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I completely agree with your experience. When creating my “sh” word poster, I also found that although the AI produced options very quickly, I spent a lot of time checking and correcting mistakes. Like you, I felt my instructions were clear, but the product didn’t always match what I had requested. It showed me how important teacher oversight is and not to rely on the first draft. While AI can provide useful ideas and layouts, I also questioned whether I could have created a more accurate resource myself in the same amount of time.
I used the Canva agent through Copilot to create a “sh” word poster for a First Class English lesson. The resource was intended to support children’s recognition of the “sh” digraph and to provide visual examples of words containing this sound. I asked for the poster to be colourful, age-appropriate, and to include a sentence using “sh” words to make the words more relevant to the students and also to provide an example of how “sh” words might be used within a sentence.
The agent generated four different poster options within seconds. One option appeared most suitable, so as would be professionally necessary I checked it before considering it’s suitability for classroom use. While it included relevant examples such as ship, shark, shop, shell, and fish, I noticed quite a few errors in the draft poster. Some of the labels did not match the images, adjectives were included alongside nouns, and a few pictures were unclear and difficult to identify. These issues could potentially confuse pupils and undermine the learning objective. The poster was certainly not suitable for use in a classroom.
I attempted to correct these inaccuracies by requesting revisions; however, I was unable to access the updated poster. As a result, I was not left with a resource that was ready for classroom use. Although the AI generated the initial designs quickly, the time required to check, revise, and troubleshoot reduced the overall efficiency.
This experience highlighted an important professional responsibility – teachers must carefully review AI-generated content to ensure it is accurate, age-appropriate, and aligned with curriculum goals. Overall, I can see value in using AI tools for generating ideas and visual layouts, but teacher oversight remains essential. For this task, the agent was helpful as a starting point, but it did not fully meet my needs without significant checking and editing.
Regarding School Self-Evaluation and DEIS planning, Copilot prebuilt agents could help analyse survey data, identify trends, summarise feedback, and assist in drafting reports and action plans, reducing administrative workload while supporting evidence-based decision-making.
Like David, while I was aware of Immersive Reader, I had only been familiar with some of its basic features. This module highlighted many additional tools that I was unaware of, including the Visual Dictionary and on-the-fly translation. I now also realise the wider potential of Immersive Reader to support children’s learning, understanding and independence. It has encouraged me to learn more about the range of features available and to consider how they can be used to make learning more accessible and inclusive for all children.
As a SET teacher in a DEIS junior school, I found exploring Microsoft Reflect particularly worthwhile. Our school already uses daily check-ins and morning meetings, so Reflect would fit naturally into practices we already have in place. I liked how the questions can be customised to suit younger children and how the visual format makes it accessible for all pupils. This would be especially helpful for our EAL learners, as the symbols and characters support children in identifying and communicating their feelings, even when they may not have the language to express them.
I was also impressed by the movement and body break activities included within Reflect. We use movement regularly as part of a UDL approach, and these short activities can help pupils regulate, refocus and re-engage with learning. The tool also provides videos and supports to help children manage big feelings and develop emotional literacy. Teaching these skills explicitly can support self-regulation, wellbeing and more positive behaviour in the classroom.
The built-in accessibility features in Microsoft 365 would also be very useful in the SET setting. Reading Coach, Immersive Reader, Read Aloud and text-to-speech can help reduce barriers to learning for pupils with literacy difficulties, additional needs and EAL learners. These tools support independence and allow pupils to access learning in a way that meets their individual needs and in an engaging, fun manner.
From an SSE and DEIS planning perspective, Reflect could also support our school’s wellbeing, inclusion and pupil voice targets. The information gathered through regular check-ins could help staff identify trends, monitor pupil wellbeing and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and supports. Overall, I can see real potential for these tools to support inclusion, engagement and wellbeing across our school and I look forward to sharing them at our next staff meeting.
I agree with your point about using the “Modify Existing Content” feature to adjust the reading level of a text. As a SET teacher, I would find a tool like this invaluable. It can be challenging and time-consuming to create different versions of the same text to meet the needs of pupils with varying abilities, so having a tool that can quickly simplify language while retaining the key learning points would be a huge support. The AI inclusion of visual images can also help with supporting childrens understanding of given text.
I also like that it allows pupils to engage with the same topic as their peers while accessing it at a level that is appropriate for them. This can help children experience success, build confidence, and remain included in classroom learning rather than feeling overwhelmed by a text that is beyond their reading level.
For this activity, I created a lesson plan on number bonds to 10 for a Senior Infant maths lesson. Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the AI-generated lesson. The learning objectives were clear, the activities were age-appropriate, and it included the use of concrete materials such as counters and ten frames to help develop children’s understanding.
The first draft was usable, but I felt it needed to be more engaging for young learners. I asked Teach to make it more playful, and it suggested a treasure hunt activity where pupils searched for matching number bond pairs. I thought this was a great idea and one that the children would really enjoy which also promoted collaboration and teamwork.
Very few adjustments were needed before I could use the lesson. In future, I would ask Copilot Teach to provide more ideas to support children with SEN (depending on the needs in my class), particularly additional hands-on activities, visual supports, and differentiated tasks to ensure all pupils can access the learning.
I also used Copilot Teach to create a poster. Initially, it included almost the entire lesson plan which was much too busy for this age group. Using the transform AI, I added a prompt and asked for a poster showing examples of number bonds to 10 that would be suited to children in Senior Infants. Although the revised poster looked colourful and engaging, I noticed that the ten frames actually contained 12 boxes instead of 10. This highlighted the importance of carefully checking AI-generated resources before using them in the classroom.
In terms of School Self-Evaluation, I can see Copilot Teach being useful for generating ideas, supporting planning, and helping staff work towards improvement targets. However, my experience showed that teacher judgement remains essential when reviewing and adapting AI-generated content.
I completely agree with your point. There is no doubt that AI is a great tool for supporting teachers with planning and creating resources but we need to ensure a balance of supporting learning opportunities without taking away from pupils opportunities to think for themselves. Encouraging children to explain their reasoning , ask questions and problem solve independently is what leads to meaningful learning.
I used Microsoft Copilot to create a reading comprehension activity for a First Class literacy lesson. I asked it to generate a short reading passage with a range of comprehension questions and picture prompts to support pupils who benefit from visual cues. As a SET teacher, I adapted the resource by simplifying some of the language and keeping in mind the needs of the children I work with.
I found Copilot to be a useful starting point. It created a suitable resource in a matter of seconds, giving me more time to focus on adapting it rather than creating everything from scratch. One of the biggest benefits is the time it saves, particularly when preparing differentiated resources. A limitation is that the content still needs to be checked carefully for accuracy and suitability, so professional judgement remains essential.
AI should support teaching, not replace it. I would use it to prepare resources, while ensuring that pupils are still the ones asking questions, discussing ideas and developing their own understanding.
As a Deputy Princiapl I can also see Copilot being useful for School Self-Evaluation. It could help analyse survey responses, draft action plans and assist with reviewing school policies. This would help reduce the amount of time spent on administrative tasks and allow school leaders to spend more time on supporting teaching and learning.
