Digital Resource Writers

NFSA Digital Learning is committed to working with experienced educators to prepare Digital Resources that are relevant, engaging and challenging for teachers and students. Below are short biographies of teacher/writers who have contributed to this project.

Short Biographies

ENGLISH

LEE BURTON has over thirty years experience in education: as Education Manager for the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, a Senior Lecturer in Media Education at RMIT University and writer of over 200 media studies curriculum resources. Lee is also one of the founders of the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM).

ANDREA HAYES is an experienced English teacher, consultant and author. She lectures and presents workshops on analysing and creating dramatic and documentary films to students and teachers. Andrea has written over a dozen textbooks for Heinemann and Cambridge University Press with many chapters devoted to the analysis of film texts as well as articles for Screen magazine and worksheets. She has a major in English, a Masters in Education and a Diploma in Screen Production and has published plays, short stories and scripts.

ROGER STITSON was an English teacher in the Victorian state secondary school system for over 20 years, with an M.Ed. degree combining Literature, Film and Media Studies. He has been writing educational material for The Age newspaper, teacher journals, text books and the digital media for many years. His other non-fiction items such as book reviews and essays, and fiction short stories, have appeared in various magazines.

JOHN WALKER is Head Teacher English, ESL at Kogarah High School (NSW). Kogarah is participating in the Middle Years Literacy Project and is an advisory school for the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF). John is a senior examiner for the New South Wales Board of Studies Higher School Certificate Examination. He has been a past Executive Member of the NSW English Teachers Association.

HUMANITIES

ANNABEL ASTBURY is Manager of Professional Services at the History Teachers’ Association of Victoria. She has had ten years’ experience teaching Australian History at VCE level, writing textbook for VELS-oriented material and has been involved in the consultation process with the VCAA regarding VELS and the Progression Points for History.

JULIE DYER is currently a Lecturer in Social Education and Education Studies at Deakin University. Julie has had an extensive education career spanning classroom teaching, consultancy, curriculum writing and development, program manager across local, national and international areas. Julie has worked with and in government and non-government teacher professional development programs across education fields including geography, curriculum studies and studies of Asia.

VICKI GREER is Head of History at St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney. She is the author of twelve successful History textbooks for Heinemann Education, including the History Zone series and Heinemann History Links: Ancient and Medieval Societies, a wide variety of ICT based teaching and learning resources as well as Newspapers in Education Projects for the Sydney Daily Telegraph and The Australian.

ROBERT LEWIS is the principal researcher and writer for Melbourne-based Ryebuck Media. He is an experienced adult educator and in-service provider. Robert has developed units of work for a number of curriculum bodies including Curriculum Corporation, Queensland Education Department and Victorian Education Department. He has also written for ATOM and Study Guides for Screen Australia.

WARREN PRIOR taught in secondary schools in Victoria for 15 years. He then worked at Deakin University as Head of the Social Education area with a teaching and research interest in Citizenship Education. He has worked as a World Bank consultant in the South Pacific region. He is currently Project Officer (Citizenship Education) at the Victorian Association of Social Studies Teachers.

PAULINE SHEPPARD is a Social Scientist and Educator and Macquarie University graduate. As a Secondary School Teacher she has taught Legal and Business Studies, Society and Culture, Mass Media Studies, Geography and Commerce. Ms Sheppard is past president of the Asian Education Teachers Association, has traveled widely and lived in the United States, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and most recently, Singapore, where she was Deputy Principal Curriculum of the Australian International School. She is currently tutoring and lecturing at the Australian Catholic University and developing curriculum resources for the NSW Department of Education and Training’s Curriculum Directorate.

ICT

GREG ALCHIN has a rich and diverse background as a teacher, author and trainer. Greg’s work has been recognised in Australia as well as overseas for over the past decade. Some recent highlights include: Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual Learning (2005), NSW Computer Education Group Medal (2004) and Apple Educator of Excellence (2002).

MEDIA

ROGER DUNSCOMBE is Deputy Chair of ATOMvic and the Manager of the Arts at Melbourne Girls’ College. He has written and contributed to a number of Media and Art Text books including The Leading Edge – Media and Heinemann Media 1 and Media 2. Roger has spoken on Media and The Arts at a variety of State, Australian and International forums.

VISUAL ARTS

GAIL FROST has taught Art, Studio Art and Visual Communication at VCE level, and Art, Visual Communication, Photography, Ceramics, Multi Media and Studies of Asia at junior levels. Gail has been involved with Art Education Victoria as an Executive member and with Asia Education Foundation as a Network Leader for the Visual and Performing Arts. In 1999 she was awarded Asian Educator of the Year in Victoria for her work in Visual Arts and cross curriculum initiatives.

CRAIG MALYON is Head Teacher, Visual Arts, MLC Burwood and Critical Friend, Teacher Advisory Panel at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. His critical writing for the visual arts has been widely published. Most recently he co-authored with Margaret Marsh and Michelle Watts A.R.T. Art, Research, Theory Second Edition for Oxford University Press. He is Chairperson of the Robin Anderson Film Festival and Awards Night, an annual event that honours the life and work of the esteemed documentary filmmaker Robin Anderson.