Examines the role of journal-keeping in the middle-school language curriculum. Suggests that continued writing leads to fluency in writing and reading, but students must be allowed space to practice this process. Using journals and associated activities provide students the space they need so they can actually begin to enjoy the writing process.…

Suggests the use of children's literature to teach about prejudice and discrimination. Provides brief descriptions of stories and books on prejudice, individual differences, and the era when racially separate was considered equal. Recommends adding geography, journal writing, group journals, and class discussions to the readings to teach social…

Discusses the use and adaptation of alternative assessment procedures such as observation, interviewing, holistic scoring, checklists, and reading of student journals, to accurately determine the progress of students with learning difficulties. Includes scoring rubrics and many samples of student evaluation. (MKR)

Integrating writing into the mathematics classroom is often met with resistance by teachers. Presented are ideas to help teachers implement four forms of writing appropriate for the mathematics class: (1) logbooks; (2) journals; (3) expository writing; and (4) creative writing. Specific examples and suggestions for classroom activities for each…

Presents an interdisciplinary unit designed for fifth-grade students that focuses on Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican-American culture. Explains that poetry and the novel, "Felita," are used to provide a sense of Puerto Rican culture. Describes activities such as journal writing, geography webs, and exploring culture through food. (CFR)

Provides journal entries describing a four-week study-tour of Yugoslavia. Suggests using these observations to teach about Yugoslavia's political, social, and cultural phenomena. Includes entries about cities, people, culture, and ethnic groups. Lists additional resource materials in an annotated bibliography. (NL)

Examines the ability of 10 sixth grade Hispanic bilingual students to construct meaning in dialogue journals and literature logs in their first and second languages. Finds that students are more effective in constructing meaning in dialogue journals than in literature logs. (MG)

Examines one mode of mathematical communication--student journal writing. The evaluation of the experimental use in one school of journal writing in mathematics demonstrates a link between language and mathematics and suggests a relationship between students' mathematical writings and their perceptions of mathematics. (Contains 21 references.)…

Presents tips to help teachers develop and manage valid, truly authentic assessments that are linked to daily class instruction, discussing how to refine assessments, get parents involved, encourage self-assessment, and make criteria clear. A model developmental reading scale for bringing more uniformity to reading assessment is presented. (SM)

Describes the use of secret student/student dialog exchange journals with English-as-a-Foreign-Language students at Tamkang University in Taiwan. This activity helps develop students' fluency and expressive language and increases their awareness of an audience. (Author/VWL)

Examined the reflections of a non-native English speaker who taught English as a foreign language in Korea, discussing her preferred modes of reflection during group meetings, individual meetings, and journal writing and describing her level of reflection in each activity (descriptive or critical). Overall, she clearly preferred group discussion…

Three courses in the adult education division of Loyola University (Louisiana) combined religious studies and literature appreciation using an interdisciplinary, team-taught approach. Instruction was guided by the metaphor of conversation, first through collegial discussion of the ideas underlying the courses and later, in the classroom, in the…

Presents a variety of examples of work by practitioner researchers (students, coteachers, principals, and school leadership teams), touching on university-school collaborations, research across authority lines (for example, students and teachers), research as part of professional development, and research by experienced teachers who studied their…

Two university projects linked constructivist theory with effectiveness practices. One group of preservice teachers completed journal entries about their math class. Another used e-mail for collaborative learning activities. The projects showed the many benefits of using e-mail as a constructivist tool in both content and field-based classes. (SM)

Argues that inclusion of children with disabilities into various preschool settings presents opportunities for early childhood educators to address issues of differences through the use of effective tools and teaching strategies. Suggests that a journal-type portfolio is a tool early-childhood educators can use to enhance the acceptance of…