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This is the problem Aine! So many sites are blocked too in our school. In theory all of this is fantastic but it relies heavily on schools to have constantly evolving GDPR policies, site access, subscriptions etc.
I love how such a “boring” lesson like learning flag colours can be brought to life by online quizzes and activities. I think this approach would be so useful for so many rote learning topics such as Gaeilge verbs, tables, counties, mountains, lakes, capitals and all in a very efficient way as opposed to a few years ago where you would be printing, laminating and velcroing pictures on a poster to make something interactive!
Lesson Plan: History Project on ‘The Trenches in World War 1’ for 6th Class
I would firstly try Ari Assistant on Twinkl to help me to plan the lesson. I would ask Copilot to give me a summary of the key points of WW1 trench warfare. I would input this information as well as text from the children’s History textbook into Gamma to create an introductory presentation to the topic for the children and I would present this to the children. I would then ask the children to come up with any questions they might have about the topic in pairs and ask them to find the answers to these questions using Chat GPT (practicing good prompts). I would remind them to analyse the answers for bias and cross-check them using Britannica for example.
I would then get the children, in groups, to put their key learning onto a Word document. I would ask them to then use this document with Gamma to create a Powerpoint and to formulate images on image creator using as much detail as possible to go with their presentations.
I would get the groups to familiarise themselves with the presentation information and check it, editing where necessary. I would encourage them to practice their verbal presentation using Speaker Coach and I would use Speaker Coach as an assessment tool myself when the children are presenting their projects to the class for objective feedback.
I would ask the children at the end of the lesson series to reflect on how they used AI to enhance their learning as well as outline the challenges they faced with it or what they learnt for future projects.
Finally, I would create a Quizziz multiple choice quiz on the topic after generating suitable questions with the aid of Copilot to assess the children’s learning.
I feel there is so much opportunity to blend digital literacy and responsible AI usage with the likes of history to maximise learning and integration of subjects. Whilst I feel that some of the digital learning does need to happen in isolation initially, if it is started in the younger classes it can then be repeated and built upon every year as the children move through the primary classes. I do feel schools need to produce manageable and structured approaches to this area and this can be done through SSE. I feel there is a huge need for CPD in the area for teachers as digital tech is moving so fast and it is hard to keep up with the different tools. It can also can be very daunting for teachers as the lack of confidence and the fear of unsafe practice amongst a class is a huge barrier. It leaves teachers very vulnerable and open to data breaches, children coming across unsuitable content with a misspelled prompt etc.
I too would like to try Khan Academy as I was not aware of the array of areas it covered. Wellbeing is such a priority area at the moment with very obvious increases in anxiety amongst children and other mental health difficulties so dealing with big emotions is something we really need to equip children with at a young age to prepare them for the high-pressure of modern society.
I would use Google’s Teachable Machine as a start to help children to gain an understanding of AI and machine learning.
I would firstly check the school’s AUP and GDPR policies to ensure I am following protocol and I would inform myself as much as possible about the tool before teaching the children. We would run through online safety as well as AI, what it is, how it works, the benefits and the risks.
I would choose creating a basic image model as a starter and get the children to teach the tool to recognise something simple first e.g. thumbs up, thumbs down and eventually use it to recongnise living vs. non-living things for science for examplt. I would use LanSchool Air to monitor pupil screens as they work for safety and to control access should any child go off task. I would model initially and then go through the process step-by-step, gradually releasing the repsonsibility to them.
I would then carry out a reflection on the lesson to see how they found it, the challenges, things to work on next time and how it could be used in real life. I would remind them always that input predicts outcome so testing and refining is key and AI should be used as a starter not a finished product so checking is vital.
I too love the scope that Diffit has for differentiation. I have a large 6th Class next year with 33 children and a variety of abilities so it will be vital to have tools such as this to ensure equal access to learning across the board. And the Youtube translator really makes it easier for EAL kids to access more subject-specific topics with difficult vocabulary and help them to expand their English learning whilst doing so.
Part 1:
The tool I was most drawn to in this module was the Speaker Coach for assessment. I will have 6th Class in September and I would do a lot of work on the children creating projects and presenting them to the class who then given feedback as do I. I feel the speaker coach tool provides wonderful objective feedback in terms of pace, intonation, language, informal speech, filler words etc. allowing me as a teacher to focus on the learning/content and child’s knowledge of the content as well as the visual elements of the presentation. I find it very challenging to take notes and be present at these presentations as they happen so fast and there are 33 kids one after the next. I also think it would be very useful for kids when practicing their presentations as it will give them concrete tips to work on to improve.
The second tool I will use in my teaching is the Gamma app for generating Powerpoint presentations on topics. I find these help children to engage and keep lessons focused and ensure key information is shared. They do take time however and it would be great to get auto-generated presentations even as a framework to then edit and tailor to the class needs/interests.
For the second part of this assignment the tools that I would be most likely to use are Twee for Youtube video question generating, Maths School for personalised word problems in specific areas of Maths and Diffit to allow children with literacy difficulties to access the same content in subjects like history etc. at their own levels.
I too am interested in Dreamspace. It would be lovely to get a better insight into STEM ideas and will hopefully tie in nicely with the new Maths curriculum providing opportunities for discovery learning and teaching Mathsw in a more open-ended way.
AI has so much to offer both teachers and students from a teaching and learning perspective. It can help provide personalised and engaging lessons to students of all abilities and give more opportunity for children to learn at their pace and include their own interests in their learning. It will also help teachers to plan more efficiently and assess children’s work more instantly to inform future teaching.
I love the Immersive Reader facility and seeing the impact it had on the little boy with dyslexia and his parents was heartwarming. This tool is something I will definitely be trying and recommending to struggling readers. It would allow for children who have difficulty reading/processing text to just focus on the task and comprehension rather than decoding text which is especially useful in subjects not overly concerned with literacy but rather the content such as history or STEM. I feel children who find literacy difficult should not be penalised for this struggle across all subjects.
I feel AI will also “free up” teachers time so they can be more present in the classroom for their students instead of spending vast amounts of time on admin tasks.
With AI comes a lot of challenges too. We as teachers have to be well-informed ourselves in order to teach children how to use AI correctly. We also need to view it as a tool to integrate into our teaching and not allow it to take over. The video of the Chinese classroom really scares me as it makes children so vulnerable with their personal data so public and puts huge pressure on children to perform. It also lacks the human connection and something about it just does not sit right with me. We also need to choose our tools and data wisely and check AI outcomes before using them. I feel it opens up so many opportunities but with that becomes huge responsibility too. Biased views, unsuitable images, inaccurate information are all barriers we must consider before diving into anything too fast.
I was also surprised at how many alternatives to Chat GPT there are and how they all provide different feedback. I must play around with them a little more to see which ones I prefer but perhaps different AI generators are better depending on the outcome you desire?
It is great that Copilot is free when you have a Microsoft 365 account too. I did not realise this and with the free version of Chat GPT and me being new to prompting I find that it usually takes me a few tries before I get the prompt “right” and specific enough and by that stage I have used my daily limit.
I feel as educators we see AI as almost cheating and there is almost a sense of shame if we don’t create our own resources and lesson content. However, this module has shown me the potential for AI in the classroom and how it can help us as teachers to be more productive, efficient and creative.
With teaching load becoming more and more demanding and teachers being time poor, AI can assist us in differentiating resources to cater for the widening array of individual needs in the classroom. Sometimes this is not possible to do for every lesson and we resort to a generic lesson that hopefully can be adapted in small ways for different children. AI can transform mundane lessons into more interactive and engaging lessons for all, leading to more personalised and achievable learning for all students with all students experiencing success at their own level.
I had not thought about AI as a form of assessment but now realise it can help us to formatively assess students on an ongoing basis and determine where needs may lie and can provide instant feedback to students about their learning.
Of course, we must not rely solely on AI and it is important to check the quality of the data being used for bias/inaccuracies but it is a game changer in terms of its use in the classroom and when used properly can really enhance the teaching and learning experience for all.