Meet Our Team

Learn to Learn Team

Mary Jonik, Academic Advisor and Facilitator

Mary is responsible for designing the Learn to Learn course with the help of many others; she is also a Facilitator with Learn to Learn and the Academic Advisor for the ACE Distance program. Mary has been an Academic Advisor and Professor at Cambrian College for more than 20 years. She possesses a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Human Development. Mary has taken more than 20 online courses and continues to do so. She understands the needs of students venturing into this exciting learning environment.






Rick Hewitt, Co-Facilitator

Rick is a Co-Facilitator with the Learn to Learn course. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering and has been involved with computers and online courses for many years. Rick also is a helicopter pilot and has flown in most regions of Canada doing a wide variety of work. Rick has an enduring passion for technology and enjoys the freedom that comes with teaching online.








Instructional Team

Communications

Instructor Name: Joan Binnendyk

Joan completed her undergraduate studies in English at the University of Western Ontario and continued to earn a B.Ed. in Adult Education from Brock University. After teaching English and English as a Second Language at a private institute for eight years, she joined Fanshawe College in the Academic Upgrading Department. Her courses there include Communications, Self-Management/Self-Direction and Computers.

Joan has taken many courses in an online format as well as teaching Business Communications online for several years. This extensive experience as both a learner and instructor has given her great insight into the needs of students in an online environment. It is her passion to ensure students receive the same quality of education in an online course as they would studying in a ‘real’ class through instructor enthusiasm, motivation and communication.

Instructor:  Megan Way Nicholson

Megan Way Nicholson works for the CSC as the online teacher/facilitator for the Learn to Learn-Sudbury Jail project.  Megan recently retired from St. Lawrence College after teaching in the Justice Studies field for 25 years.  She was the Coordinator of the Correctional Worker program and also taught in the Police Foundations program and the Behavioural Psychology degree program.  Prior to embarking on a teaching career she was a probation and parole officer with Ministry of Correctional Services in the Jane/Finch area of Toronto.  Megan also worked in the field of policy and development with the Ministry of Corrections and assisted with a number of provincial initiatives, one of which was the FINE option program. Megan has also taught Active Learning workshops for faculty.  She is a Criminologist by profession and has a Masters degree in Criminology, A Bachelor's degree in Sociology and degree/diploma from Queen's University in Restorative Justice.

Core Mathematics

Instructor Name: Marco Antonelli

Marco received a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. For the past three years he has been teaching the core and other math courses at Durham College in the traditional classroom setting. When Marco was informed that Core Math would be offered online, he became interested in being part of this innovative, 21st century method of teaching. As a graduate of UOIT, Ontario’s newest university specializing in technology, he is well equipped to help students succeed in an online environment.






Apprenticeship Mathematics

Instructor Name: Sorina Zota

Sorina welcomes prospective students to online ACE Apprenticeship Mathematics. Sorina has taught this and other ACE math courses to adult learners upgrading their academic skills at Seneca College. Sorina also taught technical and business college mathematics courses at George Brown and Seneca College.

In her educational background, Sorina holds a Ph.D. in Physics and a B.Sc. in Mathematics. In addition, she plans to complete her certificate in Adult Education through Seneca College in the summer of 2010. Sorina has taken most of the required courses online, so she has experienced online education from a learner’s point of view. Since she developed the online ACE Apprenticeship Mathematics course, Sorina is really excited to have the chance to meet students online, guide them through the course and help them achieve their goals. Sorina sincerely hopes that her experiences as a learner, developer and teacher will be of value to students and is confident she will learn from their experiences as well!





Business Mathematics

Instructor Name: Laura Leahy

After graduating from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Mathematics, Laura began her teaching career at Sheridan College. Since then, teaching has become her passion. Laura has been a teacher at Sheridan College since 2000, teaching various math courses. Her delivery of the ACE Mathematics courses includes the following: Core Mathematics, Business Mathematics, Technology Mathematics, and Apprenticeship Mathematics. She has developed the curriculum for the ACE Modified Mathematics courses currently taught at Sheridan College. Laura has presented various courses in a mobile computing format in which students have access to learning materials posted on the course website.

Being a part of the development of the ACE Distance project has brought both anticipation and excitement to Laura. She feels that using technology to reach out to those learners who are unable to attend a traditional classroom setting is exciting!






Technology Math

Instructor Name: Cliona Geraghty

Cliona welcomes students to Technology Math! She truly enjoyed preparing this online course for her students and looks forward to working with you throughout the course.

After graduating from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Science (Biology), Cliona furthered her education at the University of Western Ontario through a Bachelor of Science (Physical Geography), a Master of Science (Limnology and Physical Geography) and finally a Bachelor of Education degree (grades 7 – 12, Science and Geography). As a long term student herself- and through both high school and college teaching - Cliona has come to understand the difficulties in learning math, but also that wonderful successful feeling a student experiences once a skill has been mastered. She has prepared this course, drawing on her math teaching experiences and feedback from students over the past 7 years, with the intention of making it user friendly, content interactive, and comprehensively useful for the students` next step in college technology learning.






Biology

Instructor Name: Trish McCormick

Trish sends a resounding “Hello!” to prospective online learners. Trish returned to university as an adult student and graduated from Lakehead University with her HBA/BEd in Biology and English in May 2004. In addition to courses at Lakehead University, she completed paper-based and online distance education courses from Athabasca University, Alberta and the University of Waterloo, Ontario.  Trish recently earned her PBCTBL - Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Technology-Based Learning - through Athabasca University … so Trish knows what it’s like to be a distance education student!

Trish taught ACE Biology, ACE Chemistry, LBS Mathematics, LBS Communications, Pre-Tech Physics, Personal Career Development and Stress Management Elective at Confederation College, Thunder Bay, and Strategies for Success at Anishinabek Educational Institute, Fort William First Nation.

Distance education students and instructor are connected in learning even though they may be physically miles apart. Trish's goal is two-fold: to ensure that each student feels included in the virtual classroom and to guarantee that every online student receives the same quality instruction as they would in an on-campus classroom.






Chemistry

Instructor Name: Agnes Bielecka

In addition to teaching ACE Distance Chemistry, Agnes has been an ACE Chemistry and Biology Instructor at Sheridan College, Brampton for six years and a Coordinator of the Night Program there for four years. Currently, Agnes serves as the Academic Upgrading Day Program Coordinator at the Davis Campus.

Agnes also has taught Biology and Chemistry for the General Arts and Science Program and numerous other courses such as Nutrition, Animal Diseases, and Ethics for the Animal Care Program at Sheridan. In her "previous life”, Agnes taught ESL for 10 years in a variety of multicultural settings in the Greater Toronto Area as well as online in the LINC Homestudy Program.

Agnes holds a Master of Animal Husbandry with a specialization in Biochemistry from a university in Poland and a Master of Education Degree from the University of Toronto. She also holds a Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate and maintains her Teachers of ESL membership with TESL Ontario.

Agnes loves what she does: helping upgrading students achieve their goals. "Everybody is a Gift" is her personal and professional motto.






Physics

Instructor Name: Dr. Clint Sheehan

Qualifications:
BSc Physics (Honours) 1994, The University of Western Ontario
MSc Physics 1996, The University of Western Ontario
PhD Physics 2000, The University of Western Ontario
Experience
1994-2000 Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UWO
1994-2000 Personal Tutor, Physics, UWO






Self management and Self Direction

Instructor Name: Ann Ashberry

Ann believes that online learning offers the opportunity for an exciting and enjoyable experience and looks forward to sharing it with her students. Ann’s formal training and education are in the field of psychology; she holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology and is certified to deliver workshops in True Colors, Personality Dimensions, and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. In addition, Ann has taught courses in Assertiveness, Creative Problem Solving, Career Planning and Communications.

Ann offers the following message to prospective students: “Welcome to online learning and if this is your first online course - congratulations! Together we will solve the mysteries. I have been teaching a similar course at Conestoga College, but in the classroom, for the past 15 years and also teach some online courses so I have a bit of experience in that area as well”.






Computers

Instructor Name: Stephanie Balsdon

As the Instructor for the ACE Distance Computer Course, Stephanie welcomes students to online learning. Stephanie’s background with computers has evolved along with the technology over the years from a user (just like her students) through to teaching hardware, software, and networking for more than 10 years. Stephanie also teaches at Durham College.

Emerging software applications or changes are of utmost interest to Stephanie so she continues to experiment and upgrade her skills as to accommodate student needs and adjust to the continuously changing technology. Stephanie’s motivation as an instructor is to make it as easy as possible for students to learn what they need to know about computers and to be available to help them meet their future goals without reservation. It inspires Stephanie immensely when a student overcomes perceived obstacles with regards to computers and she believes that the key to success is communication.


 

The team behind the scenes:

Arlene Cronin

Anglophone Project Lead, ACE Distance


Arlene has worked in education throughout her career, first as a Reading and English teacher in public schools and later as an English professor and administrator at St. Lawrence College where she held a number of management positions including Dean of Academic Policy and Development. Arlene has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts Degree from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and has extensive experience in curriculum and program development. Arlene now works as an educational consultant for the College Sector Committee for Adult Upgrading as the Project Lead for ACE Distance Delivery which provides academic upgrading courses online. Arlene has had a long term commitment to adult upgrading and literacy. She has served on boards at both the community and provincial level and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Kingston Literacy.





Clarence Potvin

Francophone Project Lead, ACE Distance


Clarence is coordinating delivery of the French version of the ACE Distance program. He studied Distance Education at TéléUniversité (Québec) and managed a virtual campus in his community college. He also assisted as an instructional designer in the creation of an in-house Learning Management System – which is an online learning platform. This project allowed him to develop many effective strategies of instruction for teaching online and apply them to more than 50 different courses. He presently teaches in the Business Department and uses online tools in a hybrid mode.

Clarence is pleased to have managed the development of the French version of all 11 courses offered in the online ACE program and to have had the opportunity to work with a variety of people in this exciting new field. He looks forward to continuing his online work and to teaching many more online courses.






Marla White-Ranger

Administrative Assistant


Marla is the glue which keeps the ACE Distance program running. She studied as an adult student at Cambrian College in Sudbury which prepared her very well for the role of Administrative Assistant for the College Sector Committee. Marla is the first point of contact for all ACE Distance students and takes very seriously the responsibility to make sure everyone’s questions are answered and the road to further education is as smooth as possible for all students. Marla is a great person to get to know. She takes her coffee very hot and very black.




Lynne Wallace

Executive Director, College Sector Committee


Lynne was a teacher and subsequently coordinator of the Academic Upgrading program at Cambrian College in Sudbury for more than 30 years. As a young mother, she returned to Laurentian University in Sudbury to complete her Masters Degree in Victorian English so she understands very well the challenges of balancing family responsibilities, a work schedule and academic achievement. Lynne has been the Executive Director of the College Sector Committee for the past 15 years. ACE Distance is the most exciting and rewarding experience of her long career. She is very proud of the ACE Distance team and the many adult students who are committed to improving their employment opportunities through further education.