[Pat Brennan]

Hi Ross,

Welcome to the course. You’ve outlined both the potential and the practical challenges of using AI in the classroom.

AI-powered tools like Microsoft Forms can certainly help reduce marking by generating quizzes and providing instant feedback and since Forms doesn’t require pupil logins, it’s relatively straightforward to use. However, as you pointed out, other tools, like ChatGPT, do require individual logins, which can indeed make setup and classroom management more complex.

It’s also important to note that tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot have age restrictions, typically requiring users to be at least 13. This limits their direct use with primary-aged pupils. One workaround is to use these tools through a central teacher account or to explore options like Copilot agents or custom GPTs, which allow you to control access and content. These setups are often simpler than they first appear.

If you’re interested, you can find more on this see  Copilot Agents in Education.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Eoghan,

Skilled communication is a key 21st-century competency, and the approach of getting pupils to develop their own Google site as you’ve outlined here provides meaningful practice. Using their site as a hub for different media types, or multimodal content as you refence, including written material, audio, video, and images, provides pupils with multiple ways to express themselves and build confidence. Which leads me to  your point about pre-recorded presentations. This is a great way to reduce anxiety while still allowing pupils to demonstrate understanding.

I also like how you’re planning to vary the focus, sometimes on content, sometimes on the mode of communication, which gives pupils a chance to develop a broad range of skills.

Just one thing to keep in mind as your pupils will be publishing content online, it’s important to check your school’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) beforehand as some schools require prior permission for this kind of internet activity, even if a general opt-in is in place.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Aidan,

Thanks for sharing your activity idea. Unfortunately, as the PDF file is saved locally I can’t open and in turn others won’t be able to access it directly but not to worry The key takeaway is how you’re using the content and tools to support learning in your SET Classroom which you’ve already clearly outlined in this post.

Your plan to use use Immersive Reader and Dictate in Word to support pupils with dyslexia is an example of an inclusive approach and how AT should be used, particularly, as you’ve already mooted, the pupils can use features  like line focus and the picture dictionary so they can focus on the content and it’s meaning instead of decoding. This will certainly improve comprehension and lessen learner anxiety.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi David,

This is a great example of how to make GenAI both accessible and meaningful for younger pupils. Using Teachable Machine to explore how machines “learn” through data is an excellent way to demystify AI and spark pupil’s inherent curiosity. I really like your idea of starting with a simple, fun activity like recognising smiles, however before proceeding with taking photographs it is important to check not only the school’s policies around GDPR and child safeguarding but also the school’s Acceptable Use Policy. Many AUPs require prior permission and the use of school-authorised devices for capturing pupil images. While some schools include a general opt-in at enrolment, it’s always best to confirm.

That said, your suggestion to use objects instead of faces is a smart and safe alternative if needed.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Ethna,

Thanks for sharing your reflections and honesty. It’s good to hear how tools like Copilot Image Creator and Microsoft Speaker Coach are already sparking ideas for your classroom and your own professional development. I think your comparison with Scholastic Story Starters goes to show the enhanced power and flexibility AI-powered image generation tools and how with some thoughtful application you can open up more creative and engaging learning opportunities in your classroom.

Diffit too is a great tool for differentiating content and helping make content more personalised and accessible for all pupils. You might also find the MagicSchool AI suite useful, particularly its Text Rewriter tool, which offers similar functionality.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Amanda,

Welcome to the course and thank you for such a comprehensive reflection. Again, like many other contributors to this forum, you’ve highlighted just how early (and often unintentionally) gender stereotypes can shape children’s experiences. As outlined, assumptions based on hair length or names, show how these societal norms can affect children’s sense of identity and belonging.

Books like Anne Fine’s Bill’s New Frock are useful tools to challenge these ideas and open up healthy discussions around gender. As teachers, it’s important we provide our pupils with plenty of opportunities to express themselves freely and we also need to remind them, as you’ve mooted, that there’s no one way to be more of a boy or a girl.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Eoghan,

Welcome to the course. This is a great example of how you can use Google Earth’s Create tool to support in geography . I particularly like from what you’ve outlined, how pupils can personalise their projects, add points of interest, and share their work with their classmates. This will make the learning so engaging and will foster pupil agency.

Your point about digital technology enabling more pupil-led learning is well made. It’s also clearly outline the linkages to SSE, particularly around identifying focus areas like internet safety and using that to guide planning and improvement.

Another Google Earth feature worth exploring despite it probably showing my age, as I remember the many CD-ROM versions, is Google Earth’s reprised ‘Where on Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego?”. Their iteration mirrors the old adventure game by getting pupils to collect geographical clues in order to solve cases. Great for developing global awareness, particularly when coupled with your existing plans for exploring people and places.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Michelle,

Thanks for sharing your lesson plan, and good to hear your first experience using GenAI to support planning was a positive one. While it’s not advisable to take an AI output as is, it’s certainly helpful for overcoming the blank page and works particularly well for drafting and redrafting.

As for the maths lesson itself, it’s well structured and certainly suits the cohort you have in mind, with the use of songs, concrete materials, and small group stations. I also like how you’ve planned for differentiation and built in Assessment for Learning through observation and questioning.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Shauna,

Thanks for sharing your plan. From what  you’ve outlined, Khan Academy Kids will work well in your special class, particularly with its ability to personalise learning to individual needs.

Your structured approach as detailed with a group introduction, differentiated tasks, teacher support, and follow-up work, should ensure all pupils are supported and have the necessary scaffolds for them to work independently. Also, using observation alongside task outcomes for assessment is practical and suited to your class size of 6.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Sarah,

Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing how low and medium-tech tools are being used for early stage interventions in your junior school setting.  Also as you’ve outlined, Immersive Reader should prove an invaluable support for EAL learners and pupils with additional needs such as Dyslexia, autism, ADHD, particularly with features like the picture dictionary and text-to-speech.

Your point about early access for students with physical disabilities is well made.  Providing the right tools, such as a trackball or joystick mouse, along with time to build familiarity, can support long-term independence. AT is all about matching the technology to the individual need, not the other way around.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Rebecca,

Welcome to the course!  You’ve clearly outlined how AI tools can support personalised learning, automate feedback, and assist diverse learners and the examples listed are practical, particularly around differentiation.

You also raise an important point about teacher confidence, the necessity for relevant CPD and the risk of overreliance. It goes without saying that whilst GenAI can support, it can never replace, the human connection, creativity, and emotional intelligence that teachers bring and the video from China, very much illustrated this.

As we move forward, we need to be thinking about how schools can support teachers in using AI effectively, while also protecting the right to disconnect for both staff and pupils.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Caroline,

I very much agree with your sentiments. As a parent of girls now in their late teens, we held out for as long as possible when they were that age, until it reached a point where we were essentially plugging the dam.

There’s a very good reason why most platforms and apps have an age restriction of 13, even though it’s routinely flouted. If email accounts are to be introduced for primary school children, I believe it should be limited to 6th class and framed as part of the transition to second-level.

More fundamentally, children and their families, should very much have the right to remain unplugged. The increasing digitalisation of school life and modern society in general can pressure families who choose a screen-free environment. We need to respect and protect that choice.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Michelle,

As a previous incumbent of the digital learning coordinator role for many years, I’m acutely aware of the need to lead by example so introducing Scratch in a more structured way makes sense, and informal CPD sessions covering just the basics will go a long way in building teacher confidence. And again as you’ve referenced, the Scratch.ie lesson plans are a great support for this.

Your goal of having pupils independently coding by 2nd class is realistic, particularly with the approach you’ve outlined here but as I suggested in my previous reply on this forum, Scratch doesn’t have to necessarily be the only game in town code.org, offers structured activities and pathways suitable for a wide range of classes/age groups and is well worth checking out to compliment the work you’ll be doing in Scratch.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Ashling,

Gamma certainly promises to help you get time back by simplifying and speeding up the creation of slideshows for your classroom next year. Also worth checking out is PowerPoint Designer which I’ve mentioned previously here, it brings some helpful ai-powered design assistance to the PowerPoint app.

I also like how you plan using Copilot to scaffold descriptive writing, particularly for pupils who find it challenging. Getting  Copilot to generate a visual based on their writing can help them with drafting and redrafting This is a a really practical way to build confidence and support the writing process visually.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Leanne,

Welcome to the course! You’ve certainly captured how DE can inspire both personal and collective responsibility for global change. I agree, the quote trying to be the change we wish to see in the world is both accessible and powerful, no matter how big or small one feels their contribution is” is a strong reminder that every action matters, and that developing this mindset in your classroom will have a lasting impact.

Developmental education is indeed vital in today’s classrooms as it challenges pupils to think critically, be empathetic, and understand fully what is means to be a global citizen.

[Author]

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