When my newspaper's Web site was updated and gave reporters the ability to blog, I took advantage of it. While it's been an on-again, off-again experience, I'm proud to say I'm back on.
I'm also learning it isn't always easy.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Blogging education
Evaluate your sources
An AP story about proposed state legislation targeting childhood obesity caught my interest this week when I saw it would require steps such as mandating schools to offer more physical activity and screen students' body mass index. Wanting to get a broad range of perspectives, I plotted out who to contact.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Digging for nuggets
Today I called a superintendent to ask whether his district planned to be on the ballot in February. After he answered no, I went ahead and asked what's up with his district.
After a brief discussion on such things as the high school play he told me that the district's high school's technology program had become nationally certified. He also quickly mentioned that the district had gone through something called the Ohio Improvement Process, a topic that I had reported upon while covering another district.
I would have never had either story idea if I didn't fish for some nuggets.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Less education equals more flu risk?
Writer Rick Nauert in PsychCentral's article "Less Education = More Risk for Flu" asks that question.
Nauert, senior news editor for PsychCentral.com, discusses a study that showed the flu vaccine may not be as effective against the flu in less educated people because their immune system is compromised by ongoing stress.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
An experiment - Tapping civic life of schools
Years ago I requested "Tapping Civic Life," a Pew Center for Civic Journalism workbook. The subtitle of the book was "How to Report First, and Best, What's Happening In Your Community."
The book discusses how to tap into different civic layers other than the official and private layers. It discusses finding out who the catalysts are, including those who work more behind the scenes but still influence the community.
Michelle Obama touts television's own preschool homeschool as Sesame Street turns 40 and counting
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Resource for education reporters
The Education Writers Association offers a service called the public editor.
The "public editor" writes columns and is available to answer questions from education reporters. Membership in the association is not required to use this feature.
Ohio GED waiver elimination fallout
The chief GED examiner recently called me to ask for help. After the state did away with a waiver that let people who passed a practice test take the main test for free, the number of people taking the GED dropped.
The fee of $55 was reduced to $40, but he said that for many of the people "that's grocery money."
Monday, November 9, 2009
Education Week: States Slow Standards Work Amid 'Common Core' Push
Education Week: States Slow Standards Work Amid 'Common Core' Push
An Education Week article on states slowing their work on revamping academic standards pending a push for national standards...
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The school beat and I
The first half of my career in journalism was spent covering politics. I covered city and county government with a break in the middle while I tackled the police beat.
Then there came the chance to move to the lifestyles beat, which included coverage of area school events. When the editors moved me back to page one news, I landed the education beat. For once, I was covering something that I thought mattered.
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