[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Megan,

It’s great to hear that we’re getting things right and that this course has expanded your awareness of assistive technologies and their practical application in supporting students with autism. As you’ve outlined, tools like Immersive Reader, Dictate, and Math Assistant can significantly reduce barriers to communication and learning.

As you alluded to, OneNote is a particularly powerful platform that brings these tools together. Its flexibility allows for the creation of accessible, personalised learning spaces that promote pupil independence and engagement across the curriculum.

Finally, you might consider sharing your insights with colleagues, either informally or as part of professional development during Croke Park hours (if this is a practice in your school). This could help embed inclusive technology practices across your school, aligning with the Inclusive Education Framework’s emphasis on whole-school planning.

[Pat Brennan]

Welcome to the course, and thank you for sharing the link to the Be Internet Awesome programme. From a quick look, it appears to be a well-structured and engaging resource. It’s great to see how you’re already considering its relevance to your school’s SSE focus on digital learning, safety, and wellbeing.

The inclusion of both teacher and family guides offers a strong foundation for linking school and home, and could be something your school’s HSCL teacher (if applicable) might find useful to promote.

You also mentioned aligning this with Safer Internet Day, which is coordinated by Webwise. It might be worth exploring their resources too, they offer a wide range of materials that complement the Be Internet Awesome programme, particularly in the context of Safer Internet Day and broader digital citizenship initiatives.

[Pat Brennan]

Totally agree, unfortunately, we’re seeing the effects of climate change more and more. You’ve highlighted what’s happening in West Cork, but it’s really a nationwide issue. I’m originally from the west myself, and the changes you’ve described are definitely being echoed there too.

The classroom activities you’re planning are really active and practical. Talking to locals and tracking weather are powerful ways for pupils to understand what climate change actually means for their own communities.

And to finish, the school actions you’ve mentioned are excellent, especially how you’ve tied DE into wellbeing, student voice, and inclusion.

[Pat Brennan]

Thanks for sharing how you plan to use Diffit and Microsoft Reading Coach—both examples show how well these tools can support junior classes. They’re definitely powerful for personalising learning and building confidence in early readers.

Since you’re already using Reading Coach, you might also try Microsoft Reading Progress. It works really well alongside Reading Coach, allowing pupils to record themselves reading so you can track fluency over time. While Reading Coach is designed to support and guide pupils as they practise, Reading Progress focuses more on capturing and assessing their reading.

 

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Sarah,

A lack of education is a powerful lens through which to explore the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4: Quality Education. As you’ve outlined, it impacts children both locally and globally, whether through limited access to higher education here in Ireland or exclusion from schooling elsewhere due to poverty, distance, or gender.

To build on this, you might consider introducing a class project where pupils explore barriers to education in different parts of the world and compare them with challenges locally. Pupils could create awareness posters, write letters, or arrange simple fundraising events for education charities.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Melissa,

Welcome to the course. From experience, and having facilitated this course for a few years now, many of us don’t initially see simple tools like pencil grips, visual timetables, or magnetic letters as assistive technologies. But as you’ve noted, these are highly effective supports already present in our classrooms.

I agree, the SETT Framework is a great way to tailor AT to individual needs, and linking it to the Digital Learning Framework helps connect AT with SEN planning. A good next step might be sharing your low- and medium-tech strategies with colleagues as part of a broader discussion around UDL. This can help build awareness and confidence across the school.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Mary,

Welcome to the course, and thank you for sharing how you plan to embed Development Education in your teaching and across your school. Your focus on modelling empathy and inclusion through your daily interactions is a powerful approach, teachers are influencers in their own right, and being mindful of that impact is key.

You also highlight the importance of developing pupils’ global citizenship skills. As I’ve mentioned before on this forum, a helpful strategy here is introducing a pupil-led DE journal or reflection wall. This can be a physical or digital space where students share thoughts, questions, or actions related to global citizenship. It encourages ongoing reflection and supports student voice, very much in line with the ‘head, heart, hands’ approach you referenced.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Louise,

Welcome to the course. It’s clear from your post that you have connected Ehigie’s framework to practical classroom strategies and whole-school approaches.

One suggestion to build on  the inquiry/project-based learning you are alreadfy engaged in might be to consider buidling/fostering connections with other schools/classrooms around the world. Simple things like exchanging letters/emails or video messages with a class abroad. This can deepen pupils understanding of global interdependence and give context to their learning. It also supports the development of empathy and cultural awareness.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Chloe,

What you’ve outlined there is an eccellent and creative way to introduce the Sustainable Development Goals to 1st class pupils. Also, pairing 1st and 6th class pupils not only deepens understanding but also builds a strong sense of collaboration and peer learning.

As a next step, you might consider turning the posters into a school-wide display or digital slideshow to share with parents and the wider community. This could help extend the impact of the project and reinforce the message that even small actions contribute to global goals.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Aoife,

Thanks for outlined what’s happening on the ground in Tralee. The International Resource Centre clearly plays a vital role in supporting refugees through the numerous classes, programmes, supports, and services listed and your suggestion for schools to maintain contact with the centre’s school liaison officer is a key step. It helps ensure children feel safe and supported, and gives teachers insight into their backgrounds, experiences, difficulties and learning progress. Staying connected also helps schools identify what resources or training might be needed to better support refugee pupils.

 

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Christina,

You have detailed the local impact of climate change in Cork, one which unfortunatekly is being replicated acroos Ireland, and the importance of helping students understand it. Ideas,  like mapping flood zones, keeping weather journals, and running school-wide action campaigns as you’ve listed, are practical and engaging ways in incraese awareness in your class. They connect well with DE and support students in linking local experiences to global issues. Also, as noted such activities align with SSE by encouraging reflection on climate awareness and sustainability practices.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Helen,
Thanks for sharing, another powerful example of how early gender stereotypes can appear and why it’s important to address them.

I agree, development education provides useful tools for tackling bias, including strategies, resources, and workplans that can be integrated into everyday teaching. Starting early helps foster a more inclusive and respectful classroom environment.

As you will have already noticed, Plan’s Development Education Handbook for Teachers is a great support,not just for gender, but across all DE themes. If you’d prefer a hard copy for next year, feel free to email us at cpd@teachnet.ie with your schhool address and we ca arrange to have a copy sent out in September.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Darren,

Welcome to the course. I think you’ve captured both the potential and the challenges that come with integrating AI into teaching. Tools like Magic School, as alluded to, can be huge timesavers and help make our planning more efficient, however as professionals we need to be mindful of the potential downsides of over reliance can bring. You’ve also raised an important point about the responsibility educators have to stay current with AI tools. Life-long learners, is a phrase often overused but it’s extremely relevant when it comes to AI use in the classroom. Good to hear you’re finding the course useful so far and hope you find the next four modules informative and useful.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Stacey,

I agree, the examples in this module of using AI tools to explore bias through contrasting perspectives on the Easter Rising is a great approach that can lead to great discussions in class and it gives students a concrete way to identify and discuss bias in context. In this case Irish History but the possibilities are cross-curricular and endless.

As you’ve reference, Teachable Machine is well worth exploring its hands-on, creative bent can really support engagement. Scratch too is highly engaging and offers great potential for creativity and storytelling across the curriculum.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for outlining how you could use Khan Academy and as you reference, starting with Maths and using personalised goals is a practical way to introduce the platform. Today’s pupils are often referred to as ‘Digital Natives’ which is not necessarily always the case so it’s good to hear that your pupils are confident with technology, which is really important when integrating digital tools in your classroom.

To the best of my knowledge, Khanmigo is currently only available to teachers in Ireland, however, it can still be a useful tool for planning and exploring how AI might support learning. It offers suggestions, explanations, and feedback that can help guide lesson preparation or provide ideas for lessons.

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