VR is not a space-age novelty for intense video gamers. It is a legitimate digital tool that can enhance the English language arts (ELA) curriculum and enrich--but not replace--traditional pedagogy. And it is surprisingly easy to implement, even for introductory-level technology users. In this article, the authors discuss the strategies and tools…

To combat the inevitable intellectual fatigue that autobiographical essay assignments often engender and, more importantly, to provide students with an authentic audience and purpose for their writing, the author designed an autobiographical assignment that liberates students from the traditional essay format while empowering them to envision…

Despite the familiar American scene of lined-up students being ushered out of school buildings while their classmates lay wounded or dead inside, and despite repeated calls for restrictions on the guns used in such shootings, nearly twenty years after Columbine, the gun lobby retains a powerful grip on the nation's politicians - using money and…

In the 18th century, critics grumbled about a new literary form that supposedly threatened the abilities of youth to distinguish between reality and artificiality. This form was the novel, one of the literary forms that critics now hold dearest. Currently, the graphic novel receives a great deal of criticism. Yet many teachers have shown how…

Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen assert that language-based pedagogy is not sufficient reading in the technology-driven society. Educators need to incorporate ways for students to read other signs and symbols and redefine what it means to be literate in a digital age. Still, there are many ways in which print-based texts can be used effectively…

How teachers can use such materials as parallel-text editions, graphic novels, and film adaptations to increase students' understanding of and interest in Shakespeare was the impetus for a classroom action research project that examined the effects of teaching methods on student comprehension and engagement. The author of this article…

For students who sense no fluidity between their academic context and their personal contexts, what's at stake is more than just their scholastic achievement--rather, their development as individual agents who exist in larger social and historical contexts is jeopardized. When teachers and schools neglect to recognize the legitimacy of…

In mid-January, the way the author's pants fit told her that she had overindulged during the holiday season. She was definitely motivated to do something about the situation, so she stepped up her exercise and cut back on calories. Each week, her grandson must complete the daily chores on his list to receive his allowance. Her grandson is…

Although not a new concept, remix has recently gained popularity in mainstream sources ranging from video games to newspaper columns and television commercials for airline tickets, fried chicken, and soft drinks. All these examples draw on a concept that originates from hip-hop culture and refers to the creative blending of materials from…

When students believed they were writing to have their work graded, for the teacher to read it, or to practice for the standardized test, the purpose was too abstract for them to buy into. Furthermore, it was the teacher's purpose and not their own. However, when students were working on revising the same kinds of writing so it could be included…

One of the most important challenges a teacher faces is motivating his or her students to complete reading assignments and to complete them carefully. After all, if students bring to class a basic understanding of the text up for discussion, much deeper learning can occur than if the teacher is forced to spend time explaining the reading to…

The authors investigate how innovative research assignments based on students' personal interests can help them want to develop their research skills. They find that multimodal communication and representation, including film, written scripts, comic strips, music, and photography, encourage students to carefully select information from the…

The author advocates music videos as great sources for narrative and social commentary that can serve as excellent prompts for student writing. With access to personal artist websites, Yahoo! Music, YouTube, and MTV.com, students can view thousands of videos at their discretion, and English language arts teachers can bring them into the classroom…

Student motivation is difficult to measure, manage, initiate, and control. Teachers control many aspects of classroom environments, including student interaction and cooperation, by the rules and procedures they establish and maintain. But, there is often little classroom teachers can do to predict what will motivate students to move beyond the…

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "our own experience instructs us that the secret of Education lies in respecting the pupil. It is not for you to choose what he should know, what he shall do." As teachers of American Literature, the authors admire Emerson's faith in the individual and find Thoreau's resistance to conformity an act of daring bravery,…