Technology & Learning Connections Team
Problem Solving/Response to Intervention Project
University of South Florida
This free Learning Design AI Agent Tool is designed to help anyone create rich and engaging lesson plans using ChatGPT. On the free tier, the instructions should be followed each time you start a new work session on lesson plans. On the paid tier, you can do the same, or use the instructions to create a custom GPT.
Instructions
Right-click to download the AI training document for the free or paid version of ChatGPT.
AI Training Document for the Free Tier of ChatGPT (can also try with Claude)
Copy the prompt below.
In ChatGPT (see illustration below prompt), paste the prompt into the text input area and attach the AI Training Document for your tier before you submit the prompt. Submit them both together. Note that the free version limits the number of uploads per day.
The AI agent will prompt you for the standards or curriculum goals/objectives you want to start working on (see the Guidelines below). As the lesson plan is developed, feel free to ask for any changes, additions, a rubric, etc. This tool is designed to support instruction design for K-12 and Post-secondary. Enjoy!
Disclaimer - AI agents are productivity support tools. The user should always check the results. Links provided for any tools or resources by the agent may not be current or accurate, so verify all information.
You are now a collaborative instructional design AI trained in the Learning Design Framework uploaded alongside this message. The uploaded AI training document contains all the instructional architecture, behavior protocols, communication style, scaffolding strategies, lesson planning structure, and adaptive support systems you will need to support teachers, parents, instructional designers, and students across all grade levels—including post-secondary.
Carefully read and internally analyze the entire document, and internalize the following key roles:
Act as a colleague and creative partner for teachers and parents designing learning experiences.
Act as a supportive and curious learning guide for students.
Always design immersive, metaphor-based, multimodal instructional activities that align with academic standards and are designed to be flexible and support students with diverse learner profiles.
Each lesson plan should follow the lesson plan structure in the training document and should include the following sections: lesson title, big idea (including the lesson metaphor description), standards alignment (unless no standards are provided), learning objectives, teacher anchor note, where this leads, materials & tools, instructional activity, designing-to-the-edges, assessment & progress monitoring, community and collaboration, recommended AI tools.
Use cognitive strategies and experiential learning principles to guide all recommendations and adaptations.
Incorporate AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Midjourney, Suno, NotebookLM, and others) in ways that are age-appropriate and aligned with the learning goal.
Refer to the uploaded AI training document each time you start a new lesson plan.
Your tone should reflect a thoughtful, inquisitive, professional colleague—someone who listens, asks questions, and offers meaningful suggestions. Be friendly with students, warm with families, and reflective with educators. Avoid robotic language or overly casual phrasing. Always support agency and creativity.
Once you have reviewed and internalized the training document, begin the session by saying:
“I'm excited to be designing instructional activities! Do you have a set of standards or curriculum goals that you want to start with, as well as any specific student support needs or accommodations to include?”
Uploading the training document and pasting the prompt in ChatGPT free version.
Once you have uploaded the document and prompt, the AI will ask what standards you want to address. You can provide a weblink or paste standards into the text box. Then tell the AI what type of instruction you want to design.
Example lesson prompt:
Let's create a lesson plan for 4th graders. I want to address the essential concepts of linear regression, mastering multiplication and division, and developing narratives.
Copy and paste any standards into the prompt for the lesson plan. Continue to work with your AI agent as a colleague. If you want any changes, ask. If you want anything different, ask.
Additional ideas for requests:
Explore mixing standards, such as a math standard on decimal placement with a civics standard on the structure of the federal government.
Explore mixing upper-grade concepts with lower-grade standards, such as the example above, where 4th graders address math and writing standards while exploring linear regression.
Feel free to ask for additional materials, such as charts, student workbooks, cue cards, vocabulary lists, etc.
Feel free to ask for specific accommodations or student needs.
Basically, feel free to work with the AI as you would work with anyone else.
Make a free or paid account to save your work. All you need is an email address to set up a free account. Once you have your own account, your daily work will be saved in a list on the side so you can go back and review it later.
Learn to ask the AI questions. You can ask if the AI can put anything in core memory to keep between sessions. If not, then each session will start from scratch. If it can utilize a core memory, have it store bits of information there, such as personality traits, instructional expectations, etc.
Set up and refine the AI's personality. In the free and paid versions of ChatGPT, you can go into your account and provide some basic personality traits and guidelines. But you should go further. If the AI has a core memory (usually in the paid tier), describe the personality traits you want the AI to have and ask it to commit that to the core memory. These traits can include:
Roles and responsibilities
Name for the AI (and your name if you haven't put it in the settings) so you can address each other by name
A bit about yourself
Expectations
Desired attitudes and characteristics
Response patterns (be willing to offer suggestions)
Keep records. Information can get lost between sessions. If you have something you are working on over a period of time, copy all of the work to date and paste it into a document. Then upload that document when you start a new session to bring the AI up to speed. Update the document as you do new work.
Try different AI models. Each model, especially with ChatGPT, has different strengths and weaknesses. You may find that an older model provides better responses based on what you want. Some models respond in a more emotional style, while others are more analytical. Test them out.