In this article, the author describes the Comic Book Project, which encourages students to address social issues in their lives and schools with art and creativity. The project, founded and directed by Dr. Michael Bitz of Columbia University's Teachers' College in New York, aims primarily to promote literacy. It also gives children an empowering…

Every way of thinking is both premised on and generative of a way of naming that reflects particular underlying convictions. Over the last 15 years, a way of thinking has reemerged that strives to reposition students in educational research and reform. Best documented in Australia, Canada, England, and the United States, this way of thinking is…

This article describes Kid-to-Kid, a group discussion program that gives students a strong voice and lets them connect with their peers in an environment where it is safe to be honest, where feelings and thoughts can be expressed without fear of judgment, and where the teacher talks less than the students. Guidelines for starting such a program…

Online learning has infiltrated tertiary learning and teaching applications and offers enrichment in the construction of student learning through opportunities unfathomable for most university teachers when they were students. While all students benefit from online learning components that are supplemental to more traditional modes of teaching, it…

This paper describes subjectivist psychology, discussing its use for guiding teaching and learning. Subjectivist psychology focuses on joint cognitive and affective experiences of learning. It describes the natural affective-cognitive enculturation processes that children experience in learning the skills, understandings, and values of their…

The changing demographics in U.S. institutions have contributed to the increasingly multicultural nature of classrooms. Thus, it is imperative that teachers become cultural brokers and social engineers who have the ability to lead and empower their students. The multicultural construct is seen as a conducive rationale to prepare teachers for the…

Recounts how an eighth-grade teacher used reflective portfolios with her students to help them overcome their reluctance to write and to get them to see writing as a way to learn about themselves as students and as individuals. States that the teacher wanted students to be enthusiastic about writing as a part of everyday life. (PA)

Describes the use of a "peace rose" in the Montessori classroom to foster conflict-resolution skills in children. Asserts that the child-controlled process, in which children take turns expressing feelings about their conflict, has several positive results. Children learn the value of communication in solving problems, and teachers are…

Explains how humor not merely creates a comfortable classroom environment, but also a sense of community, which empowers students as writers. Notes that once empowered in this way, students are free to express themselves in writing and discussion without holding back. Concludes that with humor, teachers can let go of carefully crafted lesson plans…

Provides a review of current literature with emphasis on the issues of student empowerment, early intervention strategies, and cultural issues in education which may stimulate solutions for restructuring literacy education in response to the No Child Left Behind legislation of 2001. Notes that reading failure for speakers of nonstandard English…

Advocates empowering students to help them take control of their lives. Provides specific ideas on how educators can facilitate this process. Uses concepts from humanistic education, group dynamics, Quaker thought and action, and experiential programing. (KS)

Describes how professors can guide and encourage graduate students to write for publication, thereby empowering students as professional practitioners and reformers in their fields. Teachers can take steps to create an environment of professional scholarship within their classes. Demystifying writing for publication reinforces class content and…

MegaSkills are attitudes, behaviors, and habits that determine a child's achievement in school and throughout life. This paper describes the MegaSkills Parent Workshops and Classroom Essentials Programs, which empower parents, and introduce, develop, and reinforce crucial living skills for success in and out of school. The paper also offers…

Discusses the teaching of writing and the focus of the writer's inner sense of well-being or fulfillment used by Romantic teachers. Mentions that some teachers believe that this is at the cost of suppressing the concept of discourse. Argues that writerly pleasure empowers students, and that this topic is relevant to the teaching of writing. (CR)

Responds to an article in the same issue of this journal describing a high school play director's use of "democratic" directing methods. Explores questions about methodology and study design and the role of the researcher in examining her own practice. Argues that the study makes a strong contribution to the field, especially for those involved in…