Michael Matos is the education technology director for scaleLIT, leading the Digital Learning Lab, digital literacy at Chicago Connected, and digital navigators. He also serves on the IACEA Board, as the senior director for Region 1 in Illinois, and as a member of the Legislative Committee. As COABE’s Region 3 representative and technology chair, Michael is involved in digital equity and inclusion initiatives. Michael is a long-time adult education advocate. He has presented at hundreds of conferences sharing his strategies and activities, including 12 COABE conferences. Michael champions collaborations and partnerships to strengthen adult education.

Michael has worked for 25-plus years as an adult education teacher and administrator. In adult education, he taught five subjects in ABE/GED®, all levels of ESL, and digital literacy. He served as an administrator at an Adult Education Community Center assisting 1,800 learners yearly. Michael worked there for 18-plus years as an instructor and senior director of adult education, employment, and training programs.

Additionally, for more than 16 years, Michael has conducted workshops for tutors, presenting in math and writing. Michael participated in the Joint Advisory Council for the Illinois Community College Board and in writing the Illinois Common Core Standards: Language Arts. Certified as an ABE/ASE Adult Education Standards Specialist in Mathematics and as a certified English as a Second Language Standards Proficient Instructor, Michael has published articles in the COABE Journal: “Technology & Adult Learning: Digital Literacy for All” in fall 2021 and “Lessons From the Pandemic: COVID-19” in fall 2022.