An example that I was just discussing with my parents over the weekend is comparing traditional physical maps with Google Maps or GPS. My parents can navigate using a paper map and get to their destination, but if they knew how to use GPS, they could find faster routes, avoid traffic, and save time. Similarly, AI is not essential for survival, but it can enhance productivity and decision-making when used effectively.

For these reasons, I advocate for the responsible use of AI, without enforcing it on others. As the saying goes: “AI won’t take teachers’ jobs — but teachers who use AI may take the lead.”

As an educator, these are my thoughts about AI:

Pros:

1. AI in education – it supports diverse learners; I find that there are ways to find worksheets or create lesson plans to provide a personalised learning environment.

2. Accessibility for Students with Special Needs – AI powered tools (like text-to-speech)

Cons:

1. Cognitive Offloading – Overreliance on AI will not allow students to think critically, for example they get AI to complete the task but may not understand truly the learning point.

2. Data security – As as educator, if I want to gather some ideas or create lesson plans, I must be careful not to input all information like name or school name.

In summary, for me AI is a tool to assist me as an educator to run through ideas, but I still will make the point to understand what I want my student to learn, referring back to IEP goals. I will always keep in my mind that AI is not controlling me and that I will use it to help me create more possibilities for diverse learners.

B)

Storyboard That: Free Online Storyboard Creator

I am finding this tool to be interesting. It will help students with SEN to help in their social stories or even those who are not able to write but may need pictures to guide. I like to use visuals to teach students skills. I was exploring the website where I can choose the layout, the background and add the characters. I used the “Stickies” to choose the different pose and the expressions I want the character to showcase. A visual storyboard where I can even get students to create their own narrative.

AI can support personalised learning by differentiating tasks, providing text-to-speech or visual aids and help teachers monitor progress. It can also free up time for relationship-building and planning targeted student support.

However, risks exist. Reduced memory retention, loss of critical thinking, and shallow understanding may widen learning gaps, especially for students with SEN. Privacy and data risks, as well as bias and misinformation also need careful consideration.

A balanced approach is essential: 1. use AI as an enabler, not replace teachers, 2. involve key stakeholders in decision-making, 3. safeguard student data, 4. prioritise equity. This ensures learning remains effective while preserving authentic care and human connection.

b) I wasn’t aware that the Libby app also offers audiobooks! I’ve always been using it just to borrow e-books, but because I get motion sickness, I’ve never been able to read during my bus rides to NIE. Now that I know about this feature, I can listen to my favourite books on the go instead. Thank you for highlighting this! I’ll also encourage my students with dyslexia to explore audiobooks on Libby as it’s a great way for them to enjoy their preferred genres while building their vocabulary.

AI can help us in many ways , but there are also barriers to it , especially when students do not have the skillset to manage it, they might miss a lot learning and skills that we have learnt it through the traditional ways. I still believe that there should be a balance of how we using AI in our daily way and what works best for us.

B) Aha moment: As I explored on the padlet, I have indeed picked out more new knowledge and ideas on how to use the different tools to create lessons , which also allows me to save more time as i do not need to start from scratch. Just like the recent children's day celebration, i saw some of my teachers using some of the technology to create interesting and innovative videos and songs using the recent popular song " Golden and Soda Pop " , it captured all the students attention including myself. Previously we have to use video and edit on our own, now with the tool, we can create it within a short duration .

b)    AHA exploration of padlet.

I have tried Khan Academy with my child first, and then used it with my students during my withdrawal sessions. The units are bite-sized and my students can gain mastery points upon completion.

I have also used pictory AI to create my introductory video and I like how customizable it is.

I have also included a new app I found called Focus Friend on the padlet (Tech Tools- - Attention) recently. First, you can create your own Bean. It has functions like focus function, break timer function and you can even decorate your own house! I included a screen recording of the app on the padlet. The app uses a gamified approach to help users reduce screen time and improve focus. Go check it out!

A) I am very surprised at the areas in which AI in education can provide breakthroughs: I like the customization of learning, instantaneous and 24/7 feedback and learning, as well as the features that help teachers to provide better feedback to students (of course teachers will need to check through the generated feedback and ensure it is on the right track). Some AI-generated content also give students ideas on different perspectives (feels like learning from a knowledgeable other) or helps to break down complex concepts, making learning more engaging and fun for students depending on their needs. The idea of making learning accessible and tailored to the needs of ADHD students also excites me, because I have always felt that they would be better engaged (and less behavioural issues) if learning was gamified with brain breaks for them (which, admittedly, many times I think teachers may lack the bandwidth to plan for due to their busy schedules).

AI is here to stay and it is for us as educators to mitigate its risks. In terms of teaching students to be discerning and analytical of output, selecting the right data sets to input into LLMs, or careful and constant updating of security systems to ensure privacy… active detection and elimination of bias etc.. all these maintenance groundwork has to be done to ensure that we continue to reap the benefits of AI.

Ultimately, I am glad AI is here to assist us but there is a need to ensure that students do not miss out on the valuable learning opportunities because AI is misused (either by students or bad actors out there).

B) I tried out Curipod, which was really interesting. I was able to give a brief prompt on topic (e.g. positive self-talk) and student age for starters. Then the AI queried me on more details for it to plan a lesson properly (such as to be specific about what scenarios in which positive self-talk is to be used (e.g. for calming down or when someone says something mean etc). After making the selectuon, Curipod worked backwards to generate the exit ticket first before moving to the slides in the front. Along the way I could ask questions or make suggestions (e.g. getting them to localize the phrases "canteen" instead of "cafeteria").

This is a really useful tool as it gives me some ideas on how to format my lessons especially if it is a new topic I have not taught before, or if I am lacking in time. It uses animations in the slides which makes it attractive for students, and I see that the graphics are organized clearly and easily digestible. One thing to note, in order to get the PDF version of the slides, one would need to subscribe. Otherwise, the slides can be accessed from the online Curiopod account.

a) Enhancing Learning: Some of the tools can be personalized and tailored, give timely feedback which enhances the learning of the students.

b) Engaging the mind of students: It can make the lessons more interesting and help students be more focused

c) Encourage supervision. Even though we are educators, we definitely do not work alone to support students. Most of the time is spent with their families and we need to encourage parents to supervise the use of AI to let it be of best use.

2. Aha moment. I am keen to try Curipod after Soh Hui shared how it is done. I am planning to use it to generate a social skill lesson.

b) I learnt about curipod today! It is can really create the slides and lesson for you! reducing time spent on coming up with a whole lesson.

1) Use AI as a Support

• Design tasks that require students’ judgment, creativity, and reflection.

• Encourage students to use AI for brainstorming, feedback, or revision and not final answers.

2)Promote Critical Thinking

• Teach students to question AI outputs, verify facts, and recognize hallucinations or misinformation.

• Use examples of biased or incorrect AI responses to spark discussion and analysis.

3)Foster Digital Literacy

• Teach students how AI works at a basic level—what it can and can’t do.

• Help them understand terms like “hallucination,” “bias,” “algorithm,”

MYSELF:

·       Treat AI as a collaborator and use it to enhance personalisation E.g. use for brainstorming ideas such as activities and project themes

·       Use to differentiate content by asking AI to adapt lessons for various needs

As an educator, I acknowledge its strengths but at the same time be cautious of its limitations/challenges.

What really excites me is how AI can provide assistance differently - we might finally solve the old problem of helping every student learn in their own way. I've seen how teaching everyone the same way can bore some students and confuse others i.e differentiated instruction. AI that changes based on how each student learns could be amazing.

However, there are some considerations - for students who are already sturggling to tell if information online is true or false, and AI tools that create believable but wrong content make this much harder. We need to teach students not just how to use AI, but how to question what it tells them and understand what it can't do well.

Regarding privacy and safety online, students already have complicated digital lives, and AI systems that collect lots of information about how they learn raise serious questions about their privacy in the future. We need to help students understand what information they are sharing and keep control over their online identity.

I believe in using AI carefully - making it help rather than replace good teaching and human connections, while also teaching students better digital skills to prepare them for a world with AI.

B) Any Aha moments after viewing or trying out some recommendations from the exploration padlet?

I have heard about Curipod being shared by my colleagues but never really try exploring until today. Thank you, Dr Liz, for sharing the video too.

After exploring Curipod, it definitely saves time, makes lessons be more fun through the interactive functions and can be customised easily. Definitely, as educators, we will need to review the information and lesson to ensure the suitability of the lesson for our students.

As a SPED educator, AI helps me personalise learning, support communication and task management, provide feedback, monitor student progress, and streamline lesson planning with accessible materials. These tools enhance learning, increase engagement, make teaching more efficient, enable timely interventions, and promote inclusive education.

I have used AI platforms such as Twinkl, Kahoot, and Word wall to create engaging teaching and learning activities. Twinkl provides ready-made worksheets and resources suitable for different learning levels, making lesson preparation easier. Kahoot offers fun quizzes and polls that give instant feedback, helping to keep students motivated and engaged. Word wall allows for the creation of custom games and interactive activities, enabling students to practice and reinforce their learning in an enjoyable way.

Personally, using AI tools has helped me go beyond surface-level understanding. I can take summaries from ChatGPT and then explore the topics further using other platforms, which makes my teaching and learning more thorough and engaging.

After today’s sharing, I also tried Curio Pod and discovered that it makes lesson development quick and easy. The platform provides ready-made resources, interactive activities, and templates that help structure lessons efficiently, allowing me to focus more on tailoring content to my students’ needs. It is as simple as signing in, choose a topic or template, add and customise content, preview the lesson, share with students, and track their engagement.

The danger comes when the user is not sufficiently equipped to identify the potential pitfalls that may occur with over-reliance on AI.

As an educator, I see my role as guiding the students on the benefits AI can bring them, for example, in using the tools such as Canva to create attractive presentations and to teach them how to feed AI better information to have better outcomes. At the same time, I need to bring their attention to the things they need to look out for. For example, be aware that AI may provide responses that fits their profile rather than accurate representation of other possibilities.

AHA Moments - My colleague was sharing that Gemini works better with suggestions rather than generating pictures. But when I saw Gemini generating Amelia's group photo, I was impressed by the quality and am now keen to explore Gemini further. Thanks for the sharing! :)

However, privacy concerns arise from student data collection. Not all students have equal access, risking a digital divide. Too much reliance on AI might hurt critical thinking. AI use raises worries about academic honesty.

On one hand, AI tools offer incredible benefits. They help me access information instantly, organize tasks efficiently, and even engage in meaningful dialogue about complex topics. I was struck by how students in Burnett’s class used AI to explore philosophical and spiritual ideas—some even felt more intellectually seen and heard by AI than by people. That moment made me appreciate how AI can support deep learning when used intentionally.

Beyond education, I’ve witnessed firsthand how AI can save lives. When my mother underwent knee replacement surgery, the use of robotic assistance enabled the surgeons to fine-tune the procedure with remarkable precision. The result? A smoother recovery and fewer complications compared to others who opted out of robotic aid and ended up with more complaints. This experience showed me how AI, when paired with robotics, empowers medical professionals to reduce risks and improve patient outcomes.

Even in everyday life, AI has made a difference. My husband, who struggles with directions, used to get lost or take much longer routes. But with AI-powered navigation like Google Maps, he now drives with confidence, arriving faster and more accurately. It’s a simple but powerful example of how AI can enhance human capability and independence.

But then came the other side of the coin—the danger of over-reliance. Gerlich’s research revealed that frequent AI use correlates with lower critical thinking, especially among younger users. The concept of cognitive offloading hit me hard: the more I delegate thinking to machines, the less I practice it myself. I realized that while AI can make learning easier, it can also make me mentally passive if I’m not careful.

I’ve also come to see how AI might inflate one’s perceived ability or mask underlying difficulties. When AI completes tasks for us or offers polished responses, it can give the illusion of competence, potentially delaying the recognition of areas where intervention or support is truly needed. This is especially concerning in education and personal development, where growth depends on honest self-assessment and feedback.

Moreover, AI lacks the emotional depth and contextual understanding required to navigate human relationships. When dealing with interpersonal conflicts, AI might offer generic advice that misses the nuances of the situation. Relying too heavily on it could discourage people from addressing issues directly with the involved party, thereby limiting opportunities for genuine connection, empathy, and resolution.

AI should be a thinking partner, not a thinking substitute. It’s not about rejecting AI, but about using it to amplify my own reasoning, creativity, and reflection. I must stay aware of when I’m using AI to support my learning—and when I’m letting it do the learning for me.

Moving forward, I want to engage with AI critically, question its outputs, and use it to deepen—not replace—my thinking. That’s the balance I believe educators, learners, and all of us must strive for in this AI-driven world.

Additionally, knowledge is readily available at our fingertips, 24/7. With AI, we can learn more and have access to all information.

However, we need to discern that the information we get from AI is true and fact check it.

We also need to think critically about the information we get and not accept everything as it is.

In conclusion, it is important to use AI and not be afraid of it. However, I need to be aware of security and ethical issues and also think critically. AI should be used as a tool but we are still the main drivers of how it is to be used.

AHA moment for padlet, Curipod amazed me and I generated a set of slides for one lesson during the break, just to try it out. It seems useful and I will continue to explore it and tweak the information to try it out with my pupils.

Key Takeaway: AI is here to stay. We all know the many possibilities with AI.

Concerns: Cognitive offloading - diminish ability to be creative, analyse and problem solve independently, loss of foundation academic skills (e.g.writing, arithmetic) and executive skills (e.g.navigation, organizing), over reliance on tools and devices.

Next Steps: How to help students use AI as a support tool to complement cognitive tasks and not replace them. Always check accuracy of response generated.

B) Today we learned about Curipod which was no in Padlet yet. Another tool to explore after all the assignments are completed, besides the many others!

AI is here to stay, and I’m excited about its growing role in education. With Singapore’s EdTech Masterplan 2030 just five years away, I can already see how AI can make differentiated instruction more achievable, even in large classes. With more AI-curated lessons in SLS, teachers can assign adaptive tasks, read data insights, and follow up with targeted support. AI tools help cut down on routine tasks, freeing teachers to focus on what AI cannot do—building strong teacher-student relationships (TSR) and creating fun, collaborative learning experiences that motivate and bring out each student’s strengths.

B) My Aha moment

I haven’t explored all the Padlet resources yet, but after reading about the pros of AI in education, I tried Curipod and generated a lesson on fractions. It was quick, interactive, and engaging. I plan to try it next for social-emotional learning (SEL) lessons, which is my focus area as a SENO.

I have also learnt to maintain an open mindset toward technology and continue to try new tools and guided by clear goals when using AI. For examples,

• Equity: Making learning more accessible to those who previously could not access it.

• Transparency: Using AI consciously, with users understanding and critically evaluating how AI generates suggestions from data.

• Effectiveness: Ensuring AI improves teaching and learning outcomes (e.g., more time for connecting with students) without adding unnecessary complexity or procedures.

  
  

When applied thoughtfully, AI can be a tool to bridge learning gaps and enhance education for all.

B) I tried using Curipod to generate a lesson on what a child can do when he loses a game. It took some time initially as there were too many slides generated, so I made adjustments and finalised the lesson with a total of 7 slides.

I found the exit poll/ word cloud feature particularly useful for gathering quick feedback. After generating the lesson, I explored it in student mode to experience how it would feel for learners. The interface is interactive which I think will engage my P2 student, for whom the lesson was designed.

Lesson flow:

• Hook – 2 min

• Teach – 2 min

• Drawing – 2 min

• Poll – 1 min

• Word cloud exit – 2–3 min

This will be another engaging tool that I can use to create lessons for my students instead of creating slides manually.  

My take-aways from today's lesson:

1. Balance is important. Now knowing the harms of AI, our use must be more thoughtful in how we use AI to support learning.

2. Always use AI as a support, don't put the cart before the horse. As educators, we use technology to engage students more effectively and efficiently.

3. Be cautious about AI responses no matter how credible the responses.

4. Brain rot is real! Protect our students' and our own brains.

5. Equity in learning with AI. This is especially important when we support students with additional needs.

   
   

   What's on my to-do list:

   - Useful readings. Dr Liz posted many good reads. Some I will have to revisit. But one of the most practical one I read today was the Prompt Engineering Playbook.

   - Explore Curipod & Magic School

   
   

However, it is crucial for me to think about and to share with students that it’s perfectly fine to use AI but it needs to be used ethically and purposefully, and with the yearn to want to delve into deeper learning instead of using it superficially as a shortcut.

There are so many wonderful tools available for use and with AI, educators like myself have to embrace this technology move in order to remain relevant in the industry and always reflect on how lessons can be prepared and delivered with AI embedded.

(b) I was keen in Curipod and set up an account to try crafting a lesson plan on emotional regulation. It was quick and intuitive to use and it‘s comes with engaging activities that students can do to reinforce learning and also for me to check on their understanding.

B) My AHA Moments: I found out about Curipod and Magic Write today. Curipod helps teachers to create quick, fun, engaging lessons on a topic and lesson activities like polls, quizzes, word clouds, drawing may be generated. Students can also get immediate feedback on how they're doing to consolidate their learning. This tool may allow students to gain more opportunities-to-respond thereby enhancing their learning.

As for Magic Write, I found that it can be useful for my upper primary students with SLD Written Expression as a tool to give them feedback when writing compositions, I could even use it with them during withdrawal sessions or they can use it at home to guide them if parents/teachers aren't free to attend to them when they're doing their own writing practice, e.g. helps to give immediate feedback with ideas, correct grammar, or make writing clearer. It's useful as a smart assistant to improve writing.

I recently tried using the Escape Room concept in a lesson. With the help of ChatGPT, I was able to create an exciting and interactive activity for my students. My student, who often found it hard to stay focused, became much more interested when the lesson was turned into a game. I also learned how to prepare tasks at different levels so that each student could participate successfully. This made me more confident to work with teachers to plan lessons that fit our students’ varied needs.

My AHA moment from the course was discovering the Magic School Bus app. I would like to try it because it makes learning fun and visual. The app uses animation, sound, and interactive features to explain science concepts clearly. It can help SEN learners understand better, especially those who struggle with reading or need visual support.

Through group discussions, I also learned the importance of balancing the use of AI and assistive technology (AT). While these tools are helpful, teachers need to be careful not to depend on them too much and to think about issues like data privacy and ethics. This reflection will guide me when I share ideas with other teachers on how to use AI and AT safely and effectively to support our students’ learning.

The key idea here is that GAI should be used to complement learning, not replace learning.

At the same time, learning about the pitfalls of GAI and why it happens now convinces me that it is not just better, but necessary to always cross check AI-generated data with other reliable resources to ensure its accuracy. Knowing how GAI can produce false information that sounds completely true, we should also caution students against taking such data wholesale but encourage them to critique the accuracy of it. This reminds me of a teacher in my school who developed a lesson previously on comparing the accuracy of various AI tools (in producing information about a certain topic), hence students are actually applying critical thinking skills and their own content knowledge to evaluate the AI tool.

b) I am really grateful for the exploration padlet as it allowed me to learn about so many amazing tools out there that serve a wide variety of purposes. I managed to step out of my comfort zone to start using Canva for presentation purposes (and not just infographics) and although I met with some difficulties initially, I am glad that I tried out as Canva has its benefits that are not found in Google slides. Moving forward, I hope to explore using Canva to create videos as well. On the other hand, I have also explored a few websites for learning, and Teach Your Monster to Read stood out to me as it presents as a very visually appealing and fun platform for targeting the literacy skills of weak readers. Most importantly, it is free! I will continue to explore the site and recommend to suitable students (or even teachers) who may want to give it a try.

1) When we use AI, at the bottom of the box, there will be a message saying something along this line: ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info. Thus, AI can only be a tool to help us in some ways, but not to be relied on totally and even AI knows that, thus this message.

2) we can use AI to aid us in ways where a lot of time would be spent otherwise (e.g. paperwork, documentation). But, we cannot rely on it to be a substitute for us.

3) We can use AI to make the lesson more engaging for our students, but it is not to replace us.

AI can be a useful tool for both students and teachers. For students, it can provide personalized learning and instant feedback, making studying more efficient. For teachers, it can help with grading, lesson planning, and giving extra support to students who need it.

However, the use of AI also comes with risks. Overreliance on AI could stop students from thinking critically or solving problems on their own. There are also concerns about fairness, privacy, and whether everyone has equal access to these tools.

While AI has a lot of potential to enhance learning, it needs to be used carefully and responsibly so that it supports, rather than replaces, real teaching and learning.

B) Two additional aha moments came up for me from the exploration Padlet. I tried out Classroom Screen, as shared by Bithiah, and found it very simple to use! What I appreciate most is how it combines multiple basic classroom management tools seamlessly on one page in a neat and organized way. It is not overly complicated and can be easily adapted to suit different teaching needs.

The other new tool I explored was Teach Your Monster to Read, shared by Adelina. The website’s appealing visuals and interactive games make it engaging for struggling readers to build foundational literacy skills. One limitation, however, is that users cannot pause, adjust the viewing speed, or return to the homepage midway through an activity. Despite this, I am keen to continue exploring the platform and see how I can meaningfully integrate it into my lessons.

My next AHA moment from our padlet page is that recently i tried using Picker Wheel during my small group intervention sessions. Most of the times, children in my group got so excited to share and they couldn't wait for their turn to speak. Picker Wheel promotes active engagement, and students learn turn-taking skills at the same time. Huge shoutout to Josephine for recommending! :)

b) Pair Chat is accessible on work laptop, have been encouraged by colleagues to give it a try. I have used the template to create a CV which is efficiently done with good knowledge shown in the areas of school programmes. Also created a speech on children with autism's emotional regulation through singing whereby it was generated in the form of a school context. The information generated automatically pertains to government context which is safe and convenient to use.

Even doing spelling with my own kids, I have tried using spelling generator to allow me some time to do my own work and for them to be more confident.

I just discovered that we have access to "Pair Chat" on our laptop (aHa!). Seeing the examples, where it can cater to the different levels of difficulties, age, topic and even prompts. Next, I would like to explore 'Magicshool', 'diffit.me', curipod.

Natasha Berg: "Instead of banning the tech, we should be teaching student how to use it with intention". I believe balance is important. What we teach and how we teach it. Will they use these in real life?Being in a secondary school, I constantly think of ways to prepare them for their next course of education or career. Preparing our students for real life out there where companies are already using them.

However, as much as AI has it's benefits, it does come with it's own set of cons. One main concerns that I think teachers have with students using AI is also the possible reduction of critical thinking. Furthermore, AI generated content may have inaccuracies and biases, and hence, we have to learn how to check and decipher the accurate information. The important thing is we also have to guide students on how to use AI in the right way.

AI is a powerful tool. However, it is not there to support educators but not replace educators. The empathy and human connection is still important between educators and teachers.

b) One AI tool that came out was Curipod. I'm very impressed by how quickly it can generate lessons based on the prompts given. It's a great place to start and we can customise the lesson to suit our needs.

However, I am also concerned that over-reliance on AI could fundamentally change how students learn to think. When AI provides instant answers, I worry that students might lose the struggle and persistence that builds real understanding.

For adults...if everyone is using AI to write reports, proposals, or self-evaluations, how do we fairly assess someone's actual capabilities or thinking skills...

Today I learnt about another interesting tech tool, Curipod from a classmate. Sometimes the most valuable discoveries come from casual conversations with people . . .

That been said, there are pros and cons to using of AI . In terms of Pros, like what I have mention educators are able to save time. Teachers will be able to cater more time to meet the needs of the student in class.

Cons, over reliance on AI may cause us always using AI to do our work thus future generation may lose the skill of decision making.

So overall, AI is double edge sword. we must use it with pinch of salt. It is good for planning of lessons or getting information that we are able to easily get but basic skill of education must still be taught to students.