Irish teachers — Thinking of dipping your hand in your pocket for AI classroom tools? (Read this first)

Image generated in ChatGPT

If you’ve been anywhere near the internet lately, you’ve probably heard about AI and how it’s going to change education forever (again). Between the panic, the buzzwords, and the press releases, it’s hard to know where to begin — especially if you’re trying to plan a Visual Arts lesson and wrestle with the printer at the same time.

My plan is to try and give you some advice, some of it my own thoughts, much of it AI-generated but tailored for Irish primary teachers. So, without further ado (you can tell it’s me otherwise I would have said let’s dive!), here’s a guide for Irish primary school teachers who want to dip a toe into the world of AI —and perhaps consider dipping your hand into your pocket, without being bombarded with American-style edtech hype.

Tools Built for Teachers

Let’s start with some platforms that are actually made for teachers — not just generic AI tools with a school logo slapped on.

Brisk Teaching

Brisk is like a teaching assistant that lives in your Google Docs and Google Classroom. You can use it to differentiate reading passages, generate comprehension questions, write reports, and even check work for plagiarism or tone.

• Use in class: Creating multiple versions of reading material or rewriting story prompts.
• Cost: Free tier available. Paid plans from $10/month.

👍 Pros: Seamless Google integration.
👎 Cons: Premium features like safeguarding analysis are paywalled.

TeachMateAI

Built by actual teachers, TeachMateAI is designed to save you time. It generates lesson plans, long-term schemes, IEPs, and has an Irish curriculum mode (yes, someone finally thought of us).

• Use in class: Drafting Irish curriculum-linked plans or SEN documentation.
• Cost: Free plan available. Paid from approx. €10/month.

👍Pros: Irish curriculum built-in.
👎 Cons: Interface can feel cluttered.

MagicSchool.ai

A major player from the US, MagicSchool offers hundreds of templates — from report comments to editable classroom games. It has a “curriculum translator” that sort of understands Irish topics.

• Use in class: Speeding up lesson prep or generating classroom activities.
• Cost: Free version available. Pro is $12/month or $99/year.

👍 Pros: Huge template library.
👎 Cons: US-focused. Expect to translate from “kindergarten”.

Diffit for Teachers

Diffit shines at differentiation. Give it a topic and it creates a reading passage at a specific level, plus comprehension questions and vocabulary supports.

• Use in class: Differentiated literacy support in mixed-ability classrooms.
• Cost: Free for basic use. Paid from $15/month.

👍 Pros: Excellent for SEN and EAL support.
👎 Cons: Some Americanised phrasing — check before printing.

Honourable Mentions

• Curipod: Generates interactive slide decks, great for SPHE and debate work.
• Edpuzzle AI Beta: Adds auto-generated questions to videos. Early days, but worth watching.

What About the Big Lads?

These are the LLMs (Large Language Models) powering most of the AI magic behind the scenes. You can use them directly — either via their websites or in tools like Claude or Perplexity — but which one is worth your time (or money)?

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

• Free: GPT-3.5 — good for basic tasks.
• Pro (€20/month): GPT-4o — better memory, longer inputs, and can process PDFs, spreadsheets, and images.

Best for: Writing policies, plans, and curriculum content.
Avoid if: You want Irish-specific templates without tweaking.

Gemini (Google)

• Free: Gemini 1.5, linked to your Google Workspace.
• Pro (via Google One): Around €10–€20/month depending on storage plan.

Best for: Teachers deep in Google Docs or Slides.
Avoid if: You need accuracy — Gemini can get carried away making things up.

Claude (Anthropic)

• Free: Currently region-limited.
• Pro (~$20/month): Claude 3 Opus — handles massive files and safer outputs.

Best for: Cautious users. Very readable tone.
Avoid if: You want something easily accessible in Ireland — availability is still patchy.

Perplexity

Less a chatbot, more a research assistant. Perplexity gives cited, sourced answers from the web and uses GPT-4 for deeper dives.

• Free: Excellent.
• Pro: ~$20/month for faster, deeper access.

Best for: Researching topics, summarising documents, fact-checking.
Avoid if: You’re after lesson templates or curriculum planning.

Should You Go Pro?

If you’re curious and cautious, the free versions are enough to get a feel for what AI can do. But if you’re regularly using AI to write reports, adapt lessons, or prepare plans, the paid tiers are well worth it for:

• Longer outputs
• Curriculum integration
• File uploads (e.g. PDFs, spreadsheets)
• More consistent accuracy

For around €10–20/month, it’s like hiring a non-unionised version of yourself to do the paperwork. Just keep your eyes on the fine print — and your school’s Acceptable Use Policy.

Final Word

AI tools won’t replace teachers (worst case scenario, people will need their kids minded!) But they can absolutely rescue you on a Sunday evening when the planning panic sets in. These platforms aren’t magic, but they’re good at trimming the fat off a job that’s already far too bloated with admin.

Start small. Pick one tool. Stick to tasks that would normally take you an hour. See what happens.

And remember: if the worksheet it creates has the word “mom” on it, you’re allowed to bin it.