Podcast #12 - Interview With State Representative Tim Flook

This episode of Speaking of History is an interview with Tim Flook - the Representative from Missouri in the House of Representatives in Jefferson City. In the interview I ask questions about state government from the perspective of an 8th grade student. Tim discusses his experiences as an 8th grader in Liberty, the day he saw Ronald Reagan in person as an 8th grader and he began to develop an interest in politics, his committee assignments and the aspects of being a state representative that he enjoys the most and the least. Thanks to Tim for taking the time to visit with me. I hope to secure a similar interview with the mayor of Liberty later this spring. I think this type of podcast has great potential and I would like to have the students produce the show and do the interview in the future. Check out the show notes for some additional information.

I would be more than happy to answer any questions or listen to your comments. E-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Direct link to Speaking of History Episode #12 - An Interview with State Representative Tim Flook - MP3 file (14 minutes)

Show Notes:

• Representative Tim Flook Web Page
• E-mail Tim Flook: tim.flook@house.mo.gov
• Tim Flook Biography
• Official Site for the Missouri State House of Representatives
• Listen to LIVE debate on the floor of the Missouri House or Senate
• State of Missouri's Official Web Page

Podcast #11 - The Discovery Educator Network Interview

Hello. Sorry for the long delay between podcasts. I also coach 8th grade boys basketball and we are currently still in season. Once the season is over in about 3 weeks I will probably be able to post more shows. Over the past month or so I have written down a ton of ideas - now I just need to make them come to life.

This podcast is a conversation I had with Linda Chiles - the Missouri/Kansas Field Manager for the Discovery Educator Network. If you haven't checked out DEN yet please go over and check it out. You may already know about what Discovery is doing in education through United Streaming. I have signed up to be a member of the Discovery Educator Network and would encourage you to sign up as well. If you are listening to a podcast this is definitely a network of teachers for you.

Linda came up to Liberty to visit with myself and Lance Huebner - another teacher at South Valley Jr. High who is a member of DEN. Lance and I have taught together for the past 5 years and work on many technology projects together. Linda will be presenting several sessions at our district's workshop in February and we sat down to visit about video editing, podcasting, what Discovery Education is working on for the future, teaching, family......... I sat down to ask her some questions about DEN and recorded it on my MP3 player for the podcast.

I also ask the audience for help on a future show. Please send me the best teaching resources you have found for FREE. I plan on putting together a show of the best free teacher resources. You can send them to me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Direct link to the Podcast #11 - The Discovery Educator Network Interview

Show Notes:

• Discovery Educator Network - Home
• discovery Educator Network - Blog
• Discovery Educator Network - Missouri / Kansas Blog by Linda Chiles
• United Streaming - bring digital video to your classroom on demand

The Importance of Knowing Dates

I hope many of you have used the link on my blog roll to visit Ed Tech Talk - if not please check it out - great discussions going on by people all over the world about education and technology. This past Saturday I joined their show via conference call and at some point during our conversation the question can up about how much a history teacher should stress that students know the specific date of major history events and how it compares with the importance of knowing the context of the event. I mentioned that I was not as concerned about my students knowing if the Boston Massacre happened in 1770 or 1771 as much as I was concerned that they understood the event and its importance in relationship to other events. Others listening to the show entered the discussion and it became quite a debate. It is a little hard to explain without listening to it so I would like to direct you to the link so that you may hear it for yourself:

Link to listen to Ed Tech Talk - Brainstorm 16B - The Ed Tech Massacre

I am very interested in what you may think about this topic - one way or the other. I do plan on bringing this question back to my fellow history teachers at South Valley Jr High and my students but it will probably have to happen after we return from winter break since we are doing finals today in class. Please e-mail me your reactions: speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Studycast for Unit 4 - The American Revolution

Hello. Not a traditional podcast but I thought I would post my latest "studycast". For each unit I do an audio review of the important material on the upcoming test. We have our Unit 4 test coming up on Friday over the American Revolution. I have done a studycast for each of the first three unit tests but had not yet mentioned one for this unit and today several students in several different classes asked if I would record one tonight for them. It was great to hear that the students do use it as a resource and that they were actually wanting to listen to it as a study guide. I added a little background music to spice it up - just listening to me ramble on is rather dry - and am anxious to hear comments from my students. My students are always very interested in discovering what types of music their teachers listen to on their own time.

This is another example of me using the i-River MP3 player to create content for my students. I hope to allow for more student created content in the spring semester after Christmas.

Direct link to Mr. Langhorst's Unit 4 StudyCast - MP3 file (13 minutes, 16 seconds)

Let me know what you think and how you are using MP3 players in your classroom. E-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Living History Opportunity for Missouri Teachers

Yesterday I received some information about a great workshop opportunity from Linenwood University and the Missouri Department of Conservation. I don't think I will be able to attend because I am also an 8th grade basketball coach here at South Valley and it occurs on the same date but I wanted to pass along the information for other teachers who may be interested.

The workshop is entitled: Missouri History and Western Movement. It takes place on January 28, 29 and 30th of 2006 at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. The handout says: "Sign up and spend a weekend learning new skills and ideas to incorporate living history and outdoor education as a tool to enhance subject matter delivery and student learning in your classroom." Sample topics include, but are not limited to: Osage Indian Meal, Dutch Oven Cooking, Muzzle Loading Rifles and Bullet Molding, Living History, Wood Tools, Log Cabin Notches and Split Rails, Dugout Construction, Archaeological Survey and Flint Napping. The workshop is limited to the first 50 participants who sign up and college credit is available through Lindenwood University for 1 or 2 credit hours. The course without credit is $60.

I could not find a link on the web for this workshop but you can contact Jim Duncan at (314) 301 - 1500. If anyone decides to do this workshop please let me know. I would really enjoy hearing how what you learned.

Videos in the American History Classroom

Hello. I have several ideas for a podcast and plan to record one in the next couple of days but I have also been thinking a lot lately about adding more blog entries to "Speaking of History" that would interest other American History teachers. I would like to do a future podcast on some of the best videos and movies used to teach history. I know that social studies teachers get a bad rap when it comes to showing movies but I'll be the first to admit there are several movies I really love to show my students because they generate excellent discussion and do an amazing job of showing the time period.

One of the movies I think every history teacher should consider showing it class is "The Crossing". This movie describes George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River to attack the Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey on Christmas Eve, 1776. "The Crossing" was produced in 1999 by A&E and is available as on DVD and VCR tape. I would recommend the DVD since it also includes several special features you may want to share with your students. I love showing this video to my students because it shows George Washington as a person with flaws and yet his men believed in him. I think Jeff Daniels does an excellent job of playing George Washington. This video is a favorite of my students every year. We are currently in the middle of the movie and will finish it up on Monday. My students find it so incredible that not a single colonial soldier was killed in the actual fighting at Trenton - that is why I always tell them that many times history is more incredible than anything Hollywood could write as fiction.

E-Mail me and let me know what movies you love showing your students and how you use them in class. I will share my favorite movies for teaching history in a future podcast and would enjoy hearing about your favorite movies in the classroom. Send e-mail to speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Podcast #10 - The NSCC Conference Exhibit Floor Sound Tour #1

Last week I attended the NCSS conference in Kansas City and was able to visit with teachers from around the country. I also spent some time in the exhibit hall. Sure, I picked up my share of free pens and catalogs, but I also brought along my MP3 player and interviewed some of the people behind the exhibits. (After also every interview I answered questions about how my i-River MP3 player worked and how it was used in the classroom.) I thought some of you who were not able to attend the conference would enjoy a "sound seeing tour" of the exhibit hall. I interviewed a total of 12 exhibitors and in this podcast I will include six of the clips. I plan to place the other six clips in a future podcast. Links to all of the websites mentioned in the podcast are included in the show notes. Hope you enjoy it and let me know if you found it helpful.

Direct Link to Podcast #10 - The NSCC Conference Exhibit Floor Sound Tour #1 (23 minutes)

Show Notes:

• Save Our History Program - The History Channel
• National History Club
• Oxford University Press - Publishers of "A History of US" Textbook
• Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Resources
• Colonial Williamsburg Podcast
• C-Span Bus and C-Span Classroom Teacher Resources
• Federal Reserve System Education

Podcast #9 - Reflections on 2005 NCSS Conference

Hello and welcome to podcast #9 of Speaking of History. This past week I attended the NCSS conference in Kansas City and spent a couple of days talking and visting with some great people from all over the country. I was lucky enough to have the conference right in my own backyard this year and took advantage of it. This podcast I discuss some of the sessions I attended, people I met and reflections on the overall experience. In a future podcast I will have a "sound seeing tour" from a dozen people I met on the exhibition hall floor.

Direct link to Podcast #9 - Reflections on the 2005 NCSS Conference (19 minutes, 9 seconds)

Show Notes:

• new intro music - "Not Too Bad" by Population 4 of the Pod Safe Music Network
• Thoughts on this week's NCSS conference in Kansas City
• National Council for the Social Studies - official web site
• The Liberty Minutes Project website - 8th graders in Liberty, Missouri create short historical documentaries
• John Stossel videos for In the Classroom Media
• The War that Made America - upcoming PBS special (January 2006) on the French and Indian War
• Oxford University Press - A History of Us by Joy Hakim - American History textbook

Still here - projects in motion

Hello. Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still here even though I haven't posted a new podcast in about a month. I have working on some great projects like Community Technology Night and preparing for a presentation at the NCSS conference this Friday in Kansas City. Last week I was fortunate enough to listen to the inventor of the webquest - Bernie Dodge - give a workshop on his new web tool to help teachers create and post their own webquest. I have also been working on some things with the Discovery Educators Network. I plan to podcast on all of these soon as soon as I catch up. Thanks and talk to you later.

Podcast #8 - A Day Off For Fall Break

Hello. I'm typing this from my favorite local coffee house - By The Book. It is a great book store here on the historic town square in Liberty, Missouri. They serve great coffee drinks and have a great selection of books for everyone in the family. We love to come down here on the weekends for a treat - I'm enjoying an Oreo freeze right now - and to get a new book or two. Today is a weekday but we have the day off for fall break. We had parent teacher conferences this week and last night visited with parents from 1:30 to 8:00. I will mention the role of technology and conferences in my podcast. I've been writing down thoughts and ideas about learning and technology over the past couple of weeks and have a lot to talk about today. So let's get started.....

Direct link to Podcast #8 - A Day Off For Fall Break

Show Notes:

• Listener response from around the world - where are you listening to this? Last show I heard from Ireland and Australia
• National Council for the Social Studies Conference in Kansas City - November 17-20, 2005
• My presentation: Friday - November 18th - Liberty Minutes Project
• Duke University Podcasting Symposium - held September 27-28 - webcasts available
• The $100 Laptop Project from MIT Media Lab - audio from presention by Nicholas Negroponte from Andy Carvin's Waste of Bandwith
• Educational Podcast Spotlight - Ed Tech Talk by World Bridges
• Parent Teacher Conferences and technology as a tool
• Ideas on using podcasting in education: collaborate, content and creating