Top 10 AI Prompts and Use Cases and in the Education Industry in San Jose

San Jose classrooms are at the center of a state-wide moment: districts and high schools in the South Bay are drafting policies that aim to curb cheating while embracing generative tools, and local educators are already experimenting with AI for lesson planning, grading, and parent communication - a shift chronicled in the Mercury News piece on how South Bay schools are shaping AI policy and in Bill Selak's “AI as T.A.” account of teaching in Silicon Valley.

Schools and San José State are building curricula and faculty workshops so students learn to use AI responsibly, and practical upskilling is available for staff through programs like Nucamp's AI Essentials for Work bootcamp (15 weeks) - a practical program teaching prompt-writing and workplace AI use.

The result: thoughtful pilots, teachers saving hours a day on admin, and a clear push to prepare California students for an AI-rich workplace rather than pretend the change isn't coming.

Program	Length	Focus	Registration
AI Essentials for Work	15 Weeks	Practical AI skills, prompt writing, and workplace AI applications	Register for Nucamp AI Essentials for Work (15-week bootcamp)

“I agree with those who call this a Promethean moment.” - Bill Selak

Selection began with practical guardrails: prompts had to align to California and U.S. classroom norms (curriculum relevance, age-appropriate language, and privacy safeguards) and support teachable moments rather than loopholes for cheating - a principle echoed in national toolkits like the AI Guidance for Schools Toolkit (AI Guidance for Schools Toolkit) and campus-centered guidance that stresses data caution and assignment redesign.

Priority criteria included curricular alignment, prompt clarity (useful for prompt-engineering training), accessibility/UDL adaptations, and whether a prompt could be safely used without exposing student PII - all practices recommended across university guidance and K–12 playbooks.

Prompts were field-tested on common classroom tasks (lesson plans, formative checks, rubrics, parent communications) and rated for specificity, scaffolded steps, and potential to teach higher-order thinking rather than replace it, drawing on frameworks like the PROMPT/EDIT decision flow and concrete K–12 examples from Panorama's AI prompts collection (Panorama AI prompts for K–12 education).

The result is a short, teacher-facing set of prompts designed to be safe, standards-aligned, and easy to pilot - think a red/yellow/green light for classroom AI use that teachers can adopt the next week.

Prompt Type	Description	Example
Zero-Shot	Direct instruction without examples	“Summarize this article in 5 bullet points.”
Few-Shot	Provide examples to mimic	“Here are 2 summaries. Write a third in the same style.”
Instructional	Command-style prompts with clear verbs	“Write an executive summary under 100 words.”

“Garbage in, garbage out.”

Turn Algebra 2's broad scope into a learner-by-learner roadmap: an AI prompt can generate a personalized learning plan that maps to the Fishtank full‑year curriculum - sequencing Units (Linear functions, Quadratics, Polynomials, Rational/Radical, Exponential/Logarithms, Trigonometry, Probability, Limits) while emphasizing the fluency and modeling skills the course prioritizes.

A simple teacher-facing prompt might read:

“Create a personalized Algebra 2 plan for an 11th‑grade student who needs fluency with quadratics and polynomial modeling - include 3 short practice activities per week, suggested formative checks, and links to standards (e.g., F.IF.B, A.SSE.A) for each unit.”

In the classroom, that plan turns into targeted mini-lessons, differentiated practice paths, and formative checks teachers can use the next day, helping students “see” a parabola's vertex as a real modeling decision rather than an abstract curve.

Pair this approach with district pilot guidance and an implementation roadmap to run low-risk trials -

“see the Fishtank Algebra 2 curriculum for unit detail and a practical AI rollout guide for schools planning pilots.”

Unit	Focus	Lessons
Unit 1 - Linear Functions and Applications	Modeling, fluency with features	13
Unit 2 - Quadratics	Features, forms, complex solutions	11
Unit 6 - Unit Circle & Trigonometric Functions	Periodicity, transformations	14
Unit 9 - Limits and Continuity	Intro to calculus concepts	9

Turn a single water‑cycle unit into a ready-to-run differentiated scaffold by asking an AI to produce tiered texts, station menus, and a comic‑strip project teachers can adapt for California classrooms: for example, prompt the model to

Create three differentiated close‑reading passages about the water cycle for grades 4–7 aligned to CCSSRI standards, with text‑dependent questions (three levels), a one‑week pacing guide, and a culminating StoryJumper/ToonDoo comic project plus a peer‑edit rubric.

That combines the practical small‑group stations and hands‑on demos from Kesler Science's 5E plan (Watch It, Explore It, Illustrate It, Assess It) with the ready‑made three‑level close read pack and lesson materials on TeachersPayTeachers (three differentiated passages, TDQs, teacher notes, and a week of activities).

In the classroom, students rotate through input/output stations, use a capture sheet during demonstrations, and finish by “becoming” a water droplet in a comic strip - a vivid assessment that makes the abstract forces of sun and gravity feel like a storyline, not a list - while the teacher uses the rubric and formative checks to tailor remediation the next day.

See the TeachersPayTeachers differentiated water cycle close reading pack for immediate use and the Kesler Science 5E water‑cycle lesson plan for station templates teachers can pilot right away: TeachersPayTeachers differentiated water cycle close reading pack and Kesler Science 5E water‑cycle lesson plan.

Scaffold Element	Source	Classroom Use
Three differentiated passages + TDQs	TeachersPayTeachers	Tiered reading groups, quick print/distribute
Nine 5E stations (input/output/challenge)	Kesler Science	Rotations for hands‑on exploration and assessment
Culminating comic/story (StoryJumper/ToonDoo)	MTVT lesson plan	Synthesis project, peer edit, rubric grading

A classroom-ready prompt turns hours of worksheet hunting into a 45‑minute, standards‑aligned formative check teachers can generate in minutes: for example, ask an AI to “Create a 45‑minute formative assessment on photosynthesis for ages 13–15 that includes multiple‑choice, short‑answer, and diagram‑labeling tasks, clear success criteria, a 40/30/30 rubric (content/understanding/communication), accommodations, and quick teacher feedback notes tied to NGSS/California standards.” The generated assessment mirrors practical classroom moves - easy items for quick checks, scaffolded short answers for depth, and a diagram task that pairs with a lab demo where students literally count bubbles from an Elodea setup - a vivid data point teachers can scan and act on before the next class.

Pair this workflow with a tactile check like the Photosynthesis Game on TeachersPayTeachers for hands‑on evidence and the VisionLearning just‑in‑time strategy to review responses an hour before class; together they make formative assessment both diagnostic and deeply teachable in California classrooms.

Element	Example
Duration	45 minutes
Target Grade	Ages 13–15 (middle/high school)
Question Types	Multiple‑choice, short answer, diagram labeling
Rubric	Content 40% / Understanding 30% / Communication 30%

"Smart Assessment Builder Pro cut my assessment preparation time by 75% while improving the quality of my evaluations." - Sarah Chen, High School Science Teacher

A practical “Student‑Feedback Coach” prompt turns descriptive research into classroom-ready moves: ask the model to scan a student draft against your rubric and return three short, constructive comments that follow Turnitin's Issue–Relevance–Action framing (one clear strength, one prioritized revision, one actionable next step), plus a one‑sentence in‑class practice task and a suggested timing for follow‑up (next class or within a week); teachers then paste the three comments into paper or LMS QuickMarks and ask the student to revise one highlighted sentence before the next lesson - an approach that keeps feedback targeted, timely, and actionable as MIT's Teaching + Learning Lab recommends.

This workflow echoes Edutopia's evidence‑backed tips (be specific, sooner is better, and tie feedback to goals) and fits time‑saving classroom routines like TeachWriting's “Rubric + Three” so students aren't overwhelmed by edits.

The payoff is simple and memorable: one concrete sentence to fix, one clear reason why, and one small practice that helps learners close the gap between “where they are” and “where they're going,” making feedback a true engine for improvement rather than a vague note in the margin - see constructive examples from Turnitin and research-based guidance on meaningful feedback from Edutopia and MIT for templates and sample language.

“When people are trying to learn new skills, they must get some information that tells them whether or not they are doing the right thing.”

Turn prompt engineering into a lively, standards‑safe classroom game by borrowing kid‑friendly challenges (ask ChatGPT for a pirate‑voice rap about recycling, or to build a logic puzzle made only of emojis) and pairing them with simple prompt techniques so students learn why wording matters; JetLearn's prompt challenges make for great starters, while the GIANT AI Guide for Educators lays out classroom scripts - try splitting the class into roles (scientist vs.

pet‑shop owner) to show how context changes answers and then compare zero‑shot vs. few‑shot vs. chain‑of‑thought prompts. Structure a 30–45 minute cycle: 10 minutes teaching a tip (be specific, give limits, add examples), 15 minutes small‑group prompt writing, 10 minutes model review and revision, and a 5–10 minute reflection where students vote on the clearest prompt; require grade level and privacy cues (no names or PII) per Panorama's K–12 prompt guidance so work is safe and district‑ready.

The payoff is immediate and memorable - kids giggle at a pirate recycling rap, then name the single phrase that made the AI more helpful, turning abstract digital literacy into a concrete classroom habit teachers can reuse next week.

Turn a water‑focused community challenge into a ready-to-run project‑based learning scaffold by asking an AI to generate a teacher-facing plan that ties local resources, standards, and authentic assessment together: for example, prompt the model to “Design an 6–8 week PBL for grades 4–6 on local water conservation that maps to NGSS/CCSS, includes a field‑trip plan for one of Cal Water's 12 Aqua Adventures, an art‑competition entry (A Splash of Creativity) as a public-facing product, a $100 classroom microgrant budget for materials, a service‑learning outreach task tied to an H2Oath pledge, differentiated student roles, a rubric for scientific inquiry and communication, and a week-by-week timeline for teacher scaffolds and community partner touchpoints.” In practice this creates classroom-ready meals: standards-aligned inquiry tasks from Project WET workshops, a realistic field‑trip checklist and pre/post lab activities from Valley Water's teacher kits, and an authentic public showcase that turns abstract conservation ideas into civic action - one memorable moment teachers report is students presenting posters at a school fair and inviting families to sign a neighborhood H2Oath pledge, turning learning into local change; see Cal Water's Tap Into Learning and Project WET training for ready supports and teacher materials.

Component	Grades	Classroom Use
Cal Water Aqua Adventures field-trip program	4–6	Field trips and place‑based observations
Cal Water A Splash of Creativity art competition	K–12	Art competition as public product
Cal Water Water Smart Grants classroom microgrant	4–6	$100 microgrants for classroom projects
Valley Water Project WET teacher workshops and curriculum	All K‑12	Teacher workshops, curriculum guides, free kits

“We are pleased to see students all over California continue to be inspired to care for water and become ambassadors for water resource sustainability and conservation year after year.” - Martin A. Kropelnicki, Cal Water Chairman and CEO

An inclusive accessibility adaptation prompt turns a standard lesson into a ready-to-use set of formats and classroom moves that California teachers can deploy the next day: for example, ask an AI to “Convert this slide deck and worksheet into (1) large‑print 18pt high‑contrast handouts, (2) plain‑language alt text and audio narration scripts, (3) tactile‑graphic descriptions and a list of items to emboss or thermoform, and (4) a short teacher script that verbalizes every board-write and suggests seating, lighting, and timing adjustments.” That workflow follows practical guidance - prepare materials electronically so they can be reproduced in Braille or audio, share slides in advance, and verbalize on‑board work - and makes inclusion concrete in class rather than ad hoc.

Small environmental changes matter: high‑contrast tape on rug edges, pause points in videos so a student can sit close or request an advance copy, and tidy traffic paths reduce disorientation.

For quick reference, district teams can pair this prompt with professional development and tool checks from the American Foundation for the Blind's digital‑access toolkit and Education Week's classroom inclusion tips to ensure accommodations (extra time, tactile graphics, screen‑reader compatibility) are classroom‑ready and legally sound.

Adaptation	Concrete Example
Electronic formats	Large‑print handouts, alt text, audio scripts (prepare early)
Environment	High‑contrast markings, clear traffic paths, adjustable lighting
Assistive tech	Screen readers, magnification software, tactile graphics/embossing

A practical teacher professional development module blends policy, pedagogy, and hands‑on prompt practice so California educators leave ready to pilot classroom AI the next week: build sessions around ISTE's catalog of AI professional development that pairs ethics and equity with concrete tools, use Common Sense's self‑paced "AI Basics for K–12 Teachers" as a foundational primer for district staff, and anchor activities in frameworks like UT Austin's responsible‑adoption principles (literacy, intention, agency, ethics) and SREB's pillars that position AI as a partner for designing cognitively demanding tasks and streamlining planning.

A teacher‑facing prompt for workshop practice might read: “Create a short, classroom‑safe lesson plan that teaches students how to craft a prompt to check factual accuracy, includes one scaffolded student lab using Microsoft Copilot or MakeCode, and a vendor‑evaluation checklist aligned to student privacy expectations.” The payoff is immediate: teachers gain a repeatable prompt template, a classroom activity they can run with students, and concrete policy language to bring to site leaders so pilots move from theory to classroom routines.

Program	Format / Duration	Focus
ISTE AI professional development for educators: ethics and classroom AI tools	Online, blended, in‑person	AI literacy, ethics, educator tools
Common Sense Education - AI Basics for K–12 Teachers self‑paced course	Self‑paced / webinar	Foundational AI literacy, safety, classroom fit
Microsoft Learn - AI for educators learning path (Copilot, Teams, Minecraft)	4 hr 27 min learning path	Productive tools (Copilot, Teams, Minecraft), prompt skills

“SREB's guidance underscores that AI should be viewed as a partner - not a replacement - for teachers.” - Stephen L. Pruitt

Bring curriculum-aligned grading into everyday practice by prompting an AI to generate a clear analytic rubric that maps each criterion to California standards, itemizes performance levels, and exports a teacher‑friendly table for LMS use - tools like MagicSchool Rubric Generator AI tool for standards-aligned rubrics help teachers produce crisp, table‑formatted rubrics in minutes, while platforms such as CoGrader AI grading platform with LMS integration pair rubric‑based scoring with Google Classroom/Canvas integrations, class analytics, and preloaded state standards (including California Smarter Balanced) so teachers can review suggested scores and finalize grades quickly.

A practical prompt: “Create an analytic rubric for a 9th‑grade argumentative essay aligned to California Common Core RI/ELA standards with four performance levels, descriptors, exemplar language, and quick teacher feedback phrases.” In practice, that workflow turns an evening's worth of grading into an evidence‑rich review session - an X‑ray view of class performance shows whether to reteach thesis construction or citation use, freeing time to conference with students who need the most help rather than wrestle with formatting or consistency.

Tool	Key Feature	Classroom Use
MagicSchool Rubric Generator AI tool for standards-aligned rubrics	AI-created, table-formatted rubrics	Quickly produce standards-aligned rubrics for student-facing distribution
CoGrader AI grading platform with LMS integration	LMS integration, rubric-based scoring, class analytics	First-pass grades and feedback with teacher review; aligns to CA Smarter Balanced
Monsha Rubric Generator, Google Classroom-compatible rubric export	Exportable, Google Classroom-compatible rubrics	Customize rubrics by grade level and standards, then import to LMS

“This isn't about replacing teacher expertise - it's about amplifying it. The AI handles the heavy lifting so educators can focus on nuanced feedback.”

San Jose educators can use a simple, teacher‑facing AI prompt to generate a Local Community Deliberation Facilitation Kit that stitches classroom activities to real civic learning resources - pulling module checks from the City of San José's free, self‑paced Civics Masterclass (2.5–5 hours), borrowing classroom dialogue formats highlighted in AASCU's Practicing Democracy workshops, and adapting facilitation techniques from the National Civic League's Promising Practices webinars; the kit might produce a 45–60 minute agenda, a short facilitator script, student role cards, a rubric for civic reflection, and a “living‑room conversation” script to replace the rushed three‑minutes‑at‑the‑microphone public comment with small, guided deliberations, a change that quickly turns adversarial hearings into teachable conversations.

In California classrooms this means a low‑risk pilot next week: a teacher runs a mini‑deliberation, invites a city staffer or youth council member, and uses the kit's post‑session prompts for civic writing and local policy follow‑up.

Resource	Classroom Use
City of San José Civics Masterclass - official civics course	Modules and policy‑drafting best practices to map lesson sequences
AASCU Practicing Democracy workshops - deliberative dialogue resources	Workshop materials on integrating deliberative dialogues into campus/classroom settings
National Civic League Promising Practices - facilitation webinars	Webinars and facilitation techniques (e.g., replacing mic comments with deliberation)

San José classrooms and district offices should treat the next phase of AI not as a choice but as a coordinated set of actions: adopt transparent, privacy‑first policies and an AI inventory aligned to the City's generative AI guidelines, pair those rules with campus best practices like the San Jose State University AI Best Practices for Cybersecurity, and run short, low‑risk pilots that include upskilling for staff and clear review checkpoints.

Local pilots already show concrete gains - San José's upskilling program reported participants saved roughly 100–250 hours annually - so districts should budget for training, vendor review, and iterative rollout rather than one‑off experiments.

For teachers and admins who need hands‑on prompt skills and workplace workflows, a structured course such as Nucamp's AI Essentials for Work (15‑week bootcamp) can fast‑track practical competence; pair that with county toolkits and Quality Matters guidance to ensure quality, equity, and legal compliance.

The sensible sequence: policy + inventory, short pilots with measurable outcomes, mandatory privacy checks, and scaled upskilling so San José schools lead responsibly and confidently into the classroom of 2026.

Next Step	Resource
Adopt transparent policies & AI inventory	San José Generative AI Guidelines and Implementation Guidance
Follow campus best practices & responsible use	San Jose State University AI Best Practices for Cybersecurity and Responsible AI Use
Upskill staff with practical prompt and workflow training	Nucamp AI Essentials for Work 15-Week Bootcamp - Practical AI Skills for the Workplace

“This budget allocation will allow the city to continue its efforts to lead the GovAI Coalition with the founding agencies and help other cities implement safe and responsible AI solutions.” - Chelsea Palacio