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Hi Caroline,
I agree with you that Scratch for Kids is an excellent resource for children but elements certainly need to be pre taught before starting the app. In our school we have Beebots and these are fantastic programmable ‘robots’ that children can use to help with their directional language. They are a fantastic first introduction to the idea of coding. As mentioned, sometimes Scratch can get more challenging quite quickly so its important that children are made aware to take it step by step and not get overwhelmed. It is a fantastic progression step from basic programming, like coding and I have found that the children always surprise me with their ability and are often better than I am!
Having further delved into the Khan Academy kids application, I like the varied activities available to children all of which are easy accessible and easy to understand. My main aim for this app would be to use it as a home- school application where parents can work with the children at home and see their progress, while children are also able to work independently if necessary. I would introduce this app in class and spend a lot of time familiarising students with the app before I send it home. The main areas in which I would use this is for English at the beginning- as this app provides children with reading material that is suitable to their age. I would also use it to allow children to practice their words in a fun and interactive way. Both the teacher and parent can see the child’s progress and also what they have completed. Once the children are very comfortable with the app I would use it to introduce the children to different maths concepts available on the app as it provides children with further practice of different concepts in a fun and interactive way.
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.
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
Hi Marie Clare, I totally agree with you in relation to a challenge of these AI tools being privacy issues. This is something that we have to be super vigilant of and ensure that we have the proper parental consent for each child. However, like many things you often need to weigh up the benefits against the challenges and decide is it worth it.
In this module I was introduced to a number of new applications and programmes that can be used to enhance teaching and learning, most of which I would have been unfamiliar with prior to this course. Application like MATHia X and Squirrel AI are great examples of programmes that can provide students with education at a level that suits them best, providing hints where necessary and would be a huge help for a teacher when it comes to planning for differentiation. I also explored mash.plus and found this particularly useful as their is weekly lessons and resources available without any delay which would be fantastic in terms of time saving for teachers. In terms of challenges I feel the main one for me would be the cost (if any) involved in introducing these applications to my school/ class when there is already so many finances facing schools.
Hi Edel,
I totally agree with you in relation to the time saving opportunities that AI cna offer to teachers. With an already overloaded curriculum on top of every day classroom issues, time is now of the essence for teachers and having a much needed resource like AI will prove very useful in many aspects of teaching and learning.
Often we can fear change/ a new addition that could have the potential to change our way of teaching and for me this is AI and the reason I decided to undertake this course. I think it is important that we embrace AI and the benefits it can have in our future teaching, learning and assessment. I think AI can be a huge time saver for teachers in a world where time is already constrained. It can help hugely with planning, researching and generating activities for the children all of which would have been very time consuming in the past. The children themselves are much more tech savy nowadays and are very familiar with the benefits of AI and how it can be used in their learning. The children would enjoy using AI as part of their learning and I think its important that teachers don’t fear AI and the thoughts of it taking away from the children’s learning or children becoming over reliant on it. It is important that clear boundaries are set with the children before its use. Tis course has already introduced me to new resources including copilot and genial.ly that I think will prove very beneficial in the classroom.
Hi Odhran,
I like your cross curricular approach to learning about the impact of climate change. By doing it this way, you could develop a scheme of work that would cover a number of weeks and it would ensure that children have a very sound and rounded understanding of the impacts of climate change.
In my local area, the effects of climate change has been very prevalent in recent years. The number of storms has increased dramatically in recent years and the severity of these storms with increased winds and rain in particular have been very noticeable. Many areas of Cork have been subject to flooding as a result of these storm and Climate Change which has had an effect on many peoples livelihood. Temperatures have also increased a lot as the earth is now warmer which has resulted in warmer temperatures throughout the year. In Cork at present, a hose pipe ban is in place in order to preserve water due to the high temperatures and lack of rain in recent weeks.
In order to engage pupils in exploring this, I would encourage them to interview an older person in their lives and ask them to outline how the climate has changed since they were younger. I would ask the children to study weather trends from now and compare them to the weather from 10/ 20 years ago. I would ask them to research recent flooding scenarios and the effects this has had on local businesses and homeowners.
3 actions to make the world a better place:
Reduce Energy Consumption- use energy efficient lightbulbs, turn off switches when not in use, turn off lights/ laptops etc when leaving the classroomUse Public Transport- Try and reduce reliance on one off trips in the car and make use of public transport where possible. Alternatively walk. cycle to your destination.
Consumption- reduce, reuse, recycle where possible and shop and support local shops.
In the classroom I would set up Energy Monitors whose jobs is to ensure that all lights/ laptops etc are turned off when not in use and when leaving the classroom. I would also ask them to monitor how often lights. laptops etc are left on so that we can work to improve our use. I would ask at school level to ensure all lightbulbs being used in the school/ classroom are energy efficient.
In the classroom, I would encourage pupils to use public transport, cycle or walk to school where possible. I would set up a ‘Walk it Wednesday’ where pupils are asked to make an extra effort on a Wednesday to walk to school where possible.
In the classroom, I would encourage pupils to reduce, reuse and recycle all items in use in the classroom where possible. I would encourage my class to organise a swap it day whereby children bring in any items (toys, clothes etc) they no longer use and can swap it with an item they would like. I would ensure that children are aware of the recycling bin and ensure they are aware of how to recycle properly. I would bring the children to the local craft shop to explore the range of items available at a local level and encourage them to swap locally.
Hi Ashling,
I really enjoyed reading about some of the initiatives in place in your school for when students who are refugees join the school. I particularly like the idea of having signs and posters in their native language as this creates a very inclusive environment. I also love the idea of having the students teaching the rest of the class their native language. I can imagine the pride that these students would have when in control of a lesson and the feeling of control as they are in charge of leading the class and the content covered.
The main organisation that I have found in my locality that work with refugees is the Cork Migrant Centre which provides support to refugees and ensures they have access to any services they may need to make their day to day lives easier. At a more national level, NASC ensure the rights of refugees and aims for an equal and inclusive Ireland. At a school level, from a personal perspective, our school is already such an inclusive place for both students and staff alike. We have students from all walks of life including a number of students who are refugees. In school, every year we hold a multicultural day where all students are given the opportunity to exhibit their nationality including their national clothing, food, flag etc. In this way we are acknowledging the range of nationalities in our school and the students are always thrilled to showcase their country. As a school it is very important to be aware of what these children may have gone through prior to their arrival. Therefore, its very important that plans are put in place to support these children and ensure a smooth transition into the school. Other ideas include holding a fundraiser for an organisation like Cork Migrant Centre, encouraging students to make donations to organisations that support Refugees, follow and share updates online from these organisations and asking a speaker from the Cork Migrant Centre to the school to tell us about the work they do and perhaps a visit to the Centre could also be arranged.
The main organisation that I have found in my locality that work with refugees is the Cork Migrant Centre which provides support to refugees and ensures they have access to any services they may need to make their day to day lives easier. At a more national level, NASC ensure the rights of refugees and aims for an equal and inclusive Ireland. At a school level, from a personal perspective, our school is already such an inclusive place for both students and staff alike. We have students from all walks of life including a number of students who are refugees. In school, every year we hold a multicultural day where all students are given the opportunity to exhibit their nationality including their national clothing, food, flag etc. In this way we are acknowledging the range of nationalities in our school and he students are always thrilled to showcase their country. As a school it is very important to be aware of what these children may have gone through prior to their arrival. Therefore, its very important that plans are put in place to support these children and ensure a smooth transition into the school. Other ideas include holding a fundraiser for an organisation like Cork Migrant Centre, encouraging students to make donations to organisations that support Refugees, follow and share updates online from these organisations and asking a speaker from the Cork Migrant Centre to the school to tell us about the work they do and perhaps a visit to the Centre could also be arranged.
The main organisation that I have found in my locality that work with refugees is the Cork Migrant Centre which provides support to refugees and ensures they have access to any services they may need to make their day to day lives easier. At a more national level, NASC ensure the rights of refugees and aims for an equal and inclusive Ireland. At a school level, from a personal perspective, our school is already such an inclusive place for both students and staff alike. We have students from all walks of life including a number of students who are refugees. In school, every year we hold a multicultural day where all students are given the opportunity to exhibit their nationality including their national clothing, food, flag etc. In this way we are acknowledging the range of nationalities in our school and he students are always thrilled to showcase their country. As a school it is very important to be aware of what these children may have gone through prior to their arrival. Therefore, its very important that plans are put in place to support these children and ensure a smooth transition into the school. Other ideas include holding a fundraiser for an organisation like Cork Migrant Centre, encouraging students to make donations to organisations that support Refugees, follow and share updates online from these organisations and asking a speaker from the Cork Migrant Centre to the school to tell us about the work they do and perhaps a visit to the Centre could also be arranged.
Hi Luke,
It sounds like you are making great strides in your school to combat the effects of climate change already and this in turn will prove to be a great education tot he children. The introduction of a greenhouse is a fantastic idea as children can take ownership for growing their own crops/ flowers etc and your recently installed solar panels should prove to be a fantastic learning tool for students as perhaps older students could be responsible for monitoring and providing feedback to the rest of the school on usage and storage. The initiatives that we have available to us in Ireland, like the Green Schools is fantastic for giving children the responsibility/ knowledge of looking after the environment.
