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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

State of the Union Bingo Lesson Plan

Here is a great lesson plan that you can incorporate into your classroom when teaching about the State of Union address by President Bush. It comes from Eli Lesser - Director of Teacher Education and Civic Outreach for the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Eli mentioned this over the summer when I attended a workshop at the National Constitution Center and I was thinking of it this morning just as it came across my e-mail.

You can download a PDF of the lesson plan and Bingo board so your students can play along. Great also to adapt to other events.

Thanks Eli!

Podcast Interview on MSTA's "The Pulse"

Hello. I was recently interviewed by Todd and Gail on the MSTA (Missouri State Teachers Association) podcast "The Pulse". The orignial plan was for me to drive to Columbia and do the interview live in their studio but a quick winter snow storm forced me to stay at home so we did the interview via Skype.

I am a MSTA member and very proud of what the organization has done with emerging technologies to communicate with its members - podcasts, blogs, RSS feeds and Twitter are just a few examples.

You can find the interview here as a direct link or listen on the embedded player below. If you have any comments please feel free to leave a comment on the blog post or e-mail at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Hope to have some new podcasts posted soon. I have a lot to talk about, just having trouble finding the time to sit down and record it. Talk to you soon. Thanks.

Podcast #129 - My Top Ten Photos of 2007

Hello. Today is a podcast with a visual focus. I noticed that a couple of edubloggers (Ewan McIntosh and David Warlick) have posted their favorite photos of 2007. I thought this was a great idea. I love taking pictures with my digital camera and thought I would post my "Top Ten Photos of 2007". These are photos that I have taken in the past year and each has it's own story but you'll have to listen to the podcast to discover the story behind the photos.

Direct link to Podcast #129 "My Top Ten Photos of 2007" - MP3 audio file - 15:15 minutes



Please feel free to comment on this podcast and the photos by leaving a comment on the blog post or e-mailing me directly at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Podcast #128 - Create a Family Memory This Holiday Season

Hello. If you listen to one episode of Speaking of History this year please make it this one. Tonight I'm talking about something you can do with your family this holiday season that you and your children will be glad you did years later. I know because my dad did this same thing back in 1977 when I was 6 years old and I'm very happy today that he did. This is a podcast about the power of story and a suggestion that I give you this holiday season.

Direct link to Podcast #128 - Create a Family Memory This Holiday Season - MP3 Format - 11:26 minutes



If you have any comments or would like to share a story about creating your family memory please leave a comment on this blog post or e-mail me directly at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

My grandfather - Henry C. Langhorst (second soldier as you look right to left) in the trenches of World War I. The machine gun on the ground in front of the group was his.

No School Today - Kansas City Ice Storm

Hello. Today we spent the day home from school due to the Midwest ice storm. We did not get it as bad in Kansas City as others but we did lose power for a while this morning. Here are some pictures from the storm. The top picture is from our historic downtown square in Liberty and the bottom picture is the view outside of our window today.

Podcast #127 - Review of the i-River T-60 Portable MP3 Player/Recorder

Hello. In today's podcast I will review the i-River T-60 portable MP3 player. As long time listeners of the podcast know - I'm a big fan of i-River and their products. I recently purchased a T-60 and it is my 4th i-River MP3 player.

I often recieve e-mails from people asking about what type of MP3 player/recorder I would suggest for school use and the answer is always "i-River". Their players are easy to use, small and have tremendous internal microphones. They are also a great value.

This podcast will focus on my personal experiences with my i-River T-60 Portable MP3 player / recorder. I would encourage any feedback you might have as a comment to this blog post or by e-mailing me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Direct link to Podcast #127 - Review of the i-River T-60 Portable MP3 Player / Recorder - MP3 File - 12:31 minutes

Show Notes for Podcast #127:

- i-River page for the T-60 series players / recorders

- review of the T-60 from Pocketables

- review of the T-60 from C Net