[Oliver Keating]

I have created a simple resource on An Aimsir. I would get children in 5th and 6th to create such a resource for junior classes.  Two benefits! They are improving their Gaeilge and also engaging in digital teaching and learning.  You are also developing their collaboration and creative skills.

We have been introduced to many Google Workplace tools during the course.  Slides, Forms and Docs would be my favourites and the tools that I would see that can be easily integrated into teaching and learning.

I have used docs regularly to collaborate with colleagues on a wide range of issues – e.g. ideas for Sports Day; activities for Wellbeing Week; School Self-Evaluation process; I like the suggestion from the course about using it in a situation where someone is visiting e.g. technician.

I think that the Quiz version of Forms is a fantastic tool and I have used it in two ways – (1) creating a quiz for the class (2) the children creating their own quizzes and sharing them with each other.  We are fortunate to have a suite of chromebooks in the school (and excellent broadband!) which makes it possible for pupils to work individually or in pairs.  They really enjoy coming up with questions to challenge each other.  It’s a great exercise to pull together the important parts of a topic covered.

I have used slides to present to colleagues and to classes.  While it mighn’t have the ‘bells and whistles’ of PowerPoint, the fact that it updates automatically and can be accessed from any device is a big plus.  The ‘sharing’ options are also a great feature – copying and pasting a link rather than having to download.

Pupils find Slides great for project work.  The fact that you have a direct link to images and videos enhances their work.  The final part of having the opportunity to present their work to the rest of the class via the Clevertouch board is very important.  The more opportunities children get to present, the better.  Another great feature is that children can continue with their work at home.

I’m not overly familiar with Google Meet.  During Covid, our preferred application was Zoom.  However, this module has shown how easy and secure it is to use.

In conclusion, one of the key messages I will take from the course is the possibility of greater collaboration with colleagues through the use of Google tools.

[Oliver Keating]

I have created a Maths form for 5th/6th class called ‘A little revision…’  Click here.

Returning to school after the summer break can be challenging for some children.  The purpose of this assessment is to ease them into the routine of learning again in a fun way.  Instead of ‘diving’ into the books on day one, this exercise should interest and enthuse the children.  The fact that all the questions are multiple choice and cover a range of areas means that the children shouldn’t end up ‘stuck’ on a question and unable to progress.  I have also asked the children to create their own test when they are finished – I think that they will find enjoyable.

I am hoping that the form I have created will have two benefits – (1) the questions asked will promote good Maths discussion. (2) the children will go home with a happy experience of the first Maths class of the year!  I also plan to use this approach after each topic we cover i.e. children create a quiz.

[Oliver Keating]

‘Redesigning Education: Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century’ is an interesting and informative piece of work. The opening paragraph in the executive summary puts it very well – the core set of skills expected include being knowledgable about the world, thinking outside the box, being smarter about sourcing information, having good people skills, an ability to solve problems, to work as part of a team and ultimately to become a lifelong learner.
The Primary Curriculum Framework which will inform the the new documents for the different subject areas has similar key competencies which is good to see – being well, being a digital learner, being mathematical, being a communicator and using language, being creative, being an active learner, being an active citizen.
I have selected collaboration and the related skills of negotiation, conflict resolution, agreement on what must be done, distribution of tasks, listening to ideas of others, integration of ideas into a final product.
We are currently looking at ways to improve our school environment to make it more inclusive particularly during break times. Children will work in groups to come up with ideas. We will use Google Forms to create a short survey which can be shared with other classes for feedback. Example of questions – what is the school good at? what do you enjoy at break times? what can we do to improve break times? what would you like to see more of? what additional equipment would you like? Similar surveys can be created for parents and staff. The final product should be a collection of ideas as a result of a collaborative process – these can be presented in a Google Doc.

[Oliver Keating]

Link to my sample classroom – click here.  Alternatively the class code is 74cxnjf

There was a wide range of resources in this module – some I wouldn’t be familiar with (rubric and gradebook).  I have used Google Form (blank quiz) for assessment purposes in many curricular areas.  What I have found useful is getting the children to create their own quiz on a particular topic that we have been covering.  This encourages them to pick out the key points; be creative with type of question i.e. multiple choice, checklist, photo.  They also, of course, have to know the anwers to their questions!  Sharing quizzes with each other or working through them on the Clevertouch board is great for learning and also good fun.

Using Google Sites for ePortfolios is a very good option.  At the end of the year, the pupils will have a great collection of work to look back on and can be easily accessed at any time.

Collaboration with parents is important and Google Classroom facilitates parental involvement.  It gives them a good insight into the teaching and learning that happens in their child’s class.

[Oliver Keating]

While I would be an almost daily user of a Google application, I wasn’t aware of the Google for Education’s Teacher Centre and Applied Digital Skills section.  A great range of resources!  The ease with which they can be accessed i.e. with your Google account is another plus.

The resource I finally settled on is ‘Create a Scrapbook‘.  The 8 step by step process makes the exercise very straighforward –  (1) Introduction to Create a Scrapbook (2) Choose a Subject and Theme (3) Organize Pages (4) Add and Format Images (5) Add Text (6) Add Video (7) Create a Scrapbook Wrap-Up (8) Quiz.  The videos were short (approx. 2 mins) and concise.
I thought that the recap and quiz at the end were very helpful – a useful assessment tool.
Being able to add this lesson to the class you have created will allow children to revisit it at any time.

This could be a very nice exercise to start off the school year.  The topic for the  scrapbook will be ‘A moment from the summer‘.  The children would have flexibility regarding the topic e.g. a day trip, a holiday, the Olympics, the Euros, the All-Ireland, a family occasion, a great win.

Children would have the opportunity to present their scrapbook to the class via the Clevertouch board.   I would envisage using the Scrapbook for different curricular areas during the year – project work, a school outing or event.

An excellent resource.

[Author]

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