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I was born and bred in Dunedin ("New Zealand's best kept
secret").
I attended the Dunedin College of Education and graduated with a Diploma of
Teaching.
I had been a classroom teacher for twelve years and taught in Invercargill
and Christchurch. Then I was fortunate enough to be presented the opportunity
to be the Lead Facilitator for the Greymouth Cluster and have remained in
the ICTPD Network ever since.
Having lived in the main centres of the South Island I can honestly say that
that the weather anywhere in the Mainland "ain't that bad!"
I had been experimenting with using ICT in the classroom for at least six
years. However I did not know why - apart from the fact that the children
and I found using IT highly motivating and enjoyable. I have had the opportunity
to attend many conferences dedicated to improving teaching and learning. I
have been lucky enough to "rub shoulders" with some of the leading
minds in Education both in New Zealand and International Educationists. This
has all helped to shape my direction in education and give me a strong sense
of purpose and belief in the New Zealand Curriculum.
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Some Thoughts
I am excited about the improvement that I see in the
Participants. Many of them are now gaining skills that they had never
considered needing in their teaching day.
Reflection is very important in order to improve
teaching practices.
Teachers need to actively reflect upon what they are teaching and how they are delivering the curriculum. The more I learn about learning the more I find myself reflecting upon my previous teaching experience..... Our Lead Teachers will reflect on their role and communicate these to me via E-mail - this is to allow me to advise them and be more responsive to their needs. Thinking Skills
I recommend that you read a book called "Parallel Thinking"
by Edward de Bono.
It compares the traditional "Western" thinking style with the Parallel thinking method (the 6 thinking hats). It has helped me to understand the reaction we give to new ideas and the importance of changing our way of thinking. We need to give our children a more effective framework of thinking. Our children have to become more "creative" and "lateral" in the way that they solve problems and approach challenges. The six thinking hats allows us to give an idea thorough evaluation and exploration. I believe that the six thinking hats should be actively taught in our classrooms. It is a simple, effective and popular method which is productive and creative.
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I still teach but my audience has changed. I have worked with
approximately 400 teachers over the last 7 years and am currently working
on my fourth ICTPD Project. I am finding this challenge rewarding and enriching.
I have started my own business and have been an independent ICT Consultant
to the Education sector for almost two years now.
I really enjoy the local country side. Here are some pictures to show you
what I mean.
I took these pictures using the Project's Agfa ePhoto 1280 Digital Camera.
The Coast is beautiful!
Click on an image to view a larger version.