JOHN GOODIER

I can supply outstanding references to support my Google / Educational skill set and lead classroom support. I have 8 years experience working as a freelance computer lead and 10 years experience working in schools with Google Cloud. I have been a Google for Education Certified Educator for 7 years. I now regularly work with around 420+ children a week ranging from year 1 to year 6 and covering all aspects of the computing curriculum from coding to website design. See My Work for more details.

My background is business computing and I have over 28 years of business IT experience and moved into education about 18 years ago when the company I was working for, Linetex Computers, started to support school’s IT. I worked on projects all around the country including Birmingham and London. I became self-employed over 14 years ago and have been working in education ever since.

My first role after becoming self-employed was upgrading old IT systems, servers, PC’s and network infrastructure, but around 8 years ago I started to support teaching staff with the Computing curriculum in primary schools. Having moved all my work to Google Cloud around 11 years ago I could see the potential of moving schools onto a 21st century learning platform, allowing children to work in ways that would have seemed impossible only a few years ago.

I feel that the experience I have in graphic design, video editing, website design and electronics has given me somewhat of an advantage with the new and more challenging computer curriculum.

Taking a look around THE LEARNING ZONE will give you a much better read of the type of work I do with primary schools.

Timeline of Events:

• Mid-1980s: Contracted to Tameside Council the First computer suites are introduced in schools, setting the stage for the future of computing education.

• 2000: John Goodier achieves Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certification, CISCO and Citrex.

• 2010: John Goodier begins actively advocating for the adoption of "21st-century learning platforms" in schools, particularly focusing on Google's G-Suite for Education. He starts reaching out to schools, offering his services and vision.

• 2010: John Goodier achieves Google for Education Certified Educator (Level 2 and renewed every three years)

• 2010-2017: John Goodier organizes several "Google Showcases" primarily attended by private and independent schools, highlighting the benefits of cloud-based educational platforms. Despite numerous attempts to engage state schools, he receives little to no response.

• 2017: John Goodier authors the blog post "Manchester's Forgotten Digital Generation," expressing his concern about the lack of interest in digital skills development within the Greater Manchester education system. He criticizes the reliance on iPads, arguing they do not sufficiently enhance true digital skills.

• 2014-2020: John Goodier spends six years championing cloud-based platforms, witnessing firsthand the disparity in technology adoption between private and state schools.

• March 2020: COVID-19 forces schools into lockdown, exposing the unpreparedness of many state schools for home learning due to their limited integration of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). Private schools, having already embraced cloud-based platforms, are better equipped for the transition.

• Post-Lockdown: The UK Department for Education (DfE) releases home learning results, demonstrating the disparity in performance between state and private schools. Many state schools abandon the free cloud-based platforms provided by the DfE during the lockdown.

Present Day (2024):

John Goodier teaches computing to approximately 450 children from Year 1 to Year 6, utilizing his non-traditional background in business IT and passion for technology.

Despite significant advancements in school IT infrastructure, many schools remain stuck in outdated models due to a lack of interest in cloud computing.

John Goodier highlights the success of his teaching methods, which emphasize foundational skills, access to the latest technology (including AI), and creative project-based learning.

He points out the irony of his situation, being highly sought-after by visitors who witness his work but consistently ignored when seeking employment within the education system.