Books to read, resources to rely on, and webinars to watch: this week’s Fresh Powder Report

A weekly summary of journalistic tidbits

Timeless Journalism:
The original AP report from the night of President Lincoln’s assassination shows that on-the-spot journalism will always be relevant.

Successful Twitter journalists to inspire your staff:
Just in case you were doubting the importance of Twitter in relation to journalism,here’s a list of the most influential political journalists who happen to also be fairly active on Twitter.

Read up on data journalism:
If you are looking for some educational summer reading, these books should help expand your data journalism knowledge for the next school year.

Live Webinar based on the Rolling Stone controversy:
This webinar features an author that worked on the Columbia University Rolling Stone report, as well as a journalist from the Washington Post that had initially voiced their concerns about the article when it was published. It’s happening for free, this Thursday, April 23rd, at 2:00 p.m. EDT, and learn from first-hand experience what it’s like to be a part of a national news controversy.

Teaching resources for your classroom:
Designed for new teachers in particular, this site has accumulated all the resources a first-year teacher could possibly ask for– and helpful resources for more seasoned educators as well. From dealing with parents to curriculum planning, this site has tons of tools to guide you through any aspect of teaching that may be intimidating.

Community service as a teaching tool:
A journalism professor at Indiana University believes students stand to learn even more about journalism through volunteering. Emily Metzgar has her students volunteer at a local non-profit as a mandatory part of her course, while also researching previous news coverage of said non-profit. Students then compare their lived experiences to the messages in the media, providing them with a first-hand look at how new coverage can often fail to capture the heart of a story, and seeking to improve that.

These things also happened this week:
Netflix has officially announced their plans to stream a reboot of the universally adored TV series Full House.

Apparently, pessimism pays; optimism often leads to an underestimation of how long a task or assignment will actually take, which can lead to missed deadlines and forgotten due dates.

Whatever you do, don’t eat Blue Bell Ice Cream.