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A Hobart-based ed-tech startup founded by two Tasmanian teachers has launched the pilot for its AI-powered tool aimed at helping educators save time, foster creativity and improve student outcomes.
Founded earlier this year by Paul Matthews and Jacob Skierka, MyTeacherAide helps address the challenges of time-consuming lesson planning by helping teachers craft engaging, effective, and personalised learning experiences at the click of a button.
"Our tool allows educators to create unit plans, lesson plans, assessment design, feedback, and more, all with the power of AI," says Matthews, who alongside Skierka is a finalist in the Startup category for the 2023 Australian Young Entrepreneur Awards taking place this weekend.
He says 350 educators and 125 schools have signed up for the pilot program involving a 10-day free trial. The pilot integrates the latest version of the Australian Curriculum (AC9) with advanced artificial intelligence to offer five dynamic tools: Lesson Planner, Curriculum Expert, Quiz Generator, Rubric Generator and Text Differentiator.
"As teachers it’s important to realise that AI isn’t here to replace us; it’s here to help us," says Matthews.
"I talk to teachers daily who struggle to keep their head above water. It’s wild that 70 per cent of teachers say their workload is unmanageable.
"As teachers, we need all the help we can get, and that’s why we built MyTeacherAide."
Matthews says he was able to develop a network of interested teachers across Australia as a result of the community built over the past two years via his The Christian Education Podcast, which started before he was working on the artificial intelligence project.
"A lot of the people who are invested in that podcast serendipitously have been on the journey with me in other education matters, and they've bought into this idea," he says.
"We’re finding the major excitement is actually coming from the east coast...they're mainly in NSW and Victoria."
The entrepreneur describes the buzz around the launch as palpable with strong feedback already from teachers.
"The learning needs in my class are more diverse than ever. MyTeacherAide will help me make sure every student gets what they need to learn," says Isaac Smith, Grade 5/6 Teacher and Curriculum Lead from Hobart.
"I love my students, and I’m grateful for anything that will help me make learning more accessible to them."
One English and Humanities teacher from Hobart explains the gap between students is significant, especially when it comes to reading and comprehension, but having a platform like MyTeacherAide will "help to alleviate so much of the stress felt by teachers and allow us to spend more time on our core business - being with students".
"Being able to deliver content that is targeted for each student at their level and created in a matter of minutes is a game changer," she says.
Matthews hopes a successful pilot in Australia for MyTeacherAide - an entirely bootstrapped company - will lead to positive outcomes for overseas expansion, with 40 sign-ups already for a similar program in North America in 2024, as well as another 40 in India and the UAE.
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