Beyond the Canvas: Darren Ponman

[GemsK12HypeGirl]

At Hunter School of the Performing Arts, Deputy Principal Darren Ponman has led a whole-school approach to Canvas, bringing clarity, consistency and collaboration to teaching and learning. 

In this conversation, he shares how a thoughtful LMS setup can free up teachers to focus on what matters most: the human side of education. Darren also reflects on how tools like Commons and templates could support broader equity across NSW schools.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the episode.

Here are some questions to get you started. 

1. How is your school currently using your LMS to support consistency across teaching teams? What gaps or inconsistencies have you noticed, and how might shared templates or resources  help address them?
   
   
2. Darren talks about the importance of setting up your LMS well to support both learning and relationships. What would a well-designed, well-implemented LMS look like in your context?  How could it help teachers spend more time on the “human stuff”?
   
   
3. What systems or practices could you introduce to make teaching and learning more equitable, especially for educators and learners in under-resourced or geographically dispersed areas? Are there tools within your LMS (like Commons or Blueprint courses) that could support this?
   
   
4. How does leadership influence how technology is adopted and embedded in a school? What role do school or system leaders play in modelling and enabling meaningful use of platforms like Canvas?
   
   
5. What does good design in education look like to you? Darren links creativity and design thinking to systems-level problem solving—how might that perspective shift how you approach challenges in your context?
   
   
6. How might you start a conversation with your team about improving your use of Canvas? What’s one small, practical change you could try based on Darren’s experience?