Associate Professor Jo O’Mara
Associate Professor Joanne O’Mara is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Deakin University. Her research portfolio focuses on innovative pedagogical approaches and includes work on process drama, English, literacy and new technologies. Methodologically she works across a range of genres and is particularly interested in how new technological tools can be used in research.
Working on the Innovative Learning Environments Project was a gift- the team was terrific to collaborate with, we uncovered new ground and exciting new approaches to this field. It was inspiring to see the creative, rigorous and diligent work of the teachers and school leaders in the projects I worked with. Every time I visited these schools I felt uplifted with the work that they were doing, and struck by the sense of invigoration and renewal that these schools and communities were achieving. Yuille Park Community College in particular enlivened my imagination to what is really possible for our state schools when the staff are well supported and share common goals. My daughter has just started Prep this week at our local government school–another creative and inspiring learning environment. If our state can keep this work up, I feel very hopeful for the future.