Avoiding Ai gob·ble·dy·gook

There are tricks to using Ai to your benefit and it depends on what you are trying to accomplish.  Overall, you want to avoid allowing Ai to Assume, Guess or  Fill-In-The-Blanks.  Why?..... because it will get it wrong most of the time.

With image or video work, you are better off starting from scratch or editing  with Canva instead of trying to get the Ai to fix the text.  As you may have heard through the grapevine. Ai has an issue with Text.    You can usually fix this by adding the mention of text early.

Example:  Please create an image for a t-shirt with Visible and Legible Text that says "This Exactly"    I prefer to use a tool called Ideogram for logos and text products but.....you can still get nonsense added like in the example above.  A great trick to use with Ideogram is to simply edit prompts you see that you like in the platform and then write Typography "The words you want" so it will edit the text if there is any there currently.  This allows you to use current logos or images and just tweak them to your liking. 

With ChatGPT and other tools you'll want to  make sure you do the following:

1.  Begin with the action step such as write, summarize, translate  - Example  Summarize this article from Scientific America about How plants talk.

2.  Set the Tone and  Provide Context  - Format should be engaging and friendly

3.  Give Persona information for actor and audience.  Act as a science teacher who is addressing a group of 2nd grade students who live a rural farm area of the US

4.  GIve examples of what you are looking for by providing suggestions such as : the result should be in the format of a Dr Suess book or similar to a short story by Dora the Explorer. 

5.  It is helpful to provide additional details as well such as length or purpose.  Example: Please create 5 paragraphs of 3 sentences or less. Or , please create content that could be used in a childrens book. 

Here is a fair example of a decent prompt I created. (Results are in Blue)

I am a substitute teacher for 2nd and 3rd grade classes and I need to teach science using fun and entertaining experiments with homework assignments that will measure engagment and retention of the lesson. Can you please come up with 3 options for easy science projects we can do during a 45 minute class and the homework for it. The homework should take no more than 15-20 minutes 

Sure, here are three fun and easy science projects that you can do with 2nd and 3rd graders during a 45-minute class, along with corresponding homework assignments:

1. Plant Communication Experiment

Class Experiment:

• Objective: Demonstrate how plants can "talk" to each other using their roots.
• Materials: Two potted plants, plastic wrap, soil, water, food coloring.
• Steps:

1. Place two potted plants close to each other.
2. Wrap plastic wrap around the pots to cover the soil, leaving a small gap between the pots.
3. Water one plant with water mixed with food coloring.
4. Observe over the next few days to see if the other plant's soil changes color, indicating water transfer.

Homework:

• Assignment: Draw and describe what you think happened between the two plants. Did the second plant's soil change color? Write a sentence or two about why you think plants might "talk" to each other.

2. Rainbow in a Jar

Class Experiment:

• Objective: Teach density and how different liquids can layer.
• Materials: Clear jar, honey, dish soap, water, vegetable oil, food coloring, small plastic cups, spoons.
• Steps:

1. In small cups, mix food coloring with water, dish soap, and vegetable oil separately.
2. Pour honey into the jar first.
3. Slowly pour each liquid into the jar, one at a time, in this order: honey, dish soap, colored water, vegetable oil.
4. Observe how the liquids form layers because of different densities.

Homework:

• Assignment: Draw the layers you saw in the jar and color them. Write down the names of the liquids in each layer from bottom to top. Why do you think the layers didn't mix?

3. Balloon Rocket

Class Experiment:

• Objective: Demonstrate the principles of propulsion and Newton's Third Law.
• Materials: Balloons, string, straws, tape, chairs.
• Steps:

1. Thread a long piece of string through a straw.
2. Tape the ends of the string to two chairs placed apart.
3. Blow up a balloon without tying it and tape it to the straw.
4. Let go of the balloon and watch it propel along the string.

Homework:

• Assignment: Draw a picture of the balloon rocket and write a sentence about why the balloon moved along the string. What would happen if you used a bigger balloon?

These experiments are designed to be engaging and educational, providing hands-on learning experiences while reinforcing scientific concepts. The homework assignments are simple and help assess the students' understanding and retention of the lessons.

Happy Prompting :)

You can also always ask ChatGPT to create a better prompt as well.  After the prompt, you can add, "please suggest options to improve the prompt before continuing "

If you would like a copy of the presentation I do on Proper Prompting, just send me an email at Katrina@SMBROI.com with Proper Prompting as the subject line and I will send you a copy.  I created it using Gamma.app which is still one of my favorite free tools.