Overview

This practical, introductory course helps K–12 educators move from curiosity to confident, everyday use of ChatGPT. Built specifically for teachers, it introduces the essentials of how ChatGPT works, how to navigate and personalize the tool, and how to apply it to real classroom and administrative tasks. Across short, hands-on modules, you’ll explore core ChatGPT tools, learn how to write and refine effective prompts, and practice using AI for common educator workflows like lesson planning, communication, rubrics, and student support. You’ll see step-by-step demos, ready-to-use examples, and real classroom workflows from experienced educators. The course also emphasizes responsible, professional AI use, including data privacy and human judgment. By the end of this course, you will be able to: • Navigate and personalize ChatGPT for daily classroom and administrative tasks • Write and refine effective prompts using a clear prompting framework • Understand how to adapt and personalize top educator use cases to align with your unique classroom goals • Review outputs critically and use AI responsibly in a school setting

Syllabus

Introduction

Welcome! We're so glad you're here to explore ChatGPT with us. This short module gives you a guided introduction to ChatGPT—how it works, how to move around the interface, and how to personalize it so it supports your teaching style. You’ll practice sending your first chat, engage helpful features like Memory and Custom Instructions, and begin to explore how these tools can save time and streamline everyday classroom tasks. By the end, you’ll be set up with the basics and ready to dive into the rest of the course.

How ChatGPT Works (and How to Use It Effectively as a Teacher)

By the end of this module, you’ll understand how ChatGPT works, how it forms responses, and how to use that knowledge to get clearer, more reliable, and more classroom-ready results.

Intro to Prompting

In this module, you’ll learn the art of 'prompting'—how to talk to AI to get exactly what you need. We'll introduce a simple yet powerful framework (Task, Context, Expectation) that turns requests into clear instructions. You'll learn to write effective prompts from scratch and, just as importantly, how to refine them to get even better results.

Top Teacher Use Cases

From drafting parent emails to designing rubrics and brainstorming lesson hooks, these examples are designed for you to borrow, adapt, and make your own. Here’s a look at the practical ways teachers like you are using ChatGPT every day.

Intro to Essential Tools

It’s time to level up your toolkit! In this module, we’ll introduce you to essential tools that let you create images (ImageGen), collaborate on documents (Canvas), talk with AI hands-free (Voice Mode), and get up-to-date information from the web.

Using AI Responsibly

As you start integrating AI into your work, it’s crucial to do so thoughtfully. This important module provides a simple, practical framework for using AI ethically and safely. We'll cover key principles like protecting student data, keeping a 'human in the loop,' and being transparent, so you can feel confident and prepared to be a responsible AI-powered educator.

Final Recap and Assessment

In this final module, we’ll summarize the key skills you’ve developed throughout the course. This recap will ensure you’re prepared for the ChatGPT Skills Assessment. Successfully completing this assessment will earn you your official Virtual Teacher Certificate. It's time to demonstrate your mastery. Let’s take this final step together to solidify your expertise!