Yes, it is, but that means I'll have to use a different reference to explain it.
Hmmm.....Mage tools are like a focuses for your magic. Many have special abilities that grow and change as you do. They ussually take the form of mundane or ordinary object such as a book, a glove, a pair of glasses, a belt buckle...or anything like that.
For instance, let's assume a summoning student's mage tool was a book. One of it's abilities could be to store the summoning rituals needed for certain creatures and bring them up whernever needed. Then at later levels it could trap creatures within its pages to be used later, or create summoned creatures from its own pages.
These Tools, also have some small level of consciousness and can "communicate" in a way with you. They don't so much as speak as they convey emotions or thoughts.
Praise the Sun