Digital Learning Blog

Banner for the 8th International Universal Design Conference, featuring the headline “A more inclusive and sustainable world for everyone” on a light blue background.

You’re Already Doing Universal Design (You Just Don’t Know It Yet)

Guest Contributor Larry McNutt Why EdTech teachers need to be at UD26 Here’s something I’ve noticed: if you’re a teacher using EdTech in creative ways, you’re probably already practicing Universal Design without calling it that. You know that moment when you set up an assignment to accept video submissions because one of your students struggles […]

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#29 Start Simple, Grow Skills – The Micro:bit Pathway Podcast

In the latest episode of the TeachNet Podcast, Pat Brennan is joined by Aimée Fagan, Head of Partnerships for Europe, Middle East and Africa at the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, to explore how teachers and students can start simply with physical computing and progressively build confidence, skills, and impact in the classroom.

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Banner of teachers and students using digital devices in a classroom, with icons representing digital tools and learning, under the title ‘Making informed choices on digital education content: EU guidelines for teachers and educators.’

The EU Digital Education Content Guidelines

Teachers typically split their working time at school engaging in Teaching Time and Non-Teaching Time, as captured in the following OECD diagram. Teachers are busy professionals and we know they spent a great deal of time engaged in lesson preparation, sourcing curriculum materials, correcting assignments and tests, collaborating with their peers and engaging in professional learning. This time is typically referred to as “non-teaching time” and it can take-up a sizeable amount of their time each day.

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Physically writing in an AI filled world! (Benefits of digital notetakers)

I remember studying for the Leaving Cert with a refill pad, multiple pens and coloured highlighters. I would read what I needed to learn, rewrite/paraphrase it, then colour code the different points (good old rote learning!). In later years I would go to staff meetings and jot down notes, or scribble diagrams; sometimes these would make sense to others, other times they would only talk to me. However, I also distinctly remember being annoyed when people would hand me a paper with important information – nine chances out of ten, this paper would get lost before I took the time to grab a photo of it (and think to myself, why didn’t you just email this to me).

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Diffit: An AI Tool for Engaging Learning Experiences

In today’s digital classrooms, teachers are increasingly turning to technology to support differentiated learning and save time in lesson preparation. One emerging tool that is proving especially helpful for primary teachers is Diffit, an AI-powered platform designed to transform any topic or text into levelled learning materials. By quickly generating reading passages, comprehension questions, and

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Microsoft 365 Copilot Teach interface showing teaching tools such as curriculum planning, quizzes, rubrics, homework, and study aids.

Using Copilot Teach for Planning & Assessment in Irish Classrooms

Copilot Teach—built into the Microsoft 365 Copilot app and Microsoft Teams for Education—offers Irish teachers a powerful, time‑saving way to plan, differentiate, and assess learning. Designed specifically for educators, it provides AI‑generated lesson plans, quizzes, rubrics, and study materials that can be adapted to your curriculum needs. Aligning to the Irish Specification One of the

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CESI conference 2026

CESICON Redux

CESICON is back, baby. Like the halcyon days of Anglo Irish Bank during the Celtic Tiger, CESICON – the conference of Computers in Education Society of Ireland (CESI) – saw a return to the old days, with a large attendance on Saturday 28th February at Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh in Limerick City. Like the old days, there

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The 5 Ps

The 5 P’s of Effective AI Use: A Practical Framework for Teachers and Students

At this point, I have delivered AI training to thousands of teachers across Ireland and, increasingly, to students. Through seminars, workshops, conferences, and school visits, I’ve seen every level of engagement with these tools, from complete scepticism to uncritical enthusiasm. Both extremes miss the point. There are many frameworks for using AI effectively. The Department

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