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Hi. I'm Gary Simpson, Head of the Science Faculty at Woodleigh School. I'm interested in using Web 2.0 opportunities to engage my students in science education and enhance their knowledge, understanding and skills. I've been using this Wiki for 6 years now and it has certainly expanded beyond my initial intentions. I use the site to share my thoughts on issues to do with pedagogy, epistemology, methodology and ontology as my muse takes me. My interest is in using critical constructivist epistemology to inform the manner in which I interact with my students as we negotiate and collaborate on knowledge construction. I like to use many opportunities for students to construct their own knowledge; including student designed experimental research and web based collaborations.

I've set up a separate Wikispace to discuss issues related to my pedagogy and other issues that arise about Science Curriculum, the impact of leadership and teacher capability on student learning outcomes and innovation: The Medici Effect. I've been asked to attach my conference presentations to my Wiki. These are on a linked Wiki called Conference Presentations.

However, primarily this Wiki is for me to communicate via various blogs with my students and to be able to run and monitor my courses.

In 2013 (The Australian school year starts in February and ends in December) I'm teaching two Senior Year 12 Biology classes and a Year 8 Science for the first semester while my good friend and colleague, Alphonse, is on long service leave also and two Year 9 Science electives - Natural Sciences and New Materials. In past years I have also taught Year 7 (12 - 13 year old) Maths and Science and Year 11 Biology.

Our Wildlife Reserve and its Management Team have established a fruitful connection with the Mt. Rothwell Conservation Reserve with Mt. Rothwell giving us animals (Eastern Quolls, Bettong and Pademelon, so far) and we giving them some volunteer man power to assist them. We've received a handsome, robust male Eastern Grey Kangaroo and a pretty young female Eastern Grey and 2 male Emus from Maru Wildlife Park in April 2011 and 4 Eastern Grey females with pouched young and embryos in diapause from Mansfield Zoo in March 2012. In 2012 we received Eastern Quolls from both Dunkeld Pastoral Company and Mt. Rothwell. Sadly, we didn't have them in time to breed in 2012, but we are expecting some new genetic lines from Secret Creek this year and look forward to breeding this fantastic creature; helping to build numbers of this critically endangered species. In 2011 I set up a Field Naturalist group to conduct field science activities and volunteer conservation work at Woodleigh and Mt. Rothwell. SeeWoodleigh School Field Naturalists

Please feel free to make comments on aspects of my adventure in science education.

I've been inspired by the work of John Pearce and cannot recommend his book (Technology Toolkits: Introducing you to Web 2.0, with Gary Bass) or his wiki ( [|blogsetc.pbwiki.com]) highly enough.