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This is a very familiar example, I’d say, Eimear. Even when nobody is saying it directly in the classroom, children can still pick up the idea that boys are “better” at building, technology, or taking the lead in STEM tasks. I like that you pointed out that the girls are not less able. It’s more about confidence, habit, and the messages children are getting from different places. Sometimes they just need a bit of encouragement and the chance to take on those roles themselves. I think your point about group roles is really practical. Making sure everyone gets a turn to lead, build, use the iPad, or share back to the class could make a real difference over time. Small changes like that can help children see themselves as capable.
This is a lovely use of Gemini Dee. The “Famine News Report” idea would really suit 6th class, especially with the green screen. I’d say the children would enjoy getting into role and presenting the information in a different way. I really like that you wouldn’t just leave it as a news report either. Giving them a choice board with options like drama, rap, song or report would make it much more engaging, and it would suit different children’s strengths. It’s also a good way to bring in student voice. Some children might have great ideas for how to present the learning once they are given a bit of freedom. Your point about responsible AI use is important too. It’s a good habit to teach them early, especially around not sharing personal information or school details. Even a short class chat about what AI can help with and what it shouldn’t be used for would be really worthwhile here.
Welcome to the course Siofra. 6th class are at a great age for these kinds of discussions because they’re already starting to notice what’s going on in the world, and they usually have plenty to say about it. The fast fashion discussion sounds like a great example. When children can connect a topic like sustainability to their own lives, what they buy, wear, throw away, or see online, the learning becomes much more real for them. I like your point about development education fitting into SSE as well. It links so naturally with pupil voice, well-being, and respectful discussion. It doesn’t have to be a separate initiative or another thing added to the list.
Khan Academy is a very good fit for station teaching, Margaret. It would work well at a maths or reading station, especially if the children can move through the tasks at their own pace. I like the fact that the teacher can still assign the work, so it’s not just children clicking around randomly, but there’s also room for them to work at a level that suits them. That bit of differentiation is really helpful, especially when you have a mix of abilities in the group. It could also be handy for you as the teacher, as you’d be able to check in on how they’re getting on and see who might need a bit more support afterwards.
The famine is a great topic to use with 5th class Angela and is one of those areas where children often become really interested, especially when they can connect the facts with stories like Under the Hawthorn Tree or a visit to a museum. I like that you’ve used different approaches too, not just slides. Music, art, videos and the novel would give the children a much better sense of this time in history and help them understand it from different angles. Google Classroom would work well here, especially for keeping all the resources in one place. It can be very handy for a big topic like this, where there might be links, slides, questions, rubrics, and project work all happening over a few weeks.
This is a good example, Sinead, of using AI without just accepting everything it gives you. I like that you used the tool for something quite focused, a short formative quiz, rather than trying to get it to create a whole unit. The way you checked the questions afterwards is really important. It’s easy for AI to throw in something that sounds impressive but isn’t actually suitable for the class level, like the electromagnetic fields question you mentioned. That was a good call to leave it out. I also liked that you adapted one of the questions to include objects the children would actually recognise. That’s the kind of teacher judgement AI can’t really replace. The quiz becomes much more useful when it connects to the real classroom and the materials pupils have handled themselves.
I think this is a really honest example, Emma, of how early these ideas can come in. It’s mad how quickly children pick up the message that certain toys are “for boys” or “for girls,” and often, as you said, it’s coming from home rather than from the children themselves. I like that you mention it at the parents’ meeting. That’s a really good way to set the tone early and explain that play in school is about learning, exploring, and developing skills, not about certain toys belonging to certain children. The relaxed classroom approach sounds lovely too. If children have plenty of choice and it isn’t made into a big issue, they are probably much more likely to try different things naturally.
I’m glad you got something out of the module, Maria. I’d say a lot of us are in the same boat; we might have had a small go with ChatGPT, but the likes of Gemini and Copilot still feel fairly new. I’d agree there’s a real time-saving side to it for teachers, especially the worksheets, quizzes, and differentiated activities. Even when it only gives you a starting point, that’s still a bit of the planning pressure lifted. Your idea of using image generation for senior infants really caught my eye, particularly pairing it with the UFLI decodable passages. That’s a lovely practical use of it, and I can see it keeping the children interested, especially the ones who’ve gotten tired of drawing a picture every single time.
This is a very real example of climate change affecting school life, Anna. Being on the West Coast must make it very noticeable, especially with storms, flooding, and high winds leading to closures. I like that you’ve kept the actions very practical. Looking at waste, electricity use, composting, and possibly solar panels are all things that would make sense at a school level. The beach clean-ups are a great idea too, especially because they link directly to your own local area and would be relevant and meaningful for the children. The idea of older pupils writing to TDs is a good one as well. It shows them that they can have a voice and that climate action is not just about small classroom habits but also about bigger decisions being made at a national level.
This example shows the tool being used in a very realistic way, Keara. You tried one option, and it didn’t work, so you moved on and found something useful anyway. That’s probably what using these ai tools will be like in real life too.
I like how you’ve linked Google Workspace to removing barriers in a very practical way, Una. Docs, Slides, Forms, and Classroom all offer different routes in for pupils, and that can make a big difference for children who don’t all learn or respond in the same way.
As Admin Deputy Principal Robert, I like that you’re not just looking at the tools themselves but also at how they would actually work across the school without adding more pressure on staff. Your point about initiative overload is true. Sometimes a new tool or system can be useful, but if it feels like “one more thing” for teachers, it can have the opposite effect. Linking it with staff well-being is a very sensible way to look at it. The quiz example is a nice practical one. Having resources created, saved, and shared would make life much easier, especially if different teachers are involved from year to year. It also means the work doesn’t disappear when one person is absent or moves class.
I agree that this is going to take time, Matt. AI is moving so quickly that schools probably need to approach it gradually, rather than trying to bring in everything at once. I like that you’re starting with the Digital Learning Plan. That seems like a sensible place to begin, especially if you’re looking at whether pupils are just using devices or actually developing skills and confidence from year to year. The examples you gave are very practical too. Using AI for lesson planning, creating texts from different viewpoints, and using Diffit for pupils who need extra support all sound like realistic ways to begin. I especially like the math story idea for September. If the word problems are based around the class and their interests, I’d say the children would be much more willing to engage with them.
This sounds like a practical use of Google Classroom, Tim. I like the idea of giving 6th class a report-writing template, as it gives them enough structure to get started without doing the thinking for them. The headings would be a good support too, especially for anyone who finds it hard to organise their ideas on the page. Tools like spell check and voice-to-text will give great help to some children as well. Using the digital template takes pressure off things like handwriting and spelling and lets the pupil focus on what they want to say. The live feedback in Google Docs is handy because you can step in while they are still drafting, rather than waiting until the piece is finished.
I like the point you make here, Colin, about building inclusion in from the start, rather than trying to fix things afterwards. That’s probably the best way to look at tools like Immersive Reader and Read Aloud. They might be aimed at supporting certain pupils, but in reality lots of children can benefit from them. Building learning accelerators into weekly literacy works well. It would let the children get used to the tools properly, and it would give you regular information to feed into planning and SSE.
