestown settlement. There are a ton of great resources to use when teaching this unit and today in the podcast I discuss six resources which I have found to be very successful in my 8th grade American history classroom. Links below provide more information to each of the resources mentioned in the podcast.

I would also enjoy hearing about what resources you use to teach about Jamestown. Please leave a comment on this blog post to share your discovery with everyone. Thanks.

Written in Bone - Webcomic from the Smithsonian

History Channel's Online Jamestown Exhibit

Jamestown Leadership Activity

Handout for Jamestown Leadership Activity - Handout for Graphic Organizer used in Jamestown Leadership Activity

Jamestown Online Adventure

Written in Bone : Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland - Book by Sally M Walker

Jamestown, The Buried Truth - Book by William Kelso

Nightmare in Jamestown - video from National Geographic

Worksheet used with "Nightmare in Jamestown" video

Virtual Jamestown

Direct link to Podcast #198 - Resources for Teaching Jamestown Settlement

Podcast #197 - Brainstorming Ideas for Constitutional Convention Activity

2009-08-27T22:00:00.000-05:00

Hello. We will be starting our unit on the Constitutional Convention in about two months and for the past two years I've had an idea that I think would work well with my students but I have yet to flesh it out. I would like to match each of my students with a delegate at the convention and then as we study about the issues and debates at the convention they would look at the issue through the eye of "their" delegate. Each student would become personally connected to that delegate during the unit.

Today's podcast discusses how this project might look in an 8th grade classroom, what resources could be used to build this activity, and (probably most importantly) does this activity already exist in some format?

After you listen to the podcast I'd love to hear what you think. If you any thoughts or suggestions please leave a comment on this blog post. Thanks.

Direct link to Podcast #197 - Constitutional Convention Activity Ideas

Win "We Shall Remain" DVD Set from PBS

2009-08-27T14:44:00.007-05:00

PBS is giving away 20 DVD sets of their recent American Experience series "We Shall Remain".

Register here for the random drawing. Hurry, you must be registered by September 1, 2009.

"We Shall Remain" is an award winning documentary series describing the Native American experience in America. I hosted the PBS blog "Media Infusion" in April 2009 and wrote about this series.

I highly recommend the series for use in the classroom and hope you register to win one of the DVD sets.

Podcast #196 - Visual Timeline Activity to Start the Year

2009-08-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

Hello. Today I would like to describe an activity that I recently did with my 8th grade American history class and I think is a fun way to start off the school year. This past summer I attended a session at the Project Zero Classroom workshop at Harvard with Mary McFarland - a former NCSS President. She described some routines to use with students in terms of visual time lines. I really liked the idea and decided it would be a great way introduce the curriculum to my students the first full week of school.

The podcast gives an overview of the project and some tips if you would like to replicate this activity in your own classroom. I have also included the PowerPoint presentations (links below) I used to create my visuals for the activity - please use and modify to your needs. If you have any suggestions or ideas about activity please share them by posting a comment to this blog post. Thanks.

Link to Visual Timeline PowerPoint Presentation

Direct link to Podcast #196 - Visual Timeline Activity

Podcast #195 - Project Zero Classroom 2009 at Harvard University

2009-08-26T07:53:00.004-05:00

Hello. Today's podcast is a summary of a professional development workshop I attended this summer at Harvard University. I attended the Project Zero Classroom workshop on the campus of Harvard from July 27 to August 1, 2009. I have recently worked with the educational department of the Smithsonian and I was fortunate to be invited to attend along with staff members from the Smithsonian.

It was an excited week full of rich learning experiences. I was curious if a workshop that focused on multiple intelligences would incorporate the essence of the MI or be a standard "sit and get" like so many educational conferences. I was very impressed that Project Zero walked the talk and the organization of the entire workshop was unique and incorporated MI.

A highlight of the week was listening to Howard Gardner speak on several occasions about his MI theory and the impact his theory has had, and not had, on education in the United States and around the world. I was also thrilled to have an opportunity to speak with him individually at a reception on night later in the week. I asked him specifically about his views on the incorporation of social media and technology in education. He told me he felt it had great potential, if used correctly, to engage students who might otherwise not feel engaged by curriculum in schools. I also was able to get a quick picture with Dr. Gardner when he signed a copy of his book for me.

The podcast describes my experiences from the Project Zero Classroom workshop as I sat on the campus afternoon of the last day before I left for home. I have included a couple of pictures from the week with the blog post. Harvard is such a beautiful and historic campus (Washington was first given command of the Continental Army on the campus) and I took my share of pictures of classic buildings. I have created a Flickr set of pictures from the Harvard campus if anyone is interested.

I would love to hear from anyone else who has attended a Project Zero Classroom workshop in the past. I am letting the ideas marinate a little in my head and I'm slowly incorporating some of the concepts and routines into my teaching as a start the new school year. I would love to hear how former participants have incorporated the PZ ideas in their classroom and if they experienced any resistance due to high stakes testing, pressures from administration, etc. Please leave a comment on this blog post if you would like to share your experiences.

Direct link to Podcast #195 - Project Zero Classroom Workshop at Harvard University

Podcast #194 - Tips and Suggestions for Walking Boston's Historic Freedom Trail

2009-07-26T22:53:00.005-05:00

Hello. Today I did something that I've always wanted to do as an 8th grade teacher who starts off each school year by teaching the American Revolution - walk Boston's historic Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a walking tour in Boston which covers roughly 23 historic locations over the distance of around 3.5 miles. I walked the length of the trail today and then doubled back to walk much of it again. I had a great time, learned a lot, took a ton of pictures and got my exercise by walking about 6 miles - what a day.

Instead of doing a site by site review of the trail, (there are plenty of places you can go online to learn about each location, like this one) I decide to offer a few tips and suggestions from my experience today.

I have included some pictures with this blog entry but have posted even more pictures as a set on Flickr here. Please feel free to use any of these photos in your class when you teach the Revolutionary War. Also, if you have any tips or suggestions for walking the Freedom Trail please share them here so that everyone can benefit from it.

Direct link to Podcast #194 - Tips and Suggestions for Walking Boston's Historic Freedom Trail

Podcast #193 - Visit to the Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball in St. Paul, Nebraska

2009-07-03T12:33:00.007-05:00

Hello. I'm a native of Nebraska, enjoy baseball and love museums so I was very excited to visit the Nebraska Major League Baseball Museum in St. Paul, Nebraska on a recent family trip. The museum honors all major league players with a tie to Nebraska - born in Nebraska or called Nebraska home with a residence. There are about 160 major league baseball players who have met these requirements - 7 of which are in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Some of the more famous Nebraskans to play major league baseball include Grover Cleveland Alexander, Richie Ashburn, Bob Gibson and Sam Crawford. The museum is located in St. Paul, Nebraska because it is the proud hometown of Cleveland - the pitcher in 3rd place for wins all time in major league baseball history.

Listen to the podcast to learn more about my experience at the Nebraska Baseball Museum and check out the pictures below from my trip. We had a great time and encourage anyone who loves baseball to visit St. Paul for a great experience. If you have visited the museum or would have a remark to share please leave a comment on this blog post. Thanks.

Direct link to Podcast #193 - Visit to Nebraska Major League Baseball Museum in St. Paul

Update to Buffalo Chip Cookout Podcast

2009-06-04T15:38:00.004-05:00

We had an interested comment posted on Podcast #192 - Making Smores Over a Buffalo Chip Campfire from Peter Findler and wanted to share it with everyone. Thanks Peter for the comment and photo!

Photo by Peter Findler

Nice idea, I'm sure you were able to get your student's attention and imagination going with this one!

I recently visited a relative living in Armenia. It turns out that a similar practice is used in this part of the world as well (and in other places I'm sure). I ate lunch with a family in a small village north of the capital city, and while I was there I noticed brown blocks lining the wall in the backyard. I asked what they were, and sure enough they were blocks of cow dung, cut and dried for heating the home next winter. The family said that about 3-4 blocks will heat the home for hours, and doesn't smell as bad as one would think.

When I heard the podcast for this post I was reminded of this, and thought some might be interested in hearing it. Keep up the good work!

George Washington and Twitter

2009-06-04T14:15:00.001-05:00

A funny comic from the Holy Kaw! blog

Bill Moyers and Historical Figures Tweeting

2009-06-04T14:10:00.003-05:00

Bill Moyer and some thoughts (humor) on famous historical figures and Twitter:

Podcast #192 - Making Smores over a Buffalo Chip Campfire

2009-06-01T19:53:00.000-05:00

Hello. Sometimes you just have to experience something to understand it a little better. For the past 15 years I have taught about western expansion and the how the pioneers and early settlers on the plains used Bison (Buffalo) chips as fuel in the absence of timber. This year I decided to get my hands on some Bison chips and burn them at a cookout. I invited some students, some parents and my principal over for a good ol’ fashioned Bison chip fire where we roasted marshmallows for smores. Listen to the podcast to find out how everything went.

You can see more pictures from the Bison chip cookout by checking this Flickr set. If you have any personal experiences with burning Bison chips, or if you would just like share a general thought about the topic, please leave a comment on this blog post. Thanks.

Direct link to Podcast #192 - Making Smores over a Buffalo Chip Campfire

Podcast #191 - Suggestions and Tips for Visiting Washington DC during NECC 2009

2009-05-28T19:20:00.004-05:00

Hello. Some of the listeners of this podcast will be heading to Washington DC at the end of June to attend NECC 2009. I have been fortunate to attend several NECC conferences in recent years but will not be attending - in person – this year. The current financial situation along with a desire to spend some time at home means I’ll be attending this year’s NECC virtually through a collection of podcasts, blog posts and tweets. Please post often if you are attending.

I must admit that I’m a little jealous since Washington DC is my favorite city to visit. I’ve been able to visit DC several times in the past couple of years and several listeners have e-mailed me questions about suggestions on what to do, where to stay, etc. I don’t consider myself an expert on DC in any manner but today’s podcast is a collection of suggestions and tips for visiting Washington DC – either for NECC 2009 or another trip.

Crystal City, Virginia Hotels

Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC

National Museum of the American Indian

Newseum

Lincoln Cottage

Ford’s Theatre

Alexandria, Virginia

Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria

Alexandria Ghost Tour

If you have any suggestions for visiting DC - during NECC 2009 or any other time of year - please leave a comment on this blog for all to see and share. Thanks.

Direct link to Podcast #191 - Suggestions and Tips for Visiting Washington DC during NECC 2009

Podcast #190 - Review of "Our Documents" - Book and Website from the National Archives

2009-05-13T09:08:00.009-05:00

Hello. Today's podcast is a review of a great book that every teacher should have in their classroom - "Our Documents : 100 Milestone Documents from the National Archives". This book should be in each history classroom in America and each school library. The book also has a companion website with additional resources for teachers and copies of all the material in the book.

You can purchase the book here and check out the website here. Both great resources for any American history teacher.

Direct link to Podcast #190 - Review of "Our Documents" - Book and Website from National Archives

Live Video Feed of Shuttle Launch

2009-05-11T10:42:00.002-05:00

Hello. I am constantly blown away by the ability for us as teachers to connect to the rest of the world via video. Today I'm sitting in my classroom in Liberty, Missouri working on some random projects and on my computer in the background I'm watching a live video feed from UStream and NASA. If you are reading his on May 11, 2009 go and check out the link below to watch the launch live. I just watched them strap in the astronauts prior to lift off.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/spacevidcast

Podcast #189 - Early Morning Walk to See Lincoln in DC

2009-05-02T20:37:00.003-05:00

Hello. While I was in Washington DC earlier this week I took an early morning walk down the Mall to the Lincoln Memorial. It was peaceful and very few people were out yet. In today's podcast I discuss my walk to see Lincoln while sitting on the steps in front of the reflecting pool. I have added some pictures from my walk with this blog entry. If you would like to see more of my pictures please check out my Flickr set from the walk.

If you have any thoughts on this podcast please leave a comment on this blog or you can reach me directly at speakingofhistory@gmail.com Thanks.

Direct link to Podcast #189 - Early Morning Walk to See Lincoln in DC

Podcast #188 - Review of Trip to the Newseum in Washington DC

2009-05-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

Hello. Earlier this week I visited the Newseum in Washington DC - a museum devoted to telling the story of how news is gathered and then shared with the public. It is one of the newer museums in DC and I really enjoyed it. This podcast is a review of my visit and I have included some pictures from the Newseum below. This podcast may be of interest to anyone who is planning to attend NECC 2009 this summer in Washington DC and is looking for something to do when not attending sessions.

If you have any comments or would like to add your experiences at the Newseum to the discussion, please post a comment to this blog post or e-mail directly at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Direct link to Podcast #188 - Review of Trip to the Newseum in Washington DC

Smithsonian Presetation to Teacher Ambassadors

2009-04-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

Last year I had the honor of participating in Smithsonian Teacher Day 2008 in Washington DC as the Missouri Teacher of the Year (2007/2008). Smithsonian Education gave us behind the scenes access to their museums and staff. They also gave us materials as Smithsonian Teacher Ambassadors which we could share with other teachers to share information on all the Smithsonian has to offer educators. Last year I did several podcasts and a couple of screen cast videos to share Smithsonian resources.

Today I have the privilege of sharing some of these techniques with the current state teachers of the year from around the country as they participate in Smithsonian Teacher Day 2009. I have included the presentation below via SlideShare and links to the podcasts, screen casts and applications that I mention in the presentation.

Smithsonian Teacher Day 2009

View more presentations from elanghorst.

Links to Podcasts and Screen casts :

Podcast #166 - Using "Smithsonian in the Classroom" to Teach Lincoln

Podcast #172 - Preview of the Smithsonian's Upcoming Online Conference Featuring Lincoln

Screen cast - Smithsonian's Interactive Gettysburg Address

Screen cast - Smithsonian's Interactive Star Spangled Banner

Podcast #175 - Smithsonian Museum of American History Using Web 2.0 with Blog

Podcast #177 - Review of Smithsonian's Online Lincoln Conference

Links to Resources:

Twitter - free micro blogging at 140 characters each

Blogging - free blogging application

Audacity - free audio editing program which can be used to create podcasts

Jing - free application to create screen casts

You Tube - free application to share video content on the web

Flickr - free application to share images online

The National Museum of American History

2009-04-26T20:30:00.004-05:00

The following post is a collection of photos from my visit today to The National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. I was very excited to walk through the museum for a while since it has been closed for a while and recently re-opened to the public.

Battle of Yorktown Display

George Washington's field glasses and travel desk used in the Revolutionary War
Chairs used at Signing of Surrender Papers to End the Civil War

Coffee cup used by Lincoln on the night he was assassinated

What Does A "Trillion" Look Like?

2009-04-21T19:49:00.004-05:00

News concerning today's economic crisis occasionally uses the term "TRILLION" but can we really visualize what that means. I saw the following site via a tweet on Twitter from David Warlick. The visualization of a trillion was created by the people at PageTutor.com and it is amazing. Check it out here. Great to use with a class of students.

By the way, the image below is NOT a trillion - not even close....

Podcast #187 - How I Use Twitter as a Teacher and Educator

2009-04-20T10:39:00.002-05:00

Hello. Twitter has been all over the news this past week and although I don't have a million followers - and I don't know why anyone would want a million followers - I thought I would comment on how I use Twitter as a teacher. I don't Twitter with students but the podcast discusses how I use the application as an educator.

Please listen to the podcast and let me know how you are using Twitter. Please leave a comment on this blog or contact me on Twitter where my user name is ELanghorst

Direct link to Podcast #187 - How I Use Twitter as a Teacher and Educator

James Swanson Interview on Lincoln Assassination from Ford's Theatre You Tube Channel

2009-04-14T19:10:00.006-05:00

Today as we reflect on the anniversary of Lincoln's assassination (April 14, 1865) take a few moments to watch some great videos from the Ford's Theatre You Tube Channel. These videos include some great segments from author James Swanson "Manhunt : The 12 Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer".

I have embedded one of the segments below in this post but please check out the entire Ford's Theatre channel on You Tube for other great segments of this interview, and others about Lincoln. Awesome content and I'm so thrilled that another major historical site, like the Smithsonian, has embraced web 2.0 tools such as You Tube!

You can also check out another great Swanson interview on You Tube from C-Span Book TV.

Podcast #186 - Review of Upcoming PBS / American Experience Series "We Shall Remain"

2009-04-02T15:41:00.009-05:00

Hello. This month I have the privilege of hosting the PBS blog "Media Infusion" and discussing the upcoming PBS and American Experience series "We Shall Remain". The series will be shown on PBS stations beginning in mid-April 2009, check your local PBS station for dates and times. "We Shall Remain" describes the Native American story within the context of American history. Each of the 5 episodes are unique and the entire 7.5 hours of content is excellent.

In the podcast I discuss the series and how a teacher could approach it for use in class. I also encourage you to read the Media Infusion blog post and leave a comment during the month of April describing how you incorporate Native American culture in your history class.

You can also leave a comment on this blog post or contact me directly at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Direct link to Podcast #186 - Review of PBS / American Experience Series "We Shall Remain"

RSA Video from Ken Robinson - Author of "The Element"

2009-04-02T08:56:00.003-05:00

Here is another great video from author/presenter Ken Robinson. If you enjoyed his TED video on creativity in schools check out this one from RSA. I can't get enough of this guy. Finished his book, The Element, a couple of weeks ago and really made me think about the lens through which I view myself and my students.

Thanks to 2008 National Teacher of the Year Mike Geisen - I first saw this video posted on his blog.

Podcast #185 - Review of Matthew Pinsker's "Lincoln's Sanctuary"

2009-03-24T13:03:00.005-05:00

Hello. Today's podcast is a brief review of a great book for anyone who enjoys learning about Lincoln : Lincoln's Sanctuary, Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home by Matthew Pinsker. Two summers ago I was able to tour and visit the Lincoln Cottage in Washington DC just prior to the opening of the visitor center. The Soldiers' Home, or Lincoln Cottage, was the summer White House for President Lincoln. It has been estimated that Lincoln spent almost 25% of his presidency at the Lincoln Cottage.

This book sheds light on what Lincoln accomplished at this second home, how the location might have impacted his thought process during the war years and some personal details that make Lincoln appear more human than the stoic icon we view him as today.

I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoyed learning more about Lincoln and would recommend a visit to the Lincoln Cottage the next time you are in Washington DC. If you can't physically visit the next best thing would be a visit to their web site or blog.

If you have any additional thoughts on this subject please feel free to leave a comment to this blog post.

Direct link to Podcast #185 - Review of Lincoln's Sanctuary by Matthew Pinsker

Podcast #184 - Creating "Common Craft" Type Videos about Historical Terms for Class

2009-03-20T15:16:00.009-05:00

Hello. This week we did a cool project in class - my students created short videos in the "Common Craft" style to describe a variety of historical terms and concepts we are currently studying. My students loved it and did a great job. I have included a couple of videos with this blog post below, the rest you can view at my You Tube channel.

I have included a couple of pictures of the set up we used to film the videos with a Flip camera. The podcast has more details on how we created the videos. If you have any questions or thoughts on this project please leave a comment on this blog post.

Thanks to Common Craft for the inspiration - we are all huge fans of your work!

Direct link to Podcast #184 - Creating "Common Craft" Type Videos about Historical Terms for Class