TO SURVEY THE CERTIFICATION STATUS, TEACHING ASSIGNMENT, AND SELECTED JOB-RELATED OPINIONS OF GEORGIA SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS, DATA ON 115 SCHOOLS AND 403 TEACHERS WAS EXTRACTED FROM A RANDOM SAMPLING OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS TO THE GEORGIA ACCREDITING COMMISSION. AN UNSTRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE ASKING WHICH ASPECTS OF…

The English department of a technical college has developed a writing program that uses real audiences and real situations to better prepare students for the communication requirements of their professions. The exercises for each class are focused on the course content. In an advanced technical communication course, senior design, the students are…

The student materials present lessons about occupations related to environmental control, stationary engineering, and refrigeration. Included are 18 units organized by objective, information, reference, procedure, and assignment. Each lesson involves concrete trade experience where science is applied. Unit titles are: safety and housekeeping,…

One law teacher uses writing assignments in a domestic relations course to teach the law, teach students how to think, and teach how to begin a legal task when it is not clear where to start. Students draft a petition for a dissolution and a letter to a client advising of the likely property settlement. (MSE)

Describes a research paper project for high school students that requires them to incorporate source information into a conversational letter. Builds topic around an imaginary class reunion aboard an ocean liner. Notes that the students internalize the assignment, find a practical reason for using reference books, and actually enjoy the research.…

Describes a writing assignment in which students collected oral histories from Vietnam veterans in their community, edited the transcripts of their interviews, prepared manuscripts for a booklet of ten interviews, and composed cover letters for the final product. Notes positive effects of both the revision work and the primary research. (JG)

Argues that since students often articulate their meaning in speaking better than they can in writing, teachers should improve their awareness of speech and writing connections. Describes such relationships and suggests teaching strategies using speech to improve writing. Covers group composition, reading aloud, transcribing prewriting…

Discusses the values of publishing student writing (among them increased audience awareness), describes one writing project's procedures for formulating topics by daily expressive writing on a literary topic, outlines procedures for evaluating, responding positively to, and publishing this daily writing, and enumerates benefits for teacher and…

Examples are presented of worksheets designed to help students prepare for discussions of literature in terms of the language, plot, and literary aspects of a particular work. All examples are from an introductory course in German literature. Benefits of using such worksheets include increased students comprehension and class participation. (LMO)

Writing is central to learning and to evaluation of student progress. Holistically scored writing samples, portfolios, and evaluative grids provide effective assessments of writing proficiency and show students that writing is an essential communication skill. Writing assignments also can be used to evaluate learning in a discipline. (Author)

Uses responses of 77 teachers from eight Illinois rural high schools to 36-item survey to assess amount of time students devote to homework; existence of school homework policy; purpose and type of homework assignments; teacher review, feedback, and grading of homework; and value and significance of assigning homework. (NEC)

Describes a lesson design facilitating students' comprehension of human beliefs and behaviors indigenous to foreign cultures, and making culturally implicit meanings explicit to learners in a different culture. Involves teachers and learners through reading and discussion of a story introduced with an advance organizer. (RS)

Lists questions that can be used to help students learn how to write letters of inquiry. States that as a result, students begin to feel less like students and more like professionals. (RT)

Details (facetiously) a study that examines why English students do not turn their work in on time. Concludes that numerous distractions, such as "Dear Abby," are responsible for sidetracking students doing research. (NKA)

Race desegregation in Massachusetts is a major enterprise. Desegregation realigns school assignments to bring together students from residential areas that are racially different to establish a truly "common school." Programs in specific towns and cities are detailed. (BJV)