Key points:
The term “AI-powered” is today’s most popular buzzword–particularly in education. A growing number of edtech tools now claim to leverage AI, promising smarter, faster, and more personalized learning experiences.
But as AI becomes a marketing must-have, educators and school leaders must separate meaningful functionality from superficial hype.
Not all AI is created equal. Just because a tool claims to use AI doesn’t mean it provides real value in the classroom. In some cases, AI is merely used to automate basic tasks like spell-checking or keyword tagging–functions that have existed for years. In others, AI features may exist in name only, offering little beyond what traditional software can already do.
This creates a challenge for educators trying to make informed decisions. With budgets tight and pressure high to integrate technology that truly supports student learning, choosing tools with genuinely impactful AI features is more important than ever. Educators should feel empowered to ask tough questions about the tools they use. By focusing on practical, student-centered AI features, schools can ensure they’re investing in technology that actually enhances teaching and learning–not just riding the latest trend.
Here are 5 AI tools or (edtech tools with unique AI-driven features) that can actually help in the classroom:
ClassDojo’s Sidekick is an AI assistant that helps reduce busywork and give teachers more time with students. Sidekick assists with lesson planning, admin tasks, and everyday classroom workflows–and continues to evolve based on teacher feedback. A report card comment generator transforms notes into personalized feedback, freeing up valuable educator time. Sidekick also helps teachers write thank-you notes, respond to messages, create multiple-choice assessments, write story posts, and more. Melissa Chapple, a teacher at a K-12 Virtual Academy, uses ClassDojo’s Sidekick to work smarter but maintain a personal connection. Chapple refers to Sidekick as her “teaching assistant”–a resource that eases her workload without sacrificing quality. From drafting report card comments and planning behavior interventions to addressing sensitive parent messages, Sidekick enables her to work more efficiently and with greater confidence.
Brisk is a Chrome and Edge extension that helps teachers with curriculum, feedback, and differentiation, while giving leaders peace of mind with student-safe AI and real-time visibility into how it’s being used. The browser extension works inside the tools schools already use, like online textbooks, Docs, images, PDFs, and more, providing support without added complexity. Brisk includes more than 30 built-in tools and enables teachers to: inspect student writing, tracking revision history and generating insights on writing processes; create curriculum and assessments quickly, including lesson plans and quizzes, presentations, rubrics, syllabi, and ACT/SAT practice tests; provide personalized feedback in Google Docs via AI-generated comments; and differentiate learning materials by adjusting reading levels or translating text, which is ideal for supporting diverse learners, ESL, or IEP needs.
Eduaide, an application for AI-assisted instructional design, helps educators create content in all subject areas, such as inquiry-based STEM labs and projects, math word problems and real-world applications, essay outlines and writing scaffolds, primary source analysis, and scenario-based CTE assignments. The teacher-centered interface connects users with more than 120 tools to help plan lessons, create learning resources, differentiate instruction, provide actionable and timely feedback, and automate administrative tasks. Its feedback tool allows educators to receive targeted insights and feedback on submitted student work.
Twee is an AI‑driven platform tailored for language educators, streamlining lesson creation, assignment management, and feedback. Teachers simply input a topic, link, or vocabulary list, and Twee instantly generates CEFR-aligned content–like texts, dialogues, gap‑fills, comprehension questions, writing prompts, and more–for different language proficiency levels. Once generated, materials can be delivered in multiple formats: downloadable PDF or Word documents, interactive Google Forms, or live assignments via Twee’s online interface . It even offers instant grading, using AI to assess multiple‑choice, gap‑fill, and written responses.
Diffit helps teachers effortlessly craft accessible, engaging learning materials tailored to every student’s level. By inputting existing curriculum, text excerpts, PDFs, URLs or even YouTube links, educators receive leveled content–from 2nd grade to advanced–complete with vocabulary lists, comprehension questions, and graphic organizers. Teachers can use existing curriculum or generate standards-aligned content with real, cited sources. Next, they’ll choose a grade level and language, and Diffit creates complete, differentiated resources. Diffit emphasizes educational quality and uses real, cited sources, aligns closely with standards, and preserves teacher control while supporting differentiated instruction. Privacy is also prioritized–no student data is collected.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
