Julie Dodd

We remember today the Challenger shuttle disaster that happened 25 years ago. Their crew photo captures their excitement, camaraderie and the team’s unique diversity. The Challenger’s launch was special for me, as Christa McAuliffe was the first teacher in space, and I had been following the process of her selection and training. In life and […]

In Writing for Mass Communication, one of the course goals is to help students eliminate fact errors from their writing. As is true in many communications programs throughout the country, the fact error has a heavy penalty. In Writing for Mass Communication, the dreaded fact error merits a 50-point deduction. I run into students several […]

One part of teaching — at whatever level — is dealing with student absences and the honesty of student excuses. A colleague recently e-mailed the department members with a link to FemaleScienceProfessor’s blog about excuses she had received from her students for missing the final exam. [A Chronicle blog post last fall also addressed student […]

For teachers who are looking for teaching techniques to be part of their New Year’s Resolutions to improve their teaching, Doug Lemov’s “Teach Like a Champion” offers some good advice. Lemov’s book is based on years of observing outstanding teachers and analyzing the techniques they use to promote student learning and achievement. The book is […]

Our last class meeting for Mass Communication Teaching focused on the process of applying for and interviewing for a university faculty job position. Lauri Baker and Jeff Neely, former students from previous semesters in Mass Communication Teaching, were our guest speakers. They discussed their own experiences in applying for faculty positions and offered advice about […]

In Mass Communication Teaching, we’ve spent the semester discussing strategies for effective teaching and promoting student learning. Each class member has taught class on a topic related to teaching in higher education — promoting group discussion, structuring group projects, promoting academic honesty, addressing the needs of students with learning disabilities, developing multiple-choice exams, etc. A […]

In Mass Communication Teaching, our on-going theme for the semester is the work of a college faculty member. The primary emphasis has been on the teaching component of the job, but we have discussed the other two dimension of a faculty position — research and service. Certainly research is an important component, and the most […]

I just received an e-mail from a former student who is applying to graduate school and had questions about the letters of recommendation: I am writing to ask about the proper protocol for asking for multiple letters of recommendation. I ask because I’m applying to about six grad programs. While I only need 2-3 letters, I need about […]

Charles Harris and I came up with the idea of a role playing activity several years ago when I was looking for a topic for a class writing assignment and he was looking for a way to promote the college’s scholarship program. Each fall semester, he is our client for a assignment that requires the […]

A room assignment, a campus map and a smartphone were the ingredients for a fun teaching activity in my Mass Communication Teaching. The students in the course are hoping to attain college teaching positions when they graduate. Many are teaching assistants in the College of Journalism and Communications. Every week we take on issues related […]

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Julie Dodd

Programs remembering astronauts Christa McAuliffe and Ron McNair continue their commitment to the importance of learning

Starbucks’ trenta provides marketing example of intentional fact error

Student excuses: Faculty need to be discerning but not cynical

Doug Lemov’s ‘Teach Like a Champion’ provides techniques that can be on college teachers’ list of New Year’s resolutions for more effective teaching

Doctoral students offer helpful advice about seeking a faculty teaching position

How you present yourself in a campus visit plays a major role in whether you are offered the faculty position

Service is one of the three components of a college faculty member’s job — and can have some magical results

Applying to graduate school — How many is too many when asking a reference to write letters of recommendation?

Role playing activities useful for teaching and learning — and adding a change of pace to the classroom

Visiting campus auditoriums — in person or via smartphone photo — helps in assessing an auditorium’s potential

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