Module 4 – Using Prebuilt Agents to Support Teaching and Learning

[Pat Brennan]

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ASSIGNMENT

Write a forum post (150 words min) as a Reply to this post, reflecting on the teaching resource you created using either the Adobe Express agent or the Canva agent and explain:

• The class level and curriculum context
• How you checked the output
• What you used, adapted or rejected
• One safeguarding or professional boundary
• Whether the agent added value to your teaching, learning or assessment practice

Please also comment on at least one other participant’s post offering a supportive comment, question or suggestion.

Then, consider how Copilot prebuilt agents could be used in School Self-Evaluation (SSE) at your school.

[Mark Kelly]

I used the Canva agent to create a school magazine that could be used by 6th class students. It took a few minutes to link up my Canva account with CoPilot. Then it got to work by giving me some sample templates. I chose one and then set about making some changes. At first I asked it to get details form our school website but that didn’t seem to be possible so I then started manually uploading a few details. The crest wasn’t the same when added so I think that it might be best to edit it in the Canva platform. It’s important for a teacher to check and supervise when using AI tools.

I’m not sure about the overall quality of the agent but it does provide some ideas and templates that van then be used by humans to make it nicer. Superficially, it’s okay but I prefer a bit more quality and finesse.

[Marguerite O’Connor]

Hi Mark. I agree that AI tools like the Canva agent can be useful for generating ideas and providing a starting point, but they do need careful editing and review. The templates are helpful, but the final quality depends on the creator’s input and attention to detail. This is especially true when working with school materials.

[Lisa Margey]

Hi Mark I agree ron  your emphasis on adapting the AI-generated resource rather than using it exactly as it was produced. Your point about checking the content carefully before using it in class really resonated with me, as I think this is one of the most important aspects of using AI responsibly. It shows that AI works best as a support for teachers rather than a replacement for our professional expertise.

[Helen Ryan]

Hi Mark thanks for sharing this critical and honest reflection. It is really helpful to see your insights on testing the Canva agent for a 6th Class school magazine.

I couldn’t agree more with your emphasis on professional oversight is an essential boundary, especially when managing school branding like the crest. While the agent provides a useful baseline for templates, your experience proves that human finesse remains vital for quality control and accurate customisation.

In terms of School Self-Evaluation (SSE), trialling these tools allows schools to critically review their digital learning technologies, ensuring that any adopted AI platforms genuinely enhance teacher efficiency, align with The Guidance on AI in Schools (2025) and the overall learner experience rather than adding extra complications.

 

[Marguerite O’Connor]

For this activity I used the Canva AI agent to create a teaching resource for a 4th class English lesson on descriptive writing. The resource was designed to help pupils use descriptive vocabulary and adjectives to improve their writing. It included colourful visuals as well as some word banks and a simple writing prompt to encourage creativity.

After inputing my instructions I carefully checked all of the content to make sure it was suitable for the age group and matched the learning for the lesson. I reviewed the spellings and grammar and made sure that the examples were appropriate and easy for 4th class pupils to understand. I also checked that the images were relevant and appropriate. I mainly kept the layout, visuals, and vocabulary suggestions but I did change some of the writing prompts to better suit my class. I removed a few words that were too difficult and made some of the instructions simpler to make them clearer.

One important safeguarding and professional consideration would be that AI-generated resources should always be reviewed before being used in the classroom. Teachers are responsible to see that all content is accurate, age-appropriate and aligned with the curriculum. It is also important not to enter any personal or identifiable information about pupils into AI tools.

I feel hat the Canva AI agent would add value by saving time when creating an engaging resource and by suggesting ideas that I could adapt for my lessons and teaching. While the resource was not perfect it did provide a starting point.

 

[Cormac O’Brien]

I agree with your final statement. It’s not perfect but provides a starting point. I think sometimes as teachers we hit a wall or a mental block and this is where CoPilot can get you out of a hole. I don’t want to go using it for every lesson I’m doing or everything that we’re planning. I also think we need to be aware of the environmental impact if we’re constantly using AI to try find insights when our current ideas and teaching styles are sufficient too.

[Colin Syron]

I really like your point about Canva AI providing a starting point rather than a finished resource. I found the same thing when using AI tools—they can generate engaging visuals and ideas quickly, but they still need to be reviewed and adapted for the needs of the class. Your emphasis on simplifying the language and checking that everything was age-appropriate is particularly important. I also agree with your comments on safeguarding. As teachers, we have a responsibility to ensure that no pupil information is entered into AI tools and that all resources are checked for accuracy before being used. Used in this way, I think Canva AI can be a real time-saver while still allowing teachers to create resources that reflect their own teaching style and the needs of their pupils.

[Helen Ryan]

Hi Marguerite, thank you for your reply to Module 4.
Using the Canva agent to design a descriptive writing resource for 4th class is a brilliant approach to engaging young writers.
Your approach to reviewing spellings, refine vocabulary and simplify instructions ensures that the material directly meets your pupils’ needs.
Your reminders regarding content checking and avoiding identifiable pupil data highlight necessary professional and safeguarding standards.
Using AI as a springboard helps craft a resource that thoughtfully supports creativity and inclusion.

[Cormac O’Brien]

I used the Canva agent to create a poster for 2nd Class Maths based on subtraction. The main concept is renaming tens when needed. I added in instructions for the rhyme “more on the floor, go next door” “more on top, no need to stop”
I gave as much info as possible in the command and got back a series of possible posters. I had to do some adaptation at first but ended up rejecting it and starting again. As we make children write numbers underneath each other for subtraction, I wanted the poster to show this too.
Copilot in fairness made some nice suggestions for example colour coding the units and tens.
The poster did add value to my teaching as I know having this on display when doing the topic will help remind children of the steps involved for subtraction. I think the frustrating part for me was that I thought I was giving clear concise instructions but these weren’t being carried out so I had to keep giving further instructions. This is probably an invaluable lesson as to not trusting the first draft of anything that is complete! I also wonder that the time taken to create the poster with all the adjustments needed might not have bettered one I made myself. And do children prefer the handmade one?
With regard to the prebuilt agents in SSE, I agree with the statement made that finding balance is the key. Using it as a starter point or as a tool to generate ideas etc can be valuable but we don’t want to completely alter what we’re doing either. I think using it to help set targets within our SSE areas would be valuable or in making posters to advertise to parents and the wider community what our SSE targets are would be beneficial. I like the idea of using it to create social media posts about our aims too.

[Sinead Mc Ardle]

I completely agree with your experience. When creating my “sh” word poster, I also found that although the AI produced options very quickly, I spent a lot of time checking and correcting mistakes. Like you, I felt my instructions were clear, but the product didn’t always match what I had requested. It showed me how important teacher oversight is and not to rely on the first draft. While AI can provide useful ideas and layouts, I also questioned whether I could have created a more accurate resource myself in the same amount of time.

[Helen Ryan]

Hi Cormac, thanks for engaging in Module 4.
Creating a visual subtraction resource for 2nd Class with targeted rhymes and colour-coded place value using the Canva agent is a practical idea to support young learners.
Your honest evaluation of using the Canva agent, is spot on, it highlights a key reality of AI tools: initial drafts often require careful human refinement to align with specific teaching methods.

[Colin Syron]

Exploring Microsoft Copilot Agents has shown me how specialised AI tools can support different aspects of classroom practice. Learn Coach was particularly useful because it allowed me to build my own understanding of a topic before planning lessons. Rather than simply providing answers, it explained concepts step by step and suggested follow-up questions that deepened my understanding.

The Canva Agent enabled me to create an attractive classroom display much more quickly than designing one from scratch. Although the output was impressive, I still needed to edit the wording and layout to suit the age and needs of my pupils.

I see agents becoming valuable planning assistants that save time and encourage creativity. However, they do not replace the role of the teacher. Professional judgement remains essential when selecting content, ensuring accuracy and adapting resources for individual classes. Used responsibly, agents have significant potential to improve efficiency while maintaining high-quality teaching.

• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 2 days ago by Colin Syron.

[Helen Ryan]

Hi Colin,
Exploring the unique strengths of both the Learn Coach and Canva agents demonstrates a modern approach to professional learning and resource creation.
Your nod to Learn Coach as a step-by-step tool for deepening subject knowledge before teaching is spot-on.
As we all agree, you are completely right, professional judgement to edit AI outputs ensures that classroom materials remain accurately tailored to your pupils. We cant deny AI is a powerful assistant that enhances teacher expertise rather than replacing it.

[Lisa Margey]

I used the Canva agent to create a teaching resource for Fifth Class Maths lesson on adding and subtracting fractions. The aim was to produce a clear, visually engaging fraction rule template that pupils could use a during lessons and independent work tasks. The initial output from Canva was attractive and well presented, but I quickly realised that the mathematical content needed to be checked carefully. It suggested finding the lowest common multiple (LCM) for all questions, whereas my lesson was focused on teaching pupils to only add or subtract fractions when they have a common denominator. At this stage of learning, I wanted pupils to recognise when denominators already matched and apply the rule correctly before moving on to finding equivalent fractions using the LCM. As a result, I adapted the resource to better match the learning objective. It is impotant to  carefully check all the examples and calculations to ensure they were mathematically accurate and age appropriate. I also simplified some of the language, increased the font size, and added colour  to highlight the numerator and denominator. Overall, I found that Canva added time savers  to generating resources. It significantly reduced the time needed to create an attractive classroom resource and gave me ideas for layouts and visual presentation that I could easily adapt. Rather than starting from a blank page, I was able to refine an existing design to meet the needs of my class.

In terms of School Self-Evaluation,  Copilot’s prebuilt agents can support schools by helping staff create surveys, summarise feedback from parents, pupils, and teachers, and draft improvement plans linked to school priorities. They could also assist in analysing assessment data and identifying trends in areas such as literacy, numeracy, attendance, or wellbeing.

[Helen Ryan]

Using the Canva agent to create a fraction rule template for Fifth Class is a lovely way to support visual learning.

100%, your rigorous checking of the mathematical content highlights the importance of aligning AI outputs directly with your specific pedagogical sequence. Adapting the layout, simplifying the language and colour-coding the terms ensured the resource truly served your pupils’ needs. Lovely reflection on refining this tool for maximum classroom impact!

[Sinead Mc Ardle]

I used the Canva agent through Copilot to create a “sh” word poster for a First Class English lesson. The resource was intended to support children’s recognition of the “sh” digraph and to provide visual examples of words containing this sound. I asked for the poster to be colourful, age-appropriate, and to include a sentence using “sh” words to make the words more relevant to the students and also to provide an example of how “sh” words might be used within a sentence.

The agent generated four different poster options within seconds. One option appeared most suitable, so as would be professionally necessary I checked it before considering it’s suitability for classroom use. While it included relevant examples such as ship, shark, shop, shell, and fish, I noticed quite a few errors in the draft poster. Some of the labels did not match the images, adjectives were included alongside nouns, and a few pictures were unclear and difficult to identify. These issues could potentially confuse pupils and undermine the learning objective. The poster was certainly not suitable for use in a classroom.

I attempted to correct these inaccuracies by requesting revisions; however, I was unable to access the updated poster. As a result, I was not left with a resource that was ready for classroom use. Although the AI generated the initial designs quickly, the time required to check, revise, and troubleshoot reduced the overall efficiency.

This experience highlighted an important professional responsibility –  teachers must carefully review AI-generated content to ensure it is accurate, age-appropriate, and aligned with curriculum goals. Overall, I can see value in using AI tools for generating ideas and visual layouts, but teacher oversight remains essential. For this task, the agent was helpful as a starting point, but it did not fully meet my needs without significant checking and editing.

Regarding School Self-Evaluation and DEIS planning, Copilot prebuilt agents could help analyse survey data, identify trends, summarise feedback, and assist in drafting reports and action plans, reducing administrative workload while supporting evidence-based decision-making.

[Helen Ryan]

Hi Sinead, using the Canva agent via Copilot to design a “sh” digraph poster for First Class is a fantastic concept for supporting early literacy. It is a great example. Your evaluation of the output highlights why professional oversight is so vital, especially when errors could confuse young learners. It is great that you recognised both the initial time-saving potential and the reality of troubleshooting complex drafts.

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