Saturday, June 30, 2007

Podcast #99 - 2007 Atlanta NECC Interview with Kelly Haun of Electronic Field Trips from Ball State


Hello. Today I have an interview with Kelly Haun - Registration Coordinator for the Electronic Field Trip Program. Ball State University has an incredible opportunity for teachers to take their students on exciting and engaging field trips from the comfort of their own classroom. This program has had some great trips in the past and this year they return with four more opportunities.

October 16, 2007 - Tails from the Tetons - Witness the Return of the Great Predators: The Wolf and the Grizzly - Grades 3-8

December 4, 2007 - The 9 Who Made A Difference - Commemorating Courage Against Segregation - Grades 7-12

February 26, 2008 - A Whale Story - A South Seas Adventure - Grades 3-8

April 1, 2008 - Field of Colors - Flying Objects on the National Mall - Grades K-5


Listen to the podcast interview and then check out the web site for more information. There are a number of opportunities to take your students on the field trip for free with a Best Buy scholarship. These field trips have won numerous awards and teachers around the country have raved about them. You can also purchase a DVD of electronic field trips from previous years to use in your classroom.

If you have any comments or questions please leave a comment on the blog or send me an e-mail at speakingofhistory@gmail.com


Podcast #99 Show Notes:

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Friday, June 29, 2007

Podcast #98 - 2007 Atlanta NECC Interview with Teacher Tube Co-Founder Jason Smith


Hello. In Atlanta at NECC on the exhibit floor I was able to visit and chat with one of the co-founders of Teacher Tube - Jason Smith. We had a great conversation about the current state of Teacher Tube and what might happen in the future. I have been a big fan of Teacher Tube since they launched this past spring and have several videos currently hosted on their site. I think it is an incredible opportunity for teachers to post content, free of charge and reach a global audience. It is also very easy to embed the video you have posted to Teacher Tube on your blog or web page. I think it's a great service available to teachers and I think there will be some great things to come in the future. Enjoy this quick interview with Jason Smith and thanks to the people at Teacher Tube for providing this service to teachers.

If you have any comments or questions please leave a comment on the blog or send me an e-mail at speakingofhistory@gmail.com



Podcast #98 Show Notes:


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Podcast #97 - 2007 Atlanta NECC Poster Session - Using Web 2.0 Tools in the Social Studies Classroom


Hello. Today's podcast is a personal reflection on the poster session I presented at NECC 2007 last week in Atlanta - "Using Web 2.0 Tools in the Social Studies Classroom" .I had a great time meeting and discussing educational technology with all the fine people who stopped by and really enjoyed meeting some listeners of the podcast. I have created a page for the poster session with some links to articles that further describe how we use web 2.0 tools in my classroom. Thanks to all the people who visited my poster session and I hope to continue the conversation with many of you from around the country.

If you have any comments or questions about this episode or the podcast in general please feel free to leave a comment to this blog post or e-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com I would enjoy hearing from you.



Show Notes for Podcast #97:

n07s366, necc2007, necc07
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Podcast #96 - 2007 Atlanta NECC Overview - A Peach of a Conference


Hello. Well, I have returned home from Atlanta and a great 2007 NECC Conference. My hat is off to the people at ISTE and all the hosts this year - I heard very few comments, if any, which is pretty incredible when you consider that 13,000 people attended. This podcast will be an overview of the entire conference. There will be some specific podcasts to come including interviews, session information and the audio from an entire session. I have also included some pictures from the week and some of the highlights from NECC 2007 for me.

If you weren't able to attend in person you can still catch many of the conference sessions and keynotes as podcasts or videocasts. There are some sessions I was unable to attend and I plan on downloading them to my i-Pod for great listening later in the summer.


If you were at NECC 2007 and have any comments or just want to put your two cents in please feel free to add them to this post or you can e-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com
Note - I did mention eating at a Brazilian churrascaria steakhouse and mentioned not being able to pronounce it correctly because I know very little "Spanish", of course I also understand very little Portuguese- sorry for the error.



Podcast #96 Show Notes:



















necc2007, necc, necc07, presentations, conferences, n07s688, n07s740, n07s863, n07s573
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Thursday, June 21, 2007

Podcast #95 - Is Classroom 2.0 Possible Without a 1 to 1 Ratio?

Hello. I have been listening to Ben Wilkoff's podcast Discourse about Discourse recently. He is doing some amazing things with his 7th/8th grade language art class in Colorado. On his podcast from June 19, 2007 "The 1.0 to 2.0 Transformation" he asks an open ended question about the difference between Classroom 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 etc. I've been thinking a lot about Classroom 2.0 lately and this podcast tries to answer Ben's question and then also asks a few more.



Some of the questions in today's podcast:

- What is the difference between Classroom 1.0 and Classroom 2.0?

- Is there such a thing as Classroom 1.5? If so, what does it look like?

- What is the definition of a true 2.0 Classroom?

- Is Classroom 2.0 possible without a 1 to 1 ratio for students to laptops?

- Is there a tipping point at which Classroom 2.0 will become a norm in the United States and what is that tipping point?

- How does NCLB fit into Classroom 2.0?



Please add your comments to this blog post. I don't know the answer to these questions but would really like to hear what others in the edu blog community think about these topics. If you would like to contact me via e-mail instead you can do so at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

You can subscribe directly to Speaking of History via i-Tunes here

Direct link to Podcast #95 - Is Classroom 2.0 Possible Without a 1 to 1 Ratio? - MP3 Format - 14:48 Minutes

Podcast #95 Show Notes:

- Ben Wilkoff's "Discourse About Discourse" Podcast
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Podcast #94 - Day Two in Chicago - The Museum of Science and Industry and Tommy Guns Garage


Hello. Today's podcast describes the adventures of my wife and I in Chicago on Day 2 of our vacation. We did two major things during our second day in the Windy City - a trip to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and a dinner theater experience at Tommy Gun's Garage.

The highlight of our trip to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry was seeing the U-505 Submarine - a captured German submarine from World War II. I remember seeing the submarine in the mid 1980's as a child visiting the museum while on vacation with my family. At the time it was sitting outside and didn't have much of a exhibit to go with it. Today it has been restored and is one of the best museum exhibits that I have ever seen. We were able to tour the submarine to learn it's incredible history and then learned more about submarines in the high tech and interactive exhibits. We also sent through the CSI Experience temporary exhibit at the museum. The CSI exhibit is at the museum until September 3, 2007.


In the evening we had made reservations at Tommy Gun's Garage - a dinner theater style event that plays up the 1920's Chicago gangster type atmosphere. After giving the secret password to the man guarding the door we were treated to a great dinner - I had the lasagna and my wife had the salmon. The atmosphere is awesome - you are in a 1920's speakeasy complete with a 1920's automobile, pictures of famous gangsters in Chicago history, etc. After dinner we were treated to dancing, singing, and a comedy routine. When we were raided by the police in the middle of the show we had to act as though we were at a church revival! Overall it was a great evening and something I would suggest to anyone traveling to Chicago.


If you have any comments about the podcast you can leave a comment to this blog entry or you can e-mail us directly at speakingofhistory@gmail.com




Podcast #94 Show Notes:





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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Podcast #93 - Day One in Chicago - Millennium Park and Cubs Game at Wrigley Field


Hello. Last week my wife and I spent a few days in Chicago on vacation. We had a great time and wanted to share our experiences in the Windy City. We took the train from Tinley Park to downtown and set out to explore the city. On our first day we took a tour of Millennium Park and took in the Bean, ate a sandwhich in the park and saw the Crown Fountains. In the afternoon we took the L to Wrigley and watched the Cubs beat the Mariners 3-2. You can listen to what happened on our trip - it may save you some time and money on your next trip to Chicago.


You can comment to this podcast by posting a comment to this blog entry or you can e-mail us at speakingofhistory@gmail.com





Podcast #93 Show Notes:





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Podcast #92 - Getting Ready for NECC

Hello. Getting ready for NECC and can't wait. I have been very lucky to attend NECC on two previous occasions - New Orleans (2004) and San Diego (2006). This year the Liberty district is sending a delegation of around eight people.



I will be presenting a poster session entitled "History 2.0 : Blogs and Podcsts in Social Studies" in the Galleria from 12:00 noon through 2:00 PM on Wednesday, June 27th. If you happen to be attending NECC please stop by and say hello. If you would like to blog about my poster session please remember to tag it with "n07s366" and it will show up on all RSS feeds for NECC sessions.

One of the great things about NECC is the chance to test the water on what ed tech topics people are discussing. In the past it has been podcasting and blogging. I think this year the hot topics will be Second Life and a continuing theme of Web 2.0 but now with more practical examples and less of a "wow" factor. Our district will be building a new high school in 2010 and it looks like it will have a 1 to 1 laptop ratio for students so many of us will be attending sessions on that topic. I think podcasting will continue to be a strong draw - last year many of the podcasting sessions were standing room only. I also think that sessions discussing the use of games in the curriculum will be well attended as well.

Also on the agenda for me while in Atlanta is a tour of the CNN Studio arranged by the great people at Cable in the Classroom, a Braves game on Monday night and a dinner sponsored by School Library Journal. I will try to blog, podcast and post pictures from Atlanta as often as possible.


Below is short listing of some of the sessions that I hope to attend and have found interesting as I browsed the online catalog. After my first sweep through the online planner I had a ton of conflicts so there are a ton of great offerings. My comments about the session (in advance of attending) are in red.



MONDAY - JUNE 25, 2007

Learning with Blogs: Bringing the Read/Write Web into the Classroom [Session : Hands-on Open Source Lab]
Will Richardson, Connective Learning Group
Monday, 6/25/2007, 8:30am–9:30am; GWCC B308
Weblogs are blooming in schools as teachers and students are realizing their powerful learning potential. Find out how blogs are transforming classrooms around the globe.
Blog Tag(s): necc, n07s688
I have been able to listen to Will several times but I also learn something new. He really has the pulse of ed tech and always seems to have a fresh take and what is happening right now. Read his blog everyday and look forward to hearing him again in person.


Voices from the Past: Fictional Blogs of Historical Figures [Session : Lecture]
Herman Wood, Cobb County School District
Monday, 6/25/2007, 11:00am–12:00pm; GWCC B303
See how students step into the mind and become the voice of historical figures from the past with the help of blogs.
Blog Tag(s): necc, n07s740
As an 8th grade history teacher who uses blogs this one struck me as very interesting. I wonder what an Abe Lincoln blog would have looked like during the Civil War........


PrimaryAccess: Creating Digital Documentaries in the Social Studies Classroom [Session : Hands-on BYOL]
Glen Bull, University of Virginia with Tom Hammond and Meghan McGlinn
Monday, 6/25/2007, 12:30pm–1:30pm; GWCC B305
PrimaryAccess, a Web-based tool designed expressly for the creation of digital documentaries in the social studies classroom, will be demonstrated with student and teacher examples.
Blog Tag(s): necc, n07s863
The description mentions the use of audio, video and other media to create a finished product you can use in the history classroom. High interest level for me with the use of media and another great social studies specific session. It is also a BYOL - Bring Your Own Laptop!


TUESDAY - JUNE 26, 2007

Broadband Adventures: Online Learning Modules from Cable in the Classroom [Poster : Traditional]
Frank Gallagher, Cable in the Classroom
Tuesday, 6/26/2007, 10:00am–12:00pm; GWCC Level 5, Galleria
Online adventures with weather, elections, and Shakespeare combine interactivity, streaming video, educational games, and rich content into memorable, engaging activities and are free to all.
Blog Tag(s): necc, n07s329
Cable in the Classroom has some amazing online games that I use in class - eLections is awesome. I think this is the same time that I will be on a CNN tour but check this session out if you want some great online simulations to use in the classroom.

New Tools, New Schools: Starting the Conversation about Web 2.0 [Session : Panel]
Gwen Solomon, TechLearning.com with Timothy Magner, Will Richardson, Lynne Schrum and David Warlick
Tuesday, 6/26/2007, 12:30pm–1:30pm; GWCC B207
Let’s discuss how schools can start the conversation about using the new Web-based tools that allow us to communicate, collaborate, and create content.
Blog Tag(s): necc, n07s702
What a panel - including Will and David! This is like the All-Star team of Web 2.0. I will just be getting back from the tour at CNN but hope to catch as much of this as possible. Is anyone podcasting this session - please?!

Podcasting for Professional Development: Innovative Strategies for Syndicated Success [Session : Lecture]
Mark Gura, Fordham University with Kathy King
Tuesday, 6/26/2007, 2:00pm–3:00pm; GWCC B208
Learn easy-to-implement podcasting approaches and resources to provide inexpensive, high quality, customized professional development to audiences big and small.
Blog Tag(s): necc, n07s699
I want to attend this session in part because I listen to Mark and Kathy on a regular basis via their Podcast for Teachers podcast. High interest level for me on a personal level and I think podcasting has great potential as an option for professional development.


CNN Student News: Broadcast, Webcast, and Podcast [Session : Lecture]
Donna Krache, CNN with Lisa Porterfield, Audrey Schewe and Gerald Smith
Tuesday, 6/26/2007, 3:30pm–4:30pm; GWCC B211
Use technology to turn news into knowledge! Get the download on CNN’s free programs and curriculum. Learn how to tie current events to classroom content.
Blog Tag(s): necc, n07s857
I use CNN Student News in my classroom on a regular basis and am interested in any additional ways that I can use their content with my students.


WEDNESDAY - JUNE 27, 2007

Digital Game-based Learning in American History [Session : Lecture]
Dale Van Eck, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Wednesday, 6/27/2007, 8:30am–9:30am; GWCC B301
You can engage students in the study of history utilizing online games and explorations. Participants will examine a variety of simulations, Web adventures, and videoshops.
Blog Tag(s): necc, n07s573
I was able to catch part of Dale's presentation last December at NCSS in Washington DC but it was packed and they weren't letting any more people in the room. Colonial Williamsburg is doing some amazing things with online simulations and game based learning. If you teach social studies this would be a great session to start off the day with on Wednesday.


TWIRT: Video Podcasting in Action on a Shoestring Budget [Poster : Traditional]
Will Blaylock, Rockwood School District with Chris Beeson and Mark Pennycuick
Wednesday, 6/27/2007, 9:00am–11:00am; GWCC Level 5, Galleria
See how easy it is to create a video podcast on a Windows-based system! Using inexpensive software and hardware—it can be done!
Blog Tag(s): necc, n07s434
A group of fellow Missouri teachers! I have heard some really great things about their video podcast and the poster session will allow for the opportunity to ask questions and find out how they create such a great product on a limited budget.


Hope to see you at NECC. Please feel free to leave a comment to this blog post or send me an e-mail at speakingofhistory@gmail.com


Podcast #92 Show Notes :


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Thursday, June 14, 2007

Podcast #91 - Interview with Erin Bishop - Educational Director of the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library


Hello. Today's podcast is an interview with Erin Bishop, Director of Education for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library in Springfield, Illinois. The museum is an incredible place and the opportunities for teachers are endless. The most powerful experience for students, of course would be to take students to the museum in person. I teach in Liberty, Missouri which is about a 5 hour drive from the museum and I hope to organize a field trip for my students next year. Even if you can't make it to the museum in person there are other opportunities available online. The podcast covers a variety of topics : tips for planning a student trip to the museum, teacher workshop opportunities, online resources and thoughts on the museum.

Special thanks to Erin Bishop for taking the time to visit with me about the museum. My wife and I had an incredible time in Springfield and hope that all of you are able to visit the museum in the future.

If you have any comments about this podcast please leave a comment on this blog entry or send me an e-mail at speakingofhistory@gmail.com



Show Notes for Podcast #91:



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Monday, June 11, 2007

Podcast #90 - Visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois


Hello. My wife and I have been talking about visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois since it opened in April of 2005 and today we had a great time soaking in the museum. We spent hours there today and enjoyed every minute of it. This podcast is a review of our experiences today at the museum. It is a must see for anyone who enjoys history or wants to learn more about Lincoln. We had high expectations leading up to our visit today and we were not disappointed, actually blown away by the great experience.

If you have any comments please leave a comment on this blog entry or e-mail us at speakingofhistory@gmail.com



Show Notes for Podcast #90:



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Podcast #89 - Visiting Lincoln Historic Sites in Springfield, Illinois


Hello. Today my wife and I spent an enjoyable day in Springfield, Illinois visiting various Lincoln historical sites. Lucky for us, many of the Lincoln sites are within walking distance of each other in downtown Springfield. This podcast is a description of the Lincoln sites we visited and our own personal reflections on the items and places we saw. We discuss the Lincoln Home site, the Old Illinois Capitol Building, the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices and the Lincoln Ledger. We also visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library but that will be featured on a future podcast.


If you have any comments about the podcast please leave a comment on this post or e-mail us directly at speakingofhistory@gmail.com



Podcast #89 Show Notes:








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Sunday, June 10, 2007

Podcast #88 - Dana Thomas House Tour - Frank lloyd Wright


Hello. Today my wife and I toured the Dana Thomas House in Springfield, Illinois. This was a great stop on our vacation since we both enjoy seeing FLW homes. The home is an amazing example of his Prairie Style architecture and is almost exactly as it was in 1910. I was amazed that we were able to see the entire home - which includes over 12,600 feet and 35 rooms. Our tour guide was Bob Cash and my wife and I felt that he did a great job. You are not allowed to take pictures of the inside of the home but I did take some pictures of the outside of the home. The site has a wonderful gift shop but if you are unable to visit in person check out the Sumac Shop online. If you are in Springfield to visit the Lincoln sites please also stop by the Dana Thomas House, it is a wonderful tour.





If you have any comments about this podcast please post a comment to this entry or send me a note at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Show Notes for Podcast #88:


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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Podcast #87 - American History Idol Project


Hello. Today I want to share one of the projects we did at the end of the school year. We were required to have our semester test finished a couple of days before the official last day of school so at South Valley Jr High we decided to have an "American History Idol" competition.


Erin Garvey, the other 8th grade American History teacher at SVJH, and I created a list of 160 famous Americans. We then printed them out on paper, cut them into strips and had our students pair up and draw a name. The students then had about an hour to research the individual they drew and create a poster that would be displayed in the commons. Students were instructed to vote for the person they felt had the greatest impact on American History in combination with the visual appeal of the poster and other factors (hey - American Idol isn't just about the quality of the singer or Melinda would have won this year!).


The first day students voted for three individuals and only 50 stayed. It was tough - Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson were sent home on the first day! After the second day of voting we cut it to 10 and then on the last day of school students were shown the results of the top 10 in a video that was shown as part of our student news broadcast. Want to find out who was in the Top 10 and who won - watch the video below (also available at Teacher Tube here)




Direct link to Podcast #87 - American History Idol Project - MP3 Format - 11:04 minutes


Subscribe directly to the Speaking of History podcast via i-Tunes here.


If you have any suggestions or comments about the Speaking of History podcast please leave a comment to this post or send an e-mail to speakingofhistory@gmail.com

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Friday, June 01, 2007

Podcast #86 - Play Ball! : Baseball in the Curriculum


Hello. I had my last day of school last week so it's time to think about summer and recharging the batteries. Personally, there's no better way to relax than heading out to the ballpark and watching a baseball game. So today we're talking about baseball and how it can be used in the classroom. This podcast is also special because my 3 year old daughter does the introduction and shows off her singing voice.

We start with a great book to add to your summer reading list "The Soul of Baseball - A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America" by Joe Posnanski. You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this uplifting book. I bought it on a Saturday morning and finished it by Monday. It is a must read. It will make you cry, laugh and just make you feel good.

The next item is a great find from the Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri. A couple of weeks ago I attended an event at the Truman Library and as I left through the gift shop I noticed a folder for sale marked "Presidents and America's Pastime - A Selection of Baseball Documents from the Presidential Libraries". For $10 you get full color scans on quality paper from 12 presidents relating to the topic of baseball. There are a variety of uses for this resource in the classroom.

The Baseball Hall of Fame has numerous educational resources available for teachers. The Hall of Fame has created thematic units on the following topics: geography, math, leadership, science, pop culture, civil rights, special abilities, cultural diversity, communication arts, economics, character education, fine arts, labor history, women's history and industrial technology. The Hall of Fame also has opportunities for video conferencing, electronic field trips, a podcast and a "Baseball in the Classroom Blog". Check it out if you can't take your class to Copperstown.

If you enjoy baseball you must check out the "Baseball History Podcast" from Bob Wright. This great podcast has been produced on a regular basis for the past two years and discusses this week in baseball history, biographies of players and famous figures in baseball and various tidbits about baseball. Also check out the interview with Bob Wright on the Podcast 411 podcast.

If you have any comments about the Speaking of History podcast please leave a comment to this post or e-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Subscribe directly to the Speaking of History podcast through i-Tunes here.


Show Notes for Podcast #86:








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