John F. Lyons was born in London, England, and now lives in Chicago. He earned a PhD in history from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master Online Teaching certificate from the University of Illinois Online. Lyons is a Professor of History at Joliet Junior College in Illinois where he has taught online since 2001, developed online courses and trained new online teachers. He has assisted academic publishers to design online materials and presented his research at many conferences. Lyons has published numerous articles, encyclopedia entries, and book reviews on a variety of topics including the theory and practice of teaching and learning. He is the author of Teachers and Reform: Chicago Public Education, 1929-70 published by the University of Illinois Press in 2008 and Teaching History Online published by Routledge in 2009.