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AI is a game-changer for boosting efficiency and accelerating content creation, but it will never replace the expertise and creativity of education professionals!
Think of AI as a powerful assistant—it shines when integrated into a thoughtful instructional design strategy. The best approach? Many experts suggest the 80/20 rule: Let AI handle 80% of the heavy lifting, automating tasks that make sense. Then, let human creative educators step in for the final 20%—bringing the essential touch of ethics, accuracy, and learner-centric focus that only people can provide. It’s the perfect balance of tech and teaching!
Here is my top 13 list of FREE AI tools and apps I use in my daily instructional design and teaching practices to enhance efficiency, foster creativity, and provide personalized learning experiences that meet the diverse needs of our 2025 educational leadership workforce and our Gen Z and Gen Alpha students.
AI for Education Prompt Library - The AI for Education Prompt Library is an online resource designed to help educators leverage AI tools by providing ready-made prompts for various classroom tasks. This library offers a collection of prompts that can be used with AI applications, making it easier for teachers to integrate AI into their teaching practices.
Blue Sky - Blue Sky is a social media platform that enables educators to connect with peers, share resources, and stay updated on educational trends. It offers a personalized feed to see content relevant to individual interests. Teachers can use Blue Sky to collaborate with other educators and access a wealth of shared knowledge and materials.
Brisk Teaching - Brisk is an AI tool that assists in creating interactive and engaging content for students. It offers features such as automated quiz generation and interactive lesson components. Teachers can use Brisk to develop dynamic lessons that capture the interest of Gen Alpha students and promote active learning.
Canva Education - Canva is a design tool that enables educators to create visually appealing presentations, infographics, and other educational materials. Its user-friendly interface and extensive template library make it easy to design content that engages Gen Alpha students. In the classroom, Canva can be used for creating interactive lessons and visual aids to enhance learning.
Craiyon - Craiyon is a free, easy-to-use AI tool web-based app that transforms text prompts into unique, high-quality images—no signup required! With its deep learning model, users can generate custom visuals in various styles and download them without watermarks. Perfect for educators, Craiyon sparks creativity and enhances learning by providing engaging visuals for storytelling, lesson materials, and student projects. Whether supporting artistic expression, visual literacy, or content creation, Craiyon empowers both teachers and students to bring ideas to life in a fun and interactive way!
Diffit - Diffit is an AI-powered tool that assists in creating differentiated instructional materials. It helps teachers tailor content to meet the varying needs of students, ensuring that each learner can access material at an appropriate level. In the classroom, Diffit can be used to modify reading passages or assignments to accommodate diverse learning abilities.
Fobizz Tools - Fobizz is an online platform designed to support educators by providing a suite of AI-powered tools, professional development courses, and teaching materials aimed at enhancing digital education. If you are looking for more dynamic tools in a curated list, please follow and checkout the one and only Eric Curts - he has done an incredible job of curating these resources into a Google Doc just for educators!
Ideogram - Ideogram is an AI-powered brainstorming tool that helps educators generate creative ideas for lesson plans and classroom activities. It supports the development of innovative teaching strategies and can assist in planning interdisciplinary projects. In the classroom, Ideogram can be used to design engaging and diverse learning experiences that cater to various student interests.
MagicSchool - MagicSchool offers a suite of AI tools designed to streamline administrative tasks for educators. Features include automated grading, lesson planning assistance, and resource organization. By reducing the time spent on administrative duties, teachers can focus more on direct instruction and student engagement.
Notebook LM - Developed by Google, Notebook LM allows educators to create interactive notebooks by compiling various sources such as PDFs, websites, and videos. Teachers can generate study guides, timelines, and briefing documents, facilitating personalized learning experiences. In the classroom, it can be used to organize lesson materials and provide students with comprehensive resources for study.
School AI Spaces - School AI Spaces provides a collaborative platform where educators can share resources, lesson plans, and teaching strategies. It fosters a community of practice among teachers, promoting the exchange of ideas and best practices. In the classroom, this tool can be used to access a wide range of instructional materials and to collaborate with colleagues on curriculum development.
Teacher Server - TeacherServer AI Tools is a free, ad-free platform offering 47 AI-powered tools designed to assist educators across various grade levels and subjects. The platform operates on a locally installed AI server, ensuring rapid performance and enhanced privacy, as data is processed locally and never stored or shared. Thanks to TCEA for the comprehensive overview of this fabulous website!
TeachMate AI -TeachMate.AI is an AI-powered platform designed to assist educators by automating administrative tasks, thereby allowing more time for teaching and student engagement. It personalizes and enables the creation of customized reports and activities, catering to individual student needs and preferences, yet educators really like the user-friendly interfaces, making it accessible for educators with varying levels of technological proficiency.
Engagement Question: Which AI tool do you think would make the biggest difference in your classroom, and how would you use it to transform your teaching practices? Or do you have any favorite AI tools that didn’t make the list? Share your thoughts and resources for enriching education with AI!
Are you feeling overwhelmed or having a hard time deciding which AI tool or app will make the biggest difference in instructional practices? If so, utilize this "Uncovering The Potential Use of AI Tools To Impact Teaching and Learning" activity template with your colleagues, to help you narrow your focus and to make a greater learning impact with your learners and educational staff members.
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