English Education Resources

[Robert Rozema]

English education professors,

Use this forum item to share your best resources--unit plans, lesson plans, writing invitations, or other ideas that have worked for you in a university setting.

Just reply to this discussion item with a brief description of your resource and then attach any files that go along with it. Ideally, we'll have a rich archive for new and veteran teachers alike. Be sure to include your name, and be sure to credit any resources you use from this site.

[Robert Rozema]

Title : Parent Protest: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Levels/Subjects: I use this with students in my methods courses, but it could easily fit in high school or late middle school.

Description: This is a role play that asks students to discuss the possible censorship of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Students divide into three groups: teachers, parents, and school board. Teachers work to develop a rationale for teaching the text; parents work to create possible arguments against it; the school board moderates the discussion and renders a final verdict. I've had great (and sometimes heated) discussions with this activity.

It may be modified to fit any controversial novel. For English education methods courses, I recommend accompanying reading from Ellen Brinkley's excellent text Caught Off Guard.

[Carol Steele]

ASCD just published my book, The Inspired Teacher: How to know One, Grow One or Be One. You can read sample chapters at www.carolsteele.net or at the ASCD website. It offers some new ideas that will be generally helpful to individual teachers and to groups of teachers encouraging one another.