English Journal - Volume 92, Issue 5, 2003

This author describes how a “foray into the world of art” provides her students with a clear language to talk about their reading and writing, ultimately transforming her classroom into a community of writers, readers, and thinkers.

Methods such as the circle poem, the “poetic interview,” the found poem, and the poetic field trip are just some used by the author to create an atmosphere of mutual support and enable students to initiate “imaginative possibilities.”

Wondering how to incorporate technology into your classroom without spending a lot of time on training? The author suggests that you view Weblogs, or “blogs” as instant online publishing systems available for use by teachers and students. “Blogging” encourages sharing or collaboration among students and can keep a discussion going long after the class has ended. The author of this brief article discusses the many uses of blogs in the classroom and provides a list of sites with free or inexpensive blogging software, as well as some interesting sites that further discuss the use of blogs in education.