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I also like the idea of food tasting. It could broaden children’s tastebuds in an engaging and exciting way by allowing them to experiment and try different seafoods which they might not have tried before! You could even get the children to create a poster on the different nutritional benefits that different types of fish have prior to the food tasting.
I also agree with Michaela that the ARC could be used in a positive way to allow schools to teach marine education in a way which aligns with school SSE. I particularly like the idea of marine projects allowing students to engage in a hands on manner while also building curiosity about the topic.
I also agree that teaching children tools related to Aquaculture and Social License offers a valuable opportunity for children to engage in real-world learning. The use of interactive tools to do this would also further the children’s understanding of the topic. This would be particularly effective for those not surrounded by coastal areas as many children wouldn’t be exposed to such ideas and this would in turn foster curiosity in the topic of aquaculture for them.
The greenway is such a useful resource to have next to the school! The idea of eco rules is an excellent way of getting the children to implement sustainability practices into day to day life.
In my local area, there are many initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability. One of the most prominent is the Tidy Towns committee, which works hard to keep the town clean and well-maintained. There’s a strong focus on protecting the natural environment. In the local park there are numerous green spaces, and great importance is placed on planting trees and a variety of plants to support biodiversity. Some sections are left as wildflower zones where the grass isn’t cut, creating a habitat for bees and other insects.
Sustainability is actively promoted in school through recycling programs, and initiatives encouraging walking or cycling to school and through the means of getting the different green flags. Students are becoming more of aware of the need and importance to be sustainable as they are aware how their futures could be affected. Going forward I would like to make more use of the schools garden and show the ways which growing your own vegetables could be a sustainable and rewarding practice.
Seafood is a rich source of essential nutrients, including high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and essential minerals These nutrients support brain development, heart health, and overall growth, making seafood a valuable part of a balanced diet.
Reflecting on this, it becomes clear how beneficial it would be to incorporate seafood education into curriculum in Ireland in a cross curricular way. By exploring the nutritional value of seafood, students can develop an understanding of healthy eating habits while also connecting to local food traditions, especially in coastal communities. This knowledge could be applied through interactive activities like reading food labels or creating posters on the benefits of different seafood types. Such hands-on learning encourages curiosity about nutrition, promotes informed food choices, and supports the development of lifelong healthy habits in a way that is age-appropriate and relevant.
The ARC’s online lessons and resources offers a STEM rich framework that aligns with the STEM Education Policy which encourage inquiry based learning and the quizzes at the end of the lessons also allow for the gauging of understanding of the material covered.
The linking of the Salmon of Knowledge in history while also connecting it to the life cycle of the salmon would allow for integration across the curriculum and make it more interesting and relevant for the children.
With regards to the SSE process we could look at how we are teaching STEM within the school and use the ARC resources to set goals and teach in a cross curricular way as mentioned above. This would be great to get the children thinking in a critical way while also using meaningful content to do so.
Very interesting points on the various organisations that could be benefitted from the opportunities that aquaculture brings to these rural areas. I hadn’t thought about the amount of jobs that would be created indirectly through aquaculture.
Aquaculture farms in Ireland are predominantly located along the west coast, including counties like Donegal, Galway, Clare and Kerry, where sheltered bays and clean, nutrient-rich waters provide ideal growing conditions. These locations, often remote and rural, benefit greatly from aquaculture’s socio-economic contributions. The industry creates stable employment in areas with limited job opportunities, supporting both direct roles in farming and indirect roles in processing, transport, and logistics. It helps sustain local economies, reduces outmigration, and promotes generational continuity in coastal communities.
Furthermore, aquaculture can complement traditional fishing, offering a more predictable and sustainable source of income. It also encourages investment in infrastructure and skills development, potentially fostering innovation and eco-tourism. However, careful environmental management is essential to ensure long-term viability. Ultimately, aquaculture serves as a valuable economic pillar, offering coastal regions a path toward resilience and sustainable development amidst changing global and environmental pressures.
The interactive tools in Module 1 would really help students in my school connect with aquaculture in a way that’s both interesting and easy to understand. These activities could even inspire some students to think about studying or working in this field in the future.
The ARC classroom makes learning about aquaculture much more enjoyable. Because it’s hands-on and interactive, it grabs our attention and helps to learn more about how aquaculture works. Being in a landlocked county it would also be very beneficial for students from my school to engage further with aquaculture.
Learning about social licence—how we talk to the public about what’s happening in aquaculture—is also really important. It makes us think about our own values and how we can be more aware of sustainability. It also encourages us to be responsible citizens and think more deeply about the ethical side of aquaculture and how it fits into the bigger picture.
There are many ways which I hope to incorporate AI into my teaching within the future, whether that be through planning or using it as a teaching tool. The resources and tools which have been presented throughout the course are very useful. The use of a tool such as Gamma to create specific, interesting PowerPoints is something which I look forward to using. Diffit, a tool which I will definitely be using next year to create differentiated worksheets which will target the specific needs of a student. Magic school is a tool again with a huge amount of resources available which I could see myself using next year. I feel as though for myself it would suit better to slowly integrate AI and get comfortable with the use of it within the classroom by applying it in small and simple ways before taking on more challenging tasks when using Ai with my students.
The lesson which I chose to create was one with a basic use of Ai to allow myself and the children to get comfortable with the use of it.
Title: Exploring France Through Reports
Objective: To develop students report writing skills by creating informative reports about France and to introduce students to the concept of using AI tools for research and content generation.
Learning Outcomes:
· Identify key features of a report.
· Gather relevant information about France.
· Write a well-structured report using appropriate language.
Introduction: (15mins)
Begin with an engaging question or image related to France. For example, show a picture of the Eiffel Tower and ask students what they know about France. Discuss what a report is and its purpose. Explain that they will be writing a report about France.
Development: (35 mins)
Research Using AI:
Introduce students to AI tools (e.g., search engines, language models) and explain how they can assist in gathering information. Demonstrate how to use an AI tool to search for facts about France (e.g., historical landmarks, culture, geography).Students can work in pairs or individually to explore France using AI. Encourage critical thinking and evaluation of search results.
Content Gathering:
Provide students with a list of topics related to France (e.g., cuisine, famous cities, landmarks, history).Using AI-generated information, students collect facts and details about their chosen topic.
Report Structure:
Discuss the structure of a report: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Show examples of well-organized reports (you can use the AI-generated examples from the resources). Guide students in creating an outline for their reports.
Conclusion: (25 mins)
Writing Time:
Students write their reports about France, incorporating the information they gathered. Encourage descriptive language and varied sentence structures. Remind them to use headings, subheadings, and bullet points.
Peer Review:
Students exchange reports with a partner for feedback. Emphasize constructive feedback on clarity, organization, and language use.
Assessment: Assess students’ reports based on content accuracy, organization, language, and creativity. Use a rubric to evaluate their work.
Differentiation Strategies: Provide additional support for struggling students during the research phase. Offer extension activities (e.g., comparing France to another country) for advanced learners.
Resources:
AI search engines (e.g., Bing, Google).
AI-generated examples of reports (showcased during the lesson)An AI application which I would like to further explore in the coming school year is the use of Chat GPT. I found it very interesting that AI could be used to allow students to analyse bias. This could be completed in numerous topics across the curriculum. It would be an engaging way to demonstrate to students how bias can be created from the perspective with which an article/piece is written. For example, if looking at the Famine, students could determine bias of a letter written from a person emigrating Ireland by boat and another letter written from the perspective of an English person witnessing Irish arrive into their country. It would be interesting to allow the students to compare the excerpts.This could also be very topical and would be an interesting way to explore current world news.
This module has been really beneficial and I feel as though there are many different tools which I could see myself implementing within my teaching for the coming year.
The use of Gamma for creating interesting PowerPoints and presenting ideas is exciting. I particularly like the way which you can edit the information to suit the audience which it is being presented to. It is definitely a resource I will be sharing with other teachers who wish to present information in an exciting, unique way.
Diffit is such a useful resource which could be so useful. It can sometimes be difficult to find/create differentiated tasks on a particular topic which suit all children within a class. Even within SET, I feel as though Diffit would be super beneficial. It allows for the creation of meaningful tasks which are appropriate to the specific needs of the student.
Speaker coach is another tool which would be very useful for students. Some students can find presenting their ideas in front of the whole class as daunting. The use of Speaker coach to assist them with their pace, while also keeping them on topic would be very helpful when completing a presentation in front of the class. I like the way it gives you immediate feedback and suggestions for improvements.
The use of Twee along with Youtube seems like such a useful resource. It is a great way to generate questions rather than having to watch the video multiple times and pause to create your own questions. I could see it being a real time saver going forward.
Having taught in Second class and as a SET in the last couple of years I feel as though AI would be very useful for my students across the curriculum. Having had students who often struggle with reading due to dyslexia, I feel as though the Immersive reading tool would be very useful in both the mainstream classroom and SET. The SET teacher could show the children how to use the Immersive reader correctly and this in turn would make the child’s life easier. The idea of changing the colour background, adjusting reading speed and using the specific line to line reading could be greatly beneficial to students. While the Immersive reader would be useful, it should also be used in accordance with scientific based reading programmes and not replace teaching methods which are already in use.
Teaching in a rural school, a challenge which could arise would be the access to tablets for the children to use. Ensuring these tablets have access to the AI platforms required could also be an issue due to budget constraints.
Module 1 has enlightened me with regards to the uses of AI within the classroom and reformed my opinion around some of the stigma’s which are associated with AI in general. It is clear from the uses of AI within the module that it could be used to dramatically improve a certain aspect of a teachers teaching which they themselves might not be confident with. E.g. Creating images for art ideas. AI can be used to create engaging and personalised lessons for the needs of the students within the class. AI could also be used when focusing on a particular topic in SESE, again it could be used to generate ideas for planning lessons and activities, similarly to what was being used within the module with the Fake News pieces and ideas.