Purpose: The purpose of the report is to provide teachers with tried and proven methodology to improve student writing. Methodology: The practices described are based on enclosed research and first-hand experience garnered while working with inner-city students in both middle and high school in San Antonio, TX. Results: Students that are given the…

Among Swales' (1996) list of occluded academic genres, retention-promotion-tenure (RPT) evaluations have been little studied. These evaluative reports, however, can inform EAP researchers, teachers, and students about ways that writers both follow and transgress discourse conventions to fulfill various purposes through an institutional text.…

This qualitative research study examined the "lived experiences" of learning identity during work transitions among three women (ages 35 to 55) who were not previously married. The research question was how do particular mid-life women who engage in a work transition re-construct the meaning of (or make sense of) their identity? Primary research…

Children attending early childhood education and care centres spend a lot of time fitting in with institutional routines. This paper uses ethnographic methods and sociocultural activity theory to describe and analyse the processes whereby young children in an early childhood centre collectively created meaning and interest during potentially…

Teachers and administrators are often directed to distance themselves from the children in their charge. Despite the land mines that accompany personal relationships with students, the authors argue that educators can still learn to build personal relationships with students. Personal-relationship building is one of the most important skills a…

Learning and laughter go hand in hand. Teachers certainly do not need to be stand-up comedians and spew out one-liners or dress up like clowns to make their classes fun. A little comedy can bring a lot of joy and learning opportunities to the classroom. In this article, the author shares several strategies on how teachers can put in laughter into…

Friendly humor shows children that adults can be understanding and gracious; that the teacher is working with them and not against them; that the child as well as the teacher has a valued place in the classroom community. In this article, the author cites the benefits of using humor in a classroom environment. The author also provides tips on how…

Analyzes a humorous monologue, stressing the particular techniques and uses of language, and discusses six traits of humor that talented high school journalists should study. (RB)

Study supported in part by a grant from the California State Department of Mental Hygiene

Humorous statement that the ability to write suffocatingly fuzzy prose is really the art of camouflage, and, at times, can be helpful to school administrators. (Author/MLF)

A humorous guide advises scholars on how to channel their intellectual energies into becoming "distinguished scholars." Four suggestions include invent a continuum; learn more about something than anybody else has; compare the unrelated works of famous people; and draw upon knowledge from other disciplines. (MLW)

Offers a number of quotations, many humorous, on a variety of subjects, such as persuasion, the limitations of data, making difficult concepts more intelligible, writing clearly, the computer's future role in communication, and self-reliance. (EL)

Illustrates how the punchline finds the flaw in the system, but the system remains operable. (EL)

Parodies "quick" language learning books using invented spelling and illustrations. (FL)

A parody of Swift that calls for American parents to once again take the responsibility of education for their children by teaching them by computer at home and abolishing the school system. (CRH)