Describes the impact of using dialog journals in English-as-a-Second-Language classes on sixth graders who lacked confidence in their writing ability. Results showed a positive effect of modeling, improved writing attitudes, and a new human dimension to a previously hierarchical teacher-student relationship. (SM)

Describes the Cultural Flags program, which teaches students to be proactive in engaging in cultural learning through learning a few basic phrases in the five most spoken languages in their community along with cultural facts about other countries. Some program evaluation results and project guidelines are presented. (SLD)

Describes a popular yearly activity at one middle school in which a production of a Shakespearean comedy becomes the centerpiece of an interdisciplinary unit on the Elizabethan Period involving language arts, social studies, math, science, music, art, technical education, home economics, and the learning center. (SR)

Describes a project in a southeast Michigan high school in which Latino English-as-a-Second-Language students worked collaboratively for 10 weeks with at-risk working-class Anglo counterparts from an 11th-grade American literature class. Describes reading and writing activities that centered around the notion that students should search for and…

This study compared the "Bridge" experimental reading program and whole language instruction with 106 economically disadvantaged first graders at risk for reading difficulties. The "Bridge" program uses icons or picture symbols to facilitate print word identification. The "Bridge" group performed significantly better…

Examined African American students' perceptions of African Americans who used Black English (BE) as opposed to those who used Standard English (SE). In contrast to results of previous studies with adults, these 96 junior high school students from the southern United States thought the BE speaker was more likable and competent than the SE speaker.…

Presents two separate interviews on one topic. William Styron and James West discuss West's biography of Styron from the vantage points of subject and biographer. Styron reveals some of the painful incidents in his life and West delineates how these have influenced Styron's work. Includes several photographs. (MJP)

Presents an insider's view of the process involved in creating award-winning historical, biographical documentaries. Argues that documentary filmmakers and historians share a common mission in presenting as complete and accurate a picture of the past as possible. Maintains that the central difference between the two is in the selection of…

Presents five curriculum guides for reading, language arts, science, and social studies. Each activity identifies library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, librarian and teacher instructional roles, activity and procedures for completion, activity samples, guidelines for evaluating finished activities, and…

Describes Oyster Elementary School's award-winning two-way bilingual (Spanish-English) program. The school's success has been maintained by strong parent and community support, high academic standards, and ongoing professional development efforts. However, cultural, generational, and socioeconomic differences among staff, students, and parents…

Introduces recent ERIC documents on the effects of child care on children's development. Provides citations on eight books and four journal articles with abstracts and ordering information. (MOK)

Discusses the principles of teaching that can help students to be actively, purposefully engaged in their learning. Describes current innovations in reading, language arts, and mathematics education. Introduces the constructivist principles and teaching practices that can facilitate implementation of current instruction innovations. (MOK)

Describes how beginning language learners generated electronic mail in a foreign language, Spanish, and what the resulting texts looked like. The study uncovered different, contrastive writing behaviors and a diversity of texts and suggests that communicative activities in the language classroom pose dilemmas for students. (39 references)…

Presents issues related to technology and multicultural education. Examines problems with multicultural education and current uses of technology, including telecommunications, applications for ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) students, and multimedia. Discusses technology's cultural bias; problems of access and equity; biases in selection and…

Argues that the current approach to needs analysis research in English for academic purposes (EAP) needs to be replaced with critical needs analysis that views the target situation as an opportunity for curriculum development. The article concludes that EAP classes can be agents for social change. (26 references) (Author/CK)