Rachel Goldstine is a Digital & Collaborative Learning Postgraduate Alumni

Rachel Goldstine began her teaching career in 2020. One month in, the country locked down. Her classroom closed. And her students disappeared into screens.

For most new teachers, that moment would be a setback. But Rachel saw something else: a chance to lead. As her five-year-old students logged in from kitchen tables and lounge floors, Rachel quickly noticed that the greatest challenge wasn’t technology. It was equity.

"Students were falling behind not because of ability," she says, "but because teachers didn’t have the tools or time to learn what they needed fast enough."

While many were still figuring out Zoom, Rachel stepped up to help others. She hosted daily calls with colleagues, shared digital tricks she’d taught herself, and even swapped skills with more experienced teachers, trading tech hacks for teaching strategies. It was the start of a new kind of leadership.

From Makeshift Zooms to Mastery

Rachel’s early insight was clear: digital fluency wasn’t just about knowing the tools. It was about having time, support, and a mindset to use them meaningfully. That led her to enrol in the Digital & Collaborative Learning programme at academyEX. The goal? To sharpen her skills not just for herself, but for her school.

"There’s so much out there, but teachers don’t always know where to start. DCL gave me time, tools, and a community to grow."

In a cohort of educators ranging from early childhood to tertiary, Rachel found what traditional PD often lacks: a space to learn from peers. Week by week, she gained new tools for planning, collaborating, and communicating, and, just as importantly, shared what she learned with others.

Her approach was never about replacing teaching with tech. It was about enhancing it. That meant:

Finding AI tools to reduce planning time
Exploring apps to bring five-year-olds’ ideas to life
Leading change from inside the classroom, not outside of it

And through it all, Rachel never lost sight of her core belief: that teaching is a deeply human endeavour.

Teaching the Teachers

As her DCL journey continued, Rachel became the go-to tech lead in her school. But she didn’t just train others. She listened. She helped older colleagues navigate digital platforms while learning classroom management from them in return.

"We built this informal barter system. I taught them how to duplicate slides. They taught me how to hold the attention of 30 kids. Everyone won."

She brought her learnings into her classroom, too. Gone were the weekends buried in planning. In their place were smart workflows and AI-powered drafts that let her spend more time where it mattered: with her students.

Watch this webinar on our YouTube channel

Curiosity at the Core: Learning that Lifts Everyone