PhD University of Georgia, 2008
MEd University of Georgia, 2000
AB College of William & Mary, 1996
Academic Focus
Education Policy, Politics of Education, Teaching History & Social Studies
Dave Powell majored in History and English and was a two-time Busch Warrior at the College of William & Mary before he settled down and earned graduate degrees in Education at the University of Georgia. From 2000-07 he was a teacher of high school history and social studies in Gwinnett County, Ga., just outside of Atlanta, where he taught courses across the breadth of the social studies curriculum, made a valiant but mostly unsuccessful attempt to coach junior varsity soccer, and earned a certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2004. At Gettysburg College he was twice appointed as chair of the Education Department, where he oversaw the reinvention of the Department's curricular offerings and a successful self-study and external review, and also served as chair of Interdisciplinary Studies, which is, to this day, still the best job he ever held. He currently serves as Director of the First-Year Seminar program.
Courses Taught
Study of professional aspects of teaching, historical and philosophical development of American education, and the relationship of schools to society. Current issues affecting schools, such as organization, reforms, and national legislation, are examined. Prerequisite for other certification coursework.
The study of psychological principles related to learning and cognition, and the personal, moral, and social development of the school-aged child. The course also includes discussion of developmentally appropriate instructional practices, students with exceptionalities, and teacher reflection. Prerequisite for other certification coursework.
Introduction to theories and methods associated with teaching social studies for active democratic citizenship. Special attention is given to conceptualizing social studies as a school subject and to the integration of art, music, and film in the social studies classroom. Required of all students seeking secondary teacher certification in social studies, social science, or citizenship. Prerequisite: EDUC 201 with a C or better; or permission of the instructor.
Who owns history? Who decides what’s important to know in our past? What “version” of history should be taught in schools, and what do we know about effective history teaching? This course provides aspiring teachers of history with an introduction to the debates surrounding history teaching, the cultural context of those debates, and practical strategies for interpreting the history curriculum and teaching it to students at any level of educational development. Prerequisite: None; Education 201 recommended.
Charters. Choice. Testing. Standards. Equity. Over the past three decades public opinion has coalesced around the idea that our public schools are failing and desperately in need of reform. How much truth is there in these assertions? This course explores the implications of public school reform policy choices, focusing especially on the way reformers have framed the debate to their advantage. Special attention is paid to teacher quality, urban education, school choice, testing, and other issues raised by reform advocates. EDUC 377 and PP 377 are cross-listed.
Course utilizes teacher action research to develop informal and formal assessment techniques for teaching special needs students and English language learners within an interactive assessment-instruction framework. Offered in conjunction with EDUC 476 Student Teaching. Designed for all education students seeking professional licensure, this course addresses the processes for administering assessments through the development of a special needs or English Language Learner student case study. Students articulate an educational philosophy and create a reflective teaching portfolio including the action research case study. Limited to those students accepted and enrolled in the Education Semester. Prerequisite: MUS_CLAS 149 or EDUC 199, and EDUC 201; or permission of the instructor.
The famous inscription Woody Guthrie placed on his guitar in 1943 declared his personal commitment to the fight against fascism but also said something profound about how many artists and musicians view their work: while art entertains us, it also can enlighten and liberate us as well. This seminar revisits the history of select social and political movements in America to emphasize how musicians and activists have attempted to right wrongs, educate sensibilities, and awaken the consciences of people in an effort to make America a place that lives up to its promise
An interdisciplinary course taught in London by a Gettysburg College faculty member during the one-month presession to the Gettysburg in England program. Topics will vary. The topic during the fall of 2010 will be Global Cities.
Policy design and implementation are obviously of central importance in the policymaking process, but where do ideas for policy solutions come from? This course explores how societies define public policy problems, how and why they choose to respond to those problems, and how they approach policy reform. Special emphasis is placed on the political, historical, and philosophical foundations of policymaking projects and how the pursuit of a better society frames the policymaking process. Prerequisite: PP 221; or permission of the instructor
Topics differ each year. Students read a common core of literature in the field of Public Policy as well as specific readings on the seminar topic. Students also produce a major research project. Prerequisite: POL 221