12.6 Using Prompt Starters in Your Chats

Once you've found a prompt you want to use, CurricuLLM makes it simple to add it to your chat. You can submit it immediately or edit it first to customise it for your specific needs.

How to Use a Prompt

• Find the prompt you want using navigation, search, or filters (as covered in earlier sections).
• Click on the prompt.
• The prompt text is automatically copied to your prompt box (the chat input field).
• At this point, you have two options:
  • Submit it immediately
  • Edit it before submitting

Submitting Directly

If the prompt is exactly what you need:

• After clicking the prompt, it appears in your prompt box.
• Check it looks correct.
• Press Enter or click the Send button.
• CurricuLLM processes the prompt and responds.

When to submit directly:

• The prompt doesn't have placeholders
• The prompt already specifies the exact year level, subject, and task you need
• You want to see a general example and can refine in follow-up messages

Editing Before Submission

Most of the time, you'll want to customise the prompt first:

• After clicking the prompt, it appears in your prompt box.
• Click inside the prompt box to edit the text.
• Make your changes:
  • Replace placeholder text (e.g., change [topic] to "photosynthesis")
  • Add specific details (e.g., add "include a word bank" at the end)
  • Adjust the year level or subject if needed
  • Change numbers or quantities
• When you're happy with the edited version, press Enter or click Send.

When to edit before submitting:

• The prompt has placeholders like [topic], [year level], or [number]
• You want to add specific details relevant to your class
• You need to adjust the scope (e.g., change from 10 questions to 5)
• You want to combine the prompt with additional context or instructions

Working with Placeholder Text

Prompts with placeholders are designed to be edited:

Example prompt: "Create a [number]-question quiz on [topic] for [year level], with answers included."

Steps to use it:

• Click the prompt, it copies to your prompt box.
• You'll see: "Create a [number]-question quiz on [topic] for [year level], with answers included."
• Replace the placeholders:
  • Change [number] to "8"
  • Change [topic] to "the water cycle"
  • Change [year level] to "Year 6"
• Final prompt: "Create a 8-question quiz on the water cycle for Year 6, with answers included."
• Press Enter to submit.

Using Prompts as Starting Points

You don't have to use prompts exactly as written. Think of them as conversation starters:

• Expand the prompt: Add extra requirements or context
• Simplify the prompt: Remove parts you don't need
• Combine with your own ideas: Use the prompt structure but add your specific teaching angle
• Adapt for your class: Adjust difficulty, format, or focus based on your students

Example:

Original prompt: "Create a lesson plan on persuasive writing for Year 8"

Your adapted version: "Create a lesson plan on persuasive writing for Year 8, focusing on environmental issues, suitable for a 50-minute period, with an extension activity for advanced students"

Practical Examples of Prompt Workflows

Scenario 1: Quick worksheet

• Search for "worksheet" and "Year 4 maths"
• Find a prompt: "Generate a [topic] worksheet for Year 4 with 10 questions and answers"
• Click it, replace [topic] with "multiplication facts"
• Submit immediately
• CurricuLLM creates the worksheet
• Continue the conversation: "Now make an easier version for students who need support"

Scenario 2: Detailed lesson plan

• Browse "Lesson Planning" prompts for secondary English
• Find: "Create a lesson plan on [topic] for [year level] including starter, main activity, and plenary"
• Click and edit: "Create a lesson plan on metaphors and similes for Year 9 including starter, main activity, and plenary, with curriculum outcomes linked"
• Submit
• Review the response
• Follow up: "Add a differentiation strategy for lower-ability students"

Scenario 3: Assessment rubric

• Go to "My Prompts" and select a rubric prompt you created earlier
• The prompt has placeholders for topic and year level
• Customise for your current unit
• Submit
• Get the rubric and continue refining: "Can you add a column for feedback comments?"

Tips for Effective Prompt Use

• Read the whole prompt before submitting to understand what it will generate
• Don't rush: Take a moment to edit prompts so they match your exact needs
• Start simple: Use straightforward prompts when you're new, then try more complex ones
• Iterate in the conversation: If the first response isn't quite right, continue the chat to refine
• Save successful variations: If you edit a prompt and it works brilliantly, consider saving your version as a new Prompt Starter

After Using a Prompt

Once you've used a prompt and got a response:

• You can continue the conversation to refine or expand on what CurricuLLM created
• The prompt becomes part of your chat history and you can return to it anytime
• You might want to copy the response into a document for classroom use
• If the prompt worked really well, consider creating your own version to save or share

Teacher Tips

• Keep frequently used prompts in "My Prompts" for quick access
• Try the same prompt with different topics or year levels to see its versatility
• When a prompt works perfectly, use it as a template for similar tasks
• Don't be afraid to heavily edit prompts, they're starting points, not rules
• Combine prompts with specific files or documents you've uploaded for even more tailored results

Everyday Example

Using Prompt Starters is like using a template letter. The template gives you the structure and key points (the prompt), but you fill in the specific names, dates, and details before sending (editing before submission). Sometimes you use the template as-is, but usually you adapt it to fit your exact situation. Either way, it's faster than starting from a blank page.