Toolbox Champions

Helen Lynch

Centre for Education Excellence,
Canberra Institute of Technology,
GPO Box 826
Canberra ACT 2601

Phone: (02) 6207 4031
Fax: (02) 6207 4834
Email: helen.lynch@cit.act.edu.au

Helen Lynch and team are supporting Toolbox implementation in the ACT.

Helen is a committed advocate of flexible learning and Flexible Learning Toolbox resources. She has a background as an educator and flexible learning enthusiast in the vocational education and training and university sectors in NSW. She has worked as an educational management and curriculum consultant with various companies to write competencies for a number of training packages, undertake flexible learning research and help small RTO's manage AQTF and educational business requirements. As well as acting as our Toolbox Champ Helen is an online educational designer with the Flex:ed team, Centre for Education Excellence at Canberra Institute of Technology. Helen holds post graduate qualifications in educational management, online education and Indigenous education and is currently undertaking a doctorate at the University of Southern Queensland researching professional development and learning object reuse.

The ACT Toolbox Champion team are keen to share their Toolbox and elearning expertise with other teachers and trainers across the ACT and hope to offer assistance in the effective use and implementation of Toolboxes in an educational environment.

To find out more about the ACT Toolbox Champion Services and events, visit their web site at: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox/champions/act/

Calendar of Events

Shane Dowd
Australian Flexible Learning Framework
Level 15, 1 Oxford St
Darlinghurst
NSW, 2010

Email: shane.dowd@det.nsw.edu.au
Phone: 02 6569 2008 or 02 9244 5509
Mob: 0439 486635
Fax: 02 6568 2260

Shane has previously been employed as an IT Teacher, Teacher-in-Charge and “Online / Flexible Learning Officer” for TAFE NSW, North Coast Institute - the Australian Large Training Provider of the Year 2004. As part of the latter role Shane was responsible for the promotion and support of a large collection of Toolboxes within the Institute.

Valuable e-learning development experience was gained by Shane as a member of the “eCommerce learningware” project team in the NCI.

Shane has extensive experience as an e-learning student (as well as course facilitating duties) and this has led to great empathy with both the students and teachers involved in the e-learning process. Living at Nambucca Heads, he understands the study problems involved in being hundreds of kilometres away from a capital city.

Shane believes the flexibility and reliability of a Toolbox, in comparison to using a website-based course, are the main advantages for the student. In particular, rural students are freed from the stress of bad Internet connections.

To find out more about the NSW Toolbox Champion services and events, visit their web site at: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox/champions/nsw/

Calendar of Events

Melanie Brenton
Service Industries Training Advisory Council
GPO Box 4900
Darwin NT 0801

Phone: (08) 8942 1651
Fax: (08) 8942 0852
Email: melb@sitac.com.au

Graeme Sawyer

Melanie Brenton and Graeme Sawyer are working to assist Northern Territorians to implement Toolboxes.

Melanie can offer assistance in using Toolboxes in a variety of different organisations – schools, industry, training providers large and small. Melanie’s IT experience is drawn from experience developing computer managed training support resources. She can also provide advice on using Toolboxes as support resources for the delivery of Training Package qualifications. This is her third year as the NT’s Toolbox Champion.

Graeme has worked as a computer professional for over 20 years, with 15 years experience in Multimedia and online technologies. His core expertise is in the integration of Multimedia and Information Technology into education including customisation of Toolboxes. He has extensive experience in the professional development of educators, especially in relation to the integration of Information Technology into teaching practice.

To find out more about NT Toolbox Champions and events in the NT visit the website: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox/champions/nt/

Sandra Lawrence
1 Cordelia Street
South Brisbane Q 4101

Phone: (07) 3259 4375
Fax: (07) 3869 8251
Email: Sandra.lawrence@deta.qld.gov.au

Sandra Lawrence and the Product Innovation team at Product Services (Department of Education and Training) are supporting Toolbox implementation in Queensland.

The Product Innovation team has members with varying skills, backgrounds and experiences in e-learning. Using their combined knowledge and skills, the team aims to provide advice, assistance and guidance to bring the benefits of Toolboxes to your training organisation and your learners.

As Manager Product Innovation, Sandra is involved across Framework activities in Queensland. The Innovation and E-learning Coordinators, as well as the Toolbox Champion Service all work from the Product Innovation team.

Sandra has more than 30 years experience in education, across the schools, higher education and vocational education and training sectors.

Her initial VET experience was in apprenticeship programs. Since then she has had various roles in industry consultancy, educational design and development, research and innovation, procurement and implementation of systemic educational technology platforms, post-graduate VET programs and applications and e-learning.

To find out more about Queensland Toolbox Services and events, visit the Queensland Toolbox Champion's web site at: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox/champions/qld/

Douglas Purcell
SA Framework Unit
DFEEST
Level 2, 11 Waymouth St
Adelaide 5000

Phone: 08 84636346
Mobile: 0438 824 583
Email: douglas.purcell@sa.gov.au

The SA Toolbox Champion is Douglas Purcell. He is supported by Stephan Schmidt.

Douglas has a long involvement in the development of e-learning resources and e-facilitation. He has previously taught in adult literacy programs and provided professional development to TAFE SA staff implementing e-learning.

Stephan Schmidt is a qualified educator with 14 years teaching experience. Initially, Stephan obtained chefing qualifications and after 15 years in the industry he imparted his experience to apprentice chefs in the VET sector. Electronic gadgets and computing have also had a long term appeal to Stephan, and 8 years ago determined to combine these major interests by moving into the online teaching/ learning environment.

As an employee of Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), Stephan taught face-to-face for many years before he transferred into more e-Learning focused areas, where he provided teachers with innovative e-learning ideas, educational design, pedagogical and technical advice. His enthusiasm and creativity was rewarded in 2004, where he was presented with the "CIT Excellence in E-learning" award. During the time at CIT he also had the role as the ACT Toolbox Champion. These days he considers the online environment as a non-negotiable value adding teaching/ learning resource.

Currently Stephan works for TAFE SA as an Educational Project Consultant, where he supports facilitators in developing their learning resources, on- and off-line. Stephan will be supporting Douglas Purcell the SA Toolbox Champion, and is keen to share his toolbox and online teaching/ learning expertise with other online educators across the SA education sector. He hopes to offer his assistance to demonstrate the effective use and implementation of toolboxes in an educational environment.

To find out more about Toolbox Champion Services and events in South Australia, visit the South Australian Toolbox Champion web site at: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/content/sa-toolbox-champion-service

Peter Shanks
Skills Tasmania
Level 1/99 Bathurst St.
Hobart Tas. Aust. 7000

Phone: (03) 6233 4617
Mobile: 0402 525 482
Fax: (03) 6234 6806
Email: peter.shanks@skills.tas.gov.au

Peter comes from an IT and teaching background, having worked as an analyst programmer, web developer and consultant for Telstra, Fujitsu, and Dutch teleco KPN before becoming a full time teacher at Bathurst TAFE in NSW.

Peter has also developed several online applications for trainers such as flickrCC and training o2.

To find out more about the Tasmanian Toolbox Champion service visit: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox/champions/tas/

Ken Gooding
Mobile: 0438 535 979
Fax: +61 3 9661 8799
Email: ken.gooding@eworks.edu.au

e-Works
Level 21
390 St Kilda Rd
Melbourne, Victoria 3004

Ken Gooding brings to e-Works over twenty-five years of VET experience including significant work in the areas of instructional design, the development of flexible program delivery, the implementation of e-learning and the professional development of teachers and trainers. As the Online Learning Development Coordinator at Chisholm Institute of TAFE, Ken applied his extensive VET experience to teaching and learning innovation.

Ken will provide planning advice and implementation support to TAFE Institutes and other RTOs wishing to take full advantage of the new TAFE VC 3 environment. This includes the use of the Equella system for accessing, customising and storing e-learning content for local delivery using Blackboard Vista. Ken’s role will also include ensuring Victorian providers are aware of the range of nationally funded Toolbox e-learning materials.

To find out more about the VIC Toolbox Champion services and events, visit their web site at: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox/champions/vic/

Cheryl Galloway
WA Toolbox Champion
WestOne Services
Department of Training and Workforce Development
1 Prospect Place, West Perth WA 6005

Phone: (08) 9229 5319
Mobile: 0419 985 870
Email: cheryl.galloway@dtwd.wa.gov.au

Cheryl has worked within the VET sector for twelve years and has been involved in e-learning for the last nine. Her own experiences studying in the days before e-learning options were available and seeing how technology has helped to empower remote learners and those in Equity programs, have given her the passion and commitment to strive towards making e-learning opportunities more widely available. She believes Toolboxes are a means of helping to achieve this, by enabling trainers to meet their clients various requirements for e-learning, workplace and gap training.

Maria Amesz
Manager VET Learning Materials
WestOne Services
Department of Training and Workforce Development
1 Prospect Place, West Perth WA 6005

Phone: (08) 9229 5211
Mobile: 0423 088 852
Fax: (08) 9229 5293
Email: maria.amesz@dtwd.wa.gov.au

Cheryl Galloway and the Champion team are supporting Toolbox implementation in Western Australia.

http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox/champions/wa/