Pearson's 2008 Teachers of the Year Videos

Several weeks ago I was in New York with the other state teachers of the year and attended our last activity as a group. We were the guests of Pearson and had the opportunity to create a short video answering the question "Why Do I Teach?" It was a great experience as each of us created a short video in one afternoon of work. The videos of all the 2008 state teachers of the year are now posted online.

Link to see all the 2008 Teacher of the Year Videos from Pearson

I encourage you to visit the site and view some of the videos. Over the past 10 months this group of teachers became incredibly close and I have enjoyed viewing each of the videos and recalling conversations I have had with each of them. These teachers have so much to share and hearing their stories is truly inspiring.

I would like to thank Pearson for the opportunity to capture our stories and allow us as a group to experience digital storytelling. Pearson also provided each of us with a Flip videocam to use for future projects and I have truly enjoyed using this device which I think should be in the hands of each teacher in America.

Podcast #148 - Throwing Out The First Pitch at Royals / Cardinals Game

This past week I was able to fulfill a lifetime dream - throwing out the first pitch at a major league game. As the 2007/2008 Missouri Teacher of the Year I was asked to throw out the first pitch at the June 18th Kansas City Royals - St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.

Boeing - the primary sponsor for the Missouri Teacher of the Year Program - made the event possible. It was an incredible experience that I was able to share with my dad and my brother. My dad actually caught the first pitch with the Bob Feller glove he had as a child in the late 1940's.

In the podcast I describe the event - which also included a TV interview on the pre-game show, a radio interview in the 4th inning on the Cardinals radio network, a tour of the video control center for Busch Stadium and watching the game from the Best Buy suite. I have included video of the first pitch - which has been posted on You Tube and a goofy pregame interview my brother did with my dad and I.

Direct link to Speaking of History #148 - Throwing Out the First Pitch at the Royals / Cardinals Game - MP3 Audio File - 10:05 Minutes

Podcast #116 - Invitation to Join Me as the 2007/2008 Missouri Teacher of the Year

Hello. Last Thursday I was extremely honored and humbled to be notified that I have been selected to be the Missouri Teacher of the Year for 2007/2008. Last spring I learned that I would represent Liberty Public Schools in the state competition as the district teacher of the year and I had an interview last week in Jefferson City as a state finalist. I don't think the huge responsibility of representing all the great teachers in Missouri has truly hit me yet and I'll learn much more about my responsibilities in the weeks to come but I'm looking forward to an exciting year. It will require me to miss some days in the classroom with speaking engagements but it will give me an opportunity to share some of the great things happening in classrooms throughout Missouri.

One thing I'm very excited about is the opportunity to discuss the potential of the web 2.0 classroom with a broader audience. Speaking at a technology conference is largely preaching to the choir but many of my presentations as teacher of the year will have a more mainstream audience and I can't wait to spread the potential of blogs, podcasts, wikis, etc. to a variety of people.

I encourage you to join me on this journey. I know that I will ask you for advice and ideas along the way. There will probably be an additional blog that will serve as a scrapbook of various events but I will continue to put all content on this blog in additional to any additional sites.

Direct link to Podcast #116 - Invitation to Join Me as the 2007/2008 Missouri Teacher of the Year - MP3 Format - 10:15 minutes

Podcast #116 Show Notes:

Missouri Teacher of the Year Program - Official Page

2007/2008 Missouri Teacher of the Year Press Release

KMBC TV - Liberty Teacher Named Missouri Teacher of the Year

Kansas City Star Newspaper - Liberty Teacher Named Missouri Teacher of the Year

Podcast #55 - Summer 2007 Workshops - Gilder Lehrman Instititute, National Endownment for the Humanities, Horace Mann Lincoln Fellowship

Hello. The weather outside might be frightful but it's time to start thinking about some amazing opportunities for history teachers this upcoming summer. During the school year things get so hectic that it is often hard to really dive into an indepth study of the your curriculum content. The summer offers some great opportunities to learn from experts, visit historical sites and meet other teachers. Over the past couple of weeks I've been reseaching some opportunities for workshops and seminars available to history teachers. Check out the links in the show notes and apply for a few yourself. I plan on applying for at least one.

If you have attended any of these workshops in the past please leave a comment to this post telling us about your experience. You can also e-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Direct link to Podcast #55 - Summer 2007 Workshops - Gilder Lehrman Institute, National Endownment for the Humanitities, Horace Mann Fellowship - MP3 Format - 12:30 Minutes

Show Notes for Podcast #55:

• Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History - 2007 Summer Seminars for Teachers
• National Endownment for the Humanities - Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops for Teachers - Summer 2007
• Horace Mann Abraham Lincoln Fellowship - Summer 2007