Podcast #142 - Visit with William Chamberlain's 5th Grade Class in Noel, Missouri

Hello. Today I have a very special podcast. I have been following the activities of William Chamberlain's 5th grade science classroom in Noel, Missouri for months on the web. Mr. C's class is an excellent example of a web 2.0 classroom using blogs, Twitter, uStream, YouTube, VoiceThread, etc. I was given the opportunity to visit a classroom as the Missouri Teacher of the Year and jumped at the chance to travel about 3 hours south to spend a morning in their class.

The podcast features a short interview with the students. The audio doesn't do justice to the energy and excitement in this classroom. I applaud Mr. Chamberlain for all his efforts in using technology the right way. Several times today while visiting with him about using technology in the classroom he stressed the point that he only chooses to implement technology in his classroom if it has a purpose in meeting his primary goal of reaching his students. Please check out Mr. C's class here.

Special thanks to Mr. C and all of this students that I met today. I hope they finish out the school year with the same energy and that they continue to use these tools in future years. I have a deep respect for Mr. C and I would love to have him teach science to my daughters. Thanks for allowing me to visit your school.

Direct link to Podcast #142 - A Visit to William Chamberlain's 5th Grade Classroom in Noel, Missouri - MP3 Audio - 17:20 Minutes

Podcast #141 - Teacher of the Year Activities in Washington DC

Hello. Today I review the week my family and I spent in Washington DC last week attending national Teacher of the Year activities. My visit to the White House and meeting President Bush was discussed in the previous podcast (Speaking of History Podcast #140) but this podcast will discuss the events which took place during the remainder of the week. I have also included numerous pictures from the week.

As always, if you have any questions or comments you can post a comment to this blog post or you can e-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Direct link to Podcast #141 - Teacher of the Year Activities in Washington DC - MP3 Audio File - 16:40 Minutes

Podcast #140 - Meeting President Bush at the Oval Office in the White House

Hello. Today is one of those days that you never forget. One of the amazing opportunities that I've had while serving as the 2007 / 2008 Missouri Teacher of the Year happened today as I met President Bush in the Oval Office of the White House. Of course as a history teacher and political geek that was beyond cool. It also seemed surreal as I had the chance to have my picture taken with the president and then participate in a Teacher of the Year ceremony at the Rose Garden.

I sat down and recorded a podcast before I went to bed for the night - in part so that my 8th grade students back in Liberty could share in the experience in class on Thursday. I have included some pictures that I took during the experience at the White House. I had a great seat on the isle during the ceremony at the White House and can't believe how great the pictures turned out.

Congratulations to our new 2008 National Teacher of the Year - Michael Geisen - a 7th grade science teacher from Oregon. He will be an amazing representative for all teachers across the country and I hope many of you will have the opportunity to see and hear him speak as he travels this year.

Direct link to Podcast #140 - Meeting President Bush at the Oval Office in the White House - MP3 Audio File - 16:30 minutes

Show Notes:

Official White House Press Release on the 2008 National Teacher of the Year Ceremony

Report from Day Three of the National Teacher of the Year Conference in Dallas

Hello. Today we had a great day discussing national education issues. We have an incredible group of over 50 teachers with great passion and a love for teaching. As we get to know each other we find great diversity but many shared ideas as well. After a great morning and afternoon of discussion we were treated to a special dinner at the Dallas World Aquarium - Mundo Maya. As we walked in the door and entered the rainforest we were greated by several Aztec warriors. The meal was amazing with great discussion. This week has been a truly amazing experience and we are making connections and friends that will last for years. I've added a few pictures from the evening below. I'll blog later about some of the topics of discussion from today. Right now my head is swimming with ideas and thoughts.

Greeted at the door of the Dallas World Aquarium.

Enjoying dinner with Mary Beth Blegen - 1996 National Teacher of the Year.

Montana Teacher of the Year Steve Gardiner, myself and Minnesota Teacher of the Year Michael Smart

Podcast #131 - Report from Day Two at the National Teacher of the Year Conference in Dallas

Hello. Today's podcast is similar to yesterday's episode - a little different than my usual podcasts. I'm reporting back to my 8th grade American history students in Liberty, Missouri. Today we had an incredible day as we learned more about the potential of the Smart technology that we will be given as state teachers of the year. I will soon have a Smart Board, AirLiner and Senteo products set up in my classroom and today was a chance to discover what we can do with these tools. I'm excited about use these tools and letting my students get their hands on these tools as well.

Today I have added a few pictures - one the view from the window of my hotel room and the second a picture of myself with Raymond Voley - the Alaska Teacher of the Year. He teaches technology and social studies so we have plenty in common.

Direct link to Podcast #131 - Report from Day Two of the National Teacher of the Year Conference in Dallas - MP3 format - 5:05 minutes

Podcast #130 - Report from Day One in Dallas at Teacher of the Year Conference

Hello. Today's podcast is a report from the national Teacher of the Year Conference in Dallas for my students back in Liberty, Missouri. We landed this afternoon - after flying into a 100 MPH headwind. I took a picture looking out the window of the plane since it looked really cool. I had a dinner tonight with all the teachers of the year from various parts of the country. It was great to meet a few other teachers tonight and over the next four or five days we'll all get to visit. Please listen to the podcast for a recap of Day 1.

Direct link to Podcast #130 - Report from Day in Dallas at Teacher of the Year Conference - MP3 Format - 7:00 minutes

Missouri Teacher of the Year Blog

Hello. As readers to the blog discovered a couple of weeks ago, I have been very humbled to be named the 2007/2008 Missouri Teacher of the Year. The official banquet will not take place until November but some of the speaking engagements and events have started and I am keeping a Missouri Teacher of the Year Blog to help "scrapbook" the year. I will try to take pictures and include a little text of the special events that occur. I will be traveling to a variety of conferences and conventions in the next several months. Some of these events will also be added to the Speaking of History blog.

Last night, for example, the City Council of Liberty, Missouri gave a proclamation in my name and declared that October 9, 2007 is "Eric Langhorst Day" in Liberty. Wow - that is just crazy! It will be a fun year full of exciting events as I represent the great teachers of Missouri and you're welcome to check in via the blog.