English Journal, Vol. 96, No. 4, March 2007

Table of Contents

Issue Theme: Issues and Innovations

• Call for Manuscripts, English Journal

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Letters to EJ

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• From the Editor

  Louann Reid

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• In Memoriam:Donald M. Murray

  Thomas Newkirk

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• From the Secondary Section: Building Fires: Raising Achievement through Class Discussion

  Elizabeth Kahn

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  Abstract: Members of the Secondary Section Steering Committee comment on topics of importance to English language arts educators.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Snapshots: Write Like You Talk

  Traci Gardner

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  Abstract: “Snapshots” offers insights about teaching and learning through teacher stories about a particular classroom event.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Speaking My Mind: The African American Read-In

  Stephanie Power Carter

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  Abstract: “Speaking My Mind” invites readers to speak out about controversial issues relevant to the teaching of English language arts.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Teacher to Teacher: What Advice Would You Give New Teachers about Dealing with School Politics?

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  Abstract: “Teacher to Teacher” provides a forum for teachers to share ideas, materials, and activities.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Honoring Dialect and Culture: Pathways to Student Success on High-Stakes Writing Assessments

  Michelle Crotteau

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  Abstract: Honoring students’ home dialect is a complex task when preparing them to take state writing tests that require the use of Standard English. Working with students who had failed the test and were in danger of not receiving a diploma, Michelle Crotteau created a supportive learning environment in which students could develop linguistic and mechanical fluency. In the Writing Strategies class, students spoke and wrote about their interests, drew on their dialect (Appalachian English), and learned to recognize audience-appropriate situations for using their dialect and Standard English.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Teaching with Passion, Learning by Choice

  Honor Moorman with Brad Dehart, Richard Flieger, Nancy Gregory, Liz Ozuna, Lindsey Perret, Donna Reed, Amy Stengel, and Lydia M. Valdés

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  Abstract: Honor Moorman and her colleagues describe the enthusiastic response from high school students and teachers to the school’s annual tradition of English minicourses—mixed-grade-level classes that take the place of regular English classes for two weeks in the last half of the spring semester. Teachers are given an opportunity to teach a specific topic they feel passionate about, while students can choose the minicourse that sounds the most intriguing to them.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Persuasive Writing and the Student-Run Symposium

  James C. Mayer

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  Abstract: High school teacher James C. Mayer explains how a student-run symposium can promote “risk-taking and participation” and help students practice effective persuasion skills before demonstrating them in writing. The symposium places students in roles that encourage responsibility and ownership for discussion and learning, shifting the classroom context into a more meaningful experience for students and teachers.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• The Zine Project: Innovation or Oxymoron?

  Tobi Jacobi

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  Abstract: The Zine Project helps students and teachers consider the assumptions and expectations we have about how literacy functions in school and community contexts. In this article, Tobi Jacobi examines the relationships among composition theory, community literacy practices, and service learning, taking into account the complex possibilities and implications that arise when zines are incorporated into the classroom.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Making Research Matter

  Lesley Roessing

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  Abstract: Eighth-grade teacher Lesley Roessing designed an assignment that makes individual student research useful and accessible to the entire class. She outlines steps students take to create a guide to supplement their reading of Waiting for the Rain: A Novel of South Africa. She then builds on the research experience in another unit by addressing issues of style and voice through a collaborative research and creative writing project.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• A Practical Guide to Political Action: Grassroots and English Teaching

  Leslie David Burns

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  Abstract: Leslie David Burns calls teachers to the political forefront, believing that we need to educate our communities about our work by dispelling inaccurate public assumptions about literacy, “best” teaching practices, and accountability standards. He provides teachers with a list of practical steps for “intentional political action” at the grassroots level.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Why I Won't Be Using Rubrics to Respond to Students' Writing

  Maja Wilson

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  Abstract: Maja Wilson believes that efforts to standardize language through rubrics and generalized comments provide a disservice to students and undermine the power of the reading and writing experience. She advocates making use of our subjectivity as readers, conceding that her values cannot be standardized and often shift in response to interactions with students and their writing.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• How Movies Work for Secondary School Students with Special Needs

  Joseph Coencas

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  Abstract: Joseph Coencas shows scenes from films to help special education students improve their visual and auditory skills, build confidence in their abilities to talk about and analyze the components of a narrative, and feel comfortable engaging in class discussion and writing. He also encourages students to pursue their interests in subjects they have learned about in films.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• I'll Have Mine Annotated, Please: Helping Students Make Connections with Texts

  Matthew D. Brown

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  Abstract: Matthew D. Brown asks students to enter into conversation with the texts they read, connecting personally to make meaning. The process of annotation—analyzing the purposes for annotation, brainstorming connections, developing ideas through peer feedback, and writing detailed responses to text—allows students to consider how active interaction between reader and text is vital to their understanding.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Interest for Writing: How Teachers Can Make a Difference

  Rebecca L. Lipstein and K. Ann Renninger

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  Abstract: Although interest plays a large role in motivation and confidence, we need a clearer understanding of how teachers and classroom practices can influence students’ interest for the act of writing. Rebecca L. Lipstein and K. Ann Renninger studied the perceptions of 178 students in grades 7, 8, and 9 to develop this understanding. They offer characteristics of students in four phases of interest and describe instructional approaches to meet students’ wants and needs.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Learning to Write: Technology for Students with Disabilities in Secondary Inclusive Classrooms

  Patricia M. Barbetta and Linda A. Spears-Bunton

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  Abstract: Patricia M. Barbetta and Linda A. Spears-Bunton describe seven technologies and various products that are available to assist struggling students with the complex mechanical and organizational tasks of writing in a secondary English classroom. These technologies can support students in becoming more effective and more confident writers.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Research Matters: Writing Policy and School Reform

  Rick VanDeWeghe, Editor

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  Abstract: “Research Matters” provides teachers with review and application of research that illuminates the daily concerns and activities of English language arts teachers and classrooms.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• New Voices: How to Survive—and Thrive—as an English Teacher: Some Practical Suggestions

  Tiffany J. Hunt and Bud Hunt, editors

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  Abstract: “New Voices” raises questions, offers insights, and provides a forum for novice teachers to engage in the professional conversation surrounding the teaching of English.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Teaching English in the World: Something to Speak About: Addressing Sensitive Issues through Literature

  Kenneth Lindblom, Editor

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  Abstract: “Teaching English in the World” examines the teaching of English in a global context

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Stepping into the Classroom: Reminding Old Dogs of Old Tricks

  Terry Patrick Bigelow, and Michael J. Vokoun, Editors

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  Abstract: “Stepping into the Classroom” shares innovative lesson ideas grounded in current literature or action research.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Tools for Teaching: Resources for Issues and Innovations in Instruction

  Colleen A. Ruggieri, Editor

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  Abstract: "Tools for Teaching" helps you find the best print and electronic resources for teaching English language arts.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Personal Reading: Are you Listening?

  Linda Null, and Suellen Alfred, Editors

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  Abstract: “Personal Reading” contains reviews of fiction and nonfiction books, with a special interest in multicultural works.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Bold Books for Teenagers: New Books for Teenagers: New Books from Favorite Authors

  Don Gallo, Editor

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  Abstract: “Bold Books for Teenagers” provides dynamic, informative viewpoints on important issues in publishing and teaching contemporary literature, especially literature for adolescents. Reviews of young adult literature also appear in this column.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Poetry

  James Brewbaker, editor

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  Abstract: “Poetry” features poems by teachers and professional poets.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

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