How AI is giving Northern Ireland teachers time back

How AI is giving Northern Ireland teachers time back

What happens when you put powerful new technology directly into the hands of 100 teachers? An incredible six-month pilot program in Northern Ireland gave us the answer: they steer it in ways that are truly inspiring.

I had the privilege of meeting educators and administrators from the Northern Ireland Education Authority’s C2k program who had the opportunity to integrate Gemini and Google Workspace tools into their classrooms, and I was struck by the teachers’ ingenuity and the efficiencies they were able to achieve. The success of the pilot program is a result of a close partnership between C2k and Google for Education — Google brought the technology, and teachers utilized it to make a meaningful impact.

Their work underscores our core belief: AI is not a replacement for learning or teachers. It is a collaborative tool — and when grounded in learning science, it can make learning more accessible, handle time-consuming related tasks, and free educators to do what only they can uniquely do.

More than just efficient admin

While it’s still early, the results are inspiring. Each participating teacher reported saving an average of 10 hours per week with the help of Gemini, which is infused with learning science principles. The teachers were then able to reinvest that time into student engagement and their own professional development.

The pilot captured more than 600 unique use cases for Gemini, ranging from streamlining administrative work to brainstorming more engaging content. It's been incredible to see such teachers identify diverse use cases once they feel empowered to explore how Gemini can help.

For Chris Lowe, Head of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at Ashfield Boys’ High School, the impact was immediate. “The time I saved using Gemini fundamentally allows me to do the job I want to do — and that is to teach.” Chris uses Gemini to draft letters to parents or create risk assessments for class outings, and NotebookLM to turn curriculum material into podcasts for exam preparation.

Personalizing learning and removing barriers

Beyond administrative tasks, teachers used Gemini to help create lessons in the Irish language and create more inclusive learning environments.

Alistair Hamill, Head of Geography from Lurgan College, used NotebookLM’s MindMap feature to create interactive visual representations of source material. He noted that this helped a neurodivergent student see the "big picture" rather than getting stuck in the details.

Similarly, one ICT coordinator at Rowandale Primary School found new ways to inspire her students. For her creative writing class, she used Gemini to generate images and spark curiosity. It also became a vital tool for inclusivity: “I can tell Gemini to help me create a lesson [tailored] to suit a student’s specific needs and that has been game-changing,” she said.

Embracing the opportunity ahead, responsibly

We believe the promise of AI in education can only be achieved by developing it responsibly. One essential facet of this is doing so in close partnership with the entire education ecosystem. When my team and I met with Damian Harvey, Interim Head of C2k, he emphasized this point. He shared that the pilot’s success was accelerated by a collaborative group of teachers sharing their learnings with each other, as well as the need for resources to train and support further development in AI readiness.

“I believe educators need to embrace the opportunity,” said Damian Harvey, Interim Head of C2k.

Following the success of the pilot, C2k plans to roll out Gemini training to more teachers across Northern Ireland. We believe this is just the beginning. We hope to continue exploring partnerships like this, learning directly from the teachers who use the technology how to best align products with proven pedagogical principles , and how to effectively integrate the technology to improve learning outcomes for students.

As we continue to navigate the shift toward AI in learning, it's critical that our products empower educators, not replace them. Teachers must maintain ownership over how AI is used to help their students learn. As I’ve often said: technology isn’t magic, teachers are.

Learn more about how other institutions are using Gemini, or get started yourself.