Teaching News Terrifically

in the 21st Century

A teaching ideas competition sponsored by the Newspaper and Online News Division

of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication

Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, Friday, July 20, 2012

Do you have an idea for improving the teaching of newswriting, reporting or editing? If so, enter it in the AEJMC Newspaper and Online News Division’s teaching competition, Teaching News Terrifically in the 21st Century, for the chance to earn recognition and a cash prize.

TNT21 was founded in 2009 to publicly acknowledge good ideas for foundational journalism courses from:

• Full-time faculty members
• Adjunct professors
• Graduate-student instructors

A prize of $100 will be awarded for the best teaching idea from each group. This year, the deadline is 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on July 20, 2012. This gives you time to enter the ideas you used in classes in fall 2011, spring 2012 and first summer session 2012.

To facilitate participation by adjuncts and others not able to attend AEJMC's annual convention in Chicago, where most other Newspaper Division awards will be given, the competition will be held online. 

To enter:

• Download the entry form at http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~susank/NWSP/TNT21form.doc
• Complete the form, making sure that you do not include any information that would identify you, your department/school or your college or university. Entries that contain identifying information will not be judged.
• Return the form as an attachment, along with any supporting materials (which also must be stripped of identifying information), to Susan Keith of Rutgers University at 21stcenturyteachingtips@gmail.com by 11:59 p.m. PDT July 20, 2012.

Teaching tips should be suitable for use in newswriting, reporting or editing courses, though they may be tailored for specific versions of those courses. For example, tips for teaching newswriting across media would be welcome, as would tips for teaching a specific type of reporting, such as public affairs reporting, business reporting or environmental reporting. Tips can address practical skills or conceptual knowledge, showing, for example, how to teach students to report ethically or edit to avoid libel. Tips that help professors address the challenges of teaching in a world where technologies are rapidly changing are especially welcome.

Ideas will be judged for their originality, innovative nature, ease of application, completeness, writing and whether they would work in more than one course and/or at different types of schools. All entries should reflect:

• Original teaching ideas that have not been published elsewhere or adapted from another instructor's work 
• Ideas that have not been winners or finalists in other teaching awards competitions

Winners will be announced on the Newspaper and Online News Division Web site and through its e-mail listserv about August 8. If you have questions about the competition or if you are not submitting an idea and would be willing to serve as a judge, please e-mail Susan at susank@rutgers.edu.