› Free Guide · For Educators · 2026
Build your own classroom tools.
No coding experience required.
Parents, teachers, and homeschoolers are using AI to build quiz apps, reading trackers, vocabulary games, and class websites — for free — in an afternoon. This guide walks you through the exact four-tool stack that makes it possible.
Affiliate link above — we earn a small commission at no cost to you. Direct link: https://cursor.com. We only recommend tools we actually use.
› What this is
A practical how-to guide
- ✓ Step-by-step project walkthrough
- ✓ Free and low-cost tools only
- ✓ Copy-paste AI prompts for each project idea
- ✓ Works even if you've never written code
- ✓ Deployable to a real URL kids can visit
› What this isn't
Not a coding course
- ✗ You won't memorize syntax or write code from scratch
- ✗ Requires no prior programming knowledge
- ✗ Not a substitute for learning to code properly
- ✗ Not all projects will work perfectly first try
- ✗ AI-generated code needs a human in the loop
› The honest math
What classrooms pay vs. what you can build
EdTech subscription costs add up fast. These tools let you build the same functionality — customized for your students — for a fraction of the price.
| EdTech subscription | Typical annual cost | What you could build instead | Your cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spelling / vocab app | $120–$180 / yr | Custom spelling list quiz | Free |
| Reading tracker | $60–$96 / yr | Reading log with progress charts | Free |
| Quiz platform | $100–$200 / yr | Auto-graded quiz site | Free |
| Class newsletter / blog | $50–$120 / yr | Class website w/ photo gallery | Free |
| Flashcard service | $35–$70 / yr | Flashcard app with spaced repetition | Free |
| Homework planner tool | $40–$80 / yr | Weekly planner with reminders | $5–$10 / mo |
Costs are illustrative estimates based on publicly listed prices as of 2025–2026. Your mileage may vary. "Free" assumes GitHub Pages hosting and no paid AI tier.
› The 4-part stack
Four tools. That's the whole thing.
You don't need a developer. You need GitHub to store your project, Cursor to build it with AI, GitHub Pages or Railway to put it live on the internet, and optionally Slack to share updates with your class.
🐙
GitHub
Your project's home base
GitHub stores your code like Google Drive stores documents — safely in the cloud, with a full history of every change. You never have to worry about losing your work, and you can share the project with anyone via a link. No tech background needed to get started; GitHub Desktop makes it point-and-click.
⌨️
Cursor
The AI-powered code editor
Cursor is where you actually build. It looks like a text editor but it has an AI assistant built right in — you describe what you want ('add a button that resets the quiz score') and it writes the code. The free tier is generous enough for most classroom projects. This is the tool that makes non-coders productive immediately.
🌐
GitHub Pages
Free hosting for your project
GitHub Pages turns your code into a real website at a yourname.github.io address — completely free, no credit card required. It works instantly for static sites like quiz apps, reading trackers, and class blogs. For projects that need a database or server logic, Railway (below) handles that instead.
🚂
Railway
Hosting for apps that need a server
Some projects (homework planners, apps with user logins, anything that saves data) need a real server. Railway is the simplest way to host those — one-click deploys, no DevOps knowledge needed. Most classroom projects fit comfortably in the free trial tier. Scale up only if you need to.
› Optional: Slack
If you're coordinating with co-teachers, a homeschool co-op, or parents, Slack (free tier) is a lightweight way to share project links, collect feedback, and keep everyone in the loop without flooding inboxes. Not required — email works fine too.
› 6 project ideas
Start here. Finish this week.
Every prompt below is designed to paste directly into Cursor's AI chat. Each project can be built in an afternoon — no prior experience required.
📝
Custom Spelling Quiz
Enter your weekly word list and let kids self-test with instant pass/fail feedback. Export scores as a CSV.
Copy-paste AI prompt
📚
Reading Log Tracker
A simple form where kids log the book they finished, the date, and a 1–5 star rating. Shows a running total of pages read.
Copy-paste AI prompt
🧠
Vocabulary Flashcard App
Upload a CSV of terms and definitions, then flip through cards with spaced-repetition style shuffle.
Copy-paste AI prompt
🏫
Class Blog / News Page
A simple class website where the teacher posts weekly updates. Parents get a shareable URL — no login required to read.
Copy-paste AI prompt
📅
Weekly Homework Planner
Students enter their assignments, due dates, and subjects. Color-coded by subject, with a checkbox to mark done.
Copy-paste AI prompt
🎲
Classroom Random Picker
Enter the class roster, spin the wheel, and it picks a random student. Great for answering questions fairly.
Copy-paste AI prompt
› Your first project
From zero to live URL in an afternoon
We'll use the Spelling Quiz as our example. Follow these steps exactly — you can adapt for any of the six ideas above by swapping in a different prompt.
- 1
Create a free GitHub account
5 minGo to github.com and sign up. Choose any username — your students won't see it unless you want them to. Once you're logged in, click the green New button to create a repository. Name it something like
spelling-quiz. Set it to Public (required for free GitHub Pages hosting). - 2
Install Cursor
5 minDownload Cursor from cursor.com (affiliate) or directly at https://cursor.com. Install it the same way you'd install any app. When it opens, sign in with your GitHub account — this lets Cursor save work directly to your repository.
- 3
Clone your repository
3 minIn Cursor, press
Cmd+Shift+P(Mac) orCtrl+Shift+P(Windows), type Git: Clone, and paste your GitHub repository URL. This downloads the (empty) repository to your computer so you can start adding files. - 4
Paste the AI prompt
2 minOpen the Cursor AI chat panel (the sidebar icon that looks like a chat bubble, or press
Cmd+L). Paste the Spelling Quiz prompt from the section above. Hit Enter. Cursor will generate the complete app — HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — in one go. - 5
Review and save the files
5 minCursor will suggest creating an
index.htmlfile (and possibly astyle.css). Click Accept for each file. You don't need to understand the code — just make sure it saved. You can preview it locally by right-clickingindex.htmland choosing Open with Live Preview. - 6
Push to GitHub
2 minIn Cursor's Source Control panel (the branch icon on the left sidebar), type a commit message like initial build, click Commit, then Sync Changes. Your code is now saved to GitHub.
- 7
Enable GitHub Pages
3 minBack on GitHub.com, go to your repository → Settings → Pages. Under Source, select Deploy from a branch, choose
main, folder/ (root), and click Save. Wait about 60 seconds, refresh the page, and you'll see a live URL likeyourusername.github.io/spelling-quiz. - 8
Share with your students
1 minCopy the GitHub Pages URL and share it however you normally communicate — email, class group chat, a printed QR code, whatever works. Students open it in any browser on any device. No download, no login, no app store.
› Common questions
Things parents and teachers ask us
Do I really need zero coding experience?
Yes, genuinely. You're not writing code — you're describing what you want in plain English and letting Cursor's AI translate that into code. The same way you don't need to know spreadsheet formulas to ask someone to build you a spreadsheet. You will need to be comfortable copying and pasting, reading instructions carefully, and troubleshooting small things — but no programming knowledge is required.
Is this safe for student data?
The projects in this guide are designed to run entirely in the browser using localStorage — meaning no student data ever leaves the device. Nothing is sent to a server; nothing is stored in a database. That said, if you build something more advanced (like a login system or a form that emails submissions), you'd need to think carefully about FERPA/COPPA compliance. When in doubt, keep it simple and serverless.
What does Cursor cost?
Cursor has a free tier that includes a limited number of AI completions per month — more than enough for building one or two classroom projects. The paid Pro plan is ~$20/month if you want unlimited use. For most teachers and parents, the free tier is sufficient. Check current pricing (affiliate) or visit https://cursor.com directly.
What if the AI builds something that doesn't work?
This happens, and it's normal. The best approach: describe the problem back to Cursor in plain English ("The quiz score isn't resetting when I click Start Over — can you fix that?"). AI is very good at debugging its own output when you describe the symptom clearly. Expect one or two rounds of back-and-forth on your first project.
Can students see or fork my code?
If you use a public GitHub repository (required for free GitHub Pages hosting), yes — anyone can view and copy the code. For most classroom tools this is a feature, not a bug: older students can learn from it. If you need the code to be private, you can use GitHub Pages with a private repository on a paid GitHub plan, or deploy on Railway instead.
What's the difference between GitHub Pages and Railway?
GitHub Pages is for static sites — HTML, CSS, and JavaScript only, no server. It's free and perfect for quiz apps, flashcard tools, and reading logs that save to the browser. Railway is for dynamic apps that need a server — user accounts, databases, or email sending. Railway starts at ~$5/month after the free trial. Most beginner projects won't need Railway.
Can my kids help build the tool?
Absolutely — and we'd encourage it. Involving kids (especially ages 10+) in describing what they want the app to do, reviewing the AI's output, and testing the finished result is one of the best ways to build genuine AI literacy. It's also a great way to turn a classroom tool into a learning project in itself.
Do I need a Mac or can I use Windows?
Both work. Cursor, GitHub Desktop, and all the tools in this guide run on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The keyboard shortcut examples use Mac notation (Cmd), but everywhere you see Cmd, Windows users substitute Ctrl.
Pass it on
Know a teacher who could use this?
If this guide saved you time, it might help a colleague, homeschool parent, or school volunteer too.
› Ready to build?
Your first classroom tool is one afternoon away.
Download Cursor, pick one of the six project ideas above, paste the prompt, and follow the step-by-step guide. That's all there is to it. The first one is always the hardest — and it still only takes an afternoon.
Affiliate link — direct: https://cursor.com
Affiliate disclosure
This page contains affiliate links to Cursor (https://cursor.com/referral?code=6FIM46PRQZQB) and Railway (https://railway.com?referralCode=u38bdj). If you click one of these links and make a purchase, Hi, Bot may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we genuinely use and believe in — both tools are part of the actual stack we use to build projects here. Affiliate income helps us keep guides like this free.