Sketches the history of the literature canon and suggests that the past teaches the present. Argues that English teachers must attempt to become much more inclusive in the literature being taught in high schools. (HB)

Details the various questions regarding the teaching of language and parts of language to high school students. Contends that teachers should aim at providing students with a view of the wholeness of language. Gives suggested criteria for classroom language activities. (HB)

Discusses the world of language and its role in the classroom through a series of vignettes experienced by one English teacher. Argues for a revolutionized view of language instruction in American institutions of education. (HB)

Describes how one English teacher stumbled on the idea of having student peer groups write scripts. Outlines a variety of ways that script writing assignments can be made. Advocates having such scripts created by student collaborative groups. (HB)

Discusses the career and achievement of the late compositionist, James A. Berlin. (HB)

Describes how the English department at Willamette University set out to revise the English curriculum as a participant in the MLA-FIPSE English Programs Curriculum Review Project. Shows how the faculty redesigned the curriculum, and shares three important ideas that might be useful to other departments undertaking similar changes. (HB)

Discusses how "The Butter Battle Book" by Dr. Seuss can be used to introduce the moral issue of war to young children. Studies the written responses of 1,187 children in grades kindergarten to 6 to the story. Notes that only the fourth- through sixth-grade students (who felt themselves beyond Dr. Seuss) understood the allegorical nature…

Develops an explanation and a defense of portfolio assessment as a feasible means of assessment in writing classes. Describes some ways of using portfolios and outlines advantages to the portfolio system of grading. (HB)

Argues that English faculty at two-year colleges should assume more national leadership in discussions concerning the future shape and trends in the profession. Shows why these teachers are well prepared for such a task. Provides some possible means by which this emerging influence might make itself felt. (HB)

Describes the development of a coherent international media education movement. Lists the components of the basic framework of media education today. Defines areas requiring further investigation in the field of media education, including representation, ideology, audience, and rhetoric. (HB)

Argues for a simple system of labeling words and groups of words as an approach to the teaching of grammar. Outlines a two- or three-week unit of instruction in which the system is implemented. (HB)

Outlines a method of teaching literature in which both students and teachers are asked to enter a fictional world through role playing. Provides a specific example of how the approach might be implemented with a short story. Concludes with reasons why the method is effective. (HB)

Gives responses from English graduate students to the question, "What bothers you most about graduate school?" Considers the role that the study of literary theory should have in graduate English studies. Argues that theory should become more like a verb than a noun, which it currently tends to be. (HB)

Maintains that one of the most difficult problems faced by English department chairpersons arises from the widely divergent theoretical or ideological positions of faculty members. Argues for faculty to stop abusing one another and illustrates departmental discord in an imaginative fiction involving "Roger" and "Rose." (HB)

Describes the author's educational and professional experiences in college English programs. Suggests improving English instruction by teaching the history of English studies, the history of language, and the media. Proposes applying an updated version of Raymond Williams' approach to English instruction to include major and lesser-known writings,…