Before Instructron had a name or a polished dashboard, we tested it with a group of fourth graders. They were the first students to meet Coach Tronnie and the first ones to tell us exactly what they thought—without holding anything back.
Some of the kids used the tool seriously and gave us thoughtful feedback like “It should help me but not give the answer” and “I like how it tells you what you were wrong on.” One even said, “Coach chat is awesome, but don’t get some of the questions.” Another shared that Tronnie “gives helpful feedback” and “helps you understand if you were wrong.”
We also had kids who wanted more fun features. One asked if Tronnie could “be more strict and not talk as much like a human.” Others got distracted by how much they could interact with it and started typing silly things. That was a big moment for us because it made one thing clear. Students need to learn how to use AI just like any other tool, and it is up to us to show them how to stay focused and get the most out of it.
The sticky notes they left behind were gold. One student wrote, “I love this app. You can talk to your coach. He gives great advice.” Another wrote, “It was awesome. I got frustrated but then it helped me. It was the best.” Their words showed us where the tool was working and where we needed to adjust. Because of them, we fine-tuned Coach Tronnie to be more focused, more structured, and less like a chatbot friend and more like a real coach.
This class helped us build something better. They reminded us that kids are honest, insightful, and capable of telling us exactly what they need if we take the time to ask. Every sticky note you see below helped shape the version of Instructron that exists today, and we could not be more thankful.
