1. BIOGRAPHY

It has been 24 years since I graduated from the South Australian College of Advanced Education (Underdale Campus) in 1986 with a Physical Education major from the Australian Institute of Sport.  It is hard to believe that I have been teaching or involved in education all that time.  I began teaching by going back to my small country home town of Millicent in the South East of South Australia.  I spent a year and a half doing supply teaching for the whole district, teaching everything from New Entrants to Form 7.  This required me to be versatile, flexible and aware of the needs of a wide range of students and curricula.  I have regularly attended professional development courses on Reading, Mathematics, Middle Management, Technology, Physical Education and the Performing Arts.

In September of 1988 I took the opportunity to teach in New Zealand securing a Long Term Reliever position that quickly became permanent in 1989 at Ardmore Primary School.  While at this school I soon came to be Teacher in Charge of Sport and Music.  In 1991 I was Acting Deputy Principal.  I realised that eventually I would like to be in a Senior Management role but needed to gain experience and develop the requisite skills first.

Since that time I have had leadership roles in various curriculum areas at several schools. Science, Mathematics and Physical Education at Papakura Intermediate.  Music, Technology and assisting with the Physical Education Programme at Kedgley Intermediate as well as being an Associate Teacher.  Music, Drama, Dance and Art at Howick Intermediate as Team Leader of the Performing and Visual Arts Department and also a Beginning Teacher Tutor.  I also assisted with Technology and I.C.T.  In 2007, I was the Lead Teacher for Science & Technology at Meadowbank School as well as being an Associate Teacher.

In my position as Head of the Performing and Visual Arts Department I taught Music and Multi-Media and led a four person team consisting of a full time Dance Teacher, Drama Teacher, Art Teacher and myself.  I also worked closely with the I.C.T. specialist at Howick Intermediate to develop online tracking and reporting, online exemplars, digital planning and assessment and I.C.T. integration in all curriculum areas.

In 2006 and 2007 I taught at Meadowbank School as a Year 5 teacher, teaching in what could be described as a model digital learning environment with seven computers and an interactive smart board.  We also had professional standard microphones, mixing board and software for podcasting and recording as well as digital video and still cameras with software for producing movies.  At all times ICT was heavily integrated into our programme.  All students had individual blogs where they posted their work.  I was able, along with parents and friends to view and comment on their work. I was also a Senior Teacher with responsibility for Science & Technology and an Associate Teacher.

As well as working as a full time teacher I was also a partner in a business called “Educational Solutions in Computers”.  This is a company that provided staff development in basic to advanced computer usage, simple educational software for integration into classroom programmes, multi-media and website building.  We worked with schools such as Browns Bay Primary and St. Kentigern Primary.

More recently I have been employed as the Auckland Regional Manager for 3PLearning the providers of web-based learning platforms MATHLETICS and SPELLODROME.  In this role I am responsible for a growing portfolio of Auckland Schools (150 as of April 2010) utilising these programmes.  The job entails providing technical support for the programme but more importantly the Staff Professional Development that comes free with the programme.  This sees me working in these schools in a variety of roles from running full staff meetings to working with syndicates and individual teachers.  We look at how to incorporate this IT tool into their Mathematics programme, building online learning programmes and even modelling how to teach using the programme.

I also act and have done work on stage, film and television.  I have written musicals and performed in various bands and orchestras.

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