A strong program of professional development has aided the successful transition to digital learning. NIS has a rolling 3-Year plan of school-wide  improvement, providing focus for professional development, department budgets, and promoting the K-12 nature of the school. Thus the introduction of the laptop programme was supported by a year-long focus on technology, with 5 in-service training days set aside for training, as well becoming part of the regular weekly meeting cycle through the year. Additional after-school classes were held after surveys or requests from teachers identified particular tech needs. Concurrent with this was the introduction of Smartboards in all classroom, K-12, and the need to support teachers in, firstly, the technical aspects of Smartboards.

The second and third years saw the focus move from technology training towards technology in education: ‘In what ways do our available technologies support sound pedagogy?’ Smartboards, the laptops, web tools (and a range of others) were therefore reviewed to see how they best supported student learning. The use of  Marzano’s work (Classroom Instruction that Works) and the technologies that can be used to implement many of his strategies, has supported the shift from ‘how does this work’ to ‘how does this improve student learning’. In addition NIS has focussed on differentiation of student learning and how technology provides effective strategies for differentiated instruction and learning.

This would have been very difficult without the addition of a full time technology integrator/facilitator, who collaborates and plans with teachers, teaches model lessons, and is able to help with just-in-time learning.

The holistic approach to the introduction of these initiatives is enhanced by each teacher having a professional technology goal as part of their professional development plan within the Professional Appraisal model used at NIS.