About

Hi, I'm John, and I want to improve how we educate children in Ireland on technology and cybersecurity. I believe we should equip young people with a strong understanding of their devices, data, and digital footprint before they receive an internet enabled device of their own. To achieve this goal, I am developing an independent curriculum which I intend to teach to small groups of students. The motivation for this project stems from a desire to best prepare my own kids, and also to help other parents who would like to give their children a similar foundation.

I am confident I have the skills and experience necessary to achieve the goals of this project. My career to date has spanned the fields of both education and technology. From helping small groups of primary school ESL students in South Korea learn the basics of grammar, to lecturing hundreds of third-level students in Trinity College Dublin, I have two decades experience in curriculum development and delivery. This includes 10 years at university level - from Teaching Assistant in Computer Science at UCD to Assistant Professor of Speech and Language Technologies at TCD. On the technical side, I hold a PhD in Computer Science and ISC2's CISSP cybersecurity certification. I currently work as a Research Fellow at TCD, developing state-of-the-art Speech and Language Technologies for the Irish language as part of the ABAIR project.

Through the years, I am lucky to have had the opportunity to experiment with a variety of teaching methods. Some were successful, others not so much. I am a strong proponent of hands-on, practical, task-based learning in small groups. A structured curriculum is necessary for providing a clear path towards achievable goals. The guidance of an expert is required to lead students along this path, while encouraging creativity and independent thinking to forge a path of their own. I have used all the skills and experience gained over the past 20 years in putting together the Digital Knights curriculum.

Outside of work, I am a husband, father of two, a keen runner and an even keener golfer. When not working or spending time with family, I can usually be found on the track at Dundrum South Dublin Athletics Club, or on the course at Stackstown Golf Club.

Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions:

johnsloan@digitalknights.ie