Proposes numerous ideas for events to celebrate school "birthdays," intended to cement the school's relationship with its community. (SR)

Describes a model for content writing called "Writing as Transformation," which focuses on three facets of writing to learn: writing as intuition, writing as metacognition, and writing as change agent. (SR)

Suggests that the authors of the Standards for the Assessment of Reading and Writing seek standards as an essential tool to work for just and fair educational opportunities and outcomes. Argues that that faith is misplaced because standards, rules, or laws cannot change biased minds. (RS)

Argues that, as educators rush to reform their practices, they need to keep in mind the lesson of their past mistakes. Suggests that, if educators do not start paying more attention to being clear about assumptions and intentions as they design and promote new practices, the lack of clarity will contaminate and undermine all reform efforts. (RS)

Describes the first impressions of a high school teacher on her first day of teaching conversational English at a secondary school in Budapest, Hungary. Notes the great variation in students' English language skills. (RS)

Investigates the degree to which teachers in northwestern Indiana use the newspaper in their classrooms, the reasons that they do or do not use it, and the ways that it is employed by those teachers who do use it. Notes that teachers, whether or not they use newspapers in the classroom, had clear and specific reasons. (SR)

Discusses novels of the Vietnam War, their usefulness, and the interest they hold for students. Considers four categories of Vietnam novels: the Vietnam experience, the war at home, the refugee experience, and the war's effect on the next generation. (SR)

Argues that only if the nation's schools act now in concert with the real world will America stand a chance of awaking from the nightmare of violence. Notes successful efforts to address the problem in North Carolina. (SR)

Maintains that a weighted grading system may be more suitable in situations where traditional grading seems inadequate. Describes two categories of weighted systems: the multiplicative system and the additive system. (SR)

Describes a seven-step model which illustrates a procedure for developing performance criteria that are specific to individual jobs. Discusses how it can be applied to the performance of teachers and other school personnel. (SR)

Argues that physical education is a learning activity which engages cognitive processes like other subjects. Discusses the four components of health-related fitness. Claims that physical education should be approached seriously and taught professionally like other subject areas. (HB)

Demonstrates a model for teaching concept attainment that gives students experience in conceptual thinking, by studying a particular concept inductively (examining examples and nonexamples), as students work together to come to shared meanings of the concept and then reflect upon their thinking. (SR)

Highlights some of the more important issues that affect the education of exceptional learners, including shared responsibility, transition, technology, and special health. (SR)

Presents a cooperative learning activity for history or art classes in which students use knowledge rather than money to bid for important works of art. (SR)

Discusses briefly five books that can help teachers learn about how conversation works and help their students gain language competence. (SR)