Meet the New Teaching and Learning Group Moderator!

Hello everyone! I am excited to be the new moderator of the Teaching & Learning community here on LINCS. I would like to take a moment to introduce myself and get some feedback from our community.

After graduating with a Master's in Linguistics, I found myself unsure of my path. I worked in tutoring centers assisting college students with their essays. I taught English composition at a university and taught pre- and in-service K-12 teachers how to use applied linguistics to create effective teaching environments for ELLs. On a whim, I took a job at a community college helping students prepare for the GED test. Had it not been for a conversation with my grandma, I probably would have continued searching for my career unsuccessfully. It was during a conversation with my grandma about my class that I first learned that she had earned her GED. Hearing her account of the process was the motivation I needed to continue in the adult education field. 

Now more than a decade later, I have had the honor of teaching students in a variety of different Title II-funded classes, including: ABE/ASE, ESL, bridge, and IET. I have presented over 100 conference presentations, published journal articles, and earned a NISOD Award for Teaching Excellence. I have also designed state-level and college-level curriculum. 

As moderator of the LINCS Teaching and Learning community, I hope to bring pivotal topics to the forefront, connect members with tools for success, and foster a safe space for reflection. 

I’m interested in learning more about you and your interests. Please take a moment to introduce yourself below and share the topics you're passionate about or eager to explore further. 

  I'm Sue Jones and oh, I think the term "adult ed adjacent" would describe me.  I work at Parkland College in Central Illinois and was hired in 2001 to support students in developmental -- pre-college- courses.    We also have an adult ed program, including "SWFT" -- support for work force development, and I try to help those folks out, too.   

     I'm passionate about lots of things.  Currently I'm highly concerned that the Big PUsh is to get the students "almost ready for college" into college level courses .... ignoring the huge numebrs of students who don't benefit from that. I'm about meeting students *where they are* -- but recognizing that there may be a ton of hidden potential there. Fortunately, our math department agrees :)  (Unfortunately, higher-ups want Fastest Return on Investment and that's the kindest way to interpret their actions.)   I try to spread Universal Design for Learning and making math "cognitively accessible" -- lots of visuals!  manipulatives!  Even if it's algebra!

I've presented assorted times and places about that ( https://resourceroomblog.wordpress.com/2023/05/03/do-what/ -- on my blog and a big ol' google doc is the most recent).

    .... but I'm also a reading specialist, Orton-Gillingham trained ... I have lots of things like phonics-based word lists I share... but it's Friday and time to go home :P