There is only one practice of solitude: to make a choice and carry it out well. The particulars assemble around this simple principle. One may later regret the choice; one may end up reversing or abandoning it. The choice may consist of doing nothing or refraining from a decision until the time is right. But no matter what it entails, one must…

In this "prosumer" era in which people seem always to be producing and consuming texts, words matter as much as--or more than--they ever have. Learning how grammar works in the texts they read and write is essential to students' literacy. It is time to reframe English teachers' view to include both writing "and" reading as contexts for grammar…

As Facebook becomes increasingly more popular as a communication tool for businesses and organizations, it is important that our students learn to transfer personal Facebook skills to professional settings. This article focuses on the lessons learned by two students who used Facebook as part of a social media internship, as well as what the author…

This article discusses ways in which modern online information technologies may be used to enhance students' understanding of Chinese religions and religious texts. This discussion is predicated upon a model of linguistic communication that places significant weight on the structures and "sedimented presuppositions" of language in determining the…

When state and local standards drive instruction, teachers often worry about compromising their creativity for a prescriptive curriculum with predictable outcomes. It is possible for creative teaching to flourish by using touchstone texts, or mentor texts, that engage both teacher and student in exploratory yet purposeful learning. (Contains 1…

Describes an interactive approach to reading instruction in which, by manipulating text on a computer screen, learners literally write "between" and within the lines, integrating their own thoughts with the text. (SR)

Asserts that reading logs actively involve students in the reading/responding process. Describes the way reading logs fit into the course, a list of topics to give students ideas, and how to grade reading logs. (MS)

Describes a framework that helps seventh- and eight-grade readers write about what they notice, question, feel, and relate to (about the book they are reading) in reader response journals. Shows how, as a result, they deepen their involvement with and understanding and enjoyment of literature. (SR)

Describes how the author uses reading response journals in her composition classes. Shows how it actively engages students in the reading/writing process, and how students learn careful, active reading and develop confidence generating ideas and formulating opinions via the structure, freedom, enhanced comprehension, critical thinking, and…

Describes the instructional framework of a college-level developmental-reading class that is founded on two principles: connecting the reading and writing processes, and encouraging students to bring their lives to their reading and writing. Discusses the course framework, course readings, pre- and post reading and writing activities, and…

Describes how the author has her students create "found poems" and use them in conjunction with the students' own Readers/Writers Logs to help students make more of a text, own it, and discover the power of effective language. Includes instructions, student samples of found poems, and samples of the entire process. (SR)

A college-level course in business literature is an ideal place to raise and discuss ethical issues. To be successful, a teacher of this course must engage student interest, help the students articulate and understand their own ethical attitudes, clarify the stance and artistry of the author, and refine student responses to ethical questions. When…

Describes activities used in a 12th-grade literature classroom that develops students' prior knowledge to help them connect to the literature before reading it. (SR)

Reading and writing are commonly seen as parallel processes of composing meaning, employing similar cognitive and linguistic strategies. Research has begun to examine ways in which knowledge of content and strategies contribute to the construction of meaning in reading and writing. The metaphor of mining can provide a useful and descriptive means…

Can teachers see where the reading process is going wrong in the first years of school? Marie M. Clay designed procedures called Reading Recovery to help young children at risk of failure in reading. In the first year of an Ohio pilot study over two-thirds of the children reached average levels in reading and were successfully released from the…