Essentials of AI Tools

AI in Everyday Work/Life

DIG IN!

Module 1

### Learning Objectives - Understand what AI and LLMs actually are (in plain English) - Identify the major AI tools available today - Recognize real-world applications relevant to your life - Set realistic expectations for what AI can and cannot do

Topics Covered

- The basics: What is artificial intelligence? - What is a Large Language Model (LLM)? - Overview of major tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot - Real-world examples: How people are using AI right now - Common misconceptions and limitations - Free vs. paid versions: What you need to know

Hands-On Assignment (10 minutes)

**"Your First AI Conversation"** - Create a free account on ChatGPT or Claude - Have a simple conversation: Ask the AI to introduce itself - Ask it 3 questions about topics you're interested in - Share one surprising or useful response with a partner

The Art of Asking: Basic Prompting

Prompting

Module 2

### Learning Objectives - Learn the fundamentals of writing effective prompts - Understand how AI interprets your requests - Practice getting better responses through clearer questions - Avoid common beginner mistakes

Topics Covered

- How AI "thinks" about your questions - The anatomy of a good prompt: Be clear, be specific - The power of context: Telling AI what you need - Common mistakes beginners make (and how to fix them) - Examples of good vs. bad prompts - When to ask follow-up questions

Hands-On Assignment (10 minutes)

**"Prompt Improvement Challenge"** - You'll receive 3 "bad" prompts - Rewrite each one to be clearer and more specific - Test both versions with an AI tool - Compare the quality of responses - Discuss what made the difference

Images, Documents, and Voice

Beyond Text

Module 3

### Learning Objectives - Learn to work with images in AI tools - Understand how to upload and analyze documents - Explore voice input options - Discover AI's multimodal capabilities

Topics Covered

• Uploading and analyzing images (available in many AI tools)
• Working with PDFs and documents
• File size limits for uploads.
• Using voice input for hands-free interaction
• Image generation basics, using popular tools
• Extracting information from screenshots
• Accessibility features and voice assistants
• Mobile app usage

Hands-On Assignment (10 minutes)

### "Multimodal Practice" ### Choose one of the following: (You can use your own files, or one from the content library on your thumb drive) - Upload a photo and ask AI to describe/analyze it - Upload a document and ask AI to summarize it - Use voice input to have a conversation with AI - Take a screenshot of something and ask AI to explain it - Share what you learned about this capability

Practical Everyday Uses

Apply It!

Module 4

### Learning Objectives - Discover how AI can help with common daily tasks - Learn to use AI for writing, summarizing, and organizing - Practice using AI as a research assistant - Understand appropriate vs. inappropriate uses

Topics Covered

- Writing assistance: Emails, letters, and messages - Summarizing long articles or documents - Brainstorming and idea generation - Planning and organizing (trips, events, schedules) - Learning and explaining complex topics - When NOT to use AI (privacy, sensitive info, medical advice)

Hands-On Assignment (10 minutes)

**"Solve Your Real Problem"** - Choose one task from your actual life: - Draft an email you need to send - Summarize an article you need to read - Plan something you're actually planning - Get help understanding something confusing - Use AI to complete the task - Refine your prompts until you get a useful result - Share your results and process

Advanced Prompting Techniques

DIG Deeper Into Prompting

Module 5

### Learning Objectives - Master techniques for getting exactly what you need - Learn to have multi-turn conversations with AI - Understand how to specify tone, format, and style - Practice editing and refining AI outputs

Topics Covered

• Specifying format: Lists, tables, bullet points, paragraphs
• Controlling tone: Formal, casual, friendly, professional
• Giving examples to show what you want
• Multi-turn conversations: Building on previous responses
• Asking AI to revise its own work
• The "act as" technique: Personas and roles
• Setting constraints (length, reading level, etc.)

Hands-On Assignment (10 minutes)

### "The Refinement Exercise"

Ask AI to write something for you (your choice)

Give it at least 3 follow-up instructions to improve it: - Change the tone - Make it shorter/longer - Adjust the format - Add or remove specific elements

• Document/Note how the output evolved
• Share your final result

Safety, Ethics, and Best Practices

Stay Safe

Module 6

### Learning Objectives

• Understand AI's limitations and potential errors
• Learn about privacy and data security
• Recognize bias and misinformation risks
• Develop good AI usage habits
• Create your personal AI action plan

Topics Covered

- AI makes mistakes: Always verify important information - Privacy: What NOT to share with AI tools - Bias and fairness: AI reflects its "training data" - Academic and professional integrity - AI watermarking and detection tools - "Deep Fakes" and AI Imposters - Fact-checking AI responses - Environmental and ethical considerations - Staying updated as AI tools evolve - Building AI into your daily workflow

Hands-On Assignment (10 minutes)

### "Your AI Action Plan" ### Create a personal plan including:

• Three specific ways you'll use AI in the next week
• Your personal privacy rules (what you won't share)
• One AI tool you'll explore further
• How you'll verify important AI-generated information
• Consider setting a Family-Wide "Codeword"
• One thing you'll teach someone close to you, that you learned in this course
• Share your "Personal AI Plan" with a friend/co-worker for accountability

Course Wrap-Up / What's Next?

Tying it All Together

• Quick wins: What you can do today
• Resources for continued learning
• Q&A session
• Course evaluation and feedback
• Next steps: Specialist courses overview