Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Languages
References
Hobbies and Interests
Timeline
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Matthew McLean

Matthew McLean

Ballarat,Australia

Summary

Dynamic Learning Specialist at Mount Clear College with a proven track record in educational leadership and technology integration. Spearheaded professional development on ethical AI usage, enhancing teaching practices. Expert in curriculum development and fostering student engagement, I empower educators to innovate and adapt in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience

Work History

Learning Specialist - Technology & Generative AI

Mount Clear College
Ballarat, VIC
07.2024 - Current
  • Led school-wide professional development, running recurring workshops for teaching staff on the responsible and ethical use of generative AI in the classroom.
  • Curated and live-demoed a toolkit of 20 + AI platforms (text, image, audio, quiz and video generators), showing colleagues how to create richer, more inclusive learning resources in minutes rather than hours.
  • Authored the college’s AI Policy, mapping local practice to the National Framework for the Use of Generative AI in Schools and establishing clear guard-rails for staff and students.
  • Launched a pilot VCE AI Focus Group (in progress): coaching senior students to leverage AI for research, revision and feedback while maintaining academic integrity and critical-thinking skills.
  • Engaged parents, carers and community members through information evenings that demystified AI in education, strengthening trust and transparency around emerging technologies.
  • Synthesised and circulated evidence-based briefings on AI tutors and ChatGPT, balancing research that shows learning gains with papers warning of cognitive off-loading when misused.
  • Publish fortnightly “AI Updates” newsletter spotlighting the latest innovations (e.g., podcast-, song- and quiz-generation tools), keeping 150 + staff ahead of the curve.
  • Initiated leadership discussions on AI-assisted marking and feedback; drafted position statements outlining opportunities, risks and moderation protocols.
  • Conference speaker at CDES VCE Psychology (500 + teachers): demonstrated prompt engineering workflows to generate marking guides aligned with VCAA exam rubrics.
  • Delivered hands-on AI PD to a cohort of 90 + primary teachers, principals and ES staff, tailoring examples to early-years literacy, numeracy and wellbeing contexts.
  • Hosted visiting educators from China, using ChatGPT Voice Mode for real-time bilingual translation to showcase cross-cultural applications of AI in pedagogy.

Classroom Teacher

Mount Clear College
01.2016 - Current
  • Teach Humanities (Years 7-9), English (Year 8), VCE Psychology (Years 11-12), and Business Management (Year 11)
  • Coordinate the senior student leadership program, fostering leadership skills and community involvement among students
  • Integrate generative AI tools and technology to enhance learning experiences and outcomes
  • Conduct professional development sessions for educators on the application of generative AI in education
  • Collaborate effectively with colleagues to develop and implement innovative teaching strategies

Causal Relief Teacher

Mount Clear College, Damascus College, St.Patrick's College
01.2014 - 06.2016
  • Provided consistent, high-quality teaching across various schools, adapting to different environments and student needs
  • Managed classrooms effectively, ensuring continuity of education in the absence of regular teachers
  • Collaborated with teaching staff to support curriculum goals and student welfare
  • Developed versatile teaching techniques to engage students of varying academic levels and learning styles
  • Maintained a positive and productive learning environment through skilled behavioural management

Education

Diploma of Education - Secondary

Federation University
Ballarat, VIC
12.2013

Bachelor of Psychology - Honours

Deakin University
Geelong, VIC
12.2010

Skills

  • Educational Leadership
  • Curriculum Development
  • Technology Integration
  • Behavioural Management
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Organisational Skills
  • Proficient Communicator
  • Generative AI policy
  • Professional development
  • AI toolkit integration
  • Ethical AI usage
  • Student engagement
  • Innovative teaching strategies
  • Collaborative learning
  • E-learning development
  • Educational assistance

Accomplishments

  • Presented at EduTECH 2023 on a panel discussing generative AI implications in education, 2023-06-01
  • Lead workshops during 2024 on generative AI tools for primary school educators, 2024-01-01
  • Participated in a Victorian cross-sectoral generative AI community of practice, 2023-01-01
  • Presented a Community Information Session outlining the best-use cases and implications of Generative AI within an educational setting, 2023-01-01
  • Scholarly publication: Authored “Implementing Generative AI in History Classrooms” for the HTAV Agora magazine (2024).
  • Regional advocacy: Serve on the advisory board of BRAIN – Ballarat Region AI Network, offering K-12 education expertise to a not-for-profit AI innovation hub (2024-present).

Languages

English, Fluent

References

  • Jess Meyer, Leading Teacher - Curriculum & Innovation at Mount Clear College, jess.meyer@education.vic.gov.au, 0408 125 261
  • Scott Mangos, Learning Specialist - Classroom Dynamics at Mount Clear College, scott.mangos@education.vic.gov.au, 0400 892 620
  • Jenny Bromley, Principal at Mount Clear College, jenny.bromley@education.vic.gov.au, 0408 652 304

Hobbies and Interests

  • Playing guitar
  • Family activities
  • Staying abreast of generative AI and tech news
  • Python coding
  • Web Development

Timeline

Learning Specialist - Technology & Generative AI

Mount Clear College
07.2024 - Current

Classroom Teacher

Mount Clear College
01.2016 - Current

Causal Relief Teacher

Mount Clear College, Damascus College, St.Patrick's College
01.2014 - 06.2016

Diploma of Education - Secondary

Federation University

Bachelor of Psychology - Honours

Deakin University

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