A student turns in a beautifully written essay about photosynthesis. When you ask them about it the next day, they stare blankly – they don’t remember a single thing they “wrote.” Sound familiar? That’s because they didn’t write it. AI did. And here’s the problem – when students use AI to do their thinking for them, they’re not just cheating the system, they’re cheating themselves out of learning.
But what if we could flip the script? What if instead of fighting against AI, we taught students to use it as their personal learning coach? That’s exactly what I do on day one of my computer science classes, and it’s transforming how my students learn. Today, I’m sharing the three game-changing prompts that turn AI from a homework machine into a powerful feedback engine – prompts that help students think deeper, write better, and actually remember what they’re learning.
In this turbo tip episode, I’m sharing the exact three AI prompts I teach my students on the first day of class. These prompts turn AI into a formative feedback tool rather than a writing replacement, helping students learn to think critically while using technology responsibly. You’ll discover how to help your students use AI for understanding, revision, and presentation preparation.
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3 AI Prompts That Turn Students Into Better Learners (Not Cheaters!)
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Show Notes
The Big Takeaway
Students who use AI to write their assignments don’t remember what they turned in or the content they’re supposed to be learning. But when we teach them to use AI as a feedback engine instead of a writing tool, they develop stronger critical thinking skills and actually retain what they’re learning.
Key Points Discussed
- 0:05 – Why I expect students to use AI for feedback, not writing
- 1:12 – The “Explain It to Me” prompt that transforms complex concepts into content they understand
- 2:14 – The Essay Feedback prompt that preserves student voice and student agency and delivers feedback related to the assignment objectives
- 3:13 – The “TED TALK” Slide Feedback prompt for presentation excellence and tips for opening and
Classroom Application
Here’s how this works in my classroom: When I see students struggling with a complex concept like the cardiovascular system, I have each student pick their AI tool of choice and create their own analogy using something they understand. One student might use soccer, another might use video games.
Then we share and compare – students often say “Oh, I can remember it that way!” It’s become a powerful cooperative learning jigsaw activity that speeds up understanding while keeping students engaged and where I’m the final say, ensuring that the AI tool is actually explaining and not obfuscating the true meaning of what we’re discussing.
The Three Essential Prompts
Prompt #1: “Explain it to me”
“I do not understand [complex topic], but I do understand [familiar topic]. Explain [complex topic] to me in terms I understand.”
Prompt #2: Essay Feedback Engine
“Give me feedback on this essay using the rubric I have provided. List all spelling mistakes, all grammar issues, and list rubric concerns separately and suggestions for how I can improve my writing without rewriting it for me. Make a bulleted list I can follow.”
Prompt #3: “Ted Talk” Presentation Prompt
“Give me feedback on these slides using the rubric I have provided. List all spelling mistakes, all grammar issues, and list rubric concerns separately and give me suggestions on my opener based on the rubric. Also estimate the amount of time this presentation may take to give and give me suggestions for making things more concise or longer if needed. Also give a suggestion for an opener or closer in line with what is seen in TED Talks.”
Crafting AI Prompts (My Gamma Presentation)
This is the presentation I currently use to teach prompting to my students and fellow educators for those who want to understand the nuances of effective prompting. I do update this constantly and this embed should take you to the current presentation. I made this in Gamma but all of the content is my own.
Resources Mentioned
Your Turn
Which of these prompts will you introduce to your students first? Have you found other ways to help students use AI as a learning tool rather than a shortcut?
For full episode details and more resources, visit the complete show notes at coolcatteacher.com/e907
AI and EdTech Vocabulary for Educators:
Note: During June I’ve started adding vocabulary related to an episode in order to provide content to help educators, parents, and administrators of all ability levels to find the content in the show approachable. These definitions are vetted by me and sources are vetted as well. Let me know if you find this helpful!
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