Keynotes from Building Learning Communities

Every summer Alan November and his team host the Building Learning Communities conference in Boston. I recently learned that some of the keynotes from this past summer's conference are now available to view on Vimeo. If you have some time this weekend, I recommend watching one or two of them. I've embedded Michael Wesch's keynote below.

BLC10 Keynote - Wesch from Brian Mull on Vimeo.

You may have heard me mention Michael Wesch in the past in reference to the video A Vision of Students today which was produced by some of his students.

The Gettysburg Address Animated

As every student in the US should know, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. In fact, it might be the most recited, referenced, and analyzed speech ever delivered by a President of the United States.

Today, on the Open Culture blog I found a new video featuring Mitch Rapoport (you might not recognize the name, but you'll recognize his voice) reciting the Gettysburg Address while text and images illustrate the themes of the Gettysburg Address. The imagery starts out slowly, but really gains momentum around the midpoint of the video.


Gettysburg Address from Adam Gault on Vimeo.

Here are some related items that may be of interest to you:
American President - An Online Reference
From Washington to Obama in 4 Minutes With Dates
Bill of Rights Rap

Why Are We Changing Our Clocks This Weekend?

This weekend most of us in the US will turn our clocks back by one hour. Why do we do this? Where did the idea for Daylight Saving time come from? These are questions your students might ask. The CBS Fast Draw team answers these questions in the three minute video embedded below.


Larry Ferlazzo also has a nice list of resources for teaching about Daylight Saving Time.