[Pat Brennan]

Hi Michael,

I agree, both Diffit and Gamma offer powerful ways to differentiate curriculum content in the classroom. As you’ve outlined, Diffit’s ability to adapt texts and generate questions allows all pupils to access content at their own level. Gamma’s focus on multimedia and engaging presentation creation helps foster creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy. Together, these tools offer practical ways to meet diverse learning needs in your classroom.

One way to use Diffit effectively is to introduce a shared reading text to the whole class, then use Diffit to generate differentiated versions of the same text for small group work. Each group can access the content at a level suited to their reading ability, while still engaging with the same topic. This is particularly useful in senior classes, where it can be more challenging to find texts that match the interests of older students with reading difficulties.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Laura,

Welcome to the course! I agree, targeted use of Immersive Reader in the SET classroom can be a real game-changer for pupil’s with reading/literacy difficulties, particularly as you noted for pupils with dyslexia. The combination of visual supports, grammar tools, and flexible display options shows how assistive technology can reduce barriers and support literacy development.

One practical way to use Immersive Reader is during paired or small group reading sessions. You can have pupils take turns listening to a passage read aloud, then pause to discuss vocabulary, sentence structure, or content. This not only supports decoding and comprehension but also encourages collaboration and oral language development.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Tara,

Welcome to the course. There are many similar examples to the bridge-building one you’ve shared here on this forum, which really highlights how societal biases around gender remain widespread, and how they can influence children’s behaviour, self-esteem, and aspirations from such an early age. However, as you’ve outlined, using DE methodologies to challenge these biases, through diverse role models, inclusive discussions, and equal opportunities to lead, can make a real difference.

From an SSE perspective, integrating this approach into whole-school reflection around inclusivity and equality is great idea. Reviewing classroom dynamics, materials, and pupils engagement through a gender lens, as mooted,  can help identify areas for improvement, and guide targeted actions that champion these values..

 

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Aimee,

Thanks for sharing the Google link. This is a clear and practical example of how a lesson can be adapted using a UDL approach. As you outlined, converting the cloze procedure into a Word document to enable Immersive Reader shows how a small change can make a lesson more accessible for a 2nd class student with dyslexia. AS you mooted, features like line focus, text-to-speech, and adjustable spacing help reduce reading barriers and support independent learning.

On CPD, I couldn’t agree with you more, teachers by their very nature need to be lifelong learners and always be ready to upskill, as staying current with tools and strategies is essential for meeting diverse learning needs in today’s classrooms.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Victoria,

Welcome to the course!  It’s completely understandable to have reservations about AI, particularly when much of the conversation around it has been negatively focused. However, it’s good to hear that this module has helped shift your perspective and opened your eyes to the potential of AI as a supportive tool for teachers.

Like other contributors on the course forums, your point about getting the balance right and excessive screentime is well made.  Yes indeed, AI can enhance efficiency and support assessment. However, equally important  are the human interactions, you’ve mooted, which are so central to initial education.

As you continue through the course, I’d encourage you to explore the various generative AI tools introduced, particularly how they might support planning, assessment, and resource creation. With time and practice, you’ll find the right balance that works for you.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Grainne,

Welcome to the course! It’s obvious from your post you’re carefully considering  how AT can support your pupils in meaningful ways. I agree too that  Immersive Reader is a powerful tool that can assist all learners but particularly those with reading difficulties and those acquiring English as an additional language.

It’s good to hear you’re planning to explore a range of AT tools in your SET role next year. I’d suggest, as you continue through the course, to keep an eye out for opportunities to trial these tools in small, manageable ways, possibly during literacy stations or as part of homework support. Building familiarity now will certainly help with implementation later on.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Kate,

As mentioned, Scratch is a fantastic starting point for introducing pupils to coding and computational thinking.

Another excellent resource is code.org, which I’ve used in many different classroom contexts in the past. It offers structured activities and pathways suitable for a wide range of classes/age groups. It’s also great for unplugged activities that you can use to reinforce concepts without devices, which can be helpful when the iPads are unavailable.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Aisling,

You’ve clearly taken onboard Dylan William’s ideas around assessment and SRL and plan taking steps to shift towards more formative, student-centred assessment practices this September.

Incorporating, as mooted, strategies like quick quizzes, exit tickets, and self-reflection should not only increase pupil agency but also help refine your teaching approaches. Also, The use of Google Forms like the one linked below to track reading skills and confidence is a practical way to gather data and measure progress over time.

Another suggestion is to build in regular opportunities for pupils to revisit their goals and reflect on feedback received as this will help reinforce the link between assessment and learning.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Naomi,

One of the most biggest advantages of GenAI is its ability to rapidly generate powerful content as your famine examples illustrate. The real key lies in crafting well-designed, thoughtful prompts that guide the LLM toward the specific outputs you require. Spending time carefully crafting your prompts is time well spent as the resulting outputs will invariably be more effective and save time in the long run.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Aishling,

You’ve outlined a comprehensive and practical approach to engaging your pupils with climate action. The combination of school-based audits, local observation, and hands-on projects like the biodiversity garden and waste-free lunch campaign encourages both awareness and responsibility.

I also like your focus on pupil-led initiatives and inter-class collaboration as it’s a great way to foster ownership and community engagement. One suggestion to build on this would be to involve families by sharing student findings or progress through the school newsletter or other home-school communication channels This will help extend the impact beyond the classroom and reinforce learning at home.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Eva,

Welcome to the course! I agree, integrating AI into teaching, learning, and assessment offers significant opportunities, but these are balanced by the responsibilities it brings. This is especially true in your SET context, where structure, predictability, and personal support are so important.

Your use of tools like image generators and story builders to create personalised visual supports and social stories is a great example of how GenAI can enhance accessibility when thoughtfully implemented. As you noted, the human elements of  empathy, structure, and understanding remain mission critical.

To build on what you’ve outlined, one suggestion might be to collaboratively create simple AI-generated social stories with pupils using the tools you mentioned. This can give them a stronger sense of ownership over their learning while reinforcing key routines or social cues in a way that’s both engaging and personalised.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Olivia,

Welcome to the course! Happy to hear that this introductory module provided a clear and practical overview of AT particularly as a teacher new to the Irish context. Your experience teaching outside of the country  will be of great benefit I imagine as it lends important perspective.

Regarding SSE, your point about the need for consistent collaborative practice is well made. A lead teacher or AT Champion who’s happy to mentor colleagues would certainly help build capacity and confidence across a school. This type of peer-learning has proven time and time again one of the most effective ways to upskill staff.

To finish, on the SETT Framework, you’ve echoed the thoughts of many contributors to this forum. Its structure helps simplify decision-making and supports a more targeted approach to student needs. Again, as many have mooted, using the framework alongside the SSP makes the planning richer.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Sinéad,

I agree, Scratch is a great platform as it offers an accessible and engaging way to introduce pupils to coding and computational thinking. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to navigate, which is especially helpful when you’re, as mooted, starting out on the coding journey with your pupils.

Also, as referenced, the Educator Guides offer an excellent jumping-off point as they’re clearly structured and support a variety of classroom scenarios,  also, opportunities to share opinions adds a reflective element to the each lesson.

I also agree with your plan to start small with one lesson a week is both practical and sustainable. There’s always the danger of ‘fizzle out’ if too much is introduced too quickly. And as you note, the cross-curricular nature of the lessons means they can be integrated without adding to curriculum overload.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Cian,

You given some great, practical examples of how AI tools can be integrated into the curriculum with your 1st class in September. I particularly like the oral language activity with ChatGPT detailed, its an excellent way to develop questioning skills and digital literacy in tandem. How you have been using Khan Academy sounds really well thought out, it certainly is a great platform for ongoing knowlege checks and differentiation as you’ve outlined.

To build on this, I’d suggest sharing some of these approaches with colleagues, maybe through a short demo or planning session. Peer learning and collaborating on good practice can certainly help others get started with AI and build confidence using GenAI tools in a manageable way. A win-win for your school!

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Olivia,

Agreed, there’s a lot in the module, so best to download the PDF of the slides as mooted from the lesson homepage. While these are flat with no audio or video, they do include all the links and text from the slides. A quick search online for any of the tools referenced should lead you to the relevant YouTube channels or online how-tos, which work well as refreshers.

[Author]

Posts