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As I look ahead to the new school year, I’m excited to make much greater use of Google Workspace tools to support both in-class and blended learning. Having spent time building confidence with these platforms, I now see how powerful they can be—not just for delivering content, but for enhancing engagement, organisation, and independent learning.
One area I’m particularly looking forward to developing is the use of Google Slides to create short, interactive digital stories. These can be used across different subjects—especially in literacy and SESE—to make learning more visual, student-led, and accessible. Students can click through content, respond to questions, and even choose pathways in a story. I see this being useful both in the classroom and as a follow-up activity at home.
Google Classroom will be central to how I manage learning going forward. I plan to use it to assign tasks, post resources, and share templates that guide students clearly through activities. The ability to “make a copy for each student” saves so much time and ensures everyone starts with the same structure. It’s also a great tool for providing private feedback and tracking progress over time.
Overall, Google Workspace offers a flexible, inclusive way to support blended learning. Going forward, it will play a key role in helping me differentiate tasks, support student voice, and stay organised in a job-share setting.
Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more! I was in the same boat—comfortable with the basics of Google Docs and Slides, but had no idea how much more efficient things could be with just a few tweaks. Like you, I always had students start with a blank document, but using templates has been a total game changer. It gives students structure right from the start and takes the guesswork out of tasks. Plus, using “make a copy for each student” in Google Classroom has streamlined everything—I’m not chasing lost files. It’s great to discover how helpful these tools can be when used well!
As I will be job sharing this year, I want to ensure that I can connect with each student as quickly and meaningfully as possible, even with less face-to-face time. To help with this, I’ll be using a Google Forms survey at the start of September to get to know my students on a deeper level from day one.
The survey will ask students about their interests, hobbies, and what they enjoy doing outside of school. It will also include questions about their dislikes, subjects or activities they find challenging, and areas in school where they feel most confident. This insight will help me better understand how to support them individually in the classroom and tailor lessons to engage them more effectively.
By using Google Forms, I can quickly collect and review student responses in one place, making it easy to spot trends and individual needs. This approach will also allow me to adapt my teaching to suit different learning styles and build positive relationships with students early on, despite the shared teaching schedule. The form will be used to guide initial interactions, classroom planning, and to help create a more supportive and inclusive learning environment from the very beginning of the school year.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1c69wQVANTI0_8hVkLfeBBdyIKmGKxHmijgoneoJfClk/edit
Absolutely, I agree. Using Google Forms to collect student feedback on anti-bullying is an effective and thoughtful strategy. It not only highlights areas needing attention but also empowers students by giving them a voice. Regularly running these surveys shows real commitment to improvement and ensures the Bí Cineálta policy stays relevant and grounded. It’s a strong step toward creating a supportive school environment.
After reading Redesigning Education: Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century (Hallissy et al., 2013), I’ve been thinking more about how we can help younger learners build the skills they’ll need in the future. One key skill I’m focusing on is critical thinking—helping children to ask questions, solve problems, and make good decisions.
In my classroom, I want children to become confident thinkers who don’t just look for the “right answer,” but explore why something happens or how something works. To support this, I’ve created a Google Doc where I’ve planned fun, age-appropriate activities like mystery stories, “what if” questions, and mini science investigations. We’ll practice thinking deeply, working in small groups, and explaining our ideas clearly.
One activity includes reading a short story and asking, “What could the character have done differently?” or “Was that a good choice?” These kinds of discussions help pupils start thinking for themselves.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dSQbNJdTk2qTQOeX43wh_E_h3U2GOkbFJkIFaXjwGvs/edit?tab=t.0
I love this idea. The children will love getting outdoors and having the freedom to take photographs. I know from my own class sending in videos on seesaw, that they love watching each others work/videos, so watching each others presentations on google slides will go down very well (especially if adding in voices too).
https://classroom.google.com/u/1/c/NzcwNzM3NjM1ODI5
Google Classroom can absolutely serve as an effective platform for implementing a flipped classroom approach. Teachers can upload and organize instructional materials like videos, slideshows, and web links. These materials can be assigned ahead of class, allowing students to access the content anytime. The likes of Google Docs, Slides and Forms make it easy to create and share the learning content. Teachers can also embed quizzes via Google Forms to assess understanding. Another element is the fact that students can work at their own pace, which is crucial for a flipped model. The comments and private messages feature allows students to ask questions outside of the classroom which might suit those less confident. Teachers can also track who has viewed or completed assignments, making sure students are engaging with the content.
Google Classroom can be a highly effective platform for implementing a flipped classroom approach.I’ve chosen a resource from Google’s Applied Digital Skills—specifically, the “Back to School” unit, which offers video‑based lessons helping students express themselves, manage their time, and learn essential digital skills. In September I would adapt tasks like “Create a summer holiday photo journal” to include links to Irish landmarks (Cliffs of Moher, Dublin Zoo). You could incorporate multilingual support -students whose first language isn’t English can draft their journal in their home language, then translate it into English or Irish. Encourage students to interview family and share a short snippet about their summer experience via Google Slides—helping develop digital presentation. Use built‑in accessibility tools in Chromebook/Docs—like live captions and voice typing—so all learners, including those with additional needs, can fully participate.
Lots of interesting points made in the back to school guide.
https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gfe_back_to_school_guide_21.pdf
I’ve chosen a resource from Google’s Applied Digital Skills—specifically, the “Back to School” unit, which offers video‑based lessons helping students express themselves, manage their time, and learn essential digital skills. In September I would adapt tasks like “Create a summer holiday photo journal” to include links to Irish landmarks (Cliffs of Moher, Dublin Zoo). You could incorporate multilingual support – students whose first language isn’t English can draft their journal in their home language, then translate it into English or Irish. Encourage students to interview family and share a short snippet about their summer experience via Google Slides—helping develop digital presentation. Use built‑in accessibility tools in Chromebook/Docs—like live captions and voice typing—so all learners, including those with additional needs, can fully participate.
Lots of interesting points made in the back to school guide.
https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gfe_back_to_school_guide_21.pdf
I really like the idea of using The Google Drawings activity “Design a poster about you”. My current class was split and mixed to make three new classes next year. I think this would be a lovely start of year activity for the new classes to get to really know each other. Pupils getting to choose to present or have their work shared on their behalf sounds ideal for children getting to know each other. A class gallery would allow the children to see what interests and hobbies are within their new class and who they have lots in common with or indeed it might allow them found out something new that they never knew about their friends before.