We’re getting excited about State Convention, so much so that today’s post comes from Mary Morrow, who teaches fine arts at St. Clarion High School. Morrow lists all of her favorite memories from State over the last few years, including a few unlikely things such as props and theme music.

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The St. Clairion has been going to ASPA convention for five years. The first year we went we really did not know what to expect so we arrived in Tuscaloosa with our staff shirts on and notebooks in hand. What we discovered was a group that celebrated journalism with our own familiar dedication and creativity. We were hooked, and we’ve gone every year since. I have the privilege to work with an amazing staff. Their commitment, creativity, and spirit always inspires me…yes, even during the dreaded deadlines.

At our school, yearbook is one of its most visible, respected, and celebrated groups. Their confidence and creativity naturally finds its way into whatever they do–including convention. Just as we are always trying to be creative and innovative with our yearbook, we try to bring that to convention.

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Laura Hunter: Jump-start your writing with photo inspiration

January 17, 2012

Today’s guest post comes from Laura Hunter, who taught sessions at Fall Regional Workshop and will be back in February at State Convention! Today she writes in with help for writers struggling for inspiration. Her advice? Photos!  Imagination on Vacation? Sometimes it just happens. You cannot find a creative thought in your head. Your imagination shuts [...]

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Aaron Manfull: Recruiting Staffers in 2012

January 9, 2012

Happy New Year, ASPA members! With everything getting back in swing, take a look at Aaron Manfull’s tips for recruiting new staffers over at The Next 26. He has some great ideas on engaging new students, including targeting AP classes and pushing social media. Here are my favorite three: Create a resource for local and [...]

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Guest Post: Journalism in the Open: Are our systems for learning making the grade?

December 12, 2011

Today’s guest post comes from Dan Sinker, who heads up the Knight-Mozilla News Technology Partnership for Mozilla. He taught in the journalism department at Columbia College Chicago from 2008-2011.  I had a brief exchange on Twitter yesterday, with ProPublica’s Scott Klein, about how high school poets end up as journalists and how he hopes that high school [...]

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Melissa Dixon: Reward Your Staffs with ASPA Critiques

December 5, 2011

Today ASPA President Melissa Dixon weighs in on why critiques are so important. To submit your student’s work for critiques, visit our “Contests and Critiques” page.  It’s hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner, and all of us are deep into this year’s publications. While you are trying to maintain some sort [...]

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Guest Post: SPLC’s Attorney Frank LoMonte on School Censorship

November 21, 2011

For schools facing censorship issues from their administration, Attorney Frank LoMonte examines what advisers and journalism staffs can do in face of this common challenge. With schools across the country fixated on the plague of bullying, including “cyberbullying” on social networking sites, it may seem counter-intuitive to argue for the rights of students to express [...]

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Guest Post: Responding to students who expect journalism electives to be ‘fun and easy’

November 14, 2011

This week we are excited to feature Julie Dodd, a journalism professor at the University of Florida and JEA Mentor Committee co-chair. She is here with advice on engaging students who take journalism electives. (This is article is reposted from JEA Mentoring Matters) Advice on how to respond to students who expect an elective journalism [...]

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Center for Scholastic Journalism Releases 2011 Scholastic Journalism Survey

November 9, 2011

Alabama teachers will want to take note of this: The Center for Scholastic Journalism at Kent State University released its 2011 Scholastic Journalism Census results yesterday. The findings reveal that among American public high schools, student media presence remains strong, with the exception of schools with large poor and minority student populations. Additionally, the findings [...]

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Guest Post: Lesley Bruinton’s 5 Tips for Aspiring Broadcasters

November 7, 2011

Today we’re excited to feature Lesley Bruinton, who has experience in broadcast journalism and most recently in public relations in her job with Tuscaloosa City Schools. Read Lesley’s advice for students interested in pursuing broadcast journalism.  Seven words. That’s all it took to set me on a collision course with the field of communications the [...]

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