[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Colm,

Thanks for this post and welcome to the course. You are correct to point out the links between local and global issues, and development education is a great cross-curricular tool which can be a vehicle for developing these skills in our children. I really like how you have highlighted such a variety of subject areas in which you would integrate development education themes. This is key to its success – it is not something that is necessarily a ‘standalone lesson’, but rather something that permeates so much of what we do and builds in a gradual and incremental fashion.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Aine,

Thanks for sharing these thoughts with us here. I think what people often don’t realise is the impact that global actions can have locally, with the same working vice versa. The reference to the ESD to 2030 is interesting – would it be possible to share some more about Priority Action Area 5, or the link to the document, for those on the forum who may like to learn more on this?

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Alan,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. I agree that a template deck can be a really god starting point and teaching tool. Whilst allowing children free reign to design and create their own presentation may be useful, it can often be overwhelming for some who may struggle to get started, or others who become overly focused on the aesthetics over content. Your suggestion would also make assessment of the piece of work much more manageable. Having a space where a selected image would go/a small text box for a certain theme can allow you to ascertain at a glance whether the children have achieved the learning goals of the lesson/unit and allow you to plan next steps accordingly.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Sinead,

Your post has really hit on a wider point that many children (and adults alike) are guilty of. Checking the validity and reliability of information is essential. We can all too often believe things that we see or read all too quickly. Indeed, social media algorithms can often lead us down this path. Rumours often begin to circulate and are forwarded/shared and become recognised as truth. Teaching children from an early age about the importance of checking information, analysing whether it seems plausible and identifying ways in which to corroborate information is so important for learners to become ethical and responsible users of AI and other technologies.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Margaret,

Thank you for your post and welcome to the course. It’s great to hear that you have had such a positive experience of using AI to assist you in your work over the last year. I would often say that AI tools (like Chat GPT) will give many good ideas and suggestions, but also provide a number of unworkable and non-developmentally appropriate suggestions, The role of the teacher is to use our knowledge of the subject area, pedagogical approaches and the children in our class/caseload to select the most appropriate ones for our context – in some cases small tweaks may also help. Other AI tools which you will see during this course may be beneficial for creating more aesthetically pleasing classroom resources to go with the language outputs.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for your contribution here. I was listening to a researcher arguing around ‘important’ things for young learners to know in 2026 and how the dial has shifted so much in recent times. Skills like spelling and arithmetic, whilst undoubtedly still important, probably don’t carry the same weight they may have years ago. Advances in technology mean full mastery of these skills is not fully essential for functioning in work/education. However, discernible skills such as ethical use of AI, critically analysing sources for credibility and data literacy are areas we really need to master to function in the workplaces and education centres of the future. What’s so important, and you have alluded to it in your post, is that this is done in an age and developmentally appropriate manner.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Shane,

Thank you for providing this overview. What strikes me is how you have managed to use a collection of AI tools to create learning experiences on the same theme across different curricular areas. In doing so, you have also been able to account for different needs in your class through the creation of comprehension pieces, which can be differentiated to suit the children you tech. Being able to create this so seamlessly through a couple of carefully constructed prompts really shows the power of AI and the potential it has for assisting teacher workload and improving learner experiences.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Claudia,

Thank you for your post. What strikes me around the benefits of AI tools that you have identified is how well they link with the principles of UDL. By creating engaging visual presentations, you are adding a layer of both representation and engagement, very much in keeping with Tom Tobin’s ‘plus one’ approach. Of course, the access to devices is essential for children to engage with these tools, but you have shown how one teacher device and account can be used to create a more engaging and accessible learning environment.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Orla,

Thank you for your comments and for sharing your Forms quiz with us. This is a perfect example of a quick and easy to complete assessment. If this assessment was distributed through Google Classroom, the grades would automatically import and you could get an insight into individual performances and compare this to class averages, etc. For classes without Google accounts, question 1 could be a drop down menu where they select their own name to enable you to keep track of how each child is doing.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Michelle,

Thanks for this overview. It is clear that you have started with a specific child and need in mind and used your knowledge of digital and assistive tools to create a plan to assist them. The literacy support is particularly effective as the assistive tools chosen allow them to participate in both reading and writing lessons, while working on oral language development in the process.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Catherine,

Thank you for your post. You raised an interesting point when you discussed the framework in the context of the ‘array of tools available’. There really are so many digital tools that can be used to enhance accessibility in the classroom. However, this can often be overwhelming and ineffective for both the teacher and child. The SETT Framework allows us to think of the child in question and plan based around their needs. In essence, we are starting with the child and thinking about whether the assistive tools at our disposal will help them specifically.  Starting with the child rather than the tool really is the key.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Rina,

Thank you for your post here and for sharing your thoughts on Scratch. It’s important that children have the opportunity to first learn and explore at a basic level like you have mentioned – Scratch Jr. can be a really nice introductory tool on iPad for younger children. There are also a range of manuals available for going through a step-by-step process of how the interface works and what each of the controls/sprites can use and are something I would have always leaned into in the introductory weeks.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Padraig,

Thanks for your post here. I think you have hit on an important point regarding children being aware of their own abilities, and how the learning is matched to these. Even very young children are perceptive and can pick up on subtle changes in routine, etc. Children generally know when they are having difficulty with something, when other people are picking something up quicker than them, etc. I think this is something that should be encouraged and being able to verbalise and articulate this can allow us to picot and change the speed of our instruction to match the needs of the children. Your suggestions around using Diffit to achieve this are very good.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Grace,

Thanks for your post. I think it highlights the diversity of climate related problems throughout our small country, and how this translate to a much wider global scale. Air quality is certainly an issue in our biggest cities, and is something that is mirrored in large cities across the world. Raising awareness around the pollution of cars is important – it’s interesting to see the congestion charges in London and how these are tiered depending on your proximity to the city centre – however, I suppose improvements to public transport need to be made before it is feasible to introduce something similar here.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Aisling,

I think you have made some really interesting points about being able to tap into the interests of children – this is something we constantly here as being the main starting point when planning for teaching and learning. However, sourcing information and content on niche subjects can be quite challenging – AI makes all of this so much easier. Even in terms of sourcing material that will be challenging enough for those with higher academic abilities is much more plausible now, and won’t cause a huge increase in our workload. While AI can help when planning and preparing lessons, it can’t help us in relating to the children and forging those trusting relationships that are key to ensuring learning does happen, meaning our jobs are certainly safe!

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