Back to the basics: Creating weekly reading and writing exercises with a social media twist

Dr. Kay L. ColleyTexas Wesleyan University

Teachapalooza V, June ,2015

Overview and purpose

• Purpose: Getting students to understand what is good writing and begin practicing it

• Students choose a book from the class list• Each week, students post to social media about

that week’s reading • Students receive credit for the mere act of

posting, which accounts for 10% of their overall grade

• Debrief session every two weeks in class

Feature Writing

• The list:

Feature Writing• The posts:

Survey of Public Relations

• The list:

Survey of Public Relations

• The posts:

Grading

• An all or nothing grade per week• Posting gives the student full credit for the

week• The faculty member must comment on the

Facebook and Twitter posts so students see when their posts are effective and when they are not

• Downside: Can become time intensive

Presentation at: slideshare.net/klcolley

Poster presentation at SWECJMC 2013