Local Workshops

Scoil Fhursa

Results

Workshops developed after LTTA1 in Croatia

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What the Children Said:

“I told my buddy I wanted a dinosaur shark and we made it!” – (Senior Infant pupil)
“It’s like drawing with your words!” (Junior Infant pupil)
“I liked helping them on the computer. Their ideas were so fun!” (6th Class pupil)

This project was a true celebration of creativity, teamwork, and the exciting possibilities technology can bring to the classroom. It gave our younger pupils a joyful first experience with AI and offered older pupils a chance to lead, support and inspire.

At Scoil Fhursa, we’re proud to be part of the SMAILE project and even prouder to see how its ideas are taking root and growing right here in our own school.

Students workshops

Storybook Magic: Junior Pupils Explore AI with a Little Help from Their Older Buddies In Scoil Fhursa

Building on the inspiring “AI for Storytelling” workshop led by Arjana Blažić during LTTA 1 in Croatia, Scoil Fhursa recently brought that same sense of creativity and innovation into our own classrooms. With guidance from their teachers and the support of older pupils, our youngest learners were introduced to the world of artificial intelligence through storytelling and art.

Over two weeks, more than 40 pupils from Junior and Senior Infants worked side-by-side with boys from 5th and 6th Class to create their very own stories and characters. With the help of their older buddies, the children imagined magical creatures, unlikely heroes, and faraway lands, and then used ChatGPT and AI image generation tools to bring these characters to life.

Watching their words turn into colourful, detailed images was nothing short of magical. From rainbow dragons to pirate robots and enchanted forests, the children were delighted to see their ideas take shape in a new, digital way.

The older pupils played a key role not only supporting the technology side of things but also encouraging the infants to express their ideas and build confidence in their storytelling. This nurturing, collaborative atmosphere allowed for meaningful learning on both sides.

The activity was carried out under close supervision by teachers and was carefully designed to give a safe, age-appropriate introduction to AI. The focus remained on imagination, oral language, and creative expression with AI used as a tool to enhance, not replace, the human spark behind every story.

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Teachers workshops

On April 3rd, 2025, Scoil Fhursa hosted an engaging and insightful workshop for its teaching staff, with 15 out of 20
teachers participating. Led by James Mac Eoin and Denise Clarke, the session provided an in-depth exploration of topics
covered in the LTTA1 program in Croatia. The workshop delved into the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in
education, sparking thought-provoking discussions on its potential and implications.
A highlight of the session was the interactive "I'm Only Human After All" quiz, inspired by Kristijan Lenac's workshop "Spot
the AI Imposter." In this activity, teachers were challenged to distinguish between human-generated answers and
responses crafted by ChatGPT, which was instructed to mimic an Irish person. Surprisingly, the AI-generated answers
were most often mistaken for human responses, leading to a fascinating discussion on how AI is trained, what students
should understand about it, and how such workshops could be implemented in the classroom.

Workshops developed after LTTA2 in Spain

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Internet Safety and the Dangers of AI

As part of the student programme, learners also took part in an important session on internet safety and the potential dangers of AI. During this session, students were introduced to the concept of so-called “brainrot” content and AI-generated online characters that are currently trending on social media platforms. What was particularly striking was the contrast in awareness between generations: students immediately recognised and named many of these characters, while teachers admitted they had never encountered them before.

This moment proved eye-opening for staff, clearly highlighting the gap in digital awareness between children and adults and reinforcing the need for ongoing digital education. The session emphasised how easily young people can be exposed to harmful or manipulative content and why critical thinking, supervision, and open conversations are essential. It served as a powerful reminder that educators and parents must remain informed and engaged if they are to effectively support children in navigating the rapidly evolving online world safely and responsibly.

Students workshops

Exploring Creativity Through AI Music

A second dissemination workshop was delivered to students at Scoil Fhursa, involving three class groups and a total of 62 pupils. This engaging, hands-on session introduced students to the creative possibilities of Artificial Intelligence in music composition, building directly on concepts explored through the SMAILE project.

During the workshop, students were introduced to AI tools that generate music using simple prompts, moods, keywords, and styles. Pupils experimented with creating melodies, rhythms, and soundscapes, discovering how AI can transform ideas, emotions, and descriptions into music within seconds.

The session encouraged students to:

Explore how music is created and structured
Use descriptive language to influence AI-generated outcomes
Reflect on the relationship between technology and creativity.

Students were guided to consider important questions, such as whether AI can truly be creative, or whether it is recreating patterns and styles that already exist. These discussions helped reinforce the idea that human imagination, emotion, and originality remain central to artistic expression, with AI acting as a supportive creative tool rather than a replacement for musicians or composers.

Throughout the workshop, student engagement was extremely high. Pupils collaborated, shared their creations, and expressed excitement at hearing music that reflected their own ideas and moods. The activity also supported key curriculum skills, including oral language development, creative thinking, and digital literacy.

This workshop provided students with a positive, inspiring introduction to AI, highlighting how technology can be used in meaningful, creative, and responsible ways. It successfully extended the impact of the SMAILE project into everyday classroom practice and helped spark curiosity about future learning possibilities.

Teachers workshops

Using AI to Support Learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

As part of Scoil Fhursa’s ongoing dissemination of learning from the SMAILE Erasmus+ project, a dedicated professional development workshop was delivered to the full teaching staff over a lunch break. Staff kindly gave up their time to learn about sen tools and the benefits they can have for teachers and students. The session involved 24 teachers and focused on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used responsibly and effectively to support pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

The workshop drew directly on ideas, tools, and examples explored during international SMAILE activities and translated them into practical, school-based applications. Teachers were introduced to a range of AI-powered tools designed to improve accessibility, inclusion, and engagement across the curriculum.

Key areas explored included:

Text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools, demonstrating how these can support pupils with literacy difficulties, visual impairments, or barriers to written expression
AI tools that support emotional recognition and language comprehension, particularly beneficial for pupils who find it challenging to interpret tone, emotion, or intonation in spoken language
The use of Canva AI to quickly differentiate learning materials, including worksheets, presentations, posters, and visual supports tailored to varying ability levels

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A strong emphasis was placed on teacher agency and professional judgement, reinforcing that AI should act as a support tool rather than a replacement for teaching expertise. Teachers actively tested the tools during the session, shared ideas, and discussed how these technologies could be integrated into existing classroom practice in a safe, ethical, and age-appropriate manner.

The workshop also highlighted how AI can reduce teacher workload by speeding up planning and resource creation, allowing teachers more time to focus on student wellbeing, personalised learning, and professional reflection. The session concluded with discussion on responsible use, data protection, and the importance of understanding pupils’ individual needs when selecting digital tools.

This workshop was an important step in ensuring that learning from the SMAILE project has a lasting impact, empowering staff with practical strategies to support inclusion and accessibility across Scoil Fhursa