Claudia Cornett is Professor Emerita of Education at Wittenberg University. During her tenure there she has directed the Literacy Center and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in literacy methodology and arts integration. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award from Wittenberg. Before moving to the college level, she taught grades 1-8 and was a literacy specialist.nbsp; She received a Ph.D. from Miami University in curriculum and instruction. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Claudia is the author of numerous books and articles about literacy, using the arts as teaching tools, bibliotherapy, childrenrsquo;s literature, phonics and the strategic use of humor. Her most… recent publications include Comprehension First: Inquiry into Big Ideas using Important Questions in press.nbsp; In 2006 the International Reading Association published her article, Center Stage: Arts-Based Read Alouds in the November Reading Teacher. In 2002 Phi Delta Kappa published a second edition of Learning through Laughter. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Claudia regularlynbsp;particpates innbsp;keynote addresses and professional development for educators throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada. Her current research focuses on redefining literacy to include all the communication arts, including the fine and performing arts.