Paul+Todd+(Kalinda+Primary+School)


 * Hi, Paul Todd here. ** Find me on Twitter @MisterT01

**Me as a learner** As a teacher, one of my aims is to continually challenge myself and extend my own skills and __effectiveness__. I am not so ‘techno-savvy’ as many of my colleagues would think, I just learn it as I go. The way that I am learning about connecting and learning online, mirrors the type of learning that is possible in the ‘classroom with no walls.’

**What I’m doing now** I teach a year 3/4 class at Kalinda Primary School in Ringwood. 2011 is my third year at Kalinda, my third year in Level Three and my third year teaching full time. There are five 3/4 (Level Three) classes at the school. This year I am Curriculum Coordinator for the level and have overseen the implementation of Google Apps within the level. Level Three have successfully transitioned to online team planning and each class now has a website. We are moving in the direction of students doing all of their work online using Google Apps, and the kids are loving it! I am learning everyday as we go – it is powerful for the students to see their teacher as a learner.

**Curriculum interests** I have a particular interest in improving the effectiveness of the teaching of Mathematics. I guess this is probably due to the ineffective way that I was taught in the 80s! I am also passionate about students developing an understanding of how we can contribute to a sustainable environment - now and the future. I see ICT not as a curriculum area, but as an all-encompassing framework, scaffold and tool.

**About me**  In a past life I was a musician, having completed Honours and Masters Degrees in Music Performance. Clarinet was my weapon of choice, but I chose to play weirdo contemporary classical music and therefore ended up making most of my living from teaching clarinet and saxophone. Over the years, I ended up teaching many more primary students and directing primary school orchestras and bands. I loved teaching the younger kids (most professional musicians mainly teach high school and uni students) and realised that I had much more to offer them. So, I did a BEd and here I am. (As I type this, I recall Armstrong and Miller sketches – very funny!)

I also run marathons on the side. I started running three years ago and ran my first marathon two years ago. I will run my fifth at the end of May and aim to run fifty in my lifetime. Hopefully one day, I will qualify for the Boston Marathon (the only Marathon in world that you have achieve aqualifying time).

Too many interests and hobbies! Others include knitting, growing vegies and cooking.