Ambassador, storyteller, journalist

From @okieprof #clarkclass

The Oklahoman Sports Editor Mike Sherman @MikeSherman spoke to #clarkclass today. The UCO grad came in wearing his bronze and blue UCO neck scarf, and within minutes began an hour and a half storytelling session, impressing my students with his humility and humanity, changing their views on the people who work in media, challenging them with questions and quotes, and his wide range of knowledge and reading.
This is what education is about, to me...providing students with opportunities to see the world in a different perspective, helping them to learn how to think and adapt.
After Mike left, we debrief, and each student comments on what made an impression, what stood out. They still don't take enough notes for me,  and I kept wanting to interrupt and say "Get that quote," but I didn't. This is the fourth time Mike has spoken to the class--and he looks forward to it, made #clarkclass a verb ("I've #clarkclassed it"), and he's always a hit.
Here are some of his comments and  reactions today, recorded by student Alyssa Ramsey @alyssaramsey13, a photography major who will be interning at the Oklahoma in January.

    •    You have to distribute your own content
    •    You're your own paperboy
    •    Rapid thought process for problem solving and his willingness to do whatever it takes for the problem to be solved
    •    "Prospecting is another term for creeping."
    •    (On posting on Twitter) "You're opening the window and shouting out of it, don't get mad at me if I hear you."
    •    "God's not finished with us. We're all still learning."
    •    Liked the “What’s the Headline” and the use of reader involvement
    •    Need to make sure you are educated when you go out and say things on twitter
    •    Staying connected and getting connected is important
    •    Conversation is the most important technological medium
    •    The newspaper should be called the understanding papers and its not really just news; it's about understanding what’s going on
    •    Humility in admitting when they were wrong
    •    Twitter is a deciding factor in who to hire
    •    You have not because you ask not. A good reminder to not be afraid to go out and try and ask
    •    The world is flat. Thomas Friedman. A lot of jobs are getting narrowed down to one person jobs with technology. You don't want to be flattened.
    •    It is important to be close to the people you work with, and twitter is a good way to see how people interact with others
    •    Twitter is one of the greatest listening devices of all time and one of the greatest search engines
    •    People that get angry for things that are said about them. If you put something out there on the internet you can’t be mad when it is used against you. It’s out there for the world to see.
    •    The Oklahoman uses twitter to get information and get leads from what people are talking about
    •    After "Mr. Unreliable," he went on twitter and asked the public what ideas were for headlines, admitting they were wrong to lighten the mood about the situation
    •    The paper is a way of answering questions for the people that can’t ask them themselves
    •    Old school vibes and he is still himself even with all the new and upcoming media. Still likes conversation and phone calls. Not always about the new media.
    •    When you’re wrong don’t debate, always apologize

You can see more class comments on twitter #clarkclass, and this also appears onthe class blog, #clarkclassUCO