Awards

Greg is an incredibly humble person, who has given so much to Hangarau Matihiko and Digital Technologies.

He has been instrumental in bringing authentic context to Computational Thinking. His considerate approach supports rangatahi to learn in his kura as as well across Aotearoa. He works alongside the AATEA Solutions team creating new rauemi and he translated a number of key resources such as Scratch into reo Māori and parts of CS Unplugged.

He challenges people to think about how they are teaching and how they might teach differently to include all students.

Margot is one of our “hidden figures” who, for decades, has been influencing and supporting the move to genuinely engage students in Digital Technologies as a subject.

She is one of the two authors of the influential 2008 report from the NZ Computer Society, which made it clear that our education system was on the wrong track for preparing students to properly participate in our digital world; this report described the efforts at the time as being “like painting over flaking paintwork adhering to rotten timber”! This report saw the formation of a review that led to Achievement Standards in topics like programming and computer science, and eventually a full range of curriculum content, including primary school.

She has also been the driving force behind NZ’s participation in the Olympiad in Informatics, organising many training events and overseas trips for contestants, and persuading academics and teachers to support our top programming students. The students that she has nurtured have come back with international Olympiad medals, but way more importantly, these students have found a sense of direction through the kaupapa that she has set up for them.

In another example of her passion to help students find their way, she has also led the “PC4G” programming challenge for girls, the Bebras competition in NZ, professional support for teachers with industry sponsorship, and has represented New Zealand in international organisations. Margot has worked persistently for decades to influence people at all levels so that our students get great opportunities.

Since the early days of NZACDITT Julie has passionately led the way for teaching serious computing in schools, not only with her teaching colleagues, but with her students at Columba College, where many of her (female) students found their passion for computing and have now ended up in the industry, or indeed in top programmes around the world.

She has continued that through her work at Kings High, and then St Hilda’s. Not only has she had a direct impact on many students, but she has generously given her time to run numerous workshops and PD events locally and nationally, and has freely shared teaching material. She has also been a strong advocate for the Digital Technologies community with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders during this time of huge change. Her passion and drive for girls to reach their digital technologies potential is inspirational.

Gerard was never happy with the status quo and would push everyone who had the pleasure of working alongside him beyond what they thought they were capable of. He lived and breathed placing students at the centre of all he did. He expected nothing less of his colleagues. Gerard shared everything he could with others including an estimated 70,000 posts online to DT teachers.

Gerard began his teaching career in 2003 as Teacher of Digital Technologies at Papatoetoe High School. In 2011, he became Head of Digital Technologies at St Bede’s College and four years later was appointed Learning Design Leader – Technology at Hobsonville Point Secondary School. He was President of NZACDITT and Digital Technologies Teachers Aotearoa, and in 2017 took up the role of Teacher in Residence – Computer Science Education Research Group at the University of Canterbury.