July/August 2000
Shakespeare vs. Teletubbies: Is There a Role for Pop Culture in the Classroom?
By Sara-Ellen Amster
What role should pop culture play in the classroom? Some educators say that tapping kids' interest in movies, TV shows, the Internet, and games through student journalism is a good way to improve literacy and critical thinking, while others caution about the violence, commercialism and stereotypes that can be found in such cultural products. This article profiles one such journalism program developed and run by the University of California, San Diego, and discusses how such programs build literacy and other skills by allowing students to use their knowledge of the outside world.
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View from the Classroom: Student Writers Hone Their Skills
Samples of student writing are presented here, with drafts of a story written by Mary and Gloria Navarro, 10-year-old participants in an after-school journalism program in Normal Heights, CA. Their classmates critiqued the first version of the story, and the girls used this feedback to improve their story.
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Tips for Teaching Writing
Recommendations from Roy Peter Clark, senior scholar at the Poyntner Institute for Media Studies and a longtime writing coach.
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Would More Phys Ed Curb Kids' Weight Gain?
Should schools increase the number of mandatory physical education classes? A group of researchers at the University of North Carolina says yes. Researchers at UNC's Carolina Population Center argue that American kids, especially minority girls, don't get enough exercise, contributing to the "major U.S. health problem" of adolescent obesity. This article discusses the results of the UNC study and its implications for physical education programs and student health.
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Online Term-Paper Mills Produce a New Crop of Cheaters
by Orit Ditman
While plagiarizing and purchasing papers have long been academic problems, the advent of the Internet, with its sprawl of information, has made cheating easier for dishonest students to do--and harder for teachers to catch. This article looks at this growing problem and what teachers can do to discourage cheating.
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