Patti Powell

associate professor of education

on faculty since 2002

Phone: 708.239.4843
Fax: 708.597.5858
E-mail: patti@powell@trnty.edu      

Education

Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 2004
M.Ed., University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 1976
A.B., Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1975

Professional and Personal Interests

Weaving together the disparate strands of her life, work, art, and career has provided associate professor of education Patti Powell with a sense of God’s vision for her life. She is adept at using her hands to communicate through a variety of media, such as teaching sign language courses at the College, creating stories through quilting, and playing the flute during worship services at her church. Powell finds fulfillment in using her talents and gifts to demonstrate God's purpose for her life.

“My love for children, music, literature, and education has come together now, and that excites me,” said Powell. “The foundation for what I do is God’s vision and the sense that I have to do something good in the world.”

A 1975 graduate of Calvin College in elementary education and instrumental education, Powell earned a master’s of education degree from the University of Arizona and later pursued her doctorate at the University of Illinois at Chicago in curriculum design in 2004.

She began her professional career teaching hearing-impaired students for five years at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind in Tucson. After moving to Chicago, Powell accepted a position at Elim Christian School in Palos Heights and developed a music program that included teaching general music classes, directing both a choir and an instrumental group. 

After fifteen years at Elim, she was asked to teach a sign language class at Trinity, which led to teaching the “Introduction to Exceptional Children” class and the development of the “Fine Arts in Education” class.  Powell was hired as full-time faculty in 2002.

The theme of service-learning also is woven throughout Powell’s life and permeates her approach to teaching. “I teach at Trinity because I am committed to developing future special educators who have a passion to infuse their faith into their work and to teach with excellence. My role as director of the Alexander De Jong Center for Special Education (at Trinity) also allows me the unique advantage of maintaining my relationship with Elim Christian School, a place that is very special to me and an important part of my work at Trinity,” said Powell.

“Giving back to the community” is a strong component of Powell’s philosophy of teaching. She believes that the work done in the classroom “should connect to the real world of work that the student will be entering someday, and should include service … in some way. The best way to accomplish this goal is to utilize experiential learning and service-learning as well as collaborative activities, both within the classroom and with others outside of the classroom. [Everything] should be grounded in the faith that I bring to my subject area and my life and hopefully, the lives of my students.”

Evidence of Powell’s own commitment to service-learning is apparent in her involvement with the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf in Montego Bay, Jamaica, for which she serves on its U.S. board of directors. She has accompanied Trinity students on interim trips to the school for several years. As a result, “these students have opted to participate in Trinity’s New Horizons program, teaching outside of the Chicago area and even outside of the country, and several have even elected upon graduation to teach overseas, spreading their faith and their Trinity heritage to other parts of the world.”

As director of the Alexander De Jong Center for Special Education, Powell has connected Trinity to Elim Christian School and “deepened the relationship between the two organizations.” Her work in that capacity has led to numerous Trinity students being hired by Elim and Elim’s program being enriched by its connection to the College.

Powell received state recognition in 2000 when she was awarded the Studs Terkel Humanitarian Award by the Illinois Humanities Council for incorporating music into the lives of the disabled. She is also a 2001 recipient of the Illinois Women of Achievement Award, and that year received an Open Hearts Award from the Pathways Awareness Foundation for “outstanding leadership in welcoming persons with disabilities into all aspects of church life.”

When not engrossed in a good book or devising lesson plans, Powell enjoys her favorite craft: quilting. She acquired an appreciation for the hobby from her mother and grandmother, and she has created more than 50 quilts.

“I love fabric, design, and color, and I love the artistry of bringing all of those elements together. I found quilting to be a good way for me to incorporate my sewing skills with my love for the arts.”

Using her hands to bring beauty into her surroundings is a talent Powell has honed in other areas as well. In addition to quilting and gardening, Powell is an accomplished musician who plays several instruments.

“God gives me enough energy and strength to do things one at a time and stay focused. So many women today are trying to do many things in addition to [their] careers, and [I have a great sense of] gratification for what I’m able to accomplish. I’m thankful for what God has enabled me to do.”

Powell and her husband, Rick, have three children. They live within walking distance of the College and attend Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park, Illinois.

Courses Taught

• Communication and Collaboration in Special Education: Strategies and Methods
• Fine Arts in Education
• Fine Arts in Education and Physical Education (Adult Studies)
• Introduction to Exceptional Children
• Introduction to Exceptional Children (Adult Studies)
• Sign Language I
• Sign Language II

Professional Society Membership

• American Educational Research Association
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
• Council for Exceptional Children

Papers Published and/or Presented

• “Reflecting on Service Responding Through Writing, Realizing the Power to Change.” First International Conference on Service-Learning in Teacher Education, Brussels, Belgium, July 4-7, 2007.
  
  
• “Addressing Teacher Retention and Preparation through Higher Ed/K-12 Collaboration.” Teacher Education Division/Technology and Media Council for Exceptional Children Conference, San Diego California, November 8-11, 2006.
  
  
• “Learning to Serve, Serving to Live: Developing an Empathy of Care Through Service-Learning.” Coalition of Christian Teacher Educators Conference. Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia. May 25-26, 2006.
  
  
• “Addressing Contemporary Issues Through Collaborative Methods,” Gaylen, N., Bragg, N., Boudre, B., Egglest, T., Scott, V., Powell, P.  Eastern Education Journal. Spring 2006.
  
  
• “Service-Learning in Action: Work of the State Farm Faculty Fellows.” Faculty Symposium on Service-Learning. Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois. February 2006.
  
  
• “The New Era of Accountability: Challenges and Opportunities.” 28th Annual TED Conference and 1st Annual TED/TAM Conference. Portland, Maine. November 2005.
  
  
• “Creating and Maintaining International Special Education Partnerships or We Be Jammin’ in Jamaica.” The 23rd International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership Conference. Rapid City, South Dakota. October 2005.
  
  
• “Learning from Each Other, Serving Together,” from research gathered from a 2004 Illinois Campus Compact Grant. Christians in Teacher Education, June 2004.