Experience

• Paul D. Camp Community College

  Adjunct, English

  Mary Ellen worked at Paul D. Camp Community College as a Adjunct, English

• Paul D. Camp Community College

  Test Administrator

  I am a full-time test administrator for a community college. I manage the testing center. While I administer various tests including placement tests, entry tests for the nursing program, graduate testing, dual enrollment testing, I also am able to gather data from databases for adminstrators and heads of programs to support their information needs. All VCCS colleges are now expanding the use of online learning. This expansion has affected all test administrators. We must proctor these students within our service area to validate the testing of these online courses delivered through Blackboard for the college dispensing the course. I enjoy the management of testing and serving people in the community and the research that has been involved in this job.

• Community College

  English Instructor

  I teach an online course that is a dual enrollment college English course for homeschool community. For the first semester, I train my students in a rhetorical approach to language. We study the rhetorical appeals and the rhetorical canon along with the prescribed curriculum for college English. For the second semester, we study a dialectic approach to argument. I train my students to "enter the conversation." My end view is that my students will throughout their lifetime not shun engagement on difficult issues but will enter into profitable debate on relevant issues with opposing stances in this post-modern culture. Futher, my hope is that they will recognize the conversation on various critical issues and have a greater understanding how to enter that conversation in an effective productive manner that is beneficial to them and others.

• Paul C. Camp Community College

  Developmental English

  I have taught various levels of developmental English at the community college. Developmental English courses are for those people entering the community college whose test results have determined that their language skills are not at college level. Therefore, the community college as an open enrollment instituion offers English and math courses to help students gain a college level proficiency in their math and English skills. I frequently engaged in writing research in my graduate programs to gain understanding and proficiency in addressing the instructional needs of this community of students. I have also engage in various professional development workshops, conferences, and various training opportunities to keep my skills informed and updated. I am particularly proud of being selected to participate in the week long Chancellor's Institute on developmental education. It was indeed a highlight in my career as a developmental education instructor. My student evalutations have always been very good. I have always enjoyed working with this community of learners and have been very pleased with their continued success in college and their work and life status once they graduate from the community college.