While visual literacy pedagogy in teacher preparation programs has been a recognized body of knowledge the past few decades, limited research centers upon secondary teachers who are responsible for integrating visual literacy into content instruction. This study explored how 32 secondary English language arts and social studies pre-service…

The concept of a ready-made block of knowledge does not exist in the Montessori classroom. Instead, the teacher's knowledge and the learning abilities of the child interact. The teacher brings what she or he knows about the world, and the child brings his or her desire to learn more about the world. In this article, a Montessori teacher uses her…

The study of a middle school social studies project this article addresses occurred in the national capital region of the United States, where perceptions of ''patriotism'' and xenophobic immigration policies were the subjects of frequent media reports. With this examination the authors considered the overarching research question ''How do middle…

Framed in theories of social semiotics, this descriptive multiple case study examined six middle school teachers' use of gestures during one school year as they each taught two different subject areas: earth science, language arts, mathematics, and/or social studies. The data, which included field notes and photographs from 354 lessons and 151…

This article is a call to literacy teachers and researchers to embrace the possibility of attending more consciously to the senses in digital media production. Literacy practices do not occur only in the mind, but involve the sensoriality, embodiment, co-presence, and movement of bodies. This paper theorises the sensorial and embodied dimension of…

In two projects described in this article, the authors discuss the use of Photovoice and Elder Interviews to draw upon visual and spoken forms of community-based literacy, generate ideas for written projects, promote a connection to community and culture, and engage students in critical analysis of writing process. Both projects took place in…

This study was presented at the American Educational Research Association 2012 conference in Vancouver, Canada. The study explored how action research of arts-based teaching (ABT) impacted at-risk students in three urban public schools in southern California, USA. ABT was defined as using arts, music, drama, and dance in teaching other subjects. A…

The author describes the implementation of a photo journal project and explains how it positively impacted diverse young adolescents, specifically three reluctant learners. In addition to increasing motivation and engagement in learning, the photo journal project built community in the classroom. This article shares practical ideas for…

In response to a thirty-year pattern of elevated high school dropout rates and a multi-generational disengagement from traditional school-based literacy practices among urban community members, the project on which this article reports asked a group of city students to document photographically what they perceived as the purposes of, impediments…

Photography projects that incorporate art, drama, and writing activities help students develop a deeper appreciation of the books they read. Using photos to make book cubes and to sequence stories allows students to share their responses without writing. (DF).

Suggests ways of using teacher-produced photographs in English and language-arts classrooms. Offers examples of how a series of pictures was used and how students responded. (RL)

Summaries of 18 conference presentations on diverse topics related to outdoor education are collected in this combination journal and newsletter, which also covers conference events and organizational business. Presentation summaries--generally one or two pages in length--provide highlights of the presentations as well as some guidelines for…

Designed to suggest solutions to problems of curricula and instructional techniques for physically disabled children, the text considers the nature of the child and discusses these aspects of curriculum and methods: definitions and objectives; teachers and administrators; time requirements and enrichment; grouping; reading instruction; testing,…

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 590 Culminating…