I borrowed the words of Paul Simon for the title of this post because, in the circumstances, they felt apt. Bett 26 felt familiar. The usual venue, the same jaw‑dropping scale, and the same background noise around AI. For anyone who has attended in recent years, there were no big surprises. Instead, what stood out […]
Nothing Is Different, But Everything’s Changed – Bett 26 Musings Read More »
Safer Internet Day 2026: Empowering Schools for a Safer Digital Future Safer Internet Day (SID) 2026 will be held on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, uniting schools, families, and communities to promote safe and responsible digital behaviour. The day encourages everyone—especially young people—to think carefully about how they use the internet and how they can help
Preparing for Safer Internet Day 2026 Read More »
I am leaving X. Over the past few months, I’ve been backing up, deleting, or saving bookmarks, and clearing out DMs from my Twitter (X) account, @johnmayo. There were some lovely memories in there—long‑forgotten conversations and, amusingly, the discovery that I won tickets to a Ray LaMontagne concert… 15 years ago. Over the past year,
The Irish education system is currently undergoing its most extensive period of reform in many decades at both primary and second level. At primary level, the new Primary Curriculum Framework [PCF] (2023) prompts us to think about decisions relating to learning, teaching and assessment in all our classrooms. The PCF places a strong emphasis on
Teaching v Learning: The Big Debate Read More »
I suppose at times I come across as being generally very cautious about AI. That reputation is deserved, and anyone following the Grok image generation controversy this week will understand why. When AI is in the wrong hands, the consequences are serious. But in the right hands, used ethically and with genuine subject expertise, AI
I Can Code. Well, Kind Of… Thanks to AI. Read More »
Just before Christmas the Higher Education Authority (HEA) released a Policy Framework “to guide educators, academic leaders, and professional staff in making informed, value-based decisions about how gen AI is adopted and integrated into educational practice”. The framework is very timely and focuses on the specific issues associated with generative AI usage in higher education in the context of teaching and learning.
HEA Policy Framework – Rethinking assessment in the age of GenAI in Higher Education Read More »
Traditionally, the New Year is a time to reset, refresh, and try something new in your classroom, and top of your to-do list should be to block off 60 minutes for the Hour of AI. I’ve written before about its previous iteration, the Hour of Code, and the excellent code.org site, which for over a
From Code to AI – Try the new Hour of AI in 2026 Read More »
In the latest episode of the TeachNet Podcast series, Pat Brennan is joined by Sarah Jane Carey from the National Executive of the Computers in Education Society of Ireland (CESI) and this year’s #CESICon26 keynote speaker, Elaine Burke, science and technology journalist, broadcaster, and podcaster, to discuss the upcoming CESI National Conference, taking place on Saturday, February 28th in Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh.
#26 The CESICon26 Podcast Read More »
I used Genially some time ago and thought it was useful, but in some ways limited as I had a range of other tools that did what Genially did with more flexibility. I revisited it recently and, good gosh! I was genuinely blown away by how much it has evolved in the last year. Genially
Genially – Escape Rooms and more! Read More »
LearningMole is a vibrant and engaging educational platform designed to make learning enjoyable for children. What began as a small passion project in 2017 has grown into a widely loved YouTube channel with millions of views, alongside a website that welcomes thousands of visitors each month. At its core, LearningMole is all about creating interactive
Learning Mole: Empowering Children to Learn and Grow Read More »
