Captain CopilotCore skills training

Today’s lesson: saving the office, in six short missions

Prompt. Create. Save the day.

Six short missions to master core Copilot skills — before Admiral Analogue drags the office back to the fax era.

Meet the villain
Chalk drawing of Captain Copilot, fist raised, cape flying Chalk drawing of Admiral Analogue scowling and clutching a fax machine
Captain Copilot vs Admiral Analogue

Lines for the Admiral (400 to go):

  • I must not fax the whole internet.
  • I must not fax the whole internet.
  • I must not fax the whole internet.
  • I must not fax the whole internet.
  • I must not fax the whole internet.
  • I must not fax the whole inter—

This term’s timetable

Six periods. No homework. Hand-outs pinned below.

  1. Period 1 · 15 min

    Prompt Like a Pro

    Goal, context, source, expectations — the four-part prompt that gets results first time.

    Mission 1Prompt Cadet
  2. Period 2 · 20 min

    Copilot Chat

    Work data vs the web, follow-up questions, and when to ask “show me your sources”.

    Mission 2Chat Champion
  3. Period 3 · 20 min

    Copilot in Word

    Draft, rewrite, summarise — and rescue a 40-page report from the Admiral’s Fog of Paperwork.

    Mission 3Word Wrangler
  4. Period 4 · 25 min

    Copilot in Excel

    Ask questions of your data, add formula columns, chart it in seconds.

    Mission 4Formula Fighter
  5. Period 5 · 20 min

    Copilot in PowerPoint

    Turn a document into a deck; defuse the Admiral’s 97-slide overhead-projector monstrosity.

    Mission 5Deck Defender
  6. Period 6 · 20 min

    Copilot in Outlook & Teams

    Summarise threads, draft replies, catch up on meetings you heroically missed.

    Mission 6Inbox Invincible

Villain files: end-of-term reports

One of these pupils is a joy to teach.

End of term report · Hero stream

Pen sketch of Captain Copilot

Captain Copilot

Powers
Summarises at the speed of light, drafts with one eyebrow raised, always asks a good follow-up question.
Weakness
Vague prompts.

A pleasure to teach. Could show working (sources) even more often.

A+top of the class

End of term report · Detention stream

Pen sketch of Admiral Analogue with fax machine

Admiral Analogue

Powers
Carbon paper, the 400-page appendix, Reply All. Signature move: the Filing Cabinet Avalanche.
Weakness
A well-structured prompt.

Disruptive. Faxed his homework. Then faxed it again. See me.

Fsee me

Gadget lab: notes from the pencil case

Three tips, one sticky note each.

  • The Four-Part Prompt

    Goal, context, source, expectations — write all four and Copilot rarely needs a second go.

  • Reference a file with /

    Type / in the prompt box to point Copilot at the exact document you mean.

  • Ask for a table

    “Put that in a table with columns for…” turns a wall of text into something you can actually scan.

Gold-star chart

Stars are awarded for missions, not for photocopying.

Leaderboard · this term

Your rank: Prompt Cadet · 2 of 6 missions complete · 340 points — keep going!

  1. 1The Manchester Marvels★★★★★★1,240
  2. 2Team Leeds★★★★★★1,105
  3. 3Desk 4B★★★★★★980
  4. —You (Prompt Cadet)★★★★★★340