[Paula Dooley]

Hi Barbara. I like the idea of using Microsoft Copilot to create a story about a friendly hedgehog. I think this would be a great hook for Senior Infant children and would really get them interested in the lesson!

[Paula Dooley]

After completing the 5 modules of this course, I have been introduced to many AI tools that would be suitable to use in the classroom. The challenge here I feel, is to narrow it down to a few AI applications that I can become more proficient and confident in. I would like to continue using Scratch Junior to develop coding skills with my incoming Senior Infant class. I feel that this app will offer opportunities for problem-solving activities in a fun and engaging platform. I also intend to use Gemini and Canva more this year to help me create engaging lessons for my students. I feel that these tools will also be beneficial and time-efficient when it comes to creating planning documents and resources. I have just signed up to Magic School AI assistant and I’m excited about the possibilities and ways I can use this AI tool to help me in the classroom!

Here is my lesson plan incorporating AI concepts. It is a Maths lesson designed for a Senior Infants class and is based on the theme of Halloween.

Lesson Overview
Class Level Level: Senior Infants (5-6 year olds)
Theme: Halloween
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Learning Focus: Number recognition, counting, one-to-one correspondence, and basic coding logic

Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, children will be able to:

Count and identify numbers up to 10
Match quantities to numerals
Recognize Halloween-themed patterns
Understand basic sequencing and logic through coding

Materials Needed
Station 1 (Pumpkin Counting):

Orange paper pumpkins (pre-cut)
Number cards (1-10)
Halloween stickers or stamps
Counters or small objects
Station 2 (Scratch Junior Coding):

iPads with Scratch Junior app installed
Pre-designed Halloween sprite templates (pumpkins, ghosts, bats)
Simple coding task cards with visual instructions

Lesson Structure
Introduction (5-10 minutes)
Gather children in a circle
Show a Halloween pumpkin and ask: “How many sides does this pumpkin have? How many eyes?”
Introduce the two maths stations they’ll visit
Explain that both stations use numbers and patterns

Station 1: Pumpkin Patch Counting
Objective: Practice counting, number recognition, and one-to-one correspondence

Activity:

Children draw a number card (1-10)
They count out that many orange pumpkins and place them in a row
They match the pumpkins to the number card
Extension: Children arrange pumpkins in different patterns and count again
Differentiation:

For younger/struggling learners: Use numbers 1-5 only
For advanced learners: Ask them to create their own number card and find the matching quantity
Time: 12-15 minutes per group

Station 2: Scratch Junior Halloween Coding
Objective: Understand basic sequencing, direction, and logic through visual coding blocks

Activity:

Children open a pre-loaded Scratch Junior project with a Halloween character (pumpkin, ghost, or bat)
They use simple coding blocks to:
Move the character across the screen
Make it repeat a movement (loop)
Change colors or add sounds
Task card provides visual step-by-step instructions (no reading required)
Example Coding Task:

“Make the ghost move 10 steps forward”
“Make the pumpkin spin around twice”
“Create a pattern: move, turn, move, turn”
Differentiation:

For younger/struggling learners: Use pre-built projects with 2-3 blocks to snap together
For advanced learners: Encourage them to create their own sequence or combine multiple blocks
Time: 12-15 minutes per group

Closure Activity (5-10 minutes)
Gather the group and ask reflection questions:
“What was your favorite number we counted today?”
“How did the ghost move on the computer?”
“What patterns did you find?”
Celebrate learning with a Halloween-themed cheer or song

Assessment
Informal Observations:

Can children count accurately to 10?
Do they understand one-to-one correspondence?
Can they follow simple coding instructions?
Are they able to predict what will happen next in a sequence?

Extensions & Adaptations
For ELL learners: Use visual task cards and minimal verbal instructions
For students with fine motor challenges: Enlarge pumpkins for Station 1; use large touch targets on iPad for Station 2
Additional challenge: Combine both stations: “Code a ghost to collect 5 pumpkins”
Outdoor option: Create a pumpkin patch outside and do counting walks

Notes for Teachers
Pre-test all iPad coding projects before the lesson
Have backup non-digital counting activities in case of technical issues
Keep groups small (4-5 children per station) for best engagement
Praise effort and curiosity, not just correct answers

[Paula Dooley]

After watching some of the videos available on the Khan Academy Kids website I would introduce this app to my Senior Infant pupils next year, as it seems to have a wide variety of activities, books and videos to help younger children learn. From what I have seen, this app appears to be a very child-friendly and engaging tool that even has its own narrator character named Kodi Bear. This programme offers a personalised learning app that adapts to the child’s level. I would like to research this AI tool a bit more before introducing it to my students. However, in theory I would use this app during literacy lessons. Each class in our school works with 3 teachers during literacy groups, so this would be an ideal time to strengthen various literacy skills while using this app on the ipads. I would choose books and activities to work on based on the particular literacy abilities and needs of the group I’m working with. There appears to be lots of interesting phonics games and books in their library. I also really like that the app is free to download. This makes it much more accessible for schools and educators.

[Paula Dooley]

Hi Barbara – I have used Scratch Junior coding with second class before. It’s very interactive and great fun! I agree that some pre-teaching of directional vocabulary and concepts would be beneficial at Senior Infants level. It might work well in smaller groups when there is SET support in the classroom. There are some good child-friendly Scratch Junior lessons on Youtube that would be worth having a look at. My second class loved the tips and tricks they learned from these lessons!

[Paula Dooley]

Hi Carol – yes, I’m also excited to use Magic School. I think that it will save so much time! I agree that it will allow for easy exploration of new topics that are engaging for the children, without creating hours of additional prep time for the teacher. It will be great to use for topical themes such as the World Cup and other current world events that the children may be familiar with.

[Paula Dooley]

In order to improve my own teaching, learning and assessment I will definitely be making use of Magic School and the Social Story Maker in the coming school year. I think that Magic School will help hugely with differentiation by providing picture prompts and shorter sentences as needed. From what I have seen so far, this tool seems to be well-placed to help struggling readers. It will allow for more intensive intervention and support without providing a 1:1 pupil-teacher learning environment (which is virtually non-existent these days). I think the Social Story Creator will be great for generating social stories for children with additional needs. These are particularly advantageous for outings such as school tours. I have created social stories for children in the past, but this will make the process much easier and save so much time! I think many of the tools and applications presented in module 3 (such as Reading Coach and Co-Pilot Image Creator) will help to save teachers a lot of time and have a significant impact on the future of teaching, learning and assessment, if used in the correct way.

 

[Paula Dooley]

Module 2 overall has been very informative on specific uses for AI within the classroom. AI can be used for everyone’s benefit in the classroom by making learning more personalised and differentiated while allowing the teacher to be more efficient. It also provides opportunities to make lessons more interactive and interesting for the children.

I think the potential for differentiation is the biggest advantage of using AI in education. I have taught second class for the past few years and have seen a lot of reading difficulties emerging for children at this age. It is often an age where reading challenges and potential dyslexic tendencies come to the fore as reading lessons become more challenging. I really like the idea of the ‘Immersive Reader’. I think it’s great to have access to a tool that would provide opportunities for repeated reading while modelling the reading process for children. It also seems very engaging for children, which I love! If children are engaged, it helps them to learn/persist with something much more easily.

I think the rate at which AI is developing can be challenging for teachers in terms of continuing professional development. It would be a great idea for schools to offer all teachers some opportunities to upskill in this area during Croke Park hours. If funding was a challenge, peer tutoring among colleagues could be a good work-around.

[Paula Dooley]

I enjoyed this module and feel that I have a better general understanding of AI, although I will take more time in the coming days to play around with the various AI applications. I have used Chat GPT before and am quite familiar with this. I have been exploring Co-Pilot and Gemini a bit more and think that Gemini in particular may be more useful in school going forward.

The potential classroom uses for AI are limitless really, but in particular I think that AI will prove very useful in differentiating activities for a wide range of ability levels. I believe this type of differentiation will help to save teachers a lot of time. Creating quizzes using AI could be a fun way to assess a particular topic while keeping the class engaged, and making the activity fun! However, I do think a certain level of caution needs to be exercised by the teacher. We need to make sure we double check any activities/quizzes/games created by the class to ensure that they are specific and suitable.

Going forward in this course I would like to become more proficient in the use of Canva. I’ve seen a lot of teachers in my school using it and they highly recommend it for it’s ability to create and access colourful, engaging resources. I would also like to improve my ability to ask ChatGPT/Gemini specific prompt questions that will help to create the resources I need.

• This reply was modified 4 months ago by Paula Dooley.

[Paula Dooley]

We face similar challenges in our school with regard to access to ipads etc. While there are ipads available for children to use, they are shared between a large cohort of people. Access/use is also dependant on the ipads being charged/intenet running well, etc.

[Paula Dooley]

I’m also excited to learn more about using AI to help reduce planning time. I feel like paperwork and planning can take up a lot of time for teachers, especially if you don’t have a natural aptitude or strength in this area. I’m hoping to learn strategies throughout this course that will allow me to redistribute more of my time to other important areas of teaching such as creating a positive classroom environment, assessment, building connections with my students, etc.

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