In June 1997 a 25-minute television interview program, "The SAU Report," was born at Southern Arkansas University. In January 1998 a 15-minute radio news program titled "SAU Magazine" was produced by Advanced Radio Production students. As 1998 began, with coverage available for SAU student broadcasts, it made sense to encourage…

Many teachers would like to counter what Deborah Tannen calls "The Argument Culture." They recognize that teaching students traditional principles of argument may perpetuate the kind of adversarial thinking that erupts all too often: in aggressive newspaper headlines, on confrontational television shows, in court rooms, and in school…

Describes "two-point system: which rewards students for having read assigned material before class, but does not penalize those who have not. At the beginning of class, students critique in writing the reading assignment. For each successful critique they receive two points on their next exam. (KC)

Targeted to special education teachers, this article discusses ways that teachers can help their students become more organized by incorporating tips on organizational skills into lessons or setting aside a few minutes each day to teach organizational skills. Organizational strategies for lockers, desks, and beanbags, notebooks, and assignments…

Considers how over 10 years of teaching first-year composition, more than two-thirds of the authors' students have elected to write about things that have caused them sorrow, about the deaths of loved ones, about the deaths of neighbors, even of hope itself. Composes a set of "meditations" - brief essays in which the authors try to understand…

Outlines a set of terms which can be used (in sequencing writing assignments from simple to complex) to make distinctions between kinds of sequences and notions of complexity. Shows how these terms allow teachers to understand the logic of various sequences, compare and contrast related sequences, and evaluate the concept of assignment sequence.…

Asserts that assigning adolescent literature to students without first reading a review of the book is risky because the books may contain sexually explicit text. Argues that teachers should not assign books such as "Vision Quest" by Terry Davis, because they contain graphic language. (PRA)

Presents a transcript of a panel discussion at Colgate University in which people in various professions spoke about their writing experiences in school and on the job. Notes that these stories told by professionals about their writing experiences can be seen as part of an institutional history and part of a disciplinary history. (RS)

The authors present a ten-step placement procedure that they have used to arrange optimal assignments for student teachers. (SJL)

Discusses a teacher-training experience in which a systemwide inservice seminar was offered. Offers the following tips for novice inservice providers: foster professionalism, provide structure for reading and writing activities, support change, accept participants as they are, stress commonalities, vary activities, provide supplemental fuel…

This article describes use of a comprehensive calendar designed to help college students with learning disabilities organize course assignments, assess assignments in terms of time allocation, and plan for the completion of assignments. The calendar design, which was implemented with students at the University of North Texas, involves task…

Classroom modifications used successfully by teachers of mainstreamed students with handicaps are described. General guidelines for dealing with daily assignments and activities are outlined, followed by specific guidelines concerning worksheets, textbook/end of chapter questions, study guides, notetaking, tests, and grading. (JDD)

The 10 editions of the newsletter provide a forum for the sharing of research findings, observations, instructional strategies, and opinions on subjects pertaining to college level teaching and college faculty. Multiple subjects are discussed in each issue and are often based on recent books. Among the topics covered and the issues in which they…

This digest adapts information from "Attention Deficit Disorders: A Guide for Teachers," prepared by members of the Education Committee of Children with Attention Deficit Disorders. It defines attention deficit disorders and describes the two types (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and undifferentiated attention deficit…

When the teacher does writing assignments along with students, students see four things: how the teacher would approach the assignment; how to do revisions; how even the teacher makes grammatical and spelling errors in the first draft; and how those errors get corrected. (MLW)