On a February morning, Ms. Nelson (all names pseudonyms) was preparing her eleventh-grade class for a new unit with the goal of crafting arguments about the people and issues present in the classic novel "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. As, teacher educators Eileen Shanahan and Min-Young Kim were observing in the classroom, it was…

Movies are a part of social discourse, and they may show "life the way people would like to make it." As educators look at society's changing views of knowledge, learning, teaching, and success, they can engage in that discourse and consider ways it does--or does not--reflect and affect pedagogies and daily lives. As Hollywood directs society's…

Evaluates the importance of liberal arts and the mystique of education in everyday life by using personal anecdotes as illustrations. (EL)

Shows how "The A-Team" is a purveyor of myth through its re-working of hero and plot motifs and its reaffirming of a positive American self-concept. (EL)

Reflects on the uniqueness of junior high/middle (JH/MS) school students, including their romantic rituals and fashion conformity, and offers these characteristics as reasons both for and against teaching JH/MS. (SRT)

Discusses the value of contemporary literature and of teaching it, and notes related censorship issues. Describes how the work of contemporary authors Michael Dorris and Tim O'Brien teaches students about values, helping them reflect upon ancient questions regarding truth and reality. (SR)

Describes a rigorous English curriculum designed for students of mixed ability and mixed cultural and racial backgrounds using the concept of education for democracy. Details a three-step process built on inheritance, participation, and contribution. Outlines the curriculum that includes a combination of traditional classics and the works of more…

Describes how Bradbury's work can be used in the classroom. Indicates how attitudes towards technology can be found in the work and how these may be used to stimulate mature students. (CRH)

Reviews Elie Wiesel's "Night," an account of his Holocaust experiences. Concludes that what is important is not that students' questions be answered, but that people continue to ask them. (EL)

Compares and contrasts the two nineteenth-century domestic romances, "What Katy Did" and "Jack and Jill" and examines how the protagonists grow into mature and capable women. (CRH)