With more than 35 years of teaching experience under his belt, Principal Michael Connolly is among the generation of educators who’ve witnessed classrooms transform from dusty chalkboards to digital whiteboards, textbooks to tablets, and overhead projectors to AI-powered apps – all while adapting to the ever-evolving challenges of modern education.
As the Principal of St Columban's College in Caboolture, Connolly has fostered a culture where technology isn't just an add-on but carefully woven into the fabric of learning.
Each student and teacher are equipped with a school-issued laptop, enabling seamless transitions between school and home learning. Indeed, St Columban’s ‘Digital Innovation Strategy’ underscores 21st-century skills like critical thinking and collaboration. However, one program in particular has shown remarkable success in boosting all of these skills.
Since adopting educational AI program, Writer's Toolbox, the school has seen outstanding results, with marked improvements in Year 9 and right across the school after just one year.
“Our journey with Writer’s Toolbox began around 2020 when we evaluated the writing abilities across our College,” Connolly told The Educator.
“Despite having wonderful students, writing skills were below the national average, necessitating significant improvement. Recognising the potential in our students, we aimed to elevate our school’s writing results to at least the national mean, if not higher.”
A boon for student and staff engagement
Connolly says Writer’s Toolbox offered “a structured, engaging, and personalised approach” to support students’ writing across all subject areas.
“Writers Toolbox gave us the ability to monitor real-time data to track students’ progress and offered our students frequent feedback, fostering continuous improvement. The program offered engagement and motivation through age-appropriate, interactive content,” he said.
“Inspired by the success seen in large local independent schools, we decided to review and streamline our IT platforms and focus specifically on access to a platform that would improve writing across all subject areas.”
Over the 10 years of NAPLAN testing, the Year 9 cohort at St Columban’s College achieved the highest score ever recorded in their NAPLAN writing tests. In less than a year, the school’s average NAPLAN writing result increased by 24 points, which speaks volumes.
“Beyond these impressive results, our students are now succeeding in writing and have newfound confidence in their abilities. In 2024, our students wrote over 3.7 million words, emphasising their increased motivation and engagement in writing,” Connolly said.
“Our staff are more engaged as well, appreciating the structured application of the writing process that supports their teaching. Staff have shared that this has been one of the best initiatives they’ve experienced.”
‘Seeing the results confirms we’ve done our job’
Connolly says the narrative about e-learning needs to change from cost to one of value delivered.
“The value is twofold. For students, they can work on their writing at their own level, but it looks the same on all screens. They receive instant feedback on their work, which they love, often asking, ‘How can I make this better?’” Connolly said.
“The look on their faces when they succeed and say, ‘I really can write,’ is priceless. Instant feedback keeps them engaged, making writing fun and inclusive.”
Connolly says the program differentiates to different student needs, allowing talented students to be challenged while those who struggle can progress at their own pace, all while appearing to do the same work.
“Seeing the results confirms we’ve done our job and opened possibilities for students for the rest of their lives,” he said.
“For our staff, who support a wide range of students with varying needs, during this time of work intensification, we can help our staff provide support at all levels, allowing them to focus on their teaching practice. From a cost perspective, it’s essential to focus on e-learning programs that are used and provide the necessary access and support for all students.”