The client
Kidsfirst Kindergartens is one of New Zealand’s largest early childhood education (ECE) providers, with over 60 centres catering for around 4,500 children and more than 300 staff. Their network stretches across Canterbury and the West Coast.
 

The challenge 
As part of its vision for excellence in teaching and learning, Kidsfirst recognised that learning technologies had an important role to play. But what were the real opportunities for learning? What was the best way to leverage them, and what was the implementation pathway?

The solution
First, we partnered with Kidsfirst to agree a process:

• Develop a vision for technology in learning based on solid data about the organisation and the world outside.
• Select the appropriate hardware and software solutions to make the vision a reality
• Specify and develop the resources and systems needed to ensure their effective use
• Develop the capability of teachers to confidently use the new tools

Then, we executed it. Our work started with developing the vision for learning, followed by vendor and technology selection. Because we understood the world of the teachers (and kids!) we were able to sift out the challenges they faced, and then design, build, and deliver the training resources needed to ensure a smooth rollout.

The benefit
The results of this project included:

• Effective and relevant technology training for 300 teachers, which has provided technology access to over 4,500 pre-school children
• Reference folders providing clear ongoing guidance on how to best use the technology for teaching and learning
• A stable documented platform for further development of technology skills, and growing confidence among teachers in the use of technology.

Three years on from this initial engagement, the time has come to refresh the technology, and their vision for 2012-2014.