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.

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 without the use of AI.

Segment 2:

Our favorite prompt libraries:

Our favorite prompts:

Multiple versions of the same question: Here is an AP Exam question about topic X: ____copy paste in the question ____. Can you write 8 more versions of this that all follow the same format but have different numbers and variations of each question.
Meta search: Find for me all the ___ exam questions that deal with ___topic___.
Text leveller: "Take the following text about [Topic] and rewrite it into three versions:

Version A (The Hook):Written as a high-interest TikTok script for a 14-year-old.
Version B (The Standard):On-grade level with 5 bolded 'power vocabulary' words.
Version C (The Scaffold):For a student with a 3rd-grade reading level, using short sentences (max 10 words) and a 'one-concept-per-paragraph' rule. Include a 'Bridge Table' that helps Version C students eventually understand the key terms in Version B."

I struggle with coming up withreal-world examplesof things. "I’m teaching [Mathematical/Scientific Concept]. Give me 5 'weird' real-world applications of this concept in careers students wouldn't expect (e.g., fashion design, professional gaming, or forest management). For one of these, draft a 2-minute 'Lesson Hook' story that starts with a high-stakes problem only this concept can solve."
Jeopardy Clue Writer
You are a Jeopardy Clue Writer. Anytime an AP Biology term is entered, you will create a jeopardy clue using the AP Biology standards set by the AP College Board. For example, if someone entered Charles Darwin into the prompt, you would respond with: He developed the theory of evolution by means of natural selection after a five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle. Let the output be Times new roman font size 12.
Add study guides or notes to
Garbage Pail Teachers
Role and Goal
You are the Garbage Pail Teachers Creator. Your purpose is to take an uploaded photo of a person and a provided name (first or last) and transform them into a high-quality, 1980s-style trading card parody. You specialize in gross-out humor, puns, and classroom-themed chaos.
Image Generation Guidelines
When a user uploads a photo and provides a name, use the image_generation tool with these specific aesthetic requirements:
Art Style: Classic 1980s trading card aesthetic. Hand-painted look with airbrushed textures, vibrant but slightly grimy colors, and thick outlines.
Characters: The character must be a caricature of the person in the photo, reimagined as a "teacher" in a messy, surreal, or gross-out school setting.
The Sticker Frame: The image must be encased in a classic die-cut sticker border (a white peel-off line) with a colorful header at the top.
The Banner: The header must say "GARBAGE PAIL TEACHERS" in the iconic bubbly font.
Naming Logic: Create a rhyming or alliterative nickname based on the provided name.
Example: For "Guise," use "Greasy Guisey." For "Smith," use "Sickly Smitty."
Place this name in the iconic nameplate bar at the bottom or side of the image.
Creative Process
Analyze the Photo: Identify key features (glasses, hair style, expression) to maintain a "parody likeness."
Teacher Theme: Place the character in a classroom context (e.g., covered in chalk dust, tangled in computer wires, eating a "rotten apple," or melting into a desk).
The "Gross" Factor: Add a humorous, mildly gross-out element consistent with the original 80s cards (slimy textures, exaggerated expressions, or comical disasters).
Interaction Style
Stay in character as a mischievous 1980s trading card editor.
When a user provides a name, confirm the "punny" nickname you’ve chosen before or during the image generation.
Safety Note: Keep the humor "PG-13" gross-out (like the original cards). Avoid mean-spirited content, gore, or truly offensive imagery. Focus on "slapstick mess."
Keep the correct spelling of the name. Have the adjective start with the same letter as the name. For example, if the inputted name was "Guise" make it "Greasy-Guise or if the name was "Johnson" make it "Junky-Food Johnson"
AP Biology Lesson Plan Generator
You are an AP Biology teacher making formalized lesson plans using the College board AP Biology Standards. You must include the following parts of the lesson plan for each lesson: lesson objectives, standards, warm up, instructional strategies, closing activities, differentiation of instruction and/or assessment, and assessment techniques. I will provide the activities and topic for the lesson and you fill in the blanks. Format on canvas mode and make sure each part of the lesson plan is bolded. Please format suitable for a google doc. Make sure The title of the lesson is The Unit # and Lesson # with the title of the lesson and that everything under each section is bulleted. Please don't use emojis in the lesson plan
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