The "Quest for Less" is designed for teachers in grades K-8 to use as one of the many tools in the development of lesson plans. Activities and concepts in this resource can be incorporated into existing curricula, or teachers can create special week-long units on the environment and solid waste or use the activities to commemorate Earth Day. This…

The author provides staff developers and educational leaders with tools needed to facilitate a workshop or study group, designed around his book. It gives chapter-by chapter activities focused on moral purpose and why it plays such a critical role in changing the context of school leadership. This guide explores in depth: (1) "Changing the…

This study discusses the successes and failures that resulted when fifth grade students used email to compose response journals. Every student was required to send at least one email a week to the teacher describing and reacting to the novel they were reading independently. The teacher would respond each evening. The study was conducted in an…

Drawing on his personal experience as a modern day school administrator, John M. Brucato believes that there is a pathway to survival, success, and enjoyment in the role of a school leader that keeps the focus on meeting the needs of young people, while nurturing relationship with all stakeholders responsible for bringing this to fruition.…

This report describes a program designed to increase critical thinking skills in order to improve the transfer of material from the classroom to the clinic. The targeted population consisted of second year community college radiography students in a growing, middle class community in the Midwest. Evidence for the existence of the problem included…

The use of student writing journals in the college classroom is the focus of a conversation between two writing instructors at Brigham Young University in Hawaii. Brigham Young-Hawaii has a student body that represents more than 50 different nations, with foreign students at about 40%. Both instructors teach classes with high percentages of…

An action research project described a program for improving reading readiness and language arts skills through phonemic awareness. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten students in a heterogeneous mix of upper middle class, middle class, working class, and low income families located in central Illinois. Data revealed that students…

The 26 teaching strategies in this collection originally appeared in IDEAS PLUS, a special publication of the National Council of Teachers of English. The teaching strategies are entitled: (1) "A Dream House" (Thomas M. Cobb); (2) "A Journal-Writing Pot of Gold" (Irina Markova); (3) "Adopt-a-Word" (Annette Matherne); (4) "Contrasting Moods" (Don…

Mentor teachers (cooperating teachers) in a secondary English program were required to keep a journal. The analysis is organized under five headings: personal reflections; mentoring concerns and strategies; organization and structure; teaching routines and school demands; and suggestions and criticisms. (SM)

Recommends that preservice teachers reflect on race and pursue racial competence when learning to teach in multiracial schools, noting how teacher educators can prepare them to pose tough questions about racial issues. Discusses teacher reflection and the complexities of race in teaching and learning. Suggests critically engaged dialogue and race…

Discusses the experiences of a group of teachers sharing their everyday teaching activities through the use of sketch journals, journals inscribed with insights, and drawings gleaned from the classroom, as a means to gather information and help teachers reflect on their learning. Suggests that sketch journals helped teachers find natural ways to…

Shares the attempts of one teacher to structure a program that allows students to learn and grow as a community of readers and writers through the use of a response-centered curriculum. (MG)

Describes the author's experience of taking two creative writing courses. Stresses the values that are taught: self-investment; avoidance of premature closure; seeing revision as discovery; experimentation; and trusting your own creative power--all necessary for good writing, whether academic or creative. (RAE)

Describes the effect on junior high remedial readers of a reading workshop applying principles from Nancie Atwell's "In the Middle," including self-selection of adolescent literature books, silent reading, dialogue journal writing, and sharing work with others. Augments the workshop with "mini-lessons" on elements of reading…

Examines the use of computer conferencing in a graduate course to explore the potential of a collective electronic student journal as an alternative to individual journal writing. Presents excerpts of messages from the computer conference and feedback from participants. Findings indicate that teachers can successfully use computer conferencing as…