Week 8 Reflection: Speaking of History
Speaking of History is a blog and educational resource ran by Dr. Eric Langhorst, who teaches 8th grade American History, broadcasting, and technology at Discovery Middle School in Liberty, Missouri. He works with teachers and school districts to work on incorporating technology in the classroom. His blog features many resources for teaching history, but the resources could also be applied to other subjects.
One of his more recent posts, Star Wars and American History Mashups, features an artist who takes classic paintings and photographs from our history and combines elements from Star Wars into them. This is a great way to get students interested into history.
By using these images as an introduction to a new topic or a way to remember important facts, teachers can make history more entertaining and fun for students who just don’t seem that excited about history. Dr. Langhorst’s resource is a great way to find out how to get students to enjoy learning and become engaged in a subject that can be sometimes seen as boring.
Dr. Langhorst has other articles about specific historical lessons and facts as well as his experiences visiting historical sites, such as the 9/11 Memorial and Mount Vernon. Dr. Langhorst's posts reflect his love of learning and his passion for making history come alive for his students.