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Hi Kathryn,
Welcome to the course. I too am a big fan of the Sway app and see it as a powerful yet simple to use tool for digital storytelling, picture or photo stories as you reference but also great for illustrated narratives. Often teachers (particularly at the senior end of the school) think that when they’ve access to the full 365 suite, PowerPoint should be the tool of choice but particularly with storytelling, I believe, less is more and the simplicity of Sway lets students focus on their content instead of getting distracted by the advanced functionality/bells and whistles of PowerPoint.
Hi Greg,
Thanks for sharing this practical example of how Google forms can be used for simple formative assessment tasks, in this case Antonyms but could be applied across the curriculum. When used in conjunction with Classroom, you have the ideal platform for all formative assessment. Technology of course is supposed to make our working lives easier, albeit at times you could argue the opposite is true! However, when it comes to formative assessment, it’s hard to deny that the use of technology makes the task less onerous as the tools available in suites like Workspace and 365 make capturing and recording data much more efficient and less labour intensive than traditional paper-based methods.
Hi Bernie,
Welcome to the course. I agree, at first when you browse the resources available it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of content available. However, as with any educational portal it about filtering through and finding what works for you and engaging with the Google tools, one at a time and at your own pace. Slides and the All About a Topic lesson you’ve identified are good choices for you and your students to start with, to familiarise with the Workspace interface and build confidence. The great thing about creating simple slideshows like these, it that very quickly students will be creating visually powerful that they can then share/present to their peers. The perfect tool for project work across the curriculum as mooted…
Hi Clodagh,
You mentioned in your module 2 post about how Teams is the centre of all staff communication and collaboration and that it had also been trialled with a number of classes with the view to roll it out further this September. Whilst, beyond the scope of this module, it’s important to highlight for a senior school like your own that Teams and OneNote integrate seamlessly through OneNote Class Notebook and by utilising both together, you’ll get a powerful learning management system and eportfolio tool in one. For more on integrating the two see Use OneNote Class Notebook in Teams …
Hi Emma,
Collaboration is certainly a buzz word and currently very much in vogue in education. However, as you’ve alluded to, it’s very often a check box that’s ticked without due consideration of what exactly collaboration is. I agree, one of the key questions is ascertaining are the all collaborators equally active and in reality this can’t be achieved without explicitly teaching the students other 21st century skills like problem solving, self-regulation etc. Maria Garvey at TCD has done extensive work around collaboration and cooperative learning and what strategies teachers can use to ensure real and equal collaboration is taking place. For more on Maria’s work in this area see cooperation.ie
Hi Linda,
From what you’ve outlined your school is very progressive in embedding digital learning into teaching, learning and assessment across the school. You already have a DLT that continually monitors this and the supports for staff are commendable. That kind of mentoring is mission critical to progress and from experience it has significantly more impact than courses hosted in local education centres as it’s more relevant CPD. The use of Croke Park hours for this is ideal and would suggest that one hour monthly be set aside for digital learning so teachers can share best-practice or, if possible, invite a guest speaker. It’s about bringing all staff along and building confidence. In many schools, unfortunately, other curricular areas are prioritised ahead of digital learning but in your school, from what you’ve referenced, it is certainly getting the priority it requires.
Hi Emma,
I like your really practical idea of having a OneNote as an information notebook for new and visiting teachers. I remember having a similar ring binder welcome pack that you envisage OneNote replacing, in my last school which just sat on a shelf gathering dust and was never updated. Having a digital OneNote available instead will be much more accessible and a far more inviting prospect for new staff. Also, as it will be a collaborative digital file, there’s a much better chance it will be regularly updated so will be significantly more effective than its ring binder equivalent.
Hi Emer,
It’s great to hear that in your school and DLT are reviewing existing digital learning practices in the light of the increased use of digital tools during the recent lock downs. It’s a great opportunity to build on increased usage and skills of students and teachers. For many the experience of emergency remote teaching (ERT) was mixed, and some teachers understandably might like to return to more traditional tools and methodologies. However, digital learning is here to stay and will only become more integral to teaching, learning and assessment as time progresses. It’s about building on what worked and taking it to the next level and by what you’ve outlined your school is very much on this trajectory.
Hi Eamonn,
I agree digital learning when used appropriately can have a transformative effect on teaching, learning and assessment and in particular as you alluded to, for differentiation/individualised learning. However, the key to this is starting with the learning outcomes and then using the appropriate digital tools to enhance your lessons. The danger is going about it the other way around, deciding on the tech and then trying to shoehorn the learning objectives in around it. Using Technology for technology’s sake…
Hi Emma,
Welcome to the course and best of luck in your new role as Digital Learning Coordinator in your school. It’s a role I know only too well having been that soldier for many years when I was teaching.
And first up is a big call, what communication, productivity and collaboration platform/suite to go with, the eternal Google vs 365 debate.. You’ll find many comparison pieces online, for example Google Workspace vs. Office 365: Which is better for students? | Android Central opting for one or the other but these are all subjective, only at the individual school level can the pros and cons be truly weighed up. It is very much a ‘Horses for courses’ situation, I personally would be very much in the 365 camp but it was the productivity suite I cut my teeth on so again it’s difficult to be objective. Eoghan (my colleague here on this forum) on the other hand would be on the Workspace side, it’s really a question of preference and difference is good!
Hi Eimear,
To be honest I think Seesaw is a better fit for primary school students as it’s more child-friendly and intuitive, particularly for more junior classes. It’s important to remember that Teams was primarily designed for communication and collaboration in the workplace and whilst its usability and functionality in the classroom has improved massively since the pandemic began, it’s still a bit too much of an ask for younger students, fine for the senior end but it’s probably best practice for a school to just use one system/platform with students. Where Teams really comes into its own is as a one-stop overarching collaboration and communication platform for staff, in my opinion it’s the best tool out there for such professional networks, providing all the tools required in one easy to access place. I would suggest starting initially with just one large team for the teaching staff and once everyone is onboard looking at expanding that to smaller teams at grade level or for specific purposes.
I couldn’t agree more Megan, the provision of differentiated CPD is mission critical for the roll out of any new technology/system across a school. Sometimes, as appears to have been the case in your previous school, staff are expected to master new tools by osmosis almost. The other key point here is that such CPD can’t be solely based around skills and the technology, instead it needs to be firmly focused on teaching, learning and assessment and how the technology fits in, not the other way around.
Hi Megan,
Welcome to the Microsoft 365 course. On your question on 365 licensing, the web based versions of all the 365 apps (including Forms and Sway) are free for all schools, see Free Microsoft Office 365 for Schools & Students | Microsoft Education but this needs to be applied for on a whole school basis using the school’s own domain name rather than by individual teachers. If your school hasn’t already setup a 365 tenant, it is something that your Principal and/or Digital Learning Coordinator can do from the link above. To access the downloadable/installable apps your school would need to upgrade to a paid subscription (either A3 or A5)starting at €2.45 per user per month but this enables all licensed users to install the apps on up to five different computers/devices. See a comparison of the 3 tiers (Free to A5) at Compare Office 365 Education Plans (microsoft.com)
Hi Samantha,
Thanks for sharing this lesson with us and Google Workspace certainly has the tools required for both the task and the formative assessment piece at the end. I think the idea of getting students, to design a poster about themselves, particularly in this age cohort, is the perfect icebreaker for a new school year and works better than them having to talk about themselves. Though new to the Google Workspace the group you will have in September will quickly get up to speed as the Google tools are intuitive and what they’ve already learned previously in Word is so transferable.
Hi Mary,
The problem here is that Word‘s formatting is being copied across. To avoid this, once you’ve copied the text from Word right click in the post window and choose ‘Paste as Plain Text’. Alternatively, you can first paste the content into Notepad (Or similar) and then copy it from here to the topic window. Either method should remove the excess formatting…Existing posts are fine, we will fix the formatting.
