Open SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2019: Monroe – Sherri Kurtz

Ms. Kurtz has been working at Monroe Community College in the Health Professions, Dental Studies Department, since 2011 and teaching online since 2015. She teaches Barrier Precautions and Infection Control for practicing Dental Assistants in the online Dental Assisting Rapid Track program. She took the open course and created discussion posts and encouraged active conversation in the asynchronous setting. She added in videos, in depth discussions, and creating personal mission statements into the course. One of the student’s favorite discussion assignments is to create a dental meme; the students can create a second meme for extra credit points. Most students enjoy the assignment so much that they have a hard time stopping at 2 memes!  

Ms. Kurtz completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees using the online environment and thoroughly enjoys crafting an atmosphere where the students enjoy learning. She appreciated the time and instruction from her professors and wants her own students to have the same enthusiasm. Ms. Kurtz was surprised to earn this recognition, as she feels she is a novice instructor, and is humbled that her college community and the Instructional Technologies Department has taken notice of her time, creativity, and passion for teaching.