Poynter Institute Grant – February 2015

In February 2015, the Headliners Foundation awarded a $3,000 grant from the Headliner’s Foundation Special Project Fund to provide tuition grants for ten Texas university journalism professors to attend the Poynter Institute’s highly practical, fast-paced three-day seminar on technology education, TEACHAPOOLZA, to be conducted June 12-14, 2015 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Texas journalism educators to receive free tuition are:

  1. Bob Bajackson, Director of Student Publications, Texas State University

  2. Sarah Tucker, Lecturer-Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, University of Houston

  3. Samra Bufkins, Lecturer-Mayborn School of Journalism, University of North Texas

  4. Barry Catlett, Sr. Lecturer-Department of Media Arts, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Texas

  5. Phyllis Slocum, Principal Lecturer-Department of Media Arts, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Texas

  6. Dustin Harp, Assistant Professor-Journalism, University of Texas at Arlington

  7. Kim Pewitt-Jones, Sr. Lecturer-Journalism, University of Texas at Arlington

  8. Robert Jensen, Professor-School of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin

  9. Donna Pazdera, Lecturer II-Journalism, University of Texas-Pan American

  10. Dr. Rauf Arif, Assistant Professor-Mass Communications, University of Texas at Tyler

The Poynter Institute teaches teachers through highly interactive seminars the following: management, ethical decision-making, and the power of diversity, and they teach editing, writing, reporting, and new media skills to those teaching broadcast, print and the web who are trying to remake their journalistic skills.

TEACHAPALOOZA is part conference, part tech mash-up and part tent revival. At TEACHAPOOLZA, up to 100 of the nation’s college journalism educators will learn new technology and new ways of teaching through “hands-on” learning to get re-energized and sharpen skills – focusing on turning data into journalism. “Big data” is a hot topic, but educators struggle to help students make sense of what it means and how to use it.

TEACHAPALOOZA thought leaders and media executives teach in large sessions as well as break-out groups that participants select. Front-edge educators including The Univ1ersity of Wisconsin’s Katy Culver and The University of Georgia’s Mark Johnson lead hand’s on sessions. Faculty will focus on 1) how to turn your school into a “journalism teaching hospital” (the concept is to teach students by “doing” not just by talking) and 2) turning data into journalism. The seminar will offer experts from Google and hands-on training to put the learning into action.

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