Dr. Michael A. Spikes' Searle Fellows ePortfolio
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Michael A. Spikes, Ph.D. (Learning Sciences, 2023), is a lecturer and director of Teach for Chicago Journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. An expert in the field of news media literacy as an intervention for countering the effects of exposure to mis- and disinformation, he has trained educators globally, and has played key roles in implementing Illinois’ first in the nation media literacy requirement for high schools. His work and insights have been featured in outlets like NPR, Reuters, and the Los Angeles Times.
Teaching and learning have played large roles in Michael's career, and he takes great pride in in contributing to and learning from the community of scholars here at Northwestern University. Michael participated in the Searle Teaching Fellows program during the 2024-2025 academic year, which is his third as a faculty member, tenth as a community member of Northwestern, and his twentieth year working in education. As such, the program fellowship comes at a major moment for him, as he continues to reflect and refine on teaching as core part of his professional and personal identity. He continues to see himself as a lifelong learner, and teacher, and looks forward to continuing to play a role in understanding and developing the teaching practices of his colleagues, along with his own.
My descriptive philosophy of teaching and learning that undergirds my techniques and approaches to my pedagogy and practice both before and after implementing my project of implementing an ungraded approach in my journalism classes.
A video overview and description of my teaching case study of implementation of ungrading in a labor-based, video journalism course.
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