[Stacey Scanlon]

Part 1:
Over the course of the modules, we have been exposed to so many amazing AI tools that I plan on using next year to improve my teaching and time management. From using Gamma for creating PowerPoints to the Magic School for personalized curriculum resources, I am excited to see how AI will help to transform my lessons. I will be working in SET next year so I feel my children will really benefit from the ‘Immersive Reader’ function from Microsoft. Having so many options available to support the child when reading will save time and allow the child to find the tool that works best for them. I also plan to use Ari AI Assistant on Twinkl to help me to create SMART targets for my IEPs next year. This tool will allow me to create my targets quickly and efficiently, freeing up valuable time that I can give back to the children.

Part 2:
Lesson Plan: Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Class: 2nd Class
Duration: 45 minutes
Strand: Living Things
Strand Unit: Plants and Animals
Assessment Tool: Quizizz

Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• Identify and describe the four main stages of a butterfly’s life cycle.
• Sequence the life cycle stages correctly.
• Use digital tools to demonstrate understanding (Quizizz).

Materials Needed
• PowerPoint of butterfly life cycle (created by Gamma)
• Worksheet
• Video on butterfly life cycle (2–3 minutes)
• Tablets for Quizizz
• Quizizz quiz

Lesson Outline
1. Starter (5 minutes)
Ask: “Have you ever seen a caterpillar? What do you think it turns into?”
Show a short video – time-lapse of a butterfly’s life cycle

2. Direct Instruction (10 minutes)
Use visuals to teach the four stages and briefly describe what happens at each stage:

Egg
Caterpillar (Larva)
Chrysalis (Pupa)
Butterfly (Adult)

3. Guided Practice (10 minutes)
Students draw and label the life cycle in order.
Partner activity: match stage names to images.

4. Independent Practice / Assessment (15 minutes)
Students complete a Quizizz quiz on the butterfly life cycle.
Questions include: multiple-choice, ordering and image-labeling questions.

5. Plenary (5 minutes)
Recap key points.
Ask students to share their favorite stage and why.

Extension Ideas
Caterpillar craft project.
Story writing: “A Day in the Life of a Butterfly.”

[Stacey Scanlon]

Orla – I love your lesson plan for Discovering France! It sounds like a fun lesson that the children will enjoy 🙂

[Stacey Scanlon]

Using AI tools to help the children identify bias is a great idea. I really liked how two articles were created using different inputs from two sides of the Easter Rising which highlights the different perspectives and biased statements . This is an excellent way to show children examples of bias and can allow then to explore it in more detail.
I explored all six of the AI applications that were on the slide and I was most drawn to Teachable Machine and Scratch. I think the children in my class would love using Teachable Machine to create games and quizzes with their friends. Even if I showed them the YouTube promotional video for Teachable Machine they would get so excited about it. We would start with a fun, exploratory lesson where the children could try out the features themselves and as their confidence grows, we could link it with Science projects, Music lessons or even PE objectives.

[Stacey Scanlon]

I agree with Vikki’s comment about checking the school’s AUP and GDPR policies to ensure we are following protocols. She also made a good point about reviewing online safety with the children before introducing any of the AI tools.

[Stacey Scanlon]

I agree with Jennifer – Speaker Coach will be a great way to improve the children’s presentation skills. Using it to improve our own public speaking skills is also an added bonus!

[Stacey Scanlon]

Part 1:
There were so many amazing tools mentioned in Module 3 and I intend on exploring lots of them in more detail but I really liked Gamma and the Microsoft Learning Accelerators. I have spent so much time searching for powerpoints or making them from scratch so Gamma would save me so much time by creating the bones of the presentation. It can also be hard to find time to hear each child read so the Reading Coach would be a great tool to use. I love that it also gives the child feedback on their reading. I think the children would really enjoy using this tool.
Part 2:
Anything that can help with improving descriptive writing is well worth using. I loved the ideas for using Copilot Image Creator to enhance descriptive writing by encouraging children to add more detail to their writing in order to provide a more accurate image. In the past, I have asked my children to draw what a friend has described in their writing but this takes it a step further. It would also create a great sense of excitement for the children waiting to see what image AI will create for them. It really shows the importance of including lots of detail for the reader to really visualize what they are writing about. I also love the idea of showing the children the AI generated image and asking them to create the prompt for the image.
I found that Magic School looks like another great AI tool – I have already signed up for the free account! The Social Story tool would be amazing for any child who finds social scenarios difficult. In the past, I have spent so much time creating word problems with my children’s names in them so I will definitely be using the Maths Story tool in my teaching.
Finally, Twee looks like such an amazing tool for helping with reading comprehension. I love that you can even create questions based on YouTube videos!

[Stacey Scanlon]

I agree with James’ comment about schools providing relevant CPD for staff as there is a lot to take in and everyone needs to be aware of the benefits as well as the potential risks.

[Stacey Scanlon]

AI can make classrooms smarter and more fun! Before starting this course, I was only aware of ChatGPT but after completing just two modules I am now aware of a number of AI tools that will definitely enhance my teaching and lessons next year. Immersive reader is a fantastic tool that will benefit so many of my students. From changing the size and style of the text, to changing the colour of the background and focusing on certain lines, this will have a huge positive impact on my dyslexic students. I would also love to explore Knewton Alta as I believe it would be a great way to personalise the children’s learning and differentiate activities according to each child’s ability. My children would love the Minecraft Education Edition. Learning through play, creating code and running science experiments are only some of the amazing tools on offer and it’s all designed to disguise learning as games. My only reservations about these AI tools are the cost of these platforms and the accessibility for the children as tablets/ipads are very scarce in my school.

[Stacey Scanlon]

Assessment Part 2:

I was a bit sceptical of using AI tools in the classroom but even after completing the first module, I can already see the many positive benefits that it can bring to my teaching. Simple tasks like asking AI to suggest fun and engaging ways to introduce topics or for help to improve powerpoints and lesson ideas – these are tasks that I did not even consider using AI tools for and yet it’s so easy. The ‘Generative AI in Education’ website is fantastic and I will be sharing this will all my teacher friends as I know that will make great use of it. I do believe that the correct training needs to be provided in schools to ensure that staff are aware of the positives but also the possible risks that can be associated with AI tools as outlined in the Ethical Guidelines video. The last slide stating the Rules of Thumb for using AI tools is key for the safety of both the staff and children in the school.
I enjoyed Module 1 of this course. I’m looking forward to starting Module 2.

[Stacey Scanlon]

Responding to Claire O Driscoll’s post:

I totally agree with Claire – I totally rely on Google and similar platforms to check and source information however the potential that these AI tools has to offer is amazing!

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