Four AI Tools (You May Not Have Heard About) That Are Helping Teachers Engage
Last year I wrote a post that focused on Four A.I. Tools For Schools That Are Better Than ChatGPT, and it was really well received with hundreds of replies asking questions about the tools.
We looked at:
I’ve done plenty of workshops showing folks the power of these tools, and it seems like many educators have tried or seen them in action, and understand some of the benefits they might bring to planning, prep, brainstorming, and creating resources or activities.
SchoolAI and MagicSchool seem to be the most often discussed and used by educators, and while they are used with students some, most tend to use for planning and prep.
Curipod and Snorkl are best used with students, and as a feedback tool for both the educators and the students.
I covered many of these tools in a free webinar: How To Actually Engage Learners with AI Tools.
At the end of every workshop or talk I give attendees a list of AI resources/tools that I’ve found useful, and that are also being used by teachers and school leaders with upsides beyond “saving time” (which is a nice part of it).
Here are Four MORE AI Tools (You May Not Have Heard About) That Are Helping Teachers Engage right now.
#1: Question Well
Question Well is my favorite AI tool for generating worthwhile questions, discussion prompts, and vocabulary from readings, videos, and more. They are a design studio that puts teachers in the driver's seat while AI does the heavy lifting. Create, analyze, customize, and export standards-aligned materials to your favorite platforms in minutes.
First you would give as much information as possible when generating questions.
Then you can add context. The context could be a “Text”, a Youtube video, a website, a file or document you upload, or your own quiz or assessment.
From there, the magic happens. The AI takes all of the information and context you put in and creates a reading, comprehension questions, discussion questions, vocabulary, and even an interactive video with questions.
Afterwards you can select which questions you want to use and tweak based on question type or bloom’s level etc.
Finally, you can export and send them to all of your favorite applications you already use! No need to reinvent the wheel here.
Question Well says, “The #1 question we get is about privacy and security of Personal Information. Being in the EdTech space, we take this very seriously.
We are certified by 1EdTech, which is a leader in the space of EdTech Privacy and Security.”
Jump in and let me know how it helps your teaching!
#2: Goblins - The Math Learning App From The Future
Goblins was created by a former teacher, and are just getting ready to release their free version for teachers to use. I’ve seen it in action and wow it is a game changer for math instruction, especially in Grades 5-12.
This video does a great job breaking down what it does and how you can use it:
Goblins is AI that works for math students, designed by a math teacher.
New AI advances make it possible for us to differentiate better than ever before. But anyone who has taught for 10 minutes knows that a chatbot isn’t going to cut it.
Goblins is what we wish we had.
Students solve problems naturally.
No more tedious math inputs: Goblins lets students draw, speak, or type, which is accessible and feels as natural as working with you one-on-one.
Personalizes for their level and interests.
Goblins identifies students’ levels, scaffolds, and remembers students’ interests to customize their learning.
Tighter learning loops and stronger conceptual understanding.
Real-time, granular feedback as students work means way faster learning and more opportunities to build intuition for “why”.
It’s super easy for teachers, too.
Pick a Topic: Pull from our database of topics full of expert-crafted and standards-aligned problems.
Give Students the Code: Students just need to download the app on their device, plug in the code, and start solving!
Track Student Progress: After the session, you’ll get a per-students and per-assignment report on who needs help, and with what.
Goblins Privacy Policy is fueled by their commitment to these Privacy Principles:
We’re deeply committed to creating a safe and secure online environment for you.
The only information we collect about your students pertains to their performance solving math problems, and when we do collect, we protect it with world-class security practices.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties, and will not disclose this information to anyone but authorized school personnel unless expressly authorized.
We strive to provide you with access to and control over the information you give us, including the option to delete information collected on students.
It is in recognition of the need for security, and our commitment to FERPA, COPPA, NY Ed Law 2-D, and EU GDPR, that Goblins has established this Privacy Policy.
And, it is only getting better!
#3: MindJoy - AI-powered platform for learning STEM
Mindjoy's platform is designed to empower students to take charge of their own learning and cultivate learner agency. Through pathways and AI tutors, instant feedback and insights students get high-doses of personalized support delivered at the right time.
Mindjoy's AI platform saves time by supercharging lessons with AI assisted lesson creation, autograding and AI powered assessments with actionable insights so that educators can spend time where it matters most: mentoring, creating amazing experiences and helping students succeed.
Traditional teaching methods often fail to match how students learn today and while in the past progressive methodologies are hard to scale the times are changing. Mindjoy's AI-powered platform uses adaptive AI tutors, personalized learning pathways, and interactive simulations to help learning flow seamlessly, connecting abstract concepts to real-world problem solving in a way that feels natural and exciting.
You will need a school email to sign up for their Beta: https://beta.mindjoy.com/sign_up
Once inside you can create Pathways, Tutors, and more!
Mindjoy complies with:
POPIA (South Africa)
GDPR (EU)
UK GDPR (UK)
CCPA (California)
FERPA and COPPA (USA)
You can see more at their Privacy Center: https://www.mindjoy.com/privacy-centre
#4: NotebookLM (from Google)
Chances are you’ve heard about NotebookLM, but I added it here because I didn’t find much use for it beyond creating cool podcasts to listen to…until recently.
Innovations In Education break it down better than I could in their latest video. What you’ll learn in this video:
How to use NotebookLM to summarize textbooks and research for quick lesson prep
Ways to create interactive study guides and personalized student resources Time-saving methods for grading support and feedback
Strategies for building discussion prompts and quizzes
How to make lesson planning faster and more organized
Whether you teach K-12, higher education, or professional training, NotebookLM can streamline your workflow and make your teaching more effective. It’s worth checking out and using!
Bonus because it’s not really AI (#5): Free Rice
I love Free Rice. It’s simple, intuitive, and kids enjoy getting those learning reps in for a good cause.
Freerice is an educational trivia game that helps you get smarter while making a difference for people around the world. Every question you answer correctly raises 10 grains of rice for the World Food Programme (WFP) to support its work saving and changing lives around the world.
Private sponsors match the rice grain donations generated within Freerice, triggering a financial payment to WFP. This money goes into the pot of "greatest needs" to support the organization's ongoing emergencies. 100% of all funds generated via Freerice go to the World Food Programme. Freerice does not earn or keep any money it raises.
And for those of your that watched my video where we learn about the Global Goals in a project-based sprint (for PD or with kids) this ties in perfectly!
Start small and maybe one of these tools may help with a specific need in your classroom!
