My Favorite AI Apps (and How I Actually Use Them in Education)

🤖 Blog #14: My Favorite AI Apps (and How I Actually Use Them in Education)

There are a lot of AI tools out there—and while many sound impressive, only a few make it into my regular rotation. As a STEAM Coach and curriculum designer, I’m not just testing tools for fun. I’m using them to plan smarter, personalize instruction, and empower teachers to do more with less.

Here are the AI apps I actually love—and how I use them to make an impact in real classrooms:

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🧠 ChatGPT (OpenAI)

Let’s start with the obvious. I use ChatGPT constantly—for everything from lesson ideas to writing support to brainstorming PD agendas.

How I use it:

• Draft essential questions, rubrics, and unit overviews
• Reword complex science texts for elementary learners
• Create professional emails, grant justifications, and reflection prompts
• Build workshop materials for teachers

It’s like having a curriculum thought partner in my pocket.

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🗣 D-ID

This tool turns written scripts into AI-generated talking avatars—perfect for asynchronous PD or student-facing videos.

How I use it:

• Create virtual facilitators for workshops when I can’t be in the room
• Generate explainer videos that teachers can use with tech integration lessons
• Model what AI can do for student presentations

It’s a game-changer for accessibility and engagement.

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🌍 Blockade Labs + ThingLink

Together, these tools allow me to create immersive, interactive VR environments without touching a single line of code.

How I use them:

• Use Blockade Labs to generate 360° environments from a short prompt (e.g., “a futuristic Mars habitat” or “a sustainable city”)
• Upload those scenes into ThingLink to add interactive hotspots—like videos, guiding questions, voiceovers, or embedded resources
• Design virtual field trips, STEAM design challenges, or empathy-building simulations
• Pair with Merge Cube or VR viewers to let students explore and interact

These tools make it possible for students to step into the worlds they’re learning about—and think like designers, scientists, and global citizens from any classroom.

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📚 MagicSchool AI

Designed specifically for educators, MagicSchool helps teachers automate planning and differentiation.

How I use it:

• Create leveled texts on a specific topic
• Draft IEP-aligned accommodations
• Generate parent communication templates
• Build fast, differentiated exit tickets and choice boards

It saves time and aligns with actual classroom needs.

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🎨 Gamma (or Tome)

These tools create visually polished slide decks and one-pagers from short prompts.

How I use them:

• Turn workshop outlines into presentation-ready decks
• Build slide-based student guides for project-based units
• Create professional-looking proposals for district initiatives

It makes your ideas look as sharp as they are.

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✨ Final Thoughts

AI isn’t about replacing teachers—it’s about augmenting our capacity. These tools help me move faster, work smarter, and stay creative. But most importantly, they help me support educators and students with solutions that are practical, personalized, and powerful.

I don’t use every app. I use the right ones.

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🌐 Coming Soon: Bringing VR to the Classroom Without Coding

Immersive learning made simple with tools like Blockade Labs, ThingLink, and Merge Cube

In this post, I’ll walk you through:

• 🧠 Why VR boosts engagement and deepens understanding
• 🛠 Tools that require zero coding (Blockade Labs, ThingLink, CoSpaces EDU, Merge)
• 🎒 VR lesson ideas across K–8 (science, ELA, engineering, SEL)
• 💻 How to integrate VR even without headsets
• 🧩 Student design projects using VR environments