Addresses the definition, assessment, predictive validity, demographic correlates, and promotion of critical thinking at the college level. Considers how although critical thinking potentially serves both as a predictor of college success and as a criterion of success, its greater utility may be as a predictor. (SG)

Describes a "quick-write" as a 1-3 minute written response to a short piece of writing in which students either write as quickly as they can all that comes to mind in response to the work, or borrow a line from the work and write off that line. (SG)

Suggests students will view film adaptations of Shakespeare plays more critically by carefully analyzing the same scene from several different film versions. Discusses relevant scenes from "Romeo and Juliet" for classroom interpretation. Suggests that by providing students the vocabulary to discuss the film, educators can encourage them…

Presents a rapid memory game that allows students of Spanish to distinguish promptly between the uses of the prepositions "por" and "para." Explains the game and various accompanying activities. (AS)

Recommends the study of "La Symphonie pastorale," a novel by Andre Gide, for moderately advanced students of French as a second language. Presents various activities to be performed before, during and after reading the story, a pastor's journal, to help students understand the ironic aspects and ambiguities of the book. (AS)

Suggest that investigating the lives of other people expands students' knowledge about themselves, others, and the world while developing and refining literacy skills. Proposes that biography study addresses the language arts standards. Explains two activities that employ biography study, called "biography expense accounts" and "link-up." (PM)

Describes how a teacher developed Reflective Fridays (a day with time set aside for reflective thinking, talking, and writing) as a way to support young children in using reflection as a learning tool. Considers ways to nudge students forward. Discusses different types of thinking. Concludes that the author's students have shown her that they…

Suggests that staged readings are an effective way to introduce students to plays encompassing a wide range of subjects, styles, and writers. Discusses the spectrum of staged readings and describes producing staged readings with students. Concludes that staged readings allow students to work with several complete scripts in a relatively short…

Presents a lesson that might be useful early on teaching a play writing class. Considers how audiences care about things that a character cares about. Explains that in a story the higher the stakes are for the character, the more an audience will invest in the story. Presents a seven question quiz with answers including a discussion of each…

Describes a screening and discussion of Eric Breitbart's 1970 documentary film on Kenneth Koch's teaching. Presents commentary on the program that helped to put the film in a larger pedagogical context and to extract from Koch's classroom a few lessons for everyone. Reflects on Project Zero's exploration of how young children learn to use symbols…

Describes the author's approach to teaching a required course, Applied Linguistics for Teachers of English. Presents 17 "Word Play du Jour" activities that can set the tone for meaningful and engaging lessons about language. Lists activities at the word, sentence, and "whole thing" levels. (SG)

Describes several writing activities in a writing program for fourth and fifth grade students using stimuli from the media. Notes that each theme was designed to increase students' ability to create original compositions from familiar material (such as advertisements and magazine photographs) using persuasive, narrative, or descriptive techniques.…

Describes a writing activity in which students compose their own versions of the yellow, diamond-shaped signs which frequent the rear windows of automobiles. Notes that such "environmental writing" became a personal challenge for the students to represent in a few words the essential concepts and ideas about reading and responding. (RS)

Shares two methods for teaching themes (giving and jealousy are used as examples) to elementary students. (MG)

Offers eight short accounts from teachers of ways they are using collaborative or cooperative learning in their classrooms. (SR)