8 free AI-powered tools that can save teachers time and enhance instruction

Bacon, who previously was an English teacher, said these tools can also help teachers provide students with different examples and scaffolds. For example, if students are doing a unit on introductions, a teacher might provide examples of what a developing, grade level, and exceeding grade level introduction might look like. Instead of a teacher having to write all of the examples, the examples can be generated by ChatGPT.

Another option is Brisk, a Google Chrome extension that adapts articles and other resources for students at different proficiency levels. “You can go to a news article and it’ll tell you the reading level and then you can say, ‘Can you give it to me like an 11th grade New York Times article?’ Or ‘can you give it to me at the sixth grade level in Spanish?’” said Bacon. Brisk will also come up with questions based on the resources so it can be used to make multiple choice quizzes too.

Simplify lesson planning with Twee and Curipod

Twee is designed to help English teachers lesson plan. Educators can input a YouTube video link and Twee will provide questions about the video content to build students’ listening comprehension skills. Bacon suggested that teachers use Twee during interactive, whole-class activities with students. As an example, a teacher could present a video to the class and prompt students with the questions generated by Twee for classroom discussion. For students who struggle with listening comprehension skills, teachers can use Twee to generate transcripts for videos and work with small groups of students who need extra support.

Twee can also make writing prompts, multiple choice questions and fill-in-the blank exercises based on a specific topic for any learning level. Bacon explained that if the class is reading a book, Twee can offer recommendations for book-related activities, including vocabulary exercises, discussion prompts and supplementary readings.

Curipod uses AI to simplify administrative tasks like creating course materials, schedules and assignments. Bacon recalled how different things are from when she started teaching nearly two decades ago. “We operated on paper. We would write things on chalkboards,” said Bacon. In today’s digital age, handwritten lesson plans have become less efficient. Curipod can save time by creating slide decks that teachers can customize as needed, whether it’s at the beginning of a new school year or mid-year to cater to evolving needs in the classroom. Additionally, Curipod will prompt teachers while they are creating slides to add interactive games like the ones found on the popular quiz platform Kahoot. Similar to interactive presentation platforms like Peardeck and Nearpod, Curipod offers ways for students to interact individually with the slides their teacher makes.

Refine student writing skills with Pressto

Pressto is an AI-powered writing assistant. It’s different from language-focused AIs like ChatGPT in that it provides real-time feedback on grammar, style and clarity, helping students enhance their essays, reports and assignments. Pressto not only corrects errors but also explains the reasoning behind suggested changes. Bacon suggested that teachers project their screen while doing a writing demonstration and read the suggestions from Pressto so instruction is embedded. Bacon also noted that Pressto was willing to sign Education Law 2-D paperwork, which would make them compliant with New York’s student data privacy laws.