An autobiography class at Elizabethtown College (Pennsylvania) used one of its four technique paper assignments to focus on the exploratory essay, since the concept of exploration, simply for the sake of questioning, probing, and testing, has both validity and purpose in a class or assignment focusing on autobiography. First the class brainstormed…

Pupils need to express themselves in creative processes and products in the language arts curriculum. Too frequently, teachers require behavior which involves conformity on the part of learners. Specific objectives many times delimit pupils' opportunities to express original ideas that come from within the involved learners. Many activities can…

If writing teachers want to use modality effectively, they first have to deal with three problems: identification of markers of modality in English; representation (the use of models for modality); and correlation (pedagogical usefulness, and writing strategies for students). Two models of modality address the problems which writing teachers…

This 1989 activity calendar, developed to commemorate the "Year of the Young Reader," is divided into three sections. The first contains a calendar that lists authors' birthdays, special commemorations, anniversaries, and events. The second includes descriptions of book-related activities that complement monthly themes, weekly themes, or…

In a detailed analysis of the reserve book collection at the University of Alberta, it was found that students made more extensive use of material assigned frequently in small amounts than when all of the material was assigned on only one occasion. (Author)

Author spiced up his reading assignments with student participation through class discussion while stories were being read. (RK)

Periodic polls conducted since 1916 sampling the opinions of students, parents, and teachers on the subject of homework have revealed little change in attitudes. Subjects of the polls ranged from early elementary grades to seniors in high school. While results were not always consistent from study to study, it was generally agreed that as a…

The faculty activity analysis describes the time faculty spend in various professional activities. Faculty time is expressed in terms of hours or in terms of percent of the total work effort. Various forms of the analysis are discussed. Each form emphasizes categories of faculty time including: instruction, research, professional development, and…

This booklet, one in a series entitled "What Research Says to the Teacher," deals with guided study and homework. The first section discusses the general topic of supervised and guided study; study methods and the psychology of learning are examined as are related factors. Section two takes up the topic of study at home: objectives of homework,…

The author gives journalism students practice in "finding" news by requiring them to write a "hard news" story for a self-imposed deadline during each week of the course, thus creating the atmosphere of actual on-the-job news reporting. (RL)

Discusses writing assignments that allowed students who were uneasy with writing to relax and create, while also allowing more confident students enough creative latitude to take some imaginative risks. Presents samples of student writings that resulted from the assignments. (RL)

Two forums on the collegiate-level basic health course were held at the annual American School Health Association convention to discuss basic criteria (e.g., time schedules, teaching staff, grading, instructional strategies) and course content as taught at various universities. (MJB)