Last night, my Mass Media class at Rider U. played the “I Love Mass Media” game — a version of “charades” that I first used in the classroom last year. Once again this year, we had a great time acting out key mass communication terms and the names of movies, books, newspapers, magazines and people in the news. 🙂

Congratulations to “Team Purple” for winning the entire challenge! And “Team Yellow’s” endurance throughout the initial and final rounds was admirable, so “congrats” go out to you, too!

Actually, through my eyes, everyone in our class was a “winner” last night — and I thank you for helping to make the learning process fun! 😉

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Image courtesy of Jetske19 via Flickr/Creative Commons

It’s been over a month since I last posted to this blog… Time flies when you’re having fun! I’ve been so busy the past few weeks (I’m not complaining) working with my clients and students, and specifically teaching about writing and writing blogs, I haven’t had enough time to write my own posts here. Sorry!

I realize it’s time to work on my time-management skills. I just picked up Peter Bregman’s book, 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done. I hope to read the book over the next few days and to apply what I learn — soon! I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I hope you had a great February and let’s march on forward to a new month… 🙂

Kathy Magrino

We’re off to a great start in my Spring 2012 classes at Rider University! As I do every semester, I’ll be sharing this post with the students in my COM107 Persuasive Writing for the Media class and asking for their comments. I’ve made a few modifications to the post for 2012, taking into account the changing media world…

How do you get ready to write? Whatever I’m writing, these are the steps I take to motivate myself and to get the “creative juices” flowing. Sometimes, I only need to do one or two of the steps to get ready… Other times, I need to do it all! After you read what I do, please tell us what you do to get ready to write by sharing your comments below. Thank you!

1. Clear Your Head — and Your Workspace — to Get Organized
To get started on any writing project, I need to focus on the project — not on everything else going on in my life. First, I make a handwritten list of things I need to do that aren’t related to the writing project and tuck the list away to be looked at later. (I believe that when I put a pen in my hand and write on a piece paper the activity “triggers” some creative juices in my brain…) Then I make another list — or an outline — for the project I need to do right then and there. In my workspace, I move piles of work out of my view so they don’t distract me, which brings us to the next step…

2. Shut Down Distractions
I turn off my phone or put it on vibrate. I sign off all social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Then I  close the browser window for my email account on my laptop. If it’s on, I turn off the news/talk radio (sometimes music is okay — it depends on my mood…) and I turn off my TV. I can’t be distracted if I really want to focus on my writing.

3. Do Something Else First — Something You Enjoy Doing
For me, a walk on the beach (in warmer months) or preparing a favorite recipe can inspire me to “tackle” a writing project. Or maybe I’ll watch a TV show I’ve saved on my DVR. What inspires you? Do that first, then sit down and write, write, write!

4. Time Yourself — and Don’t Forget to Give Yourself a Break (or Two)
Sometimes I actually set a real timer and write for 20 or 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, I get up and “reward” myself by getting a snack or taking a short break. If I’m really on a writing streak, I’ll reset the timer and keep on writing… I think doing this makes me feel better because it’s a way to “control” the process.

5. Focus on Your Readers/Audience and Put Yourself in Their Shoes
Think about your readers or audience. Who will be reading or hearing the words you’re writing? What do they like or dislike? How can you grab — and keep — their attention? Successful writing projects are written for specific audiences. I sometimes pretend I’m having a conversation with my readers, like I’m doing right now. I hope you’ll tell me what you think by responding to this blog post so we can continue the conversation!

Well, these steps are the ones I take when I’m getting ready to write. However, we all have different ways of doing things… Here are some tips from Janis Butler Holm: Getting Ready to Write: Rituals vs. Distractions.

What do YOU do to get ready to write? Please share your tips and ideas here.

Until next time, take care, and thanks for reading (and hopefully responding)!

Kathy Magrino

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Photo: Haemin Rhee via Flickr, Creative Commons

As we gear up for Thanksgiving and the holidays, it’s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of our daily activities. Our semester at Rider University is winding down (already!). I’m so grateful for the students I’ve had the pleasure and honor to work with this semester. Some were new acquaintances in September, but many were “repeat students.” Both classes (COM106 Writing for the Communication Professions and COM240 Public Relations) have been productive and fun — for me, at least! 🙂

In my writing class, we’re closing the semester by exploring career opportunities. We’re creating LinkedIn profiles and discovering new ways to find jobs in a very difficult job market.

In my public relations class, we’re working on developing public relations strategies and campaigns to raise awareness about thyroid cancer. Yes, it’s a serious topic, but my students seem to be tackling this project with a lot of enthusiasm and creativity, and I’m confident in their abilities to develop ideas that can make a real difference in the “real world.” 😉 I’m looking forward to the presentations of their ideas during the first week of December… I will keep you posted!

I’m thankful for many things right now, including you. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and sharing your ideas and comments with me here — and on Twitter @kathymagrino — throughout the year!

Sincerely,

Kathy Magrino

Shelley Tibbetts (@ShelleyTibbetts), a former student of mine, visited my COM240 Public Relations class this week to speak to my students about a non-profit organization she’s currently working for, She’s The First. She’s The First was founded by Shelley’s sister, Tammy (@TammyTibbetts) two years ago, and it was created to promote girls’ education in developing countries.

She’s The First is coordinating an international fundraiser — a “Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake Sale” — during the first week of November, and I’m happy to say that I’m working with a group of students from my class to plan and host a cupcake bake sale at Rider University.

This is an excellent opportunity for my students to “learn by doing”! It’s public relations in action! (And event planning…

and promotion… and publicity… and media relations…)

We had our first “event planning” meeting earlier today and I was wowed by the creative ideas and the energy of my students. I can’t wait to see how this turns out — and I plan to keep you posted as we move forward. In the meantime, if you have any ideas, or would like to help us help a good cause, let me know. You can comment here on my blog, or tweet me @kathymagrino. Thanks — and I hope to hear from you soon!

Kathy Magrino

Steve Jobs passed away today at the age of 56. Jobs’ lifetime may seem short, by today’s standards, but the quality of those years is what really matters. I’ve never written a post like this before, but I feel the need to share my feelings tonight…

Since the 80s, I’ve been inspired by Steve Jobs’ vision and have been equally impressed by the company he built. Jobs certainly changed the business world — and the world in general — with his innovative products and creative ideas, where quality and design were always top priorities.

Quality is evident in every product created by Apple — especially while Jobs was at its helm. Yes, I’ve used other products, but, for me, nothing beats Apple’s products. My first Mac was one of the all-in-one units with the smallish screen. Tonight, I’m typing this post on my MacBook (several years old, but still going strong!). My next phone will be the iPhone 5, and I also plan on getting an iPad in the next few months.

I remember those days when Apple stock sold below $10 a share (wish I bought some then!), when you couldn’t find software for your Mac in stores,  and when people used to laugh at you for “spending all that money” on a computer. While other computer and technology companies pumped out more units and kept the prices low, Apple slowly became more and more competitive, and eventually became the leader. Apple did this by sticking to its core concepts of offering unmatched quality and innovative design.

While not always popular, Steve Jobs and Apple had the courage to follow big dreams and the vision to “stay the course.” How inspiring! And, we thank you for that, Steve Jobs.

— Kathy

Another semester has started for us at Rider University. One of the classes I’m currently teaching is COM106 Writing for the Communication Professions. Each time I teach a writing course, I like to start the semester with a discussion about the writing process, in general, and the steps each of us need to take in order to get ready to write. As I’ve done in past semesters, I’ll be sharing the post below with my students and requesting their comments here. But, feel free to add your comments, too. We’d love to hear about what motivates you to write! Hope to hear from you soon!

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How do you get ready to write? Whatever I’m writing, these are the steps I take to motivate myself and to get the “creative juices” flowing. Sometimes, I only need to do one or two of the steps to get ready… Other times, I need to do it all! After you read what I do, please tell us what you do to get ready to write by sharing your comments below. Thank you!

1. Clear Your Head — and Your Workspace — to Get Organized
To get started on any writing project, I need to focus on the project — not on everything else going on in my life. First, I make a handwritten list of things I need to do that aren’t related to the writing project and tuck the list away to be looked at later. Then I make a list — or an outline — for the project at hand. In my workspace, I move piles of work out of my view so they don’t distract me, which brings us to the next step…

2. Shut Down Distractions
I turn off my phone or put it on vibrate. Then I shut down TweetDeck and close the browser window for my email account on my laptop. I turn off the radio or TV, if either is on. I can’t be distracted if I really want to focus on my writing.

3. Do Something Else First — Something You Enjoy Doing
For me, a walk on the beach (in warmer months) or preparing a favorite recipe can inspire me to “tackle” a writing project. What inspires you? Do that first, then sit down and write, write, write!

4. Time Yourself — and Don’t Forget to Give Yourself a Break (or Two)
Sometimes I actually set a real timer and write for 20 or 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, I get up and “reward” myself by getting a snack or taking a TV break. If I’m really on a writing streak, I’ll reset the timer and keep on writing.

5. Focus on Your Readers/Audience and Put Yourself in Their Shoes

Think about your readers or audience. Who will be reading or hearing the words you’re writing? What do they like or dislike? How can you grab — and keep — their attention? Successful writing projects are written for specific audiences. I sometimes pretend I’m having a conversation with my readers, like I’m doing right now. I hope you’ll tell me what you think by responding to this blog post so we can continue the conversation!

Well, these steps are the ones I take when I’m getting ready to write. However, we all have different ways of doing things… Here are some tips from Janis Butler Holm: Getting Ready to Write: Rituals vs. Distractions.

What do YOU do to get ready to write? Please share your tips and ideas here.

Until next time, take care, and thanks for reading (and hopefully responding)!

Kathy Magrino