Introduction
Hello, and welcome to the Fall 2024 issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence! We extend a warm welcome to our new assistant editor, Jason Twede. We will miss having Jason Olsen as the lead editor, and I (Nichelle Frank) am only hoping to fill his shoes as the new Editor-in-Chief.
We welcome inquiries and encourage readers to consider becoming a reviewer! Please visit our reviewer sign-up survey here: https://usu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_295LD7HBnOHIPMV. Be sure to include your home university, relevant areas of expertise (e.g., your discipline, the teaching delivery methods in which you have experience ) so that we can closely match you with articles. From the journal homepage, https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/jete, click the “Follow” button to receive updates on calls for articles and notifications of new issues. Share these links with your colleagues!
During my time as Assistant Editor, articles submitted to JETE impressed me with their depth of dedication to finding the best ways to teach today’s learners in higher education settings and to teach those who will become teachers themselves. Now as Editor-in-Chief, I’m happy to see submissions continuing in this vein. In this issue, we have two articles that offer practical ideas and prompts for those who teach at colleges and universities in a variety of disciplines. Our first article speaks particularly well to any instructors in higher education who might be searching for ways to use popular culture (in this case, reality TV) to teach higher-level concepts. Our second article will be most useful to those who teach future teachers, since it explores a teaching strategy geared towards such students; additionally, it might inspire readers who find value in having any student in higher education—regardless of whether or not they will become teachers—practice presenting information to their peers and understanding what works best in reaching different audiences. Our book review also directs readers to a study that promotes campus-wide student-centered thinking. In all, we are excited with how well all three of these pieces focus on the student experience.
In “Teaching Sociology Through Reality TV: Understanding Society through the Small Screen,” Monica Bixby Radu (Southeast Missouri State University) argues that reality TV is a powerful tool for teaching sociological concepts and theories because it both shapes and reflects the larger culture—at scales ranging from national to global—in which it exists. Using Jersey Shore as a centering reality TV show, Radu has shaped classroom discussions and activities to help students understand complex sociological ideas, such as conflict theory. The article’s explanation of how the show introduces students to thinking about toxic masculinity makes a strong case for how a reality TV show can become a platform for exploring the ways that sociological phenomena spread, even when the consequences of those phenomena in the show can be quite negative. The article provides examples and prompts, which readers might translate to their courses and disciplines.
Our second article in this issue, “Enhanced Instructional and Professional Growth through a Pragmatic Instructional Approach,” describes the process of using Jigsaw Lesson Study, an educational practice, to understand a teaching challenge. JLS is a twist on the older “Lesson Study” practice. LS uses four steps (study, plan, teach, reflect); JLS uses these same steps but puts teacher candidates into teaching teams, which then pair with another team so that they can teach their lessons to other teaching teams. Authors Joanna C. Weaver (Bowling Green State University), Gabriel T. Matney (Bowling Green State University), Chloe Beeker (Bowling Green State University), Alex Zalar (Bowling Green State University) argue that the JLS works well in teacher education classrooms and could work well in disciplines across a university campus. The authors note that JLS also allows teacher candidates to engage more deeply when they are learning in their education classes and to develop skills as collaborators in professional settings. Using statements from teacher candidates’ post-surveys, this article demonstrates how impactful the JLS was while education students learned the most effective ways to teach, both from the instructor in a higher education setting and from one another.
Last, we are pleased to have a book review in this issue of JETE! Emily Bikowski (Old Dominion University) offers a take on the second edition of Tia Brown McNair, Susan Albertine, Nicole McDonald, Thomas Major Jr., Michelle Asha Cooper’s Becoming a Student-Ready College. The authors explore what being a student-ready college—something that traditionally has applied to educational institutions that seek to meet the needs of their student body—means in an educational world with extremely diverse student bodies. Although published in 2022, this book’s content and suggestions are timely, and Bikowski’s review will pique your interest in outlining some of its most salient points.
Thank you for continuing to read the work of such great authors!