AI Tools

 A Collection of AI Programs to Try

The following are a sampling of *free* AI programs that can be used by teachers and students to assist in learning and understanding. They can be used to differentiate instruction and encourage greater creativity, critical thinking and learner agency. It is highly recommended that teachers explore an AI program before using it with students.  

Note: While these AI programs have a free version most have a pay wall which allows for more options)

AI Essentials for Teachers

Highlights


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Easy to Use AI Glossary of Terms/Concepts

Use this easy-to-understand glossary [from AIPRM] to easily navigate and learn about the many terms and concepts of generative AI. 

(Thanks to Skye Olley and her Computer Club students for recommending this resource)

Runtime: 1:05:36 - Source: Toddle

AI-Compatible or AI-Resistant?


A. J. Juliani believes when we think about the future of learning, we have to include artificial intelligence (AI), in the same way we have to include the internet, computers, and other technologies. AI is becoming ubiquitous, and it is essential to incorporate it into modern education.


In this video he discusses two paths that many people are considering regarding AI in education. One path is going "AI-resistant," avoiding the use of AI as much as possible. The other path is being "AI-compatible," embracing AI and finding ways to integrate it into the learning process.


A.J. Juliani breaks down the benefits and drawbacks of each path and explores what it looks like to incorporate both AI-resistant and AI-compatible activities in the classroom.


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Key Highlights From the Video:

🔹 Identify "AI-resistant" and "AI-compatible" learning activities


🔹 Aim for the "sweet spot" - a balanced, moderated approach


🔹 Expert teachers are crucial for weaving AI into learning effectively


🔹 Avoid extreme approaches - don't be fully AI-resistant or AI-reliant


🔹 The future of education lies in this moderated AI approach


In summary, the key is recognizing AI's role while preserving vital human-centered learning, with teachers expertly navigating this balanced integration in the classroom.

Link: Chat GPT

How it works: Ask ChatGPT a question or give it a request. It will respond. There are lots of ways you can use it in the classroom, as detailed in this post: ChatGPT, Chatbots, and Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom.

Link: Claude 2

Built by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest, Claude 2 takes the best aspects of ChatGPT and adds extra safeguards. 

** Use Claude 2 to summarize PDFs

Claude 2 has great potential to be a useful tool for teachers and students. Its ability to have natural conversations and provide thoughtful responses makes it well-suited for educational settings.

Teachers could use Claude 2 to create interactive lessons, provide personalized feedback to students, and act as a virtual teaching assistant.

Students could use it for tutoring support across subjects, to practice conversational skills, and to ask questions that supports their learning. 

An advantage over some other AI is that Claude 2 seems more focused on being helpful and harmless.

Link: Gemini

Google's Gemini conversational AI holds promising educational benefits. This system aims to have natural back-and-forth discussions on a vast array of topics, making it well-suited to help students actively learn. A key advantage is that Gemini allows for interactive sessions where students can ask questions and clarify confusion. This promotes deeper engagement with material as opposed to passive reading.

** Check out: 30+ Ways to Use Gemini Across the Curriculum

 Additionally, Gemini can tailor its explanations and examples to each learner's needs. Its conversational nature thus facilitates customized instruction.

 Furthermore, Gemini has immense knowledge capacity, covering material across disciplines and levels. From elementary math to advanced physics, it can support students with extensive topic mastery.

 As Gemini progresses, optimizing its pedagogical applications will be key to fully unlocking its academic promise.

Link: Magic School

MagicSchool enables teachers to create dynamic lessons and presentations. They can design customized content that suits their curriculum and teaching style, integrating multimedia elements like videos, images, and interactive quizzes to make learning more engaging. The app also supports real-time collaboration, allowing teachers to interact with their students and provide instant feedback.

*** Check out this video by  AJ Juliani that demonstrates how to take your lesson planning and make it relevant and meaningful for your students.

Teachers can design educational games and quizzes to make lessons fun and immersive, helping students grasp complex concepts more effectively. The app also offers progress tracking, so educators can monitor each student's performance and adapt their teaching strategies accordingly.

MagicSchool encourages personalized learning by providing a vast library of educational materials. Teachers can access a wealth of lesson plans, worksheets, and digital textbooks, making it easier to cater to individual student needs and accommodate various learning styles.

Moreover, MagicSchool fosters communication and collaboration between teachers, students, and parents through its messaging and notification features. This enhances the overall educational experience by keeping all stakeholders informed and connected.

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Link: Chat Sonic

Chrome Extension

ChatSonic is a creative AI writing assistant that can accurately answer any questions and produce exceptional quality content. ChatSonic provides 100 words of original and plagiarism-free content tailored to the user's needs. Content includes blog posts, essays, emails, poetry, and more. ChatSonic also refuses requests related to violence, sexuality, self-harm, or requests to produce offensive or highly controversial material.

ChatSonic can be an invaluable resource for students. It can help them write essays, create presentations, and even compose poems. It can provide them with accurate, up-to-date information on any topic they might need to research, and can even provide them with ideas and inspiration for their work. It can also help them practice their writing skills as well as their grammar and spelling. By using ChatSonic, students have the ability to create quality content that can help them achieve their best in school.

Link: Perplexity

Perplexity is another generative AI chatbot that lets users ask questions and get responses conversationally. What seems to set Perplexity apart is that it cites sources, which are easily clickable to get more context and more information.How it works: Go to Perplexity and ask it a question or request something. You'll see the concise version at first, but you can click to see a detailed response. It will also list the sources where it drew its information and other related topics. You can ask follow up questions, in a conversational manner like ChatGPT.

Link: Diffit

Diffit is a tool that teachers can use to instantly get levelled resources for any lesson, saving tons of time and helping all students access grade level content.

Teachers can search for a topic, term, or question and generate short informational or narrative texts on any topic, for any reading level. 

This is perfect for building background knowledge so students are better prepared - and more engaged - in core content or class discussion.

You can check this video by A.J. Juliani where he explains how to use Diffit to create differentiated resources for Genious Hour or Project-Based research.

Link: Curipod

Give Curipod a topic, and it will generate an interactive slide deck for you in seconds, including:

How it works: Once you have a slide deck (which seems to generate 9-12 slides on your topic), you can edit and adjust to suit your needs. Plus, you can add more slides on your own.

Here are some PD resources to introduce Curipod in your school:

Pricing and terms: It's a "freemium" tool, meaning there's a free plan and a paid premium plan.

With the free plan, you can have up to five private Curipod decks. (But it looks like you can delete old ones and create new ones.)

Otherwise, it's $15/month for teachers. There are school and district licenses available.

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Link: YouAI

YOUAI leverages artificial intelligence to enrich teaching and student learning. Its education AIs act as AI tutors that supplement instruction across subjects and grade levels. 

Teachers can use YOUAI to differentiate instruction through personalized recommendations of teaching methods and targeted learning activities based on each student's needs and progress. 

YOUAI's AIs also assist with administrative tasks like grading and record-keeping to free up teacher time. 

With conversational interfaces, adaptive scaffolding, and data-driven insights, YOUAI AIs become collaborative partners in making learning engaging, efficient, and effective for both teachers and students.

Link: Colossal Chat

Colossal Chat  is the first open-source AI free chatbot in the vein of ChatGPT.  This AI chatbot is much the same as ChatGPT, but does not need an account to use. It could be a good alternative to ChatGTP.

Link: Brave Summerizer

Brave Summarizer is a search engine and tool that uses AI to summarize articles and text into shorter, easier-to-read versions. It can be used in schools as a way to help students quickly and efficiently understand large amounts of information. Teachers can use the tool to create summaries of lengthy articles or textbooks that students can read in a shorter amount of time. This can be especially helpful for students who struggle with reading comprehension or for those who need to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. Additionally, students can use the tool to summarize research articles or other texts for assignments or projects.

Link: Socratic

Socratic is an AI developed by Google to help students solve problems in their studies. Its AI constantly works to provide solutions along with varied explanations.

Students can scan the questions in printed or handwritten form, or utilize the search field, and the AI will procure the answers in a span of a few seconds. Alternatively, students can also use voice recognition to search for their problems.

Works on smart Phone or Tablet.


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Link: Chat PDF

Upload a PDF and use the chat interface to explore the contents. This is a great way to explore those longer educational research papers and reports.** Read: How to use ChatPDF: The AI chatbot that can tell you everything about your PDFStudents and teachers can use Chat PDF to facilitate inquiry in a number of ways. One idea is to utilize the platform as a means to share and discuss research articles or other sources related to a particular topic.Small groups can use the chat feature to conduct inquiry around a specific concept or idea.

Link: Monica

Monica is a free  ChatGPT Powered AI Assistant which can be used as an extension on all web browsers. It can be used by teachers and students to inspire inquiry and learner agency by providing a platform for open-ended questions and exploration.Teachers can use me to facilitate discussions and encourage students to ask questions and seek out information on their own. For example, a teacher might ask students to brainstorm a list of questions related to a particular topic, and then use Monica to help guide the discussion and provide resources for further exploration.Students can also use me to take ownership of their learning by using Monica as a tool for self-directed research and exploration. For example, a student might use Monica to find resources on a topic of interest, or to help them develop a research question for a project. By encouraging students to take an active role in their learning, Monica can help inspire curiosity and promote lifelong learning.

Link: Would You Rather Question Generator

Would You Rather Question Generator is free to use and is designed to add a high-energy activity to any warm-up or lesson plan for any grade level or content area. By simply selecting your grade level and topic/content, our AI-powered generator will produce 10 unique and custom-crafted ‘Would You Rather’ style questions.

 These types of questions can be used by teachers to encourage learner agency by allowing students to take ownership of their learning. Teachers can use this tool to generate thought-provoking Would You Rather questions that require students to make choices and express their opinions. By doing so, students can develop critical thinking skills and engage in meaningful discussions with their peers.

Furthermore, teachers can encourage learners to create their own Would You Rather questions using this tool. This approach can help students to develop their creativity and take ownership of their learning. By generating their own questions, students can also explore topics that are of interest to them, which can lead to a more engaged and motivated learning experience.

Also, check out the free:

Link: Pressto

Pressto is a free writing app that uses generative AI to provide writing prompts and assist teachers with lesson planning and differentiation. It can be used to motivate students to write more. Students can make writing booklets to develop their voice, agency, and share their ideas.Pressto gives smart hints and real-time feedback that teach students the fundamentals of writing. Teachers can use Pressto across a range of subject areas and define writing goals for students to hone their skills.How Does Pressto Work?Pressto sparks curiosity by making it easy to individualize attention.
  • It helps students write about what they're learning in meaningful ways.
  • It gives automated feedback, celebrating what's done well, while inspiring and encouraging ways to write it better.
  • It promotes a process of reflection and sharing as they revise
  • Students can publish to their teacher, family, friends, or ‘the world’.

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Link: Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a free web service developed by Google for schools that aim to simplify creating, distributing and grading assignments in a paperless way. 

It allows teachers to create and organize assignments, provide feedback, and communicate with students and other teachers. Students can submit their work, participate in discussions, and receive announcements and updates. 

Google Classroom integrates with other Google apps such as Google Drive, Google Docs, and Gmail.

Link: Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a collection of educational videos, practice exercises, and assessments available for free on the internet. 

The Khan Academy website and YouTube channel features thousands of videos covering a wide range of subjects including math, science, history, and computer science. 

The platform is designed to be self-paced and self-directed, allowing students to learn at their own speed. In addition to videos, Khan Academy also offers interactive practice exercises, quizzes, and assessments to help students test their understanding of the material. 

The platform also provides teachers and parents with tools to track student progress and identify areas where additional instruction may be needed.

Link: AI4Kids

AI4KIDS is a non-profit organization that provides free AI education resources and events for children. 

The organization provides a variety of resources for educators, parents, and children, including lesson plans, activities, and educational videos.

AI4KIDS also provides opportunities for children to work on real-world projects and collaborate with AI experts to deepen their understanding and experience. They also aim to promote diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in AI education.

Link: You AI

The You AI Search Engine is a tool designed to make school life easier for both students and educators. It can help students find the information they need quickly and accurately, reducing the time spent searching and increasing productivity. It can also help teachers access the relevant resources for their students, making it easier to create engaging, informative lessons. With its powerful and intuitive search algorithms, You AI can help students and teachers save time and get the most out of their learning and teaching experience.

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Link: Parlay

Parlay is a powerful tool that can support student learning by creating engaging and collaborative spaces for students to develop their critical thinking and communication skills.

How Parlay works

With Parlay, educators can create customized discussion prompts, assign readings or videos, and provide students with an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with their peers. Parlay supports learning by providing a safe and inclusive space for students to express their opinions and ideas, to challenge and be challenged, and to refine their critical thinking and communication skills.

Check out Parlay Genie which will generate higher-order thinking questions for your class based on a topic, YouTube video or article. For Grades 5+.

Link: QuillBot

QuillBot is a powerful AI-powered writing assistant that can help both students and teachers boost their writing productivity. The app features a comprehensive set of tools and features to improve writing accuracy and speed. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools to create perfect grammar and punctuation, a thesaurus to help with word choices and synonyms, a clever AI writing coach, and a readability analyzer to help make sure that the content is understandable and easy to read. These tools make it easy to quickly and accurately create high-quality content. Additionally, QuillBot Solver has an AI-powered feedback feature that allows teachers to provide instant feedback and advice to their students. This feedback helps guide students to become better writers, and ensures that the content they submit is of the highest quality.

Link: TLDRThis

TLDRThis is a helpful app for both students and teachers alike that ensures everyone is on the same page when it comes to reading and comprehending material. With TLDRThis, teachers can break down complex topics into simple and concise summaries, allowing students to quickly understand and learn the material. This is especially useful for large textbooks or long articles that would otherwise take hours to read and understand. For teachers, TLDRThis can also be used to quickly review material and ensure that students are well-prepared for upcoming exams. TLDRThis is a valuable tool for teachers and students alike and can help make learning and studying more efficient and effective.

Link: PhotoMath

Photomath is a mobile application that uses the camera of a smartphone or tablet to read and solve mathematical equations. It can solve equations from a wide range of mathematical subjects including arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, and calculusOnce the problem is recognized, the app will display solving steps, sometimes in a variety of methods or multiple approaches, to explain the scanned problem step-by-step and teach users the correct process.Photomath's main features are generally free of charge. Photomath offers an additional premium subscription, 'Photomath Plus', for users who want extra help

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Link: Microsoft Math Solver

Microsoft Math Solver is a comprehensive educational app designed to help students and teachers solve math problems quickly and accurately. It makes use of AI technology to instantly analyze and solve an equation, by providing step-by-step explanations and helpful visualizations. Microsoft Math Solver can help students learn, practice and understand mathematics, by breaking down complex problems into manageable steps and providing detailed examples for guidance. It can also help teachers when preparing lessons, as it can quickly generate multiple versions of the same problem for use in class. The app is free, easy to use and available on both iOS and Android devices.


Link: Rewordify

Rewordify is an invaluable tool for teachers and students alike. It can be used to simplify complex text, making it more easily understandable for students, or to clarify and expand on ideas to help make them more understandable. It can also be used to help teachers generate lessons or assignments more quickly or to modify existing material to better fit class needs. Additionally, Rewordify helps students by providing them with an easy way to make sure their work is being accurately represented, as the app checks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. All in all, using Rewordify is an excellent way to ensure that students have access to concise and accurate information and that teachers save time and resources.

Link: Brainly

Brainly is an online learning platform that provides students with access to educational resources and homework help. 

The platform offers a wide range of educational materials, including study guides, practice problems, and detailed explanations of various academic subjects, such as math, science, history, and literature. 

The platform is designed to help students learn and understand complex concepts by providing them with step-by-step explanations, visual aids, and interactive examples. The platform also allows students to ask questions and receive answers from other students or certified educators. 

Brainly also offers a feature called "Brainly Plus" for a subscription fee, which provides access to additional features such as detailed explanations, study guides, and the ability to ask questions to certified educators.

Link: ScratchJr - for students

With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer.

Link: Scratch - For Educators

Scratch for Educators is a coding program designed for children (8-18 years old) that fosters critical thinking, creativity, AI ethics, and inquiry. Scratch utilizes a visual interface with blocks to create interactive stories, games, and animations. Watch this video that shows examples of Scratch projectsBy using Scratch, children learn to break down complex problems, think logically, and solve challenges step by step, enhancing their critical thinking skills. Children can also unleash their creativity by designing characters, developing unique storylines, and bringing their ideas to life.Scratch introduces children to AI ethics, prompting discussions on inclusivity, fairness, and privacy, while encouraging responsible use of technology.Moreover, Scratch sparks curiosity, encouraging children to ask questions, explore coding concepts, and seek solutions through inquiry-based learning. In summary, Scratch empowers children to become active creators and thoughtful users of technology, equipping them with essential skills for the digital world.

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Link: Code

Code.org is a non-profit organization that aims to promote computer science education in schools and to increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities. The organization provides a variety of resources to educators and students, including online tutorials and interactive coding activities. The platform offers a wide range of educational materials, including self-paced coding tutorials, visual aids, and interactive examples for a variety of coding languages, such as JavaScript, Python, and HTML/CSS. Code.org also offers a feature called "Hour of Code" which is an annual event that aims to introduce students to the basics of coding through fun and interactive activities. The platform also provides teachers with the necessary tools and resources to teach computer science and track student progress. Code.org also offers a feature called "Code Studio" that allows teachers to create their own coding lessons and assignments, and track student progress.

Link: DALLE_2

DALL-E 2 can generate imagery in multiple styles, including photorealistic imagery, paintings, and emoji. It can "manipulate and rearrange" objects in its images, and can correctly place design elements in novel compositions without explicit instruction. 


Link: Wiseone

[Chrome Extension] Simplifies complex information, verifies facts with different sources, and summarises content on any website within seconds.Teachers and students can use the AI Chrome extension "Wiseone" to inquire by simplifying complex information into understandable answers and summarizing content on any website within seconds. This helps them get key information on any topic they are researching online. By bringing relevant and reliable information, Wiseone helps users verify facts and form their opinions on their own terms. Moreover, it broadens and enriches their research by providing quality information based on diverse sources. Integrated right into the browser window, Wiseone intelligently reads the entire text and provides users with text explanations.Therefore, teachers and students can use Wiseone to enhance their reading experience with factual information access and master any subject they are reading online effortlessly.

Link: Openverse

Openverse allows users to search and browse through a collection of openly licensed images, audio, and video files. These files can be used for various purposes, including but not limited to, education, research, and creative projects.

In schools, Openverse can be used as a valuable resource for teachers and students. Teachers can use the platform to find images, audio, and video files that are licensed for educational use, and incorporate them into their lesson plans. This can help to create engaging and interactive classes that promote critical thinking and creativity. 

Students can also use Openverse to find resources for their research projects, presentations, and other assignments. 

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Link: Stable Diffusion

Create beautiful art using stable diffusion ONLINE for free.

Stable Diffusion is a latent text-to-image diffusion model capable of generating photo-realistic images given any text input, cultivates autonomous freedom to produce incredible imagery, empowers billions of people to create stunning art within seconds.

Link: Playground

Playground AI allows more and easier control of image generation AI. 

Note: This site is probably best for teachers since it does not student filter.

Use DALLE-2, Stable Diffusion 1.5 & 2.0 along with Playground's filters to get the exact aesthetic you want. A free account comes with 1000 picture generations per day and free commercial license.

Link: Duolingo

Duolingo is a free language-learning platform that includes a language-learning website and app. The platform is designed to make education accessible and effective by offering a gamified experience for language learners. Users can learn a variety of languages through interactive lessons that include reading, writing, listening and speaking exercises. The platform uses a spaced repetition algorithm to help users retain information over time. Additionally, Duolingo also offers a feature called "Duolingo for Schools" for teachers to use in their classrooms and track their students' progress.

More AI Resources and Tools

30 AI Tools for the Classroom | Ditch That Textbook | A description of AI and how you can start using it to support your work in class including 30 AI tools.

AI Tools for Teachers | AI Advisory Boards website | A list of AI tools for teachers.

Five AI Lesson Plan Generators | TechNotes | Nov 6 2023 | A review of five AI-powered lesson plan generators.

What Are Microsoft's Learning Accelerators? | TechNotes | Feb 13 2023 | Announcing a host of new tools, Microsoft seeks to accelerate learning and reporting in the classroom. These tools expand on their ongoing effort to reimagine education with technology. Their tools seek to empower teachers and students with coaching and progress tracking.

How to Use AI to do Practical Stuff: A New Guide | One Useful Thing | Mar 29 2023 | This is an intro for using the new generative AI bots. Ethan Mollick, a professor at Wharton, has tested all the current bots in depth, and his advice is perfect for those just starting to explore them.

Best AI Chatbots: From ChatGPT to Bing Chat | Windows Central | Mar 15 2023 | This article reviews the best AI chatbots available today while discussing their pros and cons.