Sydney Brown

Dr. Sydney Brown

Dean, GBP School of Graduate Studies; Professor, College of Education

Education

  • BA, K-6 Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • MEd, K-12 Literacy Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • PhD, Culture, Curriculum and Change, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Professional Experience

  • Executive Editor, IMPROVE: Instructional modules for professional learning responding to opportunities and valuing educators. 2015-ongoing
  • Coordinator, Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction. 2012-ongoing. GWU
  • Dissertation Chair, School of Education. 2010-ongoing. GWU
  • University teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels. 2004-present. GWU
  • Elementary school teacher in various school settings. 1991-1999

Awards and Recognition

  • Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award, Gardner-Webb University. 2013
  • Students’ Choice Award, Gardner-Webb University. Gardner-Webb University. 2004-2005, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010
  • The President’s Award for Community Engagement, Gardner-Webb University. 2005-2006

Courses Taught

  • All courses in EdD in Curriculum and Instruction
  • All courses in Masters in Teacher Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction

Selected Publications

  • Gillman, C., Brown, S., Edmunds, J. Hatt-Echeverria, B., & Noblit, G. (2002). A perspective on readiness from the kindergarten classroom. A policy report submitted to the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.
  • Hatt, B. & Brown, S. (2012). Taming the children: The social construction of school readiness. In Adkins, A. and Gordon, J. (Eds) Taming reform: “Reinventing government” yields to “business as usual” for young children. Hampton Press: Creskill, NJ.
  • Hatt, B., Quach, L., Brown, S. & Anderson, A. (2009). Coffee talk: Negotiating/disrupting the hidden curriculum of graduate school. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing 25 (1). 60-67.
  • Hinson, G., Rogers, D., Brown, S. & Bauman, A. (2004). Music matters: Asking questions, fostering agency, and building community in arts-based educational programming. Journal of Thought 39 (4). 15-34.

Dissertation Title

  • Working in concert:  Elementary Teachers’ Experiences in the Curriculum, Music, and Community Project

Areas of Research Expertise

  • Qualitative Methods
  • Mixed Methods
  • Teacher Leadership
  • School Culture
  • Reading
  • Program Evaluation
  • Technology
  • Action Research
  • Case Study
  • Ethnography