Chalkie AI: Features: Single Lesson vs Lesson series vs Activity Sheets

 THE 3 MAIN TYPES OF MATERIALS THAT CAN BE CREATED: 

THE LESSON:

- Unlike other platforms, the 'lesson' being generated is actually a presentation slidedeck, with a couple of interactive  tasks embedded. IT'S MAINLY FOR THE PRESENTATION STAGE ONLY. 

- My example: 'ed' vs '-ing' adjectives:  https://app.chalkie.ai/lessons/a17cbfb1-93d1-4438-9144-92f1eb30e5d5?ref=HbJMMVtl

LESSON SERIES

- This function will give you a series of lessons under a certain topic. But like 'Lesson', you do not get a series of lesson plans, but a series of presentation slidedecks. 

ACTIVITY SHEETS

- This function will generate a static worksheet consisting of a few tasks from the prompt or uploaded materials. The worksheet is not interactive. It can be shared via a link, or exported as a WORD or PDF file. 

- My example from 'ed' vs 'ing' adjectives: https://app.chalkie.ai/documents/a28a4c47-d99a-4c57-a90c-3d54653fca11?ref=HbJMMVtl

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TAKEAWAYS

1.  For the 3 types of generations, you can start with a prompt, and/or uploaded files. 

2. The main functionality lies in generating lesson slidedecks, which contain interactive  tasks. To me, this is Chalkie's strongest feature. 

3. To respond to the interactive tasks, students join the presentation using a code provided by the teacher. 

4. Pricing

- Unlike Gamma, Chalkie provides a free plan which allows for some free materials creation. 

The plethora of teachers' AI platforms: The paradox of choice

 LingoTask; Chalkie; Brisk Teaching; Sayo; Goodclass; Tencent; MagicSchool; School AI; Eduaide; Diffit; Edcafe AI;  Monsha ......

There're now so many teachers' AI platforms. Familiarising myself with the functionality of one platform is challenging enough (e.g., MagicSchool has 70+ functions), not to mention identifying the strengths of each particular platform. A typical case of 'the paradox of choice.' 

The Prompt Assistant function in MagicSchool is quite useful

 

The Visual Layout format in Gemini 3: What is it like?

 In the latest version of Gemini 3, under the chatbot function, there is an option for the response to be provided as a 'Visual Layout'. It is actually the usual response that the Gemini chatbot would give, but presented in a 'magazine-style' page formatting, as in the following example: 

Furthermore, in its response, it may embed an external Youtube video (which can be viewed immediately): 

Had Gemini generate a mindmap from an URL - the functionality of MagicSchool AI

The top-level dashboard of MagicSchool shows a long list of functions: 

 

The 'Filter by Category' may offer some help; still it's quite packed with functionality. 

Hence, I copied the link of the MagicSchool, went to Gemini, to see if it could generate a mindmap for me. I used the 'Create Image' function. 

MY PROMPT: 

Please create a visual mindmap showing what AI platform MagicSchool, https://app.magicschool.ai/tools, can do.

OUTPUT: 

https://gemini.google.com/share/528f72681cfe 

Here is a visual mindmap showing the key capabilities of the MagicSchool AI platform:

To break down the branches of the mindmap, here is a detailed list of what MagicSchool can do, categorized by function:

1. Planning & Content Creation

• Lesson Planning: Generate full lesson plans, unit plans, and 5E model plans.

• Content Generator: Create academic content, informational texts, and worksheets.

• Rubric Generator: Instantly create rubrics for any assignment.

• Standard Unpacker: Break down complex educational standards into manageable learning objectives.

2. Differentiation & Accessibility

• Text Leveler: Adjust the reading level of any text to fit different grade levels (e.g., adapt a 10th-grade text for a 6th-grade reader).

• IEP Assistant: Generate goal suggestions and accommodations for Individualized Education Programs.

• Text Scaffolder: Add definitions, synonyms, and context to help struggling readers.

• Multilingual Support: Translate texts and communications into dozens of languages for ELL students/families.

3. Assessment & Grading

• Quiz Generators: Create multiple-choice quizzes, tests, and SAT-style practice questions.

• Feedback Tools: Generate constructive feedback on student writing or work.

• Report Card Comments: Draft personalized comments based on student strengths and areas for growth.

• Math Story Problems: Create contextualized math problems based on student interests.

4. Communication

• Email Responder: Professional drafts for responding to parents or colleagues.

• Newsletters: Generate class updates for families.

• Letters of Recommendation: Draft letters for students applying to college or programs.

5. Student Engagement & Interactive Tools

• YouTube Video Questions: Paste a video link to automatically generate comprehension questions.

• Chatbots (Raina): An AI tutor and instructional coach that students (or teachers) can chat with.

• Character Chatbots: Simulate conversations with historical figures or fictional characters.

• Gamification: Create Jeopardy-style review games, "Two Truths and a Lie," and educational songs.

6. Admin & Enterprise

• Data Insights: Track usage and engagement across a school or district.

• Moderation: Safety features to monitor student interactions with the AI.

• Custom Tools: Build custom chatbots and tools specific to school needs.

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OBSERVATIONS

1. It IS able to generate a mindmap from a URL. 

2. The resulting mindmap is not interactive; just a static image. 

3. It does not have many sub-levels. 

4. But I find the Summary Outline quite useful, though it only has 2 levesl. 

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POSTSCRIPT

I then tried the same task with NotebookLM, but despite its built-in MindMap function, it cannot generate a mindmap from the URL.