The basics…
I am Head of Modern Foreign Languages at Nottingham High School, where I teach Spanish and German, and I believe fervently in making education compatible with the needs and expectations of our students through the effective use of technology.
Being able to take advantage of the available technology is an essential skill for teachers to acquire in an age where pupils’ learning expectations are changing radically.
Above all, I believe that the effective use of technology in our schools ensures that education remains relevant to our students in their increasingly digital lives.
A bit more…
A career-long interest in the use of technology in teaching and learning has led me to enrol on a Masters Degree in ICT and Education at the University of Leeds.
When I am not preparing lessons or researching for my Masters, I spending what little time is left with my family: my long-suffering wife and my two beautiful sons.
As well as this, my Box of Tricks, I also maintain a website with interactive exercises and resources for learners of Spanish called AsíSeHace.net and my school’s Modern Foreign Languages website.
Even more…
In addition to the my teaching responsibilities, fatherhood and my MA, I have written the ICT Outlook 2008 and 2009 for the Languages ICT website, in collaboration with CILT, the National Centre for Languages, and ALL, the Association for Language Learning.
I have also co-presented Show Time Spanish, a popular podcast aimed at advanced learners of Spanish from Radiolingua, makers of Coffee Break Spanish as well as other fantastic resources for foreign language learning.
Speaking and presenting
I am also passionate about sharing experiences and good practice with colleagues, fellow teachers and educators. Not only am I involved with Continuing Professional Development at Nottingham High School, but I also lead external workshops and INSET, give talks and write about the effective use of technology to motivate and engage students.
Where I’ve been
- 25th September 2008, London – Podcasting Workshop at the Institut Français. Hands-on workshop on behalf of Apple.
- 5th December 2008, Nottingham – CILT Success in Language Teaching and Learning 14 – 19 Conference. Hands-on workshop on Blogging and Microblogging.
- 17th January 2009, London, BETT Exhibition - Open Source Schools Seminar. Becta supported Seminar to help raise awareness of the advantages of using Open Source Software in schools.
- 26th March 2009, The Education Show, Birmingham NEC – Open Source Schools Seminar
- 15th May 2009, TeachMeet Midlands, Nottingham – It’s all about communication: what I get up to with my pupils and why they’re enjoying it
- 1st June 2009, London – Using technology to motivate and engage students in the MFL classroom (Mill Wharf Training)
- 19th November, University of Leeds – Using ICT to teach languages: what’s new and trendy? Regional tutor and stakeholder workshop.
- 3rd December 2009, Birmingham – CILT 14 – 19 National Conference. Hands-on workshop: Blogging.
- 16th January 2010, Brighton – Tried and tested internet tools for teachers. Study Group Teachers’ Conference.
- 29th January 2010, London – GCSE Spanish Student Revision Conference (Keynote Educational)
- 6th February 2010 – The power of blogs in the MFL classroom. ISMLA Annual Conference, North London Collegiate School.
Where I’m going to be
- 22nd March 2010, Manchester – Using technology to motivate and engage students in the MFL classroom (Mill Wharf Training)
- 24th April 2010, Barcelona – Tried and tested internet tools for the English language classroom (Macmillan Iberia)
- 7th June 2010, Birmingham – Using technology to motivate and engage students in the MFL classroom (Mill Wharf Training)
- 14th June 2010, London – Using technology to motivate and engage students in the MFL classroom (Mill Wharf Training)
- 24th June 2010, London – Creating Motivating and Inspiring Lessons Using the Latest Technologies: IWB, Internet, Mobile Phone, MP3 ! (Keynote Educational)
- 26th June, Brighton – Linguascope Conference: Inspiration for Motivation. Using web applications to enhance teaching and learning in Modern Foreign Languages.
Don’t hesitate to drop me a line about any of the things mentioned above or indeed any other thing at all 
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this website are my own and not necessarily those of my employers.
Acknowledgements
The pictures used in Box of Tricks are either my own or have been obtained from stock.xchng or Flickr under a Creative Commons licence, in which case they are duly attributed.
