Discusses how Ray Bradbury's script for the one hundredth episode of "The Twilight Zone" and the short story of the same title, "I Sing the Body Electric," rings so true in 2002. Notes that this "simple story" has never failed to generate some of the best discussions and papers. Discusses how the author teaches this…

Examined group discussions among English as a Second Language college students and teachers regarding plagiarism. Through negotiation with more experienced peers and instructors, students negotiated and co-constructed notions of plagiarism by working in their zones of proximal development. Concludes that such socially situated discourse is…

This study examined the use of online argumentation scaffolds to engage and support coherent argumentation. Participants were students in an undergraduate economics course. Results showed that providing a constraint-based argumentation scaffold during group problem-solving activities increased the generation of coherent arguments and resulted in…

Addresses the question of how literature should be discussed with children. Illustrates how a knowledge of literature beyond a single story and beyond a particular child's response can be of help in teaching. (SR)

Explores the benefits of a hermeneutic orientation to technical writing instruction. Examines the historical and philosophical sources that have influenced technical writing pedagogy, and describes the usefulness of hermeneutic inquiry and its potential for technical writing teachers. (SG)

In a method called "cooperative controversy," students team up to study controversial subjects, then synthesize their findings. In a philosophy course, small-groups work on a specific philosophical problem. Group work was as effective as traditional lecture in three cases and more effective in two cases. (MLW)

Presents an overview of the National Endowment for the Humanities sponsored Let's Talk about It Program. The intended audience is examined, the role of the scholar analyzed, and the special responsibilities of the discussion leader delineated. Results of the program are evaluated and suggestions for planning a program are offered. (six references)…

Sees introduction of specific structures and exercises in psychotherapy group as directly controlling course of events and affecting members' perceptions of the group and leader. Asserts that exercises must highlight, rather than bypass, existing group processes. Presents five-step model for preparing, working with, processing, generalizing, and…

Provides a rationale for using fiction and drama to promote critical thinking. Presents a sample grid used to record answers to and interpretations of six questions which can be used in class discussion to bring out critical thinking dispositions, such as the ability to determine whether a generalization is warranted. (RS)

The article presents a metacognitive intervention for teaching mainstreamed learning-disabled students four learning strategies for thinking before, during, and after class discussions. Instructional and assessment procedures used for teaching the strategies are described. (Author/DB)

Investigates the effect of having students discuss the application of learning on their subsequent test performance. Results show that the principles treatment group scored higher on factual questions but not on application questions. Points out this process may be a useful tool in retaining factual material. (KO)

Describes a technique to improve the benefits of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). Provides sample questions which encourage students to monitor and gain insight into their own reading and responses to what they have read. (MM)

Outlines the procedure for "Comprehension Court," a discussion model for building inferential skills and strategies at the elementary level. Provides a sample "Comprehension Court Evidence Sheet." (MM)

Argues that "talk around the edges," informal exchanges between children in the classroom, are important moments for the enhancement of language facility, at least as important as formal language lessons. Provides approaches to incorporating "talk around the edges" or talk much like "talk around the edges" into lessons. (TB)

Classroom discourse can nurture students' appreciation of mathematics as a community activity by involving students in defining the curriculum, engaging in authentic mathematical inquiry, and using the history of mathematics to understand how mathematical thought develops in society. (MKR)