Preparation for the New Semester

Hello everyone! We are about to begin a new school year here at IU Southeast. My classes begin August 29th, but some of you may already be in the thick of things. I am in the midst of that eerie, quiet time of year before the students hit and I am trying to benefit from that last bit of concentrated research time in between my class prep and beginning-of-the-year retreats, workshops, and orientations. Along the way, I have drafted my syllabus to incorporate the Wall Street Journal into each of my fall classes. I invite you to join me through this blog.

I teach a variety of subjects in which the WSJ is a valuable research. For many years, I have used the Journal on virtually a daily basis in all my classes to bring my students to a new level. I have enjoyed the success of my students and the enhanced classroom environment resulting from using real-world application to connect with course material. I am excited to share the details of my learning goals and student progress in the coming weeks.

I teach both in the graduate and undergraduate business programs, lower-level and advanced classes, in the areas of accounting, business law, and business ethics. As a result, I have experienced different aspects of application for the Journal in a variety of subjects and levels.

In the next few weeks, I will share more details of my assignment using the WSJ in class. But briefly, I begin each class session asking a student (selected at random) what they have read in the Journal. Every student must be prepared each class session to discuss an article, but no formal write-up is required. All students turn to that particular article in their own newspapers and follow along with the presenter. If others have read that same article, they are very welcome to jump in the discussion. I grade on a pass/fail basis, making grade notations during the short presentation. This assignment counts for around 10% of the total grade, which I quickly calculate at the end of the semester. It is a terrific way to begin each class period, and the students progress very well.

This is only one of many ways you can incorporate the Journal in your class. I will go into more detail next week!

Throughout the coming weeks, I plan to share my classroom experiences, successes and challenges, usage ideas, incorporation of the Journal to help in achieving learning goals. To add an interactive component to the blog and to benefit other readers, I would also like to include some comments, questions, or ideas from you, as you use or consider using the Journal in your classes, as they would benefit WSJ blog readers. (Please indicate if you would like to remain anonymous.) Feel free to email me at WSJProfBlog@hotmail.com.