Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas

Short Courses of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas

Training the Trainers: Knight Center Offers First Course Exclusively for Journalism Instructors Training the Trainers: Knight Center Offers First Course Exclusively for Journalism Instructors

The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin will offer a unique, online, Spanish-language course exclusively for Latin American and Caribbean journalism instructors: 'Digital Tools for Investigative Journalism Instructors' from Nov. 2–Nov. 29, 2009. Applications will be accepted online until Oct. 18, 2009.

The course is for instructors only and was created by Argentine journalism instructor Sandra Crucianelli, who has offered the highly popular class 'Digital Tools for Investigative Journalism.' The new course is free of charge, and spaces are limited. Preference will be given to journalism instructors who teach journalism at the college or graduate level, have experience in print or electronic media, and have limited opportunities to attend professional development courses.

Objectives of the course include:

Learn advanced techniques of online investigation
Become familiar with official national databases
Learn to use new digital tools of the Web 2.0
Acquire new techniques for Internet access and specialized software
Learn to use government websites as sources, especially documents related to public budgets.
Take the above skills and techniques and implement them in a journalism-based class

Requirements to participate include:

Appointment as journalism instructor at a public or private university
No previous participation in the course "Tools for Investigative Journalism"
Basic knowledge of common software: Office, WinZip, Adobe Acrobat, and Explorer or another Internet browser
Access to a computer with cable modem or high bandwidth
Ability to read English (medium level)
A commitment of 10-15 hours a week, and no concurrent participation in any other Knight Center class
Possession or creation of a Gmail and Yahoo account.

The course is conducted entirely online and is divided into weekly modules that contain audio and PowerPoint lectures, theoretical background, and useful online resources. Weekly exercises will be performed through discussion forums, and final exam will take place the last week of the class. Participants may study at their own pace, according to their own schedules, but they will be expected to meet weekly deadlines.

Applications will be accepted online until Oct. 18 by 5:00 P.M. (Austin, Texas time). Those who are selected will be notified the week of Oct. 26. Journalism instructors who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of participation from the Knight Center.

Crucianelli is a nationally and internationally known journalist and instructor who has taught her online courses with the Center since 2004 as part of the Knight Center's distance education program.

The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas was created by Professor Rosental Calmon Alves at the University of Texas at Austin School of Journalism in August 2002 thanks to a generous donation from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Added Oct 18, 17:01, 2009