AI Platforms and Resources for Educators: Choosing the Right Tool for the Right Task
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming a practical resource for teachers. From lesson planning and presentations to research, language development and assessment preparation, AI can help educators work more efficiently while creating engaging learning experiences. However, educators should not use AI simply because a tool is popular. The important question is: What educational task am I trying to accomplish, and which tool is appropriate for that task? At the Academy of Professional Studies (APS), we encourage educators to develop practical AI literacy – the ability to select, evaluate and responsibly use AI tools while maintaining professional judgement. Below are examples of AI platforms educators can explore for different educational tasks. Features, pricing, privacy terms and institutional availability can change, so educators and schools should review current policies before adoption.
1. ChatGPT – General Teaching and Productivity Assistant
Best used for:
Lesson-planning ideas
Classroom activities
Explaining concepts
Creating worksheets
Generating questions
Brainstorming
Differentiating activities
Drafting educational content
Teacher professional development
Role-play scenarios
Creating rubrics and checklists
Administrative drafting For example: “Create a 40-minute Grade 6 lesson introducing renewable energy, including a classroom activity, discussion questions and a five-question exit assessment.” Educators should always review generated material before using it in the classroom.
2. Google Gemini – Research, Planning and Google-Based Productivity
Best used for:
Brainstorming
Summarising information
Lesson ideas
Research support
Content development
Question generation
Working with documents and information
Productivity within supported Google environments Gemini can be particularly useful for educators already working within Google’s ecosystem. Important facts should be independently verified.
3. Microsoft Copilot – Productivity and Microsoft 365 Support
Best used for:
Drafting documents
Summarising information
Presentation preparation
Brainstorming
Organising information
Productivity support
Working within supported Microsoft applications For schools already using Microsoft 365, Copilot can potentially support educators within familiar applications and workflows.
4. Claude – Reading, Writing and Long-Form Content
Best used for:
Reviewing lengthy documents
Summarising material
Developing educational content
Brainstorming
Writing support
Analysing text
Creating structured teaching resources Educators may find Claude particularly useful when working with longer pieces of written information.
5. Perplexity – AI-Assisted Research
Best used for:
Exploring a new topic
Finding information sources
Research preparation
Comparing information
Identifying useful references
Developing background knowledge before a lesson Teachers should still open and evaluate original sources rather than relying entirely on an AI summary.
6. NotebookLM – Learning from Your Own Resources
Best used for:
Working with uploaded source material
Summarising documents
Reviewing notes
Exploring teaching resources
Generating study materials from selected sources
Preparing discussions around specific documents NotebookLM can be useful when an educator wants AI assistance based primarily on a defined collection of materials.
7. Canva – AI-Assisted Educational Design
Best used for:
Classroom presentations
Worksheets
Posters
Infographics
Educational handouts
Social-media content
Certificates
Classroom displays
Visual learning resources Canva combines design tools with AI-supported features, making it useful for educators who need visually engaging classroom materials.
8. Gamma – AI-Assisted Presentations
Best used for:
Lesson presentations
Workshop presentations
Training materials
Topic overviews
Visual summaries
Professional-development presentations Educators should review generated presentations and adapt them to their students before use.
9. Grammarly – Writing and Communication Support
Best used for:
Grammar checking
Professional emails
Reports
Written feedback
Improving clarity
Tone awareness
Editing professional documents Writing-support tools can help improve clarity and professionalism in communication with parents, colleagues and school leadership.
10. QuillBot – Paraphrasing and Writing Support
Best used for:
Rephrasing text
Simplifying explanations
Summarising
Grammar support
Improving sentence structure Teachers should ensure students understand the difference between legitimate writing assistance and using technology to disguise copied work.
11. MagicSchool AI – AI Tools Designed for Educators
Best used for:
Lesson planning
Question generation
Differentiation
Rubrics
Classroom resources
Teacher communication
Educational planning Education-focused platforms can support common teacher workflows, but generated material should still be reviewed.
12. Diffit – Differentiating Learning Materials
Best used for:
Adapting reading materials
Creating resources at different levels
Generating vocabulary support
Developing comprehension questions
Supporting differentiated instruction This can be particularly useful when students within one classroom require different levels of support.
13. Quizizz – Interactive Learning and Assessment
Best used for:
Classroom quizzes
Formative assessment
Revision
Student engagement
Interactive activities
Checking understanding AI-supported quiz generation can reduce preparation time, but teachers should review questions and answers carefully.
14. Kahoot! – Interactive Classroom Engagement
Best used for:
Live classroom quizzes
Revision
Knowledge checks
Student participation
Games-based learning Kahoot! can make formative assessment more interactive when used as part of a broader teaching strategy.
15. Quizlet – Study and Revision Resources
Best used for:
Flashcards
Vocabulary
Revision
Practice activities
Student self-study
Knowledge reinforcement Digital study tools can complement classroom teaching and encourage independent revision.
16. Curipod – Interactive AI-Supported Lessons
Best used for:
Interactive presentations
Classroom participation
Polls
Discussion activities
Student engagement
Lesson creation Interactive lesson platforms can help teachers move beyond passive presentations towards greater participation.
17. Khan Academy and Khanmigo – Learning and Tutoring Support
Best used for:
Supplementary learning
Guided practice
Concept reinforcement
Teacher support
Student learning activities AI-supported tutoring resources should complement teacher instruction rather than replace teacher-student interaction.
18. Adobe Express – Visual and Creative Educational Content
Best used for:
Posters
Graphics
Presentations
Short videos
Classroom visuals
Student creative projects
Educational communication Creative AI tools can help educators and students communicate ideas visually.
19. ElevenLabs – AI Voice and Audio
Best used for:
Audio learning resources
Listening activities
Narration
Language-learning resources
Accessible educational content Educators should follow appropriate copyright, consent and responsible-use standards.
20. Google Translate and AI Language Tools
Best used for:
Supporting basic translation
Understanding unfamiliar words
Language-learning activities
Comparing sentence structures
Supporting multilingual communication Machine translation may misunderstand context or specialised terminology. Important school communications should be reviewed by a competent human speaker where accuracy is critical.
Choosing AI by Educational Task
Rather than asking Which AI platform is the best?, educators should ask Which platform is most appropriate for this task?
Lesson Planning: ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | MagicSchool AI
Research and Source Discovery: Perplexity | Gemini | NotebookLM
Presentations: Canva | Gamma | Microsoft Copilot
Worksheets and Teaching Resources: ChatGPT | MagicSchool AI | Diffit | Canva
Differentiated Learning: Diffit | MagicSchool AI | ChatGPT
Quizzes and Formative Assessment: Quizizz | Kahoot! | Quizlet | ChatGPT
Writing and Grammar: Grammarly | QuillBot | ChatGPT | Claude
Visual Content: Canva | Adobe Express
Audio Resources: ElevenLabs
Professional Research: Perplexity | NotebookLM | Gemini
Teacher Productivity: ChatGPT | Gemini | Microsoft Copilot | Claude
The APS AI Toolkit for Educators
Educators do not need to use every available platform. A practical starter toolkit could include:
ChatGPT – General AI assistant
Perplexity – Research and source discovery
NotebookLM – Working with selected learning materials
Canva – Visual educational resources
Gamma – Presentations
Grammarly – Professional writing
MagicSchool AI – Teacher-specific AI workflows
Diffit – Differentiated resources
Quizizz or Kahoot! – Interactive assessment
Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot – Productivity and ecosystem integration Teachers can begin with two or three platforms and gradually expand their toolkit as their confidence develops.
Do Not Upload Sensitive Student Information Without Approval
The convenience of an AI platform should never take priority over student privacy. Educators should avoid entering unnecessary confidential or personally identifiable student information into public AI tools.
Data protection
Student privacy
Minimum-age requirements
Parental consent where applicable
Institutional accounts
Data-retention policies
Approved applications
Copyright
Academic integrity Schools should develop clear AI policies rather than leaving every teacher to make these decisions independently.
AI Does Not Remove the Need for Verification
Generate -> Review -> Verify -> Adapt -> Apply
AI can generate an impressive-looking worksheet that contains an incorrect answer. It can create a professional presentation containing an inaccurate fact. It can produce a convincing reference that does not exist. The professional educator remains responsible for checking the final resource.
Build an AI Toolkit – Not AI Dependency
The objective is not to make teachers dependent on artificial intelligence. AI should help educators spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on areas where human expertise matters most:
Teaching
Mentoring
Understanding students
Providing feedback
Building relationships
Developing confidence
Encouraging curiosity
Inspiring learning The question educators should continually ask is: “Is this technology helping me become a more effective teacher?”
Developing AI-Ready Educators at APS
At the Academy of Professional Studies (APS), we believe AI awareness should become an increasingly important component of modern teacher development. Future-ready educators should know how to select appropriate AI tools, write effective prompts, verify information, protect student privacy, maintain academic integrity and integrate technology without losing the human connection at the heart of education. The goal is not to use the largest number of AI platforms. The goal is to select the right resource, for the right educational purpose, at the right time.
Learn the Tools. Question the Output. Lead the Learning.
Academy of Professional Studies (APS)
Developing digitally confident, responsible and future-ready educators.