A professor explains how he uses cartoons in teaching science. (PR)

Asserts that humor helps facilitate learning and reduce stress in the classroom. Addresses the use of humor in bibliographic instruction and encourages the use of humor with practical teaching tips. Provides examples of proper and improper uses of humor in the classroom. (CW)

This brief article discusses how carefully selected comic strips can become great teaching aids for (English Second Language) ESL instructors. They are beneficial in part because they provide brief conversations in English with pictures that help convey the meaning of the words. ESL teacher Dina Dahbany-Miraglia, author of Speaking American…

Todd Lee and colleagues share some of the common technology "pranks" and peculiarities from the three most common technology tools used in our classrooms: Microsoft Excel, graphing calculators, and The Geometer's Sketchpad. The "Surfing Note" includes a link to a collection of funny math cartoons from the Carolina Biological Supply Company.

Stacey Brown energizes high school students with "brain-twisting" writing prompts, word games to hone vocabulary and spelling skills, and art to show complex ideas. Additionally, reading aloud to her class models fluent reading, expands students' vocabularies, builds community, and stimulates student-led discussions about the novel. (Contains 1…

Perhaps because of their familiarity with joke telling, students often do their best writing when using humor. In both telling jokes and creating humorous works, students need to develop a strong sense of audience, an awareness of the importance of vivid description, a strong sense of purpose, and the ability to use punctuation for effect. The…

Uses examples from five books to illustrate the use of humor in teaching linguistic concepts. (DD)

Points out the need for humor and a relaxed atmosphere in the classroom and makes specific suggestions about how to achieve it. Bibliography. (RW)

Discusses the use of "Le Petit Nicholas" as an intermediate French reading text. Provides ideas for exercises and teaching techniques that can be used with the book. (EKN)

Investigates the use of humor in basic communication textbooks. Concludes that humor is used frequently to teach rather than simply to attract attention; it is of the harmless, nonsense variety and appears not to be antisocial as far as sex-role stereotypes are concerned. (JMF)

The author compares the basic features traditionally ascribed to aesthetic experience with the basic features of humor. He suggests that humor is best understood as a kind of aesthetic experience and that it should be valued as such in life and included in education. (Author/SJL)

Discusses the use of word games, particularly puns, tongue twisters, and spoonerisms, in the French classroom. (AM)

Presents a number of word games, jokes, puns, etc., stating grounds for using them in language teaching. Discusses their roots in the English-speaking world, and their motivating effect as they brighten up the teaching routine. (IFS/WGA)

Discusses the use of humor in the language classroom, and provides some sample activities in Italian. (AM)

In maintaining command of a classroom situation the teacher who establishes rapport with the group and uses humor effectively is most often successful in controlling or preventing disciplinary problems. (JD)