Hike up the mountain.

Snowboard back down :)

One of the EISCAT radars.

I studied at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and UNIS in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (home of the EISCAT radars, and a great many polar bears).  I graduated with an MPhys (Hons) Masters Degree in Physics with Planetary & Space Physics (2:1) in 2004.

For the last nine years I have been teaching physics in secondary schools.  Prior to this, I worked with Aberystwyth's Infinity Exhibition science shows, teaching from a StarLab mobile planetarium in schools, working in secondary school science clubs, teaching a short course IT programme in an FE college, and teaching the Pre-Master's IT course for EAL students at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth for the Life Long Learning department.  I also used to work in IT systems, network management and software development.

I am very interested in electronics, computer programming, and engineering and crafts.  I started to explore programming in the late 1980s, and since then I have gained experience in a variety of programming languages (including C and C++, Basic, Visual Basic, ForTran, and Pascal), and also HTML web development, scripting languages, and SQL database programming and network protocols including FTP and TCP/IP.  I enjoy making demonstration equipment and experimental apparatus, developing electronic resources for teaching and learning, and electronics work involving audio components and/or computer interfacing.  My current focuses are developing web-based resources with embedded simulations and videos, producing computer models of physical phenomena, designing discovery based learning activities, and producing support materials to scaffold learning activities.

I live in Devon (UK) with my lovely partner, and I currently teach at Ivybridge Community College.  I like mountain biking, snowboarding, surfing, comedy, music, art and culture, theatre, literature, languages, chaos, order, whimsy, reading, eating, dancing, laughing, and lots of other things.

The information on these pages is given for context and general interest, and is definitely not me showing off about all the things I have done.  I am far too humble to do that.  I am probably the most humble person that has ever lived.*

Image credit: Allie Brosh, Hyperbole and a Half.

*This quote is also courtesy of Allie Brosh.  She's funnier than me.