[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Aoife,

Thank you for your post and for outlining your approach to meeting the needs of a pupil with dyscalculia. This is a challenging learning difficulty to overcome, and the research out there related to it is very much in its infancy (especially when compared to specific literacy difficulties, like dyslexia). The use of concrete materials and manipulatives is a key component of any maths lesson in an SET setting. There is also the scope to use some virtual manipulatives if the concrete approach is stagnating – these can be found on Toy Theatre and The Math Learning Centre.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Cal,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your digital story with us. It is clear that you have grasped the most important functionality of using Google Slides. An added benefit of embedding the YouTube video within the slide (as you have done) is that ads will not play on the video. As you have pointed out, the Google Workspace tools allow extra scope in terms of how you frame the lesson. It allows us to go much further and extend the learning more than with the traditional ‘pen and paper’ approach. The integrated nature of the suite allows multiple tools to be used when covering the same topic, ensuring variety and appropriate levels of challenge.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Aoife,

Thanks for providing this sample lesson activity for your pupil with reading and writing difficulties. There are so many tools out there to help children with literacy difficulties (in particular). The ability to have the text read aloud and to have text transcribed from speech really offers children the opportunity to have themselves represented on paper. We often hear about children who are very strong and competent orally, and how this doesn’t translate to their written work. This can lead to self-doubt and create a stigma around the writing process. Having access to some of the tools you have included in your post as an aid could really be transformative for these pupils.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Aoife,

You have made an excellent point here regarding the benefits of using tools like Immersive Reader and Dictate in the mainstream setting, as well as an SEN setting. It is so important that we move towards a space where there is a continuity between the tools used in the classroom and the SEN room. The likelihood is that if a tool helps one student with SEN, it will help all children in a class to some degree. Both speech-to-text and text-to-speech software has a key role to play in assisting those with specific learning needs and should be embraced in all settings.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Annmarie,

Welcome to the course and thank you for your post. I’m sure you will have noticed that the functionality of Google and Microsoft Forms is very similar, and many of the skills you developed with Google would be transferrable. The issue of homework is one which is certainly contentious in many schools, and it is very challenging to reach a consensus among staff/parents. However, the use of a survey tool to gather as much data as possible is a great first step in this area. You will find the 365 tools very useful in this regard.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Christy,

Thanks for the post and for the breakdown you have provided of a potential SETT plan. What I really like about the SETT model is that it really forces us to think about specific scenarios and the exact measures we plan to take to positively impact the learning experience of the individual child. PowerPoint Live is a great tool, and thanks for pointing this out. Its functionality in multiple languages makes it an ideal tool for EAL learners.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Cal,

The importance of communication and interacting with others is something which we cannot put enough emphasis on. The level of eye-contact and the ability to maintain two-way conversations has definitely been declining in recent years. This is certainly a pre-requisite for effective group work and collaboration to take place in schools and workplaces. The lesson samples are certainly engaging and lend themselves to be manipulated to cover many facets – the Winter Olympics one could easily be changed to something more topic, e.g. World Cup bidding, etc.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Catherine,

Yes, it was great to see Helperbird being highlighted an effective learning tool and I’m delighted you have had the chance to experiment with it. It’s availability as a Chrome extension also allows you to use it with any Google Workspace tools or on any website within a Chrome browser. This, as well as the Microsoft/Google Lens are powerful tools in both SET and mainstream settings. Communicating with the class teacher may allow for opportunities to allow for them to be used in activities that would complement work being done in both rooms.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Christy,

Thanks for your post. It certainly echoes the views of many throughout the course on the importance of some joined-up thinking in terms of school policy related to assistive technologies. Your post highlights the complexity of this area, in terms of decisions related to hardware and software, and how these need to be specific to the needs of individual children (meaning the process is unique each time). However, despite the challenges, there are so many tools which can help children with additional needs, and we must do all we can to find the most suitable tools for these individual children.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Kevin,

Unfortunately the permissions have not allowed me to view your quiz. However, from the content of your post it is clear that you have developed a clear understanding of how to use Google Forms and the many ways in which it can be utilised as an effective assessment tool. The feedback tools definitely allow you to personalise the learning that bit-more and allows for more differentiation. As I linked above, a new AI powered tool called Quizalize will now formulate a Google Forms quiz automatically (powered by Chat GPT) on any topic of your choice. It may be something you wish to explore.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Aoife,

I’m sure you share the same feelings as almost all teachers when a child in their class is granted AT. It is very difficult to know how to best use the technology to meet that child’s needs. Even those of us who may feel competent using technologies to teach can find it difficult, as the needs of the child are extremely specific, and there is often a dearth of information and guidance in this regard. There is huge potential in the use of AT, and with a certain element of ‘trial and error’, we can all improve. Getting feedback from the child, particularly if they’re in a senior class, can be a great benefit when deciding whether to persist with or abandon a particular tool or software.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Arlene,

Thanks for your post. You are very correct to point out that professional development is essential to improve as a teacher. Cosán allow us the freedom to reflect on our own practice and identify areas for improvement, specific to our own practice. Being reflective allows us to identify these deficits, meaning that both reflection-in-practice and reflection-on-practice is key. As the saying goes ‘if you do the same things; you will get the same results’. We are duty-bound to do our best to provide the best learning experience possible for our students, and the Cosán principles allow us the space to do this.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Cal,

As you have alluded to, Google Classroom is a powerful LMS. It has so much potential and certainly allows teachers and children to go much further in their learning than the likes of Seesaw. It is particularly suitable for children in senior classes. The ‘Drawing’ tool is one that has come on so much in recent years and it can now be used for the children to engage in ‘drag and drop’, ‘labelling’ or ‘cloze’ activities. In terms of assessment and the use of Google Forms, there is a new AI powered tool called Quizalise that will automatically convert a Chat GPT generated quiz into a Google Form (all that is left for you to do is add the point values for each question if you wish).

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Eamonn,

The Microsoft Lens and integrated Immersive Reader can be a real game-changer for children with literacy difficulties. The ability to use the translate tool in either the Google or Microsoft Lens also means that it is a tool that could greatly support EAL learners. Speech to text is a wonderful feature that allows children who are competent orally in transferring this to the ‘written’ word. I have seen it do wonders for the confidence of a child, who was previously demoralised with writing difficulties.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Arlene,

It is without question that assistive technologies can hugely benefit children with additional needs. You have pointed out five huge benefits in your post, which link directly to standards from the Digital Learning Framework. I think ‘meeting diverse learning needs’ is what it all boils down to. Many of us have first-hand experience of children who struggle with traditional modes of instruction,. of children who are far better orally than in writing, and of children who struggle to begin a task for ‘fear of struggle’. Providing the child with a piece of technology that can alleviate these challenges is something which we should be embraced – hopefully, the remainder of the course will highlight some specific programmes that may be used with these assistive technologies.

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