Excerpts writings of past African American intellectuals on the issue of presumptions of innate black mental inferiority, and applies their analyses to the scientific racism found in "The Bell Curve" (Herrnstein and Murray, 1994). Ideas for incorporating this critical tradition into current efforts, to prevent the resurgence of white…

Argues that when the subject is the distortion of race and the promulgation of bias and stereotyping, even high-quality books are inappropriate for teaching and developing political debate. How these types of books have actually done more harm than good is explained with particular focus on "The Bell Curve" (Herrnstein and Murray, 1994)…

Describes one college professor's teaching practice that enables diverse students to bring their own personal and cultural background to bear upon Shakespeare's plays, thus helping them develop their readings of the plays. Her approach involves decentering Shakespeare and encouraging students to read the texts critically from their own cultural…

Attempts to merge the concept of multicultural education with approaches to identity and hybridity. Draws on the work of feminist social theorists of color to discuss cultural hybridity and the recognition that social theorists must analyze more than one parameter at a time in portraying humanity, social relations, and lived experiences. (SLD)

Uses character analysis borrowed from drama classes to work on literary selections. Gives writing assignments to students based on characters from a story. Conducts interviews with the "characters" in class. (PA)

Provides a theoretical framework for designing a children's literature course that requires preservice teachers to critically analyze literature in ways that are personally meaningful. Suggests how preservice teachers can read children's literature intensively rather than extensively. (PA)

Counterpoint argument to article in the October 2001 issue of the "Journal of Law & Education" wherein Christopher Haden argued that college athletes with athletic scholarships should receive additional compensation of $100 per month. Provides judicial, legislative, and regulatory evidence to back argument against pay-for-play model…

Considers how screening Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" in a sophomore film class shows modern community-college students that millennial anxiety existed well before late 1999, the time of "Y2K" fears. Presents an assignment that examines "2001: A Space Odyssey" in the context of its time and in 2001. (SG)

Analyzes Senator Bumpers' argument in the Clinton impeachment proceedings as a bias type of "ad hominem" argument. Notes specifically Bumpers' argument that the House Managers were not fulfilling their proper roles in the proceedings. Claims Bumpers' bias position was reasonable in the argumentative context in which it took place. (NH)

Notes that the primary goal for teaching literature is to encourage students to see themselves as having a voice in the question of what constitutes literary merit by defining reasonable parameters by which to judge a creative work. Discusses how the author uses comic books in most of his composition classes and all of his literature classes. (SG)

Luc Ferry and Alain Renaut argue that "the philosophy of 68" eliminates and leaves no room for a positive rehabilitation of human agency necessary for a workable notion of democracy. In their Preface to the English Translation of "La pensee 68," Ferry and Renaut (1990a, p. xvi), refer to the philosophy of the sixties as a…

In this article, the authors deal with the question whether the concept of "Bildung" or "cultivation/edification" is still a concept which one can use to analyse and criticise actual developments in the field of education (both in thought/discourse and in action/technique) which are themselves related to broader social transformations often…

This article reports that Massachusetts has made great strides in education over the past decade. The author attributes the success in large part to the very factors that have drawn the most criticism: the high standards and high stakes attached to the state assessments. Sections include: (1) The Massachusetts Case; (2) Implementation; and (3) The…

Teachers of literature and composition believe that they are doing the right thing by teaching literary analysis and encouraging students to assume the intellectual rigor of serious study of the language arts. However, the teaching of these courses is seldom justified with reasons other than the practical ones of going to college or finding a job.…

In this paper, the author asserts that current efforts to transform art education into visual culture studies (VCS) constitute a deeply disturbing educational trend. She asserts that, much like the now largely discredited developments in literary studies of recent decades (whose bankruptcy it apparently ignores), this movement aims quite…