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FIRST VOICES

watson

Little things mean a lot at the Newseum

Indianapolis Star column
by Warren Watson



J-Ideas Director Warren Watson blogs regularly for the Indianapolis Star. Here are his latest offerings:

Landmark First Amendment Research
with School Principals launched at Ball State

Ball State’s First Amendment institute has launched a landmark research project with 5,000 high school principals nationwide.

J-Ideas, a 5-year-old effort to support student journalism and First Amendment awareness, is reaching out to 5,000 principals to gauge their knowledge level and support for the First Amendment of the Constitution. The research coincides with Sunshine Week, a national effort to support Freedom of Information, an important principle of the First Amendment. <more>

-Campus free-speech thrives

-Ignoramcer in Palin, Dowd free-speech remarks

-Plainfield pays respect to First Amendment

-Banned Books Week

-Palin-tology

-Author creates First Amendment 'primer'

-New President must revive Constitution

-Traditional news misses Edwards escapade

-Protesters' rights fenced off

-Social networking pitfalls

-Bad year for traditional news gatherers

-Baseball and the First Amendment

-Principals and the First Amendment

-Remembering a crusader

-Photo ID law bad for voters

-Thoughts from the annual U.S. editors convention

-Need for print journalism remains

-Sunshine:now more than ever

-Mean-spirited fans

-Peter Jennings' legacy

-The First Amendment at the Alamo

-A New museum for news

-Author creates First Amendment 'primer'

-Unlikely First Amendment hero

-Harrison represented Hoosiers proudly

-Online course wraps for the fall

-Religious freedom for all

-Reading is FUN-damental

-Nothing negative

-Blogs grow in influence, but beware of anonymity

-Parent rides the bench after blog posting

-Student journalist's actions serves profession poorly

-Examining free speech online

-Remembering the courageous Elijah Parish Lovejoy

-First Amendment protects unpopular speech, too

Student journalists scoop professional press
Gerry
By Gerry Appel

In an era where student journalists are often criticized for poor decision-making, one student newspaper should receive praise after scooping its professional counterparts. <more>

-Principal wrong in pulling paper

Mile high with the First Amendment...
swikle
By Randy Swikle

We were north of the Mile High City near the Rocky Mountains. The principals were voluntarily descending—not from the tall peaks but from their position abutting the summit of school hierarchy. When they reached level ground, we could see each other more clearly. And clear sight leads to insight. <more

 
 
   
     
     
     
 
 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
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TeachFirstAmendment.org

The First Amendment, which is the bedrock of this country’s foundation, is in peril. Recent studies by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation have found:

Three-fourths of high school students don’t know how they feel about the First Amendment, or take it for granted.

Nearly half believe the government can censor the Internet.

 

 

One-third think the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.

Teachfirstamendment.org is a Web site created by the Knight Foundation to help teachers educate students on the First Amendment. The Web site consists of four sections:

Teach the First Amendment: features links to various lesson plans, DVDs, and other activities to help teachers in the classroom.

Start Student Media and Protect Student Journalists: features information from the American Society of Newspaper Editors on how to start up a student newspaper or host a newspaper online. Also contains an order form for a free J-IDEAS Business of High School Publications DVD, the Radio and Television News Directors Association and Foundation’s Broadcast in a Box, and a Student Press Law Center link.

Get Civics Back in Schools: features links to organizations that can help schools create better, more informed citizens. Groups include: Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, First Amendment Schools Network, the Ball State Electronic Field Trip from Philadelphia, Newspapers in Education and the North Carolina Education Consortium.

Take the First Amendment Quiz: after taking an online quiz, users can learn more about how high school students feel about the First Amendment, by visiting the Future of the First Amendment Web site.

Teachfirstamendment.org is your first stop for teaching the First Amendment.

 


>> Other teaching materials from J-Ideas, including materials on writing, design, ethics and more, can be found here.

     
     

 

 

 

  Latest News

 
External Links

 
 

Review of Future of the First Amendment

Two Connecticut researchers have become synonymous with the problem of poor First Amendment awareness in the nation’s high schools.

Ken Dautrich and David Yalof, professors at the University of Connecticut and backed by the Knight Foundation, have logged thousands of miles nationwide in developing a series of studies and followups about the First Amendment. more

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SPLC Exec. Director talks to Ball State students about 'Digital Freedom'

IHSPA 2008 State Convention: The Convergention

Bloggers and Online News Users are Better Informed on First Amendment

Dautrich and Yalof Publish book on First Amendment

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  J-IDEAS is funded in part by the 
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's
High School Initiative
and Ball State University.
 
J-IDEAS | Department of Journalism
Ball State University | Muncie, Ind. 47306
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