This article outlines the design of a new service-learning component central to a graduate course on teaching elementary and middle school writing. The service-learning involves course participants acting as mentors to middle school students as they write personal histories of local African American, Cape Verdean, and Puerto Rican senior citizens.…

"Lessons in Character" is designed to promote elementary and middle school students' knowledge about core character education values and, through that knowledge, shape children's positive behaviors and support academic success. It consists of 24 lessons organized around weekly themes, taught through stories, writing activities, and class…

As the second volume of a seven-volume series, this book describes curriculum development as three interrelated processes: planning, enacting, and evaluating. Curriculum development is a dynamic process that happens among learners and teachers in the classroom. In this volume, readers will encounter teachers, curriculum developers, and…

This book provides a showcase for "best practices" in teaching statistics and research methods in two- and four-year colleges and universities. A helpful resource for teaching introductory, intermediate, and advanced statistics and/or methods, the book features coverage of: (1) ways to integrate these courses; (2) how to promote ethical conduct;…

This book offers teachers a handbook for teaching literacy to diverse students in grades 3-8. The balanced literacy method combines the best practices of phonics and other skill-based language instruction with the holistic, literature-based approach in order to help teach reading, writing, and speaking in a clear and approachable format. This…

Children and young people are increasingly performing a variety of writing tasks using computers, with word processing programs thus becoming their natural writing environment. The development of keystroke logging programs enables us to track the process of writing, without changing the writing environment for the writers. In the myMoment schools…

Digital tools are increasingly being used to support teaching in higher education. These tools place new demands on the tasks and responsibilities of the teacher, and can influence teacher roles. In this study we investigate the long-term use and development of a tool for facilitating the negotiation of meaning in argumentative student texts,…

Preservice teachers often enter English language arts teacher preparation courses with untapped fears of writing and teaching writing due to null or bad experiences as K-12 students. In this article, I follow two preservice elementary teachers through a semester long methods course and reveal how they developed positive, clear images of themselves…

This study investigated the relationship of first-language (L1) and second-language (L2) writing processes and possible effects of L2 writing instruction in an academic context on L1 and L2 writing strategies and attitudes. Specifically, the study asked whether (1) there are similarities and/or differences between Turkish and English writing…

A project at Texas State Technical College developed a curriculum to bridge the gap between the competency level of persons who enter college having completed the secondary component of a tech prep program and those who had not. The project used a technical advisory committee, two task forces, and a panel of experts to identify the competency…

A collection of essays addresses issues in alternative assessment in English as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction. Chapter 1, "Toward a Definition of Alternative Assessment," (Priscilla Butler) gives an overview of the concept of alternative assessment and introduces some theoretical considerations. Chapter 2, "The Roots of…

This issue focuses on learning disabilities of adult literacy students. The 11 papers in the journal were developed from research done by the authors at an intensive summer institute in 1994. After an introduction and a description of the summer institute (Martha Merson), the following papers are included: "Lucie: Is She or Isn't She?" (Meryl…

Two studies illustrate the concern that the connection between teachers' beliefs and their instructional practices can be a troublesome one if beliefs are informed by formalist thinking related to truth and caring in the teaching conversation. Subjects, 21 middle school language arts teachers and 216 eighth-grade students were asked what they…

Intended to provide practical amd proven ideas to help children develop as literate persons, this book presents 24 essays on diverse topics to help teachers and parents realize the potential they have for improving children's literacy development. The ideas presented in the book are based on sound research, theory, and actual practice. After an…

A study was conducted at San Diego City College (SDCC) in California to evaluate the college's Critical Thinking and Writing Center, one of the components of SDCC's comprehensive plan to improve student outcomes. Five indicators of student success were examined for two semesters using a student tracking system: retention, semester-to-semester…