[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Emma,

Welcome to the course and congratulations/best of luck with your new role. As Pat has alluded to in his post, the Google v Microsoft debate is very much subjective. In my experience, I have huge time for the Google Workspace products and feel they bring so much to the classroom. However, this opinion has been formed through experience of using the products – when I joined my school, the G-Suite license had already been secured and we were using the email function. Had the O365 license been secured by my predecessor, my opinion and approach may be very different.

I do really like the One Note function of Microsoft, of which there is no real Google alternative. However, I actually feel like Google Sites and Drawings are better tools than the likes of Sway. However, once again this is clouded by more use of Google products.

The streamlined and consistent approach that you have mentioned in your post is so important. Once a platform ahs been decided upon, it’s important to commit to using that. It’s a challenging role and there are/will be many frustrating days, but it is a huge responsibility and can bring great satisfaction.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Diarmuid,

Thank you for your post – I really think it encapsulates all that is great about using Google Classroom. The variety of approaches you could use are very well outlined in your post. The ability to attach links, files, YouTube links, etc. really helps to create a ‘one stop shop’ for children. It guides them towards valuable educational content, and can cut down on time spent researching. In addition to this, it lends itself so easily to differentiation – extra content and sources can be provided for higher achievers and it can lead to far more ‘self-paced’ learning.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Mary,

Welcome to the course and thank you so much for sharing your valuable experience of the use of OneDrive. The use of a cloud platform such as this is now so important in our schools, and is thought of as such within the ‘Teacher’s Collective and Collaborative Practice’ domain in Looking at Our Schools (2016).

Your post highlights how effectively you are using digital technologies, and you should be commended for this. I find all teachers, regardless of age or experience, can be reluctant to fully embrace the use of digital technologies. However, none of this is a barrier if you are willing to explore new approaches. The TPACK Framework speaks to this when it acknowledges the importance of 3 areas: technological knowledge, content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Samantha,

Unfortunately, the access on the attached document was set to private. However, I can follow from your post that you have allowed for the use of a number of the Google Workspace products to promote collaboration.

Indeed, this could be taken a step further and the children could collaborate on formulating some ‘I wonder ….’ questions based on the investigation that they have completed. This really feeds into an inquiry based pedagogy that would allow the children to change either the conditions or a variable in the test. The Google products could then be used to record and communicate your results, and any deductions/conclusions that you were able to draw.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Eimear,

Thanks for your post – the challenge the you face in your school is relatively unique and one that I would not be familiar with. It’s interesting the observations that you have noted regarding the loss of eye contact, etc. The activity you have described would be very effective at ‘forcing’ everyone in the class to open up and develop their communication skills. Doing this in a friendly, non-overbearing way is very helpful for those children who may be reluctant to share opinions and thoughts in a whole-class situation.

The issue of ‘screen time’ is an interesting one – some parents in our 2022/2023 DLF surveys noted concerns around this. However, the question must be raised about whether ‘screen time’ on school devices researching and creating curricular content is having an adverse effect, or if it is the passive scrolling on Smartphones, YouTube and video games? It’s certainly an interesting topic, and I’m sure there’s a thesis in it!

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Orla,

I fully agree with your point around Microsoft Forms being a superior alternative to Kahoot! While Kahoot! is very enjoyable for the children, I have my doubts about the reliability of the assessment data gathered from it. The time-bound element encourages children to rush, and the fact that they are simply pressing a colour can lead to errors. Forms offers a much simpler interface, where the emphasis is placed on allowing the child to showcase their knowledge on a topic in a non-competitive manner. As such, the data can be relied upon when making decisions that inform future teaching and learning.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Elaine,

Thank you for your detailed post here. You have gone to great lengths to explain a wide range of helpful apps that you use in a special class setting. It is certainly a post I plan to save myself and refer back to. I am sure many others on this forum will feel the same.

You have also contributed a valuable piece on SSE and the Digital Learning Framework from the perspective of school management. With specific reference to the DLF, I feel it’s prudent to choose a statement of practice from both dimensions (teaching and learning / leadership and management). While it is an extra undertaking, I feel it pays off in terms of advancing the school further down the digital path.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Samantha,

Thanks for your post. The ability for children to work collaboratively on documents, slideshows, etc. is a real draw of the Google Workspace products. Being able to see what changes were made (and by who) also brings accountability into the equation.

There are two ways in which pupils can be added to your class – this can be done by sharing the class code with students to join themselves or by inviting them by email (hit the person button on the right of the empty class list). This can be done in September when you have your class list and the kids are ready to go.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Laura,

‘Small steps, as your post mentions really is the important thing. I’ve mentioned the importance of this in response to Amanda above, but it cannot be understated. Securing these early ‘wins’ and getting people to see some small benefits and perks of the switch to Office365 is all you will need to get momentum going in this direction.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Gail,

You are correct in your summation of the importance of children being able to communicate and the centrality of ‘skilled communication’ to 21st century work. The story you have shared is extremely interesting in itself – it really doesn’t paint 1st or 2nd level education in the greatest light (obviously many other societal factors are also at play). You have suggested an excellent activity for developing on your current practice. Here, the children can be grouped by similar interests which should spark a deeper level of conversation and communication. Practice presenting in front of the group is also a very import skill.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Elaine,

You have certainly outlined the main benefits of OneNote and highlight the ‘utopia’ for its use within a school. It is an amazing resource with so many amazing features and it really lends itself to becoming a ‘digital staffroom’. The challenge lies in getting buy-in and ensuring that all staff view it as the ‘go to’ for information and for sharing relevant content.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Niall,

Thanks for sharing and creating your Sway. It is a brilliant resource that can provide an interactive and engaging way for pupils to showcase work, and for communicating items to members of the school community. The idea of using this for the creation of a book that can be shared with children in younger classes is a lovely idea. Pre-Covid, we used to do a lot of cross-age peer tutoring and it was great experience for the older children, especially those who may have a shy disposition. It’s also something that the younger children love, and I’m sure listening to these great stories would be memorable for them.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Laura,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. The colour coding can be an effective accessibility tool. Another effective tool to assist dyslexic learners is to change the background colour of the document to yellow. This can be easily done through the page setup settings. While it is proven to help those with specific learning difficulties, it does no harm to any learner and is generally well received by all pupils.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Amanda,

The key point you have made in your post relates to the importance of ‘small steps’. While a few giant leaps may be the ideal scenario, the only way that we will be able to bring everybody along with us is through small, incremental steps. I understand how difficult it may be to get buy-in to move from Seesaw to Teams. Perhaps, you could outline the advantages of the Office 365 offering and the way in which it overcomes the limitations of Seesaw. It may also be useful to bring Teams in on a trial basis for 6th class next year, 5th the following year and so on. This may help scaffold the change and ensure that it is not pushed on people with little notice?

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Elaine,

Welcome to the course. As a special school teacher I am excited to see what insights and tips you can offer throughout the course. You have correctly pointed out the usefulness of the Immersive Reader functionality in a special class setting. Indeed, it is a really useful tool for all children with literacy difficulties.

Using the QR code generator to access Forms is a real handy time-saver if the children are using tablets. A quick time-saver for creating a QR code for any web address is to use the Chrome browser and hit the share icon on the far right of the address bar. ‘Create QR Code’ will be one of the options on the drop-down menu.

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