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The Educational Song Generator in Magic School is such a handy resource … Another great find that will be so useful.
Part 1 – Reflective Piece
Before doing this course, I mainly thought of AI as something people used to answer questions or write text. I now see that it can be a really useful tool for teachers when it’s used carefully. It can save time planning lessons, create different versions of activities for children with different needs, and come up with ideas that I might not have thought of myself.
I don’t see AI replacing teachers. Instead, I think of it as another resource, like using the internet or an interactive whiteboard. The teacher still has to decide what’s suitable for the class and check that the information is accurate.
One way I’d like to use AI is to encourage children’s thinking and imagination. For example, during a History lesson, I could use AI to explore a “what if?” question, allowing pupils to think about how Ireland might have been different if the Great Famine had never happened. I think activities like this encourage discussion, creativity and critical thinking.
I’ll continue to learn about new AI tools, while making sure I use them responsibly and always protect children’s privacy.
Part 2 – Lesson Plan
Class: 3rd Class
Subject: English – Oral Language / Writing
Novel: The Sheep-Pig by Dick King-Smith
Duration: 45 minutes
Learning Objective:
Pupils will use descriptive language from a chapter of The Sheep-Pig to create an accurate image prompt using Microsoft Copilot Image Creator.
Success Criteria:
– I can identify important details from the text.
– I can use adjectives and descriptive vocabulary in my prompt.
– I can explain why the AI image matches (or doesn’t match) the author’s description.
Resources:
– Class novel
– Interactive whiteboard
– Microsoft Copilot Image Creator (teacher-led)
– Whiteboards/copies for drafting prompts
Introduction (10 mins):
Read the selected chapter aloud. Discuss the setting, characters and important descriptive details. Ask pupils to visualise the scene before any images are shown.
Development (25 mins):
As a class, identify key words and phrases from the text that describe the scene.
In pairs, pupils write a prompt describing the setting or a character, using rich adjectives and precise vocabulary.
The teacher enters a selection of prompts into Microsoft Copilot Image Creator. Compare the generated images with the descriptions in the novel.
Discuss:
– Which prompt produced the most accurate image?
– What words made the biggest difference?
– What details did the AI miss or add?
Conclusion (10 mins)
Review how descriptive language helps readers create pictures in their minds. Emphasise that AI is a tool which depends on the quality of the prompt and may not always produce an accurate interpretation of the text.
Assessment:
– Observation of pair work.
– Quality of descriptive vocabulary used in prompts.
– Pupil participation in discussion comparing the AI images with the novel.
Differentiation:
– Provide a word bank for pupils who need support.
– Challenge more able pupils to refine their prompt after viewing the first AI-generated image.
Extension / Follow-up Activity (if time allows):
Display one of the AI-generated images without showing pupils the original prompt. Ask them to identify which scene, character or event from The Sheep-Pig the image represents and explain their reasoning using evidence from the text. Discuss which details in the image helped them make their decision and whether the AI accurately captured the author’s description. This reinforces reading comprehension, inference skills and close attention to descriptive language.
I really like this idea! I hadn’t heard of Osmo before this module either, but it definitely caught my attention. I think the hands-on aspect is what makes it so appealing. So many of our pupils learn best by doing, so being able to move real objects around instead of just tapping a screen is a big plus.
I also agree with what you said about it being self-correcting. I think that’s especially valuable in an SET setting because it gives children the chance to figure things out for themselves without worrying about getting it wrong. It sounds like a really engaging way to build confidence as well as their literacy and problem-solving skills. It’s definitely something I’d love to try out in my own classroom.
Having used ScratchJr and Blockly before, I’d be keen to try out other tools like Osmo and Robot Garden in the classroom too.
One idea that really stood out to me, though, was using AI to help pupils develop critical thinking skills, rather than just using it to get answers. I’ll be teaching Third Class again next year, so I immediately thought about how I could use it during our SESE History lessons on workhouses in Ireland during the Great Famine.
I would ask an AI tool to generate a short explanation about what life was like in a workhouse. Then, as a class, we’d compare the AI response with our history book and other reliable sources, such as photographs, diary extracts or information from museum websites. I’d ask the pupils questions like, “Did the AI leave anything out?”, “How do we know if this information is accurate?” and “Why is it important to check more than one source?”
I think this would be a great way to link History with English. The children would be practising their reading and comprehension skills while also learning to question what they read instead of accepting it straight away. It would also lead to good discussions about bias and how AI doesn’t always get things right.
I like this approach because it shows pupils that AI can be a really useful tool, but it’s not the final answer. Hopefully, it would help them become more thoughtful, curious learners who understand the importance of checking facts and thinking critically about information they find online.
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.
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.
I completely agree. Immersive reader was a revelation to me in this module. I had previously seen it in the recommendations section of an educational psychology report and assumed it was a licensed program with a subscription like TTRS. I would definitely explore this more when I go back in September.
One of the biggest challenges I face in the classroom is trying to meet the needs of all learners. Every class has a wide range of abilities, and it can be difficult to provide enough support for those who are struggling while also challenging the more able students.
From this module, I can see how AI could make differentiation much easier. It could help me create different versions of worksheets, quizzes and reading activities in a fraction of the time it would normally take. AI could also help with lesson planning, generating ideas for activities giving me more time to focus on teaching and working with individuals.
That said, I do have some concerns about how realistic it is to use AI regularly in schools. The more we rely on AI in the classroom, the more we assume that every child has access to a laptop, tablet or iPad. In reality, many schools only have class sets of devices that can be booked once or twice a week, and that’s assuming all the devices are working properly and fully charged. If AI is going to become part of everyday teaching, there will need to be significant investment from the Department of Education in digital infrastructure and devices for schools.
Having spent a bit of time exploring some of the AI platforms mentioned in this module, I also noticed that while tools like Google Teachable Machine are free, many others, such as Squirrel AI and Carnegie Learning, require paid subscriptions or school licences. Schools already pay for a wide range of digital programmes and subscriptions, so adding more AI platforms could become quite expensive. Unless funding is provided, it feels like many of these tools won’t be accessible to a lot of schools or students anytime soon.
Overall, I think AI has huge potential to improve teaching and learning. With the right training, funding and investment in technology, AI could become a valuable part of everyday classroom practice. Until then, I think access and affordability will remain some of the biggest barriers to its widespread use.
I completely agree with reducing the amount of time spent on paperwork and planning. I’m looking forward to learning how AI can help streamline and save me time on planning and other admin areas of teaching.
One of my main takeaways from the video was that AI should be seen as a support for teachers rather than a replacement for them. It has huge potential to save time and improve learning, but professional judgement and human oversight are still essential.
Up to now, I have mainly focused on ChatGPT as my primary AI tool, but doing the holiday itinerary activity I started experimenting a little with Copilot and Gemini as well. Gemini in particular is beginning to show some real appeal, and I can see myself using it more going forward. I was also really interested in the video tools like Pictory and Vidnoz that were shown in the slides, and they are definitely something I would like to explore further.
I have already started using AI tools in my own classroom preparation and have found both the benefits and the limitations. Earlier this year, I used AI to create a maths loop game for my third class. The game looked great initially, but when I checked it properly, I realised some of the answers had been repeated, which completely ruined the loop. It took several attempts and plenty of checking before I had a version that worked correctly. Interestingly, when I created another loop game later in the year, the AI tool seemed to learn from my previous prompts and produced an accurate version first time. It was a good reminder that AI can be a fantastic starting point, but resources still need to be checked and double-checked before being used with pupils.
I also saw the benefits of AI as a parent this year when my son was studying for his Junior Cert. Particularly in his revision the night before an exam, instead of spending time searching through reams of content in his textbooks trying to find information, he could quickly identify the areas he was unsure about and focus his revision. From a time-saving point of view, it was incredibly useful.
Overall, I think AI will have a major role in teaching, learning and assessment in the future.