From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

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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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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.

<iframe src="https://gamma.app/embed/3nfngq4atsl1vzv" style="width: 700px; max-width: 100%; height: 450px" allow="fullscreen" title="Crafting Effective AI Prompts"></iframe>

Resources Ment