This practitioner's guide discusses what digital storytelling (DST) is and reasons for using it in family literacy (FL) programs. Examples of FL programs using DST effectively are provided, along with concrete steps for implementation. The guide concludes with important considerations for educators and a list of resources.

Web 2.0 technologies are online tools that allow users to share, collaborate and interact with one another. This small-scale project focused on young people's personal use of social media, and on the potential to use these tools to collect the views of young people and involve them in democracy in communities and local authorities. The main…

Involving children with meaningful occasions such as journal writing may be one way to communicae the importance of writing, not only as a fundamental communication skill but also as a means for personal learning and development. Journal writing focuses on the process rather than the product. (CL)

This workshop kit contains a class discussion story and a workbook for teachers and students. It is intended to promote self-expression in a nonthreatening, friendly environment using reading, writing, drawing, and performing, all based on interpretation versus imitation. The story, "Once Upon a Bully," describes a potentially terrifying…

Discusses how to teach the expressive aspects of music more effectively. For example, teachers can use verbal imagery to communicate how music is expressive of the human condition. Students should be encouraged to experiment with the possibilities of musical expression and allowed to choose their own mode of expression. (AM)

Guidelines for structuring dramatic activities to foster personal and social growth of students are presented. Eight techniques, including role reversals and situation tests, are described, as well as the need for warm-up and wrap-up periods. (CL)

Young people are encouraged to use this writing journal for kids as a means to think, write, and be creative. The journal helps children to explore their worlds, learn about their families, and record their memories, feelings, and dreams. Following explanatory sections for parents, teachers, and the writer, the journal contains these sections:…

Story writing helps handicapped and normal students to develop a thoughtful approach to daily experiences through fantasy production. Benefits of such an approach with emotionally disturbed adolescents have included increased abilities of students to examine problem situations, conceptualize alternatives, and understand potential consequences. (CL)

Notes the importance of using motifs from nature to teach dance to young children in public schools. Offers pictures and comments of students performing dances involving nature imagery. (RL)

A charismatic teaching style turns the dance studio or classroom into a theatrical setting in which the dance instructor is "star" and the students are "supporting players." (CJ)

Creative writing should be a spontaneous experience in which primary-age children are free to express their ideas in their own unique ways, unhampered by having to conform to "correct" standards. (NQ)

This curriculum is designed to provide students with specific techniques for communicating more assertively and dealing with manipulative behavior more effectively. The curriculum outlines five 40-minute sessions, each including appropriate student worksheets and transparency masters. The first session focuses on distinguishing among assertive,…

A discussion of what "political" means--performing, acting, and participating in public arenas; a presentation of self; a showing and telling; an ongoing demonstration; and a continuous effort to disprove authority--and of how political activity belongs in a political science classroom. (ND)

An art-teacher therapist discusses six principles she uses in working with disturbed children (such as consistency of management and clearly defined expectations and limits), and cites two examples of how an art project can help children develop trust and lessen their withdrawal. (CL)

Frequency is the key to achieving flow in good writing. Generating written responses to a variety of tasks on a daily basis instills confidence and competence. Suggested writing techniques include daily journals reflecting individual thinking, paragraph completions based on topic sentences, object descriptions, creation of dialogs, and…