St Louis - Morning Walk to the Arch

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

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

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

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

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

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American Experience "The Presidents" DVD Set

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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

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

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

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