Dr. Erin McDonnell-Jones, Associate Professor of Education at Randolph-Macon College, was recently awarded a grant from the Virginia Academic Library Consortium to create new open educational resources for future teachers across Virginia.

Before joining Randolph-Macon, Dr. McDonnell-Jones taught middle and high school English for about ten years and has also worked at several higher education institutions across the East Coast and Midwest. Her experience sparked her interest in educational technology, with a focus on finding practical ways to make it more accessible for teachers at all stages of their careers.

“This grant will allow us to build what is essentially a multi-unit teaching course on educational technology,” McDonnell-Jones explained. “It will be available as an open resource for any pre-service teachers or provisionally licensed teachers in Virginia.”

The goal of the program is to reduce costs for students while providing practical, up-to-date content on using technology in the classroom. To develop these materials, McDonnell-Jones is partnering with an Instructional Technology Coach, a specialist who works directly with K-12 teachers to help them integrate technology effectively into their classrooms, in Hanover County.  Together, they are building a comprehensive collection of resources and designing multiple teaching units that cover topics such as the theory and pedagogy of using technology, best practices, and practical applications like artificial intelligence and blended learning methods.

One important unit will address digital citizenship, covering issues like cyberbullying, fact-checking, and how to navigate information responsibly, skills that are increasingly vital for today’s teachers and their students.

“My biggest hope is twofold,” McDonnell-Jones said. “First, that our students feel more comfortable using technology, and second, that they understand they don’t have to use it every moment of every day. It’s all about how technology can best support student learning.”

In the short term, the grant will help revise the department’s existing educational technology course, which will be piloted with students this year before rolling out statewide in 2027. Long-term, the open resources could benefit teacher education programs across Virginia and adapt as technology evolves.

“This lays the groundwork for future updates. Educational technology changes so quickly, so we’ll keep refining it,” McDonnell-Jones said.

She also hopes the broader RMC community will get involved. Current students will play a key role in testing and giving feedback on the materials. Alumni who are now teachers can support the effort by hosting students for fieldwork or sharing how they use technology in their own classrooms. 

Ultimately, McDonnell-Jones says the grant underscores what makes Randolph-Macon’s teacher education program stand out.

“I’ve worked at multiple teacher education programs across the country, and this is the strongest program I’ve ever worked with,” she said. “Our students graduate well-prepared for the classroom. They know the realities of the career they’re pursuing, and on day one, they’re already making a positive impact on their students.”