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I completely agree with what you said. I particularly like your idea of adding a “Quiz Questions” section, as it encourages pupils to think about the topic in more depth and demonstrate their understanding in their own way. I also agree that Google Forms is a really useful assessment tool, as it gives you quick feedback on pupils’ learning. It is great to see how the different Google Workspace tools can be used together to create engaging and differentiated lessons. I have also found that using these tools makes planning and assessment more manageable, and I can see myself making much more use of them in the classroom next school year.
For a 6th Class group project, I would use Google Workspace to make the activity more inclusive for all pupils. The activity would involve researching a topic and creating a group presentation using Google Slides. A barrier I would like to reduce is the difficulty some pupils have with reading, writing, organising their ideas, or speaking in front of the class. These difficulties can sometimes prevent pupils from fully participating in group work. Google Docs could be used to provide shared planning templates, allowing pupils to contribute ideas in different ways. Google Slides would allow pupils to add text, images, videos and audio, giving them different ways to demonstrate their learning. I could use Google Classroom to provide instructions and resources in advance, helping pupils who need extra processing time. Pupils could also use speech-to-text and accessibility features when completing written work.
This approach would give every pupil a meaningful role and allow them to demonstrate their learning using their individual strengths.I really like your focus on making assessment more meaningful and student-centred. The idea of moving assessment from something that is simply done to students towards something they actively participate in is particularly relevant. I also think the use of digital portfolios could be very effective, especially for students who may find traditional written assessments challenging.
Using Google Sites, Slides and Drive to collect different types of evidence such as photographs, audio recordings and reflections would give a much broader picture of each student’s progress. Forms and Sheets could also make it easier for staff to record and analyse assessment information consistently across the school.For my School Self-Evaluation (SSE) focus, I would like to look at the development of skills in SESE (Social, Environmental and Scientific Education). In particular, I would focus on skills such as observing, questioning, predicting, investigating, recording and communicating findings. I think these skills are important as they allow pupils to become more active and independent learners rather than simply learning facts.
Google Forms could be used to gather pupil voice and assess pupils’ confidence in using different SESE skills. I could create a short questionnaire asking pupils how confident they feel when carrying out investigations, working as part of a group, making predictions and explaining their findings. Google Classroom could also be used to share tasks and collect digital evidence of pupils’ work.
The digital evidence gathered could include pupil questionnaires.I really like your example of how you could use the Brainstorm Gem with your Rang 2 class. Using it to create differentiated vocabulary lists and picture-supported prompts could be a great way of supporting pupils with different communication and learning needs. I also think it is important that you highlighted the need to check and adapt the Gem’s suggestions rather than using them without reviewing them.
Your point about keeping pupil information private is particularly important when using AI in an educational setting. I can see how a Gem could save time when planning while still allowing the teacher to use their professional judgement to make sure activities are appropriate for individual pupils.I used the Brainstorm Gem with upper primary classes to help generate ideas for pupil activities. I kept the task quite limited by asking the Gem to suggest possible activities around a particular topic rather than asking it to plan an entire lesson or make decisions about learning outcomes. I found this useful for generating a range of ideas quickly, particularly when I wanted to provide pupils with different ways of engaging with a topic.
I checked the suggestions myself before using them with the class. I considered whether the activities were appropriate for the pupils’ age and ability, whether they linked to the curriculum and whether they were practical to carry out in the classroom. I adapted some of the suggestions to suit my pupils and rejected any that were unsuitable or did not add value.
A key professional boundary for me was not entering any personal or identifiable pupil information into the Gem. I also treated the suggestions as ideas rather than automatically accepting them as accurate or appropriate.
Overall, I think the Brainstorm Gem added value by saving time and helping me think of activities that I may not have considered. However, teacher judgement remained essential in selecting and adapting the ideas.Google Workspace is already used regularly in our school, and I particularly find Google Classroom useful for assigning projects and classwork. One of the main benefits is being able to monitor pupils’ work while they are completing a task rather than having to wait until it has been submitted. Giving pupils quick feedback or comments during the process can help them stay focused and allows me to support them when needed. It also provides valuable opportunities for ongoing assessment.
Following this module, I would like to make greater use of some of the other Google Workspace tools, particularly Google Forms. I think Forms could be a useful way of gathering pupil voice as part of our School Self-Evaluation process. It could also be used as an exit ticket at the end of a lesson or topic, allowing pupils to reflect on what they have learned, identify anything they are still unsure about and give feedback on their learning. This information could then be used to inform future planning and teaching.Hi carol, I agree with your adaptation of the project. Focusing on one specific theme, such as school or shopping, would allow the children to explore the topic in much greater depth rather than trying to cover too much in one interview. I also think the comparison with their own experiences would make the project more meaningful and help them recognise how much daily life has changed, while also identifying things that have remained the same.
Love this idea Angela on the famine as it’s a topic that all the kids can relate to in our schools. Integrating the different subjects that link to the famine also helps their learning and there is lots of information online on the famine to make different quizzes and also do some genre writing with the use of under the hawthorn tree
For my unit on Time with 4th Class, I designed a pupil-facing slide deck to guide students through calculating time durations and converting between 12-hour and 24-hour digital clock formats.
One core design choice I made was creating an interactive “Jump Strategy” number line graphic on the slides. This visually models how to break down time intervals into friendly chunks (e.g., jumping to the nearest hour first, then adding remaining minutes).
This approach directly supports clarity and sequencing by breaking a multi-step abstract calculation into a clear, visual algorithm. Presenting the steps in the exact same color-coded layout across the instruction, independent activity, and digital practice provided strong structural consistency, helping pupils navigate the task with minimal teacher prompting.
Reflecting on the activity, one adjustment I would make is incorporating a quick 2-minute “elbow partner double-check” before pupils input their final duration answers into their digital worksheets.
This directly ties into our School Self-Evaluation (SSE) on learner autonomy.
This is brilliant and I can relate as I have done that novel with my 6th class before and they also love the film and can make different interpretations based off both. The different comprehensions is a great idea and gives each child the confidence that they need to progress.
I used Gemini for the theme fo habitats in third class.
Lesson Plan: Introduction to Habitats (3rd Class)1. Active Starter Activities (5–7 minutes)
Choose one of these quick starters to engage the class right away:
Habitat Freeze Game: Name different habitats (e.g., Ocean, Woodland, Desert). Pupils must move around the room like an animal from that habitat and freeze in position when you shout “Freeze!” Call on a frozen pupil to state which animal they are simulating.
Four Corners: Label four corners of the classroom as Woodland, Ocean, Desert, and Arctic. Call out an animal (e.g., Clownfish, Reindeer, Fox, Camel). Pupils walk quickly to the corner they think is that animal’s home.
Mystery Bag Guess: Place items associated with a habitat inside a non-see-through bag (e.g., a twig, a seashell, a pinecone, sand). Pull one item out at a time and ask pupils to raise their hand to guess where in nature you would find all these items together.
i would adapt each activity to suit the needs of the child.
one boundary would never to input any child’s names within the class as children can get anxious when they feel they are being forced to do something they might not want to take part in.