Director, Lynne Kelly

Qualifications:

Personal background:

Having taught for nearly thirty years in public and private schools, I am now an author, public speaker and educational consultant. I run extension units in various schools to stay in touch with the realities of the classroom - and because I love it! For ten years I was Principal of the Virtual School for the Gifted. This role has now changed to supporting schools all over the world in setting up their own virtual extension internally through EUMY Education  I have published nine educational titles and an educational CD-ROM with special emphasis on material for able students. With a passion for science and mathematics, my first popular science book, The Skeptic’s Guide to the Paranormal, was published in 2004 in Australia and 2005 in the US. Science and the paranormal is also the theme of my first novel, Avenging Janie, published in 2003. Crocodile: evolution's greatest survivor, was published in August 2006 by Allen & Unwin, and released in the US and UK in July 2007. My next book, Spider: from arachnophobia to obsession will be published by Allen & Unwin early in 2008.

With qualifications in engineering, computing and education, I have presented at conferences in Australia, America and New Zealand on the use of technology in education, teaching mathematics and science, and on gifted education. Although a secondary teacher, I have also worked extensively with primary teachers and students in both government and private schools.  I am constantly working on the Enrichment Units for the Middle Years, online and printable enrichment units for upper primary to middle secondary levels to run parallel to the regular curriculum. They are used in schools in six countries. I am now writing further non-fiction books with science and sceptical themes, as well as another novel.

As an entertainer, I enjoy talking to groups from a few people to hundreds at a time. To embellish the talks, which are usually about science but also about writing, I have trained as a magician specialising in effects which replicate claims which appear to defy known science: mind reading, bending metal psychically and predicting the future. I am now one of the few female members of The Australian Society of Magicians.

I am married with one adult daughter. Born, bred and still living around Melbourne, Australia, I live with my husband, Damian, and two dogs on eighteen acres of bush - growing fruit, vegetables and masses of pelargoniums, observing wildlife, reading, teaching, performing magic, and writing.

Publications:

Fiction:
	Avenging Janie	Lothian Books, 2003
Non-fiction, Trade, popular science:
	The Skeptic’s Guide to the Paranormal (Australia)	Allen & Unwin, 2004
	The Skeptic’s Guide to the Paranormal (United States)	Thunder’s Mouth, 2005
	Crocodile: evolution's greatest survivor (in press)	Allen & Unwin, 2006
Non-fiction, Education:
	Practical Computing (co-author)	Jacaranda-Wiley, 1987
	Nuclear Technology (co-author)	STAV Publishing, 1991
	Lasers	Sunshine Books   1994
	Challenging Minds	Hawker-Brownlow, 1994
	Mathematics by Computer: Iteration	Wizard Books , 1996*
	Sound and Light	Wizard Books, 2000*
	Maths Wizard	Wizard Books, 2000*
	Motion: Simple Concepts in Physics	Wizard Books, 2001*
	Words and Images (co-author)	Wizard Books, 2002*
Science Kit:
	Motion: Simple Concepts in Physics	Wizard Books, 1996*
	* All Wizard Books publications are now published by Curriculum Corporation.
Multimedia CD-ROM:
	Exploring Chaos and Fractals  (co-author)	Informit, 1994
Online Course Material:
	Being Mathematical	self-published
	(now part of the Enrichment Units for the Middle Years )

Magazine and newspaper articles:

Book Chapters:

Editing:

Mathematics online units

Britannica.com

2000

Competitions:       

Second Born

1st Prize, Begonia Writing Short Story Competition

1992

Conference Presentations and Media:

I have presented at many conferences in Australia in areas of Information Technology, Gifted Education, Physics and Management. Also in America and New Zealand on use of laptop technology in schools and Management of Change. Prior to 1997, many presentations were on HSC and VCE Physics and Information Technology (two subjects: Information Processing & Management and Information Systems) as I served on the state committees for those subjects. Presentations since 1997 are:

Summit '97, Atlanta, USA, 5 presentations:	Management of Notebook Programs	1997
	Integrating the Curriculum with  Notebooks	1997
	Working with Your Channel Partner	1997
	Management of a Notebook Scheme: Technical Issues	1997
	Case studies in Notebook Implementation	1997
EduTech '97, Melbourne	Management of Change	1997
EduTech '97, Sydney	Management of Change and the Future in Virtual Education	1997
IARTV Computer Coordinators	Information Technology at Melbourne Grammar	1997
Expanding Horizons, Sydney	The Virtual Classroom, A Case Study for the Gifted	1997
The Association of the Heads of the Independent Schools of New Zealand, Wellington (Keynote and 3 presentations)	Planning, Establishing and Maintaining Information Technology	1997
VAGTC	Using Computers with Gifted Students	1997
Edutech '98	The Virtual School and Remote Access Models	1998
JSHAA	Virtual Schooling and Gifted Students	1998
IARTV	Computer Co-ordinators, Using Computing in the Classroom	1998
IARTV	Gifted Education at MLC	1998
VAGTC	Virtual Schooling and Gifted Students	1998
TiSP	The Virtual School for the Gifted	1998
CEGV	Gifted Education and Computing at MLC	1999
CEGV	Virtual Schooling - Two Models	1999
IARTV	Computing and Gifted Students at MLC	1999
Parents for Gifted Children	Virtual Schooling for the Gifted	1999
Post Graduates, Uni Melb	Models in Education for Gifted Students	1999
Mordiallic Parents’ Group	Virtual Schooling for the Gifted	1999
International Conference on Gifted	Virtual Schooling for the Gifted	1999
Northern Region PD (Teachers)	Virtual Schooling for Gifted Students	1999
Prodigies, Savants and Genius: Centre for the Mind conference, Sydney (2 presentations)	Dare to be Different Education of the Gifted (Panel session)	1999
Night Live - Philip Adams (ABC radio)	Education of Gifted Students	1999
ABC TV and radio interviews	Gifted Education	1999
The Morgan Centre Seminars	Teaching gifted and reflective practice, a view from the trenches (Co-presenter with Dr Julie Landvogt)	2000
Learning Technologies Institute conference, Sydney	Chaos Theory and Fractal Geometry	2001
Learning Technologies Institute Conference, Sydney	Qualitatively Different Thinking	2001
Mathematics Association of South Australia (Keynote)	Being Mathematical	2001
Mathematics Association of South Australia	Deconstructivism in the Mathematics Classroom	2001
Mathematics Association of Victoria	Chaos in the Classroom	2001
Gifted Education Conference, MacRobertson Girls’	Creativity in Mathematics	2002
Mathematics Association of Victoria	Being Mathematical	2002
Ruyton and Trinity conference	Virtual schooling for the gifted	2003
World Conference for the Education of Gifted Students, Adelaide	Being Mathematical	2003
Great Australian Science Show, Melbourne	Cold Reading	2003
Young Skeptics conference, Science Week, CSIRO Centre, Canberra	The Big Topics in Small Bites	2003
Australian Skeptics Conference, Canberra	Capturing the young	2003
BRIT, Bendigo	Industry overview: An author’s perspective	2003
Eltham Bookshop	Avenging Janie	2003
ABC radio, Hobart, with Annie Warburton	Avenging  Janie	2003
Late Night with Brett de Hoet (radio)	Avenging Janie	2003
Flying High Convention, Melbourne	Science and the paranormal	2004
Psychology Teachers' Conference, Melbourne	The psychology of cold reading	2004
Compass Centre, MLC, Melbourne	Magical thinking	2004
Science Department, MLC, Melbourne (3 presentations)	Science and the paranormal	2004
NMIT, Melbourne	Writing from experience	2004
Canberra Skeptics, Canberra	Writing a paranormal perspective	2004
Sydney Skeptics, Sydney	Science and the paranormal	2004
Victorian Skeptics, Melbourne	Science and the paranormal	2004
Authors Anonymous, MLC, Melbourne	Writing - in the real world	2004
Australian Skeptics, National Convention, Sydney	Preaching to the unconverted - the Ten Condiments	2004

Radio interviews, 2004 and later:

The Skeptic's Guide: over 30 radio interviews were done as a result of the publication of The Skeptic's Guide to the Paranormal. These covered all states of Australia and New Zealand. They varied from ten minute interviews, to fifty minutes of interview plus talk back, to participating in The Conversation Hour with John Faine, 774 Melbourne. These have been ongoing until present - when issues relate to the book, radio stations contact me. Occasional television comments for current affairs shows have also been done.

Press interviews, 2004:

Press interviews were done for The Skeptic's Guide to the Paranormal . It was reviewed in all states of Australia as well as a number of online sites, magazines and journals. The reviews were great - a very pleasing outcome given the controversial nature of the book.

2005:

I do a weekly radio segment with Kathy Bedford, ABC Statewide Drive. Visit the 'regulars' page here. I also do other radio and podcast interviews on a range of topics, usually skeptical or educational.

Presentations:

International Baccalaureate workshop,Tintern Girls’ Grammar, Melbourne	Ethics, morals and religion: an atheist’s perspective	2005
GATEways, Melbourne	Differentiating the Curriculum	2005
Kingswood College	Science and the Paranormal	2005
Korowa Anglican Girls' Grammar	Being Mathematical	2005
MLC, Melbourne (multiple groups)	Science and the Paranormal	2005
Melbourne Boys Grammar School	Science and the Paranormal	2005
Korowa Anglican Girls' Grammar (workshop)	Extending the Science Curriculum	2005
BRIT, Bendigo	Industry Overview: Writing science and skepticism	2005
CityCite Science	Science and the Paranormal	2005
STAVCON: Science Teachers' Conference	Science and the Paranormal	2005
STAV Psychology Teachers' Conference	The Use and Abuse of Psychology in the New Age	2006
International Conference on the Education of Gifted Children	Online Enrichment: Anytime Anywhere - EUMY	2006

Press interviews, 2006:

Press and radio interviews were done for Crocodile: evolution's greatest survivor . It was reviewed in all states of Australia as well as a number of online sites, magazines and journals. The reviews were great!

Radio interviews, 2006:

There were many radio interviews for all states of Australia with the release of Crocodile. There were a large number for the northern states: Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia, as is to be expected.

STAV Physics Teachers' Conference	The Paranormal in the Physics Classroom	2007
QAGTC 16th Annual State Conference	Online Enrichment: Anytime Anywhere - EUMY	2007

Present Employment

I am doing a host of things: contract work in writing, education, public speaking and teaching extension classes, particularly in science and mathematical areas – with some magic thrown in. I am working with GATEways, Melbourne delivering extension units - this keeps me in touch with real students in real classrooms.

Previous Positions

Principal, Virtual School for the Gifted

The Virtual School for the Gifted was a totally virtual school with no physical location. For ten years, it offered courses to students all over the world. As a result, schools started to purchase VSG material, in particular being Mathematical, to run internally. As this direction became more pronounced, the focus now changed to working with school to develop their own internal online enrichment programs through EUMY Education.

Co-ordinator, Gifted and Talented Program, MLC, Melbourne (0.6)

MLC is a very large girls' school of approximately 2 200 students. It is very well resourced in both technology and Gifted Education. I established and managed the Compass Centre for extension programs. I also developed and taught programs in Mathematics, Science and IT.

Whenever a student needed enrichment (ahead in class, pre-testing showed mastery, needs motivation and more challenge, or whatever) the teacher can refer them to the Compass Program at any time. It existed in both physical and virtual locations. Parents and students themselves also referred students directly to Compass staff. The centre served the school from young primary students through to year 12. I resigned from this position in 2004 to concentrate on writing.

Head of Information Technology, Melbourne Grammar School (FT)

This 3 year appointment involved introducing the laptop scheme of over 1200 laptop computers in 12 months, networking the three campuses with a wide area network, and working with all staff, both academic and administrative, on the introduction and application of computer technology. An exciting and demanding position, I worked with all aspects of the school giving me a unique insight into the overall working of a complex school.

Head of Computing, Ballarat Grammar School (FT)

Employed by Ballarat Grammar for ten years, I was responsible for heading the Physics Department and the establishment of Information Technology as both a teaching and service department.

I lead the establishment of an enrichment program in four main facets: extension within existing curriculum, specialist enrichment classes (Ad Astra), a year 8, 9 and 10 elective (Challenge Studies) and a support / social / intellectually stimulating group, Think Inc, meeting at lunchtimes and after school.

Prior Appointments

Prior to my appointment at Ballarat Grammar I had 5 years teaching in the State system. Subjects taught were primarily Physics, Computer Science,  Mathematics and Junior Science.