Argues that one goal of teaching is to help students critically evaluate their own knowledge to see where biases and stereotypes exist. Presents an activity in which students generate stereotypes about older adults. Warns that instructors must prepare extensively to anticipate student responses and find research that addresses anticipated…

Discusses resources available on the World Wide Web related to children's literature. Highlights include Web sites that have curriculum ideas for teachers and suggested activities for classes; sites set up by authors and illustrators to promote their work and communicate with their readers; and a list of recommended Web sites. (LRW)

Presents three group activities for elementary school students to help them identify and practice the skill of paraphrasing information to produce their own original reports. Explains recipes for reporting, extracting important words to write their own sentences, and drawing upon one's memory. (LRW)

Advocates cooperative learning as an instructional model for use by middle and high school social studies teachers to improve students' understanding of content and encourage students to become actively and constructively involved in the learning process. Describes five cooperative learning strategies appropriate for the social studies classroom…

Discusses issues related to young gay and lesbian students in high school English classes. Offers two examples of addressing gay issues in class, and discusses reading and writing around gay issues. Lists several strategies English teachers can use to reduce stereotyping and create an open environment for self-exploration and expression around…

Describes a novel type of interactive writing called "interest journals" that motivates students and promotes persuasive writing. Discusses getting started, and the benefits of interest journals. (SR)

Describes seven techniques that can be used as part of classroom discussions (at elementary, secondary, and university levels in a variety of subjects) to get students actively involved in discussing their ideas with fellow students. (SR)

Describes the development of a program to structure and implement a censorship simulation in a graduate-level teacher education course. Presents an outline of the censorship simulation with steps as follows: determining goals and objectives; establishing a rationale; creating a setting; providing the situation; identifying student roles; creating…

Describes eight assorted activities, all based on the use of almanacs, that offer high-interest activities developing skills which students can use in other, later work--activities that can be interspersed throughout the year during those unplannable days that occur at the ends of units, on days before breaks, or when everyone needs a break from…

Describes an activity for English classes combining elements of popular culture and creative dramatics by having students, after they have read a Shakespeare play, create answering machine messages for the various characters. Notes that other students portraying different characters can leave messages. Shows how this creates opportunities for…

Suggests that Web pages are no longer simple hand-crafted text objects, but dynamic groupings of text assembled moments before the reader views the page. Suggests that future technical editors require tighter control over information consistency and content to maximize the information content. Addresses pedagogical concerns and suggests possible…

Describes how the author became concerned that she and other teachers were focusing so much on reading levels that other ways of describing children as readers were being ignored and devalued. Describes how she involved her students in engagements to examine and challenge the ways students were describing and defining themselves as readers. (SR)

Argues that singing and songwriting activities can complement a wide range of literacy learning activities, and offer emerging readers learning opportunities with active participation. Provides examples of singing and songwriting activities that support early literacy instruction in the areas of letter names and sounds, phonemic awareness, print…

Describes six steps to make student yearbooks look fresh each year by having students study and adapt designs from the professional press. Offers two publication design exercises for students. (SR)

Describes an undergraduate writing course on communicating public policy. Discusses how academic instruction in professional and technical communication can show students, by simulating practical experience and by developing a discourse analytic perspective, what elected officials, governmental staff, and non-profit non-governmental organizations…