[Darragh Cushen]

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.

[Darragh Cushen]

I had the same thought, Naomi. It would be really helpful if the course gave a clear breakdown of which tools are free versus subscription-based, as schools are already stretched thin with existing digital subscriptions. Teachable Machine being free is great, but as you say, tools like Squirrel AI and Carnegie Learning likely come with a cost that many schools simply won’t be able to justify without dedicated funding.

[Darragh Cushen]

This module has really opened my eyes to just how many practical AI tools are already available for classroom use. The Immersive Reader in particular stood out to me — being able to change background colours, increase text size and have text read aloud could make a huge difference for pupils with dyslexia or reading difficulties, and it’s reassuring that it’s already built into Word for free. I also liked seeing Minecraft Education and the Microsoft DreamSpace demo, as these are tools children already recognise, which should help with engagement and home-school links.

In terms of transforming my own teaching, I can see real benefits in using tools like Copilot or ChatGPT to draft lesson plans and differentiated resources, freeing up time for actual teaching rather than resource creation. The numeracy lesson plan example in this module showed how detailed and specific these prompts can be.

That said, the challenges feel significant too. Data privacy is a major concern, especially with young children, and the video on China’s use of AI monitoring in classrooms was genuinely unsettling — I don’t think that level of surveillance has any place in an Irish classroom. There’s also the practical issue of device access; like others have mentioned, most schools don’t have anywhere near enough devices for daily use. Overall, I think AI has real potential here, but only with proper training, clear guidelines, and a firm emphasis on the teacher remaining in control.

[Darragh Cushen]

Really agree with this, especially the point about AI not being able to measure emotional growth or resilience. I think that’s the key balance for me too, using it to free up time on the resource side so there’s more energy left for the human side of teaching.

[Darragh Cushen]

AI tools clearly have huge potential to support teaching, learning and assessment, but the biggest thing I took from this module is that the teacher has to stay firmly in the driving seat. The Ethical Guidelines video was a useful reminder that using AI well isn’t just about the tools themselves, it’s about planning properly for their use, being transparent with parents and the wider school community, and having clear school policies in place before rolling anything out.

On the practical side, I can already see AI saving real time on differentiation, generating quiz questions and drafting resources, which would free up more time for the things that actually need a human touch, like building relationships with pupils and supporting them individually. That said, accuracy can’t be assumed. Everything generated needs to be checked before it reaches the classroom. I’m looking forward to exploring the tools in more depth over the next few modules.

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