Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Over the past few years, I haven’t really used many Google tools in my teaching apart from Gmail for communication with staff and parents. However, recently I have been thinking more about how tools like Google Slides, Docs, and Forms could support my work with my primary class.
For example, I can see how Google Slides would be really useful for my teaching inputs. At the moment, I often use the whiteboard or printed flashcards, but creating Slides would allow me to add visuals, videos, and step-by-step explanations all in one place. This would be especially helpful for subjects like SESE and English where images and prompts make lessons more engaging.
I also think Google Docs could be great for group work or writing tasks. At the moment, pupils write in their copies and we share ideas verbally, but using Docs on tablets or Chromebooks would allow groups to work together on the same piece of writing or project in real time. This could encourage collaboration, especially for my quieter students who might prefer typing ideas rather than speaking in front of the class.
Google Forms is another tool I am keen to try. I can see how Forms could be used for quick quizzes to check understanding at the end of a lesson or even as a fun way to gather pupil voice and opinions on what topics they enjoy.
Looking ahead, I think using Slides, Docs, and Forms will support a more blended approach in my teaching. Even if I continue to prioritise hands-on, active learning in class, these tools can enhance lessons, provide variety, and help prepare my pupils for the digital skills they will need in the future. This year, I plan to start small by creating simple Slides and Forms to build my confidence in using them effectively. Then this will expand to the class creating and using the full suite of tools.
Slide on handwriting for infants, teacher notes added;
Wiliam emphasises that assessment becomes formative only when it leads to action. Reflecting on this, teachers should focus on:
Designing assessments that reveal students’ thought processes,
Using feedback to foster independent learning skills,
Ensuring AoL practices feed back into your AfL to create a responsive and supportive learning cycle.
In practice the next Steps to Improve AfL and AoL could be ;
Clarify and communicate learning intentions and success criteria daily.
Use “I can…” statements and model answers.
Let students analyse exemplars to identify quality features.
Design probing questions mid-lesson.
Use MCQs or short diagnostic tasks to decide if re-teaching is required before moving on.
Train students in peer assessment. Scaffold with sentence starters:
“One strength of your work is… One thing you could improve is…”
Integrate structured self-assessment maybe using rubrics.
Before submitting work, students check against success criteria and set a next target
Change from evaluative to descriptive feedback.
Focus on what to do next rather than how well they did.
Use summative assessment (AoL) diagnostically.
Analyse common errors to inform your subsequent teaching plans and intervention groups.
This form is for 3rd class AfL of a lesson on one of the Global goals.
Depending on responses the action taken before AoL could be;
Share results with students to build their reflection habit (e.g. “Yesterday, many of you said you wanted to know more about Goal 6, so today…”). Also to use responses to plan differentiated follow-up activities (videos, group projects, poster creation, role-play, or debates).
After reading Hallissy et al. (2013) vision in Redesigning Education, I’m focusing on collaboration as a 21st‑Century skill. The article states that learning environments should be socially rich, problem‑based spaces where students co‑create knowledge. To try to improve this, I will plan on restructuring lessons around team-based projects—for instance, class research on renewable energy where small groups collaboratively gather data, design mini-experiments, and share findings.
I’ll set clear group roles (e.g., researcher, presenter, recorder, designer) to ensure accountability. Students will use digital tools like shared slides and interactive whiteboards in Workspace to brainstorm and draft their ideas together in real time. I’ll integrate peer‑feedback : groups evaluate each other’s work using checklists and reflective prompts (e.g., “How did our communication help solve problems?”).
Link to wiki docand google form for lesson feedback.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rCzR0jLlhnpaIcukvFsctn6irXwVEk6cjTkneoNmMwY/edit?usp=sharing
I do not have access to a school domain email so cannot allow access to a demo class but have trialed maths class assignment and included rubric. Some more interesting simplifed rubrics should be included as templates, the ones available are for much older children or adults.
Benefits of Using Google Classroom;
Centralised Shared Resources
Teachers can upload lesson slides, videos, PDFs, quizzes, and links in one organised place. Pupils access materials anytime, supporting revision and independent learning. Reduces photocopying costs and organisational issues with physical resources.
Differentiation;
Teachers can assign different tasks to different pupils within the same class, based on learning needs or support plans. Enables scaffolding through uploaded sentence starters, worked examples, or video tutorials for targeted groups.
ePortfolios
Pupils build a digital portfolio over time: Uploading completed assignments, videos of oral presentations, photos of artwork, or written reflections. Supports assessment of progress over months or years, and can be shared at parent-teacher meetings or during transitions to secondary school.
Some issues however especially with primary children;
The requirement for Personal Email Accounts
Pupils generally need a Google account to access Google Classroom.
For very young children, setting up and managing personal accounts can be challenging. Also this raises data protection, privacy, and GDPR compliance concerns for under-13s if not managed under a school domain.
Pupils may struggle with password management and digital login skills at these ages. Alternatives like Seesaw or Class Dojo may provide safer, developmentally appropriate access without personal emails.The Digital Literacy Framework for Irish Primary Schools focuses on
Understanding and Using Digital Technology, Digital Learning Opportunities and
Practising Digital Responsibility. To cover all these areas across the curriculum it is important that as a teacher, I am confident in my own skills and can begin the year incorporating the use of apps and technology across the subjects and as a standard part of learning skills for students.
The basics will be the most important at first as in my experience pupils can be overwhelmed sometimes by the excitement of using devices and this can overtake the learning. setting expectations and norms at the beginning should help. My current experiences have often been that the technology or the wifi lets me and the children down all the time leading to frustration and issues around the use of the tablets or laptops. I often resort to downloaded material only. The course so far has allowed me to look at exmplars and get ideas from the forum which I will try to implement next year.
Explain Everything app
https://explaineverything.com/blog/category/schools-stories/
It is an interactive whiteboard app allowing:
Video-based explanations
Digital storytelling
Annotating images, PDFs, slides
Collaborative work on a shared canvasHaving seen it in action in a 1st class maths lesson onthe exemplars it looks like a fun app that would suit any subject for group work.
English/ Gaeilge; Pupils create animated storyboards of their narratives, recording their reading and adding illustrations.
Maths; Pupils record themselves solving word problems step by step, annotating with drawings and explaining reasoning.
SESE; Collaborative group projects where pupils create interactive presentations on a topic (e.g. Irish rivers), embedding maps, photos, and voiceovers.
To comply with and teach digital responsibility, before any project:
Discuss copyright (using own photos or royalty-free images).
Remind about privacy (no sharing personal info in recordings).
Teach ethical collaboration (respectful edits, sharing roles).