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ASSIGNMENT
Consider how you can use Digital Technology in your classroom to enhance students learning? How can you now apply School Self Evaluation Guidelines to your teaching?
What impact can developing your own use of Digital Technology have at school level (SSE)?Explore the teaching resources area of Google for Education’s Teacher Centre. Choose one that you could use with your pupils in the new school year. Discuss how you would localise and enhance this for your classroom in this Forum as a reply to this post (150 words minimum) and how you would go about using it with your class. Include a link to your chosen resource.
UPDATE JULY 25: Since July 1st our facilitators have occasionally observed that course reflections may be generated with the assistance of AI tools. While AI can be a helpful support for drafting ideas or exploring different ways to express your thinking, it is essential that your forum posts reflect your own understanding and engagement with the course content. This is in line with the Department of Education and Youth’s Summer Course guidelines.
Before posting to the forum, we encourage you to take a moment to review your contributions and, if necessary, revise them to ensure they are appropriate and authentically your own. -
Teaching Resource: Applied Digital Skills
Link https://applieddigitalskills.withgoogle.com/c/middle-and-high-school/en/research-and-develop-a-topic/overview.html
This is a super resource which I would use with my 5th and 6th classes. The objective is to research and develop a topic through the application of critical skills in testing sources for credibility. It speaks to key principles of the new Primary Curriculum Framework (Engagement and Participation; Learning Environments) and the Key Competencies (Being a Digital Learner) – developing critical thinking and digital collaboration.
This resource is applicable to many areas of the curriculum. I would introduce it as an extension of a lesson in SESE where pupils would collaborate in pairs to generate a ‘fake’ article on the topic discussed in class. This pair work would involve digital collaboration using Google docs. The collaboration skill would require pupils to discuss i) how to include discrete ‘fake’ elements to the article and ii) agree the format they would take to write the document collaboratively. Once the work would be complete, pupils would share with other paired pupil groups to discuss and identify the ‘clues’ which would indicate that their articles are not credible. Pupils would add their arguments to the ‘comments’ in the document.
Following some engagement with this resource using class-based curriculum themes/topics, I would then look to age-appropriate real world scenarios where false information is presented on a social media platform. The objective here is to generate awareness among the pupils about how information shared cannot be assumed to be credible and to build critical thinking skills and tools for the children to use to ascertain truth versus falsehoods.
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Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for sharing and I agree this is an excellent resource for 5th and 6th class pupils to build critical thinking and digital collaboration skills and certainly as you’ve mooted fits with the PCF and supporting students to become informed digital learners.
To develop on what you’ve already outlined you could get pupils to build research portfolios. They could
- Choose a topic from SESE or SPHE.
- Use Google Docs to compile 3–5 sources they believe are credible.
Justify each source’s credibility using a checklist (e.g. author, date, domain, bias). - Present their findings in small groups, comparing how each group evaluated the authenticity of each.
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Using digital technology in the classroom is a great way to make learning more fun, interactive, and meaningful for students. Tools like Google Classroom, Jamboard, and Google Slides help keep students engaged, especially when working together on group projects or presentations. I plan to use Google Slides next year to help students build digital stories, which not only improves their writing and storytelling skills but also gets them comfortable using technology creatively.
When thinking (SSE) Guidelines, I can use them to reflect on how effective my teaching is when using tech. It helps me look at student outcomes, how they experience learning, and how I teach. If I see students more engaged or improving their digital skills, then I know it’s working.A resource I plan to use from the Google for Education Teacher Centre is the “Build a Story with Google Slides” activity:
https://teachercenter.withgoogle.com/lessonplans/storyslidesI’d adapt this for my class by having students create stories based on local events or personal experiences. It’s a fun way to mix literacy with digital learning while building creativity and confidence.
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The SSE six-step process is not simply a process but a way of working: identifying a priority need, meeting that need and monitoring and evaluating the impact of the actions taken to meet that need. Implementation of the collaboratively agreed actions on the school SSE plan should take place in every classroom. As a teacher it is important to engage in ongoing monitoring to ensure that the actions agreed by the school are meeting the targets set. It would be important to feed back to colleagues both informally and formally, sharing best practice and also discussing opportunities for improvement.
Developing my own skill and use of Digital Technology in the classroom and integrating digital technologies with teaching, learning and assessment can only enhance the children’s learning experience and ultimately their learning outcomes. The resources in the Google for Education Teacher’s Centre link very well with the principles and competencies espoused by the new Primary Curriculum Framework and the DEY vision (DL Framework) for our learners to become engaged thinkers, active learners, knowledge constructors and ultimately global citizens.
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https://edu.exceedlms.com/student/path/1715527/activity/3304605#/page/63333208d2fcb5092f147d2d
This could be used to support individual learners. Having many English language learners in my classroom, I would use this feature of Google classroom to support their individual learning. When teaching a theme in Irish I use this opportunity to teach the vocabulary in English to children who need it. This aspect in Google classroom would allow me to share docs / videos with students to target this language. A google doc could be created to enable children to complete assessments for language as they go. Other quizzes and worksheets to complete could also be added for them to complete. This would enable children to work independently at their own rate.
This could also be used to differentiate work for individual learners that would require an easier worksheet or alternative work on a specific topic. As it would be complete individually specific children would be unaware that they are working on an alternative assignment.
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We have a good amount of Chrome books in our school but we don’t always use them very effectively. With this is mind I had a look at the section with apps for use for Chrome books. There were a good amount of apps that I was not familiar with. I liked the Canvas app https://canvas.apps.chrome/ I would have lots of ways to use this in the senior end of the school; mind maps or brainstorming ideas can be easily saved and then linked with google classroom. This could also be a handy assessment tool after a topic you could ask the children to jot down a few words or draw a little picture based on what they had learned. It is an easy way to give children an option of different ways to show what they have learned. You can also upload your own photo or image and draw over it which I think would be a lot of fun and really appeal to the children.
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As a teacher in a junior school, Google Classroom would be too difficult for the children to use independently. I see the benefits though as a class teacher. Tools such as Google Sheets could be used as an assessment tool.
This would be extremely beneficial in Literacy and Maths, in particular ,as it would enable the teacher to record and monitor pupils’ progress at a glance. It would also enable the class teacher to share results in reading and phonics etc easily with SET, and thus inform the development of Student Support Plans when necessary.
Using Google Sheets as an assessment tool would be an effective way of integrating and embedding collaboration and improving teacher’s practice in line with SSE.
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I think there are some great ideas here. I completely agree that while platforms like Google Classroom may be too advanced for younger children to use independently, tools like Google Sheets can be very effective for teachers behind the scenes. I also use Sheets to track Maths progress. One idea I’m taking is using it to record more like phonics and reading assessment data in a way that can be easily shared with other teachers. This would really streamline communication and ensure plans and handovers are based on accurate, up-to-date information.
I also see potential in using conditional formatting in Google Sheets to quickly highlight areas where pupils may need extra support—making it visually easier to spot patterns or concerns at a glance. This could provide tangible evidence of pupil progress over time and helping to inform next steps. It’s also a good way to collaborate meaningfully and efficiently with colleagues. Thanks again for the ideas.
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I completely agree with your perspective on using Google Sheets as an assessment tool, especially in junior classes where platforms like Google Classroom may be too advanced for independent use. Google Sheets provides a simple yet powerful way to track pupil progress over time and spot trends quickly. I’ve found it particularly useful for recording spelling test results and phonics progress, and it’s very helpful when working collaboratively with SETs. In the context of School Self-Evaluation (SSE), this kind of digital data collection supports more informed planning and reflection. It also strengthens communication between teachers and support staff, ensuring that interventions are timely and targeted.
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I totally agree with you Niamh, Google Sheets is such a handy tool, especially in a junior classroom where something like Google Classroom might be a bit too tricky for the kids to use on their own. Using Sheets to track progress in Literacy and Maths makes so much sense. It’s quick, clear, and helps you spot who’s flying ahead and who might need a bit of extra help.
I really like your point about sharing info with SET too. Being able to easily show reading or phonics progress can make planning support so much easier and saves loads of time. It also means everyone’s on the same page when it comes to helping the children.
From an SSE point of view, this kind of digital tool is great for improving teaching and making sure we’re working together as a team. It’s a simple change that can make a big difference in day-to-day teaching. -
I agree with this. Google Classroom probably suits the older classes better but you can still use Google Classroom for assessment. You can import activities from other tools such as http://www.wordwall.net. I use this to create a picture of all the foclóir I use in Gaeilge with four possible answers. For instance if I was giving a lesson on Caitheamh Aimsire, I might have a picture of two children playing hurling with four possible choices – “ag imirt peile”, “ag léamh”, “ag iománaíocht” or “ag damhsa”. The child would be expected to choose “ag iománaíocht”. I can do this as a whole class activity for Revision but then I can ask children to complete it independently on Google classroom which serves as a useful assessment tool and lets me know how well the children know their vocabulary.
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https://edu.exceedlms.com/student/path/1605996-discover-ai-in-daily-life?sid_i=2
I explored the “Discover AI in Daily Life” resource on Google for Education and feel it would be very useful for supporting individual learning in my classroom. Tools like Quick, Draw!, Google Translate, and Google Slides can really help children, especially those learning English. I would use Google Translate when teaching new vocabulary in Irish or English to help EAL students understand better.
Quick, Draw! would be fun for all students and could help them learn new words through play. I can also assign different worksheets or tasks to students through Google Classroom without anyone knowing they are working on easier or different work. This helps with inclusion and builds confidence. It is a discrete way of ensuring differentiation for the children which was promoted in this module at the very start.
This approach fits well with the School Self-Evaluation process and supports digital learning in a meaningful way accross the curriculum.
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While exploring the teaching resources area of Google for Education’s Teacher Centre, I found out about the google education programme, Be internet awesome. Which is designed to help teach kids the skills they need to be safe and smart online.
https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us
There is a downloadable teacher resource book which has lesson plans and activities. The children then put what they have learnt into action through the Be Internet Awesome World on Roblox.
There is also a downloadable family guide which would help support parents at home and link school and home on the topic. Both Roblox and computer games are extremely popular with the kids in my school so I know this would be of great interest to them.
As part of our School Self Evaluation we are looking at digital learning, updating our digital learning plan , improving digital safety knowledge and a link to wellbeing. I think this resource would tie in nicely to celebrating safer internet day.
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Welcome to the course, and thank you for sharing the link to the Be Internet Awesome programme. From a quick look, it appears to be a well-structured and engaging resource. It’s great to see how you’re already considering its relevance to your school’s SSE focus on digital learning, safety, and wellbeing.
The inclusion of both teacher and family guides offers a strong foundation for linking school and home, and could be something your school’s HSCL teacher (if applicable) might find useful to promote.
You also mentioned aligning this with Safer Internet Day, which is coordinated by Webwise. It might be worth exploring their resources too, they offer a wide range of materials that complement the Be Internet Awesome programme, particularly in the context of Safer Internet Day and broader digital citizenship initiatives.
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The Digital Literacy Framework for Irish Primary Schools focuses on
Understanding and Using Digital Technology, Digital Learning Opportunities and
Practising Digital Responsibility. To cover all these areas across the curriculum it is important that as a teacher, I am confident in my own skills and can begin the year incorporating the use of apps and technology across the subjects and as a standard part of learning skills for students.
The basics will be the most important at first as in my experience pupils can be overwhelmed sometimes by the excitement of using devices and this can overtake the learning. setting expectations and norms at the beginning should help. My current experiences have often been that the technology or the wifi lets me and the children down all the time leading to frustration and issues around the use of the tablets or laptops. I often resort to downloaded material only. The course so far has allowed me to look at exmplars and get ideas from the forum which I will try to implement next year.
Explain Everything app
https://explaineverything.com/blog/category/schools-stories/
It is an interactive whiteboard app allowing:
Video-based explanations
Digital storytelling
Annotating images, PDFs, slides
Collaborative work on a shared canvasHaving seen it in action in a 1st class maths lesson onthe exemplars it looks like a fun app that would suit any subject for group work.
English/ Gaeilge; Pupils create animated storyboards of their narratives, recording their reading and adding illustrations.
Maths; Pupils record themselves solving word problems step by step, annotating with drawings and explaining reasoning.
SESE; Collaborative group projects where pupils create interactive presentations on a topic (e.g. Irish rivers), embedding maps, photos, and voiceovers.
To comply with and teach digital responsibility, before any project:
Discuss copyright (using own photos or royalty-free images).
Remind about privacy (no sharing personal info in recordings).
Teach ethical collaboration (respectful edits, sharing roles).-
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As a teacher in a special school, I’ve discovered two google digital tools that can transform classroom learning: Google extension Brisk IT and Canva. These platforms offer innovative approaches to student engagement and collaborative learning.
Brisk IT provides exceptional access to a suite of tools to develop student resources that will meet the needs of all student abilities. Any resource can be adapted to meet the array of differentiated learning required.
Canva, meanwhile, offers remarkable potential for creative learning experiences. Students could use this platform to design infographics, presentation materials, and visual summaries across multiple subjects. For instance, in a history class, learners might create visual timelines or comparative posters demonstrating historical understanding.
By integrating these technologies into my class preparation I can enhance digital competencies,
support differentiated learning, encourage creative expression
1. Introduce tools with clear learning intentions
2. Provide structured guidance and scaffolding
3. Allow student-led exploration
4 Reflect on technological impact. Crosscurricular activities are
– History: Visual storytelling
– Science: Data visualisation
– Languages: Multimedia presentation
– Mathematics: Graphical representation
By thoughtfully integrating digital technologies, I can create a dynamic, engaging learning environment.
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Thanks so much for sharing this — I hadn’t come across Brisk IT before and I’m genuinely impressed by its potential for differentiation. In a special school setting like yours, where the range of abilities and needs can be so wide, tools like this that allow real-time adaptation of content are game-changers. I’m definitely going to explore it further!
I also really like your use of Canva — I’ve used it before for teacher-created resources, but I hadn’t considered getting students to use it themselves for things like visual timelines or science posters. That’s such a great way to promote creativity and digital skills while reinforcing curriculum content.
Your structure of introducing the tools with clear intentions, scaffolding the process, and then allowing space for student-led exploration is spot on — I can see how that links well with the SSE domains, especially Learner Outcomes and Teacher Practice.
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Great post! I totally agree with you about the excitement of using devices sometimes getting in the way of the actual learning – I’ve had that happen plenty of times too! Setting the expectations early on is such a good idea, especially with a new class.
I haven’t used Explain Everything myself yet, but it sounds like a brilliant tool – love the examples you gave for how to use it across different subjects. The Maths idea, where the kids record themselves solving a problem and explaining their thinking, would be a great way to build confidence and get them talking about their strategies.
I also like how you’re planning to bring in the digital responsibility side before projects – something I definitely need to be more consistent with. Thanks for the link too, I’ll check it out properly and see how I could use it with my class next year!
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I looked at “Create a Comic Strip in Google Drawings”.
https://edu.exceedlms.com/student/path/1606448-create-a-comic-strip-in-google-drawings
I have 4th/5th class and I know this is a project they would find both engaging and motivating. I have a very creative class that love both story and art. This marries these two components together.
To localise the lesson, I could adapt the content to suit my students’ age and digital skills. Some simplification of instructions and using more child-friendly language. A demonstration of how to access Google Drawings through their school accounts. Introduce the comic strip concept using familiar example, for example a story involving local landmarks, school life or a character.
I’d look to provide templates with speech bubbles and character cut-outs so they can focus on creativity rather than technical skills. Encouraging them to write short dialogues in their own words, perhaps using everyday expressions. Storyboarding a scene from a book they’ve read in class is another idea.
Using group work can help less confident students. Finally, allowing time for sharing their work with the class, promoting communication skills. Hopefully this keeps learning fun, meaningful and rooted in their own experiences.-
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I also explored this resource and found it to be an effective way of integrating technology, art, and literacy. My students really enjoy using Chromebooks, so the opportunity to create a comic strip using Google Drawings would be very appealing to them. For the first assignment, I would likely have students work in pairs or small groups to help build their confidence and support the development of their digital literacy skills.
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I teach 6th Class, and I’d love to adapt this idea for slightly older pupils by linking it with our English writing genres — especially narrative and persuasive writing. One idea I have is to get pupils to create a comic strip version of a key scene from one of our class novels (e.g. Holes or Wonder), or to develop a persuasive comic advert based on a real-world issue we’re exploring.
To deepen the task, I’d also include digital literacy outcomes — for example, discussing layout, visual sequencing, and tone. I’d introduce the activity with sample comic strips and then allow students to storyboard their ideas before using Google Drawings.
It also aligns nicely with the SSE domains — particularly in promoting Learner Agency and encouraging students to express themselves through multimodal formats. Thanks again for the post — you’ve sparked some great ideas for my own planning!
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The Google Drawings activity “Design a poster about you” offers numerous benefits for 5th and 6th class ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) students. It would be an ideal activity for my students in September.
I like this activity as it allows students to share their interests, hobbies, and favorite things in a visual and creative way. For some of my students who find verbal communication challenging, a visual activity like this provides an alternative to express themselves.
Creating a poster like this helps develop fine motor skills, sequencing, and organizational skills as the boys decide what to include on their poster and how to arrange it. Additionally, this activity builds self-awareness and self-esteem. It also promotes social understanding, as students may share their posters with peers, encouraging social interactions and empathy.
Overall, this activity is a positive way to build confidence and communication skills among ASD students in older primary classes.
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Hi Eoghan,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing the ‘Design a poster about you’ activity which sounds like a good fit to use with your 5th and 6th class ASD pupils in September. You’ve highlighted some important benefits, in particular how it supports self-expression for pupils who may find verbal communication challenging. I also like how you’ve connected the activity to the development of fine motor skills, sequencing, and organisation, as well as its potential to build self-awareness and social understanding. It’s a great example of how a simple task can support multiple areas of learning and development.
One idea you might also consider is turning the posters into a class gallery or digital slideshow. Pupils could choose whether to present their work themselves or have it shared on their behalf. This kind of sharing can help build confidence gradually and encourage appreciation of each other’s interests and strengths.
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I really like the idea of using The Google Drawings activity “Design a poster about you”. My current class was split and mixed to make three new classes next year. I think this would be a lovely start of year activity for the new classes to get to really know each other. Pupils getting to choose to present or have their work shared on their behalf sounds ideal for children getting to know each other. A class gallery would allow the children to see what interests and hobbies are within their new class and who they have lots in common with or indeed it might allow them found out something new that they never knew about their friends before.
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Create a Community Map is a resource I found under Google’s Applied Digital Skills. I believe it is a highly effective tool that could be used as an extension to a 5th/6th class SESE lesson to explore and research students’ local areas. The activity teaches pupils how to use Google My Maps to highlight meaningful locations in their communities, helping to develop digital literacy, mapping skills, and geographic awareness.
Students would identify and label important local features—such as landmarks, parks, schools, or cultural sites—while writing short descriptions and adding images. I would encourage them to work in pairs or groups, promoting collaboration and discussion. After creating their maps, students could present their work to the class or upload it to a shared platform like google classroom.
For pupils from other parts of Ireland or different countries, the project offers a chance to research and celebrate their own backgrounds, encouraging inclusion and intercultural learning. I believe students would be very present a project on a map of their home town and local community.
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This is a fantastic use of the community map tool. It makes it a very personal learning experience for the children. I really like the idea of students from other parts of the country or even the world using this tool to show their heritage and to allow the class to learn about other areas with the personal touch of having their classmate as the tourguide.
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Digital technology has the potential to transform learning by making it more engaging, interactive and personalised. In my 6th Class, I plan to continue using a mix of tools to support differentiation, collaboration, and creativity — such as Google Slides for presentations, Jamboard for brainstorming, and Google Forms for assessments and self-checks.
Applying the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) Guidelines, I will focus on gathering pupil feedback on digital tasks, reviewing engagement and outcomes, and involving pupils in setting targets. One key domain I’ll link is “Teachers’ Individual and Collective Practice” — using SSE to reflect on how digital tools are enhancing outcomes and adapting practice collaboratively.
One excellent resource I plan to use is Google’s “Build a Story Using Google Slides” activity, which promotes creativity, literacy, and digital skills:
https://edu.google.com/intl/ALL_ie/teacher-center/classroom-tips/create-story-slides/I will localise this by linking it to our English narrative writing unit and SESE themes. For example, pupils could create a digital story about a local historical figure, or develop a Google Slides “Diary of a WWI Soldier” after our November history lessons. I will also use the comment function to give formative feedback and allow peer review. This resource supports cross-curricular integration, digital literacy, and pupil voice, all key SSE areas.
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I’ve chosen a resource from Google’s Applied Digital Skills—specifically, the “Back to School” unit, which offers video‑based lessons helping students express themselves, manage their time, and learn essential digital skills. In September I would adapt tasks like “Create a summer holiday photo journal” to include links to Irish landmarks (Cliffs of Moher, Dublin Zoo). You could incorporate multilingual support – students whose first language isn’t English can draft their journal in their home language, then translate it into English or Irish. Encourage students to interview family and share a short snippet about their summer experience via Google Slides—helping develop digital presentation. Use built‑in accessibility tools in Chromebook/Docs—like live captions and voice typing—so all learners, including those with additional needs, can fully participate.
Lots of interesting points made in the back to school guide.
https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gfe_back_to_school_guide_21.pdf
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I’ve chosen a resource from Google’s Applied Digital Skills—specifically, the “Back to School” unit, which offers video‑based lessons helping students express themselves, manage their time, and learn essential digital skills. In September I would adapt tasks like “Create a summer holiday photo journal” to include links to Irish landmarks (Cliffs of Moher, Dublin Zoo). You could incorporate multilingual support -students whose first language isn’t English can draft their journal in their home language, then translate it into English or Irish. Encourage students to interview family and share a short snippet about their summer experience via Google Slides—helping develop digital presentation. Use built‑in accessibility tools in Chromebook/Docs—like live captions and voice typing—so all learners, including those with additional needs, can fully participate.
Lots of interesting points made in the back to school guide.
https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gfe_back_to_school_guide_21.pdf
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That’s a brilliant Kate, I hadn’t seem it initially. Its a good resource the Back to School unit from Applied Digital Skills too. It feels very practical and student-friendly, and I love how it focuses not just on tech skills but also on self-expression, organization, and building confidence. I think your idea to adapt the “Create a summer holiday photo journal” task to include Irish landmarks and a multilingual option is fantastic — it really makes the activity more inclusive and relevant to the students lives.
I’d definitely use this resource in September as a way to ease the class back into school routines while introducing and practicing digital skills at the same time. It’s a lovely way to get to know students better, especially when they interview family or share personal experiences. I think it will be really useful because it combines creativity, literacy, and ICT in a meaningful way, and it’s accessible for all learners with the built-in Chromebook tools you mentioned.
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Digital technology can greatly enhance student learning, particularly for pupils with additional needs. In my SET role, I look forward to using the following resource from Google for Education: Create a Mind Map in Google Drawings.
I feel this tool is especially useful for students with low working memory and dyslexia, as it supports visual learning and helps organise their thoughts clearly. I will localise this tool by creating templates linked to curriculum content, using simplified language, visual cues, and step-by-step instructions. Students will use these digital mind maps to revise topics or plan written tasks, helping them better retain and process information.
Applying the School Self Evaluation Guidelines, I will reflect on student outcomes and engagement, using feedback and assessment data to adapt my teaching. At a whole-school level, developing my digital skills supports inclusive practices and promotes a collaborative learning culture. Sharing these strategies will hopefully contribute to staff CPD and improve teaching and learning outcomes across the school.
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I’ve found that digital technology really helps to make lessons more engaging and accessible for all students. In my classroom, I use it to support collaboration, creativity, and independent learning. Tools like Google Classroom, slides, and Google Docs let children work together, share ideas, and get feedback easily. While working through this module I found the ‘beinginternetawesome’ resource to be brilliant! When discussing and assigning Google classroom tasks to students It’s always a worry that students are internet safe and have we done enough to educate and ensure the students are being web wise. This resource has games & guides to help support teachers but also families as they access the internet. This can help focus the students work more and support them in researching assignments. Going forward using the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) Guidelines, I can also reflect on how effectively these tools are improving engagement and learning outcomes. Gathering evidence from students’ work and their feedback helps me identify what’s working and what needs adjustment.
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Hi Alex,
Welcome to the course. You’ve outlined how digital tools like Google Classroom and Docs can support collaboration and independent learning, and I agree, the Be Internet Awesome resource is a particularly useful way to reinforce responsible online behaviour, especially as it can be used both in school and at home, as you’ve noted.
On School Self-Evaluation, using it to assess how effectively digital tools are improving engagement and learning outcomes is a good, evidence-based approach. It helps avoid using technology for its own sake. Sticking with Google tools, you might consider using Forms to gather pupil feedback on their digital learning, or even exploring Notebook LM to compile reflective journals. Both options can help students think more critically about how they use technology, while giving you valuable insights into what’s working.
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One effective way to enhance student learning through digital technology is by integrating tools from Google for Education, such as Google Jamboard, Google Forms, and Google Classroom, to promote interactive, collaborative, and personalized learning experiences. For example, using Google Jamboard allows students to visually brainstorm, problem-solve, and collaborate in real-time, supporting differentiated learning and creative expression.
Applying the School Self Evaluation (SSE) Guidelines, particularly the domains of Teaching and Learning and Learner Outcomes, I can reflect on the impact of digital integration on student engagement and progress. By using digital tools, I can gather formative data via Google Forms or Classroom to inform teaching strategies and identify areas for improvement.
At the school level, developing my use of digital technology supports a whole-school digital learning culture, aligns with the Digital Learning Framework (DLF), and encourages peer collaboration and professional development. This promotes consistent digital integration and supports the SSE process by providing tangible evidence of progress and learner achievement.
From Google for Education’s Teacher Centre, I chose:
🔗 Create a quiz in Google FormsI will use Google Forms to create interactive quizzes aligned with our English and Maths curriculums. I’ll include curriculum-specific vocabulary, visual supports, and even voice instructions for students with additional needs. I will also tailor the difficulty level based on ability groups, enabling me to support differentiation and student autonomy.
In class, I plan to use the quizzes for house points, revision tools, and assessment for learning (AfL). Students will receive immediate feedback, and I can quickly analyse data to adjust future lessons. I’ll also train students to co-create quizzes, fostering digital literacy, ownership, and peer learning. This resource promotes engagement, reflective teaching, and digital competence—all central to SSE and the Digital Learning Framework.
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I will use google classroom with my 6th class. I will assign homework on it and they can have a choice board to complete projects on google slides or any way they wish. They can then submit projects easily to me. To link with the School Self Evaluation (SSE) Guideline I can see the on the impact of digital integration on student participation. I can gather formative data via Google Forms or Classroom to inform teaching strategies and identify areas for improvement.
It also improves communication between teachers and students, allowing for easier sharing of assignments, feedback, and learning materials.
I can asses their work quicker and it enncourages Digital Literacy- aligning with digital competence goals in the DLP.
My use of digital technology can be shared with other teachers in my school to develop our digital skills.
https://edu.google.com/workspace-for-education/products/classroom/ -
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Digital technology can greatly enhance student learning by promoting engagement, creativity, and differentiated instruction. In my classroom, I aim to use digital tools not just to support content delivery, but to empower pupils to become creators, collaborators, and critical thinkers. Applying the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) Guidelines, I would focus on the “Learner Outcomes” and “Teaching and Learning” domains to reflect on how digital tools are helping meet literacy, numeracy, or wellbeing targets.A resource I plan to use is Google Jamboard from the Google for Education Teacher Centre:
🔗 https://edu.google.com/intl/ALL_ie/teacher-center/products/jamboard/Jamboard allows collaborative brainstorming, vocabulary mapping, or sequencing activities in a visual and interactive way. I would localise it by adding Gaeilge vocabulary, using local history topics in SESE, or student photos for SPHE lessons. As pupils contribute in real time, I can quickly assess understanding and adjust the lesson accordingly.At school level, improving my digital teaching practice will contribute to a culture of innovation and sharing. Through SSE, this could be developed into a whole-school digital learning goal, supporting both staff collaboration and pupil age -
https://jamboard.google.com/
As a 6th Class teacher, I’ve increasingly seen how digital technology can genuinely transform learning when used meaningfully and not just as a novelty. One powerful way I plan to use technology in the coming school year is by integrating Google Jamboard into my literacy and SESE lessons. It allows for interactive collaboration, and pupils can work in real-time to brainstorm, respond to questions, and summarise texts. I explored this resource via the Google for Education Teacher Centre, and I see great potential in using it to enhance engagement, particularly with group work, oral language, and project-based learning.
To localise it for my class, I’ll use Jamboard to support oral language tasks like “Would You Rather” debates, collaborative mind maps during novel studies, and digital KWL charts in Geography. I also plan to use it in Maths to solve word problems collaboratively on Fridays during Maths Stations.
In terms of School Self Evaluation (SSE), developing my own use of digital tools like Jamboard aligns well with the Digital Learning Framework, particularly in the domain of “Teachers’ Individual Practice.” It helps me reflect on how effectively I integrate digital learning in my teaching and gives me evidence to inform planning. If other teachers see its success, it may encourage wider uptake across the school, positively impacting our collective SSE focus.
By upskilling in this area, I’m not only improving student learning experiences but also contributing to a culture of digital innovation at school level. -
https://www.google.com/earth/education/
Google earth can be a great tool when researching a new country, city or natural landmark. The create tool on Google Earth can let the student visit one of these places via their chromebook or tablet. The create function will allow them to add points of interest, which they can use to give information they have learned on the topic. This could then be used as a portfolio of their learning on the topic. They can completely personalise it by adding text and screenshots. I plan on using this tool when covering people and other places in geography. Their creations can also be shared with their classmates which facilitates peer assessment and I believe would also act as a great motivation and improve engagement.
The use of Digital Technology in the classroom can be used to enhance learning as I believe it facilitates more child led learning. A general topic can be facilitated by the teacher, however the student can direct their own learning along a path which interests them, and will lead to better engagement and retention of information. Concrete resources are a good tool, however they are limited to general topics and usually one size fits all.
SSE guidelines can be used to monitor the digital literacy of students. It is important to identify a focus area, such as internet safety, gather information using questionnaires, identify areas for improvement and set in place a plan of improvement.
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Hi Eoghan,
Welcome to the course. This is a great example of how you can use Google Earth’s Create tool to support in geography . I particularly like from what you’ve outlined, how pupils can personalise their projects, add points of interest, and share their work with their classmates. This will make the learning so engaging and will foster pupil agency.
Your point about digital technology enabling more pupil-led learning is well made. It’s also clearly outline the linkages to SSE, particularly around identifying focus areas like internet safety and using that to guide planning and improvement.
Another Google Earth feature worth exploring despite it probably showing my age, as I remember the many CD-ROM versions, is Google Earth’s reprised ‘Where on Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego?”. Their iteration mirrors the old adventure game by getting pupils to collect geographical clues in order to solve cases. Great for developing global awareness, particularly when coupled with your existing plans for exploring people and places.
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https://edu.exceedlms.com/student/path/1607056/activity/3187402
This activity is a beginner’s introduction to using Google Slides for presentations. I think this is an excellent resource to teach children the basics of using digital skills to both display and enhance what they have learned. I would begin by introducing my pupils to Google Slides, teaching them how to create a simple presentation. This would include changing the theme for visual appeal, adding and deleting slides, modifying fonts, inserting and formatting images, and animating text or objects to enhance engagement. Pupils could use these skills to create short presentations on SESE topics, book reports, or personal projects—developing both digital literacy and communication skills.
To complement this, I would use Google Forms for formative assessment, such as quizzes based on the presentations or class topics. Forms can include text, images, and video to support a range of learners. Together, Slides and Forms promote creativity, critical thinking, and independent learning while giving pupils opportunities to present their knowledge in dynamic, meaningful ways.
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One useful resource from the Google for Education Teacher Centre is the “Get started with Google Classroom” https://teachercenter.withgoogle.com/classroom/overview. This resource provides practical tips on using Google Classroom to streamline assignments, give feedback, and promote collaboration.
I use Google Classroom regularly for project work in History and Geography. This training will help me to organise classwork by setting up separate topic sections (e.g., “European Landforms” or “Irish History”) and using rubrics for clearer assessment. In the past, I created project templates with Irish examples—such as a geography task exploring local rivers or a history project on the 1916 Rising.
To enhance learning, I integrate Google Docs and Slides for student submissions, allow students to comment for feedback, and use Google Forms quizzes. This builds digital skills while keeping projects interactive, structured, and in line to the Irish primary curriculum. Pupils enjoy the independence and clarity Google Classroom provides.
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I would use Google Forms in the new school year with my 3rd Class students. I’d like to try to use it as a form of self-assessment. I’d create a survey to assess the children’s impressions of themselves as learners. I’d structure it so they could select their favourite subjects, preferred modes of presenting their work, favourite types of learning activities etc.
I’d also include a space for reflections and the opportunity to set some goals in specific subject areas.Building on the idea of using forms, I’d also bring some peer assessment into use. At the end of a unit, eg SESE, I’d allow time for the students to create a quiz to be completed by their peers. They could be given time to take each other’s quizzes during a period where we have access to tablets or Chromebooks.
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Hi Anna,
Thank you for your post here and welcome to the course. I think you have hit on a great point regarding the children constructing their own quizzes and assessments using digital tools. Far too often, children spend their time in school answering questions but have far less time to construct their own. This is a key skill in itself that needs to be taught and practices. The use of Forms or other similar digital tools can be a great way to introduce this for children.
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I really like this idea where the children make their own questions because like you said, they spend so much time answering other pre determined questions…nice to give them a variety. Self assessment also very beneficial plus teacher feedback is quick.
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I saw this link on another post but I thought it was a great resource. The ‘Be Internet Awesome’ program. I’ve chosen the “Share with Care” pillar, as it directly relates to the importance of responsible sharing online, which is a key topic for my 4th Class pupils.
To localise and enhance this for my classroom, I would link it directly to the resources available on Webwise, the internet safety initiative. This will provide a more familiar and locally-relevant context for my students. We could also use this unit to prepare for Safer Internet Day, creating projects on our Chromebooks or iPads. For example, students could use a creative app to design posters or short videos explaining the “Share with Care” rules, which they would then upload to Google Classroom.
This approach will allow us to discuss the concept of a digital footprint, emphasizing the importance of respecting privacy and seeking permission before sharing photos or information. By using both “Be Internet Awesome” and Webwise resources, I can provide a comprehensive and culturally-relevant lesson on internet safety, preparing my students to be more confident and responsible digital citizens.
Link to the resource:
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Hi Sean,
Thank you for sharing this sample resource with us which touches upon some extremely important and pertinent issues in relation to children’s interactions online and use of the internet. You have mentioned the Webwise suite of resources and one activity from the ‘My Selfie and the Wider World’ programme springs to mind here. Children can calculate if an image is seen by 10 people and they then share it and a further 10 people see it that it can be seen by up to a million people within a couple of hours. This really strikes home how easily things can go ‘viral’ and may prompt children to think about what they are posting or engaging with online.
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Thank you for sharing your ideas Sean. I also seen the program ‘Be Internet Awesome’ mentioned in another post. I feel it will be very useful with a 4th class group I work with in a SET capacity. Along with the resources from Webwise, this program offers lovely tools to help protect our students online. I look forward to exploring this resource further.
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In todays world we have to keep upt tp date with digital technology and also have to teach our students how to use it productively, but we also have to be very mindful of too much screen time and encouraging a social classroom too! This module has shown us that one way to enhance student learning through digital technology is by integrating tools from Google for Education, such as Google Jamboard, Google Forms, and Google Classroom, to promote interactive, collaborative, and personalized learning experiences. For example, using Google Jamboard allows students to visually brainstorm, problem-solve, and collaborate in real-time, supporting differentiated learning and creative expression.
Applying the School Self Evaluation (SSE) Guidelines, particularly the domains of Teaching and Learning and Learner Outcomes, I can reflect on the impact of digital integration on student engagement and progress. By using digital tools, I can gather formative data via Google Forms or Classroom to inform teaching strategies and identify areas for improvement. I think this is one very beneficial use of Google for education.
At the school level, developing my use of digital technology supports a whole-school digital learning culture, aligns with the Digital Learning Framework (DLF), and encourages peer collaboration and professional development. This promotes consistent digital integration and supports the SSE process by providing tangible evidence of progress and learner achievement.
From Google for Education’s Teacher Centre, I chose:
Create a quiz in Google Forms
I hope to use Google Forms to create interactive quizzes aligned with our curriculum, especially SESE. I’ll include curriculum-specific vocabulary, visual supports, and even voice instructions for students with additional needs. I will also tailor the difficulty level based on ability groups, enabling me to support differentiation and student autonomy.
In class, I plan to use the quizzes as revision tools, and assessment for learning (AfL). Students will receive immediate feedback, and I can quickly analyse data to adjust future lessons. -
Using digital technology in the classroom can change learning by making lessons more interactive, personalised, and accessible for all children. Tools like Google Workspace for Education can help make collaborative documents, shared presentations, and real-time feedback, supporting active engagement. Using the guidelines, I can gather evidence on how digital tools impact learning outcomes and set targets for improvement, ensuring my digital use aligns with teaching and learning goals. Throughout the school, developing digital competency can improve consistency, encourage innovation, and support blended learning strategies.
From Google for Education’s Teacher Centre, I would use applied digital skills, I would localise it by using topics relevant to our community and curriculum, encouraging students to showcase local projects. This not only builds technical skills but also deepens cultural understanding. The children would work in groups, integrating text, images, and data, and we would use peer feedback sessions to revise their work. It can be an invaluable tool to help learning throughout the school. The link below is great for children to use to present their work.
https://explaineverything.com/blog/category/schools-stories/
It is an interactive whiteboard app allowing, it allows the children to present their work in slides, videos etc.
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Thanks for your post, Laura, and welcome to the course. It’s clear that you have a great understanding of how digital tools can transform a classroom.
You’ve outlined the key benefits really well, e.g., making lessons more interactive and personal, which is so important for keeping pupils engaged. I agree that using tools like Google Workspace for Education for things like collaborative documents and presentations is a fantastic way to foster active engagement and involvement from your class. The real-time feedback is also great, as it helps children learn from each other and from their teacher in a much more meaningful and immediate way.
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Link – https://edu.exceedlms.com/student/path/1606584/activity/3186152
The resource is used for creating a presentation/ think of a story idea. In our school we all create a book for book week. This resource will support this process. We have a class teddy called George. Every weekend a different child brings him home and they send me pictures of their adventures together. The week before our annual book week we put all the pictures into a book titled ‘ The adventures of George’ and add the sentences to make up the story. This will be easily done in google drive using the slides.
When the book is complete, we invite other classes in to see it and watch the recording on the whiteboard. All the parents come into the hall to look at all the books. I include a QR code on the back page so they all have access to it!
I record myself reading it and upload it to Youtube ( private link for access only). For ease of access I generate a QR code that takes them directly to the story.
I feel that the use of google forms could be a good way to provide a little quiz on our story for the others. It would make it a meaningful resource for the literacy curriculum.-
Hi Michelle, and welcome to the course. That sounds like a wonderful project. It’s always great to do a class digital book, and involving parents and other classes is an added bonus. A way to enhance your project would be to maybe record audio clips of themselves reading some of “The Adventures of George.” These can then be embedded into your Google Slides version of the book. This will make your digital book even more engaging for everyone.
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Ive taught mostly in senior classes and recently found google classroom to be a great platform for everyone involved. The pupils don’t feel they are “working” once they’re typing and using the ipad, assessment is instant and projects can be completed individually or in groups. GC allows the pupils to create their own digital portfolio which is very effective. Im not sure it would be so effective in the junior end of the school but really like the idea of google sheets for younger pupils. The fact that it can be so readily shared with other teachers / SET team makes it very appealing.
SSE: this digital data can be very effective in promoting instant, up to date information for both pupls and teachers. It would save time also, the fact that its so accessible for all. Teamwork could be promototed and more evident that everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet.
When I was in 6th Class, my pupils used GC to create Nuacht I Rang a sé. They would collaborate , write a few sentences as Gaeilge and inport a pic. News might include match results, weather, tours etc. the presentation would be shared with other teachers and the groups would visit other classes to present their news, great way to promote irish, group work so differentiation could be easily completed. Kids loved it!
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In my opinion, digital technology has the power to transform learning by making it more interactive, inclusive, and student-centered. In my classroom, I plan to use tools like Google Docs for collaborative writing, Forms for formative assessment, and Slides for student-led presentations. These tools promote autonomy, creativity, and critical thinking—key 21st-century skills.
I can use Google Forms to gather student feedback, analyse results in Sheets, and use Docs to collaboratively plan improvements. This digital approach would make SSE more efficient and transparent.
One resource I plan to use is Be Internet Awesome, which teaches digital citizenship through engaging games and lessons. I’ll localise it by linking activities to real-life online scenarios relevant to my pupils and integrate it into SPHE and ICT lessons. This would also support my teaching of the childrens digital footprint which we explore during our internet safety week in school.
Be Internet Legendshttps://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_ie
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