This theme issue presents literature selections that treat the United States Hispanic experience. The selections are organized under seven headings: The Immigrant Experience, Humor and Folklore, Family and Religion, Cultural Heritage, The Spanish Woman, Obligations and Compromise, War and Death. (AMH)

Children viewed a television segment that included humorous or nonhumorous inserts paced either at slow or fast intervals, or an uninterrupted program. Both humorous conditions produced information acquisition results that were superior to any of the no-humor situations. Visual attention and reaction to the humor were noted. (Author/GDC)

Presents an annotated guide to humorous materials in French, including cartoons, poems, brief texts, and comic books, which may be used to introduce humor in the French classroom. References to other articles on this subject appearing in this journal are also included. (AM)

The function of the university is shown to be not only to train people but to educate them. The importance of creativity, longevity, and humor are discussed. Short conversations with Charles A. Beard, Albert Schweitzer, Nehru, and Krushchev reveal the essence of "What I've Learned." (MLW)

Interviewed about favorite TV characters, 91% of boys and 53% of girls ages 7-12 chose same-sex favorites. For male characters, wishful identification was predicted by intelligence and (for girls only) humor; parasocial interaction was predicted by intelligence, attractiveness, and (for boys only) strength. For female characters (chosen only by…

Describes four activities for the French-as-a-Second-Language classroom, including: a lesson in the interpretation of graphs (Lescure); a unit on measurement, money systems, museums, and schools in France (Berteloot, Ploquin); oral and written exercises based on French history and culture (Ploquin, Store); and a vocabulary development activity…

Practical advice is offered, in tongue-in-cheek style, for law graduates seeking law teaching positions for the first time through the annual Association of American Law Schools' faculty recruitment conference. The applicant is guided through completion of the registration form, behavior at the conference itself, and interview techniques. (MSE)

Successful urban superintendents demonstrate various traits not always specified in job descriptions, including an ability to inspire, business savvy, sensitivity to diversity, self-confidence, deference to board members, high energy, and a sense of humor. A school executive assuming an urban superintendency without these qualities will experience…

Discusses the publication process as well as research and development activities of The Magazine Group, the part of the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) that produces print materials for children, parents, and elementary school teachers. Highlights include reformatting a magazine, testing story appeal, testing children's humor, and the…

A study found good problem-solving skills, reading at or above grade level, ability to get along with peers and adults, likeability, sense of humor, and having an adult mentor at school were associated with the positive educational progress of 652 boys (ages 13 to 17) with severe aggression and emotional disturbance. (Author/CR)

Examines the personal and professional qualities of a well-respected music educator in order to understand what makes a music educator exemplary. Discovers four themes: (1) high-level verbal and non-verbal language; (2) routines and organization provides the framework for artistry in teaching; (3) humor; and (4) quality environment is conducive to…

Using a post-structural, interpretive perspective, we studied children's humour in a grade-1 and -2 classroom. In this article, we report our observations of two boys who took on the role of "class clown." The boys used humour to negotiate power, which we defined as participation in discourse, taking on the role of class clowns and…

This paper investigates the intentional creation of ambiguity by composers of cryptic crossword puzzles. Taking a research question of "what makes a cryptic clue more difficult to solve than a simple crossword clue," it compares a sample of cryptic and quick crosswords from "The Guardian" and attempts to isolate the linguistic…

This paper reports findings of a study examining the appreciation of editorial cartoons as a function of personal characteristics rather than group membership. The variables examined were self-consciousness and the ability to utilize humor as a coping mechanism. Appreciation of editorial cartoons during the 1992 presidential campaign was measured…

This essay focuses on the ability of the political cartoon to enhance history instruction. A trend in recent years is for social studies teachers to use these graphics to enhance instruction. Cartoons have the ability to: (1) empower teachers to demonstrate excellence during lessons; (2) prepare students for standardized tests containing cartoon…