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ASSIGNMENT
Write a forum post (150 words min) as a Reply to this post, reflecting on the practical classroom tasks you used M365 Copilot tools to create. Consider:
- Barriers to learning
- Pupil engagement
- Differentiation
- Adjustments to practice.
Then, consider how Learning Accelerators and inbuilt accessibility features could be used in School Self-Evaluation (SSE) at your school.
Please also comment on at least one other participant’s post offering a supportive comment, question or suggestion.
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In September, I plan to use the immersive reader in my classroom, I work in a special school and feel this programme will greatly benefit my students not just those with dyslexia or ADHD, but all types of learners. The benefit I see is the information which can be collated, showing me how the students are responding to the reader, their progress, and the fact that it can be done at the reader’s own pace and level. I will implement this for all students in my literacy class using this in conjunction with the speech-to-text app. This, I feel, will enhance the student’s enjoyment of the class as they can see their own progress digitally and will enable me to track the individual student’s progress. The ability to change the functions in the app to line focus, picture dictionary, translation and colour and text preferences will help individual students focus on their needs when it comes to literacy. I can honestly see this being an app I will use going forward in my teaching.
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Hi Carol,
I teach in a special class too, and like you, I think Reading Coach will be such a valuable tool in the classroom. I really like the read-aloud feature, the picture dictionary, the grammar activities, and the way children can progress through different levels.
I also love that the children can choose their own characters and settings. Giving them that choice means they’re more likely to pick topics that interest them and stay engaged. It will also give me a great insight into what they’re interested in at the time, whether that’s animals, the sea, space, or something else. I can then use those interests to plan and link learning across other areas of the curriculum, making lessons more meaningful and motivating for them.
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Module Assessment 2:
I can see a real use for quizzes in schools but our school is a special school and seriously under resourced. You can not be a special school and also Deis even though the students are very disadvantaged.
Short quizzes can help include all students in Home Economics class. They are quick and not stressful and everyone has a chance to do well. Students who find writing or practical work hard can still show what they know. Teachers can use easy question types like pictures or multiple choice which helps different learners.
Short quizzes can also help students who are learning English because the questions are simple and clear. They give fast feedback so students know what they need to work on. Teachers can see who needs help and support them better.
Quizzes also help shy students because they do not have to speak in front of the class. This makes it easier for everyone to take part. They make learning fair and help all students feel included.
I believe short quizzes support learning by making it easier, fairer and more fun for everyone in Home Economics class.
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Hi Jillian,
I agree, simple and short quizzes can help create a more inclusive learning environment, particularly in your school context as detailed, where the children have such a diverse range of needs and abilities. They allow children to engage at their own level and pace and help to differentiate and personalise the learning experience
I also like your point about quizzes supporting pupils who are learning English as an additional language. The immediate feedback can help build confidence while giving teachers useful information on where additional support may be needed.
One suggestion I would have is combining quizzes with some of the accessibility tools explored in the module, such as Immersive Reader or Read Aloud. These can further scaffold the learning and help more pupils engage independently with the activity.
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I completely agree with your point about using quizzes with all learners. In the hospital school setting, our lessons are often short and can be interrupted, so a quick quiz or exit ticket is a useful way to check understanding before a student finishes. It also gives us valuable feedback on how well the lesson worked and helps us adapt the next session to the student’s changing needs and energy levels. Because we have a transitory student population we also look for data to use as part of our SSE. I think exit tickets could help with this.
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Module 2- reflection
In September, I plan to use the immersive reader in my classroom, I work in a special school and feel this programme will greatly benefit my students not just those with dyslexia or ADHD, but all types of learners. The benefit I see is the information which can be collated showing me how the students are responding to the reader, their progress and the fact it can be done at the readers own pace and level. I will implement this for all students in my literacy class using this in conjunction with the speech to text app. This I feel will enhance the student enjoyment of the class as they can see digitally their own progress and will enable me to track the individual student’s progress. The ability to change the functions in the app to line focus, picture dictionary, translation and colour and text preferences will help individual students focusing on their needs when it comes to literacy. I can honestly see this being an app I will use going forward in my teaching.
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Hi Jill,
I agree with your comment on the use of quizzes for all learners. In my class, I usually use these at the end of a history lesson to check on students learning. I also use an exit poll to check for understanding of the topic we have studied that day. I find these a good indication of how a lesson went. I then use the information obtained to adjust the lesson for their next class.
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The Learning Accelerators that stood out to me were Reading Coach, Immersive Reader and Reflect. Working in a hospital school, our students often have very different needs from one day to the next, so I like the idea of tools that can be adapted to each individual.
I can see myself using Immersive Reader with students who are tired or finding it hard to concentrate because of treatment. Simple features like having text read aloud or changing the layout could make a real difference. Reading Coach also looks really useful, especially for students whose reading has been disrupted because they have been away from school for long periods. It could help them rebuild confidence in a relaxed way during short teaching sessions.
I was also really interested in Reflect. Sometimes the biggest challenge isn’t the lesson itself but understanding how a student is feeling that day. A quick check-in could help me judge the best approach for the lesson and open up conversations that might not otherwise happen. Overall, I think these tools fit really well with the flexible, student-centred approach we try to take in hospital teaching.
It would also be great to be able to capture some of this data for use in our SSE process. As our students are transitory – progression can be hard to track.
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Next year, I think the Microsoft 365 Copilot tools, especially Immersive Reader and Reading Coach, will work really well in my classroom. I can see myself using them first as part of whole-class literacy and numeracy lessons, and then in one-to-one sessions with individual children.
I think these tools will help to keep children engaged because they can work at their own level and at their own pace. I am very mindful of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and believe that children should be able to access the curriculum in whatever way works best for them. For some children, that might be through drawing, colouring, or giving oral responses. Others may have poor fine motor skills or be reluctant writers, and the act of writing can cause them a lot of stress.
Using these tools will give me another way to assess what children know and understand without relying solely on written work. At the same time, they will also provide opportunities to assess children’s writing in a more supportive and less stressful way. It also makes learning feel more enjoyable for them. Many children don’t see using a laptop or iPad as “work,” so tools like quizzes, Immersive Reader, and Reading Coach can make learning much more engaging while still helping them develop important literacy and numeracy skills
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