(1998). Technology, Teaching, and Citizenship Education. Today's computer technology is particularly beneficial for a class that is learning issues of government. Government document sources are well organized on the world wide web. Analyzing the Bill of Rights and how the Supreme Court has interpreted challenges is an exercise that incorporates citizenship education, offers insight into judicial decision making, and utilizes primary sources. For example, using the web site, "Supreme Court Cases by Topic," students can use keywords such as "cruel and unusual,""search and seizure,""free press," or "free speech" to find a list of cases in the database that deal with those topics. Versions of Supreme Court cases can be accessed quickly. In a few pages, the facts of the case are outlined, the decision is explained, and the majority opinion is given. The Court considers the Constitution, the intent of the framers, precedent, and in the case of the Amendment, the evolving standards of justice…. [PDF]
(1991). The Constitution in Crisis: The Red Scare of 1919-1920. A Unit of Study for Grades 9-12. This unit is one of a series that represents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. Continuing narrative provides context for the dramatic moment. By studying a crucial turning-point in history, students become aware that choices had to be made by real human beings, that those decisions were the result of specific factors, and that they set in motion a series of historical consequences. The lessons are based on primary sources, taken from documents, artifacts, journals, diaries, newspapers, and literature from the period under study. By analyzing primary sources, students will learn how to analyze evidence, establish a valid interpretation, and construct a coherent narrative in which all the relevant factors play a part. This unit is designed to help students recognize that the guarantees of the Bill of Rights are fragile and must be secured by a commitment to principles. When exaggerated fears of political, racial, or ethnic groups…
(1993). The Principal's Legal Handbook. The principal is faced with myriad legal issues on a daily basis, making it imperative that he or she keep abreast with developing legal issues. The first of four sections, \Students and the Law,\ surveys federal statutes and landmark Supreme Court decisions pertaining to the rights of students. It addresses legal issues regarding search and seizure, freedom of expression, dress codes, student discipline and due process, academic sanctions, and child abuse. Section 2, \Special Education and the Law,\ reviews legal issues involving disabled students, their parents, and schools in light of decisions of the Court and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Among issues addressed are eligibility and appropriate education; individualized education plans; transition for individuals with disabilities; discipline; related services, including school health services, physical and psychological therapy, transportation, and assistive technologies; infectious diseases; and barrier-free…
(1998). Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (81st, Baltimore, Maryland, August 5-8, 1998). Law. The Law section of the Proceedings contains the following 13 papers: "Link Law: The Evolving Law of Internet Hyperlinks" (Mark Sableman); "Bits, Bytes and the Right to Know: How the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Holds the Key to Public Access to a Wealth of Useful Government Databases" (Martin E. Halstuk); "Mirrored in Parody, Mired in Paradox: Trademark Dilution and An Ancient Art" (Stephen J. Earley); "The Supreme Court and its 'Public': The Maturation of Theory and Interpretation" (Susan Dente Ross); "The Viability of the Libel-proof Plaintiff Doctrine Following the Masson Decision" (Raymond N. Ankney); "Building Bridges: Metaphors and Analogies Used by Courts in Cases Involving the Internet" (Stephanie Lyn Beck); "Merging Law and Ethics: Discourse Legal Theory and Freedom of Expression" (David S. Allen); "Mass Communications Research in First Amendment and Other Media-Related Federal Court… [PDF]
(2000). The Many Faces of Paul Robeson. The Constitution Community: Postwar United States (1945 to Early 1970s). Paul Robeson was an athlete-scholar-concert artist-actor who was also an activist for civil and human rights. The son of a former slave, he was born and raised during segregation, lynching, and open racism. Robeson was one of the top performers of his time, earning more money than many white entertainers. His travels overseas opened his awareness to the universality of human suffering and oppression. His outspokenness and pro-Soviet stance made him a target of militant anti-communists. In 1950 the State Department revoked his passport, thereby denying him the right to travel and to earn money abroad. Robeson filed a lawsuit for reinstatement of his passport. In 1958 the Supreme Court agreed with Robeson, ruling that the State Department could not deny citizens the right to travel because of their political beliefs. This lesson relates to Article I, Section 9, of the U.S. Constitution, which states that the migration of people should not be prohibited by Congress, and to the First… [PDF]
(2001). How To Use a Wheelbarrow and the First Amendment. Both the poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams and the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights show the power of language as vehicles for message. Using them in class as exercises to look at language and meaning will help students understand the importance of connotation and grammar; the use and validity of sources; and the layers of meaning possible with a few precise words. By looking closely at either in a discussion, students see and model the critical thinking process. Both are short, and each are "do-able" in a 50-minute class. The poem can be used in writing and literature classes to show: importance of language; power of imagery; multiple meanings; essence of poetry; and history of the poem and its writer. The First Amendment can be used in writing, journalism, and media and society classes to show: importance of language and meaning of individual words; possible interpretations of the First Amendment; importance of grammar and why having a… [PDF]
(1997). Peer Review: The Linchpin of Academic Freedom and Tenure. Academe, v83 n3 p15-19 May-Jun. Discusses the critical role of peer review in defending academic freedom and tenure, focusing on the origins of peer review in the United States, the role of the American Association of University Professors in defending free inquiry and speech, standards of ethics and competence, and the need to educate current faculty on their rights and responsibilities. (MDM)…
(2004). Effects of Self-Modelling on Stuttering. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, v39 n4 p509-522 Oct-Dec. Background: The paper reports on a laboratory investigation of the effects of self-modelling on stuttering rate in adolescents and adults. Self-modelling refers to a therapeutic or training method, usually involving videotape, that uses exposure to oneself performing selected error-free behaviours as the conduit for promoting behaviour change. Aims: To investigate self-modelling in single-subject experiments to determine whether any reductions in stuttering could be directly attributable to watching self-modelling videotapes and to ascertain whether instruction to focus attention on the target behaviour, namely stutter-free speech, was necessary for experimental effects. Methods & Procedures: A single-subject withdrawal design was employed with two adult men and an adolescent boy. Speaking sessions during all phases of the study were of 3-min duration. During the B Phase, subjects watched one of their self-modelling videotapes, which had been edited to remove all stuttered speech,… [Direct]
(1992). School Dress Codes v. The First Amendment: Ganging up on Student Attire. Do school dress codes written with the specific purpose of limiting individual dress preferences, including dress associated with gangs, infringe on speech freedoms granted by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? Although the Supreme Court has extended its protection of political speech to nonverbal acts of communication, it has determined that students' choice of dress as a means of personal expression can be regulated by school officials. Over the last two decades, federal judges have divided evenly on the question of whether guarantees of privacy and free speech apply to teenagers' choice of dress. Some courts have insisted that the constitutional rights of individual students be balanced against the need for school officials to make reasonable health and safety regulations. School officials use the goals of their dress codes as a platform to support specific bans on gang and other inappropriate attire. A review of school dress codes reveals that most codes: (1) prohibit… [PDF]
(1988). Liberty: Constitutional Update. Bar/School Partnership Programs Series. This is the first of four special handbooks on constitutional themes. "The Idea of Liberty" (I. Starr) suggests that for teaching purposes, the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights is an excellent operating definition of liberty. "Introducing the First Amendment" (D. Sorenson) is a lesson plan for use with upper elementary and middle school students. "The Bill of Rights" (C. Yeaton; K. Braechel) is a lesson plan designed to introduce that document to students in grades 4-6. "Freedom of Speech" and "Freedom of Speech and Expression" (D. Greenawald) are lesson plans for grades 4-6 and 7-12 respectively, designed to teach students why freedom of speech is important in a democracy. "Come to the First Amendment Fair" (A. Blum) is a lesson plan for secondary students that focuses on the standards that may limit government in the free speech area. "Going beyond Darwin" (M. Croddy) examines legislation and court cases… [PDF]
(1984). Some New Perspectives on the First Amendment in the Schools. The first textbook censorship challenge reached the courts in 1949, when a group of Jewish parents objected to Jewish stereotypes in literature used in the classrooms. This New York case is a reminder that (1) would-be censors do not always come from the far right; (2) while most censorship cases go to court for the purpose of having controversial materials put back on the shelves, sometimes a community or parent group will come to court from the opposite direction–to have material removed; and (3) library and textbook censorship issues are basically different from most other issues that arise under Constitutional free speech. In 1982, the United States Supreme Court finally intervened in a censorship case in Long Island, New York, where students had objected to the school board's decision to remove or restrict several library books found objectionable by parents and by the board. The case was significant in its opinion in favor of a plurality of educational materials, and in its…
(1991). Television and the Crisis in the Humanities. It is indeed a problem, perhaps even a crisis, that many Americans are ignorant of \The Tempest,\ the Civil War, the location of the Persian Gulf, the Constitution, or the chief justice of the Supreme Court. However, if conservative humanists continue to ostracize, scorn, and ignore both media studies and the media themselves, the result will not be a return to the good old days when people read Homer and listened to Bach, but an even darker veil of ignorance, fostered for economic and political purposes by the very media that some humanists do not wish to understand. The crisis rhetoric of conservatives has about it the ring of both Chicken Little and of Nero fiddling. They emphasize \cultural literacy\ while overlooking actual literacy. The problem of student illiteracy is a chronic problem with a long history, rather than a crisis. But the conservatives ignore real problems that have better claim to the word \crisis\ than do such conservative worries as political correctness,… [PDF]
(1986). The Pornography Controversy: Issues, Effects Research, and First Amendment Rights. Advances in media technology, specifically the videotape industry, have made pornography widely available. Opponents of pornography include religious groups, law enforcement officers, some politicians, and some feminists. A distinction is made between eroticism (occurring between consenting participants) and pornography (signifying overt or covert coercion). Research on the effects of eroticism and pornography reveals that (1) observed erotic behavior may elicit sexual reactions but does not heighten aggression; (2) observed sexual aggression may evoke aggression-facilitating responses; (3) when erotica and pornography both have unpleasant or extravagant content, they are equal in their effect on the aggression levels of viewers; (4) the effects of modeled sexual assaults are strongly influenced by how the victims' reactions are portrayed; (5) massive exposure to pornography alters sexual standards and attitudes toward women, but decreases aggression; and (6) individual…
(1999). Preparing for a New Century of Learning: Technology, Education, and the Internet. ICTE Tampa 1999: International Conference on Technology and Education Proceedings (17th, Tampa, Florida, October 10-13, 1999). The overarching focus of the International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE) Tampa 1999 conference was "Preparing for a New Century of Learning: Technology, Education, and the Internet." Twelve themes supported this focus: "Implementation in the Classroom"; "Educational Tools"; "Information Technology and Educational Policy"; "School-Based Technical Support"; "Internet Filters vs. Free Speech"; "Copyright and Trademark Issues"; "Internet and Distance Learning: The Next Five Years"; "Using Technology To Create New Paradigms"; "Assessment"; "Assistive Technologies"; "Challenges of Technology in the Classroom"; and "Creating Digital Assets for Education." Topics of papers in this proceedings include: task based management for technology instruction; interactivity in Web-based instruction; Web pages to enhance student achievement; digital… [PDF]
(1996). Nonlegislative Report of the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property Committee on the Judiciary. U.S. House of Representatives. Under the Copyright Act of 1976, "fair use" exemption places a limit on the exclusive rights of copyright owners to promote free speech, learning, scholarly research and open discussion. The Consortium of College and University Media Centers (CCUMC) convened a diverse group of interested parties to draft guidelines which would provide guidance on the application of the fair use exemption by educators, scholars, and students in creating multimedia projects that include portions of copyrighted works, for their use in noncommercial educational activities, without having to seek the permission of copyright owners. These guidelines form the body of this nonlegislative report. The guidelines, which do not represent a legal document, nor are they legally binding, represent an agreed upon interpretation of the fair use provisions of the Copyright Act by the overwhelming majority of the institutions and organizations affected by educational multimedia. A list of those organizations… [PDF]