[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Diarmuid,

Welcome to the course. It is certainly fair to say that a high percentage of children really love discussing their own lives and their own interests. Being able to integrate digital skill with this passion is a really good idea, and allows them to showcase creativity in the process. From my experience, Slides and Drawings are the two Google tools that the children enjoy working with the most. They can spend excessive time on the aesthetics of the presentation rather than the content. If this is the case, some limits could be set, e.g. lesson 1 and lesson 2 is for content only, and lesson 3 and 4 could be used for adding backgrounds, themes, animations, etc.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Sharon,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your sample SETT plan with us. The pupil you have identified has some complex communication needs, and both the low tech and high tech interventions you have identified are very suitable. It is important to note that a range of interventions will be required to achieve the desired results, and that we should not simply rely on one form of assistive technology. Identifying strengths and needs within the SETT plan is really useful as it allows you to ‘map’ different interventions to the child, when his/her specific needs and targets are fresh in your head.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Colin,

Thank you for your post and sharing your Forms quiz with us – unfortunately the permissions are set to private. However, your commentary has hit on a number of really excellent features within Forms for assessment. The ability to create different styles of questions and integrate different forms of multimedia means that these assessments can be accessed by a greater number of pupils. Using the assessment quiz to identify areas that classes across a year group are struggling with is great – when analysing the results teachers can work collaboratively to identify any potential solutions to gaps in the learning across the board.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Catherine,

Thank you for your post and contribution here. Congratulations on your recent appointment as principal. I’m sure there are so many elements of the job that are difficult to tackle at first. The adoption of digital technologies (for both teaching and learning, and leadership and management) is something that can really help save you time in the long run. Having a central school database where records, assessments, schemes of work, classroom resources, etc. are kept can really help to promote a culture of collegiality and collaboration. It is certainly a project that will take a number of years, but small steps in the beginning to ensure buy-in will really pay off.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Tara,

Thank you for sharing your notebook with us. You have utilised many of the features of One Note, such as embedding PDF files. The inclusion of a series of worksheets also shows how this could form a core school plan for junior infants that could be shared and passed from teacher to teacher. Each page could be based on a topic, with the required resources enclosed. In terms of student use, it is certainly more suitable for older primary children, and then onto second level. Its use can greatly reduce the need for textbooks and is assured to bring down the school’s photocopying bill.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Noirin,

Thank you for your post and for your comprehensive overview of using the Immersive Reader to assist a child with maths word problems. When we think of the Immersive Reader, we automatically think it is best suited to a reading or SESE lesson. However, you have clearly outlined its usefulness in attacking word problems. Often, children who may struggle with literacy (but are quite competent in numeracy), start to find maths difficult in senior classes. The inclusion of particularly ‘wordy’ problems can cause anxiety and cause a loss of confidence on the subject area. An assistive tool like this could be transformative in maintaining positive dispositions towards the subject.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Leanne,

Welcome to the course! I suppose we hit somewhat of a perfect storm in relation to the integration of digital technologies in primary education in recent years. The funding from the 2015 Digital Strategy, the adoption of the Digital Learning Framework and the arrival of Covid all sent us in the direction of digital. There is huge scope for the use of digital technologies in SET settings – the SETT Framework is really effective at getting you to focus on the learning and map the tool that will best suit them and their environment. It should feed into the Student Support Plan, and reflect actions towards a particular target.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Seán,

Complex problem-solving skill development certainly requires a mixture between online and offline tools. It is quite relevant to all curricular areas, and is a key skill in modern workplaces. I love how you have linked this skill to the assignment of open-ended task where children would have the autonomy to respond using the Workspace tool that they feel is the most appropriate. This is a great way of empowering children, and allowing them to use their strengths to tackle the task or problem at hand.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Colin,

Welcome to the course. Thank you for your detailed contribution here. I really like how you have focus on ‘personal learning experiences’. The use of online platforms such as Google Workspace enables us to create these learning experiences that bit easier. There is more scope for students to take ownership of their own learning, and elements of it could be categorised as self-directed. Your choice of Google Expeditions is anther excellent one. It is amazing to get that first hand experience of landmark locations around the world – there is only a small selection at present but we can only hope that more locations are added over time.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Fionnuala,

Thank you for your contribution here. The caseload you speak of (and their specific needs) are well suited to a myriad of assistive technology tools, many of which will have been referenced in this course. It’s fantastic that you have been experimenting with assistive technologies in recent years, and that you have found Dictate useful. Immersive Reader will complement this, and in my view, it is the most comprehensive assistive technology out there for children with literacy difficulties. The fact that you are all pulling in the same direction in terms of making small steps towards digital integration and transformation is amazing, and is a journey that will be very worthwhile.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Deirdre,

Thank you for your post. It’s amazing to hear of your experience teaching in America. From what I have been told, Google is really the dominant platform in American schools (whereas a power struggle exists between Google and Microsoft in Europe). The beauty of the Google Workspace tools is that they are continually evolving and small alterations and additions happen a couple of times a year. You have mentioned the ease at which differentiation can occur – one of the things I love most is how discrete the differentiation is and how it can very much be focused on the particular task.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Myriam,

Thanks for your post. The 21st century skills you listed there are central to our work and development in schools. In some ways, we should be looking at how technology can be used as a vehicle in developing skills such as communication and collaboration. I feel you have touched upon an important point when you mention how digital technologies can be used to support busy teachers and, essentially, make their lives easier. The onset of AI and Chat GPT can be used in this regard. Using technology ethically and smartly can certainly reduce unnecessary workload and help you to manage your class in a more streamlined fashion.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Margaret,

Thank you for your post. The uses of digital technology in a school setting, from teaching and learning to office administration, really are endless. You have succinctly summarised some of the features of digital technology we use most often. SSE and the Digital Learning Framework are very effective vehicles through which digital transformation can be brought about. You have hit on one of the most important points when it comes to technology in education within your post – the teacher must have the pedagogical knowledge and skill to know how and when to use the technology most appropriately.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Seán,

Welcome to the course. The choice of resource here is a strong entry point into the writing process. The process is presented in an engaging manner, with various templates there to structure the work for both teacher and children. This provides a sort of scaffold for those reluctant writers and can be used very effectively for differentiation. There is also the scope there to allow more competent writers to extend their writing through various prompts and questioning. All in all, the Applied Digital Skills website is an excellent source for engaging classroom content.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi James,

Thank you for your post. The Office 365 suite has so much potential for use in the school setting, both in the classroom and for office administration. PowerPoint and Sway are great presentation tools, and can be used by the teachers to share information with pupils. They can also be used by pupils as a medium to respond to certain learning activities. ‘Seesaw’ is a really useful learning platform, and I have loved using it with the younger classes. However, it is quite limited as you move up the school and there are not as many opportunities for pupils to delve deeper into their learning. Using Microsoft (or Google) platforms allows pupils the chance to take greater ownership of their own learning.

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