J-IDEAS, News and Resources for the First Amendment and Constitution Day

J-Ideas announces fund-raising campaign

Warren Watson, director, announced today the creation of an annual fund-raising campaign to support J-Ideas, Ball State’s scholastic journalism and First Amendment institute.

Parties are invited to give $25 or more to the J-Ideas Foundation to support future activities of the program. Donations are tax deductible. <more>

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

-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

Archive

More First Thoughts: journalism teacher Tom Gayda speaks out

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 >

Curriculum DVDs

$10.00 each, as of Sept. 1, 2008

J-IDEAS: A Scholastic Journalism and First Amendment Resource

Teaching DVDs about the First Amendment, Business Reporting, Sports Journalism, and the Business of High School Journalism Publications

J-IDEAS, a national high school journalism program based at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, was set up in 2003 to raise First Amendment appreciation, promote media literacy and encourage student media in high schools.

J-IDEAS is proud to provide a selection of three curriculum DVDs. Each DVD is prepared for classroom use.

First Amendment DVD description:
This teaching DVD is available to anyone interested in promoting education about the Constitution. It is a perfect curriculum tool for Constitution Day teaching!

The First Amendment DVD includes the following items:

1. History and background on the Constitution and First Amendment
2. A panel discussion with constitutional experts
3. Discussion questions on the meaning of the Constitution and Bill of Rights
4. Suggestions for reading and other background
5. Information about a national survey of student attitudes about the First Amendment
6. Interviews with First Amendment Center founder John Seigenthaler and others about the importance of the First Amendment.

A First Amendment Guide For Principals and Administrators DVD description:

This DVD is the ideal tool for principals and administrators who want to better utilize the First Amendment in their schools.

The DVD includes:

1. Preparing Principals: A Conversation with Joseph McKinney
2. The Knight Study: Principals' Attitudes Toward the First Amendment
3. Advisers and Principals: Creating Relationships
4. A Principal's View of the First Amendment
5. The First Amendment in the Central Office
6. An Overview of the Tinker and Hazelwood Supreme Court Cases
7. Finding New Ways of Developing School Public Relations

Business Management, The Business of High School Journalism Publications:
An Introduction to the Business-Side Issues of Student Media

This teaching DVD is available to anyone interested in making student media business practices more efficient.

DVD includes the following items:

1. Introduction to the Business of High School Publications
2. Advertising Sales
3. Layout and Design of Advertising
4. Business Careers in Publications
5. Marketing your Publication
6. The Business of Yearbooks
7. Lesson plan
8. Discussion questions
9. Suggested reading list

Sports Journalism DVD description:
The DVD examines sports writing and reporting, beaming the writing, the goals and the future. Featuring ESPN figures and other nationally known reporters and editors.

Business Reporting, Following the Money DVD description:
This DVD is a classroom guide to the emerging field of business journalism and consumer reporting. Learn from national experts how commerce and financial issues touch all our lives, and pick up tips for your classroom.

Thanks to the generosity of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Ball State University, we are able to distribute these materials for a minimum shipping cost.

_____________________________________________________________

Thank you for your interest in our DVDs. The cost is $10 per DVD plus a shipping fee of $1 per DVD. Example: Five DVDs would equal $5 in shipping fees.

The shipping address is:

Ball State University

Department of Journalism, AJ 300

J-Ideas

Muncie, IN 47306-0485

Our regular shipping is First Class, which averages 4 to 7 business days. For Priority Mail orders of 5 DVDs or less, cost is $6. If you require overnight shipping or need more than 5 DVDs, you will need to contact us directly at (765) 285-8923 or email Brenda Pritchard at bpritchard@bsu.edu.

To order one or all of the DVDs- Simply fill out the form below

First Amendment DVD

Principals DVD

Business Management DVD

Sports Journalism DVD

Business Reporting DVD

All five DVDs

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