Winner Profile: Marion Fitzpatrick
The 2007 Winner of the National Trade Teacher award is Marion Fitzpatrick from Northern Sydney Institute, Ryde College. Here's a snapshot of what made Marion this year's winner.
Marion is currently Head Teacher of Commercial Cookery at Northern Sydney Institute, Ryde College.
Marion is someone whose passion for cooking has led to benefits for many other people - including students, employers and the TAFE training environment itself.
She has coordinated and established a flexible learning centre at East Sydney TAFE, that has lead to increased flexibility at the college and wider learning methods and programs to cater for a variety of individual and industry needs.
Her work regularly involves curriculum design, resource development, assessment validation and unit based assessment design. She plays an active role at the TAFE NSW curriculum centre which helps maintain her currency with the current training package and course content.
Innovative Practice
Marion is committed to developing and using innovative teaching methods in the classroom. Over the years she has developed and participated in many innovative practices that have improved learning outcomes for students.
"I am continually discovering new and innovative delivery approaches and I want to inves-
tigate other innovative practices around Australia and the various models that are meeting the
challenges of training in rural and remote areas," Marion says.
She has developed and managed e-learning resource systems for over 1000 students in Commercial Cookery. She researched resources available and selected a product that would suit student dynamics, curriculum content, training package guidelines and industry needs. The new e-learning system has resulted in a transition from text based cookery resources to ‘up to date' interactive electronic resource for teachers and students.
Marion has also developed a further system of resources and materials which has been made available to all cookery teachers within the section. She also provides training in using the system. These resources have had many positive outcomes including increased student motivation.
The judges were especially impressed with Marion's mentoring, including taking students all the
way to the World Skills 'Olympics' style event for trades.
She actively promotes and develops excellence in cookery students, especially through competitions and awards. Marion mentors applicants in local, state, national training awards and competitions, many of whom win medals and awards. Over the years, she has also had a high level of involvement in Worldskills events and has assumed various roles.
TAFE NSW students blitzed the 2005 International WorldSkills Competition in Helsinki, Finland, winning all three gold medals scored by the Australian Team and their success continues.
Some highlights among Marion's achievements include:
- Expert and Judge for Australia at the Worldskills International Cooking Competition (Worldskills Australia selects one expert from a large pool of professionals to represent Australia and recognizes them as a leader in the field of cooking and training),
- WSA regional and national designer, Judge,
- TAFE NSW Skills Development designer, Judge,
- TAFE NSW New Zealand National Competition Judge,
- Northern Sydney Institute Worldskills Coordinator,
- Judge for the Restaurant and Catering Awards for excellence in catering.
Marion has established industry partnerships and networks through current VET programs, group training schemes, student work placements, off site training and Corrective Service training in jails.
She delivered a training program for the Australian Navy conducted off site at naval bases in the Sydney region. The program required her to adapt a program to accommodate the unique demands of Navy staff.
Her work has extended to training teams of Navy cooks to compete in a defence competition against other defence teams from RAAF, contract caterers and the Army and delivering training 'on site' at Telstra Stadium to a number of students.