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Hi Roisín,
Thanks for sharing your comprehensive Minecraft project plan. Minecraft is the perfect tool to explore sustainability hands on as they build their sustainable towns collaboratively. I’ve been fortunate to see first hand similar projects over the last two years at Microsoft’s annual Dream Space Showcase event (Usually held in June). The focus here is to develop sustainable solutions using technology. Initially this project started as a pilot n rural schools in Tipperary and Longford but I understand the plan is to extend its reach so it might be something your class could get involved with next year. More information is available at Dream Space Showcase
Hi Ryan,
I agree, Immersive reader can be a very powerful literacy tool for students with dyslexia, also for ESOL students and indeed for literacy development in SET across the board. It enables all work to be accessible to all students and provides a scaffolding approach to learning. Functionality as you’ve referenced, like the ability to adjust text size and spacing, break words into syllables and the talk to text features are the key parts of this scaffold. Also, the translation options are really effective for the aforementioned ESOL students, improving confidence and increasing their opportunities to work independently. Dictate too is a great tool in 365, particularly for students who struggle with keyboard input.
Hi Niamh,
I think by their very nature single-sex schools are predisposed to more overt perceptions around gender roles and I thinks it is not just in your situation the absence of girls, I think the same issues arise in all-girls schools also and that is just reality in a large proportion of schools in Ireland. There is however so much you can do in an all-boys school (or indeed all girls if that was the case) using a debate-led approach when discussing gender. There is of course a bigger picture too, it’s so important at a whole school level to clearly articulate the school’s commitment to having a culture of equality and respect irrespective of the gender makeup of the school.
Hi Ciara,
I agree our classrooms and schools are microcosms of communities both nationally and globally and developing an understanding and appreciation of diversity is a life skill that everyone needs. I also agree looking at our own indigenous history and culture is a great starting point for developing understanding and ultimately empathy. Restorative practice too is a very powerful and meaningful to resolve conflict as it is build on tolerance, understanding and respect.
Hi Fearghal and welcome to the course.
You have made a number of interesting points regarding the importance of developmental education and it’s curricular linkages and your approach to closely linking exploration of DE themes with your Irish History lessons, in particular the famine, is a great way to develop understanding and empathy.It’s also great to hear about the joined up thinking your school has around Development Education across all classes. This whole-school approach ensures continuity, and the collaborative supports and modeling of best-practice to new staff is progressive and highly commendable.
Hi Brendan and welcome to the course.
Just picking up on one point from your post. The impact you’ve noticed on motivation and interest after introducing Kahoot to your class and I would suggest this effect can be universal when using digital technologies in the classroom once we have carefully planned for their integration. Key to this is starting with the teaching, learning and assessment strategies and then integrate the technology, not the other way round. Far too often digital technologies are seen as the panacea for all and this notion becomes particularly nuanced when it comes to assistive technologies. Technology should only be part of a bespoke student support programme when the technology is matched with the needs of the student.
Hi Claire,
Another participant from your area mentioned the Tralee Resource Centre, too and it is great to hear there is so much support for those seeking international protection in your part of Kerry. As I’ve said before, I think the work done at local level is crucial as it is driven by people in the community, the same community that welcome, hosts and support these families when they arrive. Interesting to hear about the training day the schools received from the TRC and the HSE. I hadn’t heard of such training events before but are a great idea as school’s have a huge role to play here and the better informed teachers are the better the outcomes. I would imagine theses days are being organised elsewhere too…
Hi Rachel,
Great to hear there is so much support for refugees in the Tralee area through the work of the TRC. As I’ve mooted previously in this forum, I think the work done at local level is critical as it’s instigated and driven by people in the community, the same community that welcome, hosts and support newcomers when they arrive. The local schools have a pivotal role to play as well and your suggestions of cultural exchanges, school projects and different fundraising initiatives all help raise awareness and ultimately develop student’s empathy.
Hi Sarah,
Absolutely, what these tools are able to do already is unbelievable, imagine how they will develop over time…
Hi Robyn,
Organising an Intercultural day in your school is a great way to include all parents and develop empathy as events like this help build better understanding and in turn better relationships in the school community. I also like your idea of getting some parents to share their experience of involuntary migration. Having people recount in the first person what it’s like will really bring home to the students what being a refugee is like. No matter what we do as teachers to encourage empathy we can’t replicate the real-life experience.
Hi Sarah,
Whilst the full functionality of Khanmigo is yet to be rolled out here you can still avail of plenty of AI-powered tools by signing up for a free teacher account, at https://www.khanmigo.ai in particular the new Khanmigo Tools which are designed to save you time and improve instruction and are categorised under five headings, Plan, Create, Differentiate, Support and Learn.
Staying with Khanmigo , not sure if you’ve had a chance to watch Sal Khan’s TED Talk ‘How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education’ where he demos the AI assistant. Well worth a watch if you haven’t at https://youtu.be/hJP5GqnTrNo?si=fkOBcdKQF7ct1Unu
Hi Karen,
Welcome to the course. The official international Intercultural Day (Or World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development) takes place on May 21st annually but of course you don’t need to wait for this and indeed possibly a day in September would be more appropriate at the start of a new school year. In fact I’ve seen some schools opt for a full week of activities to raise awareness. If your school was to have a full week you could use the module titles of this course as your daily themes…As you’ve mooted a whole school event like this is a great way to increase awareness of the key issues in DE across the school community and teachers can then use this collective experience as a springboard to deep dive into the DE themes with their own classes.
Hi Clodagh,
Whilst I had heard of climate anxiety before, bio-anxiety is a new one on me but imagine they are one and the same and real concerns, particularly for younger people regarding the state of the planet we live on. In fact I read ‘Young people stand to significantly and disproportionally shoulder the burden of climate change, however, making it more common in young people.’ The article here from Mental Health UK is worth reading on the phenomenon.
Hi Barra,
Undoubtedly teachers need to be given the space to get comfortable with technology in their classroom and supported throughout. The continual changes in this space as you’ve mooted make many teachers, I think, apprehensive about using digital learning tools. Key, as you reference is the provision of relevant CPD on integrating technology. Going right back to the early days of technology in schools, over twenty years ago now, there has been an expectation that teachers should pick up digital skills on the fly, almost by osmosis. Granted, local education centres offer a host of courses for up-skilling but these require staff to turn up in their own time which won’t work for everyone. CPD needs to be whole-school, onsite and relevant to the needs of each school for there to be any chance of creating/facilitating that ‘dynamic and effective learning environment that prepares students for a digitally connected world.’ that you reference.
Hi Ciara and welcome to the course.
I agree, getting student’s to realise that what they do can have a big impact is really important. It is only natural for all of us to feel powerless to a certain extent when faced with huge global issues such as climate change, poverty and injustice. However, we all have a part to play and to use the adage ‘Every little helps’. Highlighting some of the impacts some of the BT Young Scientist projects have is really powerful as these are local/national examples. Something worth considering too which directly relates to primary schools is getting involved in Microsoft’s annual DreamSpace Showcase (If your school is eligible) which began as a pilot in 2023 but is extending its reach each year. Participation involves, students developing and then presenting technology solutions which address sustainability challenges including wearable tech for wellbeing, accessible voting systems, ocean cleanup initiatives, and water wastage reduction measures. More at Dream Space Ireland