I have seen how the monthly Scholastic Publishing Company book flyer can set student readers’ hearts aflutter. Scholastic’s marketing through classroom book clubs gives them direct access to all levels of student readers, and when a school hosts a Scholastic book fair, students can browse books or products with book title tie-ins. Moreover, Scholastic offers resources to teachers including lesson plans, discussion guides, […]
Colette Bennett
Colette Marie Bennett is the Curriculum Coordinator for English Language Arts, Social Studies, Library Media, and Testing for the West Haven Public School System in West Haven, Connecticut.
Previous to this position, she served as the Chief Academic Officer (7-12) for Regional School System #6 in Litchfield, Connecticut. She has 23 years of teaching experience in English Language Arts from grades 6-12, including electives in journalism, drama, and film studies.
A graduate of the Alternate Route to Certification, Bennett also has a Masters in English from Western Connecticut State University a 6th year in Advanced Teaching and an 092 Administrative Certificate from Sacred Heart University, and graduate credits from the GLSP in Social Studies at Wesleyan University. She holds a Literacy Certification (102) from Sacred Heart University for grades K-12.
She has presented how technology is incorporated in classrooms at the Connecticut Computers in Education Conference (2010, 2012, 2014), the National Council of Teachers Annual Conference (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), and the Advanced Placement Annual Conference (2011) the Literacy for All Conference (2012), and the ICT for Language Learning in Florence, Italy (2014).
She blogs about education at Used Books in Class: http://usedbookclassroom.wordpress.com/
She tweets at Teachcmb56@twitter.com
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Uncategorized
Propaganda Used in Campbell Brown's Attack on Teacher Tenure
When I teach Animal Farm by George Orwell I have the opportunity to teach propaganda techniques. I provide the students with the definitions and examples of several different types of propaganda techniques. Then, as we read, I have them find these techniques in the novel. Students also find and share propaganda in advertisements they see in other media, on TV […]
Posted inElementary School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Informational Texts: Legos "Lost at Sea"
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Those tiny, multi-colored plastic building bits called Legos have a dedicated, even obsessive, fan base. Such fanaticism is the reason why I thought the following story I recently heard on National Public Radio […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, From the Front Lines, Parents
It's August: Better to Get to Work on those Summer Work Packets!
“Ancora imparo. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][I am still learning.]“ ― Michelangelo, at age 87 in 1562 In the United States, students will spend 96 weeks or collectively about two years of their academic life in summer vacation […]
Posted inCommon Core, Instruction & Curriculum
Announcing LeBron’s Return with Informational Space with Information Text
Teachers are looking to include informational text in their English Language Arts classrooms, but what about informational space? The hard copy of the NYTimes Saturday Sports section on Saturday, July 12, 2014, was an opportunity to teach how space can be information. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
In Balanced Literacy, Johnny’s Reading Means More than Decoding
Throwbacks in education are common. This time, Robert Pondiscio, a Senior Fellow and Vice President for External Affairs at the Thomas B. Fordham Institution is itching for a fight to reopen old “reading war” wounds.He has taken umbrage with the NYTimes (7/2/14) opinion piece Balanced Literacy Is One Effective Approach by Lucy Calkins: Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University and a proponent […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
End of the Year Physics: Phase Changes and Student Growth
As the school year comes to a close, the buzzword is “student growth.” All stakeholders in education want to be able to demonstrate student growth, especially when it is on an upward trajectory. Last week, I had an opportunity to consider student growth with a different lens, and that lens was provided by a graduating senior who was preparing […]
Posted inCommon Core, Instruction & Curriculum
Asking vs. Training for Common Core
An ad supporting the Common Core State Standards posted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation featured a Missouri Teacher of the Year, Jamie Manker, saying, “I support the Common Core because it’s asking kids to think.” Manker is asking kids to think, but what does asking mean? According to the Free Dictionary online, the first example given after defining the verb ask is a little ironic: […]