In this episode, we talk with Sara Finesilver, an English as a Second Language (ESL) faculty member at Madison College. Sara shares her passion for helping non-native English speakers succeed, both in and out of the classroom. She discusses her innovative patient health portal project, which helps ESL students build health literacy and digital fluency. Sara also introduces the "Teaching the Skills That Matter" (TSTM) program and how project-based learning transforms her classes. Additionally, we explore her perspective on the rise of AI tools in education.

Sara Finesilver is a collaborative and creative ESL Instructor, with over 20 years of experience. She began her teaching career within the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) in 2004 and has been a full-time faculty member at Madison College since 2018. Sara holds a BA in English with a TESOL certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master’s in Higher Education from Capella University.

Her expertise includes contextualized instruction, authentic assessment, curriculum development, and faculty training. She is particularly passionate about EL-Civics, including areas such as Health Literacy and Job Readiness & Employability, and enjoys finding ways to integrate Digital Literacy into diverse teaching contexts. Sara finds deep fulfillment in working with refugees and immigrant professionals, supporting their career and employment goals, and helping them connect with our community.

Outside the classroom, Sara enjoys writing poetry, kayaking, hiking, being silly playing board games, spending time with loved ones under twinkling lights, and most importantly: finding joy in small things.

Check out the AI song Sara created for me on Suno! Teaching the Skills that Matter

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Cherif Correa, an English faculty member at Madison College and the lead for the college’s new African Studies Certificate. Cherif shares his journey from being an international student to becoming a leader in both educational and DEI initiatives at the college. We explore his work on the African Studies Certificate, including the course topics it covers and the opportunities it creates for students. Cherif also discusses his involvement with the Institute of Equity and Transformational Change, as well as the college’s efforts in developing global partnerships and study abroad programs in Africa. Join us as Cherif shares his perspectives on African Studies, his role in fostering global connections, and his vision for enriching the educational experience at Madison College.

Resources:
Madison College African Studies Certificate

Dr. Correa's Publications:

• Islam in Europhone African Literature. The Palgrave Handbook of Islam in Africa. Eds., Toyin Falola, Fallou Ngom, and Mustapha Kurfi. Palgrave, 2020.
• "Islam and the Question of Identity in Ousmane Sembene's Film, Ceddo." Ousmane Sembène and the Politics of Culture. Eds Lifongo Vetinde and Amadou T. Fofana. New York: Lexington Books, 2014.
• Re-Union (A Poem). Postcolonial Text, Vol.2. No.1. Postcolonial.org, 2006 https://www.postcolonial.org/index.php/pct/article/view/434/834

To kick off season three of the podcast, we welcome Lynn Baldwin, faculty in the Business Technology program. Lynn shares her Madison College journey, from teaching in the Business Technology area to using her Instructional Design expertise to co-develop training for the college’s transition to the new LMS, Brightspace. She also offers advice on how faculty can prepare their courses for this migration.

We also explore Lynn’s recent Teach Access Fellowship, which focuses on embedding accessibility into education. Lynn discusses how the fellowship has shaped her teaching approach and how she’s integrating accessibility into her courses. Join us to hear Lynn’s insights on fostering an inclusive, future-ready learning environment at Madison College.

Lynn Baldwin is a Business Technology instructor in the School of Business & Applied Arts. She teaches a variety of computer software, customer service, and business classes and is a certified Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator.

In her teaching career, Lynn was awarded the 2021 Provost Award for Faculty Excellence and the 2015 Devi Bhargava Award for her focus on promoting student accessibility. This year, she was selected as a 2024 Teach Access Fellow working to advocate for accessibility and help equip learners to build a more inclusive world. Prior to her employment with Madison College, she held a variety of marketing, management, and administrative positions with Baker Tilly, The Douglas Stewart Company, and U.S. Cellular. Lynn has earned bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Comprehensive Business-Economics, and a master’s degree in Instructional Design and Learning Technologies. In her free time, she enjoys following Wisconsin sports teams, running, travel, and gardening.

Show notes:

Teach Access Fellowship