AI for Educators: Game Changing Tools That Make Your Life Easier

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days—from students using ChatGPT to “help” with essays, to teachers finding creative ways to use it for lesson planning. So, what does AI really mean for educators, and how can it be a tool to make their lives easier rather than more complicated?

In a recent episode of our podcast, we sat down with Austin Griffith, Senior Product Designer at Branching Minds, to dive into AI’s potential in education. If you’ve ever wondered how AI can be a helpful assistant to you as a teacher or administrator, you’re in for a treat!

Artificial Intelligence: More Than Sci-Fi

One of the big takeaways from Austin's conversation is that AI is here to help, not to take over. 

“I think one misconception is the idea that AI is coming for my job, that it's trying to replace teachers. It is nowhere near doing that, and I don't think it ever will. I think you need human educators; you need that face-to-face learning. AI is very much a co-pilot and an assistant, not something meant to replace human teachers.” 

Imagine an AI tool that can sift through mountains of student data, like test scores, behavioral patterns, and attendance records, and then turn it into an easy-to-understand story about each student. It’s like having a super-organized assistant who’s always a step ahead, helping you make informed decisions in the classroom.

Saving Time and Brainpower

AI can take over some of the mundane tasks on your plate —like grading papers or organizing group activities—giving you more breathing room. By reducing this cognitive load, AI frees up time for educators to focus on what they love about their work: teaching and creating meaningful interactions with their students.

AI can be your go-to tool for creating personalized lesson plans. Instead of spending hours differentiating materials for students with different needs, AI can help create accessible and customized content at lightning speed. It’s like having a tech-savvy teaching assistant who’s always ready to jump in! From Diffit, a tool to differentiate lesson materials, to Formative AI, a real-time assessment feedback platform, there are many tools to help lighten the load.

Our new feature, the Custom Report Builder, has integrated advanced AI technology that allows school administrators to easily query and visualize data using plain language. This AI-driven feature simplifies the process of generating reports by enabling you to ask questions or input requests in everyday language, without needing to manually sort or analyze complex data sets.

Personalized Learning and Accessibility

Austin highlighted accessibility as another potential for AI. “Being able to rapidly translate content into multiple languages, and being able to cater to students who speak one of the dozens and dozens of languages that students speak in this country is a really beneficial use of AI.” 

For those teaching in classrooms with diverse language needs, this is a game-changer. No more searching high and low for translated materials or spending hours modifying lessons for different learning levels. AI makes differentiation easier, faster, and more effective, so every student gets the support they need. 

Addressing the Big Concern: Privacy 

Another big concern? Privacy. Austin agrees, “Anyone who's vetting l AI platforms to use, especially in education, that's definitely something that should be top of mind.” 

AI features used within Branching Minds’ work within a closed network. Sensitive data isn’t going anywhere; it stays securely in the system, used only to benefit educators and students. We are so serious about it we joined EDSAFE AI Industry Council, with other companies promoting safe use of AI in education technology.

Our security practices, including how we manage AI and vendor risks, are audited annually as part of our SOC 2 Type II compliance, ensuring that we continuously meet industry standards for data privacy and security. For schools and districts working with us, this means you can trust that your data is handled with the highest level of care and protection, allowing you to focus on what matters most—supporting your students. → Read more about our high standard for data privacy.

The Future of AI in Education: Exciting Times Ahead!

AI is already transforming how teachers approach their jobs, and we’re just getting started. Whether it’s predicting which students might need extra support before they fall behind, or translating lessons into multiple languages in a snap, AI is set to take some of the workload off educators' plates. And let’s be honest—who wouldn’t want a little extra help?

So, if you’re an educator feeling overwhelmed by data or struggling to differentiate lessons for a diverse group of students, AI might just be the sidekick you’ve been waiting for!

Eager to learn more about all that Branching Minds is doing with AI to give educators the tech tools they deserve? Register for the Branching Minds Virtual MTSS Summit for our big reveal!