When the Candy Is Picked Up

When a piece of candy is picked up,

Sweetness at once becomes the theme of the world.

One person is listening to two others talking:

“You absolutely must submit!

Otherwise bad things will happen—

To yourself and to those around you.

It’s very unlucky…”

Another person says:

“You must be devout!

Not a single detail can be wrong,

Otherwise it’s a sin,

And even your next life will be bad…”

The first person speaks again:

“You must follow!

By following, you can avoid misfortune.

The whole family must follow—

This is redemption and hope…”

The other person adds again:

“You must place its image everywhere!

As if it must watch over us at all times,

To prevent us from failing to keep in step—

With what has been prescribed.

The meaning of this world has already been set—

It lies precisely in this…”

The listener grows frightened,

And quickly goes up to ask them:

“This gang you’re talking about is terrifying,

And so evil.

Where’s it?

Tell me, so I can avoid it.”

The two of them widen their eyes,

Facing him with horrifying expressions and words:

“What gang?

What terror?

We’re talking about faith.

We’re talking about religion.

This is humanity’s true good and hope.

Do you understand?

You’re really pitiful—

One look and it’s clear you have no faith…”

PEDAGOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR USING PROJECT-BASED TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING LITERATURE

Mamatova Mahbuba Abdulboqi qizi Master’s Degree Student (2nd Year) Namangan State Pedagogical Institute.

Abstract

This article provides a theoretical and methodological analysis of the pedagogical conditions for using project-based technology in the process of teaching literature. The didactic potential of project-based learning in developing students’ independent thinking, creative abilities, and literary–aesthetic competence is examined. Particular attention is paid to the organizational, methodological, and psychological factors necessary for the effective implementation of project activities in literature classes. The study substantiates the alignment of project-based technology with the competency-based approach and contemporary educational requirements.

Keywords: project-based learning, literature education, pedagogical conditions, creative competence, independent learning, interdisciplinary integration.

Introduction

In modern education, increasing students’ learning autonomy and transforming them into active participants in the educational process has become a priority. In literature education, special emphasis is placed on developing students’ aesthetic perception, literary thinking, and communicative competence. In this context, project-based technology emerges as an effective innovative pedagogical approach that enhances the quality and effectiveness of literature instruction.

Project-based learning enables students to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical activities through independent inquiry and creative tasks. This approach contributes to the development of critical thinking skills and encourages learners to express their personal interpretations of literary works.

● Didactic Potential of Project-Based Technology in Literature EducationProject-based technology is oriented toward solving problem-based tasks and fostering active cognitive engagement. In literature classes, project activities promote in-depth analysis of literary texts, exploration of character systems, interpretation of authorial ideas, and the formulation of individual viewpoints.

Through project work, students engage in presentations, creative writing, dramatizations, and research-oriented tasks. As a result, their literary knowledge becomes systematized, and their independent learning competence is significantly enhanced.

●Pedagogical Conditions for Implementing Project-Based Technology Project activities should be designed in accordance with clearly articulated educational goals. In literature teaching, project objectives must focus on developing students’ literary thinking and reinforcing theoretical knowledge through practical application.

●Consideration of Students’ Individual CharacteristicsThe selection of project topics should take into account students’ age, cognitive abilities, and interests. This approach increases motivation and ensures active participation in project activities.

●Creation of a Motivational Learning Environment

The effective use of project-based learning requires a supportive and motivating educational environment. Problem-based questions, real-life contexts, and creative tasks play a crucial role in stimulating learners’ interest.

●Teacher’s Role as Facilitator and Advisor

Within project-based learning, the teacher acts not as a controller but as a facilitator and consultant who guides students throughout the learning process. This role fosters learners’ independence and responsibility.

●Integration of Individual and Collaborative Activities

Project-based activities should combine individual and group work to develop cooperation, communication skills, and a sense of responsibility among students.

●Ensuring Interdisciplinary Integration

Project-based technology allows literature education to be integrated with history, art, and linguistics. Such interdisciplinary connections contribute to the formation of holistic knowledge and broaden students’ perspectives

.●Systematic Assessment and Reflection

Clear assessment criteria and reflective practices are essential components of project-based learning. Evaluation of project outcomes and self-assessment activities help students analyze their learning experiences and improve future performance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the use of project-based technology in teaching literature plays a significant role in fostering students’ creative and critical thinking skills. The effectiveness of this approach largely depends on the proper organization of pedagogical conditions. Project-based learning enhances the quality of literature education and aligns it with contemporary educational standards and competency-based requirements.

References:

Polat, E. S. Project-Based Learning and Its Didactic Potential in Education. Moscow: Academy, 2019.

Azizkhojayeva, N. N. Pedagogical Technologies and Teaching Excellence. Tashkent: TDPU, 2018.

Ishmuhamedov, R. J. Modern Educational Technologies. Tashkent, 2017.

Karimov, S. Methods of Teaching Literature. Tashkent: O‘qituvchi, 2020.

“All Encompassing”

1.)

As age cleans me out

day and night tasting

sugar and icing cakes

chocolate malts and lipstick kisses

my memories mounting horses

galloping across fields and countries

I laugh gritting my teeth

wailing against walls and doors unopening…

2.)

My mother cooks in a hot kitchen

my father hammering nails of fire

wars mounting tanks and hollow ships

full of men in metal suits and swimming trunks

fishing for good against wrong

ideas changing through centuries

waking up childhood dreams

with the sun rising through a rainbow window.

3.)

We will die fat and boneless

in our conclusions

not knowing the whole truth

and the endlessness of shame

some grabbing ahold of God

as He lets us enter the Light

the stars not enough

for all the dark hearts.

4.)

But God’s heart all encompassing.

————————————————————–

happiness

you haven’t lived until

you have cleaned the

shit off of your 72 year

old mother

the same mother that

wondered why you

used your real name

the first time you got

paid for your writing

the same mother that

made you walk on a

broken foot for a week

because she didn’t

believe you

as i reached for another

wet wipe my mother

asked if i was happy

with my life

i told her i have never

found happiness in my

fifty years on this planet

and it’s not that i think

it’s not possible, just life

sucks sometimes and

sometimes that suck

doesn’t know when

to stop

these are the nights i

dream about being eight

years old wishing i could

tie a knot

i still remember that tree

in the backyard, and the

ladder and an old rope

—————————————————————–

look forward

this beautiful woman

believes we are going

to have a great life

together one day

i keep telling her

she might want to

get that life started

way sooner than she’s

expecting since i am

much older and closer

to death

she says i should be

positive and look

forward to the future

i always laugh at that

explain to her i have

been poor almost longer

than she’s been alive

that will do some damage

to your soul that never

can be repaired

—————————————————————-

an old stash

one of those nights

you put on coltrane

and start looking

through the drawers

hoping to find an

old stash that has

been long gone

it’s always a woman

always what could

have been

always a night of

lust in chicago oh

so many years ago

my dead friends

are starting to greet

me in my dreams

now

i want to believe

i know what that

means although

i’m pretty sure it

is only wishful

thinking

perhaps the lesbian

i dated at 23 was

right

loneliness clings

to me like an old

coat

too thin for the

winter and much

too much in the

summer

————————————————–

fast asleep

nine degrees at three

in the morning

the only woman that

wants you is fast asleep

547 miles away

betting on yet another

super bowl that doesn’t

have any of the teams

i would want to see

fingers are crossed

but as usual

i’m guessing somehow

i will get three out of

four

while that may help

you pass a test

it doesn’t do much

of anything when

gambling

the good life is a

fucking myth your

father died chasing

without even knowing

he had it

somewhere kerouac

is laughing at you

mumbling something

about this fucker just

ain’t ever going to

understand i guess

the easiest bet of all

is simply understanding

the fool is in the mirror

——————————————————————–

counterclockwise

i dated a woman with

a three legged dog

when i was younger

that dog was way

cooler than i was

so we didn’t last

that long

she did teach me

to stir my coffee

counterclockwise

that releases all

the evil spirits

within

i still do that

to this day

anything to bring the

hope for something

exciting in a world

dripping with the

mundane

two more inches

of snow

a mother trying

to fight off time

it is now an exercise

in biting my tongue

and sadly getting

used to the smell

of shit

my mother said

they never tell

the nurses about

this part of the job

i looked at her

and laughed and

said i know

J.J. Campbell (1976 – ?) is old enough to know better. He’s a 3 time Best of The Net nominee and a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee. He’s been widely published over the years, most recently at The Rye Whiskey Review, Night Owl Narrative, Disturb the Universe Magazine, The Beatnik Cowboy and Crossroads Magazine. His most recent book, to live your dreams, was published by Whiskey City Press. You can find more info on the book by going here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245883678-to-live-your-dreams.

Coding: The Architecture of Modern Power

In the 21st century, power no longer belongs solely to those who control land, capital, or physical resources. Increasingly, it belongs to those who design and control systems. And at the core of every modern system lies one fundamental element: code.

Programming is often misunderstood as a technical skill limited to writing syntax or fixing bugs. In reality, it is a structured way of thinking. Every algorithm represents a strategic solution. Every data structure reflects an intentional design choice. Every optimization is a calculated decision to reduce friction and increase efficiency.

Code is not simply written — it is engineered.

Behind every application, financial platform, transportation network, or robotic mechanism stands an invisible architecture of logic. Users interact with interfaces. Businesses measure outcomes. But beneath those surfaces is a carefully constructed system of rules, conditions, and automated decisions created by programmers who understand complexity at its core.

Robotics demonstrates this transformation most clearly. Lines of code become movement. Sensors gather environmental input, processors evaluate conditions, and mechanical components respond with precision. There is no guesswork in a well-designed system — only cause and effect defined by logic.

The same principle drives modern artificial intelligence. Organizations such as OpenAI develop models that appear capable of reasoning and creativity. Yet beneath the surface, these systems operate on advanced mathematical frameworks — probability distributions, neural networks, and large-scale data processing. What appears intelligent is, in essence, structured computation executed at remarkable scale.

True influence in the digital age belongs to those who understand these structures. To understand a system is to anticipate its behavior. To design a system is to define its limits. And to control systems is to shape outcomes.

As automation accelerates and autonomous technologies expand into industries from manufacturing to medicine, structured reasoning becomes one of the most valuable competencies of our time. The ability to think clearly, design efficiently, and solve complex problems strategically is no longer optional — it is foundational.

Code is not just a tool of creation.

It is the blueprint of modern power.

My full name is Azimov Mirsaid Salimovich. I’m from Uzbekistan, Bukhara. I am a programmer with a strong interest in robotics and intelligent systems. I focus on building structured, efficient solutions that connect software with real-world applications. My work is driven by strategic thinking, system design, and a deep commitment to automation and emerging technologies.

GUNSLINGERS*

Virginia Tech was ripped apart one day.

Students and teachers—total, 32—

were shot and killed. Another dozen wounded.

Don’t blame guns. We all should own a few.

At Sandy Hook, a guy killed 20 kids,

age six and seven. Six staff members, too.

He owned assault rifles, shotguns, and pistols.

Don’t blame guns, Gun ownership’s his due.

A Minnesota man was filming ICE.

ICE shot him in the back ten times, it’s true—

but it was all his fault. His crime? A gun.

A legal gun, a gun he never drew. 

So don’t blame guns for gun-deaths—unless you

are sure the perp’s a bad guy. Might vote Blue. 

*  Events cited:  4/16/07 at Virginia Tech U in Blacksburg, VA;  

1/14/12 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, CONN;

1/24/26 street protest in Minneapolis MINN.

Copyright 1/2026                 Patricia Doyne

Tomorrow is a million reasons to be alive

After Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto

Today may end without all in my

heart gathered in my hands,

but my heart does not grow

ennui. My heart does not grow

ennui, because I believe in tomorrow

—& I give thanks because I still have

life in me. I believe in tomorrow,

because the sky will be accessible,

again. I will reach for it & it won’t deny

me. I will hover around like birds

& I won’t be deprived of the beauty

of the sky we all own. I believe in

tomorrow, because the sun, too, 

will come again. I will reach for it & it 

won’t deny me. Tomorrow is a promise 

for a dream that never ceases

to show up, like dawn. Tomorrow is a

million reasons to be alive. 

Together we make firewood 

In the beginning was love, & the love was

with us, & the love was us. The same love we were laid upon. We wouldn’t have laid the foundation in the absence of love. And if we do, we will pick our remains, 

scattered all over the earth the day the wind blows. The night a tinge of her love got into me, I had no holes in me, & so, I did not leak like a basket. Instead, I held it close & let it seep into every edge of my soul, for a quiet enrichment of the parts that long for her. I am aware that she has settled in me the same way salt settles in soup. I admit love is a flame because my heart is burning, & I am aware that together we made the firewood. I admit love is as essential as air, because it keeps me whole. Today, as this love burns, let the fire increase day by day, let not our nakedness quench its furnace.

Opeyemi Oluwayomi is a violinist, a graphics designer, a member of Hilltop Creative Art Foundation, a final year English & Literary student of University of Ibadan. His works have appeared or are forthcoming on Eye to the Telescope, Heart of Flesh Literary Journal, Ink Sweat & Tears, Spillwords, Brittle Paper, Shallow Tales Review, Ekstasis Magazine, Eboquil Magazine, SpringNG, and elsewhere. He was the second-runner-up winner of the Shuzia Poetry Competition, 2023 (Journey of the Soul), shortlisted for IS&T’s Pick of the Month, 2025. He holds NCE in English & Music, from Federal College of Education, Abeokuta. Social media handles: Joseph O. Oluwayomi