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Karen Lea, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor, Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Karen Lea joined Point Loma as an adjunct professor in 2015. Karen has fifteen years’ experience teaching at the K-12 level with twelve of those years in diverse urban schools and five of those as a department chair. She has another fourteen years’ experience teaching education courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level; five of those years she served as the Dean of the School of Education and 12 of those years as an assessment and accreditation leader. Karen has served on over a dozen panels and boards, including serving on the NCATE (CAEP) Board of Examiners. Currently she is a coordinator for a cadre of instructional developers and project manager for military aviation training. Karen is currently working on additional certifications in leadership and diversity studies.

Education

  • Ph.D. Walden University
  • M.A., Education United States International University
  • B.A., Mathematics Education Northwest Nazarene University

Courses Taught

  • Assessing Leadership Skills – SOL 601
  • Leading and Building Teams – SOL 609
  • Leading in Diverse Communities – SOL 610

Experience in Field

  • Nazarene Bible College Adjunct Professor, 2016 – present
  • Point Loma Nazarene University Adjunct Professor, 2015 – present
  • International Development Resources Coordinator/Project Manager, 2013 – present
  • Virtual Education Software Incorporated Developer, 2006 – 2011, 2015 – present
  • A Pass Educational Group Test Developer, 2012 – 2016
  • Trevecca Nazarene University Professor/Assessment/Accreditation, 2006-2013
  • New Teacher Center Mentor, 2012 – 2014
  • Nazarene Theological College Africa Adjunct Professor, 2011
  • Olivet Nazarene University Dean School of Education (2000-2006), 1999 – 2006
  • Roosevelt Junior High School Mathematics Teacher/Department Chair, 1992 – 1999
  • North Salinas High School Mathematics Teacher, 1987 – 1992
  • Nampa Christian High School Mathematics/Computer Science Teacher, 1984 – 1987

Professional and Community Involvement

  • Personnel Committee, St. Bethlehem First Baptist (2017-present)
  • Sunday School Teacher, St. Bethlehem First Baptist (2017-2018)
  • Staff development for New Visions Academy – "Differentiated Learning: Start With TVAAS" (2013)
  • Volunteer tutoring at New Visions Academy (2013)
  • Volunteering at Nashville Secondary Harvest Food Bank and Save Haven (shelter for homeless families) (2011)
  • Basic computing course for First Church of the Nazarene Haitian community (2010 – 2011)
  • Staff development for Munford Middle School, Tipton County – “Multicultural Attitudes and Teaching” (2009)
  • Staff development (year long) for St. Joseph’s, Knoxville  – “Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum” (2009 – 2010)
  • Staff development for Trevecca MHR – “Creating and Using Rubrics” (2009)
  • Children’s volunteer at Grace Community Church (2008 – 2010)
  • NCATE Board of Examiners (2005 – 2013)
  • American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (2003 – 2004, 2009) conference paper reviewer.
  • Project design for Illinois State Certification rules/regulations (2005)
  • Treasurer, Illinois Association for Teacher Education in Private Colleges (2002 – 2006)
  • President, The Nazarene Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (2003 – 2005)
  • Illinois Program Review Panel Member Training (2002)
  • Workshop for Church of the Good Shepherd – “Teaching Strategies for Sunday School” (2001)
  • Workshop for Bourbonnais School District – “WebQuest Construction and Integration of Technology in the K-12 Classroom" (2000)
  • Workshops for Manteno School District “Teaching with Learning Centers in the Middle School Mathematics Classroom” (2000) “Cooperative Learning and Alternative Assessments” (1999)
  • Workshop for Urban Children’s Ministries Conference – “Teaching and Ministering in the Inner City” (2000)
  • Workshops for San Diego Unified School District “Integrating Technology into the Classroom” (1998) “New Teacher Needs” (1997) “Training and Use of the Graphing Calculator” (1995)
  • Workshop for Mission Valley Church Teachers “Classroom Management and Child Development” (1995) “Classroom Management and Learning Styles” (1995)

Awards and Honors

  • Award for Excellence, International Development Resources, 2016
  • Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society Member Phi Delta Kappa International Member
  • Research Grant
    • Trevecca Nazarene University
    • 2011 – 2012 Integrating Technology into the University Classroom
    • 2010 – 2011 Personality Type & Diversity Competence in Incoming Freshmen at TNU
    • 2009 – 2010 Attitudes about Multicultural Issues and Education: A Comparison of University and Initial Teacher Candidates
    • 2008 – 2009 Attitudes about Multicultural Issues and Education: A Comparison of University Initial Teacher Candidates
  • Illinois representative to Model Schools Conference 2004
  • Champion for Children, Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA, 1996

Dissertations, Presentations, and Publications

  • Lea, K. (March 20, 2013). Modeling: Essential for learning. Edutopia.
  • Lea, K. (March 15, 2013). Inquiry, curiosity, exploration and the common core. Edutopia.
  • Lea, K. (March 7, 2013). Meaningful connections: Objectives and standards. Edutopia.
  • Lea, K. (2013). Group work? My students can't handle that. City Educators.
  • Lea, K. (2012). What do you think? City Educators, 11.
  • Lea, K. & Carden, P. (2012). Web 2.0 in teaching reading. American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education.
  • Lea, K. (2012). Questioning my questioning. City Educators, 12.
  • Lea, K. (2011). All I want for Christmas - iPad Apps! City Educators, 5.
  • Lea, K. (2011). What’s a hybrid?. City Educators, 4 – 5.
  • Collins, L. Youree, D., & Lea, K. (2011). Competence, character, and compassion, teaching in a diverse classroom: Analysis of research. Nazarene Educators Worldwide (online).
  • Lea, K. (2011). Good readers. Nazarene Educators Worldwide (online).
  • Lea, K., Swink, E., Parrott, R. (2011). Cultural competency and learning styles of freshmen and faculty.
  • Lea, K., & Carden, P. (2011). Cell phones have class. Midwest Scholars Conference.
  • Lea, K., Swink, E., Parrott, R., Cox, R., & Carden, P. (2011).  Teaching Online with Ease and Grace: The Claroline Online Learning System. PDK International.
  • Lea, K. (2010). Social gaming. Nazarene Educators Worldwide (online).
  • Lea, K. (2010). Social gaming. City Educators, 4 – 5.
  • Lea, K., & Bernards, P. (2010). Partnering for Success: University School of Education and Elementary School Collaborate to Provide Systematic, Ongoing Staff Development. Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators.
  • Lea, K., Parrott, R., Cummings, R., & Mate, P. (2010). Attitudes about multicultural issues and education: A comparison of candidates, teachers, administrators and staff year 2 research. Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators.
  • Lea, K., Swink, E., Parrott, R., & Cox, R. (2010). Teaching online with ease and grace: The Claroline online learning system. Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators.
  • Lea, K., Swink, E., Parrott, R., & Cox, R. (2010). Teaching online with ease and grace: The Claroline online learning system. International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning.
  • Lea, K., Parrott, R., & Oswalt, D. (2010). Attitudes about multicultural issues and education: A comparison of candidates, teachers, administrators, and staff. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
  • Lea, K., & Parrott, R. (2010). Attitudes about multicultural issues and education: A comparison of candidates, teachers, administrators, and staff. Trevecca Research Symposium.
  • Lea, K., Cox, R., & Parrott, R. (2009). Leaders for the 21st Century. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
  • Collins, L., Lea, K., & Youree, D. (2007). Competence, character, and compassion, teaching in a diverse classroom: Analysis of research. Education in Action, V, 11-18.
  • Lea, K., & Sorrow, R. (2007). A changing United States. Education in Action, V, 35 - 44.
  • Lea, K., Walker, C., Olney, K., Brady, D., Streit, M. (2005). Learning to live and teach in a diverse society: Students’ perspectives. Illinois Association of Teacher Educators.
  • Lea, K., Summers, B., & Tuttle, S. (2005). Meeting the NCATE diversity standard in initial and advanced programs. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
  • Walker, C., Brady, D., Lea, K., & Summers, W. (2004). Dispositions: Teacher perceptions. Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education Journal,1(1), 1 – 12.
  • Lea, K. (2004). Team teaching in a middle school: A case study. Eastern Education Journal, 33(1), 44 - 46.
  • Lea, K. (2003). Motivation and teaching adults to teach. Critical Issues in Teacher Education, X, 17 – 22.
  • Lea, K., & Oswalt, D. (2003). Meeting the Needs of Middle School Students. Midwest Association of Teacher Educators.
  • Lea, K., & Walker, C. (2003). The Dispositions Puzzle. Midwest Association of Teacher Educators.
  • Lea,K., & Walker, C. (2002). Solving the Assessment Dispositions Puzzle Together. Illinois Association of Teacher Educators.
  • Lea, K. (2001). Training Educators for the 21st Century. Delta Kappa Gamma.