Although written communication is a foundational skill, especially for careers in management, faculty can be reluctant to utilize writing assignments for a number of reasons including the subjective nature of and time involved in grading. In this article, we present the IDEAL framework--an andragogical tool developed in an effort to address these…

As public relations professions advance toward new media platforms, one traditional tool--the backgrounder/position paper (more technically termed white paper) remains a compelling vehicle to impart enduring professional competencies. Moreover, the skills requisite to produce a white paper can be deployed in a variety of new and traditional media…

A rhetorical analysis procedure assists upper-division students in any academic field to learn how to read, interpret, and evaluate disciplinary arguments, and how to communicate this thoroughly and thoughtfully in a well integrated essay. In a warm-up exercise, the class discusses a representative article, research study, or essay in the…

A study described and evaluated a program for increasing student retention and transfer of weekly spelling words into daily writing. The targeted population consisted of second-grade students in two different middle-class communities. One community was growing, while the other was more established; both are located in suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.…

This paper suggests that composition instructors must prepare their students for the ways in which the Information Superhighway affects professional and academic communication. Students must now be proficient in techniques of composing such as hypertext and the recursive writing process to perform various writing and research tasks as a…

Contends that geography teachers are always looking for ways to excite their students while engaging them in geographic skills development. Describes using "Wanted Posters" as a springboard to geographic learning in middle schools. Includes sources for obtaining wanted posters from government and social service agencies. (CFR)

On the premise that a variety of reading and writing activities will help students develop their thinking skills, this paper offers seven class activities intended to encourage the development of formal and advanced thinking in junior and senior high school students. The activities, intended as basic activities which teachers can adapt to their…

This paper describes the rationale and purpose of a library assignment (suitable for 100- and 200-level communication courses) designed to expose students to concepts about communication research. The assignment encourages students to explore the library, enhances their understanding of the research process and scholarly journals, helps them…

In this lesson, students will explore daily life in the 13 original British colonies and its influences in the late 1700s for two families in different colonies--Delaware and Massachusetts. The lesson asks students to become historical detectives and learn to gather information from artifacts and make inferences about the lives and time they…

A practicum was developed to restructure 11th and 12th grade research modules, using a team planning approach to design and implement a sequential, developmental research program that would be relevant to the personal and academic goals of the students and produce high quality research products. This approach embedded the process of inquiry into…