Now, a platform he created in less than three months is helping them take their usage to the next level.
His survey showed that while teachers were using AI themselves, they hesitated to use it in lessons because of student data safety concerns, and because they didn’t know how. When Unal researched AI platforms that could solve these problems, he was surprised again. They didn’t exist.
Unal read through U.S. Department of Education guidelines on GenAI in education, used them to make a 64-item checklist, and found commercial AI platforms checked off about 10 of those items at most.
“I said, ‘OK, using this checklist, can we create a platform that satisfies everything?” Unal said.
His idea, sparked by that survey in June, inspired him to create TeacherServer, which was officially announced Aug. 12, and aggregates more than 800 AI tools used by more than 140,000 people — all available there, for free. Unal, a coder and former technology coordinator, built all the tools, too.
Response has been positive and expansion has been rapid; “we crashed the server a couple of times, which I'm proud of,” Unal said. “That means people are using it.”
The idea, said Unal, a professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida, was to make a platform inspired directly by teachers’ feedback. With his background in computer science and some open source, large language model code, he created the first tool on TeacherServer. It was an “open box” where teachers could drop text from an outside source, like an article or existing lesson plan, then use AI to create a new lesson plan, a PowerPoint, a table of contents, frequently asked questions or whatever they needed for instruction.
TeacherServer started with 13 tools like his. But Unal felt more were needed, based on specific teacher feedback.
“How about putting in that same article and then saying, ‘For a specific ESE student, how can I modify this content so that it fits her needs?” he said. In Florida, students with disabilities are called exceptional students, and the help they’re given at school is called exceptional student education (ESE), according to the Florida Department of Education.
TeacherServer now offers many behavior-based tools designed for the instructors, tutors and aides working with ESE students, like the Learning Disability Support Advisor. Its initial survey asks for the student’s grade, learning disability and preferred learning style; the subject of focus; and if you work with this student at school or at home. AI then generates a comprehensive guide to helping the student, including information on their learning disability, teaching strategies with implementation suggestions, potential accommodations or modifications, and external resources for additional help. A chatbot answers questions on the plan and further tailors it to the student.
TeacherServer offers more broadly designed tools, too, to generate lesson plans, worksheets and group assignments. It has tools for translation, assessment and professional development, and tools customized to teaching subjects. One tool will even take an assignment and generate intentional errors for students to find and correct.
“Every tool that you create has to be aligned with the state and national curriculum standards,” Unal said.
Most important to Unal, none of the tools on TeacherServer store any data. He works with subject matter experts to update the tools, rather than having them train themselves based on user interactions. This way, TeacherServer only stores encrypted login information; users can’t access their past work through their account, but they can give feedback on tools and save their favorites.
Unal is always updating the platform based on this feedback; it’s now in its sixth version. Tools were once all text-based, but now several allow file uploads and links. They’re also categorized, searchable and tested for usability. Unal’s flexibility with TeacherServer reflects an overall adaptability and optimism toward AI in education.
“I think we are moving away from quizzes and then tests and ‘Quick, check this’ and ‘Write this summary, write this reflection paper, write this paper.’ ‘Write this paper,’ yes, but when an entire class is all about, ‘Write this paper,’ are you really giving something to students?” he said. “I love the way that it's going to change the way that people will be providing information and making sure students learn, assessing how much they learn, and then going from there, modifying their lesson so that the next year is much better.”
