This paper describes a multidisciplinary creative and research project at a South Florida public university. "Stories on the Skin: Tattoo Culture at FAU" has explored and presented tattoos as a shared cultural experience, rather than as a symptom, or a fad. Considering relevant scholarship in various disciplines, tattoo emerges as a…

Using the major format identified for successful prevention and intervention work, five "W" questions: what, why, whom, where, and who, plus one: how, this article first summarizes the current body art literature. Then, educational strategies specifically regarding the topic of tattoos and body piercing are presented for school nurses.…

Stimulating the interest of students in biological sciences necessitates the use of new teaching methods and motivating approaches. The idea of the self-expression assignment (SEA) has evolved from the prevalent environment at the College for Women of Kuwait University (Safat, State of Kuwait), a newly established college where the number of…

O. L. Samuels is a well-known folk artist who creates wooden animals, people, speeding cars, and mystical creatures to express stories about life, personal heritage, and social issues. An African American born on a plantation in Southern Georgia on November 18,1931, Samuels left his home at the age of 8 in search of work. Leaving his home at such…

This article explores the ways three young students expressed their perceptions about literacy and investigates how their classroom identity shapes and is shaped by those perceptions. The ways in which positioning within a writing event and the classroom culture contributed to the development of writing voice and identity are examined. In…

Journal-writing helps students (including those with disabilities) gain a clearer sense of self and increases teacher insight into student behavior. Suggestions are presented for teachers on preparing students to write and teaching them when, how, and what to write in their journals. (CB)

A college professor found, unexpectedly, that students appreciated the opportunity to write journals as a class assignment, that they expressed themselves in varied and sometimes poignant ways, and that journal writing added a new and different dimension to the teacher-student relationship. The teacher's response to student entries was also…

Describes how a teacher of English as-a-Second-Language began, at first tentatively, to use poetry to offer his recent Chinese immigrant students as a feasible outlet to express themselves freely in English. Describes how he started from scratch, using Chinese poems in translation. Discusses the rewards reaped in the classroom by students and…

In this article, the author describes the Comic Book Project, which encourages students to address social issues in their lives and schools with art and creativity. The project, founded and directed by Dr. Michael Bitz of Columbia University's Teachers' College in New York, aims primarily to promote literacy. It also gives children an empowering…

Suggestions for teaching improvisational dance in a nonthreatening way are offered. (DF)

An introductory two-semester education course for preservice elementary school teachers addresses in the first semester the topics of childhood, and how the family and society relate to teaching. In the second semester topics include children in the classroom, teaching philosophies, and professional issues. Student writing is used as a feedback…

A middle school teacher explored how to help eighth graders develop confidence and strength of conviction in writing. Student surveys, comparisons between point-of-view and voice, and practice resulted in strong, well-written papers. By clarifying the concept of voice, students' writing improved mechanically and became richer and more interesting.…

A teacher of students with learning disabilities used journals to encourage students to write. She allowed them to choose their topics, and she created ongoing conversations with them through the journals. As students' interest in writing increased, their journals helped them resolve conflicts, express frustrations, and hone language arts skills.…

Two college courses, one in literary analysis and one designed to help students apply prior learning, were redesigned to incorporate time for students to tell the class about their own learning experiences. It was found that the narratives enriched faculty and students' understanding and awareness. (MSE)

High school English teacher from Hannahville Indian School (Wilson, Michigan) describes an approach to teaching writing that gives students ownership of the writing process, encourages creativity and self-expression, increases self-esteem, and fosters emotional and spiritual healing. Examples of students' poetry reflect issues facing American…