[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Derek,

Thanks for your post and for providing such a clear overview on a number of ways in which Google Classroom can be used for a ‘flipped classroom’ approach. It’s also good that you have had the opportunity to identify some of the limitations or challenges in using Google Classroom – I find another limitation can be its functionality on tablet devices – it is certainly far easier to use it on a Chromebook or web browser on a Windows/Mac device.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Derek,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your thoughts on the ‘Redesigning Education’ paper. You have highlighted the way the paper identified various barriers to digital integration in schools. Despite the paper being a decade old, it could be argued that many of the same barriers remain, despite multiple government strategies. Some of the collaborative learning experiences that focus on project-based work are exactly what is required to develop these 21st century skills in children.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Leona,

Welcome to the course. Thank you for your contribution here. As you have pointed out, the interconnected and interlinked nature of these themes make them really important for children to explore. Being able to apply these themes to aspects of their own lives can be a really powerful way of creating a sense of empathy for those who have struggles associated with some of these themes. Issues like gender stereotyping and global inequalities will be explored later in the course in greater detail, which should allow you to explore these thoughts and comments further.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Desmond,

Thank you for your post and for your participation throughout the course. You have provided us with a comprehensive lesson outline for using AI to enhance the teaching of some of the traditional SESE subjects – combining the use of both Chat GPT and Dall-E is particularly notable. Your post shows a keen awareness of the different ways in which AI technology can be used to enhance teaching and learning, and I wish you the very best for the coming school year. Hopefully, you’ll be able to implement some of the ideas and content from this course.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Mary,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts here. You have raised a variety of interesting points in relation to Cosán. I fully agree with you regarding the commitment to lifelong learning that is required within the profession. Teaching is a profession which very much mirrors societal changes, and as such is constantly undergoing change and reform to respond to societal needs. As such, it’s really important that we are agile and willing to engage in professional development that will allow us to adapt our practice.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Derek,

Welcome to the course and thank you for your post here. I hope you found some of the content within the Google Teachers Centre useful for you. You have chosen a very good example from the Applied Digital Skills section. I have loved incorporating Google Drawings into teaching and learning in recent years. It can both be used to develop student design skills, and as teacher to create a variety of ‘drag and drop’ or labelling teacher designed tasks and assessments.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Rachel,

Welcome to the course and thank you for sharing your thoughts on development education and the different ways you think it could be integrated within the classroom and curriculum. Many of the points you have raised, such as developing critical thinking and fostering empathy are key aims of the new draft curricula and departmental publications, such as the Wellbeing Framework. This points to development education themes having a key place in the classroom going forward.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Muireann,

Thank you for your post and for sharing some insights into the work completed in Tralee by that organisation. You are right when you say schools can be key drivers in getting messages out and collecting resources/supplies for those who are in need. Schools generally have access to families from a range of backgrounds, interests and socio-economic status, which makes them an ideal place for seeking help, resources, etc. for those in the greatest need.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Maire,

Thanks for your post and for your engagement throughout the course. There are many similarities between the Google and Microsoft education offerings, and both have areas they are really strong in. You are correct to highlight the lack of basic skills students may have, despite the fact they may be spending lots of time on devices. Chromebooks are an excellent classroom tool, and offer serious ‘bang for book’. Once you are up and running with the use of Google Classroom, I am confident that you won’t look back and hopefully you’ll be able to apply some of the ideas from throughout the course.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Sinéad,

Thank you for your comprehensive post here and for your engagement throughout the course. I like how you have been able to use the SETT model as a starting point for planning targeted interventions for a 5th class pupil. As you have said, Immersive Reader is hugely flexible and can be used to allow a child to keep up with the remainder of their class, especially if their need is a specific literacy difficulty like dyslexia. Often, children with dyslexia can be highly adept orally and have strong listening comprehension skills, but meet the barrier of not being able to access content that requires a high reading level. The way you have described using assistive technologies would be a great way to ensure this pupil participates fully and reaches their own potential.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Brendan,

Thank you for your post. I think the frustration you have explained for a child who is struggling to read content at a similar level to his/her peers is something we all have experienced. You can feel the frustration, and wish there was more you could do to remove these barriers. I like the way you have suggested using Office Lens and Immersive Reader to focus on one line at a time. Often, large swathes of text can be off-putting for a child with literacy difficulties and breaking it down into smaller chunks can make it much more accessible in itself.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Sinéad,

Absolutely no problem at all. It’s likely that a Word document or website would be used to enable the Immersive Reader technology. There’s no need to attach it  – a couple of sentences explaining how it could be used for pupils with SEN is more than sufficient given the detail you have out into part 2 of the response.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Ciara,

Thank you for your post here and for your engagement throughout the course. Cork is an area that really does get hit hardest by extreme weather, particularly rainfall in Ireland. It’s likely that children will have heard their parents speak of people they know whose homes and/or businesses have been destroyed by flood waters. This will really hammer home the negative impacts of these extreme events and the importance of taking steps to reduce these and ensure they are less commonplace than they have been in recent years. You have provided three suggestions that are very achievable and will get the whole school community involved in efforts to reduce waste and become more sustainable.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Odhrán,

Thank you for your post. As you have referred to, we are all very lucky to be living in a prosperous nation such as Ireland. However, you are very right to highlight that inequality is not something that is pigeon holed into certain corners of the world. Inequality exists in Ireland, and children are coming to school from many different backgrounds. Reducing inequalities, locally as well as globally, is an excellent focus for children to have.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Mary,

Thank you for your post. I am sorry to hear of the unfortunate diagnosis of the child you have mentioned and wish him/her a full recovery. It is fortunate that we have so many useful assistive tools that can help bridge the gap for children with SEN and/or those who miss significant periods of school due to health concerns. Many people on the forum have spoken about the benefits of Immersive Reader, and I’m delighted you have also honed in on Dictate. I often describe this as the inverse of Immersive Reader, and can be really transformative in helping children with literacy difficulties get their thoughts down in writing.

[Author]

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