Karen Butler

Karen is an educator who has worked in primary schools for many years as a teacher and as a leader. She is currently working for the Education Department of South Australia as a Curriculum Manager for Technologies R-6. She is currently working on developing SA curriculum documents designed to support SA teachers to implement the Technologies Learning Area. Karen worked with the Computer Science in Education Research group with Adelaide University for 3 years during 2016-2019. She is passionate about bringing computer science into the everyday discourse and practice of teachers and learners. She wants computer science to be accessible and exciting for all primary school students. Karen also has experience teaching pre service teaching students Media Arts. Karen is an advocate for supporting students to become critical consumers and power creators of technologies.

Fiona Clayton

Work Place: Torrens Valley Christian School

About me:
Before joining Torrens Valley Christian School as eLearning Coordinator and IT teacher, Fiona worked in the IT industry after gaining a degree in Computer and Information Science.

Fiona has radically changed the way ICT and Digital Technologies is taught at TVCS since joining the staff. She has increased the engagement of students, in particular girls, in IT and introduced SACE Stage 1 and 2 IT (now Digital Technologies) which has led to an increase in students enrolling in Digital Technologies

Fiona is committed to innovation to ensure that students have increased skills, particularly in programming. She has been asked by students to start a coding club at lunch times and has started a Year 5/6 STEM group where she works with 10 select students on robotics and coding in preparation for entry in the FIRST Lego League Competition. These students now see themselves as leaders of Digital Technology in their classes.

Whilst Fiona regularly attends conferences and workshops, she has discovered there is not enough support available for Middle School and Senior School Digital Technologies teachers.  To rectify this, she is committed to networking and sharing, and has been approached by several schools and individual Digital Technologies teachers to help them with their practice.

Fiona freely shares resources and ideas with teachers and schools and presents workshops for EdTechSA. Recently, she was approached by AISSA and the SACE Board to help run professional development sessions, moderate and write sample material for the new Stage 2 Digital Technologies curriculum. The Digital Technologies Hub invited her to write sample material and share her digital technologies implementation journey. As a result, there is information on their website including teaching resources and curriculum outlines.

Fiona says, “The IT learning area has been an isolated one for many years, with teachers going it alone. This has to change; we need to work together and support each other if we are to navigate this ever-changing industry”. Fiona’s work exemplifies this.

Time served on the Committee: Since 2019

Emma Fowler

Emma is a future-focused educator and leader, who is committed to supporting schools to prepare for their digital transformation. She believes that every child deserves an education that is worth having and is dedicated to making sure that happens. A contemporary educator and leader who combines a skill-based curriculum with innovative uses of tech to ensure maximum engagement by ALL students.

Anne Ballard

About me:
I was appointed the first primary computing advisory teacher in SA in 1983 after as primary maths advisor I had supported a small group primary teachers each using a computer in their classrooms. What I knew about computers and computing was minimal and I spent a term at Angle Park Computing Centre learning, using, as I recall, Apple II and BBC computers. My appointment was made at the same time as Apple released its Apple II computer to schools at a discounted price, as I recall somewhere round $1000, and many primary were excited to take up the offer so they had a computer in their school. In late 1984 I went to Annesley College as the first Computing Coordinator and worked R-12. The college was one of 3 SA schools involved in the IBM Computers in Education Project which ran for 3 years pioneering the use of “office” software ie spreadsheets (flat file) database and word processing software in educational settings. It was an Australia wide project that ran for 3 years.
At this time there was a group called the Computing Studies Teachers’ Association whose members were mainly secondary teachers, interested in programming of Apple II and BBC computers, and encouraging students also to write programs using cards they would mark and send off to Angle Park Computing Centre where the program would be run and printouts mailed back to the school.
CEGSA (now EdTechSA) was founded in 1984/5 by a group coordinated by Gerry White, at the time principal of Mitcham Primary School, who became its first president. This group aimed to support teachers who wanted to learn how to use computers as an educational tool in the classroom. You need to remember that this was well before there was a computer in almost every home, and I certainly knew no one who had a mobile phone. I was a member of this group, and on the original committee. I have remained continuously on the committee except for a year off around 1990. I was CEGSA president from 1993-6. In 1998 I was appointed to the SSABSA (now SACE Board) as Technology curriculum and assessment officer and Information Technology was one of “my” subjects. Since my retirement in 2006 I have been able to extend my role on the now EdTechSA committee to support especially senior secondary teachers, but only because of the help, knowledge and expertise of current and enthusiastic teachers of the subject who are prepared to share with their colleagues. I was ACCE Leader of the Year in 2008.
I hope to continue to support teachers of Digital Technologies, with its emphasis on coding, but with much more sophisticated tools than those Computing Studies teachers had.

Time served on the Committee: 33 years

Jose Zayas-Buil

Work Place:
Contract teacher. Teaching within the areas of Tech studies, digital technology, science and stem.

About me:
I come from a trade background within the Engineering industry and have a good hands on ability to implement practical day to day solution into the classroom learning. I have taught in a number of country schools and look for ways to develop the local needs and issue of the area within the technical / digital studies of the school.

Follow: https://twitter.com/jtech19_jose

Time served on the Committee: Joined 2017

Kelly Rivett

Work Place: Primary Teacher, Vale Park Primary School

About me:
I grew up tinkering and playing around on computers and digital technologies in rural South Australia before moving to Adelaide where I studied Computer and Information Science and Media Arts at the University of South Australia. I was the UniSA Inaugural Ada Scholarship for Gifted Women in IT. From university I went on to work professionally in the film and television industry on television shows and movies like McLeod’s Daughters, Home and Away, Babadook and ANZAC Girls. After returning to Adelaide from working in the United States I entered the “family business” as a teacher where I have been working in primary schools around Adelaide as a TRT and Contract Teacher for the past 8 years. I believe that digital technologies provides numerous opportunities for teachers and learners to develop their critical and creative thinking, collaboration and communication skills for future lifelong learning and success. I integrate a collaborative learning approach in my classroom where students are encouraged to teach each other and myself what they know and mistakes are celebrated as learning opportunities. In 2018, I was awarded the Department for Education's SA Primary Teacher of the Year award.

Follow: https://twitter.com/KellyRivett

Time served on the Committee: Member since 2015, Committee member from 2017