Young people are surrounded by visual images, and they naturally are drawn to viewing and creating videos. Educators are remiss if they do not seize on this significant communication and learning tool. Similar to projects involving writing, video projects allow students to communicate their ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Therefore, most…

The author demonstrates how simple snapshots can open new entryways into literacy for all children and help educators view teaching and learning in new ways, building classroom-wide and school-wide community. The book offers projects that help children see real-world possibilities in literate behaviors by using photos as a stimulus for literacy…

Practical ideas for helping students compose, revise, edit, and publish their own stories are presented by a teacher of the hearing impaired. Other copies include organization of classroom space for writing projects, directions for binding storybooks, and ways of sharing stories with classmates. (JW)

To motivate her eleventh-grade honors classes to study "Moby Dick," the author had the students publish newspapers to entertain the crew of the "Pequod" on its long voyage. (Author/SJL)

Two seventh and eighth grade teachers, trained in the Foxfire approach, describe class projects related to their rural school's 50-year history--oral history interviews with former students and teachers and the local historian, writing a book of school reminiscences, and organizing a school reunion. (SV)

This issue of "Hands On" compiles edited papers and workshop presentations from the national conference on cultural journalism and experiential learning projects in the Foxfire mode. The conference brought together 200 teachers, students, and professionals and offered technical workshops, presentation workshops about specific programs,…

In stimulating students to read, study, and appreciate poetry by having them write poetry, it is helpful to devise ways to show off student work. Three ways of displaying student poetry which have proved to be successful are the publication of a class poetry magazine, the collection of one-line metaphors on a single subject (some of these…

Describes a publication project (the Chukchi News and Information Service) that builds self-esteem and writing skills of minority students in rural Alaska. Outlines the methods for carrying out the project. Argues that such a project enhances student writing by framing it as a form of student "performance." (HB)

A unit for teaching writing to senior high school students is described in this brief article. AUTHOR'S COMMENT (excerpt): I have used the following exercises to help writing students develop a stronger sense of audience. The sequence of activities is divided into three phases--prewriting, drafting, and rewriting--and a fourth phase of publishing…

Describes a successful project in which ninth grade remedial reading students designed, wrote, and illustrated a Student Orientation Handbook for their high school. (SR)

Describes methods for producing collections of student writing, including such aspects as anthology book covers, layout, artwork, lettering, print runs, headlines and editorial philosophy. Also provides tips for successful collecting, and alternatives to an actual anthology, such as broadsides, poetry postcards, tiny books, videotaped readings,…

A Catholic-school teacher of grades five and six reflects on her first year of teaching and describes how Foxfire training led her to introduce group decision making and planning into her classroom. Resulting class projects including a newspaper, a play, and a booklet of ghost stories are described. (SV)

A fifth grade teacher in a rural Kentucky school discusses three years of classroom experiences applying the Foxfire approach, focuses on the democratic decision-making process and the importance of student self-esteem, describes student-project problems and successes, and lists student accomplishments. (SV)

The conventional textbook approach to English, at Saint Augustine's Secondary School in Glasgow, was replaced with an anthological project--a class newspaper. To prevent plagiarism and to stimulate creative thought, students were asked to use April 1, 1984, as the publication date. Initially, the class was divided into six groups to represent the…

Describes a high school project to compile a local history, including funding the project, developing interview questionnaires, taking interviews, and compiling the materials. Discusses results of the project for the students, teacher, high school, and county. (DHP)