Describes the genesis and history of the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers from 1921-38. Discovers in that school's methodology an antecedent to today's feminist and progressive pedagogies. Looks at the autobiographical narratives of participants to analyze the development of powerful critical voices. (HB)

Describes how, through oral story telling, writing biographies, autobiographies and creating fictional characters, adults with mental illness were gently directed to focus and explore one significant person or period of their own lives, to develop their sense of self and ego strengths, and to connect to important others in their lives. (SR)

Describes what was learned about using oral histories from the narratives that could and could not be collected during a study of primary education in colonial and post-colonial Mozambique. Examines: narrator and interviewer roles; how to negotiate ways of remembering and telling; narrating education as a site of social justice movements; and the…

Presents two standards-based language arts activities for middle school students. The first involves collecting family photographs, writing a descriptive essay based on each one, and publishing the final product using Microsoft Publisher. The second involves creating one-page autobiographies, designing a publishable product, and publishing it…

This paper uses oral history and documentary materials to develop a cross-cultural comparison of the experiences of two self-advocates who spent significant parts of their lives in learning difficulty institutions in England and Iceland. Anne Lewthwaite and Eyglo Ebba Hreinsdottir, born in the same era (1948-1950), were linked through the Open…

A study investigated whether there are common experiences which most people who become writers share. Samples of autobiographical writing assignments completed by about 120 graduate students (over 90% of whom already had some teaching experience) enrolled in masters programs in education and/or English were examined. Most of the narratives were…

A bibliography by over 100 chief executive officers of colleges and universities written during or after their tenure is presented. Some are autobiographical, some analytic; others are studies, reports, collections of speeches, and committee analyses of public problems. A few are novels or parables. (Author/MLW)

A study examined the problems students confront as they try to advance their own ideas when they are also asked to synthesize their interpretations of what others have said in developing a written argument. The researcher spent 15 weeks in a class of 15 students that focused on the theme of literacy. Discussions were observed and taped and…

This autobiography is concerned with the early years and young womanhood of Jill Ker Conway, the first female president of Smith College and a noted historian specializing in the experience of women in America. The book tells the story of Conway's journey from a girlhood on an isolated sheep farm in the Australian grasslands where she studied by…

Describes ideas for writing prompts and assignments proposed by three different teachers: (1) writing poems inspired by smells of herbs and spices; (2) writing about past perceptions and feelings after looking at a photograph; and (3) writing a "self-portrait." (TB)

Examines how the use of autobiography can inform a critical pragmatic pedagogical practice where educators can read the complex and contingent interplay of raced, gendered, and classed discourses. Advocates a critical rhetorical and pragmatist approach that integrates recent questionings of subjectivity in poststructuralist feminist and postmodern…

A young college French professor has won praise for her book about the experience of learning the language. She explores her childhood, education, and socialization as a young adult to tell why and how French became important to her. (MSE)

Focuses on how textual analysis might be renovated at a level as basic as freshman writing. Considers the possibility of combining textual analysis with personal narrative and reporting. Considers how recent literary criticism utilizes personal narrative strategies. Outlines six ways authorial presence is detectable in critical works. (HB)

Reference librarians can offer much assistance for research on autobiographical accounts of the Holocaust, working in concert with faculty. This article reviews the state of Holocaust education in general, an academic reference department's role in student projects, and an overview of the wide variety of autobiographies that exist. (Author/AEF)

Drawing on the age-old adage "write what you know," teachers all over the country have embraced the memoir as an integral part of the language-arts curriculum. Before constructing their own personal narratives, students are immersed in the genre, listening to and reading a wide variety of samples front children's literature. As they read,…