Paul Cruickshank
Paul is a Quality Improvement Officer, working with a number of Aberdeenshire schools.
Part of his remit is Digital Technologies and this involves supporting schools in the daily use of technology to enhance learning, teaching and assessment: pedagogy, infrastructure and devices.
Paul is a secondary qualified teacher with subject specialisms in English and Media Studies. Before he became a QIO he was an English teacher and Principal Teacher, before becoming a Depute Headteacher.
He first became obsessed with technology when he received a Texas Instruments calculator way back in the mists of time. This was followed by a ZX Spectrum, a Commodore 64, an i-Mac and every video games console under the sun!
Jim McLean
Jim McLean is an Education Support Officer for Digital Pedagogy with the LoveLearning Team. He joined the team in the dim and distant past before iPads were invented! Some have even cheekily suggested before the invention of the computer!
He took a circuitous route into teaching with a career in the Merchant Navy serving as 1st Officer and Captain on cargo vessels and mega-yachts. On leaving a life on the ocean wave he had a spell as a shipping manager, tearoom owner and then software engineer, so hopefully brought a lot of life experience to his role as a teacher and principal teacher in Aberdeenshire.
He has always been interested in digital technology and continues to this day to promote the benefits of using digital technology in learning and teaching.
With grown up children now flown the coop, Jim loves the peace and quiet of life at home with his wife and going to as many live gigs as they can.
Julia Rickard
Julia Rickard is an Education Support Officer for Digital Pedagogy within the LoveLearning Team. Julia joined the team on secondment in November 2021 and will be with the team until Summer 2025. Julia works with schools across Aberdeenshire to support them in the use of digital technologies to enhance learning, teaching and assessment.
Also on Julia’s remit is the digital inclusion agenda. Julia supports pupils at risk of digital exclusion through Connecting Scotland, allowing those learners most in need to have access to the technology they require to support their learning.
Julia has a post-graduate teaching qualification in primary and has been teaching in Moray and Aberdeenshire schools since 2002. With the majority of her career spent in small rural schools, Julia has a lot of experience in working with multi-composite classes and since 2008 has been a Head Teacher. What she loves most about being the Head at a small school is that she still gets to teach for half the week. Julia has a passion for technology to support learning and teaching and was among one of the first schools in Aberdeenshire to roll out 1-1 devices across her school.
Julia’s husband, two young sons and three cats keep her very busy in her spare time, so she likes to chill out in the garden or play the ukulele.
Steve Shinnie
Steve is the Technology Development Manager for Aberdeenshire ECS. He joined the LoveLearning Team in May 2021 so he is still the ‘new boy’
He has been involved in IT from the days of the early creation of Windows 3.1 in 1992. From there he has developed a lifetime of experience in hardware support and implementation of IT solutions, which he can now call on to help improve and develop current and new solutions for education in Aberdeenshire.
He works closely with Aberdeenshire IT and schools, where digital infrastructure technical issues may be causing problems in the school and is interrupting learning and teaching in the classroom, or involved in the investigation and development of new solutions that can assist schools deliver learning and teaching in a modern digital environment.
Travelling and cruising is something that Steve has a passion for as you will see by his picture. That’s the New York skyline from very high up in July 2022 showing the Empire State Building in the background.
David Cooper
David Cooper is an Education Support Officer at the Aberdeenshire Specialist Technology Service (ASPECTS) part of the Love Learning team.
His role as ESO for ASPECTS is to support the access and learning through technology of those with Additional Support Needs at levels 2 and 3. This can involve a wide range of software, additional devices and individualisation of support, any time, any place, anywhere.
During his tenure as ASPECTS ESO, he has brought to education in Aberdeenshire, Texthelp RWG, Nessy learning and WIDGIT symbolisation to name a few high-profile initiatives. Away from work, his DSC Publishing ‘My little book of Spelling – High Frequency Words Sight words’ book has sold over 11,000 copies across the UK since its publication in 2016. A qualified primary teacher who focussed on ASN, David Cooper holds a PGDE (P), PGCE (Inclusion) and a CCET (Certificate of confidence in Educational Testing) and is on the British Psychological Societies register of Educational testers.
The shared vision of the Love Learning Team is to fully integrate and expand the use of Technology within teaching and David’s role is to ensure no one is left behind and everyone receives the support they need.
David Cooper is a parent living with his family in the countryside near Turriff. He enjoys gardening, music, reading as well as late nights, BBQs, dog walking and generally admiring the Aberdeenshire skyline.
Lisa Stephen
Lisa is a trained Primary Teacher and has worked in schools across Aberdeenshire, including a promoted post. In addition, she has a Postgraduate Master’s Qualification in Business and HR Management and previous experience of leading and managing projects.
Outside of work, you’ll likely find Lisa on a walk with her Fox-red Labrador, Oakley and husband, Grant. She enjoys doing most creative activities, including drawing, writing and DIY projects. Making time for family and friends is also important to her.
