💻 9 tech tools w/new AI features

Plus more advice for aspiring teachers!

Author

Matt Miller
August 27, 2024

🤔 What’s your advice for aspiring teachers?

On Friday, I’ll get to speak for an hour to high school students who want to be teachers.

I’m excited! I usually speak to K-12 teachers (aside from teaching in the classroom), so presenting to students will be a fun change of pace.

Last week, I asked you: What’s your advice for aspiring teachers?

You came through — and right now I have 124 responses!

Here are a few that caught my eye …

  • ❤️ I wish I had known to prepare my heart. I wish I had known how much so many of my students would come to mean to me and how hard it would be to say goodbye to them. I wish I had known how much I would hurt when they were hurting. […] No college course in education teaches you this. So my lesson to future educators is to prepare your heart. Prepare it to expand beyond what you thought capable. Prepare to share tears of both joy and sorrow with and for your students. It will change you, and it will do that for the better. — Tracey Budworth (Wisconsin)

  • 👗 Don't worry about your clothes, water cups, or room decorations! Focus on being an expert in your content area, building an outstanding curriculum full of engaging and PURPOSEFUL lesson plans, and growing student relationships! Be a "student influencer" instead of an "instagram teacher"! — Amy (Illinois)

  • 😞 Teaching is hard. It's constantly evolving and changing. It takes a lot of work to keep up and be the best for your students. BUT if you have the heart to do it, then it is all worth it. — Amber Williams (Mississippi)

If you have advice to share, it’s not too late! Please share it here.

FYI: In today’s email newsletter, we’re covering new AI features in 9 edtech tools: Quizizz, Quizlet, Padlet, Adobe Express, Kami, ScreenPal, Wakelet, FigJam and Canva. Check them out … they have added some cool stuff!

Inside:

  • 🚌 Back to School Prep? TeachAid’s AI is the Solution

  • 👀 DTT Digest: Memory, Google Forms, Speaker Progress, clickbait

  • 💡 The Big Idea: 9 tech tools with new AI superpowers

  • 🗄 Template: The Viral Video template in Diffit

  • 😄 Smile of the day: Two “back to school” types

  • 👋 How we can help

🚌 Back to School Prep? TeachAid’s AI is the Solution

This message is sponsored by TeachAid

As the new school year begins, we know you're busy planning to meet your students' diverse needs. TeachAid is here to help.

Meet TeachAid: The Complete Curriculum & Pedagogy AI Solution

TeachAid streamlines unit creation, allowing you to:

  • Develop Unit Plans: Effortlessly create detailed unit plans aligned with your standards.

  • Generate Assessments and Rubrics: Craft thorough assessments to evaluate student learning effectively.

  • Create Lesson Plans: Produce interconnected plans that scaffold learning and meet diverse needs.

  • Design Activities and Presentations: Generate dynamic activities and presentations.

  • Support Tiered Instruction and Differentiation: Provide tailored instructional materials for all students.

TeachAid’s mission is to create equitable curricula, enhance teacher efficiency, and support tiered and IEP instruction.

Transform Your Teaching with TeachAid Today

  • Effortless Planning: Create scaffolded lesson plans aligned to your standards.  Start Creating Now

  • Comprehensive Assessments: Craft assessments easily. Sign Up for Free

  • Interactive Presentations: Generate engaging presentations. Discover More

  • Equitable Activities: Design activities that promote active learning. Learn More

Get Started for Free and experience the future of education with TeachAid.

👀 DTT Digest

4 teaching resources worth checking out today

💡 THE BIG IDEA 💡

🦸‍♀️ 9 tech tools with new AI superpowers

AI-generated image

The edtech world has been abuzz with new apps that run on artificial intelligence.

Lots of attention has been given to these tools that are possible because of powerful new AI models.

Here’s what gets lost in the chase, though …

Some of our tried-and-true favorite edtech products have added new AI features, too.

Today’s list highlights new AI features that some of these tech tools have added.

Note that this list won’t include tools created BECAUSE of new AI models (like MagicSchool, SchoolAI, Diffit, Curipod, etc.). This list is for existing tech tools that have added new AI features.

Here are nine tools that have added AI features.

(Note that some AI features require a paid premium account. Not all, but some.)

Quizizz (quizizz.com)

What it does: Create and host gamified practice activities (“quizzes”)

AI features:

  • Use AI to create quiz questions from copied text, uploaded files, or pasted links.

  • Use AI inside quizzes to fix grammar, translate, convert to real-life scenarios, or add similar questions.

  • Upload a photo of class content (i.e. a page from a textbook) on the Quizizz mobile app to generate questions.

  • Learn more here.

Quizlet (quizlet.com)

What it does: Online flash cards and practice

AI features: 

  • QChat, the AI tutor, can quiz students on flashcards, teach them about content in flashcards, and help students apply knowledge. (Full access in Quizlet Plus)

  • Magic Notes transform your own notes into flashcards and practice tests.

  • Memory Score tracks your performance over time to assess your mastery of concepts.

  • Learn more here.

Padlet (padlet.com)

What it does: Digital collaborative bulletin board

AI features:

  • “I Can’t Draw” generates AI images in a post on a Padlet board. Learn more here.

  • AI recipes uses AI to create Padlet boards based on how you want to use them. Go to “+ Make” and “Custom board”. Learn more here.

Adobe Express (adobe.com/education)

What it does: Creativity suite for making images, videos, and more

AI features:

  • Adobe Firefly (built into Adobe Express) is a high quality image generator.

  • Text to Template generates fully editable templates with a text description.

  • Translate to 45 languages.

  • Learn more here.

Kami (kamiapp.com)

What it does: PDF annotation tool

AI features:

  • Questions AI converts existing tests and quizzes into autograded assessments.

  • Insights in Class View offers real-time metrics and personalized feedback on student work.

  • Learn more here.

ScreenPal (screenpal.com)

What it does: Records, stores, and edits video

AI features:

  • Summarize videos by generating titles and descriptions.

  • Generate transcriptions with one click.

  • Translate video titles, summaries, and captions in over 150 languages.

  • Add time-stamped video chapters.

  • Incorporate checks for understanding and gather feedback with AI-generated quiz questions.

  • Learn more here.

Wakelet (wakelet.com)

What it does: Curate content into digital collections

AI features:

  • Use the AI image generation tool to add an image to a Wakelet collection.

  • Use AI search to search through your own content on Wakelet to find what you need.

  • AI-powered explore helps you to find content created by others in Wakelet collections.

  • Learn more here.

FigJam by Figma (figma.com/education)

What it does: Collaborative, interactive digital whiteboard

AI features:

  • Generate templates for a variety of tasks with AI.

  • Use FigJam AI to sort your sticky notes.

  • Summarize sticky notes with AI.

  • Jambot uses AI to brainstorm ideas, come up with icebreakers, or even write code.

  • Learn more here.

What it does: Creativity suite for making images, videos, and more

AI features:

  • Generate images with the Text to Image app.

  • Autogenerate designs with the Magic Design tool.

  • Create slides in seconds with Magic Design for Presentations.

  • Text to Video uses Runway to create short video clips based on a text description.

  • Learn more here.

🗣 What other existing edtech tools have incorporated new AI features? Hit “reply” and tell me about anything that wasn’t on my list!

🗄 TEMPLATE 🗄

📺 The Viral Video template in Diffit

This Viral Video activity is super fun! Students write a script for a video on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc. They try to make it as engaging as possible so it’ll trend and go viral!

What is Diffit? Diffit (diffit.me) helps you create leveled teaching resources (readings, questions, etc.) for your students about literally any topic.

We partnered with Diffit to create these graphic organizer templates.

  • Generate some learning content for students with Diffit.

  • Then merge it directly into one of these pre-made Google Slides/PowerPoint templates.

  • Assign it to students in your learning management system.

All of our Ditch That Textbook templates in Diffit are free for everyone this month.

Generate content. Merge it into the template. Keep it forever. Assign it whenever you want.

😄 Smile of the day

Pretty sure this applies for teachers, too!

h/t teacherskind via Instagram

👋 How we can help

There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education:

  1. Read one of my six books about meaningful teaching with tech.

  2. Take one of our online courses about practical and popular topics in education.

  3. Bring me to your school, district or event to speak. I love working with educators!

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