Monday, December 19, 2016

Searching for a Long-Term Academic Relationship (LTAR)


Relationships change, friendships evolve, and values are reaffirmed. The past sentence defines my life for the past six years. When I began my academic career, I had a core group  of academic friends at the institution. However, when lives changed and mindsets evolved, our academic lives drifted apart.

Thinking Back to the Sorority Days

I have to remember that this was a similar experience that I encountered with some of my sorority sisters after college. We had a lot in common when we saw each other each day and were completing college together, but when we began our career paths we discovered how different we truly were.

Focusing on Today

So, the differences. Yes, they are definitely evident now. I am no longer on the tenure track, I am almost an associate professor and my academic value systems changed from a faculty research focus to a student research focus. Everything that I do now focuses on helping our students navigate college while integrating high impact educational practices from their first-year to their senior year. 

Thinking Beyond Your Department

Just because you share an academic discipline and work on project together does not guarantee a long-term academic relationship (LTAR). A LTAR is strengthened when we participate in those high-impact relationship building activities like study abroad, text messages sent to encourage one another, a spontaneous coffee/tea invitation for a 30 minute walk around campus, and a telephone call just to let the other academic know that you are thinking of them.

Encourage Others by Thinking Positively

My past academic relationships have been VERY transactional and research and project-based. Now, I can say that these relationships are based on common experiences (away from the university) and shared (encouraging) conversations. We also encourage one another by discouraging any negative conversations about other people. These conversations can taint your views of others and the time that you spend gossiping can be allocated to conversations about family or classroom innovation ideas.

I am much happier since I realized that relationships in my 30s need to be long-lasting and based on common experiences and common mindsets, not purely transactional. Sometimes you just have to let friendships wither away, this can make you open to new (and better friendships).

Have a great day and keep thinking positively! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
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Saturday, December 17, 2016

Did I Hold It Together During the Graduation Ceremony? You Decide!


Last night was one of the best experiences that I've had in academia. I've worked at the same university for the past ten years and by far, this has been my proudest moment so far.

The Tarleton State University Communication Studies Department celebrated its first two communication studies graduates at the master's level. Mr. Winston Dawson and Ms. Becca Long have always been trend setters for their peers, but last night they proved that they mastered their academic discipline. 




When Becca asked me to "hood" in the December graduation ceremony a few weeks ago, I was so excited to add this important event to my calendar! I told her that I would not miss it for the world!

Becca
I've known Becca for the past six (almost seven) years! She was one of the first undergraduate students involved with the Texas Social Media Research Institute (@TSMRI) and we have been proud of her since that point. We also keep up with all of our graduates and their career progression!

Winston
I met Winston six years ago and he is the funniest person that I know. He always has a smile on his face and he impacts all individuals around him! He actually attended my secret baby shower planned by the first class of @TSMRI interns. I've always admired him for attending and supporting my journey as a parent. 

Traivohn, Torri, and Lizzie
We also had three undergraduate students accomplish the first part of their academic journey as well. These students have been some of the most creative and most motivational students I've ever encountered. I immediately think of these students when I think about the student learning outcomes from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). These students served as trendsetters for their peers and I was excited to see them cross the stage!




I also told them that they had to keep in contact with me through our Friday check-in meetings on Twitter group messages. I have a recurring meeting in my schedule to remind me to initiate the communication if I do not hear from them.

This experience marks the end of their bachelor's level or master's level graduate journey, but it does not represent the end of their academic journey! I look forward to hearing about their next accomplishments!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards


Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards

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Monday, August 29, 2016

4 Easy Ways to Incorporate Research in University Courses!


While planning for the upcoming semester, I incorporate a large assignment on my syllabus. This large assignment was an important assignment for the undergraduate students as well as the graduate students in my courses in the Communication Studies Department at Tarleton State University. 

When Periscope became a new technology utilized by many companies last summer, I decided to incorporate the technology in my course to expose the graduate students to a potential technology that can be implemented for a company or organization.

Step 1 - Creating the Assignment

Then, I created the following assignment description on my syllabus:

Group Research Paper - Topic: Internal Communication and Businesses/Corporations/Organizations and Public Social Media Spaces

Brief Description – This semester’s research study will focus on internal communication occurring in public social media spaces among organizations (companies, associations, corporations, non-profit orgs., etc.) and their employees/members.

A - Each component of this paper will be due on specific dates (as indicated on the syllabus calendar).

B - Each group member (groups of 3-4 individuals) is required to significantly contribute to the production of the paper. Each group member is responsible for contributing significant comments on the Google Document each week to sections for which their name is not assigned. Group members who do not contribute each week will receive a grade reduction for that particular week.

C - Please remember to submit questions by 4pm on Friday. Questions submitted after 4pm will not be answered until Monday morning.
Each component of this paper will be due on specific dates (as indicated on the syllabus calendar). 

D - At the end of the semester, each group will submit their research paper to a scholarly research journal and conference.

The Dilemma

Sometimes, students have a difficult time selecting companies or organizations that coincide with the requirements of the assignment. This is a dilemma for me, because I am function as the consultant for the research groups and I like to provide options. 

The Solution

On a whim, I decided to provide the lists of the top Texas companies, universities, colleges, state agencies, etc. to the graduate student groups to see if they would be interested in utilizing these lists as the selected organizations for their research study. They did! Each group selected a different list and it was a great combination between my undergraduate student researchers and my graduate student researchers!

2 - The Structure

Each week, the assignment focused on a different aspect of the research paper:

RESEARCH PAPER
Total:150
Part 1 – Purpose Statement, Problem Statement, Research Questions (10%)
15
Part 2 - Review of the Literature (15%)
22.5
Part 3 - Theoretical Framework (10%)
15
Part 4 – Research Methodology/Survey (15%)
22.5
Part 5 – Results (15%)
22.5
Part 6 - Conclusion & Implications (15%)
22.5
Part 7 – Suggestions for Further Research (10%)
15
Final Submiss. – Abstract & Journal Submission/Letter (5%)
7.5
Final Submiss. – References (5%)
7.5

3 - The Foundation

The students ROCKED their presentations and I was very proud of their progress and their research. The student presented their research on Periscope. In fact, we had a night of research presentations at Periscope.



4 - So, what? Implications...

The presentations were uploaded on YouTube and the students also plan to submit their research for publication as a well. More to come! If you know of a great publication outlet for social media research, please let me know!.

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
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Monday, August 22, 2016

Research Paper Pick of the Week - Social Network Analysis as a Method to Assess Collaboration


I am truly becoming a higher education professional who LOVES assessment. For those of you who have been following my blog for a long time, you know that I love social media research as well. 

This paper from the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment is definitely one of my favorites. Social Network Analysis as a Method to Assess Collaboration by Christa van Staden is an interesting paper focused on social networks and faculty assessment. 

The paper focuses on an international context, but the information is definitely applicable for institutions in the United States as well. 

Enjoy the paper! 

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
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Thursday, August 11, 2016

30 Ways to Integrate Social Responsibility in Your Fall Courses - A LEAP Texas Periscope


Today, I had such a great time representing LEAP Texas (Liberal Education and America's Promise) as part of the Social Responsibility Week! This is a week of professional development opportunities for faculty focused on infusing social media in course syllabi.


The Periscope was focused on "30 Ways to Integrate Social Responsibility in Your Fall Courses".

Here's the Periscope! Enjoy!

 https://www.periscope.tv/w/1vOxwpkDrvvKB

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
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Monday, August 8, 2016

Teaching Teamwork - An Interview with Dr. David Blanke (Professor of History at TAMUCC)


As a LEAP Texas Faculty Fellow, I enjoy focusing on the the key learning outcomes from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU)'s Liberal Education and America's Promise Initiative

Our key learning outcome for the Spring 2016 semester was TEAMWORK! This is definitely one of my favorites because I incorporate teamwork in undergraduate research assignments and in graduate student presentations. In my opinion, this is one of the most important skills that a student can learn in college. They will encounter teamwork for the rest of their lives (in the workplace, in church groups, in their friendships, and beyond)!

In fact, the National Association of Colleges and Employers cites teamwork as one of the most important skills that students can learn in college. 



In March, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. David Blanke from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi at an annual teaching and learning conference in Texas. I loved his answers about teamwork!

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
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Friday, August 5, 2016

Free Professional Development Opportunity from @LEAPTexas - AACU Learning Outcomes (Social Responsibility Week) - August 8th-12th

I love serving as a Faculty Fellow for LEAP Texas! This has been one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever experienced in higher education. I love networking with colleagues from other institutions and I've gained a wealth of skills focused 

Social Responsibility Week – August 8 - 12
During the week of August 8 - 12, LEAP Texas will be holding a week­long celebration of Social Responsibility. It’s a week where faculty from across the state of Texas can come together online and talk about how they are integrating Social Responsibility into teaching, learning, and assessment:

Want to stand a chance of winning a prize!?!?!
Please RSVP for the events below by completing this form - https://goo.gl/forms/TwxY54sHGS0OT1bn2. You can still participate in events if you do not complete the form BUT to win our fabulous prizes we need you to fill in the form @LEAPTexas Social Responsibility Week! Please let us know if you plan to participate in the events! We will see you at the events!

Monday 8 August
What’s on: 3pm: Webinar on Social Responsibility presented by Dr. Doyle Carter and Dr Christine Purkiss from Angelo State University
Description: This session takes a look at Social Responsibility and the opportunities and challenges associated with teaching and assessing this core objective. The presenters will also share the social responsibility rubric developed at this institution
Join online:
Mon, Aug 8, 2016 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Central Daylight Time
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/331951253
Dial in by phone:
United States : +1 (571) 317-3112
Access Code: 331-951-253
First GoToMeeting? Try a test session: http://help.citrix.com/getready

Tuesday 9 August
What’s on: Social responsibility recipes all day with Dr Jennifer Edwards on Twitter 
Description: I know, you are thinking  - recipes and social responsibility? Well, this is an innovative approach focused on small (but meaningful) activities focused on how we can teach our college students how to be socially responsible. To participate and to submit an event, please click the following link - Submit a Teaching Recipe for the #LEAPTexas Recipe book on Social Responsibility

Wednesday 10 August 
What’s on: Tune in to the "30 Ways to Integrate Social Responsibility in Your Fall Courses" Periscope Session at 8am CDT.
Tune in here - https://www.periscope.tv/drjtedwards/1vOGwPRyOQdJB.
Description: In this session, you will discover and contribute ways to teach and engage your students in interactive assignments addressing social responsibility! These engagement methods will include syllabus integration, teaching methods for the first-year seminar, teaching methods for capstone courses, career portfolio and resume integration, and classroom assessment of social responsibility.

Thursday 11 August
What’s on: Engage in the Lunchtime "Teaching Social Responsibility in College Courses" Twitter Chat by using the #LEAPTexas hashtag on at Noon CDT
Description: 
1. At noon on the day of the chat, log into Twitter and type in #LEAPTexas (not case sensitive).
2.  Wait for a question (one is tweeted out about every 8 minutes).
Ex:  Q1 - Do you think it is more important to incorporate social responsibility for first-year students or senior-year students? Which assignments would be better for each group? #LEAPTexas
3. Hit "Reply" to the tweet with the question, use A for Answer, and include the hash tag. Ex: A1 -  Definitely for first-year students, it is important to engage students as soon as they arrive to your campus. #LEAPTexas

Friday 12 August:
What’s on: Reflections on the week.
Description: Join us on Twitter (#LEAPTexas) as LEAP takes a look back on social responsibility week and what we learned.

Follow us on Twitter @LEAPTexas #LEAPTexas.
If you would like to learn more about the work of our faculty fellows and LEAPTX activity in general please visit us online at http://leaptx.org
Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
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Monday, August 1, 2016

30 Ways to Incorporate Teamwork in Higher Education Classrooms - A LEAP Texas Initiative


For the past four years, I've had a great time learning about higher education administration. It has been an incredible experience incorporating the key concepts and theories that I learned in graduate school everyday! From crisis communication to public relations, this has been daily learning experience!

One item that I really appreciate is the ability to teach while serving in higher education administration. I adore teaching undergraduate students and I love teaching graduate students as well. The social media teaching field requires me to teach and learn everyday! 


Last summer, I applied and I was selected as a Faculty Fellow for Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP Texas). Through this experience, I've been able to connect with other faculty fellows from across the state while learning additional concepts about teaching in higher education. I've learned about the core curriculum from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In addition to the core, one of the most life changing items that I've learned includes key concepts about assessment and the LEAP Value Rubrics.

During my time as a fellow, it has been amazing to merge two of my higher education loves (teaching and social media). In the spring semester, I was very fortunate to present a Periscope (one of my favorite technologies) focused on "30 Ways to Incorporate Teamwork in Higher Education Classrooms". 



I enjoyed presenting this Periscope to the attendees and this scope is archived on the Leap Texas YouTube Account. Enjoy!
Please feel free to ask any questions about the LEAP Texas experience! In fact, applications are available as well! Here's the link! - 

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
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Sunday, July 31, 2016

Submit a Teaching Recipe for the #LEAPTexas Recipe book on Social Responsibility


In preparation for Social Responsibility Week, I would like to issue a VIP call to you to submit RECIPE for the #LEAPTexas Recipe book on Social Responsibility

As part of submitting your recipe, we will highlight your recipe on Twitter (include your university's name in the post) and include your recipe in the e-book!

I know you are thinking, recipes and social responsibility? Well, this is an innovative approach focused on small (but meaningful) activities focused on how we can teach our college students how to be socially responsible.


What is social responsibility?
Liberal Education and America's Promise defines social responsibility by focusing on the following concepts:

- Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global
- Intercultural knowledge and competence
- Ethical reasoning and action
- Foundations and skills for lifelong learning

In the Social Responsibility @LEAPTexas Recipe Bookeach of the recipes will be compiled in a e-publication to help others incorporate SR in their courses or high impact educational practices! 

Please submit a short recipe (and your name) by typing the recipe on the @LEAPTexas Recipe Book . The instructions for submitting your recipe on the book only include TWO steps!

Step 1 - Please copy and paste the following recipe template below the line:

Social Responsibility (SR) Recipe Title:
Name:
Institution:
Course in Which You Incorporated Social Responsibility:
Description of (SR) Assignment:
Items Needed:
Time Needed:
Ideas for Assessing the Assignment:
Additional Resources and Links (Optional)

Step 2 - Type your recipe utilizing the template below the yellow on the Google Document line:

If you have ANY questions, please contact me, I will be happy to help! Have a great week!

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
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Monday, July 18, 2016

6th Annual Texas Social Media Conference - Call for Interactive Sessions and Paper Presentations​ (Deadline - July 30th)


The Texas Social Media Research Institute formally invites you to submit a workshop/paper proposal and/or to register for the 2016 Social Media Conference in Fort Worth, TX at the Tarleton State University - Southwest Metroplex campus on Friday, November 4th.
We are excited about this wonderful opportunity and we anticipate over 150 face-to-face and virtual attendees this year! To discover more information about the 2016 Social Media Conference, please click here - http://www.tarleton.edu/TSMRI/


This conference consists of SIX types of sessions:
Session Type 1 - Practical Application of Social Media (How to..) Sessions


Session Type 2 - Higher Education and Social Media (Focused on Student Services/Academic Affairs/University Marketing)


Session Type 3 - Social Media Analytics, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) (Including Social Media Campaign Development, Assessment, and Demonstrating Return-on-Investment (ROI) for companies)


Session Type 4 - Social Media and Entrepreneurship (Focused on Individuals, Small Businesses, and Non-Profit Organizations)


Session Type 5 - Scholarly Research and Social Media Sessions (Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches)


Session Type 6 - Local and State Governmental Utilization of Social Media (Crisis Communication, Best Practices, Expert Panels, Developing Brand Advocates, etc.)


Additional Information: Possible forms of submission include: panels (including roundtables and discussions), papers/abstracts, and training workshops. Complete the conference submission form (http://www.tinyurl.com/SocialMediaConferenceCall/) AND e-mail papers/panels to TSMRI (texassocialmediaresearch@gmail.com) no later than July 30th (EXTENDED DEADLINE).
If you have any questions, please contact the Texas Social Media Research Institute via e-mail (texassocialmediaresearch@gmail.com) via e-mail or telephone (254-307-8211).
Call for Sponsorships: ***We are also seeking conference sponsors (departments, small businesses, and organizations) campus and community sponsors). If you are interested in co-sponsoring this conference, please contact us.***


Weekly #TXSocialMedia Twitter Chats
Each Thursday, we host a Twitter chat at 8pm focused on a certain social media topic. Please join us by searching for the #TXSocialMedia hashtag! Here’s the #TXSocialMedia Chat Schedule - http://www.tarleton.edu/tsmri/tsmri-twitter-chat-schedule---txsocialmedia.html
If you have any questions, please contact the Texas Social Media Research Institute via e-mail (texassocialmediaresearch@gmail.com) via e-mail or telephone (254-307-8211).


Sincerely,
The Texas Social Media Research Institute (@TSMRI)

Monday, February 29, 2016

Applied Social Media Graduate Course at Tarleton State University - The Course Syllabus and Course Navigation Video


This semester, I am so excited about teaching the Applied Social Media course at Tarleton. To help others in their syllabus creation journey, I decided to embed my syllabus (and course navigation video) on the blog. :)

Adapting the Course from Undergraduate Students to Graduate Students
I taught this course at the undergraduate level and I always enjoyed helping the students on their research projects. Anytime that I can help students build their resume and also integrate their learning in high-impact educational practices (undergraduate research, etc.), I always strive to do so. Now, as I teach graduate students, research assignments have become more important because it seems that these students are searching for ways to help their resumes stand out from the rest of the applicants for positions.

Utilizing E-Books for Course Preparation and for Course Texts
This semester (to my surprise), I found the textbook for the course at our university's library, the Dick Smith Library as an e-book. This means that the students could potentially only have to purchase one book for the semester. Last semester, I utilized e-books to prepare for the Computer-Mediated Communication course and it was MUCH easier to bookmark key concepts and less cumbersome than dragging books from campus to the house.


Please let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to help!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
- Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
- http://www.facebook.com/millennialprofessor/
- drjtedwards at gmail.com

Monday, February 22, 2016

Linking the Texas Core Objectives with the AACU High-Impact Educational Practices as a #LEAPTX Fellow

Since I was selected to join LEAP TX (Liberal Education and America's Promise) initiative (sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and the Lumina Foundation), I created a goal focused on learning MORE about academic and student affairs assessment practices and processes than ever before.

So, I signed to present a session about social media and to present the recap focused on the Texas LEAP initiative sustainability plan (after the grant ends). I am always excited to present about social media and higher education and this audience seemed eager to learn something new (or a new way of addressing a learning outcome through social media technologies). 

Here's the presentation from that session.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1efvMhzo2ZEVtSg1h84Qw9hVWJmsMs2YIGD8UGY20l5s/edit?usp=docslist_api

Here is one of our pictures from the LEAP working meeting. Thanks for the opportunity - Loraine! :)


We created plans, assigned action items, and determined how we would spread our messages about the Texas Core Objectives (teamwork, social responsibility, critical thinking, personal responsibility, communication, and empirical and quantitative skills) with a LEAP emphasis (infusing high impact educational practices, GEMS, signature assignments (signature work), and MUCH MORE! I must emphasize that I have a slight bias toward high impact educational practices.

So, for the next few months, follow the #LEAPTX hashtag. Engage with us by sending resources and look forward to a "Call for Submissions" focused on the Texas Core Objectives. You will be able to submit your assignments, have them peer-reviewed, and then they will serve as a resource for the rest of the state of Texas (and other states - LEAP states and non-LEAP states).

This conference served as the SPRINGBOARD for helping me work toward my assessment goals. I am PUMPED about upcoming initiatives focused on the Texas Core Objectives and the High-Impact Educational Practices!

If you would like a refresher on the High-Impacted Educational Practices, here's a graphic I made for the #LEAPTX blog.
For more information about LEAPTX, check out this site - http://leaptx.org. If you have any questions about the presentation or LEAP Texas, please let me know! I serve as a LEAPTX fellow with FIVE individuals.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards