Custom Chatbot
I built this app for us using Google’s Gemini. It currently configured to help you with understanding our readings and work on the current assignment. It will not write for you, but rather ask you questions to help develop your thinking.
PRIVACY WARNING: Because I am using the free tier of Gemini for the app, it has fewer privacy protections than I would like. Please know that it is recording anonymized data for “model training purposes” from your chats and do not use your name or personal information.
Usage Limits: Once again, because it is free tier it has usage limits. If too many students are using it at the same time it will get overloaded and need some time to reset. Be patient.
Tips for using the Chatbot
1. You Can Provide the Chatbot with Reading and Writing
Don’t just ask a question. Paste your assignment prompt or the specific passage you’re reading into the chat first. Tell the bot: “Read this first, then wait for my question.” This ensures its “short-term memory” is focused on your specific task.
2. Limited Context Window
The AI has a limited “desk space” for its memory. After about 5-6 messages, it starts dropping the oldest parts of your conversation. If it starts getting confused, start a new chat or ask it to “Summarize everything we’ve decided so far” to refresh its memory.
3. Assistant, Not Author
This bot is a Socratic Tutor, not a ghostwriter. It is programmed to ask you questions that make you think, rather than giving you a thesis or an outline. If you ask it to “write my intro,” it will likely refuse—ask it to “brainstorm themes” instead.
4. Verify Every “Fact
AI is a Probability Machine, not a search engine. It can sound very confident while being completely wrong about a page number or a specific quote. Always keep your book open and double-check any evidence the bot suggests before putting it in your paper.
5. Talk Back to the Bot
If the AI’s question is too hard, or if it misunderstands you, tell it! You can say: “That’s too complex, break it down,” or “You’re focusing on the wrong character.” You are the director of the conversation; don’t be afraid to steer it.
6. Human First, Human Last
Always start with your own reading, use the AI to stress-test your ideas or find counter-arguments, and then do the final writing yourself. The best insights come from the struggle of the conversation, not the final output. Rather than offloading thinking to the AI, use the AI to produce friction that strengthens your thinking.