I have been a secondary teacher for thirty years. From 1970 to 1986 my specialty area was Science. I have taught all the lower school science subjects as well as upper school Chemistry, Physics and Physical Science. I was closely involved in the development and evolution of the Science Electronics units prior to the introduction of Unit Curriculum. In 1986 I became involved in secondary Computing and have specialised in that area ever since. In 1996 I transferred to the Computing Establishment. My particular areas of expertise are Computer Interfacing/Robotics, Interactive Multimedia and On-line Learning.

In 1987/88 I established the Computing Department at WWWWWW Senior High School (WSHS) and took on the role of "Computing Coordinator" until I transferred to YYYYYY  Senior High School (YSHS) in 1992. As the inaugural Computing Coordinator at WSHS I was responsible for the initial equipment purchase, designing and supervising fitting-out of the computer laboratory and developing the teaching programme. In the thirteen years I was at WSHS I was heavily involved in the social, professional and curriculum aspects of the school and was elected by the school staff to a number of positions including: Chairperson of the Staff Association, President of the Union Branch, Member of the Finance Committee, Member of the Reporting Committee, Member of the School Decision-making Group Steering Committee and Coordinator of the inaugural Student Council.

Prior to the introduction of Unit Curriculum at WSHS I wrote and distributed a quarterly information newsletter to Electronics teachers across the State with the support of the then Superintendent of Science Mr bbbbbbbbbbb. In recent years I continued this form of support to teachers by way of a Computing newsletter sent to every school in the State until EDWA changed its policy on mailing and I had to discontinue. I now publish support material for computing teachers on my Internet Web site, details of which will be presented later.

On transferring to YSHS in 1992 I reverted to teaching Science as my major area. My skills in Computing were recognised by the school administration and the following year I was time-tabled into Computing. In 1994 I developed and coordinated the Year 8 Introductory Computing course at YSHS which was run as part of the Science curriculum and was designed to provide the basic skills needed by students entering from primary school. I wrote all course documents and associated support material used by the Science teachers conducting the course. In 1995 I was appointed Teacher in Charge (TIC) of Computing at YSHS and continued in that role until transferring in 1997.

In 1997 I transferred to ZZZZZZZ Senior High School (ZSHS) and was immediately appointed TIC of Computing based on my experience, past record and qualifications in the area. As TIC at ZSHS I am responsible for the development of course material, the establishment of assessment and reporting processes, the evolution of associated learning philosophies, staff support and the general financial and physical management of the Computing Department’s resources. My current focus is overseeing the transition of facilities and teaching strategies at ZSHS from the rather limited and outdated DOS-based learning environment that existed on my arrival to one better reflecting current technology and using a sophisticated network environment.

In 2001 I will be appointed to the foundation staff of QQQQQQQQQQQ   Senior College. I will once again be responsible for the establishment of new computing infrastructure and new learning programmes. With the College’s focus on the innovative use of Information Technology I believe I am the ideal person for the task.

My background in Science established a pattern of student-centred learning which has been my prime focus for much of my teaching life. Past experience has demonstrated the value in providing as much flexibility in the teaching programme as possible. My course structures and associated student tasks cater for individual progression and individual learning styles. In computing particularly, I have found that students benefit by being provided with a clear outline of the learning programme and all the associated assessment regime and the expectations for successful completion of the course. The student is empowered under this strategy and able to manage both their learning and goal achievement. My course material typically consists of a series of "tasks", or exercises to be completed by the student at their own rate. The only requirement placed on the student is that all assessment material must be submitted by the end of the course.

Over the years my role as a teacher has evolved to become more of a resource person than "the source of all knowledge". I am uncomfortable with the term "facilitator", but this description comes closest to what I see as my prime role. My classroom is typically a place to come and work and learn, rather than a place to be "taught at". The majority of students appear to prefer the freedom provided with this approach, leaving me time to concentrate of those who have weaknesses, or who need extra support.

I see this philosophy as being in line with EDWA’s move away from "objectives" towards general "outcomes" which aim to provide an environment for learning, rather than attempting to "fill students with content". I would personally prefer that students were given the opportunity to "learn", rather than being "taught". The former tends to have long term benefits while the latter perpetuates the phenomenon of "learn and forget" which I see as a major problem with "objectives" based curriculum.

My major strength is my experience. I have worked under the Junior Certificate, the Achievement Certificate, Unit Curriculum, post Unit Curriculum and now the evolution towards Student Outcomes and the changes forecast as part of the Review of Post Compulsory Schooling. My focus has always been my role as an educator. I have maintained a flexible outlook and avoided the pessimism which can so easily overwhelm long term classroom teachers. My approach has always been open and sharing. I believe my influence on education has spread beyond the bounds of the classroom due primarily to my willingness to share my expertise openly. At a time when many experienced teachers seem to be establishing private businesses and supplementary outside work interests, my efforts continue to be directed towards students and schools. I have no personal hidden agenda and I believe that colleagues recognise my genuine motives and are prepared to take notice. I am able to have an influence in education because I have credibility gained by experience and a motivation demonstrated by my past efforts.

My contributions to education in the wider arena are primarily via the Internet and continue to gain credence and acknowledgment from a wide cross section of computing teachers and others interested in computing in general (full details of which will be presented later). By developing resources and supporting other teachers in the way I do, my own students and students generally benefit by way of my innovative teaching practices and access to quality resources.

The award I received in 1999 from the Educational Computing Association of Western Australia (ECAWA) of "Educator of the Year" and my 2000 award from the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and the Australian Council for Computers in Education (ACCE) of "National Educator of the Year" testify to my strengths as a facilitator of student learning.

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