[Anthony Wall]

Think it is a great point to make Tracey about how AI can help the learning process by allowing the teacher to focus on learning needs rather than getting completely bogged down in paperwork.

From your activities pupils will also get to see AI as a learning tool rather than simply a source of answers. By discussing and exploring AI responses compared to their own, children develop their critical thinking skills and are encouraged to question information rather than accept it at face value.

[Anthony Wall]

Part one: Before completing the course, I viewed AI mainly as a tool for generating text or images or as a source of information. I now recognise its wider potential to enhance teaching and learning through personalised learning experiences, adaptive technologies and increased accessibility for all pupils.
I would integrate AI gradually rather than allowing it to replace traditional teaching approaches. I think AI is best used to support lesson planning, generate differentiated resources, create engaging quizzes and provide ideas for creative activities. Many tools I have come across in this course will help me with this endeavour. I liked MagicSchool AI as it reduces the time spent creating differentiated resources so that I can focus more on supporting pupils during lessons. Diffit is great for personalised learning in differentiating reading passages and generating vocabulary activities.
Incorporating AI helps to prepare children for a future in which AI will play an increasingly significant role in education and society. Overall, I see AI as a valuable support for teaching and learning, provided it is used thoughtfully, ethically and always alongside professional teacher judgement.

 

Part two:
Lesson Title
How Does AI Learn?

Class Level
2nd Class

Subject
SPHE / STEM / Digital Learning

Duration
40 minutes

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson pupils will:
Understand that AI learns by being shown lots of examples.
Recognise that AI makes predictions based on data.
Understand that AI is helpful but can sometimes make mistakes.
Develop questioning and critical thinking skills.

Success Criteria (WALT)
I can explain that AI learns from examples.
I can describe why AI sometimes gets things wrong.
I can give one way to use AI responsibly.

Resources
Computer/Interactive whiteboard
Teachable Machine (or teacher demonstration)
Pictures of classroom objects (pencil, ruler, scissors, glue)
Whiteboards and markers

Introduction (10 minutes)
Ask pupils how they learned to recognise different animals or colours.
Explain that computers learn in a similar way by looking at lots of examples.
Introduce the idea that AI learns from data and makes predictions.

Development (20 minutes)
1.Show pupils two classroom objects.
2.Use Teachable Machine to “teach” the AI to recognise each object.
3.Test the AI using different examples.
4.Discuss:
oDid it get everything right?
oWhy did it make mistakes?
oWhat could we do to improve it?

Conclusion (10 minutes)
Class discussion:
What did we learn about AI?
Is AI always correct?
Why should we still use our own thinking?
Finish with pupils drawing one picture showing how AI learns and writing one sentence:
“AI learns by looking at lots of examples.”

Assessment
Teacher observation during discussion.
Responses to questioning.
Completed drawing and sentence.
Exit ticket: “One thing I learned about AI today…”

Differentiation
Visual supports and vocabulary cards.
Mixed-ability pairs.
Extension: Pupils suggest another object the AI could learn to recognise and explain how they would improve its accuracy.

Cross-Curricular Links
SPHE: Responsible use of technology.
Science: Observing, predicting and investigating.
Oral Language: Discussion and questioning.
Digital Learning: Understanding emerging technologies.

[Anthony Wall]

I think the blend of using concrete materials in the form of Beebots alongside tablets is a great way of teaching young children in how to work with AI Ciara. The children in my school love working with Beebots and its effective in showing them that if a step is missed that it can have a significant outcome on the result.

[Anthony Wall]

One AI application that particularly interested me was Teachable Machine. I think this would be an excellent way to introduce AI concepts to children in a 1st or 2nd class because it is interactive, visual and easy to understand. Rather than beginning with technical explanations, I would start by asking pupils how people learn new things. We would discuss how they learned to recognise animals, colours or shapes by seeing many examples. I would then explain that AI learns in a similar way by looking at lots of examples, helping children understand that AI learns from data, makes predictions and improves with practice.

Using Teachable Machine, I would demonstrate how we can “teach” the computer to recognise two simple classroom objects, such as a pencil and an eraser. Together, we would collect several examples of each object and then test whether the AI could correctly identify them. If it made mistakes, we would discuss why this happened and how providing more examples could improve its accuracy. This would help pupils understand that AI is not magical or always correct. It depends on the quality of the information it receives.

[Anthony Wall]

Think Diffit and Magic School are great Tracey for differentiation and can save planning time while ensuring every child can access the lesson at an appropriate level. It could also make it easier for me to assess understanding more effectively by providing suitable questions for different abilities.

[Anthony Wall]

Part one: One AI tool I would use is Diffit. As a primary teacher in a DEIS junior school, I often have children working at different reading levels. Diffit could help me quickly create differentiated reading passages, comprehension questions and vocabulary activities on the same topic.

A second tool I would use is Microsoft Reading Coach. Many children in 1st and 2nd class are still developing reading fluency and confidence. Reading Coach provides personalised reading practice and targeted feedback, helping pupils improve at their own pace.

Part two: This module showed tools that can make learning more engaging, inclusive and creative while giving teachers more time to focus on what matters most—building relationships and supporting children’s learning.

I really liked Copilot Image Creator. Young children respond well to visual learning, and being able to generate images linked to a story, topic or vocabulary lesson could make concepts more meaningful and stimulate discussion and descriptive language. For example, before reading a story, I could create an image of a setting or character and ask pupils to predict what might happen, encouraging speaking, listening and creative thinking.

I was also interested in MagicSchool, which could help me generate lesson ideas, maths story problems and differentiated classroom resources more efficiently. This would reduce planning time and allow me to spend more time working directly with children and providing individual support.

Another useful feature is YouTube AI Translation, which could make educational videos more accessible for children learning English as an additional language or for introducing topics from around the world. Similarly, Gamma could be used to quickly create visually engaging presentations that are appropriate for young learners and capture their attention.

[Anthony Wall]

Fully agree that the lack of device availablilty and funding for their maintenance can be a big challenge for schools Carol. It means children must share technology fairly, and would need to ensure that AI activities complement hands-on learning rather than replace it. However, when used effectively it can be a great tool to augment efficiency and allow focus on areas that make best use of your time.

[Anthony Wall]

One challenge I face in a 1st/2nd class classroom is meeting the needs of children with a wide range of abilities while having access to only a limited number of iPads. It is not always possible for every child to use technology at the same time, so careful planning is needed to ensure it enhances learning rather than becoming a distraction.

From this module, I can see how AI could support both teaching and learning even with limited devices. Rather than using iPads as a whole-class activity, I could incorporate them into literacy or maths stations where small groups rotate through AI-supported tasks. For example, children could use Microsoft Immersive Reader to support reading by listening to text aloud, highlighting words and improving comprehension, while another group works with the teacher and others complete independent activities. This would allow children who need additional support to work more independently while I focus on targeted teaching.

AI could also support me outside of lesson time. Tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini could help generate differentiated worksheets, phonics activities, comprehension questions or maths games that I could adapt to suit the learning objectives of my class. This would reduce planning time while allowing me to create engaging activities for children with different learning needs.

[Anthony Wall]

Fully agree Fiona that going forward AI is likely to influence teaching, learning and assessment. I think it will encourage greater emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and authentic tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding beyond AI-generated responses. AI can be  a powerful educational tool when used responsibly, ethically and with the teacher remaining at the centre of the learning process.

[Anthony Wall]

AI can help in reducing admin workload and save time in areas such as lesson planning, creating differentiated resources, generating quizzes and providing ideas for engaging learning activities. This module showed me AI tools that I wasn’t previously familiar with such as Vidnoz and Pictory which will help me in utilising engaging methodologies in the classroom. Teachers can therefore spend more time focusing on high-quality instruction and supporting individual student needs. For learners, AI can offer personalised explanations, instant feedback and additional practice tailored to different abilities, making learning more accessible and inclusive.

However, the benefits of AI must be checked by the ethical considerations. Teachers ultimately remain responsible for professional judgement and ensure that AI complements rather than replace human decision-making. Protecting student data, recognising the potential for bias in AI-generated content, and being transparent about when and how AI is used are essential. Children also need to develop AI literacy so they can critically evaluate AI-generated information rather than accepting it as automatically accurate.

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