Intro from by Mike Lebsock: Podcasting, videocasting, streaming video and more…have become technologies to bring history into the classroom. This session will connect participants to some fantastic sites, lessons and ideas to take advantage of these terrific tools.

Not how-to, but what it looks like session. Presenter impressed me because he was dressed up like Sam Adams. Discussed that if you’re teaching middle or high school and the kids say, “I didn’t learn that,” they aren’t lying, elementary is teaching only reading and math. He moved up to middle school from elementary, caught history bug and went to Colonial Williamsburg.

1. He had a project with 8th graders to create a version of Jefferson reading Declaration of Independence, but kids would read it. What is the script? What are you going to say?

2. Play podcasts for kids to hear example (10-15 minutes)

3. Write a synopsis of what they’ve heard. He broke the Declaration down into parts to make it manageable (primary source vocabulary, fluency, etc.).

4. He recommended Garageband.com for sound clips to add.

5. The class also does analysis of what speaker intent was.

6. It was done over 2 weeks, but part of a larger project. Moving from cell phone, to mic recording scaffolds it.

The transitions from one voice to the next were very nice because it happened naturally because there is a change in the section/paragraph. Next project was Moment in Time about a historic topic. Start with audio, then add still pictures. He is planning to return to Colonial Williamsburg, and will be live podcasting from there. By Civil War, they did Ken Burns type piece. Lots of materials in handouts, and links!

My take-away, this is the best way to approach and start learning about this stuff because it gives you a reason to use the tools, AND he emphasized how to structure teaching it NOT the tech part. Many people make the mistake of the thinking the tech issues, and knowledge it most important. It’s still about the classroom management and planning. My vote, two thumbs up for Mr. Adams, err, Mr. Lebsock.