Course Outline
Phase 1 — Introduction to Claude Code — 55 minutes
- Overview of Claude and what distinguishes Claude Code from standard chat interfaces
- The Claude product ecosystem: claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code (CLI), and their interrelations
- Interface tour: navigating the Claude app, initiating a coding session, and understanding the workspace
- How Claude Code operates: The describe → plan → act → review cycle
- Understanding permissions: Why Claude seeks approval before creating files or executing code
- Your first build: Requesting Claude to create a simple styled webpage based on a one-sentence description
- Iterating on results: Instructions like “make the header bigger,” “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. They practice refining results through follow-up instructions.
Goal: Everyone becomes comfortable with the interface and overcomes the initial interaction hurdle.
Break — 10 minutes
Phase 2 — Building Real Things with Plain English — 70 minutes
This phase forms the core of the morning. Participants complete four progressively complex tasks using only natural language prompts.
- Task 1 — Interactive dashboard: Request Claude Code to build a styled dashboard displaying sample data with charts, statistics, and a clean layout. Practice giving design direction: “use a dark theme,” “add a sidebar,” or “make it responsive.”
- Task 2 — Data analysis: Provide Claude with a sample CSV file and ask it to summarize the data, identify trends, find highest and lowest values, and generate a visual chart. This demonstrates how Claude writes and executes code on your behalf.
- Task 3 — Document generator: Ask 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 — 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 behind-the-scenes actions: files created, code written, and how to interpret output. Participants document their most effective prompts in a shared Prompt Playbook.
Break — 10 minutes
Phase 3 — Working Smarter with Claude Code — 50 minutes
- The art of effective prompting: Specific vs. vague instructions
- Live demo: Side-by-side comparison of weak and strong prompts on the same task
- Iterating and refining: Asking Claude to explain its choices, undo changes, or try alternative approaches
- Working with uploaded files: “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
- Differentiating when to use Claude Code vs. regular Claude chat
- Guided exercise: Participants take one of their Phase 2 projects and extend it with two new features using a multi-step prompt chain. They then compare before-and-after prompts to identify what made the difference.
Goal: Elevate from “it works” to “I can achieve great results consistently.”
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 drives the process, but participants direct it by naming real problems from their jobs, 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 — Input X becomes Output Y (meeting notes → action items; raw data → summary email; customer feedback → themed report)
- Draft — Generate a first version of something you’d normally write from scratch (proposals, emails, job descriptions, social media posts)
- Analyze — Interrogate a document or dataset you don’t have time to read carefully (a 40-page report, spreadsheet of survey responses, 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, with the room suggesting prompts, pushbacks, and refinements. The instructor narrates every decision. The session ends with a working prompt template that the participant whose problem was chosen gets to keep.
Live build #2 — Draft or Analyze workflow (20 min): Same format, different archetype, addressing a different participant’s problem.
Reflection & share-back (10 min): Participants take a moment to note one prompting move that surprised them, one thing they’d do differently, and one pattern they are taking home. Quick group sharing — 3-4 voices, not everyone. The instructor connects 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 (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 — for example, “Read my recent emails about project updates and create a summary document.”
Key concepts covered:
- How connectors work: OAuth authentication, permissions, and what 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, rather than just a coding tool.
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
A fundamental understanding of:
- Basic computer literacy: Navigating files and folders, using web browsers, and installing applications
- General awareness of AI assistants’ functions (e.g., casual use of ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude is helpful context but not mandatory)
No prior experience required in:
- Coding, programming, or terminal usage. This course is specifically designed for individuals who have never written code.
- Prior interaction with Claude or any other AI tools.
Technical Requirements
- Laptops (Mac, Windows, or Linux) equipped with a modern web browser
- Stable internet connection
- A Claude Pro subscription for the session (a 1-month complimentary subscription is included with registration; setup instructions are provided prior to the class)
- Claude Desktop is recommended but not mandatory (the web app at claude.ai suffices for all exercises)
- A Google account is suggested for the MCP connectors exercise (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar), though alternative connector options are available
Target Audience
- Business professionals aiming to leverage AI for productivity and automation
- Marketers, operations managers, and analysts seeking to automate repetitive tasks
- Founders and entrepreneurs looking 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)
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