CC-BY-NC-SA 2025 New Language Solutions Avenue Program Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning, version 1.2 Sharon’s portfolio included managing the budget (revenue and expenditure) and the operation at each school to ensure that the sites ran smoothly and classroom needs were met. This meant ensuring that each location (and class) received their own dedicated operating budget; capital expenditures were allocated for site repairs and improvements and were done in a timely manner; and Internet connectivity and site equipment were purchased and upgraded cyclically. It also meant that technical support was available to the sites and classrooms in a timely manner to ensure that teaching time was dedicated to teaching and not addressing technical issues. The technical support was managed by the school board’s IT department but realizing that wasn’t enough, the program hired a dedicated technical support person to be available to the sites during instructional time. Sharon negotiated budgets with the provincial and federal governments, did budget forecast and analysis for the TCDSB Budget Department and the funders, and oversaw financial audits. In the early days of computers in the classroom, it wasn’t easy to convince the funders to dedicate a portion of the annual budget for technology. It took some convincing on the part of service providers to make sure that technology was an instrumental part of their budget. Sharon also managed all the projects within the TCDSB Adult Education Program. The projects had to do with the development of or updating LINC or Ontario curriculum guidelines and course materials; to support the role of technology in language teaching and learning and suggest models for professional development. Some highlights are the Ontario eLearning Onyx Project (20162021), Ontario Curriculum Framework: Quartz Project (2014-2016); CALL: A Software Guide for LINC classroom and LINC Train the Trainer Project (2000), and a conceptual framework for LINC (2020-2021). Sharon’s other responsibilities included policy development for her program. Over the span of her career, she chaired a few working groups to develop a PD framework, a program planning framework, a support and supervision policy framework, and a privacy information management framework. Sharon understood and appreciated the importance of community of practice and networking, which helped her gain a much deeper understanding of the issues in her work. Sharon served on TESL Toronto, TESL Ontario and TESL Canada boards for a number of years as board member, Research and Dissemination Chair, Technology Chair, and Conference Chair. She served as TESL Ontario President from 2006 to 2008. From attending and presenting at conferences to engaging in committee work, Sharon’s job included a variety of activities. She sat on a number of advisory committees that included: • National Advisory Committee for PBLA, TUTELA, Avenue.ca and National Curriculum Framework 2019-2020 • Coordinated Language Assessment & Referral System (CLARS)-CIC & MCI 2009-2012 • National Advisory committee on a national professional development framework -Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) – 2010 • LINC Learning Objects & Online Repository -2010 Interested in Learning More? Administrator Profile In Sharon’s Own Words Towards ESL Technology-use Guidelines 29
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