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Assignment
Part 1
Give two examples of how you can use some of the tools identified in this module to improve your own teaching, learning and assessment.
Part 2
Reflect on the potential classroom use of these examples and the other AI tools covered in Module 3 and how this can impact on future teaching, learning and assessment. Post a reflective piece (150 words min) to this Module forum as a Reply to this post.Also, please respond to at least one other participant’s post in this forum.
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Part 1: Integrating these tools is a total game-changer for how we teach and assess. Platforms like Magic School AI and Diffit make daily differentiation a breeze, instantly adapting a topic into different reading levels so every child can access the lesson without feeling left behind. I really like the social story maker and this will be invaluable as a resource in SET next year.
Part 2: For sparking creativity, using DALL-E to generate custom images gives the kids brilliant visual prompts for writing assessments. Meanwhile, Microsoft Learning Accelerators are fantastic for giving us real-time, handy insights into reading fluency and how the pupils are getting on. Of course, we still have to be smart about the risks. Data privacy is a massive deal, so we can never feed private student info into these tools. Plus, AI can sometimes just make stuff up, meaning we always need to double-check everything first. Ultimately, these tools are brilliant assistants for saving time and boosting engagement, but they’ll never replace a teacher’s observations and interactions with their students.
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I would also like to use <span class=”il”>Gamma</span> to create engaging powerpoint presentations I will definitely try out Copilot image generator to create images for oral language and story starters. Chat GBT and Diffit will be very useful for differentiation. Tools such as <span class=”il”>Gamma</span> , Youtube and Twee will be beneficial too.
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Think Diffit and Magic School are great Tracey for differentiation and can save planning time while ensuring every child can access the lesson at an appropriate level. It could also make it easier for me to assess understanding more effectively by providing suitable questions for different abilities.
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Part 1: I can see how all of these tools would assist my teaching but I especcially liked magic school and image creator from microsoft. I loved the examples of Charlotte’s web and Fern and can see how easily children would try to enhance their descriptive language to create a more detailed image. I think these tools would save hours on lesson planning and actually cut out a lot of writing on the board.
In terms of assessment, I would be able to create quizzes and assessments that are visually attractive in seconds.
Part 2: I explored magic school in detail and managed to create an excellent problem solving sheet for 2nd class with renaming and asked it to involve football and farming. Not alone did it generate an excellent worksheet but scaffolded it also with questions scattered throughout to orally ask the children to consolidate eg. some using base 10 blocks. As I’ve previously stated, I have 3 classes so this will be invaluable for me.
I think Image creator will be great for visual learners and really help to develop imagination and make lessons more engaging. I feel they will retain information to a higher degree when using more stimulating tools like these in the classroom. I see there is also a vocabulary generator on magic school which will enhance reading, comprehension and spelling in a fun way. Regarding assessment , it would of course be paramount to avoid using real names when planning or assessing.
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Part 1
Give two examples of how you can use some of the tools identified in this module to improve your own teaching, learning and assessment.
Part 2
Reflect on the potential classroom use of these examples and the other AI tools covered in Module 3 and how this can impact on future teaching, learning and assessment. Post a reflective piece (150 words min) to this Module forum as a Reply to this postThis module provided a wide variety of AI tools that I could use to enhance teaching and learning in my classroom. I teach senior infants and I can see the benefit of using Co Pilot Image creator in my class for enhancing vocabulary and storytelling in literacy in my lessons. It can be used to generate colourful images for any theme that we are exploring, for example, the seaside. I would show the generated image to the children and get them to describe what they see, ask questions and create simple stories. It would be a great resource to support oral language development, develop vocabulary and develop their speaking and listening skills
Another AI tool that I will be using to provide the children with support with their reading is Microsoft’s Reading Coach. I would assign simple decodable texts to the children that match their phonics knowledge. Pupils will read the text using the Reading Coach and this AI tool will provide support with difficult words. It is a great tool for building confidence, improve their pronunciation and develop their reading fluency while getting feedback. It is a great support for teachers to reinforce letter sound relationships and high frequency words in class.-
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I think Barbara that like you I will use the Co Pilot Image Creator for children to use descriptive language to design images of characters. And also design images for them to describe orally and in written form what language was used to design the image. I could see lots of engagement for this AL bot.
I also like the YOU TUBE volcano lesson and how that was used to access Ukrainian for our EAL students.
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I think similarly to you Barbara I will use Co Pilot image creator to help with description of characters, especially when doing class novels. I think its a great resource to teach the children the importance of descriptive writing for character work. It outlines the improtance of given as much detail as possible to allow the reader to visualise characters. I found it very effective the sample used in the video where they didn’t give enough description for the image and therefore the correct image wasn’t generated, that alone is a fantastic way to show the children how important description is in writing alone!
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I totally agree and was thinking along the same lines – use of co-pilot image creator while working on our class nevels. The novel I have in mind is Fantastic Mr. Fox and will be be interesting to see what the prompts of the pupils will generate. Likewise, as outlined in the module, do a little reverse engineering whereby I will generate the image and the pupils will have to write the description to mirror it.
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I too was very impressed with reading coach. Giving struggling readers the ability to create their own stories whilst incorporating specific focuses you have for them is very appealing to me. The idea of incentivising time spent reading too , enabling to build greater character and setting options sounds like something many of the children I work with would get on board with.
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Barbara, using Co Pilot Image creator for enhancing vocabulary and storytelling is a great idea. It will allow children to generate engaging images based on words they know, making learning more interactive and meaningful. Children can select their own images as prompts to create stories and expand their descriptive language. This will allow for creativity while supporting oral language development in a fun and motivating way.
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I completely agree. I also thought Copilot Image Creator would be a great way to encourage oral language, build vocabulary and support storytelling in a fun and engaging way. I really liked Microsoft Reading Coach too, as it gives children the opportunity to practise reading at their own pace while receiving instant feedback, helping to build their confidence and fluency
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I also teach Senior Infants Barbara ad was thinking along the same lines as you.
Creating images specific to the phonics that are being taught will be a real game changer for developing writing skills The emergent writer will have ready made ideas on the board and can concentrate solely on the function of writing. I have found that the biggest hurdle for the emergent writer is often what to write.
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Part 1 – .As I will be working with Senior Infants in SET I think using Speaker Coach will allow them to practice in a small setting, listen back to themselves, and celebrate small improvements. At that level they often feel reluctant speaking in front of others especially children with anxiety, children with limited social skills, low self- esteem and children who need predictable routines. So I am looking forward to trying out Speaker Coach to help build confidence and give immediate feedback in an SET setting.
While I will be offering a mix of in-class and withdrawal support to the same children in Senior Infants I think MagicSchool will be a wonderful tool for adapting the in-class content to a more simplified version with shorter sentences, simpler vocabulary and visual supports. This will allow me to have the same learning outcome as class teacher but using a differentiated learning experience.
The potential classroom use of AI tools covered in Module 3 and how this can impact on future teaching, learning and assessment.
I think Gamma will work especially well in SET because the clear visual layout will suit children with processing difficulties thereby reducing anxiety and supporting predictability. The use of visual supports is always a must in SET for helping with comprehension and developing early reading behaviours. I like the idea that you can personalise materials for individual pupils without hours of preparation and editing. This will assist with engagement and hopefully increase attention to task.
Diffit will make my assessment tasks more tailored to the needs of the children, making assessment tasks more equitable and allowing them see their progress however limited. Assessing their understanding at Senior Infant level can often be overlooked as they are at such an early stage of developing reading strategies. As Diffit can generate simple recall questions with picture prompts this will support success and increase self-esteem. Differentiated assessment can be difficult to access quickly – I think Diffit and Twee will tick the box!-
I think Speaker Coach would also be of benefit at the top end of the school to promote the development of oral language. Children can be very shy and mumbly when giving presentations at that age. Speaker coach could give them lots and practice and individualised feedback when they are working on and practicing their presentation, increasing their confidence before presenting to their peers.
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I think tools like Reading Coach could work really well in an SET setting where you can take a more targeted approach with a small group of pupils. In a mainstream class, though, I think it would be slightly more challenging unless you have guaranteed regular access to devices. The other option might be to assign it as homework, but that assumes every child has access to a device at home, which isn’t always the case.
I’d be interested to hear how other teachers are managing the logistics of using these tools in a busy mainstream classroom.
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This module was very engaging and relevant to me in my school. A lot of the resources can either be used with the whole class on the interactive whiteboard or as separate lessons with a child on a one to one basis/small group.
One AI that I really look forward to using with the children is CoPilot Image Creator. I love the suggestion of the teacher using it to create an image and then the children trying to recreate it using lots of descriptive language, adjectives and so on. I feel they would really enjoy this game and then we could develop it further by each child taking a turn to create the image and the rest of the class guessing what description was used to create it. I feel the class would enjoy working as a team and that it is very inclusive for all pupils.
I have also spent a little bit of time on Magic School and feel that will be very useful. It created a passage for me on the life cycle of pandas and differentiated questions. I can just imagine how easy new topics will be, rather than trawling through lots of websites to collect information and write it myself. I feel that this will allow me to refresh my teaching and topics covered without spending hours preparing for a single lesson. Also, the children can take more of a lead in their learning.
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Hi Carol – yes, I’m also excited to use Magic School. I think that it will save so much time! I agree that it will allow for easy exploration of new topics that are engaging for the children, without creating hours of additional prep time for the teacher. It will be great to use for topical themes such as the World Cup and other current world events that the children may be familiar with.
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Part 1- I liked this module- loads of practical uses of AI specifically for schools. I’m not up to speed with Microsoft tools and though Microsoft Reading Coach was very good. Really good for differentiation and pupil-directed learning. I immediately sent the link onto the SET teachers. Of the others, MagicSchool looks very good. It has a package of really useful tools for teachers and school administrators. I signed up straight away. I haven’t done much with it yet.
Part 2
There appear to be more and more tools becoming available to teachers. I wasn’t familiar with any of the tools in the presentation- Twee, Gamma, Diffit. I see MagicSchool is free for the basic package but pricing comes in at some point. The other tools are similar and pricing is an issue for schools, particularly subscriptions, which can mount up in a school budget. I know the companies have to make money but it’s important to ensure the school is definitely going to use the tools when shelling out for them. Frequently, companies break the cost down into a ‘monthly fee’ but it is collected up front for a year. So if you stop using it after a few weeks, you’re out a full year’s subscription. That’s all fine if you are definitely going to use it and get value from it. Ultimately we’ll have to make decisions on what we go for and choose the ones that we’ll get most use from.-
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I agree Pat with regard to cost. This again highlights the need to have a certain consensus in school around useful and practical tools. This would also foster collaboration and sharing of ideas. In our school engagement with AI tools would be very varied and a ‘Teachmeet’ at the beginning of a staff meeting could be very useful for teachers to share their experience of various AI tools and perhaps agree on one or two which merit investment / subscription.
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In order to improve my own teaching, learning and assessment I will definitely be making use of Magic School and the Social Story Maker in the coming school year. I think that Magic School will help hugely with differentiation by providing picture prompts and shorter sentences as needed. From what I have seen so far, this tool seems to be well-placed to help struggling readers. It will allow for more intensive intervention and support without providing a 1:1 pupil-teacher learning environment (which is virtually non-existent these days). I think the Social Story Creator will be great for generating social stories for children with additional needs. These are particularly advantageous for outings such as school tours. I have created social stories for children in the past, but this will make the process much easier and save so much time! I think many of the tools and applications presented in module 3 (such as Reading Coach and Co-Pilot Image Creator) will help to save teachers a lot of time and have a significant impact on the future of teaching, learning and assessment, if used in the correct way.
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Part 1: There were some great practical examples given here in Module 3. One I liked and will use is Microsoft CoPilot Image Creator, the potential for aiding descriptive writing is vast. The examples given for the children trying to get the closest description to the image were great and it sounds like it got quite competitive! Reading coach sounds great too and would be good to use in small group settings with instant feedback, I’m sure the children will like the fact that it’s not just teacher feedback.
Part 2: I think using a variety of those mentioned above like image creator and reading coach, these can only enhance teaching and learning in my class. Diffit also has huge potential in the class , children need to work at their own level for their own confidence . Similar work but differentiated. It was also good to see the maths story idea, having word problems associated with the subject being covered will help greatly as this has always been a time-consuming part of the lesson preparation for the teacher.
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Module 3 is very impressive as it clearly shows how AI can be used to integrate subjects for example Geography and languages. I really liked the way EAL pupils can be engaged by simple selecting the appropriate language from a drop down menu. This would very much engage EAL pupils especially in older classes.
I also found the Microsoft Image Co Pilot Image creator very stimulating and could see it being used at Infant level right up to 6th Class. With the new curriculum being enacted we very much need to integrate subject areas, be it science and English, maths and science it means we have to do this so we can teach effectively and AI will support us so we can do so. I also liked one of the apps that had a tab on vocabulary. As vocabulary development is one of our DEIS targets we are always on the look out for appropriate Tier 2 words. One of the bots had an option for this and we would very much benefit from this.
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Part 1
Give two examples of how you can use some of the tools identified in this module to improve your own teaching, learning and assessment.I really found this module extremely informative and some really super resources available for teachers and students. Some of my favourites were:
- Image creator – Think this will be a super way to ignite children’s interest as well as helping them self edit by encouraging them to change the prompt to get the image they want ( I had a little too much fun with this myself!)
- Youtube and Twee. – Really like the translate function which will make lessons much more inclusive for all learners but the function with Twee to create quiz is going to save so much time for teachers and it going to be relevant to the student in question as you can modify the level of questions.
Part 2
Reflect on the potential classroom use of these examples and the other AI tools covered in Module 3 and how this can impact on future teaching, learning and assessment. Post a reflective piece (150 words min) to this Module forum as a Reply to this post.Before completing the module, I saw AI mainly as simply a tool for generating content. I now realise that tools such as Copilot, MagicSchool, Twee, etc can support teaching, learning and assessment in a more meaningful ways that is personal to individual students
DALL·E could be used to create story prompts to support literacy activities, while Gamma can help create presentations – I am looking forward to spending a bit more time exploring this tool.
All these tools have the potential to save valuable planning time, allowing me to focus more on supporting pupils in the classroom.
Again in this module it was reinforced the importance of using AI responsibly. While it is a superb resource, it cannot replace a teacher’s professional judgement or understanding of individual pupils’ needs.
Children still need to remain creative and critical learners but AI is a great support to them as learner and this module has shown me the benefits of the resources available, which I think will be especially helpful for children with additional educational needs.
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Image Creator is an excellent tool to have in the classroom and I could get so much use from it even in the infant room. I will be sharing this with my colleagues who will be doing novels with their class, I loved the way the children had to try and re create the prompt words using the picture generated by teacher.
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I was interested in your point about Image Creator. My first thought around this course has been how I could use AI myself to create better resources for the children- particularly in SET and in a junior school. Being able to quickly create something visual or personalised around a child’s particular interests is really useful for engagement and saves preparation time. Your post made me think further about the other side of things- having the children use the tools. AI is going to be a part of the world children grow up in so learning how to question what it produces, refine what we ask for and recognise limitations are important skills for them to have- arguably even from a young age, provided balance with non-screen time is met. I’d be interested in exploring age-appropriate ways of beginning and nurturing those skills with younger children.
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Part 1
Two AI tools from this module that I can see myself using regularly are MagicSchool AI and Gamma.
I thought MagicSchool AI could be particularly useful for supporting inclusion in my classroom. The ability to create personalised social stories in just a few minutes could be an amazing resource for some of the children I teach. I immediately thought of pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as another child who experiences severe anxiety. Being able to quickly generate social stories for new situations, school events or changes in routine would save valuable time while providing meaningful support for individual pupils.
I was also very impressed by Gamma. I often create short PowerPoint presentations for subjects such as Visual Arts and Science, but Gamma can produce professional-looking presentations in minutes. This would allow me to spend less time designing slides and more time planning engaging learning experiences.
Part 2
This module has shown me how AI has the potential to significantly enhance teaching, learning and assessment. One feature that particularly stood out was the ability to generate personalised maths word problems. In my 4th class, being able to include pupils’ names, interests or current class topics would make maths more meaningful and engaging. This approach aligns well with the emphasis on real-life contexts and problem-solving in the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum.
I was also impressed that Microsoft Reading Coach is available free of charge. Providing pupils with personalised reading practice and immediate feedback on their fluency and pronunciation could have a significant impact on literacy development. More broadly, AI can help teachers differentiate learning more efficiently, create resources quickly and reduce workload.
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Part 1
Two examples of how I can use tools from this module to improve my own teaching, learning and assessment:
Copilot Image Creator would be brilliant for generating custom illustrations to support storytelling and vocabulary work with my 4th class – for example, creating a set of images to sequence a narrative or to introduce topic-specific vocabulary in SESE.
Diffit is particularly useful for differentiation, as it can take a piece of text and quickly generate versions at different reading levels, along with comprehension questions, which would save a huge amount of time when preparing reading material for a mixed-ability 4th class group.
Part 2
This module gave a really practical overview of how AI tools can support day-to-day classroom practice with my 4th class. Reading Coach and Speaker Coach both stood out as tools that give pupils immediate, structured feedback – Reading Coach through independent reading practice, and Speaker Coach through analysis of pace, filler words and pronunciation during oral presentations, which fits well with the oral language strand at this level. MagicSchool’s Social Story Maker and its maths word-problem generator both showed how quickly resources tailored to a specific class or pupil need can be produced, while the demonstration of YouTube’s automatic translation and captioning highlighted real potential for supporting EAL pupils accessing the same content as their peers.
Looking ahead, I think these tools could genuinely reshape teaching, learning and assessment in my classroom by freeing up planning time and making differentiation far more manageable, whether that’s adapting texts, generating targeted practice, or supporting pupils with additional language needs. That said, this needs to go hand in hand with careful oversight – checking outputs for accuracy, being mindful of data protection when using any pupil information, and always keeping the teacher’s professional judgement central rather than letting the tools dictate what’s taught. Used thoughtfully, though, I think they have real potential to make lessons more responsive to individual pupils’ needs.
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Hi Barbara, I really like your idea of using Copilot Image Creator to support vocabulary and storytelling with your senior infants – generating an image around a theme like the seaside and getting the children to describe it and build stories from it sounds like a lovely way to develop oral language and listening skills. Reading Coach also sounds like a great support at that level, especially for reinforcing letter-sound relationships and high-frequency words while giving pupils that immediate, encouraging feedback on decodable texts. Thanks for sharing both of these!
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Part 1
The AI tools suggested in module 3 look to be of huge benefit to the classroom. For myself, I found Copilot very impressive, as an infant teacher, my students are easily stimulated by fun, eye catching images and this tool could serve as a nice way to introduce a topic of discussion on any theme. I also liked Microsoft reading coach. Dealing with multi grade this would be very beneficial for catering different abilities with different levels and interests to suit all children.
Part 2
Magic Link is definitely a tool I hope to explore more of. I feel it will be very beneficial in creating lesson plans and providing extra activities on topics. I often play a you tube videos on certain topics and therefore I feel I would use twee to assess after. I love using power point in my lessons so Gamma is another I hope to apply. Finally, with Gamma, I think this will be vital in terms of planning for differentiation. as I mentioned above, having multi-grade I often find myself trying to find extra work for the more capable or ‘ early finishers’ in the class and this would certainly be of help. With all these tools at hand, it will certainly save a huge amount of time for teachers and assessment is almost instant with these tools.
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Part 1:
As an SET, reading is one of the areas where I find the greatest level of differentiation. Whether it is the ability to decode texts, reading fluency, pace and or reading comprehension, I think that the Microsoft Reading Coach Tool creates targeted practice for each pupil to reda comfortably at their own level.
I’m also really looking forward to further exploring the applications on the Magicschool,ai website for creating personalised social stories for supporting the social and emotional development of my pupils. I have scrolled the internet time and time again looking for stories that were engaging and appropriate with success.
Part 2:
After completing this module, there is absolutely no doubt that AI tools have huge potential in enhancing teaching, learning and assessment at all levels of education. AI tools have the potential to both enhance curriculum integration and current teacher skills and I for ine will be interest to see if third level teacher education colleges will incorporate AI for Teachers into their own syllabus.
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Part 1: This module was really enlightening. I loved the Copilot Image Creator lesson ideas and had never heard of Twee before … This will be a game changer for me when looking for follow-up acvtities after a YouTube video. One tool I can definitely see myself using is MagicSchool AI to help with lesson planning, differentiated activities and creating quick quizzes or exit tickets. It would save time while still allowing me to adapt everything for my own class.
I also liked Gamma for creating presentations. It seems like a simple way to make lessons more visual and engaging, and I could even use it to let pupils present their own learning.
Reflection
This module has really changed how I think about AI in education. Before starting, I mostly associated AI with ChatGPT, but I hadn’t realised how many useful tools are available for teachers. I was particularly interested in Reading Coach, Diffit, MagicSchool AI and Gamma, as they all support different areas of teaching, learning and assessment.
I think Reading Coach and Diffit could be really useful for supporting pupils with different reading abilities and adapting resources to suit individual needs. MagicSchool AI could help reduce planning time and generate assessment ideas, success criteria and quick formative assessment tasks to check pupils’ understanding. Gamma would make it easier to create engaging classroom resources and presentations.
I’d also be interested to hear if anyone has already used Reading Coach in a mainstream classroom. How do you manage the read-aloud aspect? Do pupils use headphones and work independently, is there a designated time for it, or is it mainly something that’s used in an SEN support setting? I’d love to hear how others have made it work in practice.
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Hi Anne Marie,
Thank you for sharing this reflection with us here. I think many people would be in a similar boat with regards to their use of AI being confined largely to Chat GPT. Whilst you can get so much from this already, the additional tools you mentioned offer so much to teachers in terms of transferring the content generated by a LLM into digestible formats for use with children in our classroom. AI is often sold as having the potential to reduce our workload – these apps and websites often go the extra mile and further help us to have personalised lessons ready for children, whilst also looking after some of the presentation of this.
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I thought some of the tools introduced in this module were brilliant. I’d never come across Diffit, Twee or MagicSchool before, so I’m really looking forward to trying them out next school year. They seem like great time-saving tools, particularly when it comes to creating differentiated resources. I was impressed by Diffit, which can quickly generate differentiated reading comprehensions and activities at different levels. Twee also stood out to me because it can create engaging English language learning activities, including discussion questions, gap-fill exercises, vocabulary tasks and comprehension activities based on articles or videos. I can see both of these being really useful for planning lessons. I thought Copilot Image Creator was a great tool for creating engaging visuals quickly. I can see myself using it to create images for lesson introductions, creative writing prompts and classroom displays. I really liked how Microsoft Reading Coach gives students personalised reading practice and instant feedback. It would be a useful way to build reading confidence while helping me identify where students need extra support.
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Like you Sinéad, I really liked most of the tools that were presented in this module and look forward to using them and seeing more of their potential next year. Copilot Image generator looks wonderful and can be used in so many great ways in class and outside of class. I look forward to trying it out to stimulate writing. Not only does it develop language, it teaches children the importance of writing accurate prompts to generate the best images. This will be a lifelong skill for working with AI.
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Hi Sinead, I also think Twee is an excellent resources particularly its ability to generate questions based on a YouTube video as I like to use videos in my lessons. I also loved Reading Coach and its ability to personalise reading so much. I think it would be a great app for silent reading time and would also be fantastic to assign for homework.
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MagicSchool AI and Diffit can enhance teaching by saving time and personalising learning. I can use MagicSchool AI to generate lesson plans, create differentiated activities, write quizzes, produce discussion questions, and draft feedback for students. It also helps create resources that support a range of learning needs, including scaffolds for literacy and additional challenges for higher-achieving students. Diffit complements this by adapting reading materials to different reading levels while maintaining the same key content. I can use it to provide accessible texts, vocabulary support, comprehension questions, and extension tasks so that all students can engage with the same topic at an appropriate level. Together, these tools enable me to plan more efficiently, differentiate instruction, and increase student engagement. By using AI to prepare high-quality resources, I can spend more time supporting students, facilitating discussions, and providing targeted feedback that improves learning outcomes for every child.
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I think that Microsoft CoPilot and Microsoft Reading Coach will be be greatly beneficial in the senior classes across a broad range of subjects. In English CoPilot will help to generate engaging descriptive writing prompts especially during novel work, allow a great use for modelling vocabulary while also catering for different abilities. It will be a great tool for planning lessons and comprehension work even as an early finisher activity which could allow for the teacher to spend more time supporting pupils.
Microsoft Reading Coach encourages confident reading by allowing the pupils the opportunity to receive immediate feedback and one that is personalised. Which is crucial in developing reading confidence and decoding comprehension.
CoPilot in SESE allows children to research according to ability and to explore topics from different perspectives.Both are fantastic tools that will help students develop in literacy, digital skills and give them more engagement while also promoting independent learning.
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HI Caoimhe,
Thank you for engaging with the module and sharing this here. One of the main points I have taken from your post is the ability of these Microsoft AI tools to make the learning experience more personalised for children in your classroom. Children thrive on feedback and interactive learning experiences – it is so hard to achieve this for every child every day due to the size of many of our classes. Having tools that can break down some of these barriers is so important and can be hugely effective in spreading ourselves that bit wider.
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I agree, the fact that the children get instant feedback and the chance for success is invaluable to their learning. I think Reading Couch would work incredibly well in the SET setting or for extra practice at home. It is difficult to see how you would incorporate it in a whole class setting in the senior end but maybe during stations or small group work.
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Part 1
During the last term of school, I assigned 3 tasks to the pupils on Seesaw. It was part of our Digital Literacy Plan and self assessment in the school. The pupils read a decodable reader and recorded themselves reading. Going forward I would definitely use Reading Coach as part of the Digital Literacy Plan as a means of assessing reading. It’s user friendly and I would hope to focus on the use of decodable texts and build up a profile of progress for my pupils.Magic School has hundreds of tools- a lot of resources to sift through. I was looking at lesson planning and building resources for my teaching in Junior Infants. I did a lesson plan on the Horse Chestnut Tree for Junior Infants. The content and use of questions was good but I was a bit disappointed with the visuals that were included. This could be down to my prompts so a bit of fine tuning on my part is needed.
Part 2
I have worked as an SEN teacher in my school in recent years and I definitely could see the value of Speaker Coach. It would help pupils develop oral language. Pupils can listen back to themselves and it encourages clear speech. It would build confidence speaking independently and one that works well in a smaller teaching environment. -
I was introduced to lots of new-to-me AI tools in this module and all look very useful and usable. I would like to use Gamma to make presentations when I need to give input to staff meetings or parent meetings. I can also see I will use it to make presentations to explain the curriculum content and skills we will work to develop during in- class interventions with parents and children working together in the classroom. I can see Gamma helping me to make more attractive, customised presentations and also saving me alot of time getting the presentation design sorted and organising the slides. I tried it out and can see it has huge potential.
MagicSchool was unfamiliar to me. It has so many uses, even to help me draft emails or Aladdin notices to parents. I also tried out writing behaviour support plans using one of the tools in MagicSchool and will try to adapt it to draft attendance support plans for students with chronic low attendance. I loved Twee and it’s use in drafting questions on text or visual content used in classroom lessons.
I can see I will have a bank of tools to work with in the new school year which I hope will enhance learning but also be a huge timesaver tool for me. -
Give two examples of how you can use some of the tools identified in this module to improve your own teaching, learning and assessment.
This module has been very informative and very practical. Two examples that will be of use are co-pilot image creator and Maths Story in Magic School AI. As mentioned in the forum comment section, co-pilot will provide a great opportunity to pupils to use their descriptive language and will see immediate feedback, then they can fine tune their prompts and see how it impacts on output. Plan for group work to see the different images and then do iterations. I also see real positive from the Maths story creator – we want to engage pupils in maths and the simple option of including their names in a maths story, I believe will help. The maths operations and class levels can be set so it can be used at every class level.
Reflect on the potential classroom use of AI tools and how this can impact on future teaching, learning and assessment.
The AI tools detailed in Module 3 will have a significant impact on all aspects of classroom life. It can help to create a much more interesting and engaging set of resources, will facilitate more pupil input (eg in Co-pilot) and then can help create bespoke lessons for individual pupils. Some of the specifics on these include, Social story & Magic Story in Magic AI, Gamma to generate PowerPoints and Diffit. On trying these, I asked Diffit to create a Powerpoint on a topical subject – Spain’s world cup history. The output is detailed etc but my concern is how will pupils learn to do research and collect primary and secondary data for themselves? Diffit is an excellent tool and will allow teaching to be targeted and pupils to learn at their own level and pace. I just explores the life cycle of a frog, by simply adapting the grade and with a few other choices, a differentiated lesson is created. All pupils are covering the same topic but at the correct level. The lesson can be exported and shared on Google Classroom. This tool will be used in classrooms.
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Hi Matt,
Thanks for sharing this post here and for raising your concerns about the potential of AI tools for taking children’s ability to analyse primary and secondary data and collect their own information. This is a very relevant and pertinent concern that we all share. The next module will go through some policy and this in relation to the use of AI, but I’m sure that you will likely find that in a primary school setting, AI tools will generally be used by the teacher in the preparation and dissemination of materials, rathe than being led by the children.
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There were so many useful apps and ideas in Module 3 that I would love to bring into my teaching. The one that stood out most to me was Speaker Coach. Looking back, it would have been a huge help in my classroom last year when my pupils were preparing for debates and project presentations. Strong presentation and public speaking skills are so important for children’s confidence but it can be difficult to find the time to give every child individual feedback. Having a tool that allows them to practise and improve independently would be invaluable.
I also spent some time exploring MagicSchool and was amazed at how quickly it generated reading passages and worksheets on a given topic. I can see this saving me a significant amount of planning time while still allowing me to tailor resources to my class.
Image Creator also has so many possibilities across all class levels. Iit would have been very useful when pupils were writing their narrative stories. They would have loved creating their own illustrations to accompany their work making the writing process even more engaging so I will definitely try this out next year.
Our school has only recently allowed access to YouTube and I already see it as an invaluable teaching resource, particularly with the older classes. Pairing educational videos with a tool like Twee to generate quizzes and comprehension activities would be a great way to increase pupil engagement and check understanding.
Overall, Module 3 introduced me to a wide range of practical tools that I am excited to explore further.-
MagicSchool looks like a fantastic webiste for teachers! As an SET I will definitely be using this site to generate reading passages and narrative stories for small group instruction. Our school doesn’t have access to YouTube just yet, so I’m hoping we can get on board soon! The educational video tools looked very handy.
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I am going into SET this year and I really think some of the tools in module 3 will be very beneficial in a small group setting. The reading coach tool looks fantastic and the fact that you can incorporate key words which you wish to focus on is very helpful. I like the story generators and the reading streaks idea as this will create interest and buy in with pupils.
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For the last number of years I have worked primarily in the Junior end of the school, in a variety of roles; class teacher, reading recovery teacher and SET. One resource we use in SET is the SRA kit, MagicSchool are Diffit are basically a next‑level SRA kit because it takes the same idea of levelled reading and makes it completely flexible — you can instantly adapt , create any text to any level, add EAL supports, and tailor it to your pupils instead of relying on fixed passages. In my school we regularly get newcomer children throughout the year, and one thing I often do is design for them their class Explorers (SESE) texts at a differentiated level so they can access the content. This can be incredibly time consuming MagicSchool and Diffit is going to make that so much easier for me — I’ll be able to adapt any text instantly instead of rewriting everything myself. I will also be able to quickly and easily assess their comprehension level of the texts we cover, it is a game changer.
Having been a Reading Recovery teacher for a number of years,I have significant experience seeing how daily focused reading instruction can help strengthen and improve both the confidence and ability of struggling readers. One notable downside of this programme is that when you discontinue a child the level of support they receive drops significantly and oftentimes their progress, reading coach would enable this support to continue for significantly longer. I envisage using it to enable struggling readers daily instruction which isn’t always feasible for class teachers. It would also be something easily assigned for homework. It’s built in assessment element will assist me in what areas I may focus on, in my in my personal 1:1 instruction. That I experimented with this programme with my son and whilst I agreed with some of it’s mispronunciation suggestions, I wouldn’t agree with all of them.
Through the SSE process one focus for our school was Talk Time. Right throughout the school we have been working hard to improve our pupils oral language abilities,both their vocabulary and presentation giving. I see Speaker coach as a fantastic means of supporting this.
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Part 1
There were several good AI generative tools in Module 3. Magic School AI and Gamma AI both caught my eye. With Magic School AI, there is a plethora of tools that classroom teachers can use to enhance lesson plans, rubrics, social story creation and even maths story word problems.
With Gamma AI teachers can use this tool to create PowerPoints and slides to enhance student engagement and to make it easier for teachers to present the curriculum to students.
Part 2
As I mentioned above there are a lot of great AI tools out there for teachers to use to enhance their teaching, and increase student engagement. Diffit for teachers was another tool that stuck out to me. This tool can provide differentiated instructional materials and leveled content for students. As an SET this site would be helpful for small group instruction and make it easy to create leveled content to fit the learners’ needs.
I did find all of the microsoft content challenging, our school is a Google platform school, so we use the Google Suite for education tools. I personally don’t have a microsoft account, so I’m unable to use these apps. Maybe it would be beneficial for me to open a Microsoft account in order to access these tools. On the other hand, there are so many AI options out there, it’s tricky to choose the best one, especially if cost is involved. Schools will need to be on board with purchasing certain AI tools which can benefit all stakeholders.
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I can see why Diffit stood out Mary. For SET or small group work, anything that speeds up levelled texts or differentiated activities is going to earn its keep, so a tool like that could take real pressure off. I know what you mean about the Microsoft side too. If your school is fully Google-based, it’s hard to see where some of those tools would slot in, especially if you’re not working with them day to day. Opening an account might be worth it just to have a look around. There are so many AI tools now that it gets overwhelming fairly quickly. Your point about cost is a realistic one as well. Schools would want to choose carefully and think about what would actually get used across the staff, rather than paying for something a few people try once and forget about. Starting with one free or already-available tool like Diffit or something inside Google Classroom might be the most manageable way in. You’d get a sense of what genuinely helps before putting much time or money into it.
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I agree that the microsoft tools were a little challenging, it took me a while to realise how central a microsoft teams setup is to the microsoft search tool. I did find the sample lessons very useful so i might use them for my 6th class. We are on microsoft 365 in our school but the children are not on microsoft teams, and it would take a large effort to set that up.
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Martha I agree with you that Reading Coach could be very beneficial in supporting children with reading difficulties as it seems to be able to assign and assess easily. This will be a useful tool to aid the class teacher at times where SET might not be available or applicable to certain students or when as mentioned they have completed Reading Recovery or similar interventions. I too had noted while watching the videos that this tool could be used for homework providing the parents are happy and shown how to use these tools.
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I really enjoyed this module and liked the specific examples of tools that we could use in the classroom. Magic School AI looks excellent in how much range there is – lesson hooks , and the maths spiral review will be really useful. I enjoyed learning about search coach, it is an important topic however it relies on microsoft teams so i may have to adapt the lessons so they can be used in my classroom. Gamma was very good and seems an improvement on chalkie ai which i have used before, so i will be using gamma going forward. Diffit also has great range of things to use – the exit tickets option in particular will be really useful.
All of these tools will help save time in creating resources and planning lessons. Rather than design the entire lesson for me I will intend to use them as a worktop to plan the lessons , taking differentiation into account, and exporting the activity sheet or slide show into powerpoint or word. I was so impressed with the range of options these tools had. Again, it is overwhelming how many options so I hope to try to get proficient at a small number of tools at first, see that they work well for me, and then see if i wish to use more.
Thanks for a very informative module!
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I’m glad you found the module useful, David. As you say, the number of tools out there is a bit overwhelming, but it sounds like you’ve already picked out the ones that would actually suit your own planning and classroom work.
Magic School AI and Diffit are both very practical, especially for things like lesson hooks, differentiated resources, etc. Those are the kinds of jobs that can take up a lot of time, so even if the tool just gives you a starting point, it’s still a help.
Using AI as a “worktop” rather than letting it design the whole lesson is a sensible approach, David. That feels like the right balance. The teacher still knows the class, the levels, and what needs tweaking, but the tools can speed up the first draft or give a few ideas to build from.
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Part 1
Two AI tools from this module that I can see myself using regularly are Copilot Image Creator and Diffit.
I really liked how copilot image creator encourages language development to transform their thoughts into images. It would be very beneficial to encourage their expressive language to create illustrations in any assignment.
I think that Diffit will be hugely beneficial reducing time spent researching exercises on specific topics. Diffit allows you to create and adapt instructional materials on a reading assignment, lesson plans, decodable reader material to name but a few. It can produce formatted, classroom-ready materials that teachers can print or assign digitally to children of all abilities.
By utilising these AI tools it would improve my teaching and children’s learning as I could spend less time designing slides and more one on one time teaching children and developing engaging learning topic specific experience for each child as necessary. It would then be easy to assess their learning and encourage topic specific teaching for indiviuals.
Part 2
Prior to doing this module I would have predominately ChatGPT. It was beneficial to learn about Reading Coach, Diffit, MagicSchool AI and Gamma in particular supporting teaching, learning and assessment. I will need to explore this further after this module.
I think Gamma will be useful for differentiation in my class going forward. With mixed ability classes it is not possible to have one assignment for all. This tool will save time for teachers producing differentiated assignments and also provide specific assessment in their learning.
MagicSchool’s Maths word-problem generator showed how resources could be differentiated to a specific pupil or educational need. I also like the idea of YouTube’s automatic translation and captioning which shows endless possibilities for supporting children with additional needs while covering the same topic.
AI tools have endless possibilities to enhance curriculum integration. It needs to be used ethically and mindfully to support teaching and learning. -
This module had a fantastic variety of AI tools that are available to educators. I look forward to using some of them in my classroom next year . Two that really stood out to me were Magic School and Diffit. I feel these kind of AI tools would be so beneficial for the teacher and the students. It is really amazing to see the support and time management that these tools can provide. I look forward to exploring and creating different resources over the holidays.
Diffit looks brilliant and very user friendly. This will help teachers to create meaningful, purposeful and levelled materials for everyone in their class. It will be a very supportive way to engage all pupils in the classroom.
Part 2
This module highlighted the different AI resources that are available to teachers. It is lovely to get some information on what is available and to have some time to explore these tools further. I think they will be of great benefit to teachers both saving time and resources and also catering for all the children’s needs in the classroom. There is no doubt about the endless possibilities and positives of using AI in the classroom setting. Of course teachers need to use their professional judgement and remember that it is a fantastic tool to support us.
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After completing this module i can definitely see the positive impact these tools can have on future teaching. I look forward to using tools such as magic school and microsoft co-pilot to create differentiated lessons, activities and asssessments. I would like to use Gamma to create presentations which would save so much time in the classroom on any topic of interest to pupils. Image creator would be very useful to develop pupils vocabulary and also to spark the pupils interest in the writing process.I would also like to try out reading coach and speaker coach which most definitely would develop pupils confidence and fluency especially for those pupils who would be nervous about public speaking. Youtube translate tool would be of great benefit to the various EAL pupils which are in our school. The time saving element would be very beneficial to teachers cutting out so much time spent on researching resources, creating powerpoints etc. Also in terms of differentiation these tools are a game changer.
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I can see why these tools stood out to you Caroline. The time-saving side alone would make a big difference, especially for things like presentations, differentiated activities and assessments. I liked your suggestion of using Image Creator for vocabulary and writing. A good image can be a great way to get children talking, predicting, describing and then writing, especially if they struggle to get started.
Reading Coach and Speaker Coach are really very helpful too, particularly for children who are nervous speaking in front of others. Giving them a chance to practise in a lower-pressure way could really build confidence.
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Part 1:
Gamma- I can envisage myself using Gamma regularly to create Powerpoints based on topics we are covering in SESE, Maths, English grammar etc…. I find Powerpoint to be a very useful tool to introduce new themes and topics, to consolidate learning at the end of a lesson or unit of work and also to visually engage learners as we work through new concepts and topics. Recently the powerpoints I have been using are a bit dated or visually uninspiring. I would rarely have the time or resources to create my own but now feel that Gamma will let me do this in an efficient, visually pleasing and levelled manner. It is very useful that they can be generated using simple prompts and also that I can edit them easily if and when needed.Youtube Translation also appears to be a vey useful and time saving tool that I look forward to trying out. I will have a new EAL pupil in my class with additional needs and so I think something like this will help make certain lessons more accessible and can also be differentiated when needed. The tool to auto-generate questions from the Youtue video is a fantastic idea and one which may be very useful.
Part 2:
Diffit, Gamma, Co – Pilot Image creator, Twee….. really do seem to be excellent resources aimed at the academic world that will be very useful and should impact positively on future teaching, learning and assessment. The potential to access so many resources from one App/website – ‘Magic School AI’ is an excellent option for time-poor teachers and education staff. I can imagine many of these AI tools discussed in Module 3 hugely improving lessons like literacy in areas like improved imagery, reading and speaking coaches, levelled reading passages and comprehension tasks and station teaching prompt and aids. The potential is huge and I hope I can utilize some of these tools for the benefit of the class and my own planning and teaching overall. -
First of all congratulations on a very practical module full of resources and ideas for use in all primary classrooms.
I really like the microsoft search coach for the senior classes and I will be sharing that with colleagues.
With regard to my own class of Senior Infants Diffit is the exact rexource I have been needing all year. We are implementing UFLI in our school but I was finding their reading passages too difficult for emerging readers. I logged into Diffit and saw their phonics decodable reader generator and it is amazing. It essentially created the weeks written and reading activities for the UFLI lesson. Absolute game changer and time saver. I have been spending hours trawling through teachers pay teachers to buy the resources I’ve needed and now I can make my own in under 2 minutes.
Gamma powerpoint generator looks good too.
Twee looked very interesting. I don’t know if it was my device but the page that I think was explaining how to generate questions from a you tube video had no sound and no video on the slide.
Magic school looked super too. I was particularly interested in the maths problem generator. But need to spend some time exploring that particular tool.
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Part 1: I found this module extremely interesting and really highlighted some of the various tools available to enhance teaching, learning and assessment. The first example of an AI tool I will be using is Microsoft Reading Coach. This is an excellent resource for pupils developing their reading skills and the fact that it is available on Microsoft word is ideal. The next example that will help improve teaching, learning and assessment is MagicSchool. This website has such a variety of AI tools that will be a great assistance going forward.
Part 2: This module introduced me to a variety of AI tools that I was unfamiliar with. The module was excellent to show the various attributes of these sites and how they can facilitate teachers in their teaching and assessment. I especially liked when you could link a specific video from YouTube and paste it into Twee and this AI tool created questions based on the video. This would be an ideal way to assess the pupils to ensure they grasped whatever was being explored. Gamma was another excellent example of effective AI tools. As a teacher, you spend hours creating the ‘perfect’ PowerPoint presentation, from typing up, sourcing images and formatting. The fact that you could provide the AI tool with just a heading and it generated the PowerPoint was fantastic. The best part was that you could edit the PowerPoint to ensure it was exactly what you needed for your lesson. This saves so much time, while also providing you with excellent resources. I will also explore MagicSchool further as the basic package is free and there are many aspects to it that will assist my teaching. Unfortunately, the other sites require a payment so I will try for free first and then decide if they are required or if alternative options would suffice.
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Hi Edel,
This is a central objective of this course is encouraging participants to explore a broad range of AI tools and identifying those that could have an immediate impact in your classroom.
Agreed too, tools like Twee and Gamma can be real time savers. As the adage goes ‘They avoid the blank page’ by (As you’ve highlighted) providing a strong starting point for a myriad of classroom relevant resources like quizzes, story starters, and presentations, while still affording teachers the last word when it comes to tailoring or personalising the final output to their students’ needs.
You also mentioned Reading Coach and again I agree it’s a brilliant tool . Its personalised feedback can help students build confidence and develop reading skills independently while giving you useful insights into their progress.
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Two AI tools that could improve my teaching are ChatGPT and Microsoft Reading Coach. ChatGPT can help me generate differentiated lesson plans, quizzes and age-appropriate resources, reducing planning time while supporting pupils with different learning needs. Microsoft Reading Coach can provide pupils with personalised reading practice, instant feedback on fluency and pronunciation and opportunities to build confidence in reading independently. Both tools can support formative assessment by giving useful insights into pupils’ progress.
Gamma AI also has strong potential in the primary classroom by enabling teachers to quickly create engaging presentations, visual resources and interactive lesson materials. This can make lessons more accessible and support different learning styles. Microsoft Reading Coach promotes independent learning by adapting reading activities to individual pupils’ abilities and identifying areas for improvement. Together, these tools can enhance teaching by increasing efficiency, personalising learning and providing valuable assessment data. -
Part one: One AI tool I would use is Diffit. As a primary teacher in a DEIS junior school, I often have children working at different reading levels. Diffit could help me quickly create differentiated reading passages, comprehension questions and vocabulary activities on the same topic.
A second tool I would use is Microsoft Reading Coach. Many children in 1st and 2nd class are still developing reading fluency and confidence. Reading Coach provides personalised reading practice and targeted feedback, helping pupils improve at their own pace.
Part two: This module showed tools that can make learning more engaging, inclusive and creative while giving teachers more time to focus on what matters most—building relationships and supporting children’s learning.
I really liked Copilot Image Creator. Young children respond well to visual learning, and being able to generate images linked to a story, topic or vocabulary lesson could make concepts more meaningful and stimulate discussion and descriptive language. For example, before reading a story, I could create an image of a setting or character and ask pupils to predict what might happen, encouraging speaking, listening and creative thinking.
I was also interested in MagicSchool, which could help me generate lesson ideas, maths story problems and differentiated classroom resources more efficiently. This would reduce planning time and allow me to spend more time working directly with children and providing individual support.
Another useful feature is YouTube AI Translation, which could make educational videos more accessible for children learning English as an additional language or for introducing topics from around the world. Similarly, Gamma could be used to quickly create visually engaging presentations that are appropriate for young learners and capture their attention.
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There were many resources I would use mentioned in this module. I found the module so interesting to see the resources and how they could be used within a classroom. Teaching a senior class I found every resource would be really suitable for me. I was not familiar at all with the Microsoft resources. I think the Reading Coach would work best for my class. I think it would be a good station to add in when completing literacy stations. I like that the children can make stories personal to them. I found the examples for the copilot image creator would work so well in my classroom and be a new fun way to teach literacy. I think I would use it for oral language discussion within a literacy lesson moving on to a writing lesson describing an image generated by me. I would also use Magic School a lot especially with social stories as we saw in the example. I find social story writing quite a challenge so this would be ideal. Twee is also a fantastic resource! Delighted to have seen them all in use.
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Part 1
Two tools from this module that I can really see myself using are MagicSchool AI and Microsoft Image Creator. I really liked MagicSchool because there are so many different resources available and they can be created very quickly. This could save a lot of time when planning lessons and preparing activities for different ability levels. I also really liked the Social Story Generator and can see this being very useful in my classroom.
I also enjoyed exploring Microsoft Image Creator. I thought the Charlotte’s Web example was a great idea. Children could write a description and then see the image that AI creates from their words. They could then add more detail to their writing and see how the image changes. I think children would really enjoy this and it could encourage them to use better descriptive language.
Part 2
I think AI could have a very positive impact on teaching, learning and assessment. MagicSchool could help teachers create worksheets, quizzes, vocabulary activities and differentiated work much more quickly. Microsoft Learning Accelerators could also be useful for supporting reading and helping teachers see how children are progressing.
There are challenges too. Teachers need to check everything created by AI because it may not always be correct. We also need to be very careful about data protection and never enter children’s names or personal information. Overall, I think AI can be a great support for teachers when it is used carefully and responsibly.
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Part 1: I thought Copilot Image Creator seems like a great tool for working on descriptive writing and adjectives with kids. As I teach senior infants, they wouldn’t be able to type the descriptions themselves but it is something that could be worked on orally and then typed into Copilot by an adult.
Reading Coach seems like another great resource for children to practise their reading. I think they would love being involved in creating the stories they are reading and getting instant feedback, and that the feedback isn’t always coming from a teacher.
Part 2:
This module has shown me really practical ways that AI can be used to have a positive impact on future teaching, learning and assessment. Some of the resources are brilliant for working on academics. Other resources like Magic School’s social story maker would be useful for supporting the development of social skills of children with additional needs.I think one of the biggest benefits of these AI tools is their ability to individualise teaching, learning and assessment to meet the diverse needs in classrooms today. Children will feel a lot more supported in their learning, without creating a much bigger workload for the teacher.
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Two AI tools I would use to improve teaching, learning and assessment are Microsoft Reading Coach and Diffit. Microsoft Reading Coach will support pupils in developing reading fluency through personalised practice and instant feedback, helping me identify areas where additional support is needed. Diffit will allow me to quickly adapt reading materials to different ability levels seeing as I have 3 class levels in my classroom this will be so useful. Also making lessons more inclusive and ensuring all learning abilities can access the curriculum.
These tools, along with others such as Copilot Image Creator, MagicSchool, Gamma, Microsoft Speaker Coach, Microsoft Search Coach, Twee and YouTube AI Translation have the potential to make my teaching more engaging, accessible and efficient. I love how AI can reduce our teacher workload by creating resources, differentiating content and providing feedback, while also supporting pupil creativity and communication skills. I believe these tools can enhance assessment also by offering timely insights into childrens progress and helping me to provide more personalised learning experiences for my class.
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This is fantastic practice! Your reflection is very interesting. I like the way it highlights a clear, practical understanding of how AI directly impacts classroom management, differentiation, and teacher workload. The fact you also have 3 levels in your classroom would be manageable to create differeciated work.
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This module was very informative and presented us with various tools many of which I had not heard of previously. I particularly liked the use of Image Creator and could see how this could be used and developed to expand vocabulary while also teaching the importance of prompt specificity. The MS Learning Accelerators were also very practical and while more suitable to senior classes provide bespoke feedback to users in order to improve their learning.
Overall this module highlighted the many tools available to reduce time consuming planning and differentiation tasks. I dipped in to those referenced and created a number of simple presentations in Gamma. The ability to edit the presentations provided me with smart templates and the time to concentrate on content rather than heretofore where I would have spent time on layout / fonts / resizing / backgrounds etc. I believe that AI will be transformative in schools with regard to planning, differentiation and presentation but should be approached on a whole school basis with agreed procedures and protocols to ensure a certain uniformity while promoting creativity, collaboration and sharing of best practice.
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I agree, there were so many tools in this module, Deirble, that it was hard to know where to start. Image Creator stood out for me too. It’s great for getting children talking, building up their vocabulary, and showing them how changing a few words in the prompt gives you a completely different result. Gamma sounds like it worked a treat for you. Anyone who’s spent an age nudging text boxes around or fighting with fonts in a presentation will know exactly the time it’d save. Being able to start from a half-decent layout and put your energy into the actual content instead is a big plus. Your point about a whole-school approach is a good one as well. A few agreed guidelines would help staff feel more confident about the technology, while still leaving teachers free to adapt them to suit their own class. Maybe sharing the one useful tool or example at each staff meeting would be a simple way to get that going without landing everyone with too much at once.
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Two tools I would like to explore further are Diffit and Microsoft Reading Coach. As a SET teacher working in a junior school, I was impressed by how quickly Diffit can adapt material to different reading levels and produce attractive classroom -ready resources. I could use this to help children access the same topics as their peers while tailoring vocabulary, reading level and questions to their individual needs. This could also support assessment by helping me identify comprehension difficulties and plan next steps.
Microsoft Reading Coach also interested me as I spend a significant amount of time working with reading groups. I could see it complimenting existing reading practise by giving children opportunities to read independently and develop fluency and confidence. I would be interested in exploring how it could work alongside the different readers and levels I already use.
Part 2- Reflection
Diffit immediately made me think about differentiation in SET, Reading Coach about my small reading groups and the examples of AI translation invited me to consider how I could best support my EAL pupils. For me, a big draw is how easily resources can be personalised around children’s interests.
My main reflection is that there are so many tools available that, knowing myself, trying to master everything, especially in a short period, is probably not the best approach. I would rather experiment, identify a small number of tools that are accessible and useful to my particular cohort and needs at this given time and become confident in using them creatively.
What excites me most is not using AI to replace skills I already have as a teacher but to extend what is practically possible within the time available. I can see real value in being able to rapidly adapt texts, create polished and personalised visuals, translate material or produce several differentiated versions of the same resource. AI also opens up creative possibilities that would previously have required considerable time or technical skill. Used well and with time, this could allow me to be more ambitious and inventive in the resources and learning experiences I create, while still relying on my own professional judgement to decide what is worthwhile for the child.
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I can see myself getting massive use out of Copilot and Gemini to help clear the mountain of lesson prep and paperwork that usually eats into my evenings. First off, I plan to use Copilot to generate tailored reading texts and worksheets. If I have children at completely different reading levels, I can ask it to simplify the exact same topic into easier vocabulary in seconds so nobody feels left behind.Secondly, I’m definitely going to use Copilot Image Creator for oral language and creative writing prompts. Instead of spending ages trawling through Google looking for the right picture for a class theme or novel, I can just type in what I need and get a brilliant, stimulating visual straight away to get the kids talking.Part 2Looking at how these tools will impact the future of our classrooms, the biggest plus for me is how much time they can save us on the daily grind. When you are run off your feet trying to manage a hectic class, having a chatbot helper to spit out quizzes, vocabulary lists, or lesson ideas in seconds is an absolute lifesaver. It lets the tech handle the time-consuming paperwork so we can focus on the actual teaching and interacting with the pupils.However, it is going to completely change how we handle continuous assessment down the line. With technology being able to write paragraphs so easily, we won’t be able to rely on traditional take-home written homework to see what a child actually understands. Future assessment will have to adapt, focusing much more on what the children can do right in front of us, like hands-on project work, group presentations, or simply asking them to explain their thinking out loud. As long as we are sensible about data privacy and never put real student details into these programs, I think AI has fantastic potential to make a teacher’s life easier.
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I think the “mountain of prep” will sound familiar to every teacher, Aisling! Using Copilot or Gemini to adapt the same reading topic for different levels would be a huge help, especially when everyone can still work on similar content without anyone feeling left out. The Image Creator idea is a good one. Finding the right picture for oral language or creative writing can take far longer than it should, so being able to create something linked to the exact class topic would be very handy. You make an interesting point about assessment as well. If AI can produce written homework so easily, we may need to place more value on what children can explain, discuss or demonstrate in class. Presentations, projects, and simply asking pupils how they reached an answer could tell us much more.
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This module introduced me to a range of AI tools that I could use in my own classroom. As I teach Infants, I think AI could be particularly useful for supporting literacy, language development and reading.
One tool I would use is Copilot Image Creator. I could create colourful pictures based on topics we are learning about, such as the zoo. I could then use the image as a starting point for discussion by asking the children what they can see, encouraging them to describe the picture and helping them create simple stories. This would support their vocabulary, oral language, speaking and listening skills.
Another tool I found useful is Microsoft Reading Coach. I could use it with simple decodable texts that match the children’s phonics knowledge. The children could practise reading aloud and receive support with unfamiliar words and pronunciation. This could help improve their confidence, fluency and reading skills.
Looking ahead, I think AI could become a useful part of teaching, learning and assessment. Personally I see it as making me more efficient and saving my time.It could help teachers identify areas where children need extra support and provide more personalised learning experiences. However, I think it is important that AI is used alongside teacher judgement rather than replacing it. Teachers will still play an important role in understanding children’s individual needs and providing encouragement and support.
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Part 1:
I think the example of using Microsoft Co-Pilot as a way of developing descriptive writing is excellent. It could be used similarly for Irish too eg when learning prepositions the children can give the instructions as Gaeilge, when teacher enters them, they have an instant visual of whether they used the correct preposition or not and also allows them to familiarise themselves with the vocabulary of that specific theme eg Bia/Scoil srl.
I will definitely be using it as described for descriptive writing but would like to add some extra detail into how it could be used. I find that a lot of the students have either seen the movies or read the novels we cover already and therefore lack the enthusiasm you might desire for a lesson as a result. I think Co-Pilot could help here. Each student could write a prompt (Before/During/After reading) and then compare/evaluate the images after eg: What did I recall correctly of the story? What little details did I add during reading? What is different about the last image? Upon comparing the before and after picture, what have I learned? What did re-reading the story change about the picture?
Part 2:
I did the 6 bricks course this summer and have gotten a 3 month subscription to Magic School. I look forward to exploring this site more in order to improve teaching and learning in the classroom.
I think Reading Coach will have the most benefit to me this year as there is a wide range of reading ability including children with difficulties due to EAL or SEN. I look forward to being able to customise the passages and the difficulty of the reading as well as the adjusting the post reading activities to suit the individual child. I think this will have the biggest impact on learning as well as each student is challenged appropriately. The high achievers are still engaged with the class task instead of completing unnecessary busy work simply because class sizes and needs are too great for one teacher and the children who are having difficulty are not losing confidence as in their eyes, they are completing the same work as the rest of the class. It is enabling teachers to hand a child a differentiated worksheet but without worrying that they will see immediately that it looks different to that of their peers as they can complete tasks digitally. I love also that they can practice read aloud and get feedback as is something that is very difficult to monitor as often as is needed in the primary school classroom. -
Part 1:
The two tools from module 3 that stood out for me in relation to my own class were MagicSchool and Microsoft Reading Coach.
I have been teaching 5<sup>th</sup> class for the last two years and again this incoming year. I could use MagicSchool AI to help me differentiate a lesson without having to create completely different lessons for individual pupils. For teaching a comprehension lesson based on a class novel or a non-fiction text, I could use MagicSchool to create questions at different levels of difficulty. Some pupils could work on questions focusing on retrieving information and understanding vocabulary, while other pupils could complete questions requiring inference, explanation and higher-order thinking. I could also use it to create writing prompts, sentence starters or additional challenges for pupils who need more support or extension.
I feel that Microsoft Reading Coach could be particularly useful in my class because pupils can practise reading independently at a level appropriate to them. I like how it uses fluency detection to provide personalised reading practice. I think for some pupils this tool takes away the anxiety of reading in front of the whole class and comparing themselves to others. I like the immediate assessment and accuracy results, which then help pupils practise the words they found difficult.
Part 2:
I think AI has the potential to have a positive impact on my teaching, learning and assessment in my class. As with most classrooms there are a wide range of abilities which means MagicSchool AI could help me differentiate resources more efficiently, allowing pupils to work towards the same learning intention while receiving different levels of support or challenge. Reading Coach gives children more opportunities for independent reading practice and immediate feedback. It also allows pupils to practise words that they have found challenging, which could help them become more aware of their own learning.
I do feel that I will become better at using AI in my classroom as a tool to help me plan lessons, create resources etc and from this module I learned more about how to use AI
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This module provided me with a number of timesaving applications that ca be used in the classroom. I really like the GAMMA app as I feel it would be hugely beneficial for me particularly when making PowerPoint presentations as I always feel these can be very time consuming to make. I am also HUGELY impressed with the Microsoft Learning Accelerators especially the Reading Coach and Speaker Coach. I think the Reading Coach is a fantastic resource that can be both student led and teacher led. I also feel the Speaker coach would be great for children for presentations and debating skills and for my own presentation skills also.
Part 2
The AI tools mentioned in this module along with other AI tools available will be gamechangers in the classroom in my opinion. I think these modules will prove to be huge timesavers for teachers particularly in the area of planning and resources and will allow the teacher to focus more on the children in front of them. I think these tool cater better for differentiation within a class as children can be presented with work that is suitable to their level and is not expected to work at the class level when they may not be able to do so. I do think its important to be mindful of screen time with children in school and not to become over reliant on these tools and ensure there is guidelines in the classroom when in comes to their use. GDPR and privacy issues are also to be considered and
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I agree with you, especially about Gamma and the Microsoft Learning Accelerators. These tools could save teachers a lot of time when creating presentations and resources. I also think Reading Coach has great potential for supporting pupils at their own level and encouraging more independent learning. Your point about not becoming too reliant on AI is also important. We need to find a good balance and make sure we consider screen time, GDPR and children’s privacy when using these tools.
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This module highlighted an array of practical applications for artificial intelligence tailored directly to the primary classroom. While I had limited experience with Microsoft’s suite of educational tools, exploring Microsoft Reading Coach was a standout takeaway. Its capacity to facilitate targeted differentiation and foster learner autonomy makes it a fantastic asset for our pupils in 3rd Class when accessing devices. Given how seamlessly it supports varied learning speeds, I immediately shared the resource with our Special Education Teaching (SET) team to enhance our small-group withdrawal and in-class support.
Among the other platforms introduced, particularly caught my attention due to its versatile toolkit designed for both instructional planning and administrative tasks. I registered for an account right away and look forward to embedding its features into my weekly schemes.The rapid expansion of AI platforms tailored for educators is striking. Prior to this presentation, software options such as Twee, Gamma, and Diffit were entirely new to me. While entry-level access to platforms like MagicSchool is currently free, most specialized ed-tech tools eventually transition to paid subscription models.
For a school operating within the DEIS framework, ongoing software subscriptions represent a significant commitment against our annual budget. A major financial challenge is the industry standard of advertising a ‘monthly rate’ while requiring an upfront annual lump sum. If a platform turns out to be poorly suited for our 3rd Class cohort after a few weeks of trial, the school remains locked into a year-long financial outlay. To ensure maximum value from our resources, we must carefully evaluate which digital tools offer the most sustainable, high-impact benefit to our pupils’ learning before committing school funds. -
I really enjoyed the copilot image creator. I used it now with my 11 year old daughter. She is currently reading the Skulduggery Pleasant book series. She used descriptive language to design a book cover for the book she is currently reading. She thought beforehand that she would not be able to design a cover that was any better than the one already on the front of the book. However she was delighted with her results. She then noted that the character was not dressed in the correct colour clothing as she had not given any description of the clothing. This would be a great lesson on adjectives and could be used in any classroom at most levels and good fun also.
I then used the co-pilot image creator to describe her bedroom and showed her the resulting image and she had to guess what the picture was of and then tell me what descriptive words I had used to generate that picture.
Again this kind of lesson could be done in the classroom for any topic… picture and adjectives for a farm scene, a restaurant scene, doctors etc. This tool would also be beneficial for building vocabulary. It is fun and engaging and it’s always great when the children are learning without realising they are! -
The two examples i will be discussing is Gamma and Ai image generator. I really liked Gamma for the purpose of creating interactive, colourful and unique presentations, especially with using powerpoints for topics or even quuizzes after studying a topic, for example Orcas in the wild quiz. Halloween presentation. I also really liked Ai image creator for the purpose of creative and descriptive writing. How many stories this could be used for would be fantastic! the fact that the chidlren can also see each others work would be very encouraging!
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Hi Imogen,
Thank you for your post here and for sharing your thoughts on Gamma and AI Image Creator – both are useful tools, particularly around mobilising the writing process in the classroom (as you have mentioned). In terms of getting the children reflecting on each other’s work, are there any ways in which you feel these specific AI tools could achieve this (or would this particular aspect be better achieved in an ‘offline’ sense).
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Many of the learners in my setting have confidence issues stemming from trauma. We try to address those confidence issues by placing value on the expression of thoughts and opinions. Functional reading and writing often mask underlying confidence and Speaker Coach would be of great benefit in coaching the learners for short presentations.
Magic School seems like a very comprehensive one stop shop for dynamic learning environments. As learners with specific needs can be mixed with others with similar needs, it is often necessary to produce quizzes, translations or other fun activities in the moment to compensate. The range of activities, readily available on Magic School will contribute to the overall quality of engagement in this context.
With regard to the development of AI as a suite of learning tools within the classroom and as administrative templates beyond the classroom, the impact will be significant. Individualised Learning plans will become much more specific. Expectations in planning and progress are already being introduced to a level where only, with the embedding of AI in the system, can they be achieved.
Module 3 advised on the safe and appropriate use of AI in classrooms. We, as teachers, can often be blinded by enthusiasm. Beyond the teaching profession taking responsibility for upskilling, The AI Literacy in the Classroom Initiative, seems to be playing catch up. However, the rapidity of fresh AI innovations is challenging for all stakeholders in all fields.
The choices available to teachers can be overwhelming in AI that complements learning, planning and assessing the participation of students can be overwhelming. I believe the more successful teachers will draw from a very specific and well chosen suite of software that works specifically for their setting.
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Hi David,
Thanks for sharing this post with us. It’s great that you have been able to see the value of Magic School on terms of being a sort of ‘one stop shop’ when it comes to designing learning experiences for classroom use. The range of ways in which material can be presented ensures children will be engaged and interested, as new modes of content presentation can be incorporated into practice on a daily or weekly basis.
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Fully agree with your post, especially the point about building learners’ confidence. Speaker Coach sounds like it could be a great support for helping students prepare for presentations in a low-pressure way. I also like your point about Magic School being useful for creating resources quickly when plans need to change. With so many AI tools available, I agree that it’s probably best to find a few that work well for your particular setting rather than trying to use everything.
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Part 1
I really enjoyed this module as it focused on lots of practical ways AI can be used in schools. I’m not very familiar with all the Microsoft tools, but I thought Microsoft Reading Coach was excellent. It has great potential for differentiation and pupil-led learning, so I shared the link with the SET teachers straight away. MagicSchool also stood out to me as it has a wide range of useful tools for teachers and school administrators. I signed up straight away, although I haven’t had much time to explore it yet.
Part 2
There seem to be more and more AI tools becoming available for teachers. I hadn’t heard of tools such as Twee, Gamma or Diffit before this module. While some tools offer free versions, subscriptions can become expensive for schools, especially when there are several different tools being used. Schools need to consider carefully whether a tool will be used regularly and provide good value for money before committing to a subscription. Ultimately, we will need to choose the tools that are most useful and will have the greatest benefit for our school.
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Hi Caroline,
You have raised a great point here around subscriptions. Almost all models have some free features, but many of the most beneficial aspects are premium features that require a monthly or annual payment. Schools and teachers need to be so careful about selecting what platforms they wish to use, what these platforms specifically have to offer and how our practice can be influenced by them. Often, companies will market some shiny features, but digging beneath the bonnet might reveal that they can only be used in very limited scenarios and won’t represent good value for money.
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Part 1
Using MagicSchool.ai to differentiate mathematics instruction allows a teacher to instantly generate tiered word problems adapted for varying skill levels within the classroom. This ensures every pupil accesses core mathematical concepts at an appropriate challenge level. For assessment, the tool generates targeted rubrics and diagnostic exit tickets to evaluate understanding in real time. Additionally, integrating Microsoft’s Search Coach and Reading Coach fosters digital literacy and fluent reading.Part 2
Integrating tools like MagicSchool.ai, Microsoft Learning Accelerators, and Copilot Image Creator transforms primary education by enabling personalised, accessible learning. These platforms streamline administrative tasks like resource adaptation, allowing educators to focus on direct instructional support. Students gain confidence through low-stakes, real-time feedback from tools like Reading Coach, while visual generators enhance creative writing engagement. Looking forward, AI may shift assessment from periodic summative tests to continuous formative feedback, allowing teachers to address learning gaps immediately. Implementation of this technology requires strong teacher oversight, strict adherence to GDPR, and critical digital literacy so pupils learn to evaluate AI thoughtfully alongside human guidance.-
Hi Ruth,
You’ve provided a clear overview of how AI tools can support differentiation, assessment and accessibility in the classroom. I particularly like the practical examples of MagicSchool.ai and Microsoft Learning Accelerators, and your emphasis on continuous feedback to support pupil progress.
Also, I couldn’t agree with you more on the the importance of continual and robust teacher oversight. And indeed developing key digital literacy skills is mission critical. To this point and as a next step, you could explore how you can get children more involved in discussing the responsible use of AI, helping them become informed and critical users of these technologies.
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One way I could use AI in Junior Infants is through Copilot image creator to produce colourful, age-appropriate visuals linked to topics we are learning. For example, when exploring a story, season or nature topic, I could create specific images to introduce new vocabulary, encourage oral language and stimulate discussion. This would make lessons more visually engaging and give children opportunities to describe, predict and communicate their ideas.
A second useful tool is MagicSchool AI, particularly its ability to create personalised resources. I could use it to develop simple activities or social stories suited to individual children’s needs, such as preparing pupils for a new classroom routine, school event or unfamiliar situation. This would support inclusion while reducing preparation time. I could also adapt the generated materials based on children’s responses and observations, helping me to identify areas where further support or additional learning opportunities may be needed. -
Modle 3 has given me a much better understanding of how AI could be incorporated into my Junior Infants classroom in practical ways. I can see particular value in using AI to create engaging visuals, simplify resources and provide activities that are appropriate for the age and abilities of the children. Tools such as Copilot Image Creator could support oral language, storytelling and discussion by giving children interesting images to explore and respond to. MagicSchool could also be useful for creating personalised resources, particularly for children who require additional support with communication, routines or social situations.
I think AI could also have a positive impact on assessment by helping teachers develop varied ways of checking understanding and identifying areas where children may need further support. However, I would still need to carefully review anything generated to ensure it is suitable, accurate and developmentally appropriate. Overall, I feel the tools could reduce preparation time while allowing me to create more creative, inclusive and responsive learning experiences for young children
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MagicSchool are brilliant for Junior Infants, particularly for sparking oral language, building visual routines, and supporting diverse learning needs. You’ve hit the nail on the head regarding teacher review, too. AI is a wonderful timesaver, but our professional judgment remains key to making sure everything is age-appropriate.
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Part 1
1. Copilot Image Generator: I can use Copilot Image Generator to create visual resources that support learning. For example, I could generate images related to a story, topic, or social situation to help pupils engage with content and improve understanding.
2. MagicSchool AI: I can use MagicSchool to quickly create differentiated worksheets, lesson activities, and assessments tailored to the varying needs and abilities of my pupils. This would save planning time and help ensure that all learners can access the curriculum.Part 2
This module has given me a better understanding of how AI could be used in the classroom in practical ways. I can see tools like MagicSchool being useful for creating resources more efficiently, especially when trying to cater for different ability levels within the same class. Similarly, using Copilot Image Generator to create visuals could help make lessons more engaging and accessible for pupils who benefit from visual supports.
I also think AI could have a positive impact on assessment. It can help generate quizzes, comprehension questions and other tasks that can be adapted to suit the needs of different learners. This could make assessment more flexible and give teachers more time to focus on supporting students.
I don’t think AI should replace professional judgement. Teachers still need to review and adapt anything that AI produces to make sure it is accurate and appropriate for their pupils. There are also important considerations around privacy and the responsible use of AI. Overall, I see AI as a useful tool that can support teaching and learning, while allowing teachers to spend more time focusing on the needs of their students. -
Part 1
Give two examples of how you can use some of the tools identified in this module to improve your own teaching, learning and assessment.
(1)Teaching & Learning: Use Diffit to adapt reading passages, comprehension questions, and vocabulary lists to different reading levels. This ensures all pupils access curriculum content suited to their abilities while saving preparation time.
(2) Assessment: Use MagicSchool (e.g., Multiple Choice Quiz/Assessment Generator or Exit Ticket tools) to quickly generate customized formative assessments aligned to specific lesson objectives
Part 2
Reflect on the potential classroom use of these examples and the other AI tools covered in Module 3 and how this can impact on future teaching, learning and assessment. Post a reflective piece (150 words min) to this Module forumThe integration of generative AI tools like Diffit, MagicSchool, Copilot Image Creator, and Microsoft Learning Accelerators represents a shift in primary education, offering significant opportunities to enhance teaching efficiency, personalize learning, and modernize assessment practices. From a teaching perspective, tools such as Diffit and MagicSchool eliminate the time-consuming administrative burden of manual resource differentiation. Teachers can quickly adapt complex reading materials to suit varied reading levels. Visual creators like Copilot Image Creator further enrich instruction by bringing creative writing prompts and abstract concepts to life visually. For pupils, AI tools redefine learning by fostering independent, self-paced mastery. Tools like Microsoft Reading Coach and Speaker Coach act as non-judgmental digital tutors, giving learners immediate, actionable feedback on fluency, speech pacing, and vocabulary without the pressure of peer judgment. Similarly, Search Coach equips pupils with essential digital literacy skills by guiding them to construct effective, unbiased search queries and evaluate online sources critically. In terms of assessment, AI enables a shift toward continuous, formative feedback over traditional periodic testing. Analytics platforms provide educators with actionable data on individual progress, ensuring early intervention for struggling students. Moving forward, while keeping GDPR, teacher oversight, and pedagogical judgment at the forefront—will create more inclusive, responsive, and student-centered learning environments.
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Part 1
I can see Youtube & Twee being very handy resources in 6th class. The ability to quickly run of a set of questions or discussion prompts on a video is an excellent tool. The questions could be used as a formative assessment of the pupils regarding the topic.
Gamma AI also offers an easier way to make more visually appealing PowerPoints quickly. Again this could have relatable questions attached to assess what pupils have learned and to discover any misconceptions.Part 2
The 2 examples above will definitely be something I will be looking into further. The way that pupils use short videos to get the gist of topics nowadays will make Twee such a handy resource. I think Copilot Image Creator is a brilliant tool to demonstrate how descriptive writing can be improved by small details and it is something that could be used throughout the school year.
AI tools will impact massively on future teaching, learning and assessment as teachers become more familiar with them. It will allow teachers to become more detailed in what they want to portray or explain in class, being factual when necessary, as well as allowing pupils the freedom to create their own ideas. -
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Part 1: Give 2 examples of how you can use some of the tools identified in this module to improve my own teaching learning and assessment.
I will be teaching Senior Infants and 1st class in the coming school year therefore differentiation will play a big part in lesson planning and content delivery. I’m looking forward to trying out Copilot image generator to create images for oral language and story starters. This would be useful to encourage discussion and support generation of ideas from the children. I would also use Gamma to create bespoke powerpoint presentations suiteed to the levels of the class. The language, images and questions could be adapted for both levels while using the same resource.
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The more I learn about AI tools and what they can do, the more excited I am about their use and they benefits they will provide to both the children and I. I will admit that learning about all of the tools at once has been rather overwhelming but this is definitely a course where I will be referring back to the notes during the school year. I can see AI beign particularly useful for planning. Teaching Senior Infants and 1st class together means I will need to differentiate alot of lessons and activities. I think Chat GBT and Diffit will be very useful for this. I also hope to use AI for resource creation. Previously, powerpoints and digital teaching aids seemed quite inaccessible to me as I did not feel I had the technical know-j=how. Tools such as Gamma & Youtube &Twee will definitely improve how I resource my lessons going forward. Finally, assessment is another significant area where I feel AI will be a great help such as creating differentiated activities as well as help me identify areas of knowledge gaps and suggest follow-up activities.
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One example is the use of Magic School AI to help in my preparation for learning and how to plan. This will be a great resource in my lesson planning and freeing up time to make myself more efficient.
Another example is Reading Coach as I am really interested in the power of AI when it comes to personalised learning. I can also help with creating resources and is a good source of feedback.Part 2:
I really enjoyed how this module provided such a variety of AI tools and how they can benefit my teaching. It also highlighted for me which ones are the appropriate ones to use for ages, abilities, etc. Having practical examples, I can attempt to implement in my own classroom and seeing how it can be implemented in the curriculum itself, I feel more confident my class will adjust to the use of these AI tools.
Diffit looks like a strong AI tool to improve students reading through its creating of comprehensions and activities. I can also see how AI can help me integrate other aspects of the learning through cross-circular activities & planning. Image Creator feels like a resource I can easily begin exploring its benefits, creating more engaging content and encourage my students to come up with some ideas for their own learning. Creating the building blocks for confidence and understanding in how to utilise these technologies is key at the beginning of the new school term. -
Two tools from this module really stood out for me. First is Diffit. I have a very mixed ability class and I spend hours trying to find texts at the right level for everyone. With Diffit I can take one article and get it adapted for different reading levels in seconds. It even generates comprehension questions and exit tickets, wich is brilliant for assessment. It will definately save me time and means my weaker readers can access the same topic as everyone else.Second is the Copilot Image Creator. I tried it out for English and got it to make an image of charlie from Charlie n choc factory. My kids at jome were amazed when I showed them. I can use this to spark descriptive writing or as a hook. It really brings stories to life in a way that just reading from a book doesn’t.Looking ahead, I think AI like this will change how we plan and assess. We can differentiate better and faster, which means more time actually teaching instead of prepping. But we must remember that these are just tools. I am excited but cautious. We need to use it ethically and not let it replace our own judgement. Overall though, it is a game changer for someone like me who is new to the profession and still finding my feet.
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In a bigger classroom, I always find listening to every child read a challenge and assessing their reading and progress even more of a challenge – I really like Reading Coach to support this. I like the idea of Magic School to create personalised social stories for children with particular needs.
I think AI will help us differentiate better and faster and also push those top group on even more. I find at times it’s the exceptional children we tend to not expand as we can spend a lot of time with children who struggle.
I really like the copilot image creater and I think this will be brilliant for all children and can be easily adapted to suit your classes needs. The interactive nature of these AI tools is phenomenal.
I’m looking forward to using these tools this year and putting them into pracice and seeing AI come to life. Not being scared of it, is a big step forward for me. Moving with the times!
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