EdTech Archives - TeacherMatic

TeacherMatic Community Webinar – Summer 2025

TeacherMatic — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 09:32:26 +0000

In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, leveraging technology to enhance teaching, learning, and leadership is more critical than ever. The latest TeacherMatic community webinar on 13th June 2025 offered a comprehensive update on the platform’s exciting developments, customer success stories, and new initiatives designed to empower educators and non-teaching staff alike. This article delves into the key insights shared during the webinar and explores how TeacherMatic is transforming educational practice across the UK.

Watch the Webinar Here

This was our final community webinar of the academic year, packed with platform updates, new leadership tools, and inspiring real-world examples from across the UK.

More Than Just for Teachers: Tools for the Whole Institution

While TeacherMatic began as a time-saving tool for teachers, it’s now supporting a much wider audience. Nearly half of our 150+ generators are designed for non-teaching roles, including managers, quality leads, and SLT.

To help users quickly find relevant tools, a new role-based filtering system is being rolled out. Whether you’re a department head, HR lead, or curriculum manager, you’ll soon be able to access a tailored toolkit — all within the same subscription.

Platform Updates: Bigger Files, Smarter Tools, Better Navigation

Oli, our platform lead, shared the latest technical enhancements. Here’s what’s new:

Increased Token Limits: Upload larger files like schemes of work and get richer outputs.
Expanded File Support: Now includes subtitle files and PowerPoint presentations.
Custom Filtering Controls: Tailor ethical content settings to your institution’s needs.
Multi-Step Refinement: Soon you’ll be able to refine outputs more than once.
Enhanced Navigation: Find what you need faster with role-based search options.
Scheduled Generations and Reporting: Admins can plan ahead and track usage in more detail.

All designed to make the platform more responsive to the day-to-day realities of education.

Leadership and Quality Tools: Smart Solutions for Strategic Roles

Richard, our lead AI architect, spotlighted powerful new generators built for managers and senior leaders:

Insight Generator: Upload complex spreadsheets to get data summaries, trends, and insights — ideal for identifying gaps in performance or equality.
Self-Assessment Advisor: Generate draft reports aligned with national frameworks.
Improvement Plan Generator: Turn evaluations into clear, prioritised QIPs.
And more: Including tools for IQA, grievance procedures, induction plans, and apprenticeship monitoring.

These tools simplify documentation and planning — freeing up time for what really matters.

If you’d like to take a closer look at how these leadership and quality generators work in practice, we recently hosted a Deep Dive webinar that walks through each one with examples and practical tips.
Watch it here: https://youtu.be/6-ew2zPRY6U?si=XkWw5GWxZ5GxlHM3

WorldSkills UK: A Case Study in Collaborative Innovation

One standout moment came from Colin Galley and Mbongeni (Nzamane) Jere of WorldSkills UK, who shared how they co-developed bespoke generators with TeacherMatic.

Faced with the challenge of merging outputs from multiple generators, they worked with our team to build all-in-one tools for:

Assignment creation
Rubric alignment
Objective setting
Benchmarking against national standards

The result? A major time saving for their competition teams and free resources available to thousands of learners via their Learning Lab.

College Success Story: Capital City College Group

Wendy Coley shared how Capital City College embedded TeacherMatic with 267 active users. Highlights included:

Live weekly training: Hands-on support sessions to encourage confidence and experimentation.
Usage tracking: Reassigning or supporting inactive users to maximise licenses.
On-demand videos: Bite-sized help for key generators.
CPD integration: Included in professional development days.

Teachers reported increased reflection and learner independence — particularly through self-assessment rubrics for GCSE maths resitters.

New Training Resources: Helping Everyone Get Started

Esam introduced two key resources to support staff adoption:

Getting Started with TeacherMatic Course: A free online course featuring 12 bite-sized modules, real classroom examples, and a certificate on completion.
Rollout Guide Strategy: A practical roadmap for institutions, based on the ADKAR change model. Includes templates, timelines, and communication plans to embed usage sustainably.

These are designed to help educators, leaders, and support staff build confidence and integrate TeacherMatic into everyday practice.

Regional Meetups: Collaborating Across the Sector

Reza introduced our new campaign of regional TeacherMatic meetups — co-hosted directly at customer sites — to foster collaboration, share insights, and explore how AI can support innovation across institutions.

These informal, impactful events bring together teachers, leaders, business support teams, and local partners for practical, conversation-led sessions. Formats vary from leadership briefings to teacher demos or careers-focused discussions.

Recent Highlights:

NWSLC (North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College): Hosted a careers event with local partner schools. What began as a small session turned into a lively exchange on AI’s role in supporting careers advisers and student services.
Coventry College: Used their Innovation Centre to convene local schools, employers, and business leaders. The discussion moved beyond education into skills planning and workforce readiness.

These meetups strengthen regional partnerships, position host institutions as innovators, and help shape the future of AI in education.

Interested in co-hosting a regional event?
We’re actively seeking new partners across the UK — and we’ll even support with a small catering budget!
Get in touch with Reza at reza@teachermatic.com to explore a format that suits your goals.

Celebrating a Founding Leader: Thank You, Dr. Geoff Elliott

The webinar closed with a heartfelt farewell to Dr. Geoff Elliott, one of the co-founders of TeacherMatic. Geoff played a pivotal role in launching the platform through successful bid writing and project leadership. As he steps into retirement, we thank him for his vision, passion, and impact on thousands of educators.

Final Thoughts: Smarter Workflows, Stronger Practice

From new tools and smarter navigation to inspiring user stories and bespoke solutions, this webinar captured how TeacherMatic is transforming practice across the education sector.

Whether you’re leading an institution, teaching in a classroom, or supporting staff behind the scenes — there’s something here for you.

Want to host a meetup or co-create a tool?
We’re always looking to collaborate with innovative institutions. Whether you’re interested in co-hosting a regional TeacherMatic event or working with us to develop a bespoke generator tailored to your needs, we’d love to hear from you.
Get in touch at info@teachermatic.com to start the conversation.

Stay Connected

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, feel free to reach out to us at info@teachermatic.com.

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Is there a free trial of TeacherMatic available?

Yes, you can register with the TeacherMatic site and then sign up for the free version. The free version only allows you to use the generators five times in a single day but it will give you a good idea of how TeacherMatic can really help you in preparing to teach.

How can I get support for using TeacherMatic?

There is no support for anyone registered for the free option of TeacherMatic but anyone who has signed up for any of our paid options can email support@teachermatic.com

What do I do with the output from the TeacherMatic Generators?

You can consider the outputs from the generators to be the ‘first drafts’ of what your are preparing – learning activities, classroom discussion, lesson plan or whatever. So you need to take the output and ‘make it your own’, edit it, correct it, add to it. Sometimes the output will give you almost everything you need with almost no changes, sometimes you might need to work a little harder on the output. But whatever you are working on, the teachermatic generators will save you a significant amount of time.

How do I get the best results from the TeacherMatic Generators?

Sometimes you will get what you want first time from the TeacherMatic generators, sometimes you will need to tweak your input phrase to get an outcome you’re happy with. Try to be more specific and provide some context in what you ask rather than something too general. For instance, if you using the Course Description generator, rather than use ‘The use of AI in education”, try ‘The use of AI in education for new teachers”. Maybe your new course is a year long module or maybe it’s an intensive two week programme, whatever it is add this context to your input phrase.

What if the results are not what I want?

If you are unsatisfied with the initial results, you can press the Dismiss button and then the Regenerate button. You can do this as many times as it takes. You can also modify your input phrase. It is important to keep trying until the AI engine gives you a satisfactory response.

The post TeacherMatic Community Webinar – Summer 2025 appeared first on TeacherMatic.

Rubrics Made Simple: Assess Smarter, Not Harder

TeacherMatic — Fri, 09 May 2025 16:08:37 +0000

Rubrics Made Simple: Assess Smarter, Not Harder

Rubrics are one of education’s most quietly powerful tools—versatile, effective, and capable of transforming assessment from a time-consuming task into a streamlined, student-centred process. In this blog, we’ll explore how rubrics can help you assess smarter, not harder—reducing workload while enhancing learning.

Whether you’re a seasoned educator or just getting started, TeacherMatic’s Rubric Generator can help you quickly create professional, customisable rubrics that work for your classroom, your learners, and your goals.

Watch the Webinar

If you missed the session, you can catch up here:

What Is a Rubric?

At its simplest, a rubric is a scoring guide: a table that clearly outlines how a task will be assessed. It breaks down the assignment into key criteria and defines performance levels across a spectrum—from excellent to poor.

Each row represents a skill or learning outcome. Each column describes a performance level. Each cell paints a picture of what that level looks like. When shared with learners in advance, rubrics take the mystery out of “what the teacher wants” and help learners focus their efforts.

Why Rubrics Are a Game-Changer

Rubrics benefit everyone in the classroom. Here’s how:

For Learners:

Clear Expectations – Understand what “excellent” looks like.
Greater Confidence – Know what to aim for.
More Ownership – Take responsibility for their own progress.

For Teachers:

Faster Marking – Assess with clicks, not paragraphs.
Consistent Feedback – Align marking across multiple staff.
Fewer Repeats – Avoid repeating the same instructions.

With TeacherMatic, you can even include a “no evidence” column to quickly flag missing elements. It’s quick, fair, and crystal clear.

Common Challenges (and How to Overcome Them)

Many educators love the idea of rubrics but avoid them because:

They’re time-consuming to build from scratch.
It’s hard to know what criteria or performance levels to use.
They’re seen as extra admin.

TeacherMatic’s Rubric Generator removes all those barriers. You can create a draft in minutes, customise it, and export it to Word—all without starting from a blank page.

How the Rubric Generator Works

Creating a rubric with TeacherMatic is fast and flexible:

Enter your assignment – Upload a file, paste a brief, or write a title.
Choose the level – From Entry Level to Level 3.
Add focus points – Include indicators like “eye contact,” “collaboration,” “subject knowledge.”
Simplify language – Use the “Refine” option to tailor rubrics for ESOL or lower-level learners.
Export and share – Download a polished rubric ready for use.

You can even co-create rubrics with your learners, supporting motivation, independence, and shared understanding of success.

Real-World Applications

Rubrics aren’t just for essays—they’re ideal for a wide range of assessments:

Presentations – Individual or group, assessed with criteria like body language and subject knowledge.
Creative Tasks – Web design, graphic design, creative writing, and more.
Practical Tasks – From science experiments to plumbing or engineering.
Written Work – Essays, reports, reflections.

Start simple—use rubrics for your next presentation task and see how quickly students rise to the challenge.

Best Practice Tips

To get the most from your rubrics:

Use student-friendly language
Share rubrics before the task begins
Encourage peer assessment
Consider co-creating with learners
Review and refine regularly

These small changes have a big impact on engagement, quality, and efficiency.

Integrate with Your VLE or your digital learnng platform

Rubrics created in TeacherMatic work seamlessly with:

Microsoft Teams – Attach rubrics to assignments.
Google Classroom – Add during task creation.
Moodle and others – Embed in grading settings.

This makes digital feedback faster, clearer, and easier to manage.

Final Thoughts

Rubrics aren’t just grading tools—they’re learning guides.

They clarify expectations, promote independence, and make assessment consistent and efficient. With TeacherMatic, rubrics go from “too hard to bother with” to “why didn’t I start using these sooner?”

Start with a simple task—like a student presentation—and experience the time savings, better feedback, and improved learner outcomes firsthand.

Explore More from TeacherMatic

Looking to take your teaching even further? We’ve got you covered:

Access all Deep Dives, Resources & Links
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Join our next live Deep Dive Wednesday
Join our next live community webinar

Stay connected, stay inspired, and teach smarter—not harder.

The post Rubrics Made Simple: Assess Smarter, Not Harder appeared first on TeacherMatic.

Slide Smarter, Not Harder: Creating Presentations with TeacherMatic

TeacherMatic — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 08:36:02 +0000

Welcome to our latest Deep Dive recap! This time, we explored how to “slide smarter, not harder” — diving into how you can create high-quality presentations in minutes using two TeacherMatic tools:

PowerPoint Presentation Generator
Prepare a Presentation Generator

These powerful tools are designed to save you time while helping you create more engaging, well-structured lessons. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, delivering CPD, or preparing student materials, this session was all about making slide creation easier and smarter.

Watch the Webinar

If you missed the session, you can catch up here:

A Quick Look Back: PowerPoint’s Legacy in Education

Did you know PowerPoint was first released back in 1987 for the Apple Macintosh? It was originally called Presenter before Microsoft acquired it for $14 million. Fast forward to today, and PowerPoint is used by over 500 million people, with around 35 million presentations delivered daily. That’s a staggering impact!

In education, it’s a staple — from lesson slides to student projects — and despite some debates about its effectiveness, it continues to be one of the most powerful tools when used well.

The key takeaway? It’s not the tool itself, but how we use it.

Using PowerPoint Effectively in Education

We also took a few moments in the session to talk about the right way to use slides. Here are a few golden rules we discussed:

Avoid death by PowerPoint: Don’t overload slides with text or read bullet points verbatim.
Keep it visual: PowerPoint shines when used to display diagrams, timelines, charts, and images that support your message.
Use dual coding: Combining visuals with verbal explanations improves memory and understanding.
Let your slides support you, not replace you: Slides are prompts — the real value is in your delivery.

Meet Your New Favourite Tools

1. Prepare a Presentation

This tool helps you build a structured presentation using minimal input. You can:

Upload images, scanned handwritten notes, or text
Generate slide outlines with speaker notes
Refine or regenerate slides until they’re just right
Export to Word (with PowerPoint support coming soon)

We showed how a simple image — even handwritten notes — can be used to create a well-organised presentation in minutes.

2. PowerPoint Presentation Generator

This is your go-to when you want to generate a complete, ready-to-edit slide deck. Just:

Enter your topic and key points
Upload supporting files or links if needed
Choose slide number, complexity, image preferences and themes
Preview, refine, and export!

It’s perfect for those moments where you’ve got the content in mind but need help turning it into something slick, structured and presentation-ready.

Pro Tips from the Webinar

Start with structure: Both generators help you begin with a clear outline. Don’t jump straight into design.
Make use of speaker notes: Ideal for guiding delivery without overloading your slides.
Use the Refine tool: Customise content, colours and images without starting from scratch.
Transfer to PowerPoint with ease: Once exported, use PowerPoint’s Designer tool to enhance the visuals.

Wrap-Up: Why This Matters

Creating quality presentations shouldn’t be a time drain. With TeacherMatic, you can now focus on content and pedagogy — and let the platform handle structure, design, and flow.

We hope this session showed you how to slide smarter, not harder — whether you’re prepping for a lesson, an assembly, or a student-led showcase.

Explore our Links Page for tools, tutorials and upcoming webinars.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more Deep Dives.
Join our next Deep Dive webinar and keep learning with the TeacherMatic community.

The post Slide Smarter, Not Harder: Creating Presentations with TeacherMatic appeared first on TeacherMatic.