The logo of Sharp, Kinane Limited was developed through the collaborative partnership of Jacqui Sharp and David Kinane. Their professional relationship was established many years ago through sharing the same values and vision for supporting and developing educators across Aotearoa. Both were dedicated and passionate about facilitating new growth in teachers in order to grow capable, confident and resilient ākonga. Jacqui and David view education as life-long learning and with their experiences and belief in fostering collaborative practices formed Sharp, Kinane Limited.
Therefore, the symbolism represented in the kowhaiwhai design signifies the joining of their combined knowledge within education. Alongside this is the reflection of their desire for perpetual growth, renewal through sharing while creating new understanding through combining different paths of learning. The colour red relates to the pohutukawa flower that aligns with people and the pedagogy that underpins teaching and learning. The green of the koru represents new growth, ideas and renewed learning. As facilitators weave the kete of knowledge with those they work alongside, the harakeke gradually changes from the greenness formed from new ideas through to the embedded wisdom of experience the colour brown portrays. As Sharp, Kinane Limited has grown, Jacqui and David are proud of the like-minded and equally passionate facilitators that they have brought into the team. This has helped to establish and create a company that values, reflects and celebrates the diversity, experiences, perspectives and skills that each person brings. As we grow, we continue to assimilate new ideas and continually weave our new learning into our products and services.
It is this collaborative philosophy that we all bring to our mahi with kura and kaiako in our PLD contracts. We recognise that our team and kaiako are experts and all have a skill and a perspective to share and learn from each other. Sharing allows new growth, new learning and new confidence for all to explore new ideas. In this way, we also bring back to our team the wisdom we have learned alongside the kura and akonga we individually work with. Our vision and statement for Sharp Kinane is Ka rārangahia tahitia ō mātou ara mātauranga mā te ako ngātahi. This reflects our belief that to make a difference and be effective in our mahi we are committed to ensuring the principles of ‘Weaving our pathways of knowledge through learning together’ guide our journey.
Meet the team:
Jacqui Sharp
Jacqui’s PLD specialisms:
Digital fluency, curriculum design, digital technologies curriculum, literacy
Jacqui has been at the forefront of digital learning innovation for many years, mostly working in year 0-8 classrooms throughout the North Island. Jacqui is renowned for her ever popular “Walk the Talk” where she models technology integration pedagogy as an ‘in residence’ week for teachers from all over the country to observe and learn from. Jacqui has a plethora of resources, websites, courses and workshops which are known, trusted and used by teachers locally, nationally and internationally. Jacqui is a SeeSaw Ambassador.
Jacqui is based in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau and is currently servicing PLD contracts in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau, Northland/Te Tai Tokerau and Taranaki.
David Kinane
David’s PLD specialisms:
Digital fluency, digital technologies curriculum, curriculum design, coding, maker spaces and maths
Prior to setting up Sharp, Kinane Limited with Jacqui, he already had a long established business providing digital learning PLD to the education sector in New Zealand. Prior to this, he worked for Team Solutions at the University of Auckland as their e-Learning facilitator responsible for delivering the digital learning, schools support contract to all secondary schools in the Auckland//Tāmaki Makaurau and Northland/Te Tai Tokerau regions.
David has been an e-Learning/ICT specialist since the 1990’s. He built his first digital classroom in 1997 with 6 computers a laptop and a data projector. The students had their own website, which they updated daily, despite the computers not being networked and the only internet connection was in the school staff room. David was the County Advisor to schools in the UK, head of IT at a large secondary girls’ school in the UK, director of IT at a large intermediate and a large primary school in Auckland.
David has presented e-Learning workshops and theory at conferences all over New Zealand and has also presented on e-Learning pedagogy and integration at conferences in Hong Kong, Australia and the Czech Republic. David writes regularly for Interface Magazine. In a previous life David had a photographic studio in the heart of London where he produced studio photography for some of the largest advertising companies and their clients.
David is based in the Waikato and is currently servicing PLD contracts in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau, Northland/Te Tai Tokerau and Waikato regions.
Phil Sharp
Sharp, Kinane Limited, Executive Officer.
Phil, comes from a retail background where he held a variety of Senior Management roles working for some very large and well known NZ high street and big box store retailers. Phil is married to Jacqui and encouraged David and Jacqui to join forces to form Sharp, Kinane Limited. He joined Sharp, Kinane Limited at the beginning bringing his business expertise to the company. Phil’s business acumen and extensive high-level management experience are invaluable to the company. Phil’s expertise ensures that Sharp, Kinane Limited operates efficiently and effectively, freeing up David and Jacqui and the rest of the team to do what they do best, deliver innovative PLD to schools.
Donna Davies
Donna’s PLD specialisms:
Digital fluency, digital technologies, accelerated learning (ALiM and ALiL), education for sustainability, mātauranga Māori/Māori perspectives and curriculum design
Donna is an experienced facilitator in many facets of education. She has facilitation experience in…
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local curriculum design
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building digital capability
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integrating the Digital Technologies curriculum
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accelerated learning (in both maths and literacy)
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education for Sustainability; including past experience facilitating for the Enviroschools program.
She also has a strong understanding of Matauranga Māori as part of ensuring culturally responsive practice.
Donna is passionate about innovation in education, integrated curriculum through a coherent across school inquiry model and place-based learning. She thrives on collaboration and is keenly focused on building student agency and creating opportunities for student voice in authentic and purposeful contexts.
Donna enjoys working alongside teachers in the classroom, modelling key concepts, collaboratively designing engaging experiences for akonga and being on a learning journey with kaiako. Her facilitation style is practical, flexible and responsive to each individual schools, teachers and students needs.
Donna is based in Taranaki and is currently servicing contracts in Taranaki and Manawatu.
Bex Langton
Central and Lower North Island regional manager
Bex’s PLD specialisms:
Digital Fluency, science, leadership and curriculum design
Bex has 25 years teaching experience working in both the primary and secondary sectors, specialising in science, chemistry, and mathematics at the secondary level.
Bex was a Deputy Principal for 12 years at a Year 1 – 8 Catholic primary school, where she taught Year 7 & 8 students. She encouraged her students to integrate personal interests whilst supporting them to actively design their own learning journey. Bex also encouraged them to explore learning beyond the classroom walls, and enjoyed supporting students to enter in local, regional and national competitions, across all curriculum areas.
In her leadership role as DP, she was responsible for curriculum development, data tracking and analysis, student reporting, and teaching as inquiry. She was the staff BOT representative for 9 years and was responsible for charter and strategic aim development.
Bex’s strengths include developing effective systems to streamline school processes, facilitating staff and leadership reflections to prompt changes to practice, and working with schools to develop their local curriculum.
Bex has previously received nominations for the ASG Excellence in Teaching Award and for the More FM Taranaki Teacher of the Year. Bex is a SeeSaw Ambassador
Bex is based on her dairy farm in Taranaki and is currently servicing PLD contracts in the Taranaki region.
Melisa McEwen-Shepherd
Melisa’s PLD specialisms: Digital fluency, early years, play-based learning, management And
Throughout my teaching career I have worked alongside many skilled colleagues within innovative and pioneering education settings. I have taught right across the primary sector from New Entrants to Year Eight with digital learning, play and student driven individualised learning underpinning my pedagogical practice. It is exciting to see how rapidly children’s understanding of concepts shifts when digital technology, play and project based learning are combined effectively. Being a facilitator helps me to realise this shift for many more students and teachers as I work alongside them, modeling, co-teaching and coaching in their learning spaces.
Melisa is based in Taranaki and is currently servicing PLD contracts in Taranaki and Auckland//Tāmaki Makaurau.
sharp, kinane limited – 2020
Kirstin Hensman
Kirstin’s PLD specialisms
Digital fluency, Schooltalk and Google admin
For the last 3 years she has worked as a Within School Leader and an Across School Leader for the Kahui Ako, Te Roopu Pourewa. The impact Kirstin has made has been enhancing and embedding learner agency by providing Within School Leaders opportunities to share insights from their in-school inquiries and growing collaborative capacity which leads to individual and across school innovation.
Kirstin is a lead facilitator for ‘Schooltalk’ a NZ developed online LMS tool designed to help schools implement student agency and create efficiency for teachers, learners and parents through transparent design for learning and real time reporting. After implementing SchoolTalk at Kohimarama School, Kirstin wrote a Case study to help other schools with their implementation. Kirstin has been a team leader of Year 2-3 and Year 4-5, which has provided her with opportunities to coach and mentor staff.
Kirstin is based in Auckland and is currently servicing PLD contracts in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau.
Traci Sietu
Traci’s PLD specialisms:
Change leadership, strategic planning, curriculum design, future focussed education, local curriculum, innovative practices, cultural responsiveness, Pacific education and community engagement, digital fluency and mentoring leaders and provisional registered teachers.
Traci is grateful for the many opportunities offered to her over the years in education. Her experience has developed from initial positions as a teacher aid, followed by teaching and varied responsibilities and leadership roles. This involved time in Kāhui Ako before moving into a facilitation space alongside advising and consulting in schools. She has held various positions in a variety of community and sporting organisations that have allowed her to liaise and build strong home and school connections with learners and families.
With a range of experiences across sectors from early years through to secondary education, Traci is committed to ensuring that the needs of ākonga, teachers, whānau and communities are met with a focus on learning partnerships. She is able to work collaboratively with schools to build relationships based on trust, honesty and respect that promotes and fosters positive change in teacher pedagogical practices. Innovative teaching and learning environments, development of school-wide visions, curriculum implementation to align with a school context, Māori and Pacific engagement, special character and inclusive practices are areas of expertise.
Traci is based in Auckland and is currently servicing PLD contracts in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau
Rebecca Remington
Rebecca’s specialisms:
Digital Fluency, Coding, Curriculum Design, Assessment, Innovative Teaching and Learning, Maths
Rebecca is an experienced teacher, having worked in both primary and secondary settings. Her secondary school speciality was Maths and Digital Technologies, with the majority of her primary school teaching in Year 7/8 classrooms. Before moving into facilitation Rebecca was the Lead Teacher for Future Focused Learning and Digital Technologies across all primary levels, delivering a specialised program for the students and coaching and mentoring for staff in Digital Fluency.
Rebecca is passionate about the creation and use of innovative teaching and learning environments including supporting the design, planning and implementation of MakerSpaces. She enjoys seeing the connections that students make and the collaborative nature of using robotics and coding to support project-based learning within these environments.