Weidensall Hall
Room 102
300 North Washington St.
Gettysburg, PA 17325-1400
Education
PhD Union Institute & University, 2009
MS McDaniel College, 2000
BS Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1995
Academic Focus
Literacy, Education Equity, Creativity, Special Education, and Education Policy
Office of Teacher Education and Certification, Director
I believe a great teacher does more than "great work," she continues to stretch and grow intellectually in a socially conscious way to support all learners. My research and teaching activities are strongly interdependent through the lens of inquiry. I teach a variety of community-based courses in literacy and as well as inquiry-based education courses. These courses include a balanced mix of theory, practice, methodology, assessment, and innovation. My students do research with me in the field and on campus. We often present our results together at research conferences and publish co-authored journal articles and book chapters. I believe in blending theory with practice through action research, specifically inquiry. I conduct much action-research in local schools as well as with alum. If you don’t have a desire to teach, but are very interested in the field of education - you can explore the field of education through a personal lens as you design an Educational Studies Minor. Hope to meet you soon!
Courses Taught
Exploration of multiple modes of education that illustrate inequality. Surveys how education affects citizens and communities and the accessibility of various educational systems. Using case studies to explore how education functions systematically and how various educational systems reflect and shape who we are, this course will investigate five models: urban, rural, private, cyber, and magnet. Focuses on research from various fields that details how the achievement gap continues to grow in urban schools, private institutions, and rural schools; specifically, how social class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and different identities both organize and are organized by educational environments and how these affect children, families, schools, and communities.
Examination of traditional and contemporary models of intelligence and creativity, and their effects on learning and leadership. Designed to explore how the creative process transforms professional practices, the course examines creativity from educational, psychological, cultural, arts-based, and neurological frameworks, and addresses learner engagement and motivation. Through the creation of a cross-disciplinary project, students employ research-based principles to design, implement, and assess impacts of the creative process on learning and teaching.
This course will allow students to explore a variety of approaches and perspectives in teaching literacy and literature in the secondary classroom. We will investigate methodologies and issues surrounding the teaching of reading, writing, speaking, viewing, thinking, and listening in today’s digital world. Students will have an opportunity to develop better literacy skills and strategies as they learn effective instructional methods to use in various secondary classrooms. Students will have an opportunity to work with secondary students at local schools. Offered annually, fulfills English Teacher Certification requirement. Prerequisite: EDUC 201 with C or higher grade; or permission of the instructor.
The significance of Young Adult Literature will be investigated including theories about developmental, aesthetic, and cultural factors when reviewing texts. Note: The term "texts" is used broadly to refer to works in all media. Examination, evaluation and identification of texts based upon the biological, socio-cultural, psychological and developmental characteristics of young adults; guidance in the identification of the cultural implications of these materials, emphasizing gender-fair and multicultural resources and the attitudes, interests, problems, and opportunities of young adults in contemporary society.
Over the past decade, technological advances have exposed society to immense amounts of information via multiple texts. Literacy as Agency is designed to provide a forum where students can investigate the impact technological advances have had on serving literate and illiterate citizens by examining policy, pedagogies, and possibilities. Students will be exposed to literacy through a new lens, context-sensitive literacy that is critical for wide-awake civic engagement, for meaningful social action, and for democracy itself. Prerequisite: EDUC 115, EDUC 199, or EDUC 201; or permission of instructor.
This course enables the prospective teacher to learn how to coordinate the classroom learning environment to effectively address the diverse needs of students in general classroom settings. The course considers characteristics of students with special needs and the modifications in teaching methods necessary to meet their needs. Classroom management techniques for academic, social, emotional, and cognitive differences are addressed. Students will design activities and respective accommodations for both general education students and students with special
needs. Various assessment techniques will be discussed and developed to evaluate the activities. Specific topics to be addressed include: federal legislation, teaching strategies, team collaboration, special support services, and individual education plans (IEP). Prerequisite: EDUC 201 with a C or higher grade; and MUS_CLAS 149 for Music Education; or permission of the instructor
Every community struggles to fully support the development of adolescents in our fast-paced societies. The significance of the environment where young adults grow, learn, and explore will be investigated using critical literacy skills while engaging with literature, media, and experiential opportunities. Over the course of the semester, participants will reflect on their own identity development and learning in relation to the communities in which they belong. Using literature, texts, films, podcasts, and one another, participants will continue to reflect on this question; How does my community impact my identity and learning? We address these topics through the lens of identity development while learning side-by-side with adolescents who experience learning in a different setting. This course is a community-based learning initiative with adolescents who receive residential treatment through Abraxas' Leadership Development Program in South Mountain, PA.