Collaborations and partnerships among schools and community members have been described as a way to provide better educational opportunities for students. Such school-community partnerships have been described as relationships that involve exchange and engagement with mutually defined goals benefiting all participants. However, the process of…

This paper is particularly concerned with the authorial text with its single, usually male, frequently European, inspired and objective voice. Enabled by a discourse of clarity, a reader of this text may identify with a single author's mind. While much has been done to displace this construct in schools over the last few decades, the paper…

Examines theories of early adolescence in relation to teaching eighth-grade English students. Concludes differences in students' responses related to gender differences and self-identity. (JK)

A former eighth grade teacher recalls her experiences with a student who was extremely shy and afraid of oral presentations required by his English class. After she worked with him to strengthen self-confidence, he was able to speak, and he became more confident in other areas of his life. (SM)

Research has shown that in the small group setting, students develop well articulated understandings and better recall of their readings. One study, however, showed negative results in terms of recall, understanding, and personal response for small group work in eighth-grade literature classes. Those findings led to follow-up research on the…

Describes a project that involved an eighth-grade advanced English class in learning about banned books and censorship with the hope that students would learn enough about a highly controversial subject to be able to form intelligent options. (EL)

A study described how two eighth grade English teachers in a rural junior-senior high school established classroom rules, both formally and informally. The focus of the study and analysis of data were guided by three research questions: (1) What are the formal and informal classroom rules and how are they made visible? (2) Who are the sources of…

Describes a social studies assignment developed for Arizona eighth graders that focuses on Arizona history but also incorporates English, math, and computer programming skills to create a computer program about traveling through the state. Topics discussed include classroom management, computer requirements, community involvement, and interaction…