In the latest episode of the TeachNet Podcast, Pat Brennan is joined by Marianne Checkley, CEO of Kinia, to explore how education, community, and digital skills can unlock opportunity for young people across Ireland.
This conversation focuses on building confidence in teachers and youth workers to use technology creatively, while ensuring learning remains inclusive, practical, and grounded in real-world contexts. Drawing on Kinia’s work across schools and youth services, the episode highlights how project-based learning and community collaboration can support meaningful engagement with digital skills.
A central theme is the Experience AI programme developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google’s Deepmind, which moves beyond tools to help learners understand how AI works, including its ethics, bias, and impact. The discussion emphasises the importance of developing AI literacy through a critical lens, preparing both educators and students to navigate a rapidly changing digital landscape.
Key points from the conversation include:
- Learning is most powerful when it connects school, youth work, and community experiences
- .Teachers need confidence to facilitate with technology, not deep technical expertise
- .Project-based learning supports creativity, problem solving, and real-world application.
- Digital skills should be embedded into existing practice, not not an addon.
- Experience AI focuses on understanding how AI works, not just using AI tools.
- Ethics, bias, and data literacy are essential for responsible AI use.
- Inclusion matters, diverse voices and local context must shape AI learning.
- Human skills, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity remain central in an AI-driven world.
Additional Resources:
- Kinia – Learning is Life
- Experience AI – The excitement of AI in your classroom.