Bruce Pirie offers the following criticism about formula essays: "What does a five-paragraph essay teach about writing? It teaches that there are rules, and that those rules take the shape of a preordained form, like a cookie-cutter, into which we can pour ideas and expect them to come out well shaped." He goes on to discredit such essays as being…

The gap in academic achievement between English speakers and English learners continues to concern educators, parents, and legislators. Rising expectations for literacy and the increasing number of students from diverse backgrounds contribute to this achievement gap. In this article, the author discusses a variety of strategies for reaching out to…

Everyone knows that plagiarism among high school and college students is so pervasive that combating it has become cottage industry. One solution to this problem is for teachers to purchase or subscribe to plagiarism detection computer programs. Many students and adults seem to have little awareness of or little regard for intellectual property.…