SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2025: Clinton – Mary Anne Lake

Mary Anne Lake holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with a specialization in Toxic Substance Control from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan (1993), and a Master of Science in Teaching from SUNY Plattsburgh in Plattsburgh, New York (2010). She teaches as an adjunct faculty in the science department and is the Interim Learning Skills Coordinator in the tutoring center at Clinton Community College. Ms. Lake is a recipient of the 2018 SUNY Chancellor’s Award in Adjunct Teaching.

I spent the majority of my teaching career believing that online learning was something less than traditional in person classes.  I couldn’t fathom how the connection with my students in the classroom could translate into an online experience.  Enter COVID and remote education. I was forced to rethink my entire approach to teaching and learning (weren’t we all!). I had to confront my preconceived notions about what an online class could be. I was skeptical about how I could incorporate science labs in a way that would provide an experience that was as close to actual lab work as possible. I found that as I embraced the challenge, my creativity and curiosity unfolded, and I was more open to technology and its possibilities.  I’m also always up for a good challenge.

My first online course was during the summer of 2022, and my experience since has taught me that this learning platform can provide similar connections and experiences as a face-to-face classroom and that students want that from their online teachers. I’ve discovered a buried creativity that helps me develop online lab experiences that mimic the classroom. I believe that tech and online learning have allowed me to stretch and grow my teaching practice in ways I never imagined.