Alison Brierley

Alison has a Bachelor of Education (Dunedin) and a Postgraduate diploma in Early Years Education from Massey University. Apart from working as a Project Facilitator for ELP she also worked as a Distance Tutor for Christchurch College of Education. Prior to her work for ELP, Alison worked as a Kindergarten head teacher for 10 years and was the foundation head teacher of Waimauku Kindergarten.

“I believe assessment can be a powerful tool to engage children in their own learning processes. Assessment based on celebrating children's learning journeys helps to develop motivated and articulate young children. I am passionate about exploring the ways the physical environment empowers children's learning and explore ways children can develop enduring relationships with their natural environment.”

“After having more than 22 jobs ranging from piemaking to windsurfing instructor I have happily found my niche in early childhood education. I bring my passion for the outdoors and interest in sustainablity to my role as project facilitator. When not working you might see me on our bright yellow tandem cycling to Orewa to get our groceries.”

Jo Colbert

Jo has a Bachelor of Teaching (Auckland University) and has nearly 30 years experience in ECE, including eight years as head teacher at Westmere Kindergarten.

In 2005, Jo was selected as one of ten teachers to represent New Zealand at the Microsoft Innovative Teachers Conference in Seoul. She was also the first early childhood E-Fellow 2005 (a Ministry funded teacher release contract). Jo’s research was titled “Can the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) enhance the complexity, connections and continuity of young children’s story telling?” and is available here.

Not surprisingly, Jo says: “I have a deep interest in supporting children and teachers’ learning though their use of ICTs.” Jo also strongly believes in fostering relationships with parents and whanau and has special interests in the areas of assessment, planning, evaluation (embedded throughout planning), leadership, early literacy and children’s storytelling.

A well known fact about Jo is that she loves the colour orange and lesser known facts are that she is mad about Christmas, the All Blacks and supports the Crusaders!

Kathryn Delany

Kathryn was a Centre Facilitator in the Educational Leadership Project for 3 years and joined the ELP team in 2005. She’s been involved in the ECE field for over 30 years. Her interest in early childhood education began as a Playcentre parent which she attended with her four children. During that time she completed Playcentre parent education to Federation Supevisors certificate level.

Kathryn worked as a teacher and supervisor in childcare with Licensing points. Kathryn upgraded her qualifications and went to Waikato University doing the Pathways course and completed a Bachelor in Teaching and Learning from Christchurch College of Education in 2000. She has a Certificate in Adult Teaching. She has been a teacher and head teacher, an off-campus tutor for the Open Polytechnic.

Kathryn is passionate about providing our tamariki with high quality education and experiences in early childhood education and about increasing teacher capacity and capability through proven professional development approaches. For Kathryn, “high quality education is based on sound reciprocal and responsive relationships.”

“I believes that formal and informal assessment must be central to curriculum and pedagogy. Assessment is such a powerful tool for reflection, instigating shifts in teaching practice, and improvements in the centre environment, thus ensuring quality learning opportunities for children.”

Kathryn is also passionate about revisiting learning and narrative assessment with children, parents and teachers. Revisiting learning stories plays a powerful role in building the child’s identity as a “learner”. Kathryn enjoys gardening and patchworking. She is enjoying the delights of a grandmother’s gaze at the wonder of early childhood for our mokopuna.

Robyn Lawrence

Robyn’s many years of primary teacher experience coupled with over eighteen years of ECE teaching and management and a Bachelor of Education is a strong foundation for her involvement as Project Facilitator in Education Leadership Project.

Her primary responsibility has been in Narrative Assessment (as in Learning Stories) and planning through the contract for Kei Tua o Te Pae and supporting planning in practice continues to be a passion. Robyn’s current areas of research and discovery lie in the exploration of building partnerships with parents and whanau that value and recognise whanau as key contributers to children’s assessment and learning. Another interest lies in literacy as a life-long journey from the moment of birth.

For Robyn, developing her personal understanding of bi-cultural awareness and how that impacts on her thinking and practice as a Pakeha New Zealander underpins her life philosophy.

“My heart lies, where I was born, in the Horowhenua. For many years, I have lived in Eastern Auckland. My fabulous four children are now adults and are making their way in this world in so many interesting and diverse ways. My life partner and I absolutely delight in our numerous adventurous, inquisitive, courageous and loving grandchildren. I see the world now through young eyes. These precious mokopuna teach me, challenge any stubborn old ideas that like to linger and support my learning in a way I never realised was possible.”

Wendy Lee

Wendy is the director of Educational Leadership Project Ltd. and was co-director of the Early Childhood Learning and Assessment National Exemplar Project 'Kei Tua o te Pae'. With 40 years experience in the ECE field, she leads the ELP team. Wendy has been teaching, tutoring, lecturing, giving professional support and has been involved in many various management and leadership roles.

In recent years she worked on several projects as a researcher with Professor Margaret Carr, the Assessment in Early Childood Settings Research Project, the Marsden Project 'Dispositions in a Social Context', and the 'Centre of Innovation Projects’ with Roskill South Kindergarten and Greerton ECC. She is also a co-director on the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative Project - "Learning Wisdom". She has authored several papers and currently writing a book with Margaret Carr.

Wendy is often invited as both a keynote and conference speaker to address International Conferences overseas; some of these invitation have come from England, Belgium, USA, Canada, Germany, Australia, Wales and Japan.

Wendy says: “I believe assessment practice has the capability to not only improve learning opportunities for children but to potentially change the culture of centres and communities. Teachers have the power to find the magic in all the children within their context. Assessment can contribute powerfully to the reiprocal relationships that make up a community in an early childhood setting, enticing children, families and teachers into collaborative relationships that enrich teaching as as learning journeys.”

Her special interests include leadership, assessment, curriculum, planning, mathematics, visual arts & information communications technology. Wendy has also a passionate interest in political issues as they affect and impact on early childhood education.

Wendy loves to spend time relaxing at Lake Rotoiti with family and friends and is particularly excited when she returns from the lake with a trout!!

Carol Marks

Carol first participated in ELP in 2001, carrying out in-centre professional development, engaging in action research and mentoring new ELP centres. She have been involved in early childhood for 40 ye ars, the latter years at Selwyn Kindergarten in Rotorua.

"Interests within my work include sound assessment practices true to the principles of Te Whāriki and reflecting a socio cultural view of learning. ICT is also a strong interest - Selwyn Kindergarten was part of the ECE ICT Strategy and I was chosen as an e-learning fellow in 2006 (click here to be forwarded to my e-fellow research project). I am also passionate about story telling in its many forms and risk taking."

"At home I like to make movies for my beloved grandchildren and share my Ipod with them and enjoy days in Kaingaroa Forest with my husband Noel."

Melissa Osmond

Melissa is currently working full time at Greerton Early Childhood Centre, Tauranga. She has been teaching there for 9 years, three of which she has participated as a team researcher as a Centre of Innovation (Round 3). Melissa has also been working as a part time facilitator for ELP for the past 9 years. She has a Bachelor of Teaching ECE from Waikato University.

Prior to her work at Greerton she taught at Westmere Kindergarten where she was a facilitator for her team as they took part in ELP’s professional development project.

Melissa has a strong interest in documenting children’s assessments using narrative assessment and believes in the validity of learning stories as a framework that best suits credit-based learning. She believes that dispositional learning is a model that encourages children and teachers alike to become life-long learners who see their intelligence as a muscle they can stretch and grow. In keeping with this philosophy, Melissa believes that her full time job as a Teacher enhances her role as a Professional Development Facilitator.

“As a part-time facilitator of professional development I have experienced first hand the benefits of teachers teaching teachers and believe that this model is building a strong community of exceptional leaders within the Early Childhood field. Working with other teams of teachers and sharing in their Professional Development journeys continues to challenge my working theories and consequently helps me to continue reflecting on how to be a wise teacher.”

Melissa lives in Tauranga with her husband and son where they enjoy a passion for the outdoors including camping, fishing, mountain biking and tramping.

Lorraine Sands

Lorraine trained intially as a primary school teacher and as her family grew and she became involved in Playcentre a growing passion for early childhood teaching and learning drew her into further training. She has completed a Bachelor of Education and Diploma of Early Childhood Education, plus 4 papers towards her Masters of Education. She has been a teacher in ECE for 30 years and her ECE experience includes full time teacher, team leader, tutor for ECE student teachers and facilitator for ELP. Apart from her commitment to ELP she is a teacher at Greerton Early Childhood Centre, a round 3 Centre of Innovation (a Ministry of Education research initiative). Their COI research focussed on ‘question asking and question exploring, as children shape and reshape knowledge for a purpose’.

Lorraine is particularily interested in dispositional theory and practice, seeing assessment (credit based/learning stories) as integrally involved in programme planning as teachers and children follow interests and strengths to build robust learning communities. She is committed to building learning cultures that look for that collaborative space where adults and children explore their interests together, where the power is shared and where complex learning results.

Jacqui Sturm

Jacqui has been involved in the Early Childhood Sector for 20 years, beginning her journey working at both Auckland and National Women’s Hospital. She has worked predominately in full day settings, moving to Kindergarten in 2003 where she was part of the first round of the Centres of Innovation project with Roskill South Kindergarten. Jacqui remained at Roskill South until she left to go on maternity leave with her 2nd child.

She works part time at Roskill South Kindergarten, supporting them with their special education. Jacqui also works part time for ELP, wearing a few hats with roles ranging from international Learning Stories support person, to reviewer of team evaluation forms. She also attends art school one day a week and enjoys the challenge that the art world brings.

"I am committed to reciprocity, in particular, to the way developing strong connections between home and centre can support children (and their families) to develop a sense of self-worth in an educational setting — and at large in the community."

"I have 2 children, Freya who is 11, and fluent in te reo Māori, and Sasha who will start primary school next year. My husband is a perpetual student, with a PhD, and is currently studying to gain a teaching degree. He also works at Auckland University, and like me, has a few roles there, as well as being a musician with a new album about to be released. So as you can see, we are a very busy family!"