[Keith Doherty]

Hi Eileen,

I think choosing digital literacy is a really good idea given the new changes to the curriculum and our curriculum enactment time over the next few years!

I think AI will really help with some elements of sse in the future.

Keith

[Keith Doherty]

For my SSE focus, I would like to look at well-being across the school, including both pupil and staff well-being. I think this is an important area to review as the well-being of pupils and staff can have a significant impact on the overall school environment, relationships and learning. As a new principal, I also think it is important to ensure that staff feel supported, valued and have an opportunity to contribute their views.
As part of the SSE process, I would gather evidence through pupil and staff questionnaires, conversations, observations and feedback at staff meetings. I would also look at attendance, behaviour and other relevant school information. This would help us identify strengths as well as areas where improvements could be made.
My planned actions would be based on the evidence gathered. These could include developing opportunities for pupils to discuss well-being, reviewing existing well-being initiatives and identifying practical ways to support staff workload and well-being. I would then review the impact of these actions and use the findings to plan our next steps.

[Keith Doherty]

Hi Marguerite,

I actually did something very similar. I find canva to be great in general, displays is something that I’ve never been great with. It really helps me to put my ideas onto a poster!

Keith

[Keith Doherty]

I used the Canva agent to create a teaching resource for my 5th class as part of our Mathematics curriculum, focusing on place value. I wanted to create something that was visually engaging and could be used to support pupils in understanding and practising the topic.
Before using the resource, I checked the content carefully to make sure that the mathematical information was accurate and appropriate for the class level. I also compared it with the learning outcomes in the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum. I used some of the activities and visual elements suggested by the agent, but I adapted parts of the resource to better suit the needs and abilities of my pupils. I rejected some of the content where it did not directly support the learning intentions or was not suitable for the class.

One important professional boundary is that I would never enter personal or sensitive pupil information into an AI tool. I think the Canva agent added value by saving time and giving me new ideas, but professional judgement was still needed.
I also think Copilot prebuilt agents could support SSE by helping staff analyse school data, identify areas for improvement and organise evidence. They could help us identify common barriers to learning and support the development and review of our SSE targets.

[Keith Doherty]

I found that using M365 Copilot to create practical classroom tasks was useful, particularly when trying to make lessons more engaging for pupils. One of the main barriers to learning is that pupils have different levels of ability, confidence and prior knowledge. Copilot helped me to create activities that could be adapted more easily for different groups within the class. I also found that using games and problem-solving activities helped to increase pupil engagement and gave pupils a different way of approaching the learning.

However, I found that the AI-generated resources still needed to be checked and adjusted before using them in the classroom. Some activities were too difficult for certain pupils, while others did not provide enough challenge. I would therefore use Copilot as a starting point rather than relying on the resources without modification.

I also think Learning Accelerators and the accessibility features within M365 could have a useful role in SSE. They could help us identify barriers to learning, monitor pupil progress and support more inclusive teaching practices across the school. This could provide useful evidence when evaluating how effectively we are meeting the needs of all pupils.

[Keith Doherty]

Hi Mark,

I think this is a great idea. I might do a very similar thing myself.

Linking the tools with SSE is a really good idea also I think. I wouldn’t have thought of that.

Keith

[Keith Doherty]

Hi Declan,

I think your class will really enjoy these lessons on volcanoes. I might do a similar set of lessons with my own class!

Keith

[Keith Doherty]

I used AI to create a place value series of lessons for 5th class. I found the standard of lesson to be pretty good. They were reasonably fun and engaging. They had included a few games which I hadn’t come across before, I think the children in my class would enjoy them.

However, I then asked it to create a problem solving worksheet that was in the form of a crossword, whete numbers would relate to letters. It really struggled with this. But I do appreciate it was a complex ask.

The adjustment I would make is to ensure that all of the content objectives listed in the new primary maths curriculum.

I would definitely use AI again to create some lesson plans. I liked how clear they were overall. I think they could be very handy if someone was absent for a period of time unexpectedly and hadn’t left notes for a sub.

[Keith Doherty]

Hi Lorna,

I think using AI with and ASD group could be incredibly helpful. You can create specific work based around the topics which may be of massive interest to the child. You can then also have it pitched to their level which is excellent. Sometimes it can be hard to get resources which are both of interest and appropriately pitched when dealing with children with ASD

[Keith Doherty]

 

• how AI can support teaching

AI can be very useful for experienced teachers, through AI experienced teachers can create pieces of differentiated work while using their professional oversight to identify any discrepancies or inaccuracies which can and do still occur with AI

Policy work or planning etc can also be streamlined and completed far more efficiently through AI also. Helping to allow teachers to have more time to focus on ttheir teaching rather than typing endless plans.

• One benefit and one limitation

one clear benefit of AI is its ability to gather appropriate resources and research quickly. Saving hours of time trawling through google.

 

A limitation of Ai however is that for as human it seems at times it is not. It can become very obsessed with trivial things and references to education acts etc. it can take the human/ common sense out of things.

• How you will ensure pupils remain the ones doing the thinking

By being familiar with not only the abilities of AI but also the pupils in your class, you should be able to identify when AI is being used. But also by being teaching them  about AI and helping the children to prioritise their own learning.

I used copilot to help me to write and design a couple of Differentiated reading comprehension activities on Ancient Rome. I will get the children to complete these when we return to school.

[Author]

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