Presents a collaborative essay by a writing teacher and a writing student in which they try to make sense out of a situation in which the student was fired from her off-campus job for what she had written in the context of a writing assignment in the university setting. (PRA)

Using an A-to-Z keyword format, this article presents research findings and suggestions on effective use of homework assignments. The article suggests appropriate amounts of homework by grade level, emphasizes the importance of feedback, recommends use of notebooks as organizational tools, and notes the value of displaying completed homework. (JDD)

Maintains that cliches can improve students' writing style. Describes six techniques for polishing cliches into something original. (SR)

Outlines a process by which senior high school students study Jonathan Swift's'"A Modest Proposal" and then write their own satirical essays by modeling the tone and style of Swift's essay. (SR)

Presents the responses of five professional leaders in young-adult literature in response to Edwin Greenlee's problem with recommending books which may contain sexually explicit text. (PRA)

Notes that quantity and measurement estimation for young children is a difficult mathematical idea for teachers to convey effectively. Explores the problem and alternative teaching methods. Suggests using referents, chunking, and unitizing as optional ways to present estimation. Includes sample activities that develop estimating skills in young…

Increasing the relevance of homework assignments for counseling participants increases the likelihood of client compliance and the effectiveness of the between-session tasks. This article reviews the literature on homework in counseling and presents a guide for helping counselors determine relevant assignments in a systematic manner. (Author/MKA)

Explores the quality of "voice" in writing, and how an individual's early experiences and heritage influence voice. Advocates using exploration of voice with students in freshman composition. Uses "In Praise of What Persists," a collection of essays, as models for the students and a source of writing assignments. (PA)

Presents five brief descriptions from two-year college teachers of writing activities that they have found to work well in their classrooms. (SR)

For educationally sound reasons (providing time to unwind, use the media center, or collaborate on projects), a 1,000-student high school successfully converted three short lunch periods to a 50-minute one. Since only upperclassmen could use the cafeteria for the first 10 minutes, impromptu eating areas developed. (MLH)

Provides nine examples of one assignment in which students were asked to write a brief description of an assignment to be posted on the web for all class members to read. (Author/ASK)

Examined the impact of different rates of problem completion on students' choice and perception of academic assignments. Results from 94 undergraduates, for whom target problems were altered across assignment pairs, show that the interspersal technique can enhance students' perceptions of assignments and that problem or task completion may be a…

Objective: To engage in the process of formulating compelling persuasive arguments. Type of speech: Persuasive. Point value: Incorporated into participation points. Requirements: (a) References: 0; (b) Length: 1-2 minutes; (c) Visual aid: No; (d) Outline: No; (e) Prerequisite reading: Chapter 19 (DeVito, 2003); (f) Additional requirements: None.…

The Standards in Practice process developed by the Education Trust focuses on teacher learning through improving assignments. As teachers use student samples to evaluate what levels of work demonstrate quality, they review with each other how assignments can improve and how the work is connected to standards.

Students in higher learning institutions need to write lots of reports based on the projects done. Since they are at the tertiary level of education, they are required to use English in their reports. This is to ensure that they are able to function well in English later at the workplace. Writing requires students to apply rules regarding sentence…