[Pat Brennan]

Hi Orla,

Welcome to the course. Your approach to integrating Development Education through inquiry-based projects and global perspectives is a great example of how we can make learning more relevant for pupils. Linking geography topics to real-world issues like climate change and encouraging practical local actions, really helps students see themselves as active participants in their communities.

I also liked your ideas for encouraging colleagues. The cross-curricular projects, resource sharing, and whole-school initiatives you mentioned are excellent ways to embed global citizenship across the school. To build on this, you might also consider getting your pupils, or even the whole school, involved in a global classroom exchange. This could be something simple like a digital pen-pal projectwith a school in another country. These kinds of exchanges are a great way for pupils to explore global issues through the eyes of their peers and build meaningful, real-world connections.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Louise,

Great to hear about the work being done by South Dublin County Council’s Community Response Forum and the Local Authority Integration Team (LAIT) in supporting a holistic approach for asylum seekers and refugees. As you’ve outlined, organisations like JRS Ireland, the Irish Refugee Council, and the Crosscare Migrant Project are also key parts of the support network that schools can connect with.

I wasn’t aware of the Schools of Sanctuary initiative, it sounds like a fantastic way to build awareness and empathy among pupils. I also really liked your suggestions for creating digital welcome messages, hosting guest speakers, running awareness campaigns, and even starting an inclusive garden project. What you’ve outlined is a great example of how schools can take meaningful action to promote inclusion and understanding.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Aiden,

It’s good to hear how this module has given you lots of practical ideas for using GenAI to simplify and extend teaching, learning and assessment in your classroom.

Agreed, NotebookLM is a particularly powerful  and while as mooted, it’s probably best suited for use with older students. pupils at the senior end of primary could certainly benifit from it’s introduction for  summarising websites, videos, and PDFs, as outlined, in child-friendly language You also mentioned mind maps and podcasts, two great uses. I’d argue that the podcast-style feature is one of NotebookLM’s most powerful features. It has real potential to transform how certain learners engage with content, especially those who benefit from auditory learning or have visual impairments. By converting written material into audio summaries, it supports differentiation and accessibility in a very practical way.

That said, it’s worth noting that the current audio output is limited to American-accented English, with no option (yet) to select regional voices. Hopefully, this is something Google will expand on soon, as broader accent support would make the tool even more adaptable.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Anne Marie,

Welcome to the course. It’s good to hear how the module has provided ideas for enhancing your teaching with GenAI. As you’ve outlined, using particular GenAI tools can support differentiaon and personalise the learner experience in the classroom.

Regarding Immersive Reader, there are a wealth of guides and video walkthroughs available online, especially from the Microsoft Education team. While there are too many to list here, here are three excellent starting points:

📄 Immersive Reader Quick Guide, A handy visual reference for getting started.
📘 How to Enhance Reading Instruction: A Guide to Immersive Reader for Educators , A detailed blog post with classroom examples.
🎥 Mike Tholfsen’s YouTube Tutorial: How to Use Immersive Reader, A clear and practical walkthrough from a Microsoft Education expert.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Arlene,

This kesson outline for 6th class facilitating yourt pupils to perform and devise a range of steps involving transformations.is a great example of how this area of the new Maths Curriuculum can be brought to life in a practical and engaging way. I particularly like how you’ve structured the lesson to build understanding step by step and your use of differentiation and multiple learning styles is ensures all pupils are catered for.

I also like the inclusion of self-assessment reflection sheets, encouraging pupils to take ownership of their learning and engage in self-regulated practices.

[Pat Brennan]

The form you shared will be great for gathering key information in this way can really support both communication and care planning.

By default Workspace records form input in Sheets more here However, diplaying displaying the information in an A4 document would need to be done in Docs, I would suggest asking Gemini in Workspace, it should be able to help automate the creation of said document. Alternatively, I note a free plugin in the Google Workspace Marketplace, Form to Doc, though I’ve not used it but might be worth checking out and plaese let us know how you get on.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Lucy,

It’s great to see how you’re exploring Immersive Reader and other accessibility tools to support literacy. As you’ve outlined, features like text-to-speech, line focus, and picture dictionary demonstrate hor IR can help students work more independently and confidently.

Also again as referenced, cutomising device settings and exploring alternative input tools to meet individual needs personalises the support and these small adjustments can have a big impact.

Introducing new tools gradually and aligning them with specific learning goals is a practical and effective approach, using them with purpose, rather than just for the sake of using technology, ensures they will really enhance teaching, learning and assessment in your in your SET classroom.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Aoife,

You’re very welcome! I genuinely believe Microsoft’s Learning Accelerators are outstanding. The latest addition, focused on numeracy, Math Progress, looks promising, although I haven’t had a chance to explore it yet, I’d expect it to be just as powerful and effective as its stablemates.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Shirley,

It’s great to hear how you’re engaging with the tools and thinking critically about their practical application in your multi-grade classroom. Using these tools with purpose, rather than just for the sake of using technology, ensures they really enhance teaching learning and assessment in your classroom.

I appreciate your honesty about Scratch Junior and rest assured you’re not alone, many teachers feel the same at first, but your willingness to learn and optimism will stand you in good stead I’m sure and the learning curve will be worth it in the end.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Harriet,

It’s clear from your post that you’re already thinking creatively about how GenAI can enhance teaching, learning, and assessment in your classroom. As you mentioned, Copilot Image Creator is a great tool particularly for younger classes, as outlined, its visually engaging, great for differentiation, and really useful for supporting hands-on assessment.

As for MagicSchool, it really has taken off  of late and agreed it’s a huge time-saver and so adaptable across mainstream, SET, and ASD classes. Coincidentally, I was at the BETT show in London last January, and the MagicSchool stand was one of the busiest (and biggest)hard to believe they weren’t even there the year before,

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Norma,

Welcome to the course. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here, Development Education is squarely about developing pupils understanding of  global issues like poverty, climate change, and human rights, while also encouraging empathy, critical thinking, and action.

I also like the croos-curricular approach you’re planning through geography, history, and languages. As I’ve mentioned many times on these forums, Development Education, is not an additional subject, instead DE themes can be integrated accross the curriculum. The idea of using debates and case studies like Gaza or climate change is particularly powerful and engaging  for pupils up the senior end, giving them space to explore complex issues and form their own views.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Aoife,

This is a great example of how to make climate action meaningful and age-appropriate. Focusing on local weather changes really helps pupils connect global issues to their own lives and community.

You’ve outlined a strong mix of research, discussion, and action, from storm patterns and planning to everyday changes like walking to school. Bringing in Greta Thunberg adds a powerful global voice also, and it’s great that you’re linking the learning back to home. Encouraging pupils to see themselves as global citizens and and sharing this with their families reinforces the impact beyond the classroom.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi again Aoife,

Thanks for sharing your activity, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to access the Google Doc due to permissions. That said, from your description, it sounds really well thought out. Using tools like Office Lens and Immersive Reader gives your pupil great independence, and the use of the emoji, as outlined,  is a lovely visual cue. Features like Read Aloud and the picture dictionary make the task accessible without drawing attention to the child’s needs.

It’s also great to hear how positive you are about CPD. You’re absolutely right, teaching is a lifelong learning journey, and staying current is key to growing as practitioners.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Arlene,

Welcome to the course. Absolutely, one of the real benefits of GenAI tools for teachers is the efficiency and time-saving they offer. I’d encourage you not to be reluctant to use the links and videos these tools generate, once reviewed in advance, of course. Human oversight of any AI-generated content is mission critical.

It’s great to hear how you’ve already started using AI in a practical way. Using ChatGPT to generate and differentiate writing samples is a clever approach, particularly, as you mentioned, when working within the PLC framework. Getting up to speed with GenAI is all about trying things out, like Magic School or Ari as you reference, and seeing what works best in your classroom.

[Pat Brennan]

Hi Elaine,

It’s evident from this post that you’re carefully considering how best to introduce AI in a responsible and engaging way in your teaching. Starting with school policies and the AI Teacher Handbook is the right way to go. Coincidentally, i worked (on the website end) with Enrica Amplo who developed the handbook as part of her Ph.D. study, her work is a brilliant resource for building both teacher confidence and pupil awareness around emerging technologies. A practical suggestion as you embark on your AI journey in class, is the co-creation of a simple class agreement/charter on how AI should be used responsibly. It’s a great way to set expectations and give pupils a sense of ownership from the start.

I also like both of the activities, outlined here, Copilot image generator to make prompt engineering real for students and the newspaper article activity, based on the module example to explore bias.

[Author]

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