[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Luke,

Thank you for your post. From your learning outcomes you can really see that this is a truly integrated ‘SESE’ lesson. As well as working on mapping skills and spatial awareness (which also carries significant resonance in maths), children are linking their own locality with it in the past, tracking continuity and change in the process. Like an earlier poster, you have also included sufficient challenge and requirements in the build challenge to ensure that all children can get started on the project, but also that there are built-in extension opportunities for those capable of the extra challenge.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for your post. I really like the sounds of this unit outline, and the different skills and knowledge that can be developed through it. The idea of different groups being assigned a different system is great, as it also allows others to learn from their peers in a plenary session at the conclusion of the unit. This outline also aligns closely with some of the learning outcomes from the science section of the STE draft specification.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi David,

Thank you for your post. It can be very difficult to plan for pupils with SEN who are significantly below the level of their peers. Your post outlines a 6th class pupil who is only engaging with very basic work. In this case, the use of digital technologies can be an excellent tool to provide for a more accessible learning environment. The apps and websites you have provided all point to ways in which this pupil can achieve success at their level.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Emma,

Thank you for your post. You are right to pint out how things have changed since we were all in primary school, and how priorities have changed. We need to be flexible and adaptable to respond to societal changes and ensure our curriculum is up-to-date for the needs of the world at that time. We can only hope that the PCF and associated subject specifications are embraced and allow teachers and school leaders the space and support to embrace this and respond to the needs of the pupils in front of them.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Margaret,

Thank you for your post and your breakdown of the assignment across these key areas. In terms of using digital technologies, I feel like you have hit on a significant point in terms of how they can remove certain barriers for certain children. You have mentioned ‘motivation’ as one of your key points here and I have seen this first hand in my own classroom. Children who are reluctant to write, read for meaning, collaborate on projects can suddenly have an attitude transformation when a digital device is entered into the equation. Completing their work with the aid of this can be highly motivating and enable them to reach their potential in school.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Josie,

Thank you for your post and for your engagement throughout the course. You have identified a plethora of advantages around the use of coding with classes, whilst also acknowledging the significant challenges and barriers that may be present. The new STE Curriculum spec provides opportunities for children to experience coding in both plugged and unplugged settings. However, the rollout will need to be cognisant of some of the challenges you have listed, particularly around the provision of appropriate resources and teacher training.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Michael,

Thank you for your post. It is great to hear that significant investment has allowed for the embedding of digital technologies across curricular areas in your school. With each class group having access to their own set of devices, it certainly makes their use more attractive. I am a firm believer that for digital integration to be fully possible, our teachers need access to reliable devices and reliable internet connectivity. When children are having problems getting online or devices are not working or charged, it can be very difficult to manage the classroom and can often lead to a reluctance towards using the devices.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Seán,

Thank you for your post. It’s great to hear you have had the opportunity to showcase Chat GPT to your 6th class pupils and allow them time to explore ways in which it can be a helpful guide to them when studying or preparing for exams in second level. Knowing how to use it and what is/isn’t appropriate is a very important aspect to this. Integrating AI use with tools like Microsoft Forms is a great way to save on your workload and cut out unnecessary grading work. May quiz based online tools now offer a direct plug-in to ChatGPT to make using them more attractive.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Olivia,

Thank you for sharing this outline with us. It is clear that you have put a lot of thinking time into this. What strikes me is the truly integrated nature of this unit of work and the huge variety of success you have listed in your post. Giving a brief description of the roles of each of the group members also makes it very clear as to how this unit will work and what will be achieved by the children at the end.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Karen,

Welcome to the course and thank you for your post. You have raised some excellent points within it. From my own school and other work I have done, I can attest that this is a common thread across many schools. Frameworks like UDL, and national policy publications like the DLF, Digital Strategy and Guidance on Preparation for Teaching and Learning are being missed. There are so much going on at the moment in schools, and it would appear that a rethink is needed on how key messages are being sent to teachers, and the ways in which we can be supported to adopt what is being proposed within these.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Orla,

Thank you for your post and for providing this outline for your unit of work. I have to say that it is one that I might use myself, as it sounds like it could really bring to life this period of Irish history. Being able to chart the course of these historical figures through a depiction of the main events and locations from this period is fantastic. Your outline of group roles also shows the huge potential this has for the creation of an engaging learning experience.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for your post and for recognising the ways in which Lens and Immersive Reader can be incorporated int your own practice. It’s great that you are already using tools like OneNote and Teams, as it allows you to clearly see how thee assistive tools can be interwoven with your existing practice. Indeed, these tools can also be highly effective in providing differentiated help to students, or as a way to provide more inclusive learning experiences for EAL children.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Una,

Thanks for your post. I feel you have hit on a really important point regarding the active and passive use of technology for young people. Too often people often think that young people are highly competent technology users, without fully recognising the type of activities they are proficient with. Often children can struggle with word processing, designing posters, importing and cropping images, etc. These are all areas that we need to focus on building digital, technological and computing skills.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Rachel,

Welcome to the online part of this course. Thank you for your overview of the SSE process. As you have said, it’s a great way to allow schools to identify their own priority areas for improvement arounds the four domains in both teaching and learning, and leadership and management. Some of the areas you have mentioned are perfect areas for a school to hone in on, and create meaningful and trackable action plans to monitor improvement.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Emma,

Thank you for your post. Regardless of being based in an urban or rural area, climate change is beginning to wreak havoc with the lives and livelihoods of people in communities throughout the country. Others here have also referred to the plight of farmers and their crops being ravaged by extreme weather. This applies both ways and can relate to either flooded or parched lands. It’s hard for them to catch a break at times. Like we have said throughout the course, being able to relate this to the children’s own lives and to the local area is key for getting buy in for these initiatives.

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