A Visual Arts teacher for the past 27 years, John Notten has spent most of this time looking for ways to forward the possibilities of Self-Directed Learning at Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School.  An active artist who calls Toronto, Canada his home, John combines his love for ambitious and challenging projects with his passion for a model of curriculum delivery in which the student is put in the driver’s seat.  Constant change and innovation is at the heart of his teaching practice.  John is also a regular lecturer at Niagara University, has travelled through Australia speaking at several School Boards on the potential of Self-Directed Learning and was recently awarded the Ontario Art Education Association’s High School Art teacher of the year, 2014.  You can visit him at his website johnnotten.com