Freedom Writers technique gets results in a Philadelphia middle school

For a group of Philadelphia inner-city middle school students, watching the movie Freedom Writers was like reliving the past year’s unusual odyssey, in which they wrote about their personal lives in journals and found the courage to read them to classmates. Their teacher was among the first in the country to try the approach with middle school students. As the students revealed thoughts that they had never shared, even with family, their attitudes toward school improved. Some belligerent students settled down, becoming mopre tolerant of one another. Career goals shifted. Some who at first barely wrote ended the year penning poetry and long entries. Read more about this successful program in this article from The Philadelphia Inquirer.