The Journalism Education Association announces Jim Streisel, MJE, as its first curriculum specialist.
Streisel, who teaches at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana, has taught Newspaper 1-2, Photojournalism, Visual Journalism, Publications, Radio 1-2 and Yearbook 1-2. He also advises the award-winning HiLite news staff. He has also authored “High School Journalism: A Practical Guide (McFarland)” and “Scholastic Web Journalism: Connecting with Readers in a Digital Age (McFarland).”
“I’ve benefitted so much over the years from the many services and connections JEA provides. Now, as a curriculum specialist, I’m excited to be in a position to give back to the journalism teaching community. I hope to serve as a bridge between the amazing JEA curriculum content and journalism educators around the country,” Streisel said.
The JEA board voted at its meeting in April to add the curriculum specialist position in order to accentuate the curriculum, which is JEA’s premiere service for members, and keep JEA in the forefront of journalism curriculum development. The journalism curriculum specialist responsibilities include:
- Update curriculum materials with more current examples that reflect our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Create at minimum one lesson per week that reflects trending initiatives in education and reflects stories currently in the news.
- Link new lessons to existing curriculum so members draw connections between the foundational teaching of journalism and adaptations made as education changes worldwide.
- Work with the educational initiatives director to create specialized programming for conventions, JEA Advisers Institute and for other special events such as Scholastic Journalism Week.
- Promote the curriculum across various communication channels including on social media.
“I’m so excited about adding Jim to the JEA team. He will do an amazing job bringing cutting-edge lessons to our members each week and will help propel our curriculum to the next level,” JEA President Val Kibler, MJE, said. “His depth of experience working with curriculum with the state department of education in Indiana and his years of dedication to JEA, especially with JEADigitalMedia.org, make him the perfect person to fill this role.”
The selection committee reviewed application materials from 23 candidates before interviewing several and ultimately selecting Streisel. He will work closely with Shari Adwers, MJE, who is the educational initiatives director.
“Jim has long served scholastic journalism and is a role model and mentor to advisers across the country,” Adwers said. “It’s exciting to bring someone on board who has such vast curricular experience and knows so much about student media.”
Lindsay Porter