If you want to start an argument in a teachers' lounge, bring up the topic of how best to teach grammar. There is a wide spectrum of opinion. Traditionalists claim that we must explicitly teach grammar. Students drill the basics and diagram sentences. Sometimes their study and drills take the place of writing, but these teachers claim that good writing demands good grammar. At the opposite end of the spectrum are teachers who claim that the best way to learn grammar is to write, thereby being forced to use grammar in writing and editing. They reason that students will learn grammar in the context of actually using it, without all the drills and worksheets. They trust the writing process to instill an appreciation for grammar, instead of actually teaching it. Teachers on the write-to-learn-grammar side claim that students who are only taught grammar rules might pass tests, but since they didn't learn in the context of writing, they typically don't apply the rules when they write. Grammar traditionalists say students in writing classes never learn grammar at all, because it is not explicitly taught. In Tools, Not Rules, authors Tommy Thomason and Geoff Ward take the middle-ground position that grammar should be taught as part of the writing process. Tommy Thomason is a veteran journalist and university journalism professor at TCU. Geoff Ward is a well-known Australian professor and associate dean from James Cook University in Townsville. Both have written several books and work extensively with American teachers. Publisher's website: http://www.eloquentbooks.com/ ToolsNotRules-TeachingGrammarInTheWritingClassroom.html

"Whether you're a seasoned mass communications professional or a student new to the field, you've likely come across stories, images, and ads where the personal stereotypes of reporters or copywriters resulted in unfair portrayals of individuals or groups. Stereotypes play out in the media before our eyes every day. This book is designed to help media professionals and students detect and address these stereotypes and hidden prejudices.
Looking at current issues and practices within the field, "Race, Gender, and Stereotypes in the Media" illustrates how the media can reduce a richness of differences to simplistic categorizations by providing a wealth of real-life examples. In addition to creating awareness about the use of stereotypes, this book also gives readers some key tools that will help them approach every group with fairness. This anthology brings together essays from a variety of prominent scholars and experts in all fields of mass communications, as well as commentators and bloggers. These perspectives give readers access to a range of views and create an engaging and thought-provoking reading experience.
Amiso M. George is an associate professor of strategic communication at Texas Christian University. She is a former director of the Strategic Communication graduate program at Schieffer School of Journalism (Texas Christian University), as well as a former director of the Public Relations program at the Reynolds School of Journalism (University of Nevada, Reno). Before entering academia, George worked as a journalist and freelance broadcaster in radio and television at Nigerian Television Authority and Voice of America (Africa Service). She also served as a consultant for C-SPAN. She holds a Ph.D. from Ohio University and is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) and a PRSA Fellow."