https://cooney.my.canva.site/rlcooney

Professor Cooney, Pullman, WA (2026)

10/13/2026

Excited to connect with fellow educators this week to discuss bringing real-world client work into the classroom!

I’m looking forward to serving on the panel for the upcoming workshop: "Experiential Learning Series: Client Selection & Collaboration."

• When: Wednesday, October 14 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST
• Where: Virtual (Sponsored by the AEJMC Public Relations Division, PRD Teaching Committee)

Real-client projects are such a powerful way to prepare students for industry expectations upon graduation. But designing these courses comes with practical questions: How do we select the right clients? How do we manage expectations and evaluate student collaboration?

Moderated by Breann Murphy, Ph.D., I’ll be joining fellow panelists Dr. Christie Kleinmann and my WSU Murrow College of Communication Elizabeth Candello Ph.D. to explore:
• Client selection: Finding and choosing the right non-profit or business partners
• Course management: Effective check-in processes throughout the project
• Student preparation: Getting teams ready for client-facing work
• Assessment and design: Evaluating client collaboration and choosing the best course types for partnerships

We’ll share practical tips, host a live Q&A with attendees, and wrap up with a preview of upcoming workshops in the series.

10/09/2026

I’m feeling a lot of anxiety professionally lately. I don’t think I am alone.

What’s weighing on me…
• Facing perpetual enrollment decline with no clear end in sight makes me wonder about the future of higher education.
• Preparing for students in this era of AI – what am I supposed to be teaching them? From the basics to advanced skills – this is no longer clear to me. Where does “AI literacy” actually fit into the curriculum? Does it mean I need to scrap my existing lesson plans entirely? What can I keep vs. just refine vs. need to completely redesign?
• My own use of AI and constantly evaluating what’s appropriate and staying on top of evolving tools and trends – all while being mindful of the ethical considerations, environmental impacts, and best practices.
• I am deeply concerned about my children’s future career prospects. What will the world look like for them in 3, 5, 10 years? How will they respond, adjust, and find success?
• My career trajectory. I am in the liminal state of mid-to-late career with 6-10 years left before retirement is feasible. Do I just stay the course or pivot?

What I want to do about it…

Not one to wallow in self-pity and chaos for too long, I feel compelled to create an action plan. Some thoughts:
• I want to connect with alumni and individuals and organizations that have hired our students in the past. I want to ask them - How do I need to adjust what I teach? What does AI literacy look like in a new hire? What core skill sets will you need in young professionals over the next few years? Taking it a step further – I want to do my own future-proof tour and shadow a few people so I can get a better sense of their day-in-the-life – what they are working on, where AI fits in, what clients need and want, content creation workflows, etc.
• I have been bookmarking, but it is time to do a deep dive into publication insights from PRSA, Wired, American Marketing Association, NACE, etc. to see how leaders in PR, marketing, web dev, and brand strategy are responding to AI.
• I am re-evaluating my professional development priorities. I want to expand on my instructional design skills – learn SCORM and update my skill set in modern practices and principles. I’m considering getting my APR (Accreditation in PR). I'll add more to this list as I work through the action items listed earlier.

Bottom line. Uncertainty is uncomfortable. But I am also trying to see it as an invitation to adapt, listen, and grow alongside our students and industries.

I know I am not alone with these thoughts. I hope this makes you feel seen.

10/06/2026

Ever notice how the hardest part of any big task isn't the work itself - it's simply getting started?

Procrastination happens to all of us, whether we're prepping lectures, grading a stack of assignments, or tackling a project we've been putting off for no good reason.

I came across this great Instagram Reel from with 5 very simple yet science-backed strategies to help interrupt that cycle and build momentum:

① 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬: Put on actual sneakers, even if you’re working from home. Your brain relies on environmental cues to signal transition - shoes tell your mind it's time to move and focus.

② 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟑-𝟐-𝟏 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞: Stand up, count down 3-2-1, and physically move before you have time to talk yourself out of it. It disrupts the internal negotiation that turns 5 minutes into 45.

③ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨-𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Tell yourself you only have to work on it for 2 minutes, set a timer, and allow yourself to stop if you want to. Starting is the highest hurdle; once you're in motion, staying in motion is far easier.

④ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲" 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Put one item away, write one messy sentence, or open one file. Lower the barrier to entry so low that starting requires almost zero friction.

⑤ 𝐃𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: If your mind feels crowded, do a brain dump. Write a messy list or record a quick voice note to clear space so you can focus on deciding what to do next.

Action doesn't always require feeling motivated first - sometimes taking one tiny physical step creates the clarity and motivation to follow through.

09/29/2026

Super simple, low-stakes interactive class activity: The 5-Weeks-In-Check-In...

The scenario: You are a few weeks into a class and want to gauge student progress. You could design a survey, create a Mentimeter poll, or lead a discussion. All good options. Here's another one...

1) Create a single slide with three prompts: 1- One thing I have learned; 2- Questions about anything; 3- What I want to know more about
2) Hand out small Post-its - asking students to use 3 stickies - one for each prompt
3) Use your whiteboard or blank wall and designate three columns
4) Once students have written on their stickies - ask them to put them up on the wall
5) Continue with class; collect the Post-its at the end
6) Using the same slide you created in #1 - populate it with student feedback for each prompt
7) Go through it with the students in class the following week

This does a few things... 1) it gives students a safe space to ask questions, reflect, and express interest in what they want to learn more about; 2) it gives them agency and normalizes and validates where they are (many students ask the same question); and 3) it gives the instructor valuable information for real-time adjustments.

Simple and always yields different outcomes so you can implement this activity in all of your classes.

Enjoy!

09/24/2026

Short bite question of the day - What part of your work gives you the most energy?

I'll start.

The easy ones...
• Engaged teaching and learning and seeing the ah-ha moments students have when they figure something out or learn a new skill
• Creativity of almost any kind -- taking a concept and sticking with it through the creative process (writing, design, delivery, metrics)
• Collaboration with peers - working together, seeing an idea start from nothing and emerge into something cool and useful, and the joy that comes from working with amazing and bright people

The hard stuff that also energizes...
• Preparing to present in a live or virtual session. The frenetic energy I put into the preparation, rehearsal, edits to my materials both causes irrational anxiety and fuels my drive to do well
• Solving problems - be it something I have been tasked to solve, trying to figure out how to create more engaging learning experiences, or help others navigate a challenge they are facing - I truly love the satisfaction of figuring things out
• Navigating personal challenges and professional responsibilities at the same time. I'm going through a stage with adult children who have complex adult responsibilities, aging parents, and figuring out what excites me most about my work. Juggling it all and accepting the highs and lows is both exhausting and exhilarating.

▶️ How about you? What part of your work gives you the most energy?

09/22/2026

Work day at The Commons for and the evolving service-learning project with partner Lauren McCluskey Foundation. One organization; 6 initiatives; all experiential learning. Great ideas happen in teams.

Thanks to WSU Carson College of Business and The Center for Entrepreneurship for hosting! Your space is great for collaboration and creativity.

cc: WSU Murrow College of Communication WSU Center for Civic Engagement - WSU CCE

09/17/2026

What a rewarding experience at the WHCA Fall Conference!

Thanks to the Washington Health Care Association and Education Manager Jennifer Baria for hosting such a wonderful event and inviting me to present two sessions on digital strategy and academic service-learning partnerships.

Spending time with our state's long-term care administrators, nursing directors, and facility leaders was inspiring. From discussing how to reframe social posts with digital dignity to leveraging student PR teams for facility marketing, your engagement and dedication to resident care made these sessions a joy to lead.

Thank you to everyone who joined, shared their operational challenges, and brought so much passion to the room!

cc: WSU Murrow College of Communication

09/15/2026

I have presented hundreds of times, yet prepping always brings so much anxiety!

This afternoon I am leading two breakout sessions to rooms of 60+ professionals in eldercare at the Washington Health Care Association Fall Conference in Spokane, WA. I am presenting one on the value of service-learning partnerships and the other on best practices in social media in healthcare.

I am very familiar and comfortable speaking on both topics - and have shared my stories in this realm many times over. I know I am a dynamic speaker, that I come prepared, and that by and large, audiences appreciate the content and resources I provide.

Yet - I am nervous - worried about tech fails, drawing a blank, stumbling over words, or not being able to answer some outlier question.

I know it will be fine and all will go well. Sending shout-outs to my fellow presenters and educators who are also prepping to deliver live sessions this week. Let us normalize and validate these feelings and support each other!

Wishing everyone an amazing day.

09/11/2026

I believe in the value of peer review and here's why...

In my PR writing class, peer review isn't just an assignment - it’s a foundational professional practice. Students complete 5 peer-review exercises for their writing tasks (news release, feature story, op-ed, etc.).

Before we dig into this little exercise, I use a Padlet activity to give students agency in how they define their Peer Review Ground Rules.

I give them parameters but really want to avoid a top-down approach. They focus on four key areas:

1️⃣ Giving Feedback: Delivering specific, encouraging, and actionable edits without causing discouragement.
2️⃣ Receiving Feedback: Cultivating professional maturity to view critiques as opportunities for growth rather than personal commentary.
3️⃣ Technical & Layout Focus: Looking beyond grammar to check formatting consistency, AP Style, typography, and readability.
4️⃣ Teamwork & Trust: Showing up prepared and honoring partner commitments during face-to-face feedback chats.

When students actively shape the rules of engagement, they take greater ownership of their writing and build collaborative skills.

09/03/2026

Big challenge when teaching a 100% online course: Getting to know the students

I have something that helps -- it's my "Getting to Know You" Survey. I'll explain.

In my in-person classes, I let the getting-to-know-you process be more organic and evolve over time. It works just fine. But in my online classes, I need to be more intentional. Enter my survey.

I create it in Canvas, but I have used Google Forms too. I keep it ungraded but having them fill it out for extra credit works even better. The questions I ask help me better understand where they are, their living situation, what else they have going on besides my class, their learning goals, and most importantly - a chance to tell me their barriers to success. I learn so much. I also review and respond to each one personally as a simple step toward connection.

▶️ If you are interested in trying it out for yourself, check out my template at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qk_yOFu4CL4cSD70_HyhROzuttZEukzR2gUdLLVZDT4/edit?usp=sharing. Make a copy and save it for future use.

Professor Cooney

10/13/2026

10/09/2026

10/06/2026

09/29/2026

09/24/2026

09/22/2026

09/17/2026

09/15/2026

09/11/2026

09/03/2026

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