← Back to slides

From Prompts to Possibilities: AI-Assisted Learning That Gets Students Thinking

Four reusable routine cards

St. Thomas University
LCS 2026 · tstafford@stu.edu
St. Thomas University

Core message: AI should expand what students can think through, create, and explain. Collaboration means comparing reasoning, never dividing and pasting.

1. Question before answer

Inquiry
Before
Students observe and write three questions.
During
Share AI questions or ideas. Students sort: testable here or not?
After
Choose one question, plan a test, explain why.

Sample teacher prompt: “Our class wants to know why [fictional local problem]. Suggest questions students could test at school with simple tools.”

Reasoning evidence: Student questions; sorting reasons; test plan.

Independent transfer check: New problem, no AI: write two testable questions and explain how to test one.

Ages: K–2 teacher-mediated and oral · 3–5 printed samples and sentence frames · 6–12 approved tools per school guidance.

2. Compare, challenge, justify

Writing
Before
Student drafts and names a goal for the reader.
During
Three AI suggestions. Mark accept, reject, or adapt.
After
Revise in own words; one reason per decision.

Sample teacher prompt: “Give three specific suggestions to help this paragraph [goal]. Do not rewrite it. (Use fictional or anonymized text only.)”

Reasoning evidence: Decision sheet with reasons; student-authored revision.

Independent transfer check: Next draft with peer feedback only: explain two revision decisions.

Ages: K–2 teacher-mediated and oral · 3–5 printed samples and sentence frames · 6–12 approved tools per school guidance.

Practical guardrails: teacher-mediated AI for young learners · direct use only with institution-approved, age-appropriate tools and school guidance · no student names or private data in prompts · AI can be wrong, so check trusted sources · printed samples work with no AI account.

Afternoon takeaways

Routine cards, continued

St. Thomas University
LCS 2026 · tstafford@stu.edu
St. Thomas University

3. Find and repair a flaw

Problem solving
Before
Students solve it on their own first.
During
Study a worked solution with one flaw. Find it.
After
Repair, check by substitution or source, name the rule.

Sample teacher prompt: “Show a worked solution to [problem] that contains one common mistake. Do not label the mistake.”

Reasoning evidence: Marked flaw; repaired solution; check; rule in own words.

Independent transfer check: Solve 4(x − 1) = 20 alone and check it. (x = 6, since 4 × 5 = 20)

Ages: K–2 teacher-mediated and oral · 3–5 printed samples and sentence frames · 6–12 approved tools per school guidance.

4. Discuss, decide, reflect

Classroom conversation
Before
Read each side's needs; rank priorities alone.
During
React to one AI plan; compare reasoning; agree on a plan.
After
Reflect: what changed, why, what is still uncertain?

Sample teacher prompt: “[Fictional dilemma with limited resources]. Propose a fair plan and explain the tradeoffs.”

Reasoning evidence: Individual ranking; group reasons; reflection.

Independent transfer check: New dilemma, no AI: propose a fair plan and name the tradeoff.

Ages: K–2 teacher-mediated and oral · 3–5 printed samples and sentence frames · 6–12 approved tools per school guidance.

Reflection questions for any routine
  1. What changed in my answer, plan, or thinking?
  2. Why? What evidence or argument moved me?
  3. What is still uncertain, and how could I find out?

Afternoon takeaways

Practice sample, coaching look-fors, and my commitment

St. Thomas University
LCS 2026 · tstafford@stu.edu
St. Thomas University
Practice sample · fictional AI explanation with one flaw

Student question: Why is it warmer in summer than in winter?

“It is warmer in summer because Earth is closer to the sun then. In winter, Earth moves farther away, so we get less heat. The sun's rays are also more direct in summer.”

Alone: the flaw is…
Pairs: how could we check?
Repaired explanation

Coaching look-fors

  • Students think alone before seeing AI output.
  • Students question, sort, or challenge AI suggestions.
  • Students give reasons for accepting or rejecting.
  • Students check claims against trusted sources or data.
  • Pairs compare reasoning instead of dividing work.
  • Reflection names what changed, why, and what is uncertain.
  • A transfer check happens later without AI.
  • Printed or no-account option is available to every student.

Coaches: review reasoning samples together, not tool usage counts. These observations inform practice; alone they do not prove cause.

Next week, I will run routine #…
With this class or team
The reasoning I will collect
My transfer check

Practical guardrails: teacher-mediated AI for young learners · direct use only with institution-approved, age-appropriate tools and school guidance · no student names or private data in prompts · AI can be wrong, so check trusted sources · printed samples work with no AI account.