Michael Jones, director of the Language and Media Centers at Swarthmore College, died May 2. He was 59, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“He would find ways to make our teaching vision a technological reality,” Swarthmore College associate professor Carina Yervasi said.
Michael Jones of Philadelphia, an expert in academic technology, joined Swarthmore College in 1996 as its new Language Center opened, turning the small third-floor classroom in Kohlberg Hall into a major instructional support resource.
“Mike devoted himself to supporting students, faculty, and staff not just in learning new languages but also in encouraging them to explore new ways to teach, design, and create across all academic interests and skill levels,” Swarthmore president Valerie Smith said in a tribute.
Mr. Jones maintained the college’s learning materials as the internet and online tools evolved. He organized how-to workshops and training for students, faculty, and staff.
He got behind remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic as he wrote blogs about emerging technology and how to use it in modern education.
Mr. Jones renovated the Language Center in 2011, turning unused classrooms and open spaces into multi-use labs, studios, and galleries, known as the MakerSpace Ecosystem.
Find out more about the life of Michael Jones in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
