The Language of AI: E24 - Your Literal Guide to AI Conversations

Fellow Educators,

As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly valuable tool in education, many of you have expressed interest in learning how to effectively communicate with AI systems. Todays newsletter I give you a step-by-step guide to help you develop “meaningful” conversations with AI tools, allowing you to extract the full potential for your professional development and classroom application.

Understanding the Conversational Nature of Modern AI

Today's educational AI tools are designed to engage in extended dialogue rather than simply answer one-off questions. Think of your interaction with AI as a conversation with a knowledgeable colleague rather than entering commands into a search engine. This shift in perspective is the first step toward more productive AI interactions.

These conversations can evolve, with each exchange building upon previous context. The AI remembers what you've discussed earlier in your conversation (within certain limits), allowing you to refine ideas, ask follow-up questions, and explore concepts in greater depth without repeating information.

Starting Your AI Conversation: The First Prompt

Your initial prompt sets the foundation for your entire interaction. Here's how to craft effective first prompts:

Be Clear About Your Role and Context

Tell the AI who you are and what context you're working in:

"I'm a 7th-grade science teacher planning a unit on climate change."

"I'm a kindergarten teacher looking for creative ways to teach phonemic awareness."

"I'm a high school counselor preparing resources for students experiencing test anxiety."

Specify Your Objective

Clearly articulate what you're hoping to accomplish:

"I want to develop a project-based assessment that integrates math and science standards."

"I need strategies to better support my English language learners during group discussions."

"I'm looking for ways to incorporate digital citizenship concepts into my existing lesson plans."

Include Relevant Details

Share pertinent information about your students, resources, or constraints:

"My class has 28 students with varied reading levels ranging from 3rd to 8th grade."

"I have access to a class set of tablets but limited internet bandwidth."

"This needs to be completed within a 45-minute class period with minimal preparation time."

Example of a Well-Crafted Initial Prompt

Less Effective: "Give me some classroom activities."

More Effective: "I'm a 4th-grade teacher with a diverse classroom of 25 students, including several English language learners and two students with IEPs for reading support. I'm looking for engaging activities to teach fractions that incorporate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning approaches. These activities should be doable within 30-minute sessions and require minimal specialized materials."

Moving Beyond the First Exchange: Developing Your Conversation

The true power of AI conversations emerges when you move beyond your initial question. Here's how to build on initial responses:

Request Clarification or Elaboration

If something isn't clear or you want more details on a specific suggestion:

"Could you elaborate on the 'fraction museum' activity you mentioned? What would the setup and execution look like step by step?"

"The reading response strategy you suggested sounds promising. Could you provide more specific prompts I could use with my 9th graders?"

Ask for Adaptations or Alternatives

Request modifications based on your specific needs:

"Those debate topics look great for advanced students. How might I adapt them for students who are still developing their argumentative skills?"

"I like the digital portfolio approach, but many of my students have limited technology access at home. What analog alternatives might work?"

Redirect or Refocus the Conversation

Guide the AI toward aspects of particular interest:

"Let's focus specifically on the formative assessment strategies you mentioned. How could I implement those during a typical class period?"

"I'd like to explore the parent engagement ideas in more depth. What are some concrete ways to implement the communication strategy you outlined?"

Integrate Your Professional Judgment

Share your reactions to suggestions and build upon them:

"The virtual field trip idea wouldn't work with our technology limitations, but I'm intrigued by the complementary journaling activity. Could we expand on that approach?"

"I've tried concept maps before with mixed results. What preparation or scaffolding might help make this strategy more successful with my students?"

Techniques for Deeper Exploration

As you become more comfortable with AI conversations, these techniques can help you extract more nuanced and useful information:

Scenario-Based Requests

Present specific scenarios to get contextualized advice:

"One of my students consistently finishes work early and becomes disruptive. How might I use the enrichment activities you suggested specifically for this situation?"

"When teaching persuasive writing, my students struggle with developing counterarguments. How could I apply the debate framework you mentioned to address this challenge?"

Request Contrasting Approaches

Ask the AI to compare different methodologies:

"You've suggested both a workshop model and a station rotation approach. Could you compare these two methods specifically for teaching research skills, highlighting the strengths and limitations of each?"

"What are the key differences between inquiry-based and direct instruction approaches for this science concept, and how might student outcomes differ?"

Collaborative Refinement

Use the AI as a collaborative thought partner to refine your ideas:

"Here's my current plan for teaching symbolism in literature. [Describe your approach] What aspects might be challenging for students, and how could I strengthen those areas?"

"I'm considering this rubric for our upcoming project. [Share rubric details] How might I refine these criteria to better assess critical thinking along with content knowledge?"

Sample Conversation Flow

Let's look at how a productive AI conversation might unfold for an educator:

Initial Prompt: "I'm a middle school history teacher planning a unit on civil rights movements. I want students to make connections between historical events and current social justice issues while developing research and presentation skills. My classes are diverse with varying reading levels and background knowledge. What approaches might be effective?"

AI Response: [The AI provides several approaches, including a document analysis activity, oral history project, and comparative timeline creation]

Follow-up Question: "I'm particularly interested in the oral history project idea. Could you explain how I might structure this to be accessible for my students with limited background knowledge while still challenging my advanced students?"

AI Response: [The AI outlines differentiation strategies for the oral history project]

Redirection: "These differentiation strategies are helpful. Now I'm thinking about assessment. What might be some authentic ways to evaluate student learning from this oral history project besides a traditional presentation?"

AI Response: [The AI suggests various assessment approaches]

Collaborative Refinement: "I like the idea of a podcast series. Here's my initial thought for how it could work: [educator's idea]. How might I refine this approach to better incorporate historical thinking skills and ensure equitable participation?"

AI Response: [The AI offers refinements to the educator's podcast assessment idea]

Final Implementation Planning: "This is coming together well. What would a realistic timeline look like for implementing this project over a 3-week unit, and what key checkpoints should I include to ensure students stay on track?"

Common Challenges and Solutions

As you develop your AI conversation skills, you may encounter these common challenges:

Challenge: Responses Are Too Generic

Solution: Add specificity to your follow-up questions. Reference your particular grade level, student population, subject area, or teaching conditions. The more specific details you provide, the more tailored the response will be.

"Those general differentiation strategies make sense, but how would they apply specifically to my ESL students who are at a beginning proficiency level and still developing basic vocabulary in my 10th-grade biology class?"

Challenge: Information Overload

Solution: Ask the AI to focus on just one aspect of its previous response, or request that it prioritize the most important or practical suggestions.

"You've given me many options to consider. Could you identify the top three approaches that would be most effective for novice readers based on current research?"

Challenge: Maintaining Conversation Focus

Solution: Periodically summarize where the conversation has gone and explicitly redirect to maintain alignment with your goals.

"We've explored several assessment strategies for project-based learning. Now I'd like to return to the question of how to effectively launch this project to maximize student engagement from the beginning."

Challenge: Getting Stuck in Theoretical Discussions

Solution: Request concrete examples, sample dialogues, or step-by-step instructions to move from theory to practice.

"The concept of 'productive struggle' sounds valuable, but what would this actually look like in my classroom? Could you provide a sample dialogue showing how I might respond to a student who is frustrated with a challenging math problem?"

Moving from Consumption to Creation

As you become more adept at AI conversations, try these advanced approaches:

Collaborative Content Development

Use the AI as a thought partner to develop teaching materials:

"Let's collaborate on creating a rubric for evaluating students' mathematical reasoning. I want to assess both their procedural fluency and conceptual understanding. Here are the key dimensions I'm considering... [your ideas]. How might we refine these criteria and develop clear descriptors for each performance level?"

Critical Analysis of AI Suggestions

Engage the AI in analyzing its own recommendations:

"You've suggested several group work structures. What implementation challenges might arise with each approach, and how might these vary depending on classroom dynamics and student behaviors?"

Instructional Sequence Development

Work with the AI to develop entire learning sequences:

"Let's develop a sequence of lessons on persuasive writing. I'd like to begin with the end in mind. What key skills should students demonstrate in their final persuasive essays, and then how might we backward-design a series of scaffolded lessons to build toward those outcomes?"

Encouraging Critical Consumption

As educators, it's important to maintain a balanced perspective on AI tools:

1. Evaluate suggestions against your professional knowledge and understanding of your specific students and context

2. Be aware of potential limitations or biases in AI-generated content, particularly around cultural perspectives or emerging educational approaches

3. Use AI as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for collaboration with colleagues and established professional resources

4. Model critical thinking about AI-generated content for your students, demonstrating how to thoughtfully evaluate information regardless of its source

Taking Your First Steps

If you're new to extended AI conversations, try these starter activities:

1. Practice brainstorming a lesson or unit idea, moving from initial concept through several rounds of refinement

2. Explore a teaching challenge you're currently facing, approaching it from multiple angles through conversation

3. Revisit a past lesson that didn't go as planned, discussing alternative approaches and adaptations

4. Develop a differentiated resource for an upcoming topic, collaborating with the AI to ensure it addresses diverse student needs

Growing Your AI Conversation Skills

Like any skill, effective AI communication improves with practice. Begin with well-structured initial prompts, actively guide the conversation through thoughtful follow-up questions, and gradually incorporate more collaborative and critical approaches as your confidence grows.

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