Below is a list of recommended tools. They have been vetted by the technology department and any Google or Microsoft Sign-ins have been enabled. Many of these tools are changing rapidly and adding paid/premium features. The district does not currently pay for any of these tools and likely will hold off until AI tools become more established. There are plenty of amazing tools and features to utilize for free. If you really want to request something, you can complete this form.
Key Reminders:
- If you have not already, I would recommend reading these BLC Blog Posts:
- You and your students should not include personal information such as first and last names, geographic locations, health status, etc.
- Many tools are not intended for students, including Copilot and Gemini. Adhere to the terms of service. Age limits have been noted for most of the tools below.
- If you get confused about any of the terminology used below or in the linked resources, check out this AI glossary as a reference.
Large Language Models/Chatbots (Mostly for Teachers)
LLMs are likely the AI tools you’ve heard most, ChatGPT being the first one to make all the waves. Now that it is over a year old, a number of competitors have popped up in its place. LLMs are tools that allow you to type in a prompt and get a written (or visual) response quickly that can emulate the work of a human in seconds. Here are three examples of LLMs:
- ChatGPT (use Google account, 13+)
- Google Gemini (use Google account, 18+)
- Microsoft Copilot (use Microsoft account, 18+)
When you and your students start using LLMs, consider how you are going to coach them on entering prompts. The more specific you get with LLMs, the better the outputs. Here is a link to an article that will help you and your students generate effective prompts. Here is a link to a library of prompts that you and your students can use for all sorts of educational purposes.
I have come to really like Microsoft Copilot because it protects our data when using your district Microsoft account, it incorporates Dall-E (an solid image generator) so you don’t have to use a separate website or tool, and most importantly, it cites its sources using hyperlinks when you ask it questions. Google Gemini is also a great option. Our data is protected and you may find you like the responses better than Copilot.
Productivity Tools for Teachers
Magic School has a number of teacher productivity tools. They range from tool such as an e-mail responder, to a Project-based Learning unit planner, to an IEP Generator. They are not super clear on which tools are paid vs. free so it may take some exploring to see where you may run into paywalls. There are so many great tools to check out in Magic School with more being added seemingly every day. Check out this tutorial to see how the platform works.
There is a fair amount of overlap between Magic School and Brisk. Expect to find some similar tools. Brisk also has a Chrome Extension that works well in Google Docs and Slides. Let's say you find a great article online that you want to use with your class. You can copy the text into a Google Doc, open the Brisk Chrome Extension, change the reading level of the text, translate it, and each step of the process will generate a new Google Doc for you (while linking to the original). It also have creation tools such rubric and quiz generators, DOK questions, and so on. Lastly, you can use it to provide “first pass” feedback on students' writing. This feature pairs really well with using Google Assignments in Canvas.
Here is how you can use Brisk Teaching in conjunction with Google Assignments:
Creative Tools (Teachers and Students)
Canva Magic Studio (13+)
Canva Magic Studio contains a collection of AI-powered tools that students and teachers can use to design in Canva. For example, you can use it to generate a slideshow or document from scratch, help you rewrite your work, generate a video using text prompts, and a lot more.
Image Generators
Image generators allow you to enter a prompt and receive an image that you can use. This can be helpful if you are making a slideshow or project and have a specific image in mind. It can be a lot easier and faster than trying to search for the perfect image and you also don’t have to worry about copyright issues. While there are other tools out there, these ones work pretty well and are free to use. They work even better if you upload a similar image that you want your new image to look like.
Disclaimer: I have occasionally generated images that are the stuff of nightmares. And AI image generators seem to struggle with generating realistic hands and faces. You may want to avoid using them with younger students.
- Microsoft Copilot (use Microsoft account, 18+).
- Adobe Firefly (use Google account, all teachers & students).
- Canva Text to Image Generator (use Google Account, 13+).
- Scribble Diffusion: allows you to sketch out an image and use a text prompt, no account required (all teachers & students).
Tools for the Classroom (Teachers and Students)
School AI has similar tools to Magic School and Brisk Teaching such as IEP generators, text levelers, and rubric creators. The more unique aspect of the tool is that you can create a “space" that includes either a pre-created AI experience or create your own custom chatbot to work with students. Once you create a space, you provide students with a link, and then they enter their name (let's just use first name, last initial) and interact with the AI chatbot. Teachers can view all the interactions that students have with the chatbot in a dashboard. Currently, it is limited to 75 interactions per day so teachers may have to plan accordingly if they have more than 75 students.
iPad Apps
- Hello History (all grades): chat with AI versions of historical figures. You get 20 questions for free. Delete and reinstall the app to reset your question count to 20.
- AI Art Generator (6th-8th grade only): quickly generate AI images based on prompts you type.
- Canva Text to Image Generator (available in the Canva iPad app for 13+)