Nick Billowes

Combining his years of teaching and management experience along with a commitment to new technologies and passion for professional development, Nick was in an ideal position to help establish the organisation that was to become CORE Education, Ultralab South in April, 2003.

Having met Professor Stephen Heppell, a leading thinker in the technology and education field and director of Ultralab in the UK, Nick was inspired to establish a similar organisation in the southern hemisphere.  His role within Ultralab South and CORE Education has evolved since then and he remains passionate about the role of CORE in making the learning and teaching experience more real and satisfying for all involved.

Being a certified geek, as only appropriate for his role at CORE, Nick can usually be found somewhere in New Zealand intensely muttering away into his mobile phone mic whilst simultaneously ichatting at least five other people, audio conferencing, passionately extolling the virtues of his latest favourite piece of software, and sending a couple of emails at the same time.

But seriously, the director of development role entails living a "a rather itinerant life”, travelling the country and beyond developing CORE’s business by establishing partnerships and project opportunities, as well as working to oversee the ECE ICT PL programme (Early Childhood Education, Information and Communication Technology Professional Learning) as well as several other CORE Education national projects - one of several of the Ministry of Education contracts that CORE currently manages.

When time permits Nick is a lover of the outdoors and enjoys the odd bout of walking, mountain biking, and kayaking or, when at a more leisurely pace, reading and movie watching. His peaceful existence can, apparently be “destroyed” when MS word becomes a menacing force and crashes his computer, however, tranquillity can easily be restored by

a) reading, walking, talking and thinking
b) enjoying a satirical take on political life or
c) watching a world class sporting event and
d) dreaming.