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Dedicated to First-Year Student Me: Thriving in Your First Year at SEU

Image Credit: "Road to Nowhere" by James Walker
An Assignment for My COMM 2423 Writing for Digital Media Class

This fall, we’ve welcomed about 600 students who are brand new to Southeastern University, either as first-year or transfer students. Many of them are still finding their way on campus, in literal and metaphorical ways.

Think back to your first semester or so on our campus here at SEU. What do you wish you had known as you began your first year? What advice would you offer students new to SEU? Share three of your best tips as a reply to this blog post. If possible, include one tip in each of these areas: academic, social and spiritual.

Then, after reading the tips from your classmates, create a top ten list of advice for students new to SEU as a post on your own blog. (You can title the post as you wish.) You can use your own tips as well as those of your classmates. Remember that if you use your classmates’ tips to give them credit for the ideas, and link back to their blogs. Also, choose an appropriate Creative Commons licensed image to accompany your post.

NOTE: Your reply can count as one of your Blog Comments if you document it, and the post you write can count as one of your Writer’s Choice posts.

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Topics of the Week for #COMM2322 PR Apps Fall 2011

Image Credit: "Toe truck in West Seattle Seafair parade, 2001" by Seattle Municipal Archives

For Fall 2011

In our PR Applications classes (COMM 2322 at Southeastern University), we’ll all blog about the same general topic each week during the semester. Your TOWs of 300 words or longershould be posted by Saturday at midnight at the end of each week, unless otherwise notified in class. (Posts that appear past the deadline may not earn any credit, so be sure to stay on top of your blogging deadlines.)

If you are unsure how to get started writing these TOWs, many times you can use this three-pronged approach:

  1. What did you learn?
  2. What surprised you?
  3. What do you want to know more about?

WEEK ONE

  • [OPTIONAL]

WEEK TWO

  • How would you define “public relations”? OR What are the similarities and differences of PR and advertising, journalism and marketing? (NOTE: You can post this week’s entry as late as Week Three, as you will not be creating your blogs until that time.)

WEEK THREE

  • Using the three-pronged approach (above), what are your reactions to the NewsU Course you took on Dealing with Difficult Conversations? (NOTE: You can post this week’s entry as late as Week Three, as you will not be creating your blogs until that time.)

WEEK FOUR

  • Write about a public relations crisis and your impression how it was handled. What might you have done differently?

WEEK FIVE

  • If you could work in an era of PR history (from a time before you were born), which one would it be? What interests you most about this era and why?

WEEK SIX

  • Based on what you read in Chapter 5 of your THINK Public Relations book, do you think it’s more beneficial for a new PR practitioner to begin his/her career in a PR department or in a PR firm? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

WEEK SEVEN

  • One Week of Twitter (details TBA)

WEEK EIGHT

  • What are some ways that a PR practitioner can measure the effectiveness of a campaign? Also, discuss the importance of measurement.

WEEK NINE

    WEEK TEN

    • Chapter 9 in THINK Public Relations discusses Ethics and the Law. Which aspects of law do you believe public relations practitioners need to be most aware of, and why?

      WEEK ELEVEN

      WEEK 12

      WEEK 13

      • Write a post about the aspect of public relations that you have chosen for your presentation this semester. If you have created a PowerPoint or Prezi, embed it into your post.

      WEEK 14

      • This week’s topic was inspired by Adam Vincenzini’s Be My Guest month: post something by a guest blogger. Connect with another blogger (it can, but doesn’t have to, be someone in your class) and exchange blog posts for the week. (You don’t have to write something new for the other blogger . . . share your favorite post you’ve written this semester.) In your own blog, make it really clear that the post is written by another person, and link to your guest’s blog.

      WEEK 15

      • Create a list of the top ten things you have learned about public relations this semester. (Remember that the post still needs to be 300 words minimum, so you will need to elaborate on your choices for the list.)
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      Blogging Guidelines for COMM 2322 (PR Applications), Fall 2011

      Image Credit: "WordPress Swag" by Elea Chang

      Public relations practitioners are increasingly called upon to be well-versed in social media. This semester, you will blog as almost half of your grade in our class.  You will add content to your blog weekly throughout the semester. Feel free to continue to use an existing blog of yours, unless you feel compelled to start fresh with a new blog for this course.

      My WordPress 101 post will help you get started with your blog.

      To make it easier for your readers to find what they are seeking at your blog, it’s important to use Categories. Please add a category for each type (listed below), and make sure each post is categorized appropriately. Each post for this class must have the category of “COMM 2322”  along with at least one additional category.

      1. TOW: Topic of the Week – Each week this semester, we will have a specific topic that all students will blog about. You should have at least 13 of these before the end of the semester. At times, you will watch a video, listen to a podcast, or read a specific blog post, and provide your thoughtful reactions. These posts must be a minimum of 300 words. We’ll keep our running list of TOWs for your class here at my blog (TOWs for PR Apps).

      2. PR Connections – Provide commentary, reflections and opinions about PR issues/examples that were not addressed in class. These can be responses to other PR blogs you read, links to interesting posts or articles, embedded YouTube videos, etc. Some students like to choose a theme (such as entertainment or sports PR) and have each PR Connection be related to the theme. Though these don’t have a minimum word length, you will need to adequately discuss your subject in the post. You should write at least 10 of these during the semester.

      3. Blog comments – whenever you comment on someone’s PR blog (whether it’s a PR professional or a PR student), add the comment to ONE post that you update throughout the semester so I can assess your online participation. Do this only for PR-related blogs. You should have a minimum of 10 comments by your Blog Checkpoint #2 and at least 20 (total) before the end of the semester. See Tracking Your Blog Comments for Nixon’s Classes for more information.

      You may add other categories and sub-categories of your choice. Please keep in mind that when I evaluate your blog I will pay special attention to the categories listed above, but I will not ignore other posts. I will perform a holistic evaluation of your blog, looking for:

      • professionalism: Clear, correct, thoughtful writing
      • frequency: Sufficient posts in categories 1-3, posted throughout the semester. There will be at least two graded blog checkpoints during the semester. (See your syllabus for the specific Blog Checkpoint dates.)
      • linking: Identify other PR blogs (use PR Open Mic or my blogroll in my Diigo bookmarks as starting points) and link to them. Respond to others’ posts. Become a part of the blogosphere. Blogging should not be lonely.
      • readability: brief & concise writing style, use of white space, bold characters, images, bullet points
      • proper credit and use of images in all Topics of the Week and PR Connections. (Use Compfight to find your images; be sure they are licensed for Creative Commons use. I’ll show you how to do this in class.)

      SUPER-IMPORTANT: In order for you to get credit for your blog, I need to know where it is. Tell me your blog address by completing this Google Form; I will provide time in class during Week 3 for you to do this.

      Questions? Just let me know.

      barbara_is_listening

      NOTE: Many thanks to Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu at Purdue University, who allowed me to use her blogging guidelines from her PRinciples class. They were so well-written that I made just a few tweaks for my own class. Dr. V knows that Blogs Matter.

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      Topics of the Week :: COMM 2423 Writing for Digital Media

      Old Ford Tow Truck 1 by Cramit.
      "Old Ford Tow Truck 1" by Cramit

      In our Writing for Digital Media course at Southeastern University, we’ll all blog about the same general topic each week during the semester. Your TOWs of 300 words or longer should be posted by Saturday at midnight at the end of each week.

      If a week has more than one topic listed; choose one of the available topics on those weeks.

      If you have a topic to suggest, please add it as a comment to this blog post.

      If you are unsure how to get started writing these TOWs, many times you can use this three-pronged approach:

      1. What did you learn?
      2. What surprised you?
      3. What do you want to know more about?

      WEEK ONE

      • OPTIONAL: Which types of social media do you currently participate in (such as blogging, podcasting, social networking, etc.), which platforms you use, and why? [NOTE: Since you are creating your blog after after Week One, you will go back and add this post in.]

      WEEK TWO

      • Read at least a dozen posts at one mainstream media blog. Briefly review the blog and explain how students in this class can benefit from reading a blog such as this one.

      WEEK THREE

      • Visit Mignon Fogarty’s Grammar Girl’s website. Either read one of her blog posts or listen to one of her podcasts on an area of grammar that is troublesome to you. Write about what you learned (using the three-pronged approach above.)

      OR

      • This week, you took the NewsU Cleaning Your Copy course. There were four main topics in this course: Grammar, AP Style, Punctuation and Spelling. Using the three-pronged approach described at the top of this post, describe your reactions to this course. Remember to include a  hyperlink to the course, too.

      WEEK FOUR

      • Discuss how writing for online reading is different than writing for analog reading. Offer 10 do’s and don’ts for writing for online reading.

      WEEK FIVE

      • Why are comments such an integral part of blogs? What advice would you offer on writing effective blog comments?

      WEEK SIX

      • Offer 10 tips for writing effective headlines for digital media.

      WEEK SEVEN

      • What is Storify, and how can it be used by journalists or public relations practitioners?

      WEEK EIGHT

      • This week’s topic was inspired by Adam Vincenzini’s Be My Guest month: post something by a guest blogger. Connect with another blogger (it can, but doesn’t have to, be someone in your class) and exchange blog posts for the week. (You don’t have to write something new for the other blogger . . . share your favorite post you’ve written this semester.) In your own blog, make it really clear that the post is written by another person, and link to your guest’s blog.

      WEEK NINE

      • Address several of the following questions about infographics. What are they? How could one be useful in a story for your client? How do you go about creating one? Create one if you can, and embed it in your blog post this week.

      WEEK TEN

      WEEK ELEVEN

      • TBA

      WEEK 12

      • Using the CoverItLive service, embed the live blog of an event assignment that you completed this semester. (See CoverItLive Support Center for directions on how to do this.) Provide at least one paragraph of context that will help your readers know something about the event and the organization that sponsored the event. Also, knowing now what you do about live blogging, provide at least five tips for students who may be live blogging an event in the future.
      OR
      • Use Storify to create a story about something of interest to students at Southeastern University. Also, knowing now what you do about Storify, provide at least five tips for students who may be live blogging an event in the future.

      WEEK 13

      • What advice would you offer students who are new to blogging? Come up with your own Top 10 list. (Note: Complete blog is due at the end of this week.)

      WEEK 14

      • Optional

      WEEK 15

      • Optional

      WEEK 16

      • Optional
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      Blogging Guidelines for COMM 2423 (Writing for Digital Media), Fall 2011

      Image Credit: "WordPress Swag" by Elea Chang

      One form of writing for digital media is blogging. You will add content to your blog weekly throughout the semester. Feel free to continue to use an existing blog of yours, unless you feel compelled to start fresh with a new blog for this course.

      My WordPress 101 post will help you get started with your blog.

      To make it easier for your readers to find what they are seeking at your blog, it’s important to use Categories. Please add a category for each type (listed below), and make sure each post is categorized appropriately. Each post for this class must have the category of “COMM 2322” along with at least one additional category.

      1. TOW: Topic of the Week – Each week this semester, we will have a specific topic that all students will blog about. You should have at least 13 of these before the end of the semester. At times, you will watch a video, listen to a podcast, or read a specific blog post, and provide your thoughtful reactions. These posts must be a minimum of 300 words. We’ll keep our running list of TOWs for your class here at my blog (TOWs for Writing for Digital Media).

      2. Writer’s Choice – Provide commentary, reflections and opinions about issues/examples that were not addressed in class. These can be responses to other blogs you read, links to interesting posts or articles, embedded YouTube videos, etc. Some students like to choose a theme (such as entertainment or sports PR) and have each Writer’s Choice be related to the theme. Though these don’t have a minimum word length, you will need to adequately discuss your subject in the post. You should write at least 10 of these during the semester.

      3. Blog comments – whenever you comment on someone’s blog (whether it’s a professional or a fellow student), add the comment to ONE post that you update throughout the semester so I can assess your online participation. Check with me if you unsure if a blog would count as a “professional” blog. You should have a minimum of 10 comments by your Blog Checkpoint #2 and at least 20 (total) before the end of the semester. See Tracking Your Blog Comments for Nixon’s Classes for more information.

      You may add other categories and sub-categories of your choice. Please keep in mind that when I evaluate your blog I will pay special attention to the categories listed above, but I will not ignore other posts. I will perform a holistic evaluation of your blog, looking for:

      • professionalism: Clear, correct, thoughtful writing
      • frequency: Sufficient posts in categories 1-3, posted throughout the semester. There will be at least two graded blog checkpoints during the semester. (See your syllabus for the specific Blog Checkpoint dates.)
      • linking: Identify other blogs (use PR Open Mic or my blogroll in my Diigo bookmarks as starting points) and link to them. Respond to others’ posts. Become a part of the blogosphere. Blogging should not be lonely.
      • readability: brief & concise writing style, use of white space, bold characters, images, bullet points
      • proper credit and use of images in all Topics of the Week and PR Connections. (Use Compfight to find your images; be sure they are licensed for Creative Commons use. I’ll show you how to do this in class.)

      SUPER-IMPORTANT: In order for you to get credit for your blog, I need to know where it is. Tell me your blog address by completing this Google Form.

      Questions? Just let me know.

      barbara_is_listening

      NOTE: Many thanks to Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu at Purdue University, who allowed me to use her blogging guidelines from her PRinciples class. They were so well-written that I made just a few tweaks for my own class. Dr. V knows that Blogs Matter.

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      Prof. Nixon’s Fall 2011 Syllabi

      Below you will find the syllabi for my two Fall 2011 classes at Southeastern University.

      COMM 2322 PR Applications Fall 2011 BBN

      COMM 2423 Writing for Digital Media Fall 2011

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      Arrive, Survive and Thrive in Prof. Nixon’s Classes, Fall 2011 Edition

      Image Credit: "Echinacea" by Barbara Nixon

      An Open Note to All of Prof. Nixon’s Students:

      It seems like summers get shorter every year. This summer, I was asked to become the Interim Chair of the Communication Department at Southeastern University, so my summer was spent with several days a week on campus preparing for the fall. I hope that your summer was fulfilling, whatever you chose to do.

      You will soon be able to see the syllabi for my two fall courses, PR Applications and Writing for Digital Media, at my Scribd site (update: available now). If a syllabus is updated during the semester, you’ll find out in class, and the current version will always be available at Scribd. To learn which books and supplies you will need now, see Getting a Jumpstart on Prof. Nixon’s Fall 2011 Classes.

      So that we can make the most of this semester, please (Please, PLEASE) take some time to read through the blog posts I’ve included here. I promise you, it will be well worth your time. (How often do professors let you get inside their heads, letting you know their tips for success and their pet peeves?)

      Additionally, here are a few more tips:

      • When communicating with me via e-mail (or Facebook), always put your course number (such as COMM 2322) in the subject line to help me immediately identify who you are and frame your questions or comments. Do your best to write in full sentences, paying attention to standard English grammar and spelling. Always sign your e-mails with your first and last name, as your e-mail address will not make that readily apparent to me.
      • When submitting an assignment in BlackBoard, always put your last name as part of the file name, and also include your name in the document itself. Papers submitted without your last name as part of the file name cannot earn full credit.
      • If an assignment is due in BlackBoard, the only way to get full credit for the assignment is to submit it in BlackBoard. (E-mailing an assignment to me can be risky; I receive 250+ e-mails a day, and there’s a chance I will not even see it in my inbox.)
      • Follow me on Twitter, if you really want to get inside my head. (What’s Twitter?)

      Let’s make this a great semester together!

      (PS: If you’re one of my Fall 2011 students reading this post, please leave a reply to this post so that I can know you have read it. If your reply doesn’t show up immediately, no worries — I may need to approve it before it appears, if you’ve never commented on my blog before.)

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      Getting a Jumpstart on Prof. Nixon’s Fall 2011 Classes

      Image Credit: "Maple Leaf Structure" by Steve Jurvetson

      If you’re looking to get a jumpstart on my classes this fall, here are the books and other required resources that we will be using. I’ve linked to many of them at Amazon.com, but of course you can purchase them from anywhere you like. I recommend you try the Facebook Marketplace first, so you can get a good deal AND help a fellow student.

      Public Relations Applications (COMM 2322)

      Writing for Digital Media (COMM 2423)


      Questions? As always,

      (PS: Syllabi for my classes will be posted in mid-August.)


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      9 Things I Learned From My Students, Spring 2011 Edition

      Image Credit: “teeter-totter” by Junichiro AOYAMA

      Like all semesters, Spring 2011 had its ups and downs. Here are a few things I learned, in no particular order:

      1. I was impressed with the writing and design skills of many of my students with their blog assignments. Some of them went far above and beyond my expectations, notably Cindy Cromeans, Amber Sakis, Sarah Allen,  Kyle Ashcraft and Megan Getter. I must remember to share these outstanding examples with students in the fall.
      2. I should not bother to hold any office hours for the first 3/4 of the semester, and pack them all into the last 1/4 — as this is when most of my students decide to stop by. (Okay, I probably won’t do that. But I am tempted.)
      3. I may need to be more specific in my assignment directions. For example, even though we had multiple discussions in class about the assignments, some of them still had a hard time understanding that the “Topic of the Week” for their blogs was due during a specific week. (Any idea how I could be clearer in writing about this one?)
      4. I was beyond delighted when students would share links via Twitter or bring up current events or PR news in class. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, I was thrilled.
      5. I need to reinforce our department’s attendance policy several times, especially early in the semester, even though it’s plainly stated in the syllabus. Some students were “surprised” when their grades were lower than they had anticipated. Since so much of what we cover in my classes is based on class discussions, being physically (and mentally!) present is critical. It’s also good practice to show up to class just like they will have to show up to work once they graduate.
      6. I will need to be clearer that when I put a hyperlink in a blog post, it’s for a reason. That reason is to provide amplification or examples about the points I was writing about. I fielded many questions about information that I’d linked to.
      7. I need to remember that not all students in my PR classes are as passionate about public relations and social media as I am. (We have a combined PR/journalism major at my university, and many students are much more interested in the journalism side of the major than the PR side.)
      8. I should continue to attend students’ outside activities often. It was great seeing them notice when I showed up (often unannounced) for campus and non-campus events, including one wedding proposal!
      And here’s one final thing I learned that I definitely need some help with.
      • 9. I may need to lower my expectations that students will be fully prepared for class by reading the assigned materials, listening to the assigned podcast or writing the assigned blog post. I need to come up with an alternate plan (other than dismissing the unprepared students or the entire class) when they are unprepared for the discussion I had expected to have.
        What are your thoughts about this one?