The AI Tools I Pay For (And Why)

As an educator, I rely on a few key AI tools to streamline my workflow, improve efficiency, and enhance the resources I create. While there are plenty of free AI tools available, these are the ones I consider worth the investment:

1. Grammarly ($12 / month)

I use Grammarly to refine my writing, check for grammar mistakes, and ensure clarity in my professional and instructional materials. Its AI-powered suggestions help with conciseness and tone, making my writing more polished and effective.

I also use Grammarly as part of my grading process. The flags it generates help me identify at a glance if students need to go back and proofread. The built-in plagiarism and AI checks are also insightful for identifying places where a student might need to review their work.

I’m lucky enough to be in a school where everyone (students, faculty, and non-teaching staff) has access to a Grammarly subscription. If that weren’t the case, it is absolutely something I would subscribe to.

2. ChatGPT (OpenAI Plus Subscription) ($20 / month)

ChatGPT plays a major role in brainstorming lesson ideas, structuring curriculum plans, and generating alternate quizzes, rubrics, and assessments. It’s an incredibly versatile tool for content creation and refining instructional materials.

I also use ChatGPT to review quiz and assessment results to help me identify questions that need to be reworked or removed, and it helps identify where I may have come up short in teaching certain concepts.

3. Gamma.app ($15 / month)

Gamma.app is my go-to for quickly generating visually appealing presentations. It allows me to create slide decks with minimal effort while maintaining a professional design. This is especially helpful for sharing concepts with students or colleagues without spending hours formatting slides.

With a Gamma subscription, you get access to additional image-generation models that can be used for your slides or for generating images for use elsewhere. I use these to create dynamic unit launch pages, presentations, and social media posts to keep my students engaged in what they’re learning.

Most teachers can get away with the free or plus account here, but I upgraded to the Pro because I’m using the “website” feature to create content that sits on custom domains. This makes the presentation a bit more streamlined for students looking to access lessons, presentations, and other material I’ve created.

Wrap-up

These tools save me time and improve the quality of my work. While AI isn’t a replacement for human expertise, it’s an invaluable asset when used strategically in education and content development.

What AI tools do you use in your workflow? Let’s compare notes!