Spotlight on Eric Langhorst - Liberty, Missouri

I have been subscribing to Mr. Langhorst's blog and podcasts since September 2005. He is a leader and innovator in a variety of instructional technology applications. Mr L's class website contains tons of useful information and resurces for parents and students. His podcast do the same for interested teachers. Visit both of his sites and you will see what I am talking about:
Mr. L's Virtual Classroom and Speaking of History Blog/Podcast

As a result of Mr. Langhorst's efforts I do not walk on "untrodden ground" as I prepare for my first podcast in January 2006. I was able to link up with an endless stream of resources and info in three short months that will transform my classroom in 2006. As Thomas Friedman states in his book The World is Flat "They are just technologies. Using them does not make you modern, smart, moral, wise, fair, or decent. It makes you able to communicate, compete, and collaborate farther and faster." p.374

Bravo Mr. L

Spotlight on Marco Torres - San Fernado, California

I recently listened to a podcast featuring Marco Torres a San Fernando High School teacher who created the San Frendando Education Technology Team (http://www.sfett.com). This site contains an amazing collection of student videos produced with iMovie.

The Marco Torres podcast was hosted by the George Lucas Education Foundation's internet radio show: http://www.edutopia.org/php/radio.php scroll down to the July 22, 2004 show "Student run film festivals"

Mr. Torres is the type of teacher who sees the value of digital story telling. The website includes everything from documentaries on sweatshops to inspirational stories of heartache and surivial. The Episode III movie titled " Frank Martinez" is a moving example of how students in todays high school classrooms can harness the power of technology to tell stories that are the relevant and esseintial fabric of every community. When asked how he recruited teachers on the staff to join the " revoltuion" he offered a realistic observation..."Some will, Some won't, So what" Bravo Mr. Torres and the SFETT Team!!!

Juggling Double Edge Swords

In my first three months in the blogosphere I have been a passive participant soaking up information, anecdotes, and words of wisdom from several trailblazers in the arena of instructional technology. What a ride it has been. First and foremost, I am proud to be part of a profession with so many committed and compassionate educators who work their craft beyond the confines of the traditional school day. These are innovators and collaborators who are raising the bar for the implementation of new technology. Their passion is infectious.

For me this is a double edge sword. Podcasting and blogging are both relevant and accessible technologies. I recognize the need to begin incroporating these technologies as part of my regular classroom routine. But how? But when?

I have spent the past three months reading blogs and books on podcasting and blogging. I have also spent well over 100 hours listening to a variety of podcasts ranging from individual classroom teachers (www.speakingofhistory.blogspot.com; www.thetechteachers.blogspot.com; http://bobsprankle.com/blog/) to Tech savvy Collaborators (http://edtechtalk.com/; http://www.edutopia.org/radioshow.php/). I liken this experience to attending professional development sessions or conferences and engaging in conversations with participants over coffee and danish during the break. Excited about the exposure to new technological applications and eager to apply this knowlegde, ideas would flow freely. We couldn't wait to bring this info into our classrooms and then share the results.

I have created several blogs since October and by no coincidence every one of my posts have been published on or around a long weekend (Columbus Day) or an extended break (Thanksgiving and Christmas). At last count I have five readers of my blogs. This includes three blood relatives, my wife, and a guy named Earl from Southern Michigan.

I am short on time, not short on pontifications....I have two young son's - Jackson 4.5 and Alex 20 months. I am involved with several ongoing projects at Ballston Spa High School - The Ballston Veterans Website www.ballstonveterans.com ; the John W. Taylor Research Project, and Community Conversations...more about these later. In addition to the projects I coach the high school Mock Trial team, mentor new teachers, lead NCBI diversity training, and moderate the newly formed History Club. Sprinkle in four sections of US History and two sections of Sociology and one class webpage www.historyshack.com you can see why I am juggling swords.

Yet I forge ahead. The neat thing about this process is my ability to revisit my early days in the blogosphere when individual and profession blogs are mentioned in the same breath as your e-mail address. For all my readers (that includes you Earl!) I plan on making several posts before I return from winter recess.

Stay Classy San Diego