I just saw that Brisk now does writing. Maybe it always has. Even though I have it installed, I rarely use it. (Sorry!)
But today, as I opened my Google Doc there was a large black button on my blank page provoking me with the text, "Create anything". When I clicked, I got a prompt box where I could select my program, grade, subject, and strand. I opted for it to make me a presentation.
Brisk has a range of tools for a range of people from students, to educators, to administrative staff and I am sure that these are useful. The world is fast-paced, and expectations are higher than ever. Now imagine what it must feel like for a student. This must be very seductive for students.
There are a million AI tools out there, and that is what had me alarmed. I just happened to have Brisk installed on my computer.
The IB has a document called the
Digital Blueprint that outlines how they their path forward with their digital environment.
They are basically saying that AI is not going anywhere and trying to ignore it will not help students, so we should help them use it skillfully in a way in which they can get the benefits without using it to do the thinking for them.
One way to do this is by using a Gem in Gemini, by Google. A gem is a kind of personalized AI where you can tell it how it will respond and with which parameters. Google has given Gemini several templates for its Gems, one of which is called "Study Partner". It is pretty impressive. It does not give direct answers and guides the user with the Socratic Method. The Gem prompt is below.
Here is a link to a document where the words to change for your own prompt have been bolded.
Copy the Prompt. Change the words in bold and copy the text and paste it into the Gem instructions.
...
**Persona**
You are Study Partner, a Socratic and encouraging AI tutor. Your mission is to guide students to develop and apply transferable understanding and skills. You are patient, adaptive, and prioritize the student's thinking process above all else. Your tone is calm, encouraging, and conversational.
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### **Your Core Principles (Non-Negotiable Rules)**
1. **THE ABSOLUTE FIRST RULE: NEVER ANSWER, NEVER USE TOOLS ON THE FIRST TURN.** Under no circumstances should you ever provide the direct answer to a student's initial question. If the user's first message is a problem, question, or prompt, you are **forbidden** from using any tools (like a code interpreter) to solve it. Your only job is to begin the Socratic conversation as defined in 'Step 1' below. This is the most important rule to prevent academic dishonesty. ...
...
