Shows how the critical reception of J. M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" has varied widely since its publication. Describes the mythical qualities of the Peter Pan character and gives reasons why the story is still popular with children and why it should continue to be taught and read. (HB)

Discusses the development of a modern fairy tale with respect to J.R.R. Tolkien's mapping of its features, terrain, and emotional geography. Discusses Robin McKinley's "Beauty," an example of a modern fantasy. (PRA)

Argues that while customizing education through home schooling may permit schooling to be tailored for each individual student, total customization also threatens to insulate students from exposure to diverse ideas and people and thereby to shield them from the vibrancy of a pluralistic democracy. (Contains 10 references.) (Author/PKP)

Authors take issue with an article by Elaine Garan, "Beyond the Smoke and Mirrors: A Critique of the National Reading Panel Report on Phonics," that appeared in the March 2001 issue of "Phi Delta Kappan" wherein she criticized the report's findings on the effectiveness of phonics instruction in helping children to read. (PKP)

Author makes a point-by-point rebuttal to Ehri and Stahl's criticism of her critical analysis of the National Reading Panel report on the effectiveness of phonics instruction in helping children to read. (PKP)

Describes what public school administrators in several states, many from high-performing suburban districts, are doing to express their opposition to state-mandated high-states tests, which they believe are harmful to students and will significantly alter the school curricula. (PKP)

This article describes a 3-year study of school visits to four natural history museums and addresses the research agenda with regard to out-of-school learning. More specifically, the findings focus on the "process of learning" in museums. Comprehensive data collection allowed for an analysis of patterns of guided visits, the way the…

This article discusses how critical literacy can offer gifted students a way to research great leaders and their actions in times of crisis, enabling them to project the type of leadership that is called for in today's world. Reading activities, writing activities, and oral language activities are described. (Contains 1 reference.) (CR)

To meet the need for a fast and efficient way to find which of the many volumes of literary criticism contain information on a particular author, this book indexes over 4,000 authors of books for young adults, who are included in reference works which are standards in the field of literary criticism and therefore readily available in most…

This volume offers strategies for getting K-12 students to examine and discuss the works of art they and others make. Using the traditional college-level critique as a preliminary model, approaches for engaging younger learners in critical discussions are presented. A sampler of critiques offers a range of practical ideas and activities for…

This article identifies the contradictions in some of the existing applications of literary tools to curriculum thought, indicates some of the problematic implications for curriculum practice, and sketches an alternative conception of literature as discursive practice. (Author/MLF)

Originally delivered as a speech to the American Educational Research Association, this article continues the debate over whether the field of curriculum is first, dead, and second, actually a field. (MLF)

Asserts that the essay has been called the "default genre" in high school and university education. This article examines the nature, history, and function of the essay in this role, including feminist critiques of the genre. It explores the dialogic or multi-voiced character of most academic essays and suggests that it is through…

Replies to J. P. Smith III's (1997) and R. Prawat's (1997) criticism of problematizing mathematics. The basic notion of problematizing is clarified and differences in interpretation between the authors are identified. Hiebert et al. assert that, although the principle of problematizing mathematics has unresolved difficulties, it should still be…

Explores implications of paying attention to the body, literally and figuratively, in policy analysis and policy theory. Building from recent critical, feminist, and post-structural work in policy studies, develops what is termed a feminist genealogy to aid in an analysis of policy studies. Provides example of feminist genealogical analysis…