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HI Sabrina,
Welcome to the online part of this course. I often find myself getting annoyed at those who argue that ‘screen time’ is a reason why digital technologies should be limited in primary schools. In reality, ‘screen time’ (for some) has become a term to associate with the negative aspects of technologies (gaming, social media, watching YouTube videos, etc.). However, there is so much learning that can happen on ‘screens’. We can provide children with learning experiences which extend the breadth of their knowledge and allow them to develop new skills. Another key note is that of digital citizenship and the ethical use of digital technologies – being able to incorporate this into school practices heightens the chances of children making good decisions online.
Hi Gina,
As you have said, Cosán recognises teachers as responsible learning professionals. The beauty of Cosán is that it allows teachers the autonomy to select their own priority learning needs and to pursue them with relevant professional development. In choosing to do this course, you have engaged in the reflective practice which underpins the Cosán framework. Hopefully, it will provide you with a number of ideas for enhancing your practice for the coming year.
Hi Siobhan,
You are correct to say that poo reading fluency can often lead to poor reading comprehension. When a child is putting so much effort into decoding each individual word, it is almost impossible for them to be able to comprehend the content of the passage. Tools like Immersive Reader can greatly assist student’s with these difficulties. The read aloud function, and the option to alter the pace of the reading will really help students. Moreover, the integration of the Microsoft Lens app with Immersive Reader will allow students to do the same with a class novel or textbook. Simply taking a picture of the page in question with the Microsoft Lens will automatically send it to the Immersive Reader.
Hi Eduardo,
Thanks for your post. I am drawn to the phrase ‘regular evaluation’ in your post. I feel this is so important – as teachers, we need to constantly evaluate our practice, our pedagogical approaches and the resources we are using. Often, one resource (digital or concrete) will suit one class but not another. We must have a model of ‘reflection-in-action’ to ensure we are able to respond to the needs of the children in front of us, at any particular moment in time.
Hi Helen,
Welcome to the course and thank you for your detailed contribution above. You have made many excellent points. The DL Planning website is a brilliant resource and has such a large repository of good-practice videos. I also like the sample surveys, focus group questionnaires, etc. that are available when the time comes to reviewing our digital learning plan. When it comes to assistive technologies, I feel the ‘one sized fits all’ approach is detrimental. Based on a professional report, we need to be provided with a specific device (e.g. iPad, C-Pen, etc.) that will meet that child’s needs and training should be provided to ensure the device is being used appropriately. The AT-Hive is a great place to learn more about assistive technologies for specific needs.
Hi Deirdre,
You have really encapsulated the power of a digital learning platform in your post. I feel that it is essential that every school is using one of these (either Google Workspace or Microsoft 365). There is endless potential for ‘teaching and learning’ and ‘leadership and management’ to develop using these platforms. Every year you realise that you have only scratched the surface in terms of functionality. We are all constantly learning and the technologies are constantly allowing us to go further. From a special school perspective, you may find some of the Chrome extensions listed here (https://www.ahead.ie/Discover-your-AT) useful. This link allows you to select the needs of your pupils, the devices they have access to and the learning platform being used. It will then generate a series of assistive technologies that may be useful in meeting the needs of that child.
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for your post. You have clearly outlined the complex needs on your caseload, and some of the strategies that you use to assist them. I’m sure you are likely aware of https://www.senteacher.org/printables/communication/ where you can customise and print PECS cards, as well as many other SEN resources. The website itself has templates and resources that are useful regardless of the setting people are teaching in. Hopefully, the remainder of this course will highlight some more assistive technologies, which you may find useful in your practice.
Hi Deirdre,
Thanks for sharing your Forms quiz with us. From looking at it, it’s clear that you have managed to master so many elements, e.g. the assignment of point values, the use of images and the embedding of video. Forms offers such a great way of assessing pupils learning and progress, and takes so much work out of it on behalf of the teacher.
A new third party website called Quizalise (https://www.quizalize.com/) now offers an alternative to making assessments. It integrates with Chat GPT and automatically imports the questions into Google Forms. The only thing you have to do is assign the point values. You may wish to play around with it in your own time.
Hi Siobhan,
Welcome to the course and thanks for your contribution above in relation to assistive technologies. You have covered many bases in your post. One of he key phrases you have included is ‘if used correctly’. I feel this is the central point we need to consider when using digital technologies – we need to be thinking of why we’re using them and how they can extend / augment / support the learning experiences currently being undertaken.
The standards and statements of the DLF mirror the standards and statements of Looking at Our Schools, which is the quality control framework for schools. The Inspectorate has recently published the ‘Looking At …’ series which offers tips on mapping your work in all subjects to these. They can be found here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/14c1a-looking-at-series-primary-school/ (primary) & https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/41afd-looking-at-series-post-primary-school/ (post primary)
Hi Gina,
Thanks for highlighting some of the fantastic accessibility features that are available within the Microsoft / Office 365 software. Dictate, Lens and Immersive Reader can be transformative tools for those with literacy difficulties. These tools also support a UDL approach in which students can represent material and create material through multiple means.
There are a number of equivalent Google extensions that can carry out the same functions if your school uses Google Workspace. These include ‘Talk and Comment’, ‘Open Dyslexic for Chrome’ and ‘Use Immersive Reader on Websites’. Google Lens also carries out the same features as Microsoft Lens (minus the automatic export to Immersive Reader).
Hi Sinéad,
The Immersive Reader is a fantastic accessibility tool for Windows devices. Alternatives such as Helperbird and Use Immersive Reader on Websites can be found on the Chrome Web Store if you are using Google tools. The translate feature is great for students joining from other country, and the picture dictionary can help them to acquire target language.
Using Microsoft Lens to take pictures of textbooks or novels and importing them directly into the Immersive Reader is a great tool to further accessibility.
Hi Sinéad,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts. Department policy does dictate that digital technologies should be integrated and embedded into teaching, learning and assessment. The ‘how’ of doing this is very often left open for individual schools to design their own solutions.
The rise of assistive technologies is breathtaking and so many resources are now there to assist our pupils. I love the AT filter and creator at the following link: https://www.ahead.ie/Discover-your-AT – this provides you with suitable assistive technologies based on the child’s needs, the devices you have access to and whether a Google or Microsoft account is in use.
Hi Joanne,
Thanks for your post and for sharing your thoughts around SSE and digital learning. I would concur that it would be pertinent for schools to consider including it as a focus prior to the subject specifications of the Primary Curriculum Framework being published. Indeed, it is now a requirement that all schools engage with the Digital Learning Framework and have a Digital Learning Plan that is reviewed annually. This plan must be drafted using the SSE process. The same will apply to the Wellbeing Policy Framework and Statement of Practice by 2025. Therefore, it would be logical for schools to choose one or both of these as their SSE focus over the coming period.
Hi Eimear,
Thanks for your post and for sharing your thoughts here. I like how you have mentioned the capacity of digital technologies to create ‘alternative engaging learning opportunities’. I always feel we should be trying to extend the learning experience for the pupils when the digital devices are being used, e.g. can they complete an online tessellation activity with virtual manipulatives, can they create a podcast to showcase learning, can they use an app like Write Reader to create a comic-style piece of report writing, etc.
In terms of getting started with planning for SSE, a number of excellent resources are available on https://www.dlplanning.ie/ These resources include sample questionnaires, focus group questions and topics, etc.
Hi Margaret,
Unfortunately the link to your One Note is not working for me. However, I think you have highlighted one of the major benefits of OneNote when you mentioned its capacity to hold Sways, Documents, PDF’s etc. The fact that it integrates with some of Microsoft’s accessibility features (such as Immersive Reader) also assists those with literacy difficulties.
You have alluded to how the teacher can add handwritten notes to student notebooks. Another feature that also can be utilised is ‘voice notes’ where audio feedback or advice can be provided to pupils.
