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As AI tools become an integral part of the educational system, teachers have been left struggling to decide which tools are best to use. While there are many options, a few stand out.
As artificial intelligence transforms education, teachers are now turning to platforms that can streamline administrative tasks, personalize instruction, and improve student engagement. With thousands of AI-powered products entering the market, educators are facing the challenge of identifying tools that deliver practical value while addressing concerns around privacy, security, and classroom effectiveness.
The most impactful AI tools for teachers are proving that success is not about replacing educators. Instead, they are helping teachers spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time supporting student learning.
Prioritizing Security and Classroom Efficiency
For school districts and teachers seeking the benefits of AI without exposing sensitive student information, Edsby has emerged as a notable option. The 13-year-old learning management system, used by millions of students across Canada, New Zealand, and Georgia, integrates AI within a controlled and secure environment.
Rather than directing educators to public AI platforms where student information could inadvertently be shared, Edsby routes requests through a paid API designed to keep data protected. The platform enables teachers to generate report card comments, create grade-appropriate content, and standardize workflows across districts.
Dallas Kachan, Vice President of Marketing at Edsby, warned about the risks of using consumer AI tools with student information.
“If you are just using Gemini or Claude out of the box, these models are sucking in and learning all this potentially confidential student data. A teacher might want to come up with report card comments for little Joey and paste in some of Joey’s marks — and the name gets associated with Joey’s marks. Well, that AI then knows forever what Joey’s academic history has been. And you can’t undo that.”
He explained the efficiency of the platform in simplifying a common teacher task while protecting privacy.
“They can press a little magic button that says, write an appropriate comment based on what the student has done in my class. And it will suggest two or three sentences of text just like that, which the teacher could then massage if they like it. It saves them time without exposing that student to the big bad internet and having their information out there forever.”
Kachan also emphasized the company’s security-first approach.
“We have centralized all these AI requests in our software system to a secure pipe, a secure channel that is never monetized. We pay the AI companies to use their services to make sure that all of our customers’ data is never, ever exposed or trained with the AI.”
Reinventing Language Learning Support
While security remains a major concern, time management is another challenge for educators. For language teachers, creating fresh learning materials often consumes hours each week.
Edumo, founded by Morten Olsen, tackles this issue, allowing teachers to input any text and instantly generate vocabulary exercises, reading comprehension activities, and listening tasks tailored to different learning levels. Students access the content through a mobile app designed around short learning sessions.
Reflecting on conversations with educators, Olsen said, “All of them spent time, to some extent, on creating learning materials. Even if they all complained about not having time or not being paid enough for doing these materials, they all created them for some reason — maybe the textbook was outdated, or students were struggling and they needed more exercises, or they just wanted something more contemporary.”
The platform was designed to mimic how students actually complete assignments.
“I wanted that I could do my homework in the five-minute breaks I had. I asked all my classmates and other language learners, and they all said they do the homework in one sitting, because it does not feel feasible — when you are all set up, you do not do just five or ten minutes and then put everything away again.”
Looking ahead, Olsen remains focused on supporting teacher-led instruction.
“I do not want to go in the direction of the other language learning apps. I want to be a tool for the teacher and student together, for teacher-led education — but still something they can use whenever they want.”
Using AI to Guide, Not Give Answers
In mathematics education, maintaining student engagement while encouraging independent problem-solving can be particularly difficult. MathsTutor.me approaches the challenge through gamification and guided AI support.
Created by software developer Jonathan Beresford to help his son improve in mathematics, the platform offers short lessons for students aged five to sixteen. Progress is rewarded through experience points, badges, and achievement streaks.
“It is a student platform that uses gamification to sort of keep them engaged. Every time you answer a question, you get XP, and at the end of each lesson, you earn badges — lesson complete, perfect score, new best time. The first five to ten levels are really easy to hit, which gives students that early sense of progress,” Beresford said.
The platform’s AI tutor, known as iTutor, is designed to provide hints rather than direct answers.
“I have deliberately put guardrails in so that it does not give you the answer directly. It kind of leads them and tries to get them there on their own.”
Beresford explained that the project began as a personal effort to support his son’s learning.
“I thought the best way of doing that would be to write a site — using the skills I have been developing for 25 years as a software developer — to create something that helps him learn maths. I am not a teacher, but I used what I know to try and help him improve his grade.”
Keeping Teachers at the Center
Despite their different approaches, Edsby, Edumo, and MathsTutor.me share a common philosophy. Each platform uses AI to reduce administrative burden, personalize learning experiences, and provide actionable support without diminishing the teacher’s role.
Whether securing student data at the district level, generating customized language-learning materials in seconds, or helping students work through math challenges independently, these tools reflect AI’s greatest contribution to education while also showcasing its ability to give teachers back their most valuable resource: their time to teach.
