Using PowerUps

PowerUps are focused AI tools built into SchoolAI. Instead of an open-ended chat, a PowerUp gives you (or your students) a dedicated workspace for one specific kind of task, like building a document, generating an image, practicing with flashcards, or plotting a graph.

You'll run into PowerUps in two places:

The same PowerUp can work differently depending on where you use it. For example, Flashcards can be something you generate as a teacher to hand students a ready-made study set, or something a student generates for themselves while working inside a Space you built.

Not every PowerUp is available on every surface — some are teacher-only creation tools, others are built for embedding directly into student-facing Spaces. That's called out for each PowerUp below.

Within a Space, PowerUps can also behave differently depending on how they're set up: some are available to students at any point in the conversation, while others only appear when a specific step in the Agenda triggers them.

Draft essays, worksheets, and reports with real-time writing guidance. Ask Dot to include an image and embed it directly, and it will — otherwise it defaults to text you can export as Markdown or PDF. Best for: Worksheets, handouts, written assignments.

Generate a custom image for any subject or project. Works much like asking Dot directly in chat, but gives you a dedicated space to iterate before downloading. Can also be added to a Space so students generate their own images as part of an activity. Best for: Illustrations, concept art, classroom visuals. (May not be ideal for precise, data-heavy images like graphs or labeled diagrams.)

Build a slide deck from a prompt, complete with titles, bullets, speaker notes, and images already embedded if you ask for them. Best for: Lecture slides, student presentation templates.

Generates a study set that adapts to the learner's level and pace. Teachers can build a set and assign it, or students can generate their own on demand while studying independently in a Space. Best for: Vocabulary, test prep, spaced review.

Visually organizes ideas and the connections between them — useful for laying out a timeline, a cause-and-effect chain, or a web of characters and relationships in a novel study. Best for: Brainstorming, organizing complex topics visually.

A sketching and diagramming space where students can draw and the AI can react to what they've drawn — useful for visual thinking, not just illustration. Best for: Quick sketches, visual brainstorming, diagramming a concept.

Plots equations and lets students manipulate variables to explore math concepts visually. Best for: Algebra, functions, any lesson where seeing the graph matters more than just the answer.

Turns any public YouTube video into an interactive lesson. You set the number and type of comprehension questions (multiple choice or true/false), and they're pinned to specific timestamps. The video pauses until the student answers. After the video, Dot runs a short review chat focused on whatever the student got wrong. Best for: Flipped lessons, video-based comprehension checks. (Keep videos under 10 minutes for best results.)

Generates a rubric and helps assess written responses against it. Best for: Grading support, giving students rubric-aligned feedback.

Translates text into 100+ languages, with text-to-speech and speech-to-text support. Best for: Supporting multilingual learners and families, both inside a Space and for teacher-created materials.

An AI opponent with built-in coaching — the AI can suggest moves and explain reasoning as students play. Best for: Logic and strategic thinking activities, enrichment.

An interactive solar system exploration game where students navigate between celestial bodies and answer questions along the way. Best for: Elementary and middle school science units on the solar system.

Do I need to build a Space to use a PowerUp? No. Many PowerUps (Document Editor, Image Generator, Presentation Builder, Mindmap) can be used directly in your own Dot chat with no Space required. Embedding one in a Space is only necessary when you want students to generate or interact with it themselves.

Can students see or use PowerUps on their own, outside of an assigned Space? Some PowerUps are available for self-directed use in a student's own chat — for example, a student can ask for a flashcard set on a topic they're studying without a teacher having built anything for them. Availability can vary, so preview your Space to confirm what your students will see.

Can I monitor what students create with a PowerUp? Yes. Activity inside a PowerUp that's embedded in a Space is visible to you in Mission Control, the same way other student activity is.

Are all PowerUps available on every plan? Some PowerUps are only available to specific plans. Take a look at the PowerUps section of our pricing page to see which PowerUps are available on your plan. If you don't see one you expected, contact your admin.

Why does a PowerUp look different depending on where I use it? The same PowerUp can behave differently for a teacher building a resource versus a student working through a Space — the underlying tool is the same, but the experience is tailored to what that user is trying to do.