Professional educators--in the classroom, library, counseling center, or anywhere in between--share one overarching goal: ensuring all students receive the rich, well-rounded education they need to be productive, engaged citizens. In this regular feature, the work of professional educators is explored--their accomplishments and their…

This article discusses the role picture books play in helping young writers. Third-grade students were read engaging picture books for the sole purpose of noticing and naming different features they encountered during the read-alouds. Students were able to recognize the tools many authors and illustrators use such as onomatopoeia, varied font…

In spite of views that children's writing development is in large part a linguistic complex process involved in their engagement within and across social activities in and out of school, the literature is scant on the wide range of semiotic resources that children may draw on to animate their poetry writing and performances. Drawing from a case…

This article introduces a pedagogical intervention that includes a set of creative activities designed to improve the oral and written production of students in the English classroom, especially those who have shown a lack of interest or attention. It was observed that participants initially seemed careless about studying the language. Eventually…

The texts and classroom activities in this paper are a sample of those used within a unit on "The Battle for Survival". The unit brings classic Australian literary texts together with reportage on contemporary news events, and demonstrates an integrated approaches to the Literacy, Language and Literature strands of the AC:E. The unit…

In this article the author shares two ways in which letters can be used to tell stories with different groups of learners, beginners and advanced, and in so doing develop their English language learning. Based on some theoretical concepts that connect English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning with authenticity and communicative competence, he…

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…

Photonovels look like comic books but contain photographs instead of drawings. Because photonovels combine pictures and everyday language, adult ESL learners can use them to communicate their thoughts and ideas. Photonovels can also be an aid in learning spoken and written English. This article describes a photonovel project that one of the…

Argues that children can enjoy poetry if it is taught right and describes a number of writing activities to stimulate interest. (RB)

Creative writing with deaf high schoolers began with understanding and writing similes of concrete objects. Lessons then moved to more abstract ideas, including similes for deafness (eight of which are presented). Students then shared their work with the class. (CL)

Presents a teacher's journal entries for poetry classes she conducted for fourth and fifth graders at Anthony Chabot Elementary School in Oakland, California, located in a middle class neighborhood with an ethnic mix of students. Describes two poetry writing ideas: "What Matters" and "100 Words." (PA)

This paper reports a study on children's classroom-based collaborative creative writing. Based on socio-cultural theory, the central aim of the research was to contribute to current understanding of young children's creativity, and describe ways in which peer collaboration can resource, stimulate and enhance classroom-based creative writing. The…

Describes a course in creative writing in which the experience of birth was the theme and includes several of the stories written by the students. (RB)

Contains two lessons in which students explore their feelings and then describe their responses through creative writing. (RB)

Describes techniques used in a 9-week unit in creative writing for elementary school children. Emphasizes the importance of learning that thinking, reading, and writing are facets of the same processes. Lists readings and books to read aloud and imitate. (DMM)