[Pat Brennan]

Hi Lisa,

Welcome to the course. You’ve detailed a range of ways GenAI could support teaching, learning and assessment in your 5th class, from adaptive platforms that personalise content, to tools that assist with accessibility and creativity. These examples show how AI can help meet diverse learning needs, while also easing some of the workload for teachers.

Your point about challenges is well made. Access to devices and the internet, data privacy, GDPR, the list goes on and it reinforces the need for clear guidelines and, as I’ve mentioned across these fora, ongoing and relevant professional development in this space.

You’ve also highlighted how tools like speech-to-text and Immersive Reader can support struggling learners. To build on this, you could design a lesson where pupils use an AI tool to generate visual explanations of a science concept they find challenging. Pairing this with speech-to-text for written reflections could make the activity more accessible and engaging, while also supporting literacy and comprehension, and accommodating diverse needs.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Naomi,

Welcome to the course! You have identified a key issue, the “us and them” mindset that often shapes how pupil’s perceive the Global South and as you’ve outlined, this Module details the importance of moving away from a ‘saviour’ mentality by encouraging deeper connections and a more empathetic, informed approach, using head, heart and hand.

Your point about overloaded teachers is very true, so using existing initiatives, such as the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools and the Green Schools Global Citizenship, Litter and Waste, is both practical and sustainable. Green Schools is an excellent programme for embedding global citizenship without significantly adding to teacher workload. As a next step, you might consider initiating a pupil-led awareness campaign or a collaborative project with a school in the Global South. Staying with Green Schools, their annual A Week of Global Collaboration is a great jumping-off point for this kind of engagement.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Catherine,

I agree, Climate Action, a an SDG that clearly connects both globally and locally. As you’ve detailed, climate change can significantly impact our pupils be it extreme weather, rising energy costs, eco-anxiety or indeed school closures. This a strong reminder of the importance of this particular DE theme.

Your approach as outlined, to supporting ESD 2030 Priority Action Area 5 is very practical. Encouraging pupil-led initiatives such as tree planting, school garden initiatives, litter picking drives and energy-saving campaigns helps build environmental awareness and agency in your classroom. Whilst, connecting these efforts with community groups and eco organisations, as mooted, shows pupils the broader impact of their actions.

 

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Laoise,

Welcome to the course. You’ve clearly identified how AI can support both planning and curriculum delivery in numerous practical ways.

Building on your ideas, you might also explore using AI to support differentiation in your classroom next year. For example, you could generate reading comprehensions or maths problems at varying levels of complexity, tailored to different pupil needs. This could help ensure all learners are appropriately challenged and supported without adding to your workload.

Also, from a whole-school perspective, another suggestion is to develop a shared prompt bank with colleagues. This could streamline resource creation and encourage collaboration, especially when designing assessments or resources. It also would help maintain consistency across classes, if teachers are using the tools for similar supports.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Lina,

I couldn’t agree with you more, the the Teaching AI Handbook is an invaluable resourse for any teacher starting out with AI and a great companion to have on the journey. As mooted on these forums previously, I had the pleasure of working with Enrica Amplo on the teachingai,eu website. Enrica developed this pioneering work as part of here Ph D studies in DCU and must be commended for being an early adopter and for her dedication getting the project accross the line.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for sharing your well-structured weekly plan. Introducing Khan Academy in a formal way, as you’ve outlined, should offer consistent support for pupils across the strands the new Primary Maths Curriculum,  I think you’ve got the balance right between direct teaching and using KA resources and the use of real-world examples and progress tracking adds value.

If you decide to trial this approach, it might be worth gathering feedback from pupils (Via a Google or Microsoft form) after a few weeks to see if the structure needs tweaking. To further build on what you’re planning, consider using Khan Academy’s unit mastery system to help pupils set personal goals. This can support differentiated learning and give you insight into who may need additional support or indeed what pupils need to be challenged more.

[Pat Brennan]

I would very much agree with you both, the administration of pupil accounts can be a real headache for the school’s Digital Learning Coordinator, or whoever has been given the task. It’s often best to keep pupil accounts for senior classes, as this can benefit them if their secondary school uses one-to-one devices, and older students are generally better equipped to manage their own accounts.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Lina,

You’ve clearly shown how tools like Diffit and MagicSchool can support differentiation and planning, especially for mixed-ability and EAL learners, and I agree, the ability to quickly adapt texts or generate lesson ideas is a huge time saver.

Your use of Gamma for presentations also highlights how AI can enhance engagement without adding to workload. It’s great to see how it’s reducing time spent in PowerPoint, and more generally, how AI tools like ChatGPT, Diffit, MagicSchool, and the aforementioned Gamma are allowing you to focus more on pupil response and less on formatting or admin.

Your concerns around the overuse or dependence on GenAI tools are well founded, and I agree with you, getting the balance between efficiency and professional judgement is key. AI should support, not replace, the creativity, empathy, and responsiveness that a good teacher provides. The mantra I repeat when using AI myself is, “Working with GenAI, the final touch should always be human.”

[Pat Brennan]

Hi James,

From what you’ve outlined, it’s clear your school is doing great work to support families from refugee and migrant backgrounds. And the early intervention you’ve referenced, is so important,especially when families may only be with you for a short time.

It’s also great to hear about Crosscare and the range of services they offer across North Dublin. Building stronger links, whether through staff workshops, connecting families with supports, or running awareness projects with pupils, sounds like an excellent way to deepen that connection and make your school community even more inclusive.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Aisling,

Welcome to the course! I agree, Ehigie’s point about how we can “become distracted from the fact that we are living in a global village that we all have a stake in” is powerful and really makes you think. Encouraging pupils to take social action, no matter how small, is such an important message to share.

Your ideas for integrating DE through SSE, debates, projects, art, and Intercultural Day are good ways to make it real and relevant. One more idea, I’ve mentioned previously on this forum is the creation of a “Global Voices” wall in your classroom next year. Here pupils could post news stories, quotes, or artwork that connect to global issues they are aware of/care about. It’s a simple way, as you put it,  “to embed global citizenship into daily learning”.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Brendan,

Great lesson outline!! The mix of storytelling, discussion, and digital leraning makes it really engaging and with the array of tools you plan using,  like Diffit, Canva, Reading Coach and Flip, it will ensure your pupil’s will have lots of ways to connect with the story.

Just to develop on using MagicSchools AI to create questions or a writing prompt using “Imagine you are Setanta arriving at the feast…” as you outline. This could be built by asking pupils to act out this scenario in small groups. They could use simple props or even create paper masks of Setanta/Cú Chulainn and other characters. This drama element helps reinforce comprehension and supports oral language development in a fun and memorable way.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Mairead,

Welcome to the course. As you’ve outlined, using students’ interests like Minecraft to build literacy and engagement is great idea, particularly in anin an ASD class where personalisation is key as you’ve said.

Exploring tools like Gemini, Copilot, and Immersive Reader adds even more flexibility. As I’ve said previously on this forum, in addition to Immersive Reader you could try out some of Microsoft’s superb Learning Accelerators Microsoft’s Reading Progress for instance, especially, if your school uses Microsoft 365) It’s a great examples of how AI can support personalised learning and accessibility. However, all is not lost if your’re not using M365 . Microsoft’s standalone Reading Coach app is a completely free and powerful literacy tool.

Finally, I agree,  that example from China is deeply troubling. Real learning should empower, not control.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Hazel,

It’s great to hear how your school is supporting the local refugee centre in such practical ways. As you’ve outlined, asking what was needed, setting up a donation point, and planning ahead for integration shows empathy and indeed initiative.

Also, as detailed, using picture books and lessons from this course is a great way to help pupils understand and welcome new classmates. As I’ve already mentioned on this forum, one simple classroom idea to expand on what you’re already doing could be that the pupil’s create a ‘Welcome Wall’in your classroom where students add drawings, messages, or words in different languages which will further foster empathy and inclusion.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Ashling,

You’ve outlined cleraly how you’re going to support pupils with dyslexia in a ombining both low and high-tech assistive tools to support access across literacy and numeracy. As you’ve referenced, tools like Immersive Reader, Dictation, and Math Solver are excellent choices, and your inclusion of multisensory apps like Bitsboard and Wordwall should certainly keep learning engaging and accessible.

Your overall plan to trial and review tools through the School Support File is indeed a good way to ensure they’re matched to each pupil’s evolving needs.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Brid,

Thanks for sharing your digital story, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to access the link due to permissions. Possibly, you may need to update the sharing settings ‘Anyone with the link can view’ so others can open it without needing access requests.

That said, your post highlights some great uses of Google Workspace tools,  through digital projects, home-school communication via Google Classroom, or using Google Forms for quick and effective assessment.

A suggerstion, if you are using Workspace across your school, you might consider setting up a mentoring/digital champions group. Staff who are confident with the WorkSpace tools could support others, share tips, and help better embed digital leraning more acroos the whole school.

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