Biography

Jodie started her teaching career when she embarked on the PGCE Primary with French at the University of Greenwich in September 2006. During her year's training she started to realise where ICT can be useful as a cross curricular tool - being given creative freedom to turn a Literacy project into a film making project. Using DigiBlue software she worked with children making their own adverts for well known films as their final project in persuasive writing.

After graduating in 2007 Jodie began work as a supply teacher at South Rise Primary School. Her contract was then made permanent and in the October she was asked to be Shadow ICT Coordinator to assist with the running of the school's website. Having not previously realised her gift for ICT Jodie threw herself into the role and when the school became a pilot scheme for the London MLE Fronter in Greenwich borough it was too late to stop her and full geekdom arrived! In this first year she also took on the responsibility of Coordinating the school's Enrichment Programme every Friday afternoon and also became Gifted and Talented Coordinator.

Jodie spent the first year setting up content and training staff and students on the use of the Learning Platform to ensure it was embedded across the school as a learning, teaching and communication tool as well as a great place to share resources.

In September 2009 Jodie's Headteacher Mrs Mathison asked her to start a new role - a non-class-based ICT Coordinator and Specialist ICT Teacher. Jodie took on her dream career with much enthusiasm and excitement!

In the October she started this website - www.gettingintoliteracy.com - to showcase the excellent cross-curricular work she was doing combining ICT and Literacy projects as well as tying in maths, history, PE and much more as ICT became a fully embedded tool across the school thanks to her newly rewritten ICT curriculum.

She is still working hard to introduce more and more to the school. She trains staff regularly to enhance their experience and teaching skills and to further use ICT to provide great opportunities for the children of the school.

She trains Teaching Assistants and other support staff on ICT skills starting with basic Internet searches and moving through to making their own films and digital stories.

She has introduced Nintendo DSis, a Nintendo Wii and the Swinxs console to ensure that children are engaged by using Games-Based Learning in class.

In July 2010 the school gained the ICT Mark and many other awards have been won by the school since Jodie's appointment as ICT COordinator. Please see the Awards page for more information on some of them.

In September 2011 Jodie moved schools to Colegrave Primary School, London, where she has been implementing elements of the project to help teachers to embed ICT across the curriculum. Successful results, particularly in Film Making and Games-Based Learning have been seen so far and the new iPads and netbooks delivered in February 2012 were put to very good use!

Jodie is now working for Pearson Education and has continued in her specialism of exploring the impact of technology in education as a tool to improve outcomes. As Champion Schools Coordinator she is networking schools who have innovative and exciting ways of working. They in turn are helping to inspire networks of schools across the country.

Pease email jodie@gettingintoliteracy.com for more information.