Category curriculum development
8 tips for writing multiple-choice tests
With the end of the term at colleges and universities across the country, literally thousands of faculty members are developing multiple-choice exams. A multiple-choice exam is considered “easy” for teachers compared to other assessment approaches, such as essay exams. Developing a good multiple-choice test can save time in the grading but can take quite a […]
From House Beautiful intern: 3 ways class prepared her for being an online editorial intern
I asked Lauren Gonzalez, a former student from last spring, to share insights she gained from being an intern for House Beautiful. She worked in the Hearst Tower in New York City. Here are her experiences, observations and recommendations: This summer I was an online editorial intern for House Beautiful, a decor magazine owned by […]
Gov. Rick Scott questions value of non-STEM college degrees, posts faculty salaries, and asks Florida state-university presidents to provide data
Gov. Rick Scott certainly has given those of us interested in higher education in Florida many topics for discussion. First, about two weeks ago, he said that Florida doesn’t need to graduate more anthropology majors. He said that the state’s public universities need to focus on graduating students who can fill the needs of current […]
Former students provide sharing and learning opportunities
I was reminded of one of the many great aspects about teaching when I attended UF’s Career Showcase — the benefits gained from former students. I ran into three former students at the Showcase, all of whom were there working the event. I saw Nadene Reynolds at the check-in table. Nadene is a former student […]
NBC’s two-hour Teacher Town Hall showed complexity of trying to improve education
* Home issues that hinder student learning. * Low teacher salaries. * Lack of support for teachers by school administrators. * Tenure. * Standardized testing. * School uniforms. * Technology to promote learning. * Technology gap. * Collaboration between schools and the community. All of those topics plus Melinda Gates’ perspective from the Bill & […]
Learning how to blog can help students with media-related internships
The value of setting up and maintaining a blog was repeated by many of those who wrote comments to my post on “8 tips to help recent college graduates (and others, too) find a job.” The value of blogging for college students planning a career in the media made me decide to make blogging one […]
How stories in the news can help you in your teaching
What do Anthony Weiner, Rupurt Murdoch and Daniel Radcliffe have in common? All provide helpful examples for use in media classes. The recent stories about these three can be excellent for promoting discussion in class and connecting current events with media issues that your course includes. I’m going to talk about those stories, but stories […]
Five skills Stefanie Gordon’s Space Shuttle Endeavour experience demonstrate
Stefanie Gordon’s iPhone photos will be a case study that I’ll be discussing with my students in Writing for Mass Communication. This photo is one of the ones that Gordon took while aboard Delta flight 2285, flying to Florida. As you may know, Gordon was napping but woke up to take these photos after the […]
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ should be a must-read for high school students
When I was in graduate school studying curriculum and instruction, a neighbor was a graduate student from India who was studying biology. Sometimes we would discuss our coursework and projects. One day he asked me, “What are the five books that all American students read?” “What do you mean?” I asked. “In India, every high […]
States adopt Common Core Standards — education beat reporters and the public not following the story
I was skimming the e-mailed Education Week and spotted this headline — “Common Standards Watch: Tally Reaches 20.” That’s almost half the states in the country have adopted the proposed national standards. Where have I been that I’ve missed hearing and reading about the adoption rate? I know I haven’t been in high school faculty […]
Julie Dodd 