5 EdTech Tools Teachers Need Right Now

Summary of the 5 EdTech tools mentioned (from the video)

1) Brisk Teaching (AI for educators)

What it does

• Creates last-minute classroom activities quickly using AI (especially for quizzes and feedback).
• Includes an integrated Chrome extension (after login) to generate materials from a webpage/article.
• Can generate:
  • Quizzes (via Google Forms or Google Docs; the demo showed Google Forms)
  • Short responses added after multiple-choice questions
• Provides quick feedback on student work in documents (example used Google Docs/essays).

Key features highlighted

• AI is specifically for educators, with options such as standards/grade-level specificity.
• Quiz generation includes configurable grade level and question format.
• Feedback tool can:
  • Use a rubric (including uploading a rubric)
  • Highlight parts of the document and add comments
  • Allow the teacher to review before posting

Pros

• Very fast (“took seconds”) for end-of-year tasks.
• Less manual work for teachers (quizzes + feedback).
• Educator-focused outputs (grade/standards options).

Cons / limitations mentioned

• Some extension options weren’t available because accounts weren’t connected (suggests setup/connectivity requirements).

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2) Claude (used to organize/rebuild Google Drive for next year)

What it does

• Connects to a teacher’s Google Drive to help copy/move old resources into next year’s folder structure.
• Also helps generate new resources for the upcoming school year.

Key features highlighted

• Example workflow: move from folders like 2025–2026 into 2026–2027.
• Can reorganize/copy files and create resources based on the user’s instructions (demo: “middle school teacher” + “first week activities”).
• Creation takes some time, but the teacher can do other tasks while it generates.

Pros

• Saves hours of manual Drive cleanup and reorganization.
• Helps with both:
  • Migration (copy/move)
  • New creation (planning folders + resources)

Cons / limitations mentioned

• It can take a little bit of time to develop new files/resources.

Comparisons

• The speaker contrasts it with the idea of being “a Google person” vs “a Microsoft person,” suggesting Claude can likely be used beyond Google (though the demo was specifically Google Drive).

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3) Book Creator

What it does

• Lets students create digital books that can also be printed.
• Works well even when Chromebooks are put away (teacher’s claim).

Key features highlighted

• Teacher account to create libraries and books.
• Option to start from scratch or use templates in the Discover section.
• Demo template: “May journal activity” with pre-built dates/themes (Mother’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Anti-bullying Day, etc.).
• Students join via code to collaborate in a shared book.
• Teacher can remove pages (e.g., delete “message from principal”) and customize teacher messaging.
• Student creation tools include:
  • Add images, text, drawings
  • Record messages
  • Add shapes/icons/files
  • Embed videos
  • Add GIFs and content from tools like Canva

Pros

• End-of-year friendly and more engaging than “another worksheet.”
• Supports collaboration and creative student output.
• Flexible format (digital + print).

Cons / limitations mentioned

• None explicitly stated (only a recommendation to start with “Getting started with Book Creator”).

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4) Wakelet

What it does

• A teacher-focused “Pinterest-like” bookmarking/collection tool.
• Helps teachers save resources they discover over the summer so they don’t forget them.

Key features highlighted

• Build collections (customizable “Pinterest board”).
• Add different content types into one place, including:
  • Websites
  • Notes/text
  • Images
  • Bookmarks
  • PDFs
  • YouTube videos
  • Drive and other integrations (Microsoft/Adobe Express mentioned)
• Teacher can organize both personally found resources and resources from other teachers.
• Free version limitation: only three collections.
• Templates available on free tier (newsletter, lesson plan, research, choice boards, weekly planners, etc.).

Pros

• Centralizes scattered resources into organized collections.
• Highly customizable (multi-content, not just links).

Cons / limitations mentioned

• Free plan capped at three collections.
• Upgrade unlocks more content/templates (not shown beyond free).

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5) EdTech Training’s Professional Development Courses (“Build Your Canvas” course)

What it does

• A PD platform designed to make teacher learning active and skill-verified, not passive webinar watching.
• Uses skills verification tasks (“learning by doing”) where you must complete tasks to move forward.

Key features highlighted

• Platform includes:
  • Progress bar
  • Performance tasks per lesson category
  • Instant evaluation/feedback (examples: changing a name in a document, finding file ID, uploading a profile image, performing Canvas tasks like publishing and removing color overlay)
  • Support via video guides/examples
  • Earning a badge you can download and share
• Course demo shown: “Build Your Canvas course” (free for a limited time).

Incentives / numerical info

• $100 Amazon gift card giveaway
• Entry rules:
  • Enroll and finish/post about the course → entered
  • Finish the course AND post/Tag on LinkedIn → two entries (“twice”)
  • Free enrollment available “for now/limited time”; also says if you enroll anytime in May, you’re still entered.

Pros

• Task-based verification with instant feedback.
• More interactive than typical PD (explicitly contrasts with passive webinars).
• Useful especially for teachers learning Canvas; also includes upcoming courses for Canvas admins.

Cons / limitations mentioned

• Limited-time free enrollment (after the week/free window ends, you must enroll later in May for the giveaway).

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Overall unique points mentioned (consolidated list)

• Brisk Teaching: educator-specific AI; fast quiz creation from webpages; supports grade-level; generates Google Forms/Docs; can add short responses; feedback generation with rubric upload; teacher reviews before posting; Chrome extension.
• Claude + Google Drive: automates Drive cleanup; moves/copies folders/resources year-to-year; can create new resources for next year; takes some time but teacher can multitask.
• Book Creator: digital + printable books; templates/discover library; collaborative student books via code; teacher can customize content; students can add multimedia (images, drawings, recorded messages, embeds, GIFs, Canva).
• Wakelet: Pinterest-style collection for teachers; supports adding websites, notes, images, PDFs, YouTube, Drive, and more; free plan capped at three collections; provides templates; helps preserve summer-discovered resources.
• EdTech Training PD: skills verification platform; learning by doing; instant evaluation and feedback; progress bar + tasks + badges; video guides/examples; limited-time free “Build Your Canvas” course; $100 Amazon gift card promotion with entry conditions; additional upcoming courses (HTML, Canvas admin training).

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Speaker-specific notes

• Lauren (single main speaker): Provides all tool demos/explanations, includes the “EdTech Empress” rebrand mention, and frames use cases around end-of-year, summer prep, and next-year planning. Also delivers all incentive rules for EdTech Training.

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Concise verdict / recommendation

If you want tools that directly save teacher time for end-of-year cleanup and next-year prep:

• Best “instant classroom materials”: Brisk Teaching (quizzes + feedback quickly).
• Best “organize next year”: Claude with Google Drive (move/copy/create resources).
• Best engaging student end-of-year activity: Book Creator (collaborative books/templates, printable).
• Best teacher resource collecting: Wakelet (Pinterest-style but teacher-focused).
• Best PD alternative to passive webinars: EdTech Training (interactive skill verification + badges; includes a $100 Amazon gift card promotion).