Open SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2018 – Finger Lakes: Sean Maley

Sean Maley, M.A. is a Professor of Mathematics at Finger Lakes Community College.  He has been teaching online since 2010.

Online learning has been a passion for me since I began teaching in 2010. I was one of the few math instructors interested in the platform, mostly due to the challenge of adapting mathematics to the online learning environment at the time.

While this platform is not a perfect fit for every student, I believe it can be incredibly effective for those like myself who enjoy learning independently and having flexibility in their lives. My main focus has been streamlining the information through a single platform so that orientation to software isn’t a larger obstacle than necessary. It has been exciting to keep up with emerging technology, and continually reinvent my courses to make a richer learning experience for my students each year.

Students appreciate the ease of navigation in my courses, something I have put a lot of thought into, as well as my responsiveness and activeness in the course. Having taken quite a few online courses and MOOCs myself out of interest, I know first hand how valuable it is to hear back from an instructor in a timely manner.  

I know that students also enjoy my positivity and encouraging attitude.  I love, and am in awe of, the fact that we can use the internet in this way to connect with students and improve lives through education!