This guide walks you through the first time your students use CurricuLLM. It covers what to say, what to expect, and how to hand over to the platform. You don't need to prepare anything beyond reading this page and choosing a starting prompt.
Before the session
Make sure all students can access app.curricullm.com on their device and have their school email address ready. Choose a starting prompt from the sample prompts document that connects to what your class is currently learning. Write it on the board or have it ready to display. Decide the traffic-light colour for today (green, amber, or red) and write that on the board too.
That's it for preparation.
What to say to your class
Secondary students will have opinions about AI already. Most will have used ChatGPT. The key is to position CurricuLLM as something different without being preachy about it. Here are the points to cover.
What it is
We're going to use a tool called CurricuLLM. It's an AI built specifically for what you're learning in this course. It knows the curriculum and it's going to work with you on the content we're covering.
How it's different
If you've used ChatGPT before, this works differently. It's not going to write your essay or give you the answer. It's going to push you to think. Treat it like a tutor, not a search engine.
Engage with it properly
You'll get more out of it if you actually engage. Don't just type one word — explain your thinking, push back if you disagree, ask follow-up questions. The more you put in, the better it works.
The traffic light — when AI is allowed
We use a traffic light for AI in this subject. Green means CurricuLLM is allowed. Amber means CurricuLLM is still fine, but ask me before using other AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot. Red means no AI — that includes tests and anything I mark as your own work. I'll tell you which colour applies each lesson. Today is [green / amber / red].
- The teacher has said CurricuLLM is part of today's task (class or homework)
- Practicing skills, getting hints, checking understanding, or revising
- Exploring independently in Galaxy View when independent learning is allowed
- Using AI to think through a problem — not to copy a finished answer
- CurricuLLM is fine to use
- Ask before using ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, or similar tools
- If a task does not say which tools are allowed, check before opening anything other than CurricuLLM
- Tests, exams, quizzes, and timed assessments (unless explicitly allowed)
- Copying AI text and submitting it as your own work
- Any task marked as red-light / no-AI
- Asking any AI to complete assessed work for you
What we're doing today
We've been working on [topic]. You're going to use CurricuLLM to go deeper on it. Here's the prompt to start with.
The handover
Get students logged in at app.curricullm.com with their school email. They'll land straight in chat mode.
Display the starting prompt on the board and ask everyone to type it in. Using the same prompt means every student starts in the same place, which makes it easier for you to support them and easier to discuss as a class afterwards.
Once they've entered the prompt, let them go. CurricuLLM will take over the conversation from there. Students should read what it says, respond, and keep the conversation going.
While students are using it
Your role during the session is to circulate, encourage deeper engagement, and keep an eye on the room. You don't need to manage the learning conversations — CurricuLLM does that.
What to expect from Year 7–10 students
Secondary students bring different attitudes and habits to AI tools. Here are the common patterns:
| You'll see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Comparing it to ChatGPT | This is inevitable. Some students will be frustrated it doesn't just give answers. Acknowledge the difference directly: "Yes, it's designed to make you think. That's the point." |
| Trying to outsmart it | Some students will try prompt engineering tricks or try to get around the guardrails. CurricuLLM is built for this and handles it. Let them discover that for themselves — it's actually a useful learning moment about how AI works. |
| Minimal effort responses | Some students will give the bare minimum. CurricuLLM will push them for more, but your encouragement matters too. Framing it as a skill — "learning how to have a productive conversation with AI is something you'll need" — can help with buy-in. |
| Genuine engagement | Many students, especially those who are quieter in class, engage deeply with CurricuLLM because there's no social pressure. Watch for this — it's one of the platform's biggest strengths and worth noting for your feedback. |
Wrapping up the session
Discussion prompts — leave five minutes at the end. With secondary students, you can be more direct:
- "How was that different from using ChatGPT?"
- "Did it actually help you understand the content better, or just annoy you?"
- "When should today's work have been green, amber, or red?"
- "What would you ask it next time?"
Secondary students respond well to honest discussion. If some found it frustrating, that's worth talking about — it often leads to a good conversation about the difference between getting answers and actually learning. Pair that with the traffic light so integrity expectations are as clear as the learning ones.