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I like how you’ve linked the use of Copilot and Learning Accelerators directly to the SSE process rather than viewing them as separate initiatives. Using evidence from lesson planning, differentiated resources and assessment data gives a much broader picture of pupils’ progress than relying on one source alone. Your point about using the findings to inform teacher professional development is also important. Providing staff with opportunities to share good practice and develop confidence using these tools will help ensure they are embedded consistently across the school. I also agree that the ultimate goal is to develop independent learners. AI and digital tools should support pupils in becoming more confident and reflective learners while continuing to build essential literacy and oral language skills.
For my School Self-Evaluation focus, I chose to look at how Microsoft 365 Copilot and the tools explored throughout this course could support planning, differentiation and formative assessment in my classroom. As part of this review, I reflected on lesson plans created using Microsoft Teach, differentiated resources produced with Copilot and assessment opportunities through Microsoft Forms and Learning Accelerators. I also considered feedback from pupils during lessons and my own observations of their engagement.
One of the biggest benefits I found was the time saved in creating high-quality first drafts of resources. This allowed me to spend more time adapting materials to meet the needs of my class rather than starting from scratch. The accessibility features and Learning Accelerators also highlighted practical ways to support inclusion and provide more immediate feedback to pupils.
Going forward, my aim is to embed these tools gradually into my everyday practice. I plan to use Microsoft Teach when planning new units of work, incorporate Microsoft Forms more regularly for formative assessment and make greater use of Learning Accelerators to support literacy. From an SSE perspective, these tools can provide useful evidence of pupil engagement and progress while helping to inform future planning. Throughout this process, professional judgement remains essential to ensure that AI-generated content is accurate, appropriate and tailored to the specific needs of my pupils.
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.
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.
I agree that the Learning Accelerators have real potential to make learning more inclusive. The immediate feedback from Reading Progress and Reading Coach is particularly useful because it helps teachers identify specific areas where pupils need support without creating additional assessment tasks. I also like your point about pupils working at their own pace, as this can help build confidence for less able readers while still challenging stronger readers. Your link to SSE is an important one too. Having evidence from these tools can help schools make informed decisions about literacy interventions and monitor whether changes are having a positive impact. As always, the data should complement our own observations and professional judgement rather than replace them.
Using Learning Accelerators and accessibility tools has reinforced the importance of designing learning experiences that are inclusive from the beginning rather than making adjustments afterwards. I particularly liked how Immersive Reader and Read Aloud reduce barriers for pupils with literacy difficulties while also benefiting pupils learning English as an additional language.
The Microsoft Forms quiz provided immediate feedback and highlighted misconceptions quickly. This allowed me to identify pupils who required additional support before moving on to new learning. Rather than relying solely on written work, I was able to gather evidence from digital assessments and classroom observations.
These tools support Universal Design for Learning by offering multiple ways for pupils to access information and demonstrate understanding. Going forward I intend to incorporate Learning Accelerators more regularly so that assessment and differentiation become a natural part of everyday classroom.
This module has encouraged me to reflect more closely on how digital tools can support inclusion. By reviewing pupil engagement during lessons using Microsoft Forms and accessibility tools, I can gather evidence that informs future planning. I have found that pupils are more willing to participate when learning is interactive and differentiated.
The next step for my practice is to embed Learning Accelerators into weekly literacy activities so that pupils receive regular personalised support while I continue to monitor progress through School Self-Evaluation.
I agree with your point that Copilot Teach provides a strong starting point but still needs teacher input before it is classroom-ready. I had a similar experience where the lesson structure was clear and well organised, but I needed to adapt activities to suit the different learning needs within my class. Your suggestion of adding manipulatives and visual supports for equivalent fractions is a great example of how we can personalise AI-generated content. I also like your thoughts on using Copilot to support the SSE process. Tasks such as summarising survey results or helping to draft action plans could save valuable time, while still allowing staff to review and adapt the content to reflect the unique context of the school. Ultimately, I think AI works best as a support for professional judgement rather than a replacement for it.
This module gave me a much better understanding of how Microsoft Teach and Microsoft Create can support lesson preparation while still allowing me to tailor resources to the needs of my own class. I created a lesson plan for a Geography topic that I regularly teach and found that the structure generated by Microsoft Teach provided a useful starting point. It saved time while still allowing me to adapt the activities and learning intentions to suit my pupils.
I also used the “Modify Existing Content” feature to simplify a reading passage for a struggling reader. This was probably the most valuable part of the module for me, as differentiation can be time-consuming. Having the ability to quickly adjust the reading level while adding definitions of key vocabulary will make it easier to ensure all pupils can access the same learning.
Finally, I created a classroom poster using Microsoft Create. The quality of the design was impressive and it required very little editing before it was suitable for classroom use.
Overall, this module has shown me practical ways to reduce planning time while improving the quality and accessibility of my resources. I can see myself using these tools regularly throughout the school year, particularly when introducing new topics or creating differentiated materials for my class.
I really like your point about AI being “like an enthusiastic child” that still needs teacher direction – that’s a great way of describing it. I had a similar experience where Copilot produced a very good first draft, but it still needed to be adapted for the needs and abilities of my class. Your point about asking it to differentiate the reading passage is a good reminder that the quality of the output often depends on the prompts we give it. I also agree that its greatest strength is saving time on planning and resource creation, giving us more time to focus on teaching. Like you, I think it’s important that AI supports learning rather than replacing pupils’ own thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills.
Using Microsoft Copilot for the first time has shown me how useful AI can be as a planning assistant rather than a replacement for professional judgement. Producing the first draft of a worksheet took only a few minutes and allowed me to spend more time adapting the material for the needs of my own class.I found that Copilot produced a solid starting point, but it still required careful editing. I simplified some vocabulary, adjusted the questions to suit the curriculum and checked all factual information before using it. This reminded me that teachers remain responsible for ensuring that all resources are accurate and appropriate.I also became more aware of the importance of responsible AI use. I did not use any pupil names or personal information and ensured that all outputs were reviewed before use.
Overall, I see Copilot becoming part of my everyday planning as it reduces workload while still allowing me to maintain high-quality teaching
