ASNE High School Journalism Institute Blog

Hi all,
I am probably jumping the gun here but it is definitely on my mind so I though it migh make a good first posting. Everything has been really interesting so far but I am desperate for more practical stuff I can use in my class right away. When someone asked Jim McGonnell if he
would go over how he has set up his class I was so happy. That is so much of what I need: grading policy, class management, balancing J work with producing the paper...etc.

Again - I am sure it is coming and I really am enjoying everything else - I guess I am a bit impatient. (which is probably why I am up here blogging after dinner.)
posted by:
Neil Monaco

Is it just me? I'm unable to respond to Neil's entry about Jim McGonnell's classroom setup. Or am I not supposed to be able to? Well, anyway, in response to Neil's entry, I think we're all thankful that Jim is going to give us some insight into how to run our classrooms. How many Dow Journalism Teachers of the Year do you think he and the Reynolds Institute (specifically W & L) will spawn?
Lisa Bowen

So maybe I am on my own here, but I still haven't gotten into the entire "blogging thing" yet. I mean everyday on the news and on TV, people are commenting on blogs and making there own. So I am a little excited that we are all being "forced" to do some blogging of our own. I had a chance to read a few tonight and Mo Rocca has several really neat ones because he adds videos to them. If you get a chance and you are a blogging novice like me, check out his stuff. If anyone else has interesting bloggers to mention, please do so!
Aaron Willoughby

Well...it was a long day!

We woke up bright and early...some earlier then others (you running people) and walked up and down hill to a VERY HOT building on a beautiful campus. We heard some great speakers and took an awesome tour then walked back in the rain that finally made it hear.

I hear a woman was struck by lightening in Virginia Beach! WOW!

Anyway, I am happy to be here and meet everyone and looking forward to learning how all this works. I must say Jim's speech was the BEST today! He gave us sooo much information about running a classroom. One more thing VA is cool but humid and ASNE rocks! GO CUBS!

Lacey Buidosik

In my two years as newspaper advisor I have discovered that one of the many joys of working with kids in an informal setting is the spirit of camaraderie. Kids grow together when they work together. Of course (as kids naturally do) the newsroom gets competitive at times, tempers start flying, but as with any group setting, conflict resolution is a valuable skill as the students mature.

I am always looking for new initiatives to grow the spirit of camaraderie in the club. Recently I initiated a concept called “paper plate awards.” All of the editors got together at the end of the year and created informal awards with markers on paper plates. Some of the categories included: most improved, best new writer, most likely to become editor of the New York Times, etc. However, the most valuable awards (and the funniest) were the personal touches the editors created. Some of the unique awards included: the shy freshman duo, most likely to give the principal gray hairs, most likely to complain about pollution, etc. I was lucky enough to be the proud recipient of the “I wish I didn’t hear that" award.

My only rule was that everyone who wrote for us this year received an award. We threw a party, invited all of the writers, and had a great summation celebration of our paper for the school year. I think it worked well because it was student created and we provided every writer with an award. Often times, (and this is easy too) clubs can intimidate new members; these awards were my attempt to eliminate the intimidation factor and provide a voice for all the unique writers we have on staff. I hope it worked.

So, my question is this: What sort of events, parties, etc. have you found successful to build a sense of unity for your papers? What has worked? What fell flat?

I hope all is well with everyone. Thanks for all of your ideas.

Joel Neden

I'm thinking about having my reporters sign a pledge, much like the W & L Code of Honor, in which they pledge that every quote they wrote was taken from the source they attributed the words to. I want to write a short pledge that can be posted in the room, signed by all, in addition to an individual's signed form, that says something like, "On my honor, I pledge that to the best of my knowledge all information I obtained I deem to be true."

Can anyone help me edit and get something that would work? I have been nearly burned before, and fortunately caught the fictional quotes before publishing. I don't want anything like that to happen again, and certainly don't want to publish erroneous information.
Lisa Bowen

My name is Greg and I am a procrastinator.

Putting the proverbial pen to paper is a little easier when something has ruffled my feathers a bit.

I’ve just completed my first full day at the Reynolds High School Journalism Institute. The first day was filled with lectures from talented newspaper editors and educators. The first guest speaker talked about the changing state of newspapers. I was familiar with several of the changes mentioned because television is going through a similar evolution. Tight budgets and shrinking (or stunting) staffs was a regular issue when I as a sports anchor for a local television station in Kentucky.

While staffs shrink, duties and workload stay the same. Another popular trend associated with the changing climate in newspaper is assigning new duties to workers who already have full workloads. Some of my classmates seemed thrilled by the idea of newspaper photographers being told to add video cameras to their toolboxes. I’ll admit, on the surface, it sounds great; fun even. Having worked at a television station that loved to keep cost down, I can tell you doing multiple jobs isn’t fun. It’s just the opposite.

Shooting, writing, voicing, editing and anchoring is a great way to test your skills. But doing it all yourself -everyday- sucks; especially when you see your competitors do it the right way (I know some markets are small enough to justify having small staffs, but it’s just sinful for the big boys to adopt this approach).

Working in mass communications was/is great. Being in the media has gotten me in circles I couldn’t have dreamed of being in on my own. And that’s the part I love to tell my students. You can make a living and experience – at times- the high life by working in journalism. And I’ll be the first to admit the students who learn how to do every job in the newsroom make some of the best candidates for jobs.

I just want the generals back at the camp to know the current plan of action (cutting jobs and chalking it up to being ‘efficient’) isn’t helping troop morale.

But I guess I’m not too upset about it. I’m still training troops.

Posted by Greg Hammond

Doug Harwood is a true journalist. While hearing him speak today, I was impressed by his realistic approach to the profession. According to Doug, he pursues his passion to help him satisfy his own natural curiosity – an important trait for any reporter – and he gets a chance to share his discoveries with his community. I think community newspapers serve as a vital and often overlooked resource, and his messages definitely resonated with me as a high school newspaper adviser since we’re both working within relatively small communities. Two of Doug’s quotes I’ll be sharing with my students in the fall are 1) being a journalist is “a good way to pretend to be sociable without actually being sociable” and 2) “Get to know one of everybody…that’s how you’ll find out what’s going on.” I loved his idea that people travel in “clumps,” otherwise known as cliques in most high schools, which is why I’m a believer in beat assignments so that students have to know about every facet of their community. Great talk, Doug! Thanks!

--Stephanie Axelrod

Having never yet taught a journalism class, I'm finding still putting together how I'd like my "newsroom" to work. I had initially thought to leave it entirely in the hands of the students, under the direction of my editors. However, last night showed me what might happen if I do just that. I'm concerned that if I allow the students total control, such as what Brian and Pam granted us last evening, the resulting pandemonium would result in one of two things: the total control by one or two kids or a total lack of decisions in general. I'd appreciate any thoughts/comments on how any of you run your newsrooms. Thanks.

Jake Montgomery

I wanted to come to this workshop so I could learn more about being a newspaper adviser ofr my high school since I have no background in journalism. I thought that by attending this workshop I could get my students interested in working the high school newspaper.
I teach on a reservation school in south central South Dakota and these kids do not have as many career choices or opportunities for diverse career choice as most student do. I want them to be able to realize that there is more than just being on the reservation and that they can succeed off of the reservation. I also want them to realize that they can do anything they want career wise if they have the drive to stick with the programs and they want to succeed.
I took on the job of being the yearbook adviser this year and it was a struggle at first because I had no idea of what I was doing, but I persevered and stuck with the program. We also had some trouble with the contracts and getting the login and password. Once those two things were solved we got the program going and began to design the yearbook. We started the yearbook just before Christmas vacation and we finally got the pages submitted on line on May 27th. The yearbook was done all online. The only part of the yearbook that was done at the school was creating the pages and up loading the pictures. I feel that the yearbook was a success and this is the first time in about 5 years that the students will be getting a yearbook.
Having done the yearbook and having it be a success gave the students a sense of pride in their school and contributing something good for their school. I would like to see that happen with the high school newsletter that the students will be designing and publishing.

This is only the 2nd time I've been back in Virginia since I left for So. California at 5 years old, when my family was moved by the Navy. This has got to be one of the most beautiful states in the country, with its mountains, massive amount of trees, and green, green, green everywhere (So. California is brown, brown, brown everywhere). In Lexington right now, I'm a little bit of a drive from my former home in Norfolk, but I looked it up on Goggle maps and seeing it again brought back fond memories. Virginia is my roots, though I branched out to California with its busy highways and stressed-out people. Being back in Virginia today, it feels like home, and I love being back.

Coming to Lexington for the ASNE wokshop was exciting to say the least. My plane from Rapd City did not leave on time because the plane from Minneapolis did not come in on Saturday as scheduled. Apparently the plane was struck by lightning Saturday so the had to overnight and come in on Sunday. The delay put everyone and hour behind schedule, so meeting the connecting flights on time did not happen. I finally got to Lexington at 10:59 pm on Sunday.
Monday the activities were good although the day was long. I think that the speakers were great, engaging and very well versed in their subject area. There is quite a lot to learn during the next 10 days and I hope that I will be taking back some good ideas and strategies for my students to create a high school newspaper that they can be very proud of.
There is quite a bit for me to learn as far as journalism is concerned but I am willing to put forth the effort so this can be accomplished. Creating and publishing a high school newsletter will also give the students at SFIS another career choice and make them realize that going into journalism would be very exciting and rewarding. Native American students can excell at being journalists because they are very creative kids. They have the ability to create art work that is really good and they are very visual learners.

This morning's presentation on interviewing by Brian Richardson gave me tons of ideas for teaching my students HOW to interview. The 4 levels, from first-hand reporter-as-witness, to getting information from a spokesperson (4th level) was something I really need to emphasize with my students. Also, not letting interviewees answer questions by email (something we did as a convenience for a few of the staff last year) is a policy I plan to implement because it takes the spontaneity out of the interview process. I have really appreciated all that I have learned so far at ASNE and it's only been 2 days. I recommend this experience for all Journalism teachers.

F. Richardson

Of the many cool things about Charlotte Hall two stood out to me...the fact that as the Executive Editor of the Orlando Sentinal she is a very approachable person, as well as the amount of information she is able to recall "off the cuff". She is a real inspiration...I found her presentation awesome!

Wow! What a trip so far. I am honored to be here amongst other high school journalism advisers who are experiencing similar things in the classroom. I finished out my first year as adviser tired and encouraged. The learning curve has been steep, and the mistakes many, but I made it. My students learned so much, taught me so much, and I am looking forward with anticipation to next year at The Times.

So far as a group, we have been able to have conversations with some of the top journalists in the country whose achievements are amazing. One thing I have learned so far, is that the procedure in each newsroom at each school is different. Though, there should be the same commitment to excellence in student achievement, ethics and the first amendment. The tireless pursuit of reporting the truth is what should drive every student and adviser. I can’t hide the fact that I am inexperienced in the technical aspects of newspaper design but I understand that I am not in competition with other papers and advisers at other schools. My goal is simply to help my students produce a paper where they report the truth, check sources twice, and remain as unbiased as possible. I take what I think they can do, and push them to do better.

Brooke Brown

I was pleased to have a moment to speak to Rose Anderson today about her experience teaching on a reservation. I was interested to find that her Native American students resist stepping into the larger world outside the reservation; this has been precisely my experience with so many of my students in Cumberland, VA. I'm excited to say that we have exchanged information and tentatively plan to connect our students as pen pals! Their different geographic locations and ethnicities, we hope, will broaden their experiences and worldviews while their similarly economic and educational deficiencies will provide some common ground. I feel a wonderful anticipation at the idea of helping my students build bridges! Rebecca Doroshenko

It's interesting what happens when you get a bunch of teachers together in one room; many of us want to be THE leader. Others of us seem to be content to wait and see what needs to be done. I wonder if this reveals our teaching styles or if how one is as a teacher and a student are totally different. I know that teachers often make the worst students. This has been proven several times in just the last day and a half (and at numerous other workshops). We talk when we should be listening, are late when we should be on time, and are critical in the face of generosity. I keep telling myself that I'll remember these things when I go back to my students so that I'm more understanding of their behavior. So far that hasn't happened.

-Jen Partridge

It has been an excellent 2 days of learn the craft of journalism. All this talk about comfort zones has led me to confront my comfort zone. I am really a fish out of water, as science is my love, my passion, and my training. I am really starting to fear continuing in the role of an adviser of the yearbook and reestablishing a newspaper program. Maybe I should become more of a free spirit, as my brain currently turning leaps and bounds as it struggles with what appears to be disorganization. And, that goes against my entire way of thinking. Intellectual curiosity is really scientific, but this creativity thing has me stymied. Normally, I am quite creative. Maybe I am just too old (42 is not that old, though).

Excuse the rambling, but this is all new to me. It excites me and scares me and OVERWHELMS me. I might make this a story idea...my 2 weeks at Journalism camp.

Mark Lemasters

Well, considering the only time I have been to the east coast was a Valentine's Day trip to New York (My husband is awesome!!!), I am in complete awe of the beauty and vast open spaces in Virginia. Growing up in California and now living in Memphis, there are far too few trees and places for one to marvel at the beauty of nature.
Although I have only been here for two days, I feel that my mind has been expanded to think about journalism and the work that I do in a completely different light. I never thought of journalism as more than my service cause; nobody else wanted to do it, so I was sympathetic enough to take the task. Yet, in order to continue in this position, I will have to make a more conscientious effort to guide my students rather than do things for them.
While I had written and edited for my high school paper, I never received any official training nor did I pursue journalism in college. Therefore, as an instructor, I was clueless. I am a veteran teacher (5 years LOL!!!!), so I have enough tools to make it look like I am teaching journalism, but in reality, I was merely surviving from issue to issue. Yet, as the year continued and I found the ASNE website, I became a thief of lesson plans and started giving my students the tools they needed to become actual journalists rather than my puppets on a string.
In the last two days, I have been listening ravenously, stealing ideas, jotting down thoughts, and I know next year will be much different. I want my students to find the liberating nature of being a journalist, and I want them to know their work is a service to the student body, not protection for the floor of the art room.
I believe change must start from the top down. I have to emulate the changes I want to see. I'm ready to return; I'm anxious to tackle that 16 page monster and emerge victoriously!

My daddy says that anyone who turns down free education is a fool, so I feel pretty lucky to be involved in a program that targets my weakest aspect as a teacher: journalism. I’m 48 hours in, and I’ve already learned more than I’ve taught myself in three years of moderating.
One problem: Lexington has hills.

I’ll admit that my days as a student athlete are gone, but even when I was in shape, I was still in New Orleans, which means I didn’t have hills. Lately I’ve found muscles I didn’t even know I had, and not just in my brain. I expected to be intellectually humbled (and I have been!), but I didn’t anticipate arriving to class red-faced with knees and ankles destroyed by dancing/softball/general clumsiness screaming at me.

I’ll be going home to New Orleans with a bigger brain and much smaller calves. Thanks, Reynolds Institute!

Jen Smith

I have a confession to make – this is the first time I have traveled away from home for more than a week. When I applied to the Journalism Institute, I was weary of the two week span, but I decided that my need for Journalism education far overshadowed my attachment to my home and family. Only a few minutes after I received my acceptance letter, I began to feel nervous feelings creep up from the pit of my stomach. My boyfriend reassured me that the time will fly by, and so far it has.
I am not the kind of person who vacations in solitude, unless the solitude envelops me and my travel companions as well, which really isn't solitude. I would never travel alone; instead, I choose to spend my vacations with my mother and father, and/or my boyfriend Gregg. This is not because I am not comfortable being alone, it is due to the fact that I ache to share my experiences with my loved ones. When I was fifteen, I traveled to Europe for eight days, but that is the longest I have ever been away from home. I think it was easier for me at that age, much easier than it is now.
I am twenty-eight years old, but I still drove to my parent’s house to say goodbye before I left for Lexington. After that, I went back home to say goodbye to my boyfriend of seven years. That was the hardest part about leaving – I was worried about how Gregg would take care of himself while I was gone, much to his embarrassment. How would he eat (he does not cook)? How would my garden grow without me there? Would my cats be okay? How would he be able to tell which shirts match? What if Gregg needs computer help? After much worrying and reassurance from him, I pushed back all my doubts and fears and headed up the mountain to Lexington, Virginia.
So far, I have missed everyone just as much as I thought I would, but the days are busy so I don’t have too much time to be lonely. The loneliest time is at night, just before I fall asleep and when I first wake up in the morning. My twenty-eighth birthday is on Sunday, and I was going to stay in town to save gas money, but since my hometown is only two and a half hours away, I have decided to drive home for the weekend. Call me spoiled, but I cannot imagine spending my birthday away from home, without my boyfriend and my parents. I want to wake up to balloons and breakfast, eat lunch at my favorite downtown diner, and finish the day watching the sunset from the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I want to hear my father mess up the harmony my mother always tries to create when they sing “Happy Birthday” and I want to laugh as my mother tries in vain to apply frosting to the cake. Since I have decided to go home for the weekend, I will not be able to say that I spent two weeks away from home. To some people, this would feel like a failure or a goal not achieved, but to me, it is a relief.
Jessica Johnson

I can officially call this my first blog posting. At 35, I haven't exactly embraced the concept of blogging, but just reading through all the posts is quite interesting. I look at my 14-year-old son and his Myspace and texting and wonder about the future of actually speaking with a real person. Who would've thought we'd do this instead of talk to each other? However, I just read through all the blog postings on the site and I am actually inspired! Wow - we're writing a lot more than we think we are as a society, and that is a good thing. It seems like everyone is a little more willing to share insights, since they have more time to think about what it is they're going to say. I think I like it!
Amy Satterwhite

Yesterday I said the scavenger hunt wasn't my thing, but I obviously changed my mind. I really liked the lesson, and I think it's something to incorporate into my classroom early in the school year. It was not as daunting to be grouped with others and split the work, as well as test our research skills. Repeating this lesson in the classroom could be a great way to find out who is going to be reliable as a reporter. I am also going to steal several other golden nuggets I've picked up on in the last few days - like the story idea barrell or whatever it's called for ideas without the fear of humiliation, and the interview verification form to discourage "Jason Blair" style cheating. Ideas are just what I came here for. I feel very fortunate to be here and be learning from other teachers who have done this before.
Amy Satterwhite

As I have listened and enjoyed the hours of lectures and notes and speakers and activities, something glorious occurred to me. I'm a pretty darn good teacher.
It has taken me 15 years of questioning myself and my abilities and recovering from a terrible case of perfectionism to realize that I am teaching my students what they need to know in ways that are interesting and sometimes even fun.
I find that I am teaching my students the same journalistic skills we are being taught in our lectures here at Washington and Lee.
I'm certainly not the same caliber as those who have been teaching for 30 years or any of the professors sharing their knowledge with us, but, by golly, I'm right on target preparing my students for careers in this strange and wonderful profession.
I have learned numerous new tactics and ideas to use in the classroom. I have met wonderful people and, hopefully, a network of mentors.

Carol Carrico

Bob Woodward wrote an article about his relationship with "Deep Throat" entitled: "How Mark Felt became Deep Throat." Because of copyright laws I don't think we can post the link, (something about permission to repost the article being $500), but if you "google" the name of the article (see above) you can click on it and read it. For those of you who chose not to revisit the movie, you missed out! Read the article to feel the relationship the two really had.
Posted by Lisa Bowen

As the old adage implies, teachers can not handle being told that we do not know something. Teachers are used to being the one in charge, the person telling everyone what they should be doing. We each are held responsible for anywhere from three to forty other people at any given point of the day. So what happens when the teacher becomes the student? It is often difficult for those of us who have put our college days behind us to just accept the fact that someone else knows more than us and we better just shut up and listen. I am enjoying every lecture we have had here. Everything is so informative, and yet part of my brain keeps screaming at me, "Get up there and say something." I am not an expert, it is not my place to teach my peers, and yet there are still sometimes when I hear things I just try to picture the sort of dream school these others are teaching at that they can get away with the things they do and then put my own two cents in and explain why that would not work for me. I take those ideas to heart, though, because maybe someday things will change and I can do these amazing things that my students deserve to be able to do. If I, a fairly easy going, go with the flow kind of teacher, am having such an inner struggle to not try to take command, I can just imagine what is going on in the minds of more strict teachers. The ones who really run the show, and don't have the student's do the work.
I know from staff meetings that when you get educators en mass, chaos tends to ensue. Yet here, with 35 teachers with a wide variety of backgrounds, we have all been great students (granted I did think bad things about the honor code- at least I never acted on them). Maybe it's just the faculty that are teaching us. Maybe it is our reasons for being here. Maybe we don't want to let everyone down. Maybe we don't want to let ourselves down. Whatever the reason for it, we are putting that saying to shame, because these teachers are trying their hardest to be great students, showing that teachers are not the worst students, but rather some of the best.
Shawnalee Anibaldi Schwanz

Okay, so this isn't such a serious post, but the cafeteria seriously makes our school food look pretty sad by comparison. I've been surprised by the quality and range of options available. Maybe I should have brought our cafeteria manager along as well so she could learn what edible food is supposed to look and smell like. :)

On a more serious note, however, I am enjoying the workshop. There are dozens of ideas all around the margins of my notes. As presenters speak and people ask questions, ideas are swarming through my head like persistent gnats; I just have to write them down so I can stay up half the night thinking about them. I've had to force myself to be excruciatingly polite and not call administrators or fellow teachers to discuss ideas after eleven p.m. I'm excited to get home and get started implementing the changes in my curriculum.

Lisa Forsythe

Today we were treated to a talk by Doug Harwood, editor (an I presume also publisher) of The Rockbridge Advocate. With this paper Mr. Harwood has taken on the delicate task of holding up a mirror to the community he loves and lives in. The motto on the paper's nameplate reads "As Independent As a Hog On Ice." Harwood claims that it is just a catchy line of uncertain origin -- but it got me thinking about the problem of running a paper in a small community. Somehow it seems to be an apt analogy. That hog might be feeling pretty independent, but a quick (or reckless) move is likely to leave the hog in an awkward position, if not swimming.

As we contemplate the challenges of running papers in schools, small communities in themselves, we could do worse than to remember the hog's dilemma. How do we define the community, and the audience that we are trying to serve? How do we teach the vital role of a free and independent press in a democracy? How do we teach the importance of balance, empathy, and compassion in discharging the responsibility that comes with the power of the press, and increasingly the web site? How do we do this without muzzling the righteous indignation of youth when it meets injustice?

I'm thankful to Mr. Harwood for taking the time to share with us some of his insight on these questions.

-- Doug Urner

F. Richardson

As the information in this institute goes whizzing by at light speed it was nice today to encounter Lisa Tracy...Her facility with words along with the exercises, handouts and hands on style gave me hope, not to mention meat for my lesson plans. Thanks to Lisa...I hope she comes to our informal gathering on monday!

I really was suspicious of this conference a couple months ago when I received the first flyer. Interestingly, I had a difficult time accepting, of all things, that it was all paid for-- I was sure there must be a catch. As far as I can tell, there isn't. More than that, now that I am here, I have been continually amazed by the amenities, care, resources, and professionalism from all the sponsors and coordinators of this institute. The hotel is beautiful. There is plenty of good food. Melissa, Brian, and Pam have gone above just providing the basics and have been gracious in all things even though they must be quite tired themselves from all the coordinating, problem-solving, and activities. I enjoy that the institute is more than just information about the teaching of journalism-- I feel I am truly gaining a better grasp of the institute of journalism and that this knowledge and background will make me a more gounded and thoughtful journalism teacher.
Lindsay Hentschel
Carbondale, CO

Well, Day two was fun...I learned there were two famous artists in Lexington...Cy and Sally...I learned that a guy was promised a building and got a lousy statute...and I learned that Team Jim cheats! (Just Kidding) Team Chicago made a valiant effort but lost out on the Scavenger Hunt competition..it is ok though we are not bitter (RECOUNT).

I learned I knew more about In Design then I thought...but I do not know anything about design. I also grew a deep appreciation for my editors because they do a lot of work and it is hard. I would never be happy with what I did if I were in their position and as a result I would NEVER get anything done. I also learned that Staunton is pronounced Stanton...and while the nearest bowling alley is 30 miles away...it is closed on Tuesday.

ASNE is great! The CUBS won last night and I did NOT get to hear Aaron Sing = (.

I think we are on pace to do a great Institute newspaper and I have got to work on my story tonight.

Lacey Buidosik

Lexington, Virginia, strikes me as a historic destination that fights to keep to itself and not change. Yet it welcomes outsiders. Since our part of the ASNE institute arrived Sunday, I think we've doubled the town's population -- at least the "still out and about after 8 p.m. population." The Hampton Inn Col Alto features state-of-the-art king-size beds the size of my first studio apartment, and yet it also features elevators, staircases, and hallways that have me turning around and back-tracking every day. Our tour guide knew a lot and could explain the honor code in great detail. Many of my classmates and I, though, find alarming the possibility of power abuse. True, we should place trust in one another; professors and administrators should value students. Yet anyone could fabricate a story about another student violating someone's honor, and the accused part woudl be at the hands of the elected body. A person could be expelled for taking someone's water, and yet an underage drinking violation -- something illegal -- might net a pupil only the first of three strikes it would take for expulsion, according to our tour guide. We expect most TVs to be on walls or furniture, and yet at the bookstore, customers can walk on a Levelvision television flashing ads on the ground. Look for a story on this in the institute online site, which will go live next Thursday.

I anticipate enjoying more quirkiness as the days progress.

Yours in writing,

Kevin Schneider

Each day during the school year we ask our students to do the impossible, the embarrassing and, sometimes, the unbearable. We ask them to go out into the hallways and into their communities and ask total strangers questions, not just any questions, probing questions. The amazing thing is, they do it!

Many of us have never been reporters, never worked on a newspaper, and some have never even set foot in their own high school newsroom. I was one of those people. It was not until coming to this conference that I truly had the experience of interviewing someone for a story. It really is a scary prospect. I don’t feel prepared. I feel extremely uncomfortable, and I feel self conscious.

It is good for me to experience what I force my students to do on a regular basis. Now that I have experienced it, I know how to better prepare my students for the prospect. I have learned so many things at this conference, but having to step into the shoes of my students is one of the most valuable. Thanks!

Mandy Manning
Bronx, NY

I think Doug posed some thought provoking questions on his post, and I'd like to take one a bit further.

"How do we teach the vital role of a free and independent press in a democracy? "

Specifically, how do we go about teaching the above when, as a class, we are unable to model for our students what a truly free and independent press is?

Each of us has different circumstances concerning funding, class size, prior review, etc. In my situation the school paper is actually funded by the school itself; thus I feel some pressure in "making the boss happy." The problem for me becomes just how independent and free can a student newspaper be when the funding is coming from the school itself.

Thoughts?

Lori

I attend many conferences and workshops, and I hear and learn and see many great ideas and strategies that I want to apply to my teaching. But in the madness of the school year, many of those ideas and strategies get lost somewhere between the convention center and my classroom door. Yes, I have folders and books and notes from these events, but in the daily battle with finding enough TIME to meet all of my responsibilities, I never get the chance to sit, read, and reflect... until summer arrives and TIME becomes easier to find.

The best workshops I have attended have been in the summer, where I have that TIME to absorb what I've learned and figure out how and when I will apply it to my classroom. I don't have to worry about tomorrow's lesson plans or tonight's basketball game or a newspaper deadline or parent phone calls or grading or getting home in time to see my family before my daughter goes to bed. TIME runs out on me during the school year.

I spent five weeks in 2004 attending Northwest Indiana's version of the National Writing Project. That experience gave me more insight into how to teach writing than any other workshop I had done up to that point. The key to this project was that it gave me that TIME to think and reflect and plan. A similar teacher leadership academy last year provided me with the same need - TIME.

In three days at W&L's Reynold's Institute, I have again found the key component to making me a better journalism teacher - TIME. Although I miss my family greatly (and they likewise, hopefully), I appreciate having TIME to sift through the ideas and strategies I have already heard. Everyone we've listened to and everything we've done has been a worthwhile experience for me ... and all it has cost me is TIME. And while it may be tough for most of us to give up TIME in the summer, it is my belief that if I leave here with tools to make my students better writers and journalists, than the sacrifices I have made have been worth it. - Reggie Flesvig

The past week has been a whirl wind for me. I first traveled three hours to my hometown of Woden, Iowa, to drop off my cute Shih Tzu named Sprinkles at my parents’ house. Then I drove 2.5 hours to Des Moines, Iowa, to stay at my friend Erin’s house during the Fourth of July weekend. I had plenty of fun there but I wish I would have gotten more sleep on Saturday night since I needed to get on the plane at 6:00 am. On Sunday I traveled most of the day to get to Lexington, Virginia. Every day since then has been walking here and there and never staying in place for very long, except maybe during class. I definitely feel out of academic shape but the many classes and learning opportunities will be good in the end. I think I will be better prepared for the school year in the fall.

Like I said earlier, this week has been overwhelming but the new people I have met have made it much easier to handle. Everyone is very friendly and provide plenty of ideas and support. I hope to stay in touch with many of the people I have met so far. I am looking forward to more collaborating in the next few days.

Laura Granger

It has been a whirlwind of a week, but challenging to my brain. I needed the challenge to take my mind off of other stuff. Many of my cohorts know I am suffering from withdrawal. Nah, I really don't miss my husband. He's a military guy and I'm used to the separations. But just last week I dropped my 19-year-old daughter off in New York City to live. She's still my baby and, in my eyes, not nearly ready for the big city. I started crying about a week before she left and finally stopped crying this past Saturday. I've been so busy here, I haven't had a whole lot of time to think about her empty room and the deathly silent home I must return to. The speakers and the camaraderie and the computer work have saved me from my tears. Oh, and taught me a bunch of stuff, too! Thanks!

Carol Carrico

I've just spent the last 4 hours working on my InDesign "assignment" newspaper. Four hours doing something I've been doing for years already, so it shouldn't be anything new. I can't even say arranging the text was the problem, since I used placeholder stories that don't matter. But I guarantee if you get out that dictionary Lisa Tracy was talking about and looked up 'obsessive-compulsive with anal-retentive tendencies,' you'd find a photo of yours truly beneath the description. I simply can't stop moving the photos around, changing the font, the list could go on and on......And I really meant to crash early tonight :( Oh well, one down anyway......

Oh man, I need to iron something to wear for the field trip tomorrow - as if it really matters in this maddening heat!

Good night all,
Lisa Forsythe

As the first week here comes to an end I have am beginning to reflect on my time here. I must say, it has certainly passed quickly. I've met a lot of nice people and have enjoyed exchanging stories and ideas with them the most. I think my students will be most benefited by what I learned on the tour yesterday. I've been in newsrooms before, and I always end up missing the journalism business. Still, I know my job of preparing the future generation is just as, if not more, important.

Today feels so triumphant.

Everyday here at the Institute, I have learned something valuable, and in most cases, several valuable somethings. I was feeling a little frustrated, though, because I wasn't sure how I was going to pull all of this together. It's no small feat to give three years of your life to teach yourself how to use complicated software, sophisticated camera equipment, and the management skills required to motivate teenagers to meet deadlines. I came here with my list of questions that I just haven't been able to answer on my own, and while everything we were doing had that "Wow! Neat-o!" factor, I just wasn't learning what I came here to learn.

That's changed a great deal. At last, things in InDesign and Photoshop that I always knew should have been easy to do but just weren't have all been revealed. The chance to talk to my colleagues and find out what works in their classes and what doesn't has fired me up to tackle my first journalism class in the fall. Jim's advice, especially, has been invaluable (thanks, Jim!). More than anything else, just having the time without any distractions to play with the software has taken away a lot of the pressure and guilt that I usually feel with a deadline breathing down my back.

I am one happy camper.

--Jen Smith

It's just wonderful to be here. The hospitality, the amazing information, the food, the comaraderie-this is the best. Most importantly, it is enlightening to find that some people actually have an environment in which they are able to TEACH journalism.Our country will be in better hands because many kids will actually know what the 4th Estate is really about.

All that being said, the medium of news is in flux and that as always, is a good thing. What may be a challenge however, is the fact that as in most other industries, profit is king and the shareholders or media conglomerates demand it be so.

Professor Ham Smith reminded us the other day of the A.J. Liebling quote, "Freedom of the press belongs to he that owns one." That phrase has never been more appropriate. The other day while doing some digging about profits for the last quarter of 2007, I discovered that I have been fully and possibly blessed with the naivete (until now) that there exists in this world corporate entities who do nothing but help long-standing traditional press-owning families divest themselves of their media product and help to ensure their sale to corporate entities. Dirks, Van Essen & Murray in the past ten years, has managed to broker the sale of 40 newspapers in my home state of New York alone. Both dailies and non-dailies have been obliterated. Some have been sold just to be closed by the corporations that bought them.

JPMedia, a spin-off company, has begun to pick up where D,VE&M left off.

With the sale of The Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch, and journalists leaving these corporate conglomerates like rats from a ship, the Fourth Estate may be in peril. One of the more celebrated journalists at the Journal, John Block, up and went to the Orlando Sentinel, (joining our illustrious Charlotte Hall) after finding the world of Murdoch not to his liking. Why would he leave one of the most coveted jobs in journalism to go to a mid-market paper? Freeedom and ethics, perhaps?

More rumblings from this curmudgeon later.....

Susan C-S

Can I do that here?

Or can we start a folder on the S drive for shared resources? I have some things
that I have collected over the year (as I am sure you all have) that I would like
to make available to everyone.

Is a folder on S the best way?

- Neil

It’s Sunday night, and though we visited The Roanoke Times office Thursday, I’ve thought about that trip several times over the last few days. What are sticking with me are the conversations we had with Dan Beatty regarding photography. His presentation reminded me how much I need to emphasize to my students that photography is a type of journalism rather than just a collection of graphics in our paper. Beatty said it’s the photographer’s job to allow a reader to understand what a story feels like, to capture the spirit of a moment. He said photojournalists pull readers into coverage they don’t think they have time for otherwise. I also liked one of Beatty’s final points when he said photojournalists have to be proactive and not wait for directives from the newsroom. If my students developed these instincts we’d have better photography because they’d grab a camera and shoot some pictures anytime something newsworthy happened whether they’d been assigned to take the photos or not. I hope my staff will be more spontaneous next year.

Stephanie Axelrod

To borrow from someone famous (Mark Twain, Ben Franklin, Voltaire, or a number of other famous men, depending upon the source of attribution), I am sorry for the length of this blog entry; I didn't have time to write a short one...

So I went to the Virginia Safari Park on Saturday. My girlfriend, Elizabeth, visited for the weekend, and she’s an animal lover, so a visit to the park was a foregone conclusion.

We took the top off the Jeep and headed down I-81 to the town of Natural Bridge. Two tickets and four buckets of animal food (a must, for any visitor) set us back $34, but the experience was well-worth the cost.

For those of you unfamiliar with the park, visitors have the opportunity to drive up and down the winding dirt roads that traverse the 180-acre park. The animals -- and there were lots -- were free to roam, and most have learned that each car is full of loud, camera-wielding food dispensers. And some of the animals can be quite insistent when it comes to getting food.

Two llamas met us upon entering the park. Elizabeth fed the first; then, the second wanted some food. The two llamas had a simple disagreement that escalated quickly, with the two animals spitting food at each other. As pellets of half-chewed food rained down on my Jeep, I wandered what I had gotten myself into.

There were pot-bellied pigs, ostriches, emus, deer-like creatures of all shapes and sizes, cattle, zebras, giraffes (in a separate pen), camels, and other assorted wildlife (both local and exotic). But the biggest animals on the trails were the bison.

The souvenir warned against feeding the buffalo, but apparently bison aren't avid readers of travel brochures, because they were on the side of the road looking for handouts just like everyone else.

The largest buffalo of all was in the middle of one particular trail, effectively stopping the Jeep in its tracks. He meandered over to my side of the Wrangler and gently stuck his entire, gigantic head into the opening where my window would have been located had I brought it along. And his head would barely fit. I was pretty scared for a moment, particularly in light of the warning in the brochure, but he was a gentle giant, simply looking for some food. I rubbed his soft, matted fur and tried to gently push him out of my vehicle. Then I tried to shove him out of the window with both hands. I finally let off the clutch and started rolling, but my new friend decided to come along. Finally, as I picked up speed, he removed his head, leaving a pool of buffalo slobber on my left arm.

That was probably the highlight of the day, but there were many other animals to be seen and fed, and all were very domesticated and very gentle.

As we approached the exit, we had a small amount of food left in our last bucket, and a camel was on the side of the road. So we pulled to the side, and Elizabeth stuck the bucket out of the window. The camel snatched the bucket and turned the remaining contents up and into his mouth, leaving us with a final memorable moment.

We drove back to the hotel, cleaned the stray food pellets out of the Jeep and washed the animal saliva off our arms. A while later, we went back to Natural Bridge to visit -- what else? -- the famous Natural Bridge. But that's another blog entry...

A few pics along the way (click the thumbnail for a larger image):

- Michael Moon

The first week is coming to an end. You are tired. You feel pressured with everything you have to get done. I would like to offer one more thing to do. After attending conferences like this for 8 years, I have found making lists of new ideas I want to implement in my classroom that I learned at the conference has improved my teaching, lessons and classroom tenfold. It make the time away from home seem more worthwhile. If you do it know then will get this wonderful benefit. Don’t wait until you get home because you will never do it. Trust Me!!!!!

Scott Heinecke

It’s Sunday afternoon and it’s rainy, a secondary thought running through my head is about my fellow institute golfer, hikers and travelers and how they are dealing with this wet weather but primary thought is how I am going to use this wonderful information in class next year. I feel empowered to take my publications to greater levels but what should I emphasize? I don’t want to start too much and overwhelm myself. I do have to worry about my US history and government students. We each have different needs and desires. We are all in dramatically different schools in different schools. We all have different expectations from our administrations. How are you going to meet the challenge of going to the next step?

Scott Heinecke

I visited the Natural Bridge in (where else?) Natural Bridge, Va., yesterday. It was a breath-taking sight.

Prior to taking the trip, I read all about the history of the landmark, from George Washington’s signature in the rocky wall (which I was able to see when I visited) to Thomas Jefferson’s involvement in the preservation of the site.

Plenty of visitors were on the several thousand yards of trails, but the park is so large that it never felt crowded.

I also visited the Natural Bridge caverns just a few miles from the actual bridge. According to our tour guide, the caverns are the deepest on the east coast, though I’ve already forgotten just how deep they are. When the guide turned out the lights at the bottom of the cave and ALL light disappeared, it was a lonely, scary feeling. I couldn’t see my hand when I waved it mere inches from my eyes.

On the way home, completely on a whim, I stopped at Foamhenge an exact replica of Britain’s Stonehenge, made out of Styrofoam. Its creator, a local artist, painstakingly recreated the original, and there are several signs with interesting tidbits of information about Stongehenge.

Click the thumbnails below for a larger image:

- Michael Moon

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly old insecurities resurface when I am under pressure to actually produce something for public review. I have not written anything but grant applications and WASC focus group narratives for the past year and I am reeeeaaaalllly rusty. I thank my editors for not tearing me apart although I know my articles probably deserved it (there goes the insecurity again).

After teaching 9th grade English for several years I am at the point where my students are the ones doing 99% of the producing. My goal in my newspaper class is to get to that same point.

Right now, however, I have to try to remember to take some deep breaths, that everyone else is probably experiencing the same anxiety as I am and that everything will turn out okay. Right? Right?!
- Neil M.

Editorial policies, ethics concerns, censorship...WOW! The things you all do to further journalism is absolutely frightening...but VERY much the way teaching should be.

As a novice teacher of your craft, I am by no means ready to tackle most of the situations brought up. What keeps me sane is that I have around the block quite a few years (20 to be exact) and the reality is that sometimes the wind is taken from under your sail. This has given me some of that wind back and excites me beyond belief.

Although I don't readily take part in your discussions, you can never know how much I have absorbed through the brilliant conversations that have taken place. It is incredible how much of it is really common sense and how much of it is a need to protect and defend first amendment rights.

I am almost positive that when I get back and present this concepts that I will be challenged. My former principal allowed me to come to this workshop. My current principal, my former assistant principal, is a stickler for confidentiality and insists that all correspondence (of which this is) be passed by her. She had faith in me as the yearbook adviser; maybe she will have the same faith with a newspaper.

Here's to you--journalism teachers. You are doing something right! You are truly training students to be positive members of the most powerful society on the face of this earth (of course, that is my opinion--don't cut me down for that!)

When I get back into Iowa I am attending the Rib Fest with my friend Melissa, which should be some good partying time. It is an all day festival and at night we are going to watch the Hootie and the Blowfish concert at the Rib Fest. Good times. On Sunday, I will drive back to Audubon and go to Ragbrai in Harlan, Iowa. For those of you that do not know about Ragbrai, it is the great annual bike ride across Iowa sponsored by the Des Moines Register. It is like Mardi Gras but in spandex. There are like 20,000 crazy bicycle riders that ride 80-100 miles a day and then drink themselves silly. Fun just to watch the people from across the world riding in Iowa.

After that fun weekend I will clean and unpack in my house and prepare for my friend Erin from Notre Dame to come visit and mooch off of me. Then my plumber will come to my house to put in new countertops and sinks. The joys of home ownership. Then I will drive back to my parents house in Woden, Iowa and get my sweety dog Sprinkles from their bad habit creating clutches...jk. Oh and I will also paint my old bedroom to help pay back my parents for the money they have lent this poor teacher for her new house.

When I come back to Audubon again I will hang out with my friend Melissa for Operation T-Bone Days. Which is like the town celebration, and yes it is an ode to beef. Street Dance, chili cook-off, and fireman water fights. We are also going to the Highway 141 garge sale which is like a 60 mile route with garage sales in each town along the way. Super good deals. Oh and then the Iowa State fair with like over 80 things on a stick! But anyway I gotta go to dinner.

My students are going to love laughing at me when I return to school in the fall. They are going to think I am such a nerd. I can’t wait to talk to them about Photoshop and InDesign. What will be most beneficial, however, is what I will inevitably learn from them.

My students are incredible people. I truly work in an amazing district with exceptionally bright and articulate students. Their knowledge of these programs will supersede mine very quickly.

This essential fact is important to reflect upon as we move through the last week of the Institute. No matter how much we think we know, or no matter what we want to exude on our students, the learning curve will be immense. The beauty of working with kids in an informal setting is the learning that takes place. I can’t wait to ask what they know about these programs and pick their brain.

Even though I am not that much older than they are, I am still on an entirely different technological level. Simply put: they get it, I don’t. In college I rejected technology out of principle. I am beginning to regret my convictions. However, I will feel vindicated and more professional with my tremendous wealth of knowledge in student journalism after the Institute.

So my question is this: What are your plans to pass on the knowledge when we return to school? Summer meetings? Workshops? What is your first goal with the paper after experiencing this Institute?

Thanks for all the comments.

Joel Neden

Whenever I hit up a newspaper, even if it isn't my standard one, i always find myself flowing to the arts/entertainment section first. I am not sure if I am the only one, but I keep hearing that some people head right to the police reports or the obits. Did I miss the memo or what? I guess I am not as nosey or inquisitive about what people do and the unlawfullness involved. I just feel like somethings just aren't my business. I wonder if experts have ever done surveys about where people first turn to and I wonder what page/sections came out on top. What do you think?
Aaron Willoughby

I'm a whiz at writing lesson plans. Most of my plans are usually completed before the summer begins. My fellow teachers at school know I am a recovering perfectionist and anal retentive as well. They joke with me about my condition. Having said that, I find myself struggling to complete the lesson plan assignment. I didn't bring my plans with me and my mind has drawn a complete blank. The tougher I am on myself, the harder it is for me to perform. One of the downsides to being a perfectionist is that I try so hard to be perfect, I usually fall short of what is expected of me. I have been challenged these last 10 days in good ways. Hopefully, I can be happy with what I've completed and not fret about its result.

Carol Carrico

What will I do when I get home? I have a short respite before attending the Buckeye State Yearbook Workshop in Gambier, Ohio. It's also an intensive workshop focusing only on the next year's yearbook. By the end of the first day, we will have come up with our theme, section ideas, fonts, and graphics for the 2009 yearbook.

After that I have a short three weeks before I'm at school again.

I will be so darn smart by the end of the summer. I just hope I can keep this pace up and the energy I'll need in the coming year.... They really ought to give me a raise.

Carol Carrico

As we begin to wrap up our two weeks together, I am shifting my thoughts to how I will apply what I learned to my publications class this fall. What I have determined is that I am just going to revamp the whol darn thing. I think I now have a really good idea of how I want my class to operate... from the the organization of the room to the way staff meetings are held to the way I am going to evaluate staff members.

This program has been an amazing experience for me because not only have I learned a lot from lectures and exercises and activities, but I have also learned just as much by talking with my classmates. I have "a boat load" of ideas from classmates that will help me help my students become better journalists. For that I am thankful to everyone.

While I look forward to returning home to Indiana and my family, I will miss having the idea to bounce ideas off of all of the other people who are here and are fighting that daily battle in the trenches we call high school. -Reggie Flesvig

The defining feeling of my five year teaching career has been chaotic. From mid-August until the first week of June my mom knows that I will not be the one to call, my friends know I'm too tired to go out on Friday nights, and my brain is overloaded with decisions and information. I love it really-- the unpredictability, the chance to start fresh, and the sheer challenge of survival.

What I don't like is my forced lack of focus. By which I mean: I am constantly thinking about: individual students, my five different preps, student council events, world activist club meetings, data, and so on and so forth. Once I'm in, I'm scattered.

My reflection then on the power of these two weeks is that in addition to the lectures, the projects, and the great discussions, I have found value in the the singular focus. I am an English teacher first and a journalism teacher second (might as well be honest). Now though, I have had the chance to just focus my mental capabilities to journalism, and that has led to all sorts of ideas and plans specific to my students and school. Single-mindedness can be powerful.

Lindsay Hentschel

There a lot of voicemails I don't want to get; right up there is a message about my car. Unhappily, yesterday I received such a one about my car from the night manager at the Col Alto. Apparently a branch fell from the tree that my car was parked under and smashed the rear window. The message stated that the police were called and a report/pictures were taken. This did nothing to assuage my anxiety, however, as I had parked a few times near the sign that says "Guests assume all risk" posted in the parking lot. The last thing I needed was to pay a hefty glass bill for something that was not due to my negligence. Happily, the story has a good ending. After several discussions with the hotel staff (all of whom were remarkably personable) an agreement regarding liability was met. What will stay with me far longer than the glass shards stuck in my back seat is the kindness of my colleagues and instructors who went out of their ways to assist me in a frustrating situation. Taping a tarp over a hole in your car is much easier, and potentially comedic, when you're being helped by a friend.

-Jen Partridge

Well, just a few days left, but I've got to say, today's talk with Frank was great. It's too bad he wasn't here for a little longer. I'd bet we could pick his brain all day and still not have all of our questions satisfied. Excellent choice those of you who picked him. Excellent choice.

Jake

I have a suggestion to make. I would like to continue this blog past this institute. I know that it may not be possible to keep the same blog, but it would be nice to have one set up on word press, or some other hosting site. We could continue to share ideas beyond the two weeks, and we could keep up with how all our new ideas will work when we try them out with our students in the fall. We can share all our online links and maybe even create a student journalism blog where our students could share ideas with each other. We could all be sister papers! I know that the listserv will still be in operation, but I like the blog format and find it more useful and readable. I know that my students would love to have a forum to express their ideas and bounce them off students from other parts of the country. Is anyone interested in this?
Jessica Johnson

Though newspaper circulation seems to be spiraling downward, I think we’ve heard some hopeful points. Glenn Proctor says The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a “breaking-news team” that updates the web more than a dozen times a day, and it’s competing with the local television station. The paper also publishes a specific edition for daily sales.

Charlotte Hall’s Orlando Sentinel has reporters posting blogs and is putting some of them in the print edition. The paper has started running columns on page 1 “to give the paper more voice.” And the metropolitan newspaper recently ran in-depth coverage of an impoverished high school with a reporting using “I.” I never would have expected this, but I think we need to embrace the changes in journalism, for they come from the readers. Hall also said she wants reporters to move to a more conversational tone, to allow their voice to come through in their writing. It’s pretty simple to find out who’s reading what – through surveys, interviews, and sales figures.

I’d be curious to hear from others what their hometown newspaper have done that surprised them. So how about it – respond with ideas? Maybe then we’ll get additional ideas for how to make our schools’ coverage more applicable to students.

Kevin Schneider

Hello everyone!

Well, after spending the majority of the past two evenings in the computer lab working on Indesign I must say that I have acquired a new found respect for my newspaper staff and all the hard work that they do in order to produce our school paper.

Having been on the side of dishing out comments and asking for revisions, it's been a humbling experience having my own work critiqued. No hard feelings! All was done with the best intentions - I'm sure - and hopefully this paper will pay off in the end.

I've been having an amazing time with everyone, especially our times in the lab - it's like layout nights all over again. Lisa yelling for people that are not even in the room; Kevin running from computer to person and back again trying to get stories edited last minute; and then there's quiet Mike silently working hoping to not rouse anyone's attention. And here I thought the school year had ended. We've become our own newspaper staff and in case I forget to tell you - it's been a heck a time working with you all and I appreciate all your hard work!

Lori Garcia

I was overwhelmed at the thought of being away from my family for two weeks, but it seems that the time has almost come for us to get home. There is not much time for reflection, as we are all finishing up assignments and getting the paper ready for launch, so I will be quick. Since we have been here, I have learned more than I ever would have studying on my own.
I am thankful to my family for encouraging me to come, and to all of the amazing presenters and staff here. Everyone has had something meaningful to share, and I look forward to going back to Washington with a full toolbox. My students are going to benefit from a competent adviser, and for that I will forever be grateful! I appreciate everyone who was here, and I made some friends that I will be in touch with forever. It was great to see people come together to finish it up, and go above and beyond the requirements. Thanks Pam and Brian for the great advice and critique, Michael for the technical advice, and Jim for modeling what it is to be a caring, knowledgeable adviser who is hard on students because he knows they have the potential. I will not only take what I learned into the classroom, but into my life as well. Sorry to get sappy, all I can say is THANKS!

Well, this wonderful two week rollercoaster ride is slowly beginning to draw to a close. While I am excited about returning home to spend the last two weeks of my summer vacation with my husband, I am more excited about the wealth of resources and the new friendships I have found within this institute. There were times when I felt overwhelmed and wished I could go home and curl up in my bed, but thinking about why I was doing this (for my students), I chose to keep trying. When I arrived, I thought I was the most inexperienced and underfunded in the group. I met a lot of people who were in similar situations, so I didn’t feel so bad. Then, I heard horror stories of people who were in positions much worse than mine, so I became grateful. In the end, I have decided to make the best of whatever resources I have, pester everyone on the listserv for ideas and advice (especially Papa Jim), and know that at the end of the year I have given my students the tools to ensure success. I can’t wait to get home and start my lesson plans. I have so many ideas and only two weeks to prepare. I have no idea how ASNE can afford this workshop and I definitely agree it’s too good to be true, but I’m thankful and plan to tell all advisers, new and old to apply next year. I hope everyone enjoys what is left of the summer, and please don’t ignore me because I will email you all (especially you, Papa Jim!). Take care!

Shay

It’s coming down to crunch time and I feel like rolling over and playing dead. I could complain about the number of assignments and the packed days with little work time, but neither of these statements are true and neither have caused me to feel overloaded. No, in actuality, I have done this to myself.

In an overly eager effort to gain as much experience as possible I not only wrote two and a half articles, but also volunteered to design a page and work on the website. I am crazy and all of this eager beaver garbage has put me behind on all of my assignments.

Right now I am wondering how I will possibly ever get everything done tonight and tomorrow in order to have it in my folder on time. I know I will, but I’m afraid I will have to sacrifice sleep and my sanity. So, when you see me on Thursday night, hair disheveled and eyes bugged out and crazy, just know that I have learned a lot here at ASNE Reynold’s High School Journalism Institute!

Mandy Manning
Jonathan Levin HS for Media & Comm.
Bronx, NY

With great enthusiasm and energy we plunged into producing a print version of our institute paper. Now hours before deadline, I'm realizing the wisdom of our instructor's original plan. They had only asked us to do a web site, using the ASNE template. They knew how much work there were already asking us to do. Something about youth and energy vs age and wisdom…

As we plowed in where wiser people would not have gone, it looked just like a fresh staff of high school students! That was a lesson worth learning. If a group of adults, teachers even, is struggling to turn ourselves into a working team, surely I should be patient with my students as they work out the same problems. That may be one of the most valuable lessons I'll take home.

--Doug Urner

Poor Jim! He caught the brunt of my ire yesterday… that I had to edit my article yet again. In part, my temper tantrum stemmed from my own arrogance. I am accustomed to literary criticism and philosophical treatises. But knowing I would be forced to adjust considerably to a journalistic style did little to alleviate my annoyance. And yet, as an educator who is merely playing at being a journalist, I cannot but feel that something is lost in the translation.
Certainly, begrudgingly, I’ve had to admit to instances in my article of the insertion of my own opinion, either through inadvertent word choice or overt statement. Yet some of the ‘corrections’ I’ve had to make have, to my mind, actually decreased the accuracy of my writing.
I recall a stand-up comedian (whose name I do not recall) who joked about the difference between the letter of a Civil War soldier (‘My dearest, darling Martha, I am resolved to stand ever firm against the cruel forces of tyranny and oppression; yet as I gaze across the carnage and horror of the war-strewn battlefield, beloved wife…’) and that of a Gulf War soldier (‘Adrianne, it is hot as hell here in the dessert. Say yo to the gang. Don’t f*** anyone whiles I’m gone…’). Of course, this is an comedic exaggeration and we can all immediately point to a variety of socio-economic factors which would argue that this is not truly a genuine comparison.
And yet.
We talked earlier in this session about technology and the natural evolution of language. I embrace this idea and find the living nature of language one of the more delightful aspects of linguistics, but I have to wonder if we can exactly call our current language developments an ‘evolution’. To consider it such would be to imply a greater capacity for communication, to my mind. I’m not sure that is what I’m seeing.
Or am I merely clinging obstinately to an adolescent fantasy in which I am living in a Henry James novel?
Sigh.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, don't get me wrong, I have learned a lot and have had a great time. Yet tomorrow night, I will be eating Chick- Fil- A, watching 10,000 BC (which arrived from Netflix last week), sitting with my husband and cat(who is probably extremely upset that I have left and neglected her), and I cannot be happier.
I will miss the people, and oh how I will miss the view, but I am taking a lot home of new knowledge that I can keep forever, or at least until my papers are lost and Alzheimer’s sets in. So everyone, let’s keep in touch, and keep exchanging ideas. Hope to see you at the next newspaper conference.
-Shawna

Our time here is coming to an end, and I am starting to think about sleeping in my own bed again. It's been a great two weeks here, and I am very glad I decided to come to the institute. The people are great, the town is quaint, and the lessons were valuable. Today Shay and I took some time to explore the area we've been traveling through each day. We visited some stores and helped out the local economy some more.
There have been many long nights here, and it might be strange adjusting to free time again, but I would come back if ever invited.

I was really anxious in the days coming up to this institute. I wasn't sure what to expect, how difficult it would be, how much I would learn, and who would take care of my garden for the two weeks I was away. Overall, it has been a great experience. The weeks went much faster than I expected, but we've had so much to do and I am EXHAUSTED!
I have really enjoyed the opportunity to share ideas and experiences with teachers who are as excited about what they do as I am. The people here have been incredibly generous in sharing thier knowledge and time.
I have learned a lot, but I still feel underprepared for the task in front of me. I know my students will be patient with my learning curve, but they really do deserve the best. Without a class, funding and support I hope I can make the progress I am aiming for this year. I know somehow I will make do--I always do, but I worry that I've taken on more than I can handle in my school between all the clubs and activites I run, the AP classes I teach, the technology i'm supposed to be in charge of. With so many things quality surely will suffer, but then again, I've always been happier and more successful when i'm overscheduled than when I have too much time on my hands. I hope I can find some people locally who are as supportive as you all have been, who will volunteer to help even if they won't volunteer to lead.
Thanks again!
Mary

During our time here, I've decided a number of things based upon what I have "drunk in" from the environment.

One, is that the first amendment is not dead or even mortally wounded; it may have been sleeping, but there are still a few newspaper people happily kicking it in the ribs. Glenn Proctor immediately comes to mind. He is a diligent soldier still willing to stand in the front lines when the bullets start flying. I hope I will always muster the courage to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Secondly, this newspaper adviser thing can be a complicated business. The skills required to do it well include the all-encompassing abilities of a global ambassador, a Chancellor of the Exchequer, a technical zenmaster, a visual alchemist, and an administrative bull-rider. I don't think I have all of these skills, just yet. I've fallen off a few mustangs in my day. But the key is to keep getting back up on the horse. Perhaps In-Design and I will come to terms someday.

Nobody is going to die. All the mediums that I have been been mourning are not yet dying grievously pitiful deaths. It was refreshing to be reminded by Wendy Zamparelli that established media is not obsolete. Her reassurance that newspapers will really morph into visual and literary butterflies, and that the true act of journalism is in the delivery and not the medium speaks to the fact that it is still a blissful art.

Lastly, Marshall McLuhan is still right after all these years: The medium is the message.

Meta everyone,

Susan C-S

Harts and Darts and Goodbyes

Hey Guys and Gals. It’s been a great 2 weeks and I’m really looking forward to hearing how the year turns out for all of you.
Per the class rules- here’s my final blog. The newspaper in Jackson, TN does a little thing called harts and darts. So here we go …
Harts- To the Washington and Lee staff for showing southern hospitality at its best. The advisers
spent time with us outside of the classroom –for example- the trip to Monticello and the Univ. of Virginia. You guys are awesome
Darts- No shuttle from the hotel. I sweat really easy and getting to class dripping wet with sweat was really uncomfortable. Don’t get me wrong; walking to campus on the first day was cool. Lexington is a beautiful town, but walking should have been an option. A shuttle (van) should have been provided. One at 7:30am and another at 8:45 am
Harts- Big Jim McGonnel gave us a ride to the golf course on Sunday morning! It was a free day and most people sleep-in on that day. Big Jim provided a us a ride when he could have said no.
That’s a lot Jim. Now I can say I’ve played golf in Virginia.
Darts- TALKING IN CLASS WHILE THE SPEAKER IS TALKING!!!! This happened way too much. One would think teachers –of all people- would be mindful and considerate of others. I have a hard time hearing and paying attention when people speak while the presenter is speaking (my wife can attest to this .. I have to turn the TV down to have a conversation. I just can’t concentrate. Learn how to whisper. Or better yet, shut up!
Harts- Doug Urner took excellent photos in and outside of class. He provided wealth of knowledge on photoshop-even when he was working on his own assignments. Thanks Doug. You’re a great classmate.
Darts- I didn’t learn a whole lot during the Photoshop lesson. (I did learn resizing photos..so I guess I don’t really have an argument here … but I thought I’d learn a little bit more).
Harts- Teachers sharing lesson plans and assignment Ideas. I would like to see Carol Carrico lead a session in the future. She gave a lot of solid feedback in class and in the lab.
Harts- To my classmates. Everyone provided something valuable. Some people provided early leadership in shaping the paper, while others asked excellent questions during class. I top to bottom, everyone provided something. For that I am grateful.
Have a great school year. Continue to lead. Continue to learn. Continue to share.
Greg Hammond
Jackson, TN

I know I should have posted this last week, but I’ve always found it better to make sure I have a clear idea of what I want to say before I speak, or in this case, write something that will be posted in cyberspace for God knows how long. When I arrived in Lexington, Virginia, I was amazed at the beauty of the landscaping and the homey, small-town feel of the area. Coming from Fresno, California, it was nice to see another part of the country where friendliness, honesty, and education appear to be of paramount importance. I must admit being told I would be surrounded by thirty-four strangers of varying levels of knowledge in journalism, I was a little apprehensive. Yet, I think these two weeks have been amazing. I have learned more than I ever thought there was to know about newspaper, shared many laughs, and made some friendships I know won’t end when we say goodbye tomorrow.

Denise

If only softball weren’t so important to my daughter, I would encourage her to come to Washington and Lee University. I am so amazed by the demeanor of the staff, the numerous options available, and the outstanding financial aid packages the school has to offer. For many students, some of my journalism scholars, W&L will be a new name that I will encourage them to become familiar with.
This two week roller coaster has given me a chance to view journalism from the students’ perspective and push myself to step outside some of my usual boundaries For most of that I can thank Jim McGonnell, more affectionately known as Big Poppy. Seeing someone who has such a passion for what he does after all these years lets me know it is possible to love a career as long as you don’t treat like just another job.
When tomorrow sessions have ended and we each head back to our separate destination, I hope Jim was right about at least one thing: I hope I am really a giver. A giver of knowledge for those who lack the skills, a giver of compassion for those who have a life harder than many adults, a giver of hope to those who think college is not an option, and a giver of love for those who look at me as a mom.
I wish you all the best next year and know that if you need help, Jim’s just an e-mail away.

Denise

I'll bet I beat just about everyone home! Took me a record 3 hours and 15 minutes. But I had all that time to process everything that happened over the last couple of weeks.

What a tremendous opportunity for us to participate in the Institute. Did any of us have a clue how we would be treated like royalty at all times? (Well, except for Greg getting a chariot ride to and from class!)

Did any of us expect to have our brains filled with so much valuable information?

And I certainly would never have thought tears would be shed at our last meal. Certainly not from me. Please do not tell my students...it would ruin my reputation.

Be safe and enjoy the rest of your summer.

Carol Carrico