ION Professional eLearning Programs Alumni
Michael Boyd
(Master Online Teacher and Master Online Leader & Administrator Certificates)
“Finishing the Master Online Teacher Certificate through the Illinois Online Network was a game changer in my career as a community college professor. I remember making the transition from correspondence courses to the more interactive and technology-rich online format, and I knew I needed to learn more about how to design instructional units and enhance student engagement. ION offered me everything I needed to make this transition. Perhaps more importantly, I used what I learned in the ION program to re-envision how I delivered instruction and assessed learning outcomes in my more traditional, f2f offerings.”
Lakesha Jefferson
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“ION Professional Learning programs have provided me with a wealth of knowledge, that was applied to my professional career and even helped with personal endeavors. I took the overview of online learning course during the COVID pandemic per a request from my institution, but grew more interested in studying further after a wonderful experience. My curiosity and interest led me to pursue my MOT certificate, and successfully completed it within a year. The MOT program offered courses to help faculty interested in teaching online, and provided such a robust curriculum that I’m pursuing my second certificate (DAE) through ION. Knowledgeable instructors, relevant content, and peer feedback received, are a few reasons to enroll. Do yourself a favor, and register for an ION course today.
Dr. Ruchi Jairath
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“The ION courses that I took at UIS gave me the confidence to develop new hybrid and online courses in chemistry. Before taking these courses, I only taught in a traditional face-to-face setting. After completing all the courses for Master Online Teacher (MOT) certification, I successfully designed and developed new chemistry courses at my institute. I think these ION courses could be very helpful for anyone like me who has taught only in a face-to-face setting. Higher education has truly changed after the 2020 pandemic and students are looking to see more options for their classes. Educators have a responsibility to learn new ways to teach and the ION courses could be a very helpful tool in that process.”
Jessica Reardanz-Friedericks
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“Since most college and university faculty are not trained "teachers", I felt the ION courses did a great job explaining the terminology and strategies that guide curriculum and module development. Even though I have taught online since 2005, completing the MOT in 2017 did improve my quality of instruction by forcing me to rethink how I do things - for example, the true meaning of hybrid options for students.”
Lori Wendt
(Master Online Teacher and Master Online Leader & Administrator Certificates)
“I have always considered myself tech-savvy, but taking on the distance learning position was a huge leap for me. I learned about the master online teaching program at ION through colleagues and knew that would give me the leg-up I needed to excel in this online world. Little did I realize that it not only honed my online teaching and technology skills, but it connected me with peers from other higher ed institutions with whom I could chat, share ideas, and seek advice. As ION added the additional certificate programs for accessibility and online leader/administrator, I continued to sign up because that is what lifelong learning is all about. I am now privileged to be able to contribute to the ION program by coming back to help teach others. I would advise anyone who works in higher ed to look into the programs that ION has to offer.”
Denita Williams
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
"I truly enjoyed taking the six classes from UIS. Taking the classes has allowed me to teach online and get a step increase since I took all six classes and earned the certificate. I am currently in the process of flipping my classroom."
William Bain
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“I had a positive experience completing the M.O.T. course and love having a unique course degree.”
Misti Ludwig, DNP, RN-BC
(Master Online Teacher and Master Online Leader & Administrator Certificates)
“I have had the pleasure of getting two certifications from ION. My first was the Master Online Teaching Certificate. I loved that so much that I recommended the program to my new college and was able to certify many of my faculty while I went on for my Master Online Leader and Administrator Certificate. This program helped shaped my thinking of being a student advocate/faculty advocate and program advocate. I feel that I came away with many tools that I can now use in my position as a Nursing Program Administrator. I feel much more prepared to have crucial conversations with key stakeholders by having this background. These two certificates are VERY well done and I highly recommend them to all that wish to obtain more training. ION doesn't just give you the learning and research, they give you the tools you need to be successful!”
Rob Lucas
(Digital Accessibility for Educators Certificate)
“I completed the Digital Accessibility for Educators Certification in the Spring of 2022. The coursework for this certification develops skills that are helpful for anyone interested in accessibility. These courses have prepared me well to be a champion for accessibility at my institution.”
Anthony P. Woods
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“My certification has done a lot for me in education and made it convenient for me to teach online and allowed me to share up-to-date technologies with my students while online. Also, when Covid-19 came about, my certification allows me to maximize my teaching skills and work through portals such as Zoom, Google Meets, Join.Me, TeamViewer, and Windows applications with my students by providing quality time and instruction. Online teaching and Instruction made it very cost-effective for me as well. I saved on gas traveling and was able to do much research on topics to share with my students. Others should include these courses/certificates in there as far as their professional development for the same reasons I gave above in addition these experiences are now part of best practices in all industries, not just education.”
Jerome Lacey
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“The courses at UIS were incredibly helpful. The curriculum prepared me in many ways I had not thought of, and provided much-needed fodder for constructing my own courses. I have been teaching online for several years now. Bottom line: this is a learning process for the instructor/facilitator as much as the student. The nuance your courses provided is nothing short of provocative, and really expands my thinking in how I approach my online world, as well as traditional courses.
Bottom line, teaching is very much a journey. Your courses have been a great and refreshing dip into how I approach the entire teaching process.”
Abi Swidergal
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“Being able to have support transitioning to online teaching during COVID was priceless, and I'm lucky my institution provided that opportunity. The courses offered through ION gave me actionable steps to use right away in my role as an adjunct instructor. Though I left Illinois for a full-time teaching position, after settling in, I decided to complete another certificate through ION due to the positive experience and usefulness of the previous courses. Moving through another program with ION was a great decision and investment in myself, as it shaped the way I structure my courses now in all formats. I appreciate the efforts from ION and the instructors who gave great strategies to use in my classroom.”
Roxann Humbert
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“I received the Master Online Teacher certificate. What I liked most about the program is they incorporated the best practices they discussed in the class. All the assignments were authentic and things I could use in my professional life.”
Leslie Van Wolvelear
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“I completed the Master of Online Teaching Certificate in December 2007. At the time, I had been teaching online for 3 years and needed guidance on instructional design, student engagement, communication techniques, and assessment methods. The program helped me better understand the needs of online students to have a connection with the instructor.”
Anne Humphrey
(Master Online Teacher, Master Online Leader & Administrator, Open Educational Resources for Instruction, and Digital Accessibility for Educators Certificates)
“I hold the MOT, MOLA, DAE, and OER certificates and took all those ION courses and more over 16 years. ION courses directed and transformed my career. Learning to teach well online also transformed my in-person classes; becoming an advocate affected my role on campus, course requests, and relationships with colleagues. ION provides more than theory and tips; participants experience a sea-change in our attitudes and a discard of our assumptions.”
James Kowalski
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“I completed the MOT program while I was working at Chicago State University and then the College of DuPage. What I learned was quite valuable to my roles there, as I was in faculty development, helping teachers become more fluent and capable with their own online teaching. Now for the past ~8 years, I've been a high school social studies teacher at international schools in Kuwait and Korea. As a teacher during COVID, the concepts I learned in course design proved valuable to an even greater degree than before; as a result, my students and I made it through long stretches of online learning without missing a beat.”
Candace McCreary
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“MOT program not only trained me for online but I feel made me a better face-to-face instructor. I highly recommend the program.”
Agnes Herget (Master Online Leader & Administrator Certificate)
“The MOLA certificate is great for anyone who is looking for a solid foundation in all things online teaching and learning. The courses allowed me to learn about online education from all angles – from the perspective of the student, of the instructional designer, of the instructor, and of course of the administrator. Regardless of what kind of role someone is seeking, I strongly believe that an understanding of all of these components and how they intersect is critical to be successful in the online education arena.”
Donna Skowronski
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)
“I earned the certificate just a year or so into teaching online classes for the first time in my career having started teaching in person in 2002 and then online in 2008. The coursework helped me focus on what was truly important to online learners and how the adult learning principles I had previously learned while earning my master’s applied. The program helped me improve my courses and due to the practicum at the end, I was able to make some major headway in developing a new strictly online strategic HR course that we introduced with a new HR certificate in 2012. I would recommend the program as it will no doubt improve your ability to deliver quality online programs.”
Russ Stoup
(Master Online Teacher, Master Online Leader & Administrator, and Digital Accessibility for Educators Certificates)
Thank you to those who contributed to this page.
Also, thank you to each person that has completed a certificate or taken a course through ION Professional eLearning over the years. If you would like to be a part of this project, please contact me.
I was an adjunct for many years, and the MOT and DAE provided me with the tools that I needed to be a better teacher. The MOT also helped motivate me to take my education to the next level. They also helped me in my career in distance education.
The MOLA inspired me and helped launch my career in a different direction. Along with excellent instructors, I really enjoyed being able to connect with others in the courses.