Creating Resources with Diffit

Here's something I find really helpful to know when you're just starting out with Diffit. You're never going to have to hunt for the right workflow or find the correct tool to create the materials you need. You don't have to be an AI expert. You just have to know what you're working with, or at least what you're starting with, or where you want to end up with your students.

Sometimes you're starting from a topic in your head. Sometimes you've got a PDF or a doc you've been using for years. Sometimes you've got a standard you need to hit. Diffit gives you a way to start from any of those places. Let's take a look.

The simplest place to start is the text field itself. If you're starting with something simple and you're not totally sure where you want to go, this is a great way to get some new ideas. Type a topic, paste a link, copy and paste a standard or an excerpt from your curriculum.

Attach is for when you've already got the source. It's a PDF, an article, a lesson from last year. It's a photo of a worksheet or an assessment, or maybe a link to a web page. Diffit is going to read what you give it and then build the resource around it. This is great for when you already have complete materials but you need them scaffolded or updated, or you need some pre-reading or extension activities.

Adapt is where you set the reading level or the languages you want the materials to end up in. You can select as many as you need, and you'll get the complete resource for every group of students you're working with.

Align is for when the standard is the starting point, or just a really important component of the lesson. You select it and Diffit builds a resource around that skill or concept.

If you teach ELA, you'll see Books as an option. Search the title your class is reading, pick the chapters, and Diffit will generate comprehension resources and graphic organizers, as well as anything you ask for tied directly to those chapters.

Here's the part teachers tell us makes the biggest difference once it clicks. These aren't either-or. You can stack them. Attach the article, set the reading level with Adapt, and tie it to a standard with Align, all in one go. The more you tell Diffit up front, the less you'll have to edit later — if you know where you're headed. But if you don't, include what you do know and let Diffit fill in the rest.

One more thing, and then I want you to try it. This is the part that always blows people's minds. After you submit, Diffit will ask you a few follow-up questions to further refine the prompt: length of the materials, class setting, what kinds of activities you want included. You can answer thoughtfully, type in your own preferences and give it some real detail, or pick one of the suggested answers and keep moving. If you're short on time, you can skip the questions entirely, and I'll show you how to edit what gets generated later.

Now let's pause here for a few minutes so you can try one. Pick the entry point that fits something you actually need this week — a topic from an upcoming unit, a PDF of your favorite lesson, a standard you're hitting next. Don't worry about getting it right. Just get something in the prompt box, choose how you want to differentiate, and respond to the follow-up questions.

When you're ready for the next module, we'll look at how to adjust that initial output for the actual learners in your classroom.