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.