For the past few months, my newspaper students have been planning a re-design of their website. They poured over possible layouts, templates, video components and social media plugins. Our online editor Jenn has worked tirelessly to make sure that the best laid plans became a reality. Jenn worked hard. The staff worked hard. And, in the end, the site was launched this week. The hard work and hours of planning resulted in a major change in how their news site functions. After witnessing their efforts firsthand, I began to wonder about other “things” we could re-design. Our staff manual. Our policies and procedures. Our copy editing processes. Our lives. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Category: Teaching
I Hear Voices
I love to read, but I have the shortest attention span. If a story does not hook me from the beginning, my mind starts to wander and I start thinking about my next meal, the laundry that is piling up and my never-ending to-do list. A hook is crucial and for me, a good hook involves an interesting human subject in a good piece of writing (What is Good Writing?). I want to relate right away to a person’s life story, sense of tragedy or triumph and descriptive nature. Without a heartfelt, nail-biting hook, forget it. I’ll head off to do laundry. My favorite hooks typically exist in feature stories because the subject’s voice is established from the beginning. Read the rest of the story at http://www.shannonphilpott.com.
What is Good Writing?
Every semester, it never fails, that a student asks me what constitutes good writing. I welcome this question although it is difficult to answer. The truth is that good writing is subjective and what I may deem as a good piece, someone else may not. However, I’m going to attempt to answer this question with a list of possibilities – a realm of traits that have led me to rave about and cherish a piece of writing. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Contests: Guessing Game or Gut Reaction?
I’ve been playing a guessing game all day. It involves guessing what other people think, what they value and what they like. It’s called the contest game and it’s a game I hate to play every year. The game is part of my job as a college media adviser. At the beginning of each year, my students and I pour over a year’s worth of newspapers and select entries in 27 categories for the Missouri College Media Association’s annual contest. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Journo Nerd
I’ve always known that I had a nerd in me. I tried to hide it for years, but it finally came full circle when I admitted to my obsession with office supplies. Colored pens, cardstock paper, mini notebooks, cute little binder clips, file folders – all of it excites me. Every few months, I attempt to re-organize my files and my office. I pretend that it is necessary to get myself organized, but honestly, it is just an excuse to buy more office supplies and gadgets. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Top 10 Blog Posts of 2009
Over the past six months, I’ve produced some heartfelt writing and some shabby fill-ins as my blog evolved. During this time, I’ve realized that what I thought was a great post (or a fun one to write) may not have interested or inspired anyone else. Today’s post is dedicated to what my readers have deemed as the top blog posts of 2009. The results are based on my blog stats and the number of page views – not necessarily scientific but definitely an indication of what you, as my readers, chose to read. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Where Are You Christmas?
There is no question that December is always the busiest month of the year for teachers. We are trying to finish up grading just to end the semester, rushing to post our grades on time, and packing up our offices for our month-long “break.” In between all of this, holiday shopping, wrapping and baking is thrust into our schedule without any time to breathe. We hustle, we bustle, and we often lose sight of why we rush around. Sadly, it always takes me awhile to get into the Christmas spirit. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Foot-Friendly Writing Techniques
I’m a messy, unfocused writer at times. I make lists, slop words on a page, rant, rave, and then try to make sense of the mess. As I regularly explain to my Composition students, writing is naturally messy, but the process of cleaning up the mess is when the real writing begins. In order to craft a piece that is cohesive, concise, and focused, writers need to find personal strategies and processes that produce perfection. For me, finding my focus involves an odd tradition that has worked for me throughout the past 10 years – I put on my tennis shoes. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Why I’m a Selfish Teacher
Before I was a parent, I never bought into the line “this hurts me more than you.” If I was getting grounded or disciplined, how in the world did it pain my mom more than me? But, as an instructor, the phrase bears a hint of truth. It does hurt me when a student fails, which is why I continue to be a selfish teacher. My agenda is selfish – I want to grow and learn, too, and failure is not an option. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
I’m Young, Not Dumb
As a college instructor, I’m relatively young compared to my peers. I don’t have 20+ years experience teaching nor have I been in the journalism field that long. However, just because I’m young, it does not mean that I’m dumb. Academia can be an intimidating environment for newcomers. Ironically, in an industry that is supposed to foster fresh, new learning opportunities, the practices at some colleges and universities often discourage any type of change. The ideology of “that’s not how we do it” stops innovation in its tracks and stalls progress for both faculty and students. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 