Course Outline
Phase 1 — Introduction to Claude Code — 55 minutes
- Understanding what Claude is and how Claude Code differs from standard chat
- Overview of the Claude product ecosystem: claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code (CLI), and their relationships
- Interface tour: navigating the Claude app, initiating a coding session, and understanding the workspace
- The Claude Code thought process: the describe → plan → act → review loop
- Understanding permissions: why Claude requests approval before creating files or executing code
- Your first build: instructing Claude to create a simple styled webpage from a one-sentence description
- Iterating on results: providing instructions such as “increase the header size,” “change the color scheme,” or “add a navigation bar”
- Guided exercise: participants open the Claude app, start a Claude Code session, and build a personalized “About Me” webpage by describing their requirements in plain English, practicing refinement through follow-up instructions.
Goal: Everyone becomes comfortable with the interface and overcomes the initial learning curve.
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Break — 10 minutes |
Phase 2 — Building Real Things with Plain English — 70 minutes
This segment forms the core of the morning. Participants complete four increasingly complex tasks using only natural language prompts.
- Task 1 — Interactive dashboard: Instruct Claude Code to create a styled dashboard displaying sample data with charts, statistics, and a clean layout. Practice providing design directions: “apply a dark theme,” “add a sidebar,” or “ensure responsiveness.”
- Task 2 — Data analysis: Provide Claude with a sample CSV file and ask it to summarize the data, identify trends, find the highest and lowest values, and generate a visual chart. This demonstrates how Claude writes and executes code on your behalf.
- Task 3 — Document generator: Instruct Claude to read a data file and produce a formatted report — such as a sales summary, project status update, or meeting recap. This shows how Claude transforms raw data into polished deliverables.
- Task 4 — Automation tool: Ask Claude to build a simple utility — like a unit converter, quiz app, or budget calculator. This introduces the concept that Claude can create interactive tools, not just static pages.
After each task, the instructor highlights Claude’s behind-the-scenes actions: which files were created, what code was written, and how to interpret the output. Participants document their most effective prompts in a shared Prompt Playbook.
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Break — 10 minutes |
Phase 3 — Working Smarter with Claude Code — 50 minutes
- The art of effective prompting: distinguishing between specific and vague instructions
- Live demo: side-by-side comparison of weak versus strong prompts for the same task
- Iterating and refining: instructing Claude to explain its choices, undo changes, or try alternative approaches
- Working with uploaded files: examples like “read this document and summarize it” or “convert this spreadsheet into a chart”
- Multi-step workflows: chaining requests to build complex outputs (e.g., “first analyze this data, then build a dashboard from the results”)
- Understanding cost and usage: how tokens, context windows, and subscription tiers function
- When to use Claude Code versus regular Claude chat
- Guided exercise: participants extend one of their Phase 2 projects with two new features using a multi-step prompt chain, then compare their before-and-after prompts to identify key differences.
Goal: Elevate from “it works” to “I can consistently achieve excellent results.”
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Break — 10 minutes |
Phase 4 — Your Claude Workflows: Live Build Session — 60 minutes
This phase shifts the room's energy. Instead of individual practice, the group builds together. The instructor leads the technical execution, while participants direct the workflow by sharing real work challenges, suggesting prompt ideas, and debating tradeoffs. The objective is to learn prompt judgment by observing an expert navigate uncertainty in real time.
Three workflow archetypes structure the session:
- Transform — convert input X into output Y (e.g., meeting notes to action items; raw data to summary email; customer feedback to themed report)
- Draft — generate a first version of something you would typically write from scratch (proposals, emails, job descriptions, social media posts)
- Analyze — interrogate a document or dataset you don't have time to review thoroughly (a 40-page report, a spreadsheet of survey responses, a contract)
Setup and framing (10 min): The instructor introduces the three archetypes and explains the session format. Participants submit real workflow problems from their jobs via a shared document or chat.
Live build #1 — Transform workflow (20 min): The instructor selects one submitted problem and builds it live while the group provides prompt ideas, feedback, and refinements. The instructor narrates every decision. The session concludes with a working prompt template that the participant who submitted the problem keeps.
Live build #2 — Draft or Analyze workflow (20 min): Same format, different archetype, and a different participant's problem.
Reflection & share-back (10 min): Participants write down one prompting move that surprised them, one thing they would do differently, and one pattern they plan to adopt. A quick group share follows — 3-4 participants share, not everyone. The instructor connects these observations to the broader Prompt Playbook.
Phase 5 — Connecting Claude to Your Tools with MCP — 50 minutes
- What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)? The universal plug system for AI tools
- Why MCP matters: transforming Claude from a chat assistant into a connected workflow hub
- The Connectors Directory: browsing and adding integrations directly from the Claude app
- Desktop Extensions: one-click installs for Claude Desktop (no configuration files needed)
Live demo: The instructor connects Claude to two services through the Connectors UI and demonstrates cross-tool workflows:
- “Check my Google Calendar for tomorrow’s meetings and draft a prep email for each one”
- “Read the latest updates from our project board and write a status summary”
- “Pull data from this connected service and build a local report from it”
Guided exercise: Participants connect Claude to at least one service. Options are provided for different comfort levels:
- Option A: Connect a pre-built connector from the directory (e.g., Gmail, Google Drive, or a demo service) — click, authenticate, and go
- Option B: Add a custom connector by pasting an MCP server URL (the instructor provides a test URL)
- Option C: Install a Desktop Extension from the marketplace (for Claude Desktop users)
Participants then give Claude a task that utilizes the connected service — e.g., “Read my recent emails about project updates and create a summary document.”
Key concepts covered:
- How connectors work: OAuth authentication, permissions, and the access you are granting
- Managing tool access: enabling, disabling, and controlling which connectors Claude can use per conversation
- Security awareness: connecting only to trusted services and reviewing tool permissions
- The MCP ecosystem: where to find new connectors, extensions, and community-built servers
Goal: Participants view Claude as a connective layer between all the services they already use, not just a coding tool.
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Break — 10 minutes |
Phase 6 — Capstone & Next Steps — 65 minutes
Capstone mini-project (45 min): Each participant chooses one scenario and builds it with Claude:
- A polished landing page or portfolio site for their team, project, or personal brand
- A data analysis pipeline: upload a file, have Claude analyze it, and produce a visual report
- An interactive tool that solves a real problem from their workflow (calculator, tracker, converter, quiz)
- A connected workflow: pull data from a connected service, transform it, and produce a deliverable (e.g., “read my calendar for next week and build a visual schedule”)
The instructor circulates, helps refine prompts, and showcases standout examples to the group.
Showcase and wrap-up (20 min):
- 6-8 participants share what they built (2-3 minutes each)
- Where to go from here: Claude Code CLI for terminal users, VS Code extension for developers, Cowork for knowledge workers
- The MCP ecosystem: finding and evaluating new connectors, extensions, and community servers
- Plans: Free vs. Pro vs. Max — what each unlocks and which fits which use case
- Best practices recap: the Prompt Playbook patterns that worked best during the session
- Recommended resources: official documentation, community channels, Anthropic’s prompt engineering guide
- Participants receive a reference card with key prompting patterns, connector setup steps, and a curated list of useful MCP integrations
Requirements
Requirements
Prerequisites
- Basic computer literacy: proficiency in navigating files and folders, using web browsers, and installing applications
- General understanding of AI assistants (e.g., casual experience with ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude is beneficial but not mandatory)
Experience Level
- No coding, programming, or terminal experience is necessary. The course is tailored for individuals who have never written code.
- No prior experience with Claude or any other AI tools is required.
Technical Requirements
- A laptop (Mac, Windows, or Linux) with a modern web browser
- Stable internet connection
- A Claude Pro subscription for the session (a 1-month gift subscription is provided with course registration; setup instructions will be sent prior to the class)
- Claude Desktop is recommended, though the web app at claude.ai is sufficient for all exercises
- A Google account is recommended for the MCP connectors exercise (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar), with alternative connector options available
Target Audience
- Business professionals seeking to leverage AI for productivity and automation
- Marketers, operations managers, and analysts looking to automate repetitive tasks
- Founders and entrepreneurs aiming to build prototypes without hiring developers
- Educators and researchers exploring AI-assisted workflows
- Anyone curious about Claude's capabilities who lacks a technical background
Testimonials (1)
That i gained a knowledge regarding streamlit library from python and for sure i'll try to use it to improve applications in my team which are made in R shiny
