[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.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Shirley,

Definetely not a broken record, you’re making very valid points and great to hear you’re finding this course useful and it’s great to see how you’re applying the course content in practical ways, for instance as you’ve outlined, using MagicSchool for differentiaion.

You also have higlighted important ethical and environmental considerations of AI  Couldnt agree more, these tools are most effective when guided by thoughtful practictioner, ‘The Human in the Loop’ as they say.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi James,

From what you’ve outlined her it’s  clear your school has developed a strong sense of empathy and practical support for refugee families. I particularly liked your point about welcoming not just the children, but also their parents and guardians, initiatives like the coffee morning are a great way to build trust and inclusion.

Your approach to easing the language barrier by connecting pupils with peers who speak the same language is also notable Another idea which I’ve mentioned previously on this forum is getting your pupils to collaboratively create a welcome wall or guide in multiple languages,  It could include key school phrases, routines, and would helps new pupils feel seen and supported from day one.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Valerie,

You’ve clearly outlined how AI-powered tools like Immersive Reader and Minecraft Education can be used practically and meaningfully in your classroom. I completely agree with your point about the challenge of pupil motivation and tools like Minecraft Education really do have the potential to transform engagement by tapping into a child’s natural curiosity.

I also really liked your idea of using the interactive display for demonstrations. A nice extension of that could be encouraging pupils to collaboratively create and share short how-to videos for the digital tools they use in class. It’s a great way to build digital skills, promote peer learning, and give the pupils a sense of ownership in the process.

[Pat Brennan]

It’s clear from what you’ve shared that your school and wider community have responded with real compassion and a strong “boots on the ground” approach. The uncertainty these families face is indeed deeply concerning, and you’ve highlighted a very real gap in support.

One suggestion for next year, if your school hasn’t already developed one, might be to create a welcome pack for pupils arriving in similar circumstances. This could include key phrases, school routines, and visual supports to help children settle in quickly. It’s something that can be reused and adapted, and involving pupils in creating it could be a lovely way to build empathy and ownership across the school community.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Orla,

I completely agree, Speaker Coach is such a powerful tool for building pupils’ confidence, and it really suits a learning support setting more than a mainstream class. One low-tech idea you might try next year is pairing SC sessions with a paper journal. After each practice, pupils could write down one thing they improved and one thing they’d like to work on. It’s a simple way to help them reflect and track progress alongside Speaker Coach’s AI feedback. Lastly. very much with you on Magic School, a tresure trove for teachers!

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Nicole,

Welcome to the course. Your plan to link global issues with subjects like geography and SPHE is a great way to integarte Development Education themes. I have taken a similar approach in the past using a world map circled by student printouts identifying local issues (like litter or access to green spaces) thatthen explore how similar challenges are faced in other parts of the world. I have found it a great way to build empathy and global awareness. I also agree that planning together makes DE feel more manageable, key message is, it’s not an extra, it’s embedded.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Ciara,

Welcome to the course. I agree, Ehigie’s emphasis on self-reformation and shared responsibility fits so well with Development Education. One practical idea I’ve used in the past is sharing short stories from children around the world facing different challenges or successes, and use them to spark discussion on fairness, empathy, and action. It’s a simple way to build global citizenship. Also, like the idea of sharing ‘easy entry points’ with colleagues as sometimes teachers see DE as another thing to do in an already crowded curriculum where in reality it the themes can be integrated across the curriculum.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Kayleigh,

Welcome to the course. Your story from Golden Time really highlights how early these ideas take root and as these biases are societal the reality is they arewell rooted by the time children get to 2nd class. Your mention of toys reminded me of a simple activity you could try next year for circle time. The gist of it is let children choose a toy and create a story around it. Then develop the conversation around  how all toys can be part of any story, for anyone. It’s a simple way to challenge stereotypes with this age group.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Fiona,

Welcome to the course, You’ve raised an important point about the ethical considerations of AI in education. While tools like Immersive Reader and Google Forms clearly support inclusion and efficiency, it’s essential to remain mindful of how AI is implemented. For instance the example from China of student behaviour,  is a timely reminder of the need for balance.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Clare,

As mooted, Diffit is definitely a standout tool for differentiation, especially when time is limited and learner needs are diverse. I agree that its potential for supporting EAL learners is particularly strong. Gamma too, with how it simplifies presentation design while keeping things visually engaging. Twee is another excellent tool, its ability to generate comprehension questions quickly is great for formative assessment. The range of tools in this module shows how AI can enhance teaching, learning and assessment and it certainly is exciting to think about how these can be adapted to suit different classroom contexts.

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