Texas Tech University

Penny Pollart, Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer
Teacher Education Department

Email: penny.pollart@ttu.edu

Phone: 806-834-2216

Office: Education 320

Penny Pollart is a full-time instructor teaching elementary Social Studies methods and Language and Literacy courses.  She received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas Tech University in December 2011, with a focus upon Language and Literacy.  Prior to her doctoral studies Dr. Pollart worked in public education as a classroom teacher.  Her interest in literacy and working with at-risk readers and writers emerged when she taught Developmental Reading courses at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.  In addition to her interest in literacy instruction, she also enjoys teaching Social Studies methods courses.
In teaching Social Studies Methods, her goal is to make learning fun as well as informative by engaging her students in collaborative creative projects and hands-on learning.  She believes Social Studies instruction at the elementary level is essential in order to foster the knowledge and skills needed to prepare children for participation in a democratic society.

Education

  • Doctorate of Philosophy, Curriculum and Instruction, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX     
  • Master of Education, Education, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX
  • Master of Education, Administration, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX
  • Bachelor of Science, Interdisciplinary, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX

Areas of Expertise

  • Social studies curriculum and instruction
  • Teaching reading and writing to at-risk and struggling readers and writers in K-12 and college
  • English language arts curriculum and instruction
  • Use of poetry for literacy instruction and motivation
  • Artistic expression in literacy education
  • Adolescent literacy
  • Content-area literacy
  • Service-learning 

Selected Publications

Pollart,P. Todd, R., Beal, P. & Shoef, C. (2011) Social studies educators establish summer partnership with local museum. Ohio Social Studies Review, 48(2), 38-48.

Pollart, P. (2011).  Poetry pals: Possibilities for poetry in a second grade classroom. Dissertation. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.