Across the world, schools are under pressure to do more with fewer resources: support more students, meet higher standards, and close wider gaps. AI is a powerful tool that’s already helping schools make the most of their resources.
In a 2024 report on how AI is shaping the future of learning, the World Economic Forum identified several opportunities that K-12 schools can leverage. As AI rapidly evolves, so does its potential to make teachers more effective and enhance students’ learning outcomes. They noted that “education systems must adapt to prepare young people for tomorrow’s technology-driven economies and to help students learn alongside these emerging technologies.”
The good news? Implementing AI doesn’t require deep technical skills or expensive software. In fact, many of the most useful AI tools for educators are simple, low-cost, and ready to use right now. If you’re curious about how AI might fit into your school but don’t know where to begin, the team at FACTS is here to help.
How Other Schools Are Using AI
Many educators are already finding creative, low-barrier ways to use AI to support instruction and save time. Here are just a few examples of how AI is helping schools around the world right now, based on case studies from Digital Defynd:
- Personalized learning: AI can tailor instruction to each student’s pace and learning style.
- Automatic grading: Tools that analyze and score short-answer questions or essays can cut grading time in half and help teachers give faster feedback.
- Early intervention: By analyzing student data, AI can help identify students at risk of falling behind early in the semester.
- Career counseling: AI can match students with potential career paths based on their academic records, interests, and extracurriculars.
- Creative feedback: Some AI tools can evaluate student artwork and musical performances, offering constructive feedback that helps students grow.
10 AI Tools for Schools
You don’t need a tech degree or a data scientist on staff to benefit from AI. There are many free or low-cost tools available today that are as easy to learn as they are to use. Whether you want to automate lesson planning, generate parent newsletters, or get better insights into student data, there’s likely a tool that can help.
1) ChatGPT
What it does: ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that answers questions, explains concepts, and generates content.
Who it helps: Teachers and administrators
How it helps: It makes daily writing-based tasks like lesson planning, email drafting, and brainstorming more efficient.
Cost: Free (with optional paid upgrades)
2) Grammarly
What it does: Grammarly is an AI writing assistant that checks grammar, spelling, tone, and clarity.
Who it helps: Teachers and administrators
How it helps: It allows educators to quickly ensure communications to coworkers, leadership, and parents are accurate and professional.
Cost: Free (with optional paid premium version)
3) Canva for Education (With Magic Write)
What it does: Canva with Magic Write is an AI-powered design tool for presentations, posters, and worksheets.
Who it helps: Teachers and administrators
How it helps: It enables teachers to create engaging visuals for lessons. And it can help administrators build compelling presentations for leadership or board meetings.
Cost: Free for educators
4) Diffit
What it does: Diffit converts web content into student-friendly reading levels.
Who it helps: Teachers
How it helps: It adapts reading materials for diverse learners, differentiates instruction, and improves accessibility.
Cost: Free (with paid tiers available)
5) MagicSchool.ai
What it does: MagicSchool.ai generates lesson plans, quizzes, IEPs, and more.
Who it helps: Teachers and administrators
How it helps: It automates paperwork and lesson plan development, saving hours of prep time. It also supports special education documentation.
Cost: Free (with paid plans available)
6) Khanmigo
What it does: The Khan Academy AI Tutor provides real-time support and tracks student progress.
Who it helps: Teachers and students
How it helps: It personalizes learning with tutoring for students and helps teachers identify student needs faster.
Cost: $4/month or $44/year (free pilot program available)
7) Curipod
What it does: Curipod creates interactive presentations with polls, quizzes, and visuals.
Who it helps: Teachers
How it helps: It makes lessons more engaging and supports formative assessment.
Cost: Free (premium versions available)
8) AIForTeachers.ai
What it does: AIForTeachers.ai supports lesson planning, grading, and analytics.
Who it helps: Teachers and administrators
How it helps: It reduces administrative work and improves productivity.
Cost: Free (with a paid upgrade available)
9) Socratic by Google
What it does: Socratic helps students solve problems and understand concepts via text, voice, or images.
Who it helps: Students
How it helps: It supports independent learning with step-by-step explanations.
Cost: Free
10) Quizlet (With AI)
What it does: Quizlet uses AI suggestions to assist with the creation of flashcards and quizzes.
Who it helps: Teachers and students
How it helps: It speeds up content creation for teachers and helps students study more effectively.
Cost: Free (with a paid premium option)
AI is already transforming classrooms with simple tools that save time on grading, support diverse learners, and offer data-driven insights.
FACTS + AI
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FACTS is prioritizing AI innovations that support educators, with built-in guardrails, transparency, and human oversight. Here’s a sneak peek at what we’re working on:
- Hub Help AI (live now!) – Get instant answers from FACTS documentation using generative AI, now available in HubHelp.
- Teacher AI Assistant & Student AI Tutor – FACTS is exploring early AI tools to help teachers draft communications, flag at-risk students, and suggest interventions. We’re also working on a student AI tutor that gives students on-demand academic help based on your curriculum.
You don’t need a tech degree to get started. Pick one idea or tool from this post, try it out, and see how it fits. The goal isn’t to overhaul your entire workflow overnight; it’s to take small steps toward a more efficient way to support your students.
Stay tuned as we explore more ways to support schools with AI!
