If students are treated like the fully human beings that they are and facilitate a process wherein they come to realize themselves as integral and empowered members of a living community, then no matter what is being taught, students will respond positively. A composition instructor serving at-risk urban youth in inner-urban Oakland and San…

Epideictic rhetoric, expression of praise or blame, animates much communication, from gossip to sermons, from commercial ads to love letters. Even when writing for purposes other than to judge, writers often frame their talk with implicit or explicit expressions of praise for individuals or groups or ideas considered "good." Epideictic…

Young children bring a wide repertoire of visitor behaviours to traditional art museums, using their minds, senses, and bodies to respond to and interpret artworks. When given opportunities for self-expression, choice, and control during an art museum visit, children are empowered in this environment. Allowing children to take a leading role as…

Although school restructuring often calls for modifying the roles and responsibilities of teachers, students, and administrators, most restructuring efforts involve educators, not students. A team of university researchers trained high school sophomores as documenters of the school restructuring process. These documenters helped develop the…

Describes a walkabout program that a sixth-grade teacher developed for her students from several models designed for older students. The program's basic structure revolves around five areas of personal development: adventure, creative expression, local inquiry, practical skills, and service. This voluntary program's success hinges on developing…

Describes Project Friends, a mixed-age classroom of kindergartners, first graders, and second graders, including its beginnings, significant features (such as use of integrated thematic curriculum and "clubs"), and outcomes. Asserts that the program has empowered children for learning and encouraged helping relationships among children.…

Explores curricular ways to empower students in their learning by creating opportunities for leadership and group collaboration. Contends that drama, particularly role drama, provides opportunities for students to step outside the classroom and investigate imaginary and real worlds of power, responsibility, issues, relationships, and community.…

Milwaukee's African-American Immersion Middle School is designed to negate and/or eliminate the institutional and attitudinal influences impeding African-American students' academic success. Although the school mission will promote an egalitarian view, teachers will be expected and encouraged to draw on African-American students' life experiences.…

The Science/Technology/Society approach to teaching science has been researched and practiced for over 20 years. This model uses current issues in students' lives and society as the foundation of study. Teaching STS science requires nothing more than a shifting emphasis and willingness to empower students. (MLH)

This article discusses the advantages of student-led conferences for students with and without disabilities and their families, including increased student involvement, student goal-setting, student reflection, and student responsibility. It describes the steps and positive results from one school district that has adopted the student-led…

Argues that student ownership of drama/theatre work encourages an unparalleled level of commitment and collaboration. Discusses four criteria signifying student ownership; teacher reluctance towards student ownership; effective roles for the teacher; and student benefits from ownership in drama work. (SR)

The author shares ways technology may empower students and how it has enabled her as a teacher to expand beyond some of the traditional boundaries for writing, reading, and assessment. In the discussion, the importance of economic and environmental equity and the need for theory to inform pedagogy are emphasized. (AEF)

Reviews recent brain research in education. Provides five implications for teaching in art: (1) use emotion; (2) use different sense; (3) promote student self-direction; (4) enable social learning; and (5) encourage pattern finding. Describes two sample art units demonstrating how the five implications and art instruction can be integrated. (CMK)

Presents one college professor's reflections on the challenges of mediating the boundaries of race, class, and professorial authority in an undergraduate multicultural education course. After discussing current debates about multicultural education, the paper examines assumptions underlying a multicultural discourse, poses questions about…

Provides an operational definition of self-advocacy as it pertains to adolescent and adult learners with learning disabilities in postsecondary settings, describes model high school and college programs that teach self-advocacy skills, and discusses important follow-up and support activities essential to the effective use of these skills.…