AI Prompt Writing for Educators

Edtech Throwdown Episode 210: AI Prompt Writing for Educators Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown.  This is episode 210 called “AI Prompt Writing for Educators.”  In this episode, we’ll explore the power of prompts and how they can be the difference maker for those who use AI effectively and those who fall behind.  This is another episode you don’t want to miss.  Check it out. Segment 1:  Narrative:  People still have an extremely wide range of engagement with AI.  Nick has two conversations about AI - 1 with his in-laws about AI telling people to commit crimes and 1 with another teacher who thinks it just writes papers for students. 1. Anatomy of a good prompt 1. Don't just ask a question; tell the AI who it is and who it is talking to. This sets the tone and the "knowledge ceiling" of the response. • What to include:Give it a job title (e.g., "veteran IB Biology teacher") and define the target audience (e.g., "students with no prior coding experience"). 2. Be incredibly specific about the verb. Avoid "Help me with..." and use "Analyze," "Draft," "Critique," or "Categorize." • What to include:Provide the "raw material." If you want a rubric, paste the assignment. If you want a response to a parent email, paste the email. 3. Tell the AI exactly how you want the information delivered. Don't settle for a wall of text. • What to include:Specify the format (e.g., "a 3-column table," "a bulleted list of 5 items," or "a formal email script"). Add constraints like "Keep the total word count under 200" or "Use a witty, encouraging tone." Be purposeful with your AI use.  Always ask - is there a reason for me to use AI here?  Would it benefit my brain to do this myself?  Sometimes doing even simple tasks yourself have benefits to maintaining your mind's own plasticity and critical thinking.  You’ll notice that many of our favorite prompts are for monotonous, time consuming, repetition-based tasks that would not be possible with