English Journal (EJ). March 2006. Part Two.

Some ideas on teaching English from the English Journal, March 2006, Part Two, a publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

How take notes for a research paper?
Paraphrase. K Guinee and MB Eagleton. EJ (Mar. 06), 46.

What are the advantages of paraphrasing in note taking?
"By actively engaging with the material to write it in their own words, students have the opportunity to process the content and develop better understanding of it." K Guinee and MB Eagleton. EJ (Mar. 06), 52.

How organize a research paper?
Use "I-Search" paper [Ken Macrorie] in which students ask and answer questions that are of personal importance, like careers. H Lyman. EJ (Mar. 06), 62-67.

How can we help students reflect critically on what they see and read?
Students spend fifteen minutes a day responding in writing to paintings and texts. J Luther. EJ (Mar. 06), 68-74.

How teach the research paper?
Use a "mini-research paper on assigned topics, a paper of 500 words, and take students through the process, step-by-step. KA Pfaffinger. EJ (Mar. 06), 75-77.

How help students understand plagiarism?
Give examples of plagiarized material and ask students to analyze them. K Pfaffinger. EJ (Mar. 06), 75-77.

What are some possible research topics?
Students observe the community, criticize it and then make proposals to improve it. C Borsheim and R Petrone. EJ (Mar. 06), 78-83.

How help students learn the habit of asking questions?
Encourage students to respond with questions to what they are reading in literature.

How help students who are failing?
When students are failing, ask why. A Bloodgood. EJ (Mar. 06), 97-99.

What are some alternatives to the research paper?
Create a chapbook or collect ideas on a single topic from different media and genres. Use art work, photography, interviews, music, dreams, original poetry, original stories, poems and stories by others, journal entries, process discussion, reflections, research, Internet links, quotations, newspapers and magazine articles. BE Brown. EJ (Mar. 06), 100-102.

How encourage reflective writing?
Create scenarios--problems, something like Dear Abby, but not necessarily personal; could be a school problem on how to study, how to write a research paper. Students respond with helpful suggestions. TE Henning. EJ (Mar. 06), 102-104.

Other topics: Students create a Renaissance Festival as a research project. Assigning a multi-genre research paper. Students complete a research project by planning dinner party. On asking students to challenge things they don't like in the community. On evaluating Internet resources.