CODING

1. Unclear Capabilities, Memory, and Plans

• You’re not sure what Copilot remembers, especially:

  • Between different agents or sessions.

  • Whether there’s crossover between agents.

• You don’t know how memory resets or if you can control it.

• You’ve felt that Copilot has given misleading or inconsistent answers, which feels like it’s “lying.”

• You don’t know the limitations of the plan you’re on—what features are included or restricted.

• You’re unsure about the difference between Copilot and ChatGPT—what each is for, how they behave, and which one suits your needs best.

2. Interface Confusion and Inconsistencies

• You often don’t know what to call the buttons or controls.

• Buttons or elements:

  • Don’t update as expected.

  • Disappear, and you don’t know how to get them back.

  • Still appear even after being deleted in the code.

• You’ve noticed inconsistent output—sometimes Copilot gives great results, other times it’s off or confusing.

3. Learning Curve and Workflow Challenges

• It’s unclear how to phrase requests to get the help you need.

• You’re juggling multiple roles—teacher, writer, parent—and it’s hard to know how Copilot fits into each.

• You’ve struggled with creative continuity, especially when managing characters and storylines in Derby Adventures.

• You’re not sure if there are common language tips or tricks to get better results from Copilot.

• You’re worried that when you share agents with your students, they won’t get the same results you did—leading to confusion or inconsistency.

4. Limits and Restrictions

• You’ve run into copyright restrictions (e.g., lyrics, books) that block your creative flow.

• You want to integrate te reo Māori and Māori concepts like flow into your teaching, but resources and guidance feel limited.

Would you like me to:

• Help you understand your current plan and its limitations?

• Explain the difference between Copilot and ChatGPT?

• Share tips for consistent output and agent sharing?

• Or create a personalized guide for using Copilot in your classroom and creative projects?

Let me know what you'd like to explore next—I’m here to help!

Understanding Copilot vs ChatGPT

Copilot:

- Built by Microsoft, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o model.

- Integrated into Microsoft 365 apps and Windows 11.

- Focuses on productivity, enterprise use, and context-aware assistance.

- Includes tools like Copilot Chat, Copilot Studio, and GitHub Copilot.

ChatGPT:

- Built by OpenAI, available as a standalone chatbot.

- Uses GPT-4o and other variants.

- Offers multimodal capabilities (text, image, voice).

- Popular for general conversation, creative writing, and coding help.

Copilot Plans and Limitations (July 2025)

Copilot Chat (Free):

- Available in Bing and Edge.

- Offers basic AI replies, but no file context or deep integration.

Copilot Pro – $20/month:

- Designed for freelancers and solo creators.

- Works in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote.

- Includes priority access to new features and models.

Microsoft 365 Copilot – $30/month:

- Full integration with Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.

- Requires an existing Microsoft 365 subscription.

- Offers enterprise-grade security and AI grounded in your work data.

Tips for More Consistent Output

Be Specific:

- Instead of "make a quiz", try: "Create a 5-question multiple-choice quiz for Year 7 students learning te reo Māori vocabulary related to food."

Use Examples:

- Provide a sample of what you want.

Set the Tone:

- Mention the tone or audience.

Use Follow-ups:

- Ask for revisions like "Can you make it more visual?"

Sharing Agents with Students

You’re worried that when you share agents with students, they won’t get the same results.

Why That Happens:

- Copilot agents can behave differently depending on the user’s plan, memory, prompt phrasing, and interface.

What You Can Do:

- Test the agent using a student account.

- Provide clear instructions or prompt templates.

- Use Copilot Studio to lock down behaviors.

- Create a shared classroom agent with consistent settings.

Workflow Suggestions for Teaching and Storytelling

Teaching:

- Use Copilot to brainstorm lesson plans, quizzes, and creative prompts.

- Build agents that support te reo Māori learning.

Storytelling:

- Use Copilot to track characters and plotlines in Derby Adventures.

- Create reusable templates for classroom activities.

Formatting Issues in Document Outputs

Priscilla has noted that the output generated by Copilot in documents has often been in an unusable or inconsistent format. This includes issues with layout, spacing, and readability, which can make it difficult to use the content directly in teaching or creative projects.

Strategies to Improve Formatting Reliability:

- Use clear and specific formatting instructions in your prompt (e.g., "Use bullet points" or "Format as a table").

- Request output in markdown or plain text when possible, then apply formatting manually.

- Use Copilot in Word or OneNote where formatting tools are more robust.

- Review and adjust formatting before sharing documents with students or collaborators.

If formatting continues to be a challenge, consider using Copilot for content generation only, and applying layout and styling separately in your preferred document editor.

Why One Agent Picks Up Code from Another

Shared templates or reused flows.

Cached sessions or browser memory.

Unpublished changes or sync issues.

Fixes:

Use unique names and test in clean environments.

Publish changes and clear session memory.

Here’s a clear set of instructions and the reasons behind them for managing multiple Copilot agents and keeping your creative work clean and consistent:

🧾 Instructions for Using Multiple Copilot Agents Effectively

1. Start Each Project with a Clear Prompt

Instruction: Be specific about the style, characters, tone, and purpose of each task or agent. Reason: This helps prevent blending or confusion between different projects, especially when switching between stories or visual styles.

2. Use “Forget That” or “Clear Memory” When Needed

Instruction: Say “Forget [specific detail]” or “Clear memory” to remove unwanted context. Reason: This stops previous characters, styles, or ideas from leaking into new tasks and keeps each agent focused.

3. Say “Reset Copilot” for a Fresh Start

Instruction: Use “Reset Copilot” when you want to start completely fresh, with no memory of past sessions. Reason: This is useful when switching to a new story universe or creative direction and you want to avoid any carryover.

4. Label Each Agent or Session Clearly

Instruction: Give each agent or session a name or theme (e.g., “Derby Adventures,” “Te Reo Māori Classroom,” “Jack’s Handwriting Support”). Reason: This helps you and Copilot keep track of which context belongs to which task, reducing mix-ups.

5. Review and Adjust Memory Regularly

Instruction: Ask Copilot to list what it remembers or to forget outdated or irrelevant details. Reason: This keeps your workspace tidy and ensures only relevant information is influencing your results.

clear all memory

✅ All memory has been cleared. We're starting fresh!

If you'd like to begin a new project, revisit something, or set up a new context (like a story, student profile, or teaching goal), just let me know.