Patrick R. Johnson, Ph.D., MJE

Journalism Professor | Lover of horror, ethics, villains, and media | A "Prince of News" | Searching for the Second Star

Teaching Tuesday, a blog for JMC thinkers and teachers

  • Building from the bare bones: Skeleton notes and lesson structure

    Building from the bare bones: Skeleton notes and lesson structure

    Scaffolding learning for students is one of the best ways to get students from where they start to the place we want them to be at the end of a lesson, unit, or class. A way to do this is to use skeleton notes, also known as guided notes, to give students a structure for Read more

  • “Explain Your Choice”: Metacognition as a form of reflection with student work

    “Explain Your Choice”: Metacognition as a form of reflection with student work

    I’ve spent all my teaching career working with students on production skills–writing, design, audio, video, photo, social media, and others. And throughout the last decade+, I’ve wrestled with how best to (1) have students reflect thoughtfully on their production work, (2) integrate more metacognitive practices into my classroom, and (3) find more opportunities for students Read more

  • Integrating classroom interactivity with Pear Deck

    Integrating classroom interactivity with Pear Deck

    Finding the right classroom tech is difficult, especially when so many schools provide different types of access or have varying resources–and many have none. This post reflects on accessible educational technology (with premium trial and option) and easy to integrate into your classrooms using either Microsoft or Google. For transparency, I use the Google-based platform, Read more

  • Who Do You Want to Be? Setting up your classroom for culture-focused learning

    Who Do You Want to Be? Setting up your classroom for culture-focused learning

    Changing first-day questions can help elevate classroom culture for the remainder of the term. We all know that the first week of classes is commonly and comically referred to as “syllabus week.” It stems from the likely time spent reading the syllabus as a class, or what is more likely: to the class. There is Read more

  • Utilize classroom creeds for student agency and respect

    Utilize classroom creeds for student agency and respect

    One of the most critical shifts in education can and should be giving students the power to empower one another. Developing a class creed can be done at the beginning of any term, and you won’t regret it. All too often, our syllabi represent one voice–our own. If you stretch that slightly, it also represents Read more

  • Learning more about students with four corners

    Learning more about students with four corners

    Sometimes I want students to share more of themselves with the class, but I also acknowledge that doing this may be difficult if we focus on individual call-and-response. This activity gives you the opportunity and flexibility to get to know your students in a way that will help them feel seen yet still part of Read more