TotallyAI

  Tool Deep Dive: MagicSchool.ai – Admin Time-Saver or Just AI Hype? If there’s one thing teachers don’t need more of, it’s admin . Behaviour reports, lesson objectives, parent emails, curriculum mapping, risk assessments none of it directly drives learning, but it all has to be done. That’s where MagicSchool.ai caught my attention. I’ve now used it every day for the past month across multiple roles teaching, department leadership, and pastoral support. Let’s just say it’s earned its place on my favourites bar. What Is MagicSchool.ai? It’s an AI-powered platform built specifically for educators , offering a suite of 60+ tools designed to tackle everyday school tasks from lesson plans and IEPs to email drafting and CPD resource creation. Unlike general-purpose AI tools like ChatGPT, MagicSchool is tailored to education language, structure, and context , so it speaks our language, terms like “learning objectives”, “Ofsted-ready evidence”, and “SEN scaffolding” are built-in. ...

  Tool Deep Dive: Diffit.ai – Differentiation Made Doable in Minutes Let’s be honest - differentiation is one of those non-negotiables in modern teaching, but also one of the first things to suffer when time’s tight. Enter: Diffit.ai. I’ve been using Diffit.ai consistently over the past four weeks , both in lessons and behind the scenes during planning time. I’ve trialled it with KS3 English, Year 10 Geography, and even a small SEN group. The verdict? It’s a genuine timesaver, not just another EdTech novelty. Here’s how it holds up in real use and where it still has room to grow. What Is Diffit.ai? Diffit.ai is a web-based AI platform that takes any content text, URL, topic, or video and instantly generates differentiated learning materials tailored to different reading levels. It can break things down, simplify language, provide comprehension tasks, and create summarised versions of complex content. Use Case 1: Simplifying Complex Articles for KS3 Scenario: Year 8 Engli...

  ChatGPT for Educators: Real-World Prompt Pack (2025 Edition) These prompts are ideal for use with GPT-4 Turbo (ChatGPT Plus), but they can also work at a simpler level with the free version. 1. Lesson Planning Prompts Subject: Key Stage 3 History Objective: Create a full lesson plan on the Industrial Revolution Prompt: “Create a 60-minute Key Stage 3 history lesson on the Industrial Revolution for Year 9 pupils. Include differentiated learning objectives (all/most/some), a 10-minute starter activity, main task ideas, and a plenary. Highlight key vocabulary. Assume a mixed-ability class and include one SEN adaptation.” Subject: GCSE English Literature Objective: Scaffold analysis of ‘Macbeth’ Prompt: “Design a scaffolded activity to help low-ability GCSE pupils analyse Lady Macbeth’s character in Act 1 Scene 5 of Macbeth . Include guiding questions, sentence starters and one visual aid suggestion.” 2. Marking and Feedback Prompts Scenario: Marking descripti...

  Tool Deep Dive: ChatGPT for Educators – Innovation or Inflation? If you’ve been watching AI unfold in education over the past two years, you’ve almost certainly heard the name ChatGPT tossed around in every staffroom and CPD session. Some call it revolutionary, others remain sceptical—but as someone who’s actually trialled it in classrooms, curriculum meetings, and even SLT briefings, I can confidently say: ChatGPT is a powerful ally—but only if you use it wisely. What It Does (and How I Actually Used It) ChatGPT is a conversational AI developed by OpenAI, and the educator-tailored use cases in 2025 are both impressive and practical. I used it for: Lesson planning: I asked it to map out a six-week Year 9 history scheme on the Industrial Revolution. It gave me differentiated objectives, key vocabulary, suggested homework tasks and even a few creative project ideas. Resource generation: I’ve used it to produce starter questions, scaffolded writing frames, and even plen...

The 10 Best AI Tools for Teachers in 2025 (Before Your Pupils Do) Let’s be honest—education in 2025 isn’t just evolving, it’s accelerating. Gone are the days of relying on whiteboards, USB sticks and photocopied worksheets. We’re now in the age of AI lesson planning, automated marking, and virtual teaching assistants. But with a flood of platforms all claiming to be “AI-powered,” how do you separate the genuinely useful tools from the digital dead weight? That’s where I step in. With over a decade of experience writing about educational technology, I’ve tested and tracked the tools that are genuinely transforming classrooms, offices, and staff rooms. This is your practical, plain-English guide to the top 10 AI EduTech tools in 2025—what they do well, what to watch out for, and who in your school can benefit the most. 1. ChatGPT for Educators (OpenAI) An AI teaching assistant that doesn’t run out of ideas—or energy. ChatGPT has become the Swiss Army knife of AI for teachers. Need a sche...