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Google Workspace can reduce barriers by offering pupils different ways to access information, participate in learning and demonstrate understanding. Docs can provide structure and scaffolding, Slides can support visual and flexible responses, Forms can gather evidence and pupil voice, and Classroom can provide routine and consistent access. The module also reinforced the importance of responding to individual learning needs and using assessment evidence to decide appropriate next steps.
I chose to look at how children could be encouraged to p<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>ractice different forms of quiet reflection, prayer, and mindfulness to help them find inner peace and spiritual strength during busy times.</span>
For children who find physical stillness or closing their eyes challenging, I plan to provide a sensory anchor (like watching a slow visual graphic on the projector screen or holding a small comforting object).
In considering the time needed to process information I will give children thinking time before asking for volunteers to speak in front of the large assembly group.A brief Form could be used after rhw assembly to identify what pupils understood, what they applied and what support they need next.
This learning supports SSE and the Digital Learning Plan by providing practical ways to evaluate access, engagement, pupil voice, feedback and progression. The evidence collected can inform targeted actions rather than simply measuring activity.
Hi Darragh, I found your adaptation of the Local History Interview activity very practical and inclusive. The use of clear, step-by-step instructions in Google Docs should help pupils work more independently, while Voice Typing offers an important alternative for children whose ideas may be stronger than their handwriting or typing skills. I also like that pupils can choose how to respond, as this supports inclusion without drawing attention to individual differences.
Your use of comments within the document is also effective because feedback is linked directly to the pupil’s work and can guide an immediate next step. The planned Google Forms exit ticket would complement this well by giving you a quick overview of understanding across the class and helping you decide who may need further teaching, support or challenge.
It might also be useful to include audio instructions or sentence starters for pupils who need additional scaffolding but you may have this already covered.
Over the past number of years, my use of digital technology has developed from mainly presenting information to using technology to encourage pupil participation, reflection and collaboration. For this assignment, I created an interactive Google Slides story based on the assembly theme, The Power of Stillness. The story guides pupils from external noise towards inner calm through images, simple choices, a glitter-jar metaphor, the story of Elijah and a short period of silent reflection. Pupils can choose a breathing, prayer or mindfulness strategy and identify a time during the week when they might use it.
Going forward, I would use Google Classroom to share the Slides story and a short follow-up Google Form. This would allow pupils to revisit the learning and reflect on whether they used a quiet pause during the following week. Google Meet could support a shared reflection with another class. Google Groups could help me as principal share with staff what I planned to do at assembly and feedback from children could be shared by teachers identifying areas that may need further attention.
These tools are suitable for a blended approach because the learning begins collectively at assembly but can continue in classrooms or at home. My main concerns are ensuring equal access, protecting pupil privacy and avoiding unnecessary screen time. Digital tools should therefore complement, rather than replace, personal reflection, discussion and shared experiences. Clear organisation and response choices will be important so that technology supports inclusion rather than creating additional barriers.
My Digital story on Being Well – a presentation for Early September
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Op1sgzcGV4Ti_0eMd4mfojkPTOtRlw98nZXMI5l-Gn0/edit?usp=sharing
Wiliam’s paper highlights that assessment becomes formative only when evidence of learning is interpreted and used to make better decisions about the next steps in teaching. It also stresses the importance of clear learning intentions (outcomes), success criteria, feedback, peer learning and pupils taking greater ownership of their progress.
In my role as principal I enjoy having the opportunity to take classes. I also use assemblies fortnightly to engage with the children and role model for teachers what I have talked about at staff meetings. I use questioning, observation, discussion, and end-of-lesson reflection to check understanding. However, I recognise that gathering evidence is not enough; I must use it more consistently to adapt teaching. I am aware that it is critical to allow sufficient thinking time so that all pupils contribute. I remember reading one time that waiting three to five seconds—often referred to as “wait time”—instead of just one second dramatically increases student participation, the number of correct answers, and the complexity of student responses.
I will share learning intentions and success criteria in child-friendly language and provide feedback that identifies a clear next step rather than simply praising.
I also want to develop pupils’ self-regulation by giving them regular opportunities to assess their own learning, set manageable goals and explain which strategies helped them.
For Assessment of Learning, I will continue to use end-of-assembly pupil reflection to demonstrate understanding.This short pupil reflection form is designed to help a principal understand what children learned from an assembly on stillness, spirituality, purpose and inner peace. It invites pupils in 3rd to 6th Class to reflect on the difference between being physically quiet and experiencing a deeper sense of calm or spiritual stillness. Children are also asked whether they used a quiet pause during the following week, when they used it, what strategy they chose and whether it helped them feel calmer, think more clearly or respond more kindly. Pupils who did not try the strategy can explain what made it difficult and what support might help next time. The form is anonymous, child-friendly and takes only a few minutes to complete. It is not a test and is not graded. Responses will be reviewed at school level to guide future assemblies, identify helpful supports and plan meaningful next steps in learning.
https://forms.gle/HEtsdMf1gLueWK8aA
While I’ve always thought of SSE as more a whole school model than a classroom model I can see now how it is used all the time in the classroom – reviewing what we are doing, are the pupils learning? are the tools we are using and in this case digital tools helping achieve the learning outcomes and how do we know? is there anything we can do better? if so how are we going to do this? what do we need to do differently? constantly monitoring and judiciously assessing what we do.
The planning sequence is to be used at a principal assembly and targets 3rd to 6th-class students focusing on the “Being Well” curriculum competency and the Grow in Love theme of spiritual stillness. A deliberate design choice is using a “Glitter Jar” visual hook, helping children to understand an abstract spiritual concept in a concrete object. This choice enhances clarity and consistency across a wide multi-grade audience, ensuring the lesson’s core intention remains accessible to both 8-year-olds and 12-year-olds simultaneously.
To improve the sequence, one future adjustment I would make is providing specialized sensory focus tools to better support neurodiverse students who find traditional silent reflection challenging. I would suggest to teachers that if any of the children want to bring a focus tool they like using in class they may do so or teachers may suggest having them in the assembly hall easily accessible to the children if they choose to use them. The plan links directly to School Self-Evaluation (SSE) targets regarding student well-being and voice as a subsequent Google Classroom reflection assignment for 5th/6th class pupils will offer tangible, qualitative evidence of pupil engagement, demonstrating how collective assembly themes effectively translate into meaningful, independent classroom learning.What impact can developing my own use of Digital Technology have at school level? As principal of a 600+ pupils school it is important that I model what I expect of both staff and students. It is imperative that I am up to date with current recommended best practice including the use of digital technolgies to enhance learning. Since we use chromebooks and Google Drive throughout the school I am familiear with many of the Google Apps and use them mainly for administrative and organisational purposes. I am eager to learn more about Google Classroom, Google Meet and Notebook LM. I have not used the Google YouTube channel or Google Teacher Centre before and looking at some of these videos I can certainly see how they could help me to develop my skills as a school leader and teacher. Regarding the SSE process I looked through a good number of the questionnaires/focus group questions on the dlplanning.ie website and see these as valuable tools for encouraging teacher dialogue and reflection on our use of digital tools and answers to these questions will encourage collaborative dialogue which is essential in schools.
Google for Education’s Teacher Centre – as principal I am accountable to the BoM, pupils and staff – responsible for ensuring all students can access the curriculum. The Teacher Center has deep, specialized resources focused on accessibility. I will use modules in the teacher centre to inform and encourage teachers to use Google’s built-in accesibility features with students like screen readers and dictation tools to support diverse learners.