Innovative Schools Forum to Encourage the Use of Technology in the Classroom

The Microsoft New Zealand Education team kicked off the inaugural Innovative Schools Forum on 30-31 August, as part of the Partners in Learning programme. 

The staging of the first ever Innovative Schools Forum is part of the Partners in Learning programme in New Zealand

The event was attended by more than 100 primary and secondary school educators, who gathered at the Botany Downs Secondary College to discuss and collaborate on the best ways to use information and communications technology (ICT) within the classroom.

The two-day Forum was recently elevated to Mentor School status in Microsoft’s Worldwide Innovative Schools programme — the highest level of achievement that recognises the resourceful ways in which technology is used to engage students and the educational community.

Focused on up-skilling, inspiring and resourcing participants, the Innovative Schools successfully brought together many different New Zealand schools together. Botany Downs Principal Michael Leach and Associate Principal Karen Brinsden helped to craft and deliver the workshop content, as well as facilitate collaboration between the attendees with a shared Microsoft OneNote® set of resources.

Microsoft's Partners in Learning Network aims to facilitate a truly global community of innovative educators who are connected online and are sharing new ideas that help students learn.

“Participants at the Innovative Schools Forum were overwhelmingly positive about our first-time staging of this event, which provided them with tangible ideas to kick-start ICT use in the classroom,” said Evan Blackman, Microsoft New Zealand Education Lead. “We would like to thank Botany Downs Secondary College and IT Partner New Era IT for helping to pull this event together, and we look forward to building on the success of the inaugural Forum.”

“Participants at the Innovative Schools Forum were provided with tangibleideas to kick-start ICT use in the classroom.”

- Evan Blackman, Microsoft New Zealand Education Lead