About the Authors

Kathryn Driver is the Assistant Coordinator of History and a member of the College of Teachers. She has an MA in History, focusing on war history and she is interested in the teaching of History for the purposes of fostering critical thinking, developing empathy and exploring the formation of identity. She is passionate about Russian history and the unique development of that state. She has presented on PBL approaches at an AIS History Conference. She was also responsible for co-leading a Project Group set up to consider best practice in pastoral care as Barker moves towards comprehensive co-education.

Amanda Eastman is an English and History teacher, but she is passionate about a range of KLAs. This interest has led her to various cross-curricula roles. From 2012 – 2014 she was the Assistant to the Director of Studies, overseeing the implementation of the Australian Curriculum. In 2016 she worked in the Learning Support Department, teaching Fundamentals of English and supporting students with specific learning needs. In 2017, she began working as the Assistant to the Director of the Barker Institute. She has also enjoyed participating in the co-curricular life of the School, having coached Softball and Touch football and been acting CCC of Hockey, Assistant CCC of Snowsports and a Boarding Duty Officer.

Tim Eastman is currently the Head of Holt House and a History teacher specialising in Ancient History. In his pastoral role, he has focused on student leadership development, innovation and positive education. He recently completed his Master of Education in Educational Leadership as well as the Arrow Executive Leaders’ Course. His Master of Education Degree saw him investigate mentoring in schools, while his Master of Teaching focused on differentiated instruction. He has a passion for seeing students thrive inside and outside of the classroom and in helping them think beyond themselves.

Lael Grant is the Robotics Co-ordinator at Barker College. Over the past two years, Lael has been responsible for growing the Robotics’ program into a thriving and successful school activity. There are currently over 140 students involved across the School in both training and competition teams. Lael is an advocate of STEM/STEAM and has been invited to speak at several conferences including EduTech and AIS Technology in 2017. He has taught Computer Science at senior levels both locally and internationally and has also been involved in setting the HSC Trial examinations for external providers. Lael is passionate about human potential and our capacity for innovation.

Paul Harmon is currently an ICT Integrator at Barker College and works directly with staff and students to implement technology into teaching and learning practice. He has close to 20 years’ teaching experience, previously coming from the graphics industry. He has had a strong interest in technology and curriculum for most of his teaching lifetime. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator and has won various awards for technology in the curriculum, including the Minister of Education Award for innovative teaching practice. Paul has been involved in 1-1 programs since 2008 including both laptop and iPad deployments. He was employed at Barker in 2014 and he led the implementation of the 1-1 iPad program in the Junior School.

Dr Matthew Hill is currently Developer of Hearts & Minds Research at Barker College. His PhD promoted the importance of students’ developing representational fluency for learning and communication in order to be able to succeed in science education. He has worked in research, teaching and educational leadership at The University of Sydney and the University Western Sydney, publishing in academic journals related to each of these areas before coming to Barker in 2016. While maintaining a specific interest in physics’ education research, his work now focusses on developing student capacity in thinking, discussion, philosophical reasoning and personal development.

Greg Longney is a teacher of History and the Head of Academic Enrichment and Extension. His Masters of Education (Research) focused on how History teachers understand disciplinary knowledge and how they communicate it to their students. In 2017 Greg has been part of the National Emerging Leaders Program and has conducted a project on the status and role of academic enrichment and extension at Barker College. Greg continues to teach History from Year 7 -12 and he still views the classroom experience as the most challenging and rewarding aspect of his role.

Malyn Mawby is a Computer Science teacher and Assistant to the Director of Educational Measurement & Testing. Her previous IT career developing information systems influenced her appreciation for data-based decision-making and viewing teaching practice as a design process. Insights into individual learning needs deepened with completion of post-graduate Special Education studies. Malyn is interested in promoting wellbeing and nurturing the social aspects of learning for both teachers and students. She contributes to face-to-face discussions as well as leverages social media including blogging. Malyn is also a Board Director of ICT Educators NSW, a non-profit organisation providing professional development activities and resources.

Dr Brad Merrick is currently Director of Research in Learning and the Barker Institute. His PhD examined the influence of motivation and self-regulation on student understanding and learning. He has co-authored several music textbooks combined with scholarly chapters, articles and papers that explore emerging approaches to teaching and learning, most recently in the ‘Oxford Handbook of Music Education’ and ‘The Routledge Companion to Music, Technology and Education’. He is the immediate Past Chair of the National Executive of the Australian Society for Music Education. His passion is examining new research, pedagogy and emerging practice in education.

Andrew Mifsud is an ICT Integrator and music teacher. He is currently researching student perceptions and experiences of secondary school blended learning environments as part of his Doctor of Education studies at The University of Sydney. He has also been involved in a number of action research projects based on social learning sites and he has presented his work at national and international education conferences. Andrew is the NSW Secretary of the Australian Society for Music Education and he is a past recipient of the ASME Music Educating for Life Award for his work promoting professional learning in the music educator community.

Len Nixon has taught for 41 Years. During this time he has been a Head of Department, Tutor and Careers Advisor. Currently, he is the Barker College of Teachers’ Lead Coach. Len is both an author and a co-author of Business Studies’ textbooks and he has taught in Teacher Education both at UNSW and UTS as Method Lecturer. He has also been an AIS Business Studies’ and Economics’ Consultant, RBA Consultant and Occasional Lecturer at Blacktown City Library, UOW, Macquarie University in addition to his Rugby coaching at School, CAS and NSW levels. Len has also been Coordinator of Waterpolo. Jamie Shackleton is currently the Campus Coordinator of Darkinjung Barker College. Darkinjung Barker is situated in the Yarramalong Valley on the Central Coast of NSW. Jamie graduated from UWS Nepean and has been teaching at Barker College for thirteen years. During his time at Barker, he has spent time in the roles of Co-Curricular Coordinator and Grade Coordinator. He has recently completed the National Emerging Leaders’ Program and looks to further his education in the areas of Leadership and Wellbeing.

James Stewart is the Director of ICT and eLearning at Barker College. With twenty years of experience in the NSW private education sector, his passion is to develop, facilitate and support information communication and learning technologies to support deep and authentic learning, promote schools as institutions of excellence and to develop in students the digital wisdom and cognitive power to be the global leaders and problem solvers of the future. He is an active speaker in education technology circles and regularly presents at EduTech Australia and National AISNSW ICT Leadership conferences. In his somewhat limited free time, James enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, nature photography, reading a good book or spending quality fellowship with friends. Michele Studd is currently Head of Learning Support. Prior to coming to Barker, she was Director of Middle Years at Northholm Grammar and she has held various Special Education teaching and consultancy roles. Michele’s particular areas of interest include supporting all students to achieve their personal best and working collaboratively with classroom teachers to plan and establish inclusive and effective classroom learning environments.

Nonie Taylor is an Earth and Environmental Science, Mathematics, and iSTEM teacher. Prior to teaching, she worked for fourteen years as an advanced wastewater engineer for a water utility company. During this time she was concerned by both the absence of female representation in the water industry as well as the shortage of creative, passionate young engineers to pursue education. She presented at OzWater 2016 on the importance of STEM education to the water industry and she is on the Water Educators’ Network Committee for the Australian Water Association.

Su Temlett is currently an ICT Integrator focusing on the implementation of blended learning and the new learning management system, Canvas, across the school. She spent the last nine years as Head of English at two Christian School Australia schools in Sydney. Su trained as a teacher in the UK and immigrated to Australia in 2007. She is currently studying for a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management. Her passion is in exploring and training others in effective innovative pedagogical approaches to learning.

Jeremy von Einem began teaching at Oxley College, Bowral as the foundation physics teacher. He became Head of Science at Barker College in 1997 and led the staff response to the building of the Foundation Science Building. After two years at Cranbrook School, he returned to Barker College as Director of Studies and remained in that role for 12 years before moving to the role of Director of Academic Performance. He is particularly interested in how educational theory is expressed as actual classroom practice and in improving ways students study and remember information.

Simon Walker is the Director of Student Leadership & Service Learning. He recently completed a Master of Education (Educational Leadership) through Charles Sturt University and has presented on the topics of Leadership and Service at the AHISA Leading, Learning & Caring Conference in 2016 and the IBSC Leading & Learning Conference in 2015. He has a particular interest in blending service, leadership and innovation across all aspects of teaching and learning.

Melanie Webster worked in public libraries before moving into the education sector. Currently she is a Teacher Librarian in the Secondary School and she is involved with a literacy program for middle-school students. Passionate about reading and helping teens to enjoy literature, she is particularly interested in YA fiction and using multimedia to engage readers, promote diversity and support Australian content.

Damien Whitington is the Middle School Chaplain at Barker College. His duties include conducting regular chapel services for students, staff and parents in order to make sense of the Christian faith in our modern age. Having previously studied a Master of Divinity, Damien enjoys upskilling students in critical thinking as he teaches Christian Studies, Mathematics and PDHPE. He is heavily involved in school life at Barker as he participates in school camps, boarding, music lessons, as well as coaching rugby and tennis.

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