ADAPT’s new ‘Technology in My Life’ (TimL) programme, developed in collaboration with Mary Immaculate College, has been developed to cater specifically to primary schools and aims to provide educators with the necessary tools and insights to guide pupils in understanding the ethical dimensions of Artificial Intelligence in our increasingly digital world.
Modules specifically tailored for 5th and 6th Class teachers have been successfully trialled in primary schools across the country and are now freely available to all schools. Key aspects covered in the TimL materials include selecting appropriate technologies for primary school education, ethical considerations in using tech aids like voice assistants for homework, responsible internet and social media usage for communication and research, and identifying and addressing unethical behaviour enabled by technology. The comprehensive programme is designed for eight hours of class time but offers flexibility to accommodate varying school needs and different pedagogical approaches.
The lessons below provide teachers with resources (i.e., presentations and teacher guides) for each of the seven workshops that make up the Technology in My Life series. Each workshop takes 30-45 minutes to complete.
Download the teacher manual (pdf)
This lesson will involve an introduction by the teacher to the meaning of ethics. The lesson is also designed to facilitate discussion of the child’s perception of the meaning of ethics and what is right and wrong.
This lesson will introduce the class to technology and social media. The lesson is designed to enable the child to make informed decisions about the ethical use of technology and his/her own participation in social media platforms.
Technology is everywhere, and we are surrounded by technology in our daily lives. The purpose of this lesson is to identify and reflect on the technology that surrounds us and the impact this may have on the way we work and socialise with friends and family.
This lesson involves a discussion about the technology that students may have direct access to and the ethical implications of using this technology in their daily lives and for schoolwork.
We all use technology to help us in our work, from accountants to farmers, from lorry drivers to doctors. Pupils are asked to name the technology they use for their homework as discussed in Lesson 3.
Previous lessons have discussed how technology can help us in our lives and with schoolwork. Unfortunately, technology can also do harm and be used in unethical ways. This lesson is designed to highlight and discuss ways in which technology can be used unethically and in other ways that might hurt people.
This wraps up and summarises what has been discussed in the previous lessons. The main purpose is to re-emphasise the main points from Lessons 1 – 6, and to reflect on these issues. Particular attention is paid to any key points of topics of particular interest raised in previous lessons.
Please contact us at [email protected] if have questions regarding these resources.
