7 Innovative AI Tools Reshaping Modern Education
The modern classroom bears little resemblance to the one many of us remember from our school days. Artificial intelligence has ushered in an era where traditional teaching methods are enhanced by smart, adaptive technology that meets students where they are. While teachers remain the heart of education, AI-powered tools are revolutionizing how students learn, practice, and master new skills. From intelligent platforms like ExtRacto that create precise summaries to interactive apps like Duolingo that make language learning engaging, these technologies are transforming education from a one-size-fits-all approach to a personalized journey. Even traditional pain points like grading and assessment have become more efficient through AI assistants like Gradescope, giving educators more time to focus on meaningful student interactions. Let's explore how these digital innovations are creating more dynamic, effective learning environments for students and teachers alike.
Extracto
Scrape website data instantly into Google Sheets
Extracto.bot gives teachers a powerful AI tool that makes research and data collection super simple. The tool works right away without any setup letting users grab data from websites and put it straight into Google Sheets where they're already comfortable working with information. This takes away all the technical headaches that usually come with web scraping so teachers and students can easily collect info for their projects and lessons.
People use it for lots of different things like gathering research articles comparing prices for school supplies and creating custom learning materials. The whole point is that it's "dead simple instant and intelligent" which means teachers can focus on actual teaching instead of figuring out complicated data stuff.
The pricing works for different budgets and needs. You can try it out for free with the Starter plan and if you need more there are Personal and Professional options that let you work with more pages and users on bigger research projects. Since it works with Google Sheets you get all the benefits of Google Drive like sharing and working together plus it fits nicely with other education tools. Extracto.bot helps educators quickly find and analyze online information which saves them time and leads to better learning experiences for everyone.
Link: https://www.extracto.bot
Quill
AI-powered writing tool that strengthens student literacy skills
Quill.org is a free platform that uses AI to help students get better at reading, writing and language skills from elementary through high school. It includes everything from basic grammar practice to more complex tasks like combining sentences and writing paragraphs. One really useful feature is Quill Reading for Evidence which uses AI to create writing prompts based on real nonfiction texts, helping students think deeper about what they read and analyze it better.
The platform adapts to how each student learns and gives personalized feedback and study plans that work for different needs including English Language Learners. Teachers can easily set up their classes through Google Classroom or Clever and watch how their students are doing in real-time to see who might need extra help.
For teachers, Quill makes writing instruction simpler with pre-made lesson plans interactive slides and discussion materials. It covers more than 100 concepts that match Common Core standards and provides over 50 hours of quality learning content. The diagnostic tools create personalized learning paths and support different learning styles with translations available in several languages. Beyond individual work Quill works well for whole-class and small-group activities letting teachers lead interactive writing sessions while keeping track of student responses. By combining AI feedback adaptive exercises and detailed progress reports Quill gives teachers a powerful tool to improve their students' reading and writing abilities.
Link: https://www.quill.org/
Khan Academy
Free world-class education available to everyone globally.
Khan Academy is a really useful free online learning platform that offers a huge library of trusted lessons and practice materials. It covers everything from basic Pre-K math all the way up to early college courses including grammar, science, history, AP®, SAT® prep and lots more. Students can work at whatever pace feels right for them which helps them fill gaps and speed up their learning when needed. The platform has some nice personalized tools that help students really understand concepts and build strong foundations across different subjects. Their goal is pretty straightforward - they want to give everyone everywhere access to quality education at no cost which makes it super valuable for both students and teachers.
For teachers Khan Academy is especially helpful because it gives them tools to make teaching more effective. Teachers can spot where students are struggling customize their teaching for different students and manage different skill levels in their classrooms. They've also got this cool AI helper called Khanmigo that uses GPT-4 to create better learning experiences. The platform seems to work really well with about 90% of US teachers who've tried it saying it helps their students learn better. Khan Academy's mix of teacher resources and student-focused tools makes it a great way to help create fair education opportunities and help students succeed.
Link: https://www.khanacademy.org/
Duolingo
Free language learning with proven teaching methods and AI.
Duolingo gives you a great set of free tools for learning languages making it super helpful for both teachers and students. The main app uses quick lessons that feel like games, with points and levels to help you build real communication skills in a fun way. They use teaching methods backed by research and AI to adjust the pace for each person learning. For teachers, there's "Duolingo for Schools" which helps bring language learning into classrooms and keeps students practicing at home.
The platform does more than just languages these days. They've got Duolingo ABC for teaching young kids to read and Duolingo Math for building number skills. You can use it on pretty much any device and it keeps you motivated while learning at your own pace which makes it perfect for teachers who want to help students of all ages learn languages math and reading. They even have their own English test now that uses AI and modern testing methods to give people an affordable way to prove their language skills.
Link: https://www.duolingo.com/
Gradescope
Digital grading platform that saves teachers massive time
Teachers love using Gradescope because it makes grading way faster and helps them understand how students are doing. The platform works great with lots of different assignments like paper tests, homework digital quizzes and even coding projects. Instructors can grade consistently using the flexible rubric system while getting help from AI and answer grouping features to speed things up. One instructor mentioned "Gradescope has revolutionized how instructors grade... once you've used this tool there's no going back." You'll find teachers using it across many subjects including computer science math, physics chemistry and engineering.
The platform really shines when it comes to making life easier for educators. They can quickly scan student work apply rubrics and send back grades with just one click. The analytics are super helpful too showing exactly how students did on specific questions and rubric items. This helps teachers spot where students might be struggling. Plus students can request regrades right through the platform which saves everyone time. By focusing on speed and useful insights Gradescope helps teachers give better feedback faster so students can learn more effectively.
Link: https://www.gradescope.com/
Quizlet
Create and share flashcards to master any subject efficiently.
Quizlet helps students learn pretty much any subject through hands-on study tools and games. Users can make their own flashcards, tests and study materials or just use the ones other people have already created. The platform works well for different types of learners with various study modes and fun stuff like Quizlet Live that keeps students engaged. Almost everyone who uses it - like 98% of students - says Quizlet has helped them learn better.
Teachers find Quizlet super helpful too for getting students more involved in learning. They can grab existing flashcard sets or make new ones and use different study modes to help their class learn. The platform's game features like Quizlet Live make studying more fun and help kids understand things better. Whether you're studying for a big test or just trying to learn class material Quizlet has everything needed for both solo studying and classroom learning. It's easy to use and adapts well which makes it really useful for students at any level.