The Student
Disengaged, day-dreaming, staring out the window, chewing on the top of a pen, playing made-up games with paper and pencil, restless, and barely aware of the droning background noise resembling the teacher’s voice is how Jeremy recalls his student experience. He was desperate to finish school despite not knowing what he wanted to do. After several years lost in the metaphorical wilderness, he embarked on a journey that transformed his life and gave him direction. Jeremy returned to school albeit, as a teacher. The irony is not lost on him that he ended up back in education.
The Educator
Jeremy’s experiences include being a classroom teacher, specialist Digital Media and Design teacher, Technology Facilitator, eLearning Designer, a Director of Digital Learning, and a board member and Vice President of Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria (DLTV).
These experiences sparked for his passion and motivation to provide student-focussed, engaging and thought-provoking learning opportunities.
MakerDojo
Jeremy integrates his experiences and extensive knowledge gained from these roles to deliver high quality MakerSpace and STEAM learning school incursions. He’s especially passionate about Makey Makey and is a Makey Makey Certified Educator.
Education Consulting
Jeremy is also an education technology consultant helping schools and organisations develop or enhance in-person and online education programs. He is currently working on 2 Australian Government-backed national education platforms so watch this space.
The Empathy Initiative
The Empathy Initiative, is based around delivering incursions focussed on building empathy to prevent or respond to bullying and cyberbullying. The Empathy Initiative aims to:
- Develop empathy in students.
- To inspire students to take action and transform themselves from bystanders to ‘upstanders’ in bullying and cyberbullying situations.
- To be mindful of how students use technology and the effects of digital distraction and technology overuse.
The Author
Did you know that Jeremy is also an author? He’s also been a personal trainer, a dance instructor (see if you can work out which one is Jeremy) and an astronaut. Ok, maybe not an astronaut… Jeremy has a passion for stories and storytelling because as long as humans could talk and communicate, we have shared stories. When he’s not daydreaming, story conjuring, or distracted by his own thoughts, he likes to spend time with his family. A sports lover, he can often be found exercising, playing soccer or basketball, or watching his beloved Collingwood, Liverpool, Buffalo Bills or the NY Knicks.
Today, storytelling uses many different forms such as books, movies, tv shows, games, presentations, and sport. It is through these many forms that Jeremy discovered his interest and desire to be a writer, a storyteller. A creative thinker, Jeremy always has an idea for a new story percolating in his head.
As a teacher, Jeremy likes to teach through his writing, and he believes that we remember best if we learn in a context we understand. Whether it is eSafety, Makerspace/STE(A)M learning, eLearning, or writing incursions, Jeremy incorporates storytelling into his projects and incursions. Storytelling motivates, inspires, and persuades in ways information alone cannot. After all, stories bring us together and it is with stories through which we can change the world.