Educators in the field of English are concerned about teaching a student population that increasingly expects to be entertained and cannot tolerate boredom. Concerns include reliance on print-oriented teaching methods, changed language needs, research and teaching innovations, and needed changes in the educational structure and resources to meet…

Discusses three recent books for educators that deal with the challenges of teaching literature in a diverse society; ways in which multicultural literature creates opportunities for both transformation and resistance; ways to use multiethnic literature in elementary and junior high classrooms; and multicultural perspectives in teaching…

A 1985 survey conducted by the Modern Language Association found that undergraduate English courses are still organized around genres or historical periods although feminist criticism and reconstruction have had a major influence on scholarly work. Attacks by Secretary Bennett and other critics of curriculum revision are discussed. (MLW)

Discusses six recent books for educators that focus on young adult literature, and on responding to literature. Describes how adolescent literature can be the center of transdisciplinary, concept-based units in a middle school curriculum. Outlines use of reading response logs and learning journals. Lists recently published books by and about…

Discusses the many benefits of service learning, and offers examples from the author's high school students. Notes literacy and language arts service learning projects; the importance of integrating service learning into a regular program of instruction; programs and resource materials that support service learning at the K-12 level; and students'…

This paper discusses the objectives for the writing programs for Department of Defense Office of Dependents Schools (DoDDS). Assessment results for 1978-79 writing samples of eighth and eleventh grade students are also presented, along with a summary of students' responses to questions about their writing habits. Test results reported in the paper…

Describes how an English teacher in a Queens, New York, ghetto school introduced her grade nine students to Charles Dickens's "Great Expectations." Focuses on students' responses, which eventually became enthusiastic, and discusses the use of classics within the curriculum. (KH)

Presents the history of prison education in the state of Utah from its beginning in 1853 at a territorial prison. Includes stories from "The Penwiper," a paper published in the 1930s by students of an English class of the Utah State Prison School. Describes Utah's current philosophy on inmate education and the present status of its…

Argues that literature from other countries, taught as multicultural literature, must be taught in the context of its own literary tradition in order to provide high-quality academic instruction. Offers an example with Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "One-Hundred Years of Solitude" to show how teaching multicultural literature can live up to…

Offers a brief description of the Third International Conference for Global Conversations on Language and Literacy, held in Bordeaux, France, in August 1998. Gives brief summaries of five conference presentations or sessions. (SR)

This informal summary of proceedings from a conference on the preparation of English teachers in the 1980s identifies several fields demanding development in the interest of better English teaching at all levels. After briefly identifying conference participants and explaining the conference program development, the summary presents both a…

Computers have a place within the teaching of English. Specifically, the computer can promote collaborative talk and learning in the context of simulations, word processing, and information handling. (Author/CH)

Academic alliances among educators who share ideas about teaching are flourishing in almost every state. First started in foreign languages, they are now being set up in other disciplines, primarily English, geography, history, mathematics, and science. (MSE)

Traces perspectives on gender and gender discrimination over the last several decades, as they affect schools and English classrooms. Discusses feminism/feminisms, "add women and stir," sex differences, resistance and backlash, intersections of identity categories, and multiculturalism. Argues that English teachers can be powerful agents in the…

Points out that bringing technology into the schools illuminates, and perhaps exacerbates, the advantage that students from wealthy families have over students from poorer families. Notes that advocates for technology often have an agenda that has nothing to do with students' learning. Discusses what educators can do in the face of all this. (SR)