Empowering Educators: 5 Must-Have AI Tools for Teachers in 2025
Written by: Nicole Grimes (Posted Wed, Feb 12th, 2025 | 6:33 pm)
The landscape of education is more dynamic than ever. To the delight (and frustration) of many, it is continuously evolving. At the forefront of this transformation is the integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (gen AI). For teachers, gen AI presents a unique opportunity to personalize learning, get efficient and automate tasks, and enhance student thinking and engagement. Over the past year and a half, MSA has fervently championed the power of AI in education. In this post, we'd love to share five exceptional AI tools that are revolutionizing classrooms everywhere. These are apps being used by our RAIL schools across the globe, and generally garnering lots of positive praise from early adopter educators everywhere. Let’s dive in!
1. MagicSchool AI: Sparking Creativity and Efficiency
Imagine having more time to connect with students, create engaging lessons, and truly make a difference. MagicSchool AI makes it possible. It’s a comprehensive platform designed to alleviate the workload of teachers while simultaneously fostering engaging educational experiences. It's like having a tireless assistant that understands the nuances of teaching. By automating administrative tasks like lesson planning and assessment creation, it frees up valuable time for teachers to focus on what they do best: inspiring learning. Plus, it fosters responsible AI usage in the classroom.
Pros:
Time-saving: Automates lesson planning, content creation, and assessment generation.
Personalized learning: Adapts content to suit various learning styles and paces.
Engaging content: Creates interactive quizzes, exercises, and multimedia presentations.
Best Features:
AI-powered lesson planner: Simply input the topic and learning objectives, and MagicSchool AI generates a complete lesson plan, including activities and assessments.
Content generator: Quickly create worksheets, presentations, and other educational materials.
Assessment builder: Design quizzes and tests that align with curriculum standards.
Cost: Magic Ai offers FREE, Plus ($99/yr) and Enterprise plans. Visit here to learn more.
2. Canva for Education: Design-Driven Learning
Unleash your creativity and simplify lesson planning with Canva. Canva for Education leverages the power of AI to make design accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical skills. Even if you're new to AI, Canva provides practical guides and a free 60-minute self-paced course to get you up and running quickly. You can create stunning teaching materials and boost classroom engagement in no time. It empowers teachers and students to create visually stunning projects that enhance learning outcomes.
Pros:
User-friendly interface: Easy to navigate, even for those with no design experience.
Collaborative projects: Facilitates teamwork and peer learning.
Vast library of templates: Access thousands of pre-designed templates tailored for educational purposes.
Best Features:
Magic Write: AI-powered text generation for creating stories, lesson plans, and more.
Text to Image: Generate images from text prompts, enhancing visual learning.
Background Remover: Easily remove image backgrounds for a polished look.
Cost: Canva for Education offers a FREE plan for teachers and students with access to a wide range of features!
3. Flint: Igniting Curiosity Through Conversation
Imagine having the ability to provide truly personalized learning experiences for each of your students. Flint makes it possible. This AI-driven platform empowers teachers to tutor and assess students one-on-one and encourages students to ask questions and explore topics in a dynamic, conversational manner. It's like having a virtual tutor available 24/7.
Pros:
Promotes inquiry-based learning: Students are encouraged to ask questions and seek answers.
Personalized feedback: Provides tailored responses and guidance.
Enhances critical thinking: Students learn to analyze information and form their own opinions.
Best Features:
AI-driven chat interface: Students can ask questions in natural language and receive instant responses.
Content curation: Flint provides relevant resources and materials to deepen understanding.
Progress tracking: Teachers can monitor student engagement and identify areas where they may need additional support.
Cost: Flint offers FREE plans for individual teachers as well as paid plans for schools. Visit here to learn more.
4. Merlyn Mind: The AI Assistant for Teachers
Merlyn Mind is an AI assistant specifically designed for teachers. It’s an AI-powered assistant designed to streamline classroom management and enhance teaching effectiveness. It allows educators to control technology using natural language, making tasks easier and more efficient as they teach. Additionally, with Merlyn’s safety, privacy, and security protocols, you can leverage the transformative power of AI while in compliance with FERPA and COPPA laws.
Pros:
Voice-activated control: Teachers can control classroom technology with simple voice commands.
Automated tasks: Manages attendance, distributes assignments, and provides feedback.
Personalized learning: Adapts to individual student needs and preferences.
Best Features:
Voice control for classroom devices: Manage projectors, lights, and other technology hands-free.
AI-powered attendance tracking: Automatically records student attendance.
Integration with learning management systems: Streamlines workflow and data management.
Cost: Head to their website to learn about group and whole school subscriptions.
5. Snorkl: Personalized Learning Pathways
Unlock personalized learning pathways with Snorkl. Snorkl is an AI-driven platform that creates personalized learning pathways for each student. It identifies knowledge gaps and provides targeted instruction to ensure that every student reaches their full potential. With this platform, students can record and share their reasoning, receiving instant AI-powered feedback that fosters deep and meaningful learning. It customizes these pathways not only for academic content but also for crucial noncognitive skills and social-emotional learning!
Pros:
Personalized learning: Tailors content and pace to individual student needs.
Data-driven insights: Provides teachers with valuable information about student progress.
Improved learning outcomes: Helps students achieve mastery of concepts.
Best Features:
AI-powered diagnostic assessments: Identifies student strengths and weaknesses.
Adaptive learning platform: Adjusts content based on student performance.
Progress monitoring and reporting: Tracks student progress and provides actionable insights.
Cost: Snorkl offers both FREE and premium plans. Visit their website to learn more.
The Future of Education is Intelligent
Gen AI is not just a technological advancement; it's a global paradigm shift in education and the way we think about both teaching and learning. By embracing these AI-powered tools, teachers can unlock new levels of efficiency, personalization, and student engagement. As we continue to explore the potential of AI in education, we are confident that it will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of learning. Stay connected to all that we are doing at MSA regarding AI. There is so much more to come!
Note: These recommendations are based on our research and belief in the value of these tools, not on any financial incentive. This post was created with support from genAI.
