Noelene Callaghan is the Technology Integrator at The Hills Grammar School in Sydney, Australia, serving students from PreK through Year 12. She is passionate about innovative teaching and helps educators bring engaging tools into the classroom. Her work empowers teachers to confidently and efficiently embrace technology.
Teachers around the world are facing a common challenge: keeping students engaged and focused amid constant digital distractions and a growing demand for instant gratification. For Noelene Callaghan, the Technology Integrator at The Hills Grammar School in Sydney, Australia, this issue is particularly pressing.
Kids today get distracted very easily and need immediate gratification for everything they do. It’s essential to bring tools and technology into the classroom that can keep students engaged and on task.
At Hills Grammar, the push for innovative tools was not just initiated from the top down. Teachers actively requested Kahoot! EDU after experiencing its ability to transform lessons into engaging and participatory moments. Although there are many game-based learning platforms available, Noelene and her team at Hills Grammar chose Kahoot! because other platforms have limitations in terms of functionality, which was a crucial factor for them.
When selecting the Kahoot! EDU licensing for Hills Grammar, the decision was influenced by the platform’s variety of game modes that students love. Additionally, the user-friendly nature of Kahoot! makes it easy for educators to use, enhancing the overall learning experience for students.
With over 1,100 students and more than 50 educators licensed on Kahoot! EDU, Hills Grammar has seen remarkable success. Teachers report energized classrooms where every student wants to participate. Such engagement has ripple effects. Students are more attentive, learning retention improves, and classrooms become more inclusive. The diverse question types and interactive features make it easy for teachers to differentiate instruction and reach all learners, regardless of their abilities or confidence levels.
Using Kahoot! wakes everybody up. Kids tap into their competitive spirit, the energy is high, and even those who are usually quiet become part of the learning. It’s also very collaborative, especially when teachers run team-based kahoots. Students love learning the class content through Kahoot!.
The Hills Grammar School is committed to a thoughtful and responsible approach to integrating AI into education. This commitment is especially focused on exploring innovative ways that AI can alleviate the demands on teachers, ultimately enhancing their efficiency and allowing them to dedicate more time to fostering meaningful connections with their students.
At the junior school level, we’re looking at how AI can help our teachers. Using the AI question generator in Kahoot! is saving our teachers valuable time. They can create classroom materials in seconds, while still reviewing and customizing content before presenting it to students.
This use of AI directly supports Hills Grammar’s commitment to easing teacher workloads and enabling them to focus on meaningful teaching rather than repetitive administrative tasks.
A crucial factor in Kahoot!’s success at Hills Grammar is how easy it is for teachers to use. For busy teachers at The Hills Grammar, the ease of use makes Kahoot! a sustainable part of everyday teaching, rather than a novelty that fades after initial enthusiasm.
One of the things I love about Kahoot! is that it’s so easy for teachers to pick up. I don’t have to run after-school sessions to train staff. That’s been key for adoption and for getting educators excited to use it in their classrooms.
For school administrators in Australia or globally, Hills Grammar’s experience offers a clear message: Kahoot! EDU isn’t just a fun addition – it’s a strategic investment in teaching and learning. It engages students, saves teachers time, and fosters safe, inclusive, and collaborative classrooms.
Do you have a Kahoot! success story you’d like to share? Reach out to us via LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, or send us an email at press@kahoot.com. If you’re ready to start transforming teaching and learning at your school, school district, or university, email us at getedu@kahoot.com or explore what you can do with Kahoot! EDU.