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I really like Clare’s lesson plan on the flags. The boys in my school would really engage with it. I agree that as teachers become more confident using AI tools and see the benefits they will become more comfortable including them in their teaching.
Reflection:
As a non-teaching school principal, I believe that the integration of AI into teaching and learning is both an exciting opportunity and a responsibility to approach with care. I can support and guide the gradual, strategic integration of AI tools in a way that supports our Digital Learning Framework and School Improvement Plan. CPD for all staff is absolutely crucial and then staff can discuss and share experiences during Croke Park hours. We must ensure that we are GDPR compliant. Pupils and parents need to be involved in discussions around responsible AI use.
I used Copilot for this Lesson Plan
📰 Lesson Plan: Spotting and Stopping Fake News
Class Level: 6th Class
Duration: Approximately 60 minutes
Subjects Integrated: SPHE, English, Digital Literacy
🎯 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Define fake news and explain why it spreads
Identify trustworthy vs. untrustworthy sources
Practice evaluating online information for reliability
Understand the impact of misinformation
🔍 Warm-Up Activity — “Fact or Fake?”
Time: 10 minutesActivity Instructions:
Display these 5 headlines on the board:1. “Ireland Introduces Free Pizza Fridays in All Primary Schools”
2. “NASA Confirms Water Ice Found on Moon’s South Pole”
3. “Dublin Zoo Welcomes World’s First Glow-in-the-Dark Elephant”
4. “Galway Teen Wins International AI Coding Championship”
5. “New Law Requires Everyone in Ireland to Own a Sheep by 2026”
Students vote whether each is fact or fake, followed by class discussion.
Teacher Notes: • Real: 2 and 4 • Fake: 1, 3, 5 • Use discussion prompts: What made you think this was fake? How could you check?
📘 Mini-Lecture — What is Fake News?
Time: 10 minutesExplain:
· What fake news is
· Why people create and share it (profit, influence, humour)
· Use Irish examples if possible
🕵️ Group Detective Activity
Time: 15 minutesProvide students with different articles (real and fake). Ask groups to:
· Investigate the source and author
· Check spelling, headlines, and emotional language
· Complete a checklist for credibility
Teacher Notes: I will prepare articles in advance.
💬 Class Discussion — Why It Matters
Time: 10 minutesGuide discussion on:
· The impact of fake news
· How misinformation affects schools, communities, and individuals
· Why students should care
✍️ Creative Writing — Make a Silly Hoax
Time: 10 minutesIn pairs, students invent a silly news story and write a brief headline + summary. Example: “Aliens Land at Dublin Airport, Confused by Escalators”
✅ Wrap-Up & Reflection
Time: 5 minutesQuick recap:
· Share 3 tips to spot fake news
· Students reflect by writing or sharing one thing they learned
🔗 AI Resources (Optional Support Material)
Interactive Tools:
· Escape Fake AR Game: Link· CyberAdventure Game: Link
Teacher Tools:
· The Factual, Logically: Fact-checking sites with AI help· SchoolAI Guide: Spotting deepfakes
· Ellii Blog: Fake news in the AI era
· GitHub Fake News Detector: Link
The AI application that impressed me most was the example using AI to help pupils identify bias. The newspaper reports about the 1916 rising were excellent examples. I am not teaching but if I was this would be an area I’d love to explore. This approach is excellent, not only for History which can often be taught from a particular point of view, but right across the curriculum. It would certainly engage the pupils, enrich the learning experience and develop critical thinking. I think it’s a wonderful way to encourage children to think about and discuss perspective and bias. I feel that understanding bias is essential in modern day life where the perspective of news reports and world events can vary hugely! As a nervous newcomer on the AI journey, I think a great starting point is the ‘HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS’. As well as the introduction to the multidisciplinary world of AI in school: from design-based learning to AI and Data key ideas, there is a full programme of 8 sessions. How each session is integrated into the primary school curriculum and the expected learning outcomes are highlighted
Mark, I have no experience of Khan Academy but am impressed with your clear plan of work. It’s great that it aligns with the new Primary Maths Curriculum.
Part 1
I really was drawn to Copilot Image Creator to enhance children’s writing. It’s very visual and a brilliant way to teach children how to enhance their writing. I really liked the idea of flipping it and showing the children the image and then asking them to write the prompt for it. It will certainly engage pupils and bring enjoyment to their learning. I loved MagicSchool Maths Story-word Problems. This was my first experience of it and WOW! It has such potential to save so much time by helping create lesson plans and worksheets. The language of Maths and problem solving are often very difficult for children. A simple step like using the children’s names will make the problems more meaningful and fun. I could envisage this for multiplication, division, data as well as time/ money topics. It could be applied in all sorts of ways to improve engagement.
Part 2
The array of amazing tools introduced in this Module is mind boggling! Despite this being my introduction to most of them I have certainly enjoyed hours exploring them. I am not teaching but see the potential for these tools to support teaching and learning in all school settings. Microsoft Learning Accelerators, (my personal favourites are the Reading and Speaker coaches), Diffit and Gamma, as well as the ones mentioned in Part 1 have the capacity to help teachers meet the many needs of pupils, support inclusive practice and be of great assistance to teacher planning. Many of the teachers in our school don/t live locally so I have just used Gamma to produce a PowerPoint about the town including many historical facts. This will be of interest to the teachers when teaching about local history. I think it’s important to mention that the integration of AI tools needs to be ethical, gradual and guided by the school’s Digital Learning Plan. There also needs to be supports and resources for staff and the Board of Management who will have to oversee it.
Yes I agree that Reading Coach has massive potential to be a game changer for some children. It is amazing that a pupil can record his/her reading, receive personalised feedback and complete post reading assignments and challenges. This will certainly enhance engagement and build confidence.
This module certainly highlighted the importance of AI in transforming Education. It provided many practical suggestions for ways to use AI in the classroom to enhance teaching and learning. AI can provide personalised and engaging lessons to pupils of all abilities and give more opportunities for each child to learn at his/her own pace and include his/her own interests in learning. It will also help teachers to plan more efficiently and assess pupils work instantly, which will inform and influence future planning and teaching. AI helps develop critical thinking and creativity which is of huge importance. In our school we have used Google Forms for surveys. I will certainly share Immersive Reader with my colleagues – I think it will be wonderful especially for EAL children as it has a translation feature. I love that the background colour can be changed as this will help pupils with dyslexia. Microsoft Dream Space seems fantastic and I think it will be an excellent resource for STEM. Regarding challenges – I found the video from China most distressing! – what about pupil enjoyment, wellbeing and ethics? Schools need to reflect and consider how to introduce and encourage the use of AI. Some teachers will engage with it readily while others will be hesitant. CPD and resourcing are necessary. I think slow and steady is the way to go. Peer learning will be valuable for both children and teachers. We need to remember that AI is a tool, yes a potentially excellent tool but still a tool. All technology should support good teaching and learning
I agree James that improving efficiency and productivity is a great benefit. Thank you for sharing about Khan Academy which sounds great. I hadn’t come across Immersive Reader either but think it will be very valuable in our school for mainstream classes, Special Ed and especially for EAL. We have quite a number of pupils assessing EAL and I will certainly share and recommend Immersive Reader
Cian it is interesting to learn of your useful experiences creating images for SESE and EAL. The story maker tools creating images and speech bubbles will engage and enhance the learning of EAL pupils and those with literacy difficulties.
I registered for this course because, honestly, I had heard of AI and decided that as an administrative school principal I should know something about it. It was with a great sense of trepidation that I logged on last night and I am so pleased that I did. I now know the terms Chatbot and Prompt Engineering and I’ve had such fun experimenting with Co-Pilot, Chat GPT and Gemini. The history of AI tools is very interesting. Ashley Stephen’s advice is to start small and build up gradually. AI tools have huge potential for the classroom. I have already learned that AI tools can enhance a teacher’s productivity. Sal Khan describes AI as a positive transformation for education. It supports the teacher and can involve personal learning paths for pupils. I really like the fact that AI can support differentiated learning while still promote pupil understanding. It is a tool in effective teaching and the creation of engaging learning experiences for children. I also see the benefits of AI for assessment. AI brings oceans of possibilities to be more efficient, productive and creative.