Artie Beaty/ZDNETThanks to Microsoft, teachers can now spend a lot more time teaching. Just a few days after Google unveiled Gemini Education, a special add-on to Google’s Gemini AI that’s designed specifically for educational institutions, Microsoft announced another injection of AI into the classroom.Also: How Microsoft’s new AI Copilot features could transform teamwork and projectsThe company is partnering with Khan Academy to provide free access to an education-focused AI tool, Khanmigo for Teachers, to any K-through-12 educator in the US. It’s available right now, just in time for teachers to plan things like summer reading lists.First deployed last year, the tool previously cost $4 a month. Khanmigo, powered by Azure OpenAI Service, goes beyond serving as an AI that responds to prompts — it offers a suite of built-in features designed specifically for educators.Aside from a basic AI prompt for lesson plan or discussion prompt generation, Khamnigo features several other tools including:A class snapshot reviews students’ performance and trends.An IEP assistant lets teachers create targeted education plans and reading lists for students in need of extra support.A leveler feature adjusts text for various reading levels.A translation tool makes text understandable for multi-language learners.A report card tool generates personalized, constructive report card comments.An exit ticket creates quick end-of-lesson assessments to check students’ understanding.In short, teachers can spend less time prepping lessons and more time with students. A recent study from EducationWeek showed that teachers usually spend more than 50% of their workload on non-teaching tasks. Khanmigo can handle many of those tasks in just a few moments.  Also: Microsoft releases upgrades to Azure AI Speech at Build 2024Khanmigo will not only free up a teacher’s time, but will offer access to creative teaching methods that help engage students in new ways, allow teachers to provide specialized support to students who need it, and help teachers connect with kids and parents in new ways.Khan Academy says that Khanmigo has been trained on nationwide standards and will work in harmony with — not replace — standard teaching.To access Khanmigo, teachers can sign up at www.khanmigo.ai/teachers



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