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…

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)

Developing language habits in students leads to discussion of their self esteem as well as to the values of the dominant society. (JH)