Many changes have occurred in techniques used to appraise student achievement in social studies, and these new approaches may put teachers in a better position to notice the progress of individual students and then plan for sequential learning. Some of the deficiencies of traditionally used standardized tests have been overcome through the use of…

This study investigated 30 preservice teachers' journals for examples of the knowledge base for teaching, expectations for professional collaboration, and depth of reflectivity when discussing these issues. Content analysis was conducted on six journal questions intended to generate thought patterns in relation to professionalism in teaching.…

Based on a parent's journal maintained throughout the year, this book recounts the hopes, challenges, fears, and joys experienced by a parent during her son's year in kindergarten. Illustrating teacher-parent communication and one teacher's teaching philosophy are messages from the child's teacher, and excerpts from weekly newsletters. (KB)

Discusses the value of keeping journals to promote science learning while simultaneously practicing communication skills. Suggests that writing also enhances science learning because it is a constructive, reflective process which helps students clarify scientific concepts and think creatively. Offers a list of potential journal topics. (AIM)

Describes the teachers-as-learners concept employed by Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound's extended workshop on the Cherokee Nation Trail of Tears. Journal excerpts describing one teacher's experience are provided, along with lessons learned from treaty negotiations with a federal judge and Cherokee tribal representatives. "Summit"…

The Project entitled -ISM (N.) is the first national education and video documentary project focused on college students and diversity, putting the cameras in student hands and enabling them to tell their own stories about diversity. The project links community service and student video diaries to foster student reflection on diversity issues. A…

Students make paper "Flat Stanleys" and send them with blank journals to classes in other states or countries. Recipients treat Stanley as a guest, record the things they do with him, and return him with the completed journals to the senders. Flat Stanley has sparked teacher and student creativity and motivation in 2,500 classes in 18 countries.…

Presents useful tips for improving classroom learning. These include inviting native- and nonnative-English-speaking students to engage in world building while improving their language and cultural knowledge; highly motivated conversational activities; students' revision of their oral presentations; having students record classroom activities; and…

Describes the Lab Band project used with 12th grade students at the Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Thunder Bay, Ontario (Canada). Explains that each band student taught a peer how to play their instrument which created versatility in the band. States that all students kept a reflective journal. (CMK)

A case study of an outdoor leader training expedition illustrates how the experiential leadership education model works. A leadership style inventory shows which leadership styles are strong and which need practicing. Data from participants compare leader perceptions of group dynamics with those of the group. A journal of leadership decisions…

Discusses five young adult novels, which the teacher had successfully shared with previous classes by reading aloud. Reviews the characters, plots and themes of all five books. Presents journal responses from the students about the novels. Discusses how students explored unknown worlds as they heard about other cultures. (SG)

Describes a three-week language-study unit in which students search for the meaning of their names. Describes how students use reference works, create symbolic drawings, read stories and articles, record information in their journals, interview family members, and work in small groups drafting and revising imaginative stories based on their…

Describes a coding system to motivate and assess students' journal entries as they respond to books they are reading. Argues that coded journal entries are an effective means for diagnosing reading comprehension difficulties. Contends that coding journal entries permits the students to become more conscious of their reading processes. (RS)

Argues that modern literacy problems do not arise from a lack of exposure to language, rather to overexposure to a sterile and meaningless stream of I-It language addressed to no real person. Suggests "quiet writing," personal journal expressions, and listening activities to sensitize students to language. (KEH)

A Canadian secondary school teacher relates how reflecting on her teaching decisions through action research enabled her to cope with teaching a course in an unfamiliar subject area. (IAH)