Founding Partners
Prior to establishing H2, John spent four years as National Co-ordinator for ScoilNet with the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE). In this position, he pioneered the provision of Internet for Irish schools and the development of ScoilNet as the official portal for Irish education in partnership with Intel Ireland. John has considerable teacher professional development experience and is a member of the TeachNet Ireland management team designing and delivering cutting edge training for practising teachers on the use of ICT in Irish schools. John has worked on post-graduate course design for Trinity College, University of Limerick, Irish Times Training and Hibernia College.
John has served on a number of school boards of management at primary and post primary levels. He was on the board of Kildare Wicklow ETB for a number of years and is currently the Chairperson of Maynooth Community College. John is a qualified primary teacher and holds a B.Ed. Degree from Trinity College and an MBA from Dublin Business School.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhurleyh2/
Email: jhurley@h2.ie
Michael is a former primary school teacher who has over 25 years’ experience working in the field of digital education. He developed his interest in digital education in the early 1980s as an undergraduate student teacher in Coláiste Mhuire, Marino by playing with the college’s newly acquired Apple Macintosh computer. His first research project focused on the use of a BBC Micro in Irish primary schools in the mid-1980s. He later pursued a Masters in Education Technology in Boston College, where he also focused on the area of digital assessment. During his time in Boston he also worked in the Newton Public School System, one of the most progressive education systems in the US and he had the privilege of working on numerous innovative digital education projects.
On returning to Ireland in 1994, after 5 years in Boston, he returned to classroom teaching and was instrumental in introducing Apple Macintosh computers into the school and in partnership with his business partner, John Hurley, created the first school website in Ireland.
Working closely with Ireland On-line, the largest internet service provider in Ireland at the time, he and John created a school’s portal for Irish schools, a booklet on using the Web in Irish schools and the first course for teachers on using the Web. John and Michael created a company, EdNet, to spearhead this work and eventually their work was recognised by the European Commission and the Irish Department of Education. This busy period between 1995 and 1996 eventually led to Michael being seconded into the Department of Education to work with staff to develop Ireland’s first digital strategy, IT2000.
Over the years he has contributed actively to the development of three digital education policies for the Department. In 1998 he joined the newly formed National Centre for Technology in Education where he worked as a National Co-ordinator for Interactive Software in the Curriculum till 2002. He also had responsibility for digital education research activities at this time and worked with colleagues on a number of innovative research projects.
Michael and John founded H2 Learning in 2002 and have built up a vibrant consulting, project management and professional learning company over the intervening 18 years. Most recently he and his colleagues in H2 Learning have been working with schools and further education organisations to design and implement pedagogically sound online and blended learning events. He is also currently working with the European Commission’s DG Education and Culture in two roles: one with their Digital Education Learning Teaching and Assessment Working Group and most recently with their Schools WG on Blended Learning. He has extensive experience of working with ministry of education officials across Europe and H2 Learning is a recognised leader in European Commission Erasmus+ projects where we work with ministries of education, the higher and vocational education sector and schools on the implementation and evaluation of projects related to digital education. H2 Learning also have strong links to industry and are a Microsoft Education Partner.
Michael has a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Trinity College Dublin, and a Masters in Education Technology from Boston College, and a EdD from the University of London in Online Teaching and Learning
Email: mhallissy@h2.ie
H2 Team
Louise is Learning Manager with over 15 year experience in managing various learning projects.
One of her main focus is provision of services to the Digital Hub Development Agency managing a number of Learning Initiatives. Louise supports the management and coordination of a number of H2 Learning’s projects both national and European. In her role she manages the day to day running of the H2 Learning activities which involves co-coordinating all learning projects and courses; coordinating staff resources; and management of learning programmes, events and exhibitions. Louise brings considerable people experience to H2 Learning, dealing with teacher queries and managing project timelines and fulfilment of project tasks and report writing.
Louise has a BSc. from Trinity College Dublin.
Email: lmorgan@h2.ie
Pat was Assistant Principal and Digital Learning Coordinator in Sacred Heart SNS, Killinarden, Tallaght for over twenty years. Since the late nineties he has worked extensively in the digital learning space, with NCTE (PDST Technology), INTO, DCU Institute of Education, Marino Institute, Dublin West and Blackrock Education Centres. Pat has been with H2 Learning since 2007 and looks after the TeachNet.ie portal and was instrumental in the development of the TeachNet Learning Blog. He also leads the delivery of online and blended CPD to teachers at all levels of the education system through the TeachNet and TeachNimble platforms. Much of his work here focuses on the design and production of engaging eLearning materials and the integration and development of participatory/social web technologies.
Email: pbrennan@h2.ie
Maria is a senior project manager with over 15 years’ experience in managing of European funded projects. She is a strong believer in the benefits of collaboration between individuals and organisations from different EU countries and has embarked on her first European project during her college times. The collaboration then moved to a professional level when she got involved in European projects in a project manager role. Having gathered first experiences in social innovation projects she then moved to projects focusing on the digital skills development and digital education.
Since joining the H2 team in 2013 as a project manager she helped the organisation grow its portfolio of European funded projects. She has contributed to the development of several project proposals including three large scale digital education European policy implementation projects and are led by Ministries of Education and other high-stake organisations across Europe and then supported the lead partners in the implementation, reporting and auditing tasks. She also contributed to research, dissemination, and evaluation activities of many other projects.
Maria holds a Master’s in Economics from the University of Economics in Katowice, Poland and a Bachelor’s in Letterkenny IT.
Email: mfojk@h2.ie
Karolina is a senior project manager with over 12 years of experience in managing EU Programmes in the field of digital education. New technologies and the way they change education have always been an area of her interest. In her master’s thesis she investigated the role of knowledge and influence it has on modern society in Europe. It has defined Karolina’s interests and her work career and in 2008 she started working with European funded programmes with the main objective to support new technologies adoption in schools. Her first project application was awarded an EU grant which resulted in implementing an innovative learning management system to vocational schools in Ireland.
In 2013 Karolina joined H2 Learning as an EU Project Manager. In this role she manages a full cycle of EU funded projects, from the research and writing application phase to successful evaluation. Over the years, Karolina’s experience and skills have grown and developed to encompass all fields of the EU programmes development and management. She acted as a project manager to international programme teams, coordinating project proposals development, carrying out educational research as well as overseeing the lifecycle of dozens of EU projects including product development, pilot testing and mainstreaming. She has also successfully partnered with public European organisations, universities as well as commercial companies (Microsoft, HP) to support their education objectives.
In the 2019 project that she co-authored and coordinated was awarded a VET Excellence Award by the Erasmus + Programme.
Karolina holds an MA in Political Science from the University of Wroclaw, Poland
Brian Garvan is a video editor, graphic designer, web developer, and screenwriter. He has a Bachelor’s in Multimedia from Dublin City University, and a Master’s in Screenwriting from the National Film School at IADT. Brian’s work centres on creating visually-striking, thoughtful, and entertaining content for use across multiple platforms for H2 Learning, and his chief focus is the combining educational content with memorable, engaging narrative.
H2 Learning Associates
Harvey Mellar first worked as a consultant with H2 Learning in 2013 and has since worked on a number of H2 Learning projects.
In the distant past, Harvey worked for 12-years as a teacher of mathematics and computing in schools and further education colleges, before completing a PhD in educational computing and then joining the University College London Institute of Education (IoE) in 1986. Whilst at the IoE, he taught courses related to the use of technology in education in the initial teacher training, professional development and Masters programmes, including teaching on one the UK’s earliest (1992) fully online courses and he was also responsible for coordinating the initial implementation of eLearning across the IoE. Harvey also supervised research students working in the field of eLearning and directed and participated in many national and international (principally European and Latin American) research and development projects. His research included work on: computer based simulation and modelling for learning; formative and summative e-assessment; design patterns for teaching and learning with technology; ICT and adult literacy and numeracy; embedding eLearning in schools, colleges and higher education; and quality assurance and enhancement for eLearning in higher education.
Harvey retired from the IoE in 2010 and he has a continuing involvement with the institution through his role as an Emeritus Reader in Technology Enhanced Learning at UCL. In recent years, besides working with H2 Learning, Harvey has worked as a private consultant on a range of EU projects (funded by Horizon 2020, Erasmus, and European Structural and Investment Funds) and carried out smaller consultancies for a number of organisations including various UK universities, TSL and Amnesty International.
Email: hmellar@h2.ie
After a brief spell working in the IFSC and the computer industry, Róisín began teaching in 1999. Since then she has taught English and Computing to many students. Róisín was an early adopter of technology in the classroom and she continues increasing her skills in this area. Róisín gained the ‘Microsoft Innovative Educator’ award a number of years ago and also has the ‘Apple Teacher’ qualification. Initial teacher education is something Róisín is passionate about and has been involved in since 2014, when she began working with TCD as a casual lecturer/ PME supervisor in the Education Department.
Email: roisin@h2.ie
Tandeep has been working as a research associate with H2 learning since 2018. She holds an M.Sc. degree in Mathematics, an M.Ed. in Mathematics education from TCD and has over 15 years’ experience as a senior secondary mathematics teacher. She has worked as a visiting faculty at School of Education, TCD for PME (Professional Master’s in Education) and the Numeracy module for young adults of mixed abilities. Alongside her research with H2 learning, Tandeep is actively engaged in various education research projects focusing on initial teacher education, development education and best practices in mathematics education. Continuing her learning journey, she is going on to pursue further research in aspects of STEM education which affect students’ learning and can bring a significant change in the concept of pedagogy.
Email: kaurt@h2.ie
Sinéad Begley, Managing Director of Sinead Begley and Associates, holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Science and also has qualifications in facilitation skills, adult education and training, environmental management systems auditing and animation and graphics. Sinéad Begley and Associates supports clients with strategic planning, stakeholder consultation research & evaluation in relation to STEM education, environmental, heritage, arts and community-based initiatives. Clients include Science Foundation Ireland, The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, The National Youth Council of Ireland, The Heritage Council, Galway Atlantaquaria, SciFest and a number of local authorities around Ireland. Sinéad has collaborated with H2 Learning to provide Education Specialist services to Science Foundation Ireland on their STEM education programmes, primarily Discover Primary Science and Maths, since 2004.
Email: sbegley@h2.ie
Oilibhéar is a former principal of an Irish-medium secondary school in Dublin and before that he taught Irish and History at Malahide Community School, Co. Dublin. In more recent times he served as a Senior Inspector (post-primary) of Gaeilge with the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and was centrally involved in evaluation of management, leadership and learning at second level. As a Senior inspector he was closely involved with Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools and specifically with the introduction of the Gaeltacht schools e-Hub Leaving Certificate Physics Pilot Project (2017 – 2022). He has extensive experience of the Irish education system having served as DES representative on a number of National Council for Curriculum & Assessment (NCCA) advisory committees. He currently delivers a module on management & leadership in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht education as part of the M.Ed. programme (M.Oid. san Oideachas Lán-Ghaeilge agus Gaeltachta) at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick.