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May 15, 2007What lunatic thought this up? Teacher stages fake gunman attack
Lunacy apparently reigns at Scales Elementary School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. On a school trip led by Assistant Principal Don Bartch, teachers staged a fake gunman attack on a class of sixth graders. "During the last night of the trip, staff members convinced the 69 students that there was a gunman on the loose. They were told to lie on the floor or hide underneath tables and stay quiet. A teacher, disguised in a hooded sweat shirt, even pulled on a locked door. After the lights went out, about 20 kids started to cry, 11-year-old Shay Naylor said. "I was like, 'Oh My God,' " she said. "At first I thought I was going to die. We flipped out." Now, maybe I'm not mainstream, but I know if my 11-year-old was the target of such a stunt, I'd be looking for heads to roll. I mean, if we are going to deny teaching credentials to people because of MySpace profiles, then the lunatics running Scales Elementary really have no business near a school. But Quentin Mastin and Don Bartch get a slap on the wrist. Oddly (in my view), the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal editors call "Scales gun hoax bad judgment, not firing offense." Come again? No, no... that's a firing offense. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 02:28pm in Bizarre & Unexpected, Education | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (9) August 03, 2006Geography lessons... don't we need them?
Here in Denmark, we pretty much shut down for most of July. The Government decamps, the Royals go away (not that they are ever entirely present, but that's another thing), many factories close entirely and, even if you are an office worker, you can enjoy a glass of wine at a sidewalk café without worrying about being a slacker. Reporters and editors also leave town. And that is why Danish newspapers are so entertaining during the dog days: the editors and reporters leave journalism students and junior editors in charge of the shop. Now, don't for a moment think I don't fully approve: young tyros punch a resumé ticket, readers can comfortably assume nothing in their morning paper will disturb them (though the obligatory Heatwave! story accompanied by an interview with a topless girl at the beach may excite a "Hmmm...." here and there... as it has, yearly, since 1968), and the senior journalists and editors get a much needed rest so they can start gunning for the Government and the Royals in September. If you are in the PR business, of course, you have spotted the opportunity. Journalism students? Junior editors? Hell, they'll print anything -- Katy, bar the door! (I know. I once was a college newspaper reporter. I did, indeed, print anything). Yes, July is the Happy Time for small Danish businesses, because the papers will print just about any press release sent to them. Which is why I came to read this little snippet in Berlingske Tidende the other day: Advertising on homepages and search engines is becoming more widespread. And now the Danish online advertising agency [in fact, they sell SEO advice, nothing more] Addvisors has decided to open an office in Las Vegas, USA. When you are done puzzling over how that lead connects, let me direct you to why Addvisors chose Las Vegas: "It's centrally located in the USA," says owner Kim Frederiksen. When the Danish Government gets back from Nice and Tuscany and the Maldives, I suppose I should urge them to look at this initiative from the UK. If only so future Danish businessfolks don't grow up thinking Las Vegas is somewhere near Kansas City. Thousands of people have a real passion for
Geography, a subject that has never been more relevant to the
six billion people now living on our planet. In schools across the UK and
beyond, teachers who are passionate about the role of Geography
use the subject to engage young people in debates about issues that are
constantly headlining the media - drought, floods, hazards, globalisation,
famine, sustainable energy, transport policy, employment, crime, urban
deprivation, global warming. The list is almost endless. Who else, if not the
Geographers, will deal with these issues in our schools and
colleges so that young people can learn, understand and give a reasoned opinion
on things which will impact on all their lives in the 21st Century. Sadly, the media, in spite of pumping these topics into our
homes 24/7 seem to have forgotten that much of what they ask people to think
about is actually Geography. We are, therefore, asking - where
is the label? Art, history, literature, technology all get their recognition in
the media but Geography has yet to be recognised in this
important way. If you spent a whole year reading or listening carefully to a
wide range of media in the UK, you would probably still have fingers to spare as
you sat and counted the number of times that the word
'Geography' was actually mentioned....... at long last
Geographers are voicing their frustration at this situation. Amen to that! Katy, bar the door! Technorati Tags:
addvisors, amateur journalism, denmark, summer dog days, las vegas
Posted by Allan Jenkins at 08:57pm in Business, Cartography, Denmark, Education, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (1) April 06, 2006Cotton just got higher in the Marcom Blog
A few months ago, I noted I was standing in tall cotton just to be invited to contribute to the Marcom Blog, where older communicators go to trade notes with the new communicators issuing from Auburn University. Now three other contributors have joined the ranks, making the cotton a hell of a lot taller: Susan Getgood, of Marketing Roadmaps. Welcome to the fray, Susan, Andrea and Kami! Posted by Allan Jenkins at 09:31am in Communication Skills, Education, MarComBlog | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (4) April 01, 2006Finally, a guaranteed no-lose investment!
Looking for a sure-fire investment? No gearing, instant pay-off and -- and here's the thing -- you can get in on the groundfloor for nothing. Note: if you are not a professional communicator, this offer is not for you. Sorry. Interested? Well, if you can handle it, wander over to Forward, "the online springboard for new and upcoming PR professionals." Founded by Erin Caldwell, a senior in the Auburn University program that Robert French helps lead, Forward looks a the practical part of getting and staying in your first PR job. To quote the site: Here you'll find: Now, what about that investment? Well, if you are professional communicator, and are willing to blog and write and advise the young people coming into our profession... you can become an investor... a writer... an adviser. And that's not a bad investment, is it? Posted by Allan Jenkins at 11:13pm in Education, Public Relations, Smart Communities | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (2) September 22, 2005I've Been Invited to be a MarcomBlog Contributor: I'm Standing in Tall Cotton, Now
Robert French has done me the signal honor of asking me to become MarcomBlog's 10th contributor. Wow. MarcomBlog is based at Auburn University's Department of Communication and Journalism, and is a collaborative effort between the students there and the contributors. And Robert. The purpose: To actively involve students in conversations with
practitioners from around the world. Blogs offer a unique opportunity
for students to converse with professionals they never would have met
before. Why not harness the power of CMS to bring people together.
Think of this as part mentoring exercise by our contributors and part
incubator for future PR/Marcom professionals. Well, I am proud to take part, though not a little in awe of the company I'll be keeping: Connect PR - David Forstrom And, of course, all the students who, if I can judge from their blogs, will be a stimulating group. In short, I'm standing in the tall cotton. And shall have to learn to write intelligent things... Posted by Allan Jenkins at 06:19pm in Communication, Desirable Roasted Coffee, Education, Marketing, Public Relations | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (3) | TrackBack (1) August 24, 2005PRblogs.org: Free Blogs for Practitioners, Educators, and Students
Robert French, who teaches PR at Auburn University in Alabama, USA, has enough ideas for two people. His latest is PRblogs.org, a free .. I love that word .. free .. blog hosting setup for PR students, educators and practitioners. How inspired is that? After we spoke earlier today, Robert sent me some background on the idea. "It is a
free blog hosting service aimed at PR practitioners, educators and
students. Free blogs. Non-profit. Ad free. Very
niche. I love the idea, and I hope it blossoms and booms (note to IABC/ PRSA/ AAF members: take notes; your new hires are going to know all about social media, and they are going to eat old media, cold media.. and old agencies for lunch. It'll take awhile -- You haven't hit the iceberg, yet.) Posted by Allan Jenkins at 07:03pm in Advertising, Blogging, Communication, Education, IABC, Marketing, Online Media, PRSA, Public Relations | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (1) | TrackBack (1) |
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