The experiences of children's play have a profound impact on all areas of their growth and development. Memories of play can be vivid and detailed. These memories often have a treasured place in our hearts and minds. Educators and parents have a special opportunity to ask themselves, "What kind of memories of play do I hope for the children…

iPads, iPhones, Notebooks, X-Boxes, PlayStations, Televisions, Computers. They've found their way into every corner of our lives. Add to that, the pressures of the modern education with standardized tests and crowded classrooms, and it seems that our children have lost the simplicity of childhood. Are our children losing their imagination, too?…

"Be a CHANGEMASTER" is a practical guide for school and district leaders that provides 12 strategies for overcoming resistance to change. Unlike more theoretical books, this text shows how to adopt a coaching style of leadership as a systemic change strategy. Numerous examples demonstrate how the strategies used in this book have led to…

In recent years, new developments have been made in designing play structures for disabled children and understanding their needs while they play. This article examines important questions regarding "mainstream" equipment designed for children at various development stages, design features for disabled children, outdoor classrooms, imagination,…

Considers how to cultivate a successful, student-run classroom library that would encourage reading and imagination. Presents ideas helpful in meeting that goal. Gives tips on location, stocking the library, including all literature (not just books), and getting organized. (SG)

Considers how in the name of imagination, teachers often design activities and assignments that violate the text around which the lesson is focused and that mislead students about its meaning. Argues that imagination for its own sake is not the key to good classroom practice or profound understanding. Suggests that the best communication comes…

Suggests that the neglect of poetry and reporting in English instruction is rooted in certain assumptions about the nature of literature, imagination, and narrative. Asserts that this damages children's experience of reading and their experience as writers. (MM)

Discusses how writer Norma Fox Mazer has helped many readers make the leap between reality and imagination simply in the way she handles details in the lives of her characters. Explores the ideas of communicating with detail, experimenting with structure, and playing with time in crucial scenes. (SG)

From the director's point of view, a "memorable monologue" is one in which the actor exhibits imagination and invention in role-playing. Memorable audition monologues require a measured degree of "risk taking" and uninhibited abandon--the first task is to select monologues that suit the type of script and the role being cast.…

Teacher evaluation should take into consideration the artistic aspects of teaching, which are ignored by rigid evaluation formats. To do this, principals should participate in the classroom; observe the total learning environment; learn how a teacher deals with peers, students, and parents; and gain perceptions of the students themselves.…

Argues that the absence of the arts in testing programs contributes to their marginalization. Considers the role of imaginative potential in determining what is important in schools. Considers what the arts have to do with literacy, that is, with the standard conceptions of reading and writing. Discusses transforming brains to minds, the arts as…

Explores how the imagination might contribute to a sense of knowing in the reading process. Discusses the significance of the imagination when creating meaning from text. Asks about the nature and function of the imagination and seeks answers through the metaphor of "la tristesse" as describes by Francoise Sagan's novel "Bonjour Tristesse" and its…

Considers arguments for and against the use of videotape productions of children's literature as motivators to reading. Criteria for the selection of videos that are successful adaptations of books are identified and discussed in the context of specific video productions. (four references) (CLB)

Notes that fantasy and fairy tales are frequent targets of censorship attempts. Provides a defense against such attacks, by offering an answer (perhaps a challenge) to each of the major objections to fantasy stories. (SR)

It is suggested that coming up with fresh and interesting ideas for college and university publications requires keeping an open mind to events, people, and surroundings, finding good writers, and planning interesting layouts with illustrations. (MSE)