Meet Faculty Fellow Jill Jones
Experience Leads the Way: Jones Empowers Educators with Tech Expertise
Building on the principle that experience is invaluable, especially in education, Assistant Teaching Professor Jill Jones brings a wealth of practical knowledge to her role. A dedicated educator and lifelong learner, Jones will leverage her expertise to guide colleagues in selecting and implementing effective instructional technology.
She’ll also connect them with vital support systems, such as DELTA and the Media and Technology Resource Center (METRC), ensuring successful integration of these tools into their teaching.
Jones works in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at NC State’s College of Education and brings extensive experience from her background as an elementary classroom teacher, literacy specialist and literacy coach. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Literacy and Language Arts from NC State.
“My first teaching role was in kindergarten at a year-round elementary school in Wake County Public Schools ,” Jones said. “After completing my Master of Education in Reading and teaching for 10 years in the elementary classroom, I transitioned to a literacy specialist and after the first year, added on the role of literacy coach. I provided professional development for my school community and for Wake County Public Schools in the area of reading. I also co-facilitated the Response to Intervention Team and was an active member of the Data and School Improvement Team. In 2018, after receiving my doctorate from the NC State College of Education, I began my role as an Assistant Teaching professor teaching literacy courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels across programs in the Teacher Education and Learning Sciences department.”
Currently, Jones teaches three undergraduate courses on reading methods in the Elementary Education undergraduate program and one course on reading methods in the Elementary Education Masters of Arts (MAT) graduate program each semester. She also teaches a 10-week summer session literacy course for the MAT program.
For Jones, the most cherished moments are those beyond monetary value. A profound example occurred in 2018, the same year she earned her Ph.D. from NC State. One of her former kindergarten students, whom she had mentored during her doctoral supervised teaching, also graduated with a BS in Elementary Education. This remarkable full-circle experience deeply moved her.
Acquired Teaching Methodologies
Jones consistently seeks out opportunities to learn about effective technology from DELTA, METRC, and her colleagues, both within and outside her discipline. Through these collaborations, she has worked to effectively integrate several NC State enterprise technologies within her various course formats.
With the transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the move of her graduate program to fully remote, Jones spent a significant amount of time learning about instructional technology tools to effectively teach online. Some of the technologies Jones integrated include Moodle, PlayPosit, Panopto, Zoom, and Google Assignments.
Since the summer of 2024, Jones has also learned about and integrated the online discussion tool Yellowdig into her course content. In her Faculty Fellow role, she has already shared information about how she has effectively implemented this tool into her online courses to further increase student collaboration and has provided suggestions for other faculty members. She is dedicated to continually learning about new and effective technology tools.
Jones was inspired by the work she has done with DELTA in the past and by recommendations from Assistant Director of Instructional Technology and Training Kerri Brown-Parker and Director of Instructional Support and Training Bethany Smith, whom she had the pleasure of working with earlier in her graduate work and the beginning of her faculty appointment through their roles in METRC.
Jones is passionate about building student relationships, especially within different modes of teaching, since she teaches in-person and online — in both synchronous and asynchronous courses. Through the Faculty Fellows program, Jones hopes to develop opportunities for learning and discussions about how to support students and build effective learning communities in which students enjoy engaging with their instructor and their peers. Additionally, Jones does work in other capacities to foster mental wellness and would love to incorporate this topic as a focus of her work in this role as well.
About DELTA Faculty Fellowships
DELTA’s Faculty Fellows Grants program fuels cutting-edge teaching by connecting NC State faculty across disciplines. With DELTA staff support, these grants encourage the integration of NC State enterprise technology tools like Moodle, Zoom, Google Apps, and Panopto into classrooms.
Collaborative work empowers instructors to overcome diverse pedagogical hurdles and to revolutionize their teaching through innovative technological pedagogy. Through workshops, publications, and conference presentations, DELTA Faculty Fellows consistently drive instructional innovation and excellence.Interested in sharing your knowledge and learning from other instructors? Apply for a Faculty Fellows Grant during the next application cycle!
