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Greetings!

Hello, and thank you for your interest in using This I Believe with your students!

In this month's Educator News, we'd like to answer some of the most frequently asked questions we get.

Q: How do my students submit their essays?
A: All essays should be submitted through the This I Believe online form, which can be found at this page of our website: http://thisibelieve.org/submission/. We are no longer accepting essay submissions by mail.

Q: Can I submit my students' essays for them?
A: We ask that educators not submit essays on behalf of their students. As part of the essay submission process, we ask each author to agree to the Submission Agreement. Only that individual (or that individual's parent or guardian, if under the age of 18), may agree to the terms of submitting an essay to our project.

 Q: Will my students' essays be posted on the This I Believe website?

A: Yes, all essays that fit within the This I Believe guidelines and are submitted through our online form will be posted to the This I Believe Essay Collection online. Essays are not automatically posted; they must first go through a review process, which can take up to eight weeks. 

 

If you have other questions about using This I Believe in the classroom, please visit our Educator FAQ.


Classroom Projects

Lenape Regional School District
Two high schools in the Lenape Regional High School District in central New Jersey have chosen This I Believe for their One Book One School Choice for 2011-2012. Nearly 4,000 students and faculty will be reading the book, which will be used as a medium to promote interdisciplinary learning and activities. Click here to watch videos created by Shawnee High School and Cherokee High School students. And click here to listen to a song written about This I Believe by the Communication Technology 3 class at Shawnee.  

 

Florida State University 

At the Center for Intensive English Studies at Florida State University, a This I Believe project is helping ESL students develop their language skills by having them share life experiences that have shaped their beliefs. Assistant Director Ramin Yazdanpanah says, "This I Believe essays are an invaluable resource to our students for reading development and cultural awareness." Click here and here to read essays by students from around the globe.

 

Virginia TechVirginia Tech    

Virginia Tech has selected This I Believe II for the university's 2011-2012 Common Book Project, which gives new and transfer undergraduate students a common academic experience during their first year at the school. Daniel Wubah, vice president and dean for undergraduate education, says they selected the book because of "its relevance to the transitional process from high school to college." Click here to learn more about Virginia Tech's Common Book Project.   

  

To see a list of other schools using a This I Believe book for a common reading project, visit the Common Reading Programs page of our website. 

 

For more information about how educators are using This I Believe in their classrooms and on their campuses, visit our website.

 

 

Dear This I Believe...

"About two years ago, I incorporated This I Believe essays into my composition course at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona....

"When I think back, I remember how some of the students had trouble zeroing in on one belief and using first person. Additionally, supporting the belief they did choose with concrete details proved challenging to some. They had to learn to narrow a topic, to be comfortable with their own voices, and to shoot for concreteness.  They also had to put aside their tendency to be critical of others' beliefs. Their mindset of 'my belief is validated if I win you over to it' had to be replaced by, 'developing respect for beliefs different from their own.' To me such a mindset results not only in better understanding but also stronger writing--'let me explain' rather than 'let me show you how I am right and you are wrong.'

"I write to thank you."

- Eileen Groom, Prescott, Arizona