If you want to try Claude at work, Ruben Hassid’s How to AI newsletter gives you practical guides to follow.
It gives you a practical route into a tool that can take a little exploring at first.
For anyone curious about Claude, the AI assistant developed by Anthropic, there's a resource worth adding to your reading list.
It's called How to AI, a Substack newsletter written by Ruben Hassid.
Who is Ruben Hassid?
Ruben is an AI content creator who began sharing practical advice shortly after ChatGPT launched in November 2022.
He came to AI from writing and content creation. That shapes the practical focus of his guides.
His newsletter uses screenshots and step-by-step instructions to show how readers can get useful results from AI tools.
The material is written primarily for people who want to use AI in their work, without needing to understand the technical details behind it.
Why Claude?
Claude has developed well beyond a conventional AI chatbot.
Alongside conversations and document analysis, its capabilities include Projects for organising related work, Artifacts for creating interactive content, and tools for working with files and completing more substantial tasks.
For someone encountering Claude for the first time, understanding how these features fit together can take a little exploration.
Ruben has published several guides covering exactly that.
His articles explain how to set up Claude, work with different features and build repeatable workflows. He also compares Claude with other AI products, including ChatGPT.
You can use his advice alongside the tools you already know.
Where should you start?
I'd suggest beginning with three resources.
1. Claude for Dummies
A beginner-friendly introduction for people who haven't used Claude before. It covers getting started, writing useful prompts and deciding whether a paid subscription is worthwhile.
2. Claude: How to set it up the right way
A more substantial walkthrough of Claude's capabilities, including Cowork, Projects, Artifacts and working with files.
This is particularly useful once you've tried the basics and want to explore what else Claude can do.
3. The How to AI newsletter
Ruben publishes guidance on a wider range of AI tools and workflows. Recent articles have explored Claude Code, working with spreadsheets, building dashboards and improving everyday productivity.
What about education?
Although How to AI isn't specifically written for schools, colleges or trusts, plenty of the ideas have potential applications in education.
A school business manager might explore ways to work with spreadsheets or produce a first draft of a report.
A teacher or curriculum leader might experiment with Claude's Artifacts to create an interactive learning resource.
A senior leader could explore how AI helps structure a proposal, review a document or prepare questions for a meeting.
You still need to judge the results against your professional knowledge and the setting where you'll use them.
A note of caution: Some of Ruben's examples involve giving Claude access to local files or connecting it to other services. In an education setting, check your organisation's AI policy, data protection requirements and approved tools before following those steps. Avoid uploading identifiable pupil or staff information into an unapproved AI service.
And remember that the features described in AI tutorials can change quickly. Some require paid subscriptions, while others may depend on your organisation's configuration.
Apprenticeship learning opportunity
If you're completing the Level 3 Digital Support Technician apprenticeship (ST0120 v2.0), Ruben's tutorials could also provide an opportunity to develop your digital skills and record relevant off-the-job training.
Try this 60-minute learning activity:
- 15 minutes: Read a Claude tutorial and identify two features you haven't used before.
- 20 minutes: Explore one feature using an approved AI tool and apply it to a relevant workplace task.
- 15 minutes: Evaluate the results. Consider accuracy, usefulness, accessibility and information security.
- 10 minutes: Reflect on what you've learnt, what you would improve and how the feature might help colleagues.
Potential KSB links:
- K11: Planning and organising your own digital learning.
- K14: Understanding current and emerging digital technologies.
- K20: Research techniques, including prompt engineering.
- S7: Undertaking professional development to improve your digital skills.
These are potential links, rather than automatic evidence of competence. The KSBs supported depend on what the apprentice actually does and records.
Example off-the-job training log:
Explored a practical Claude tutorial to develop my understanding of generative AI. Tested a feature using non-sensitive information, evaluated its potential application to my workplace and reflected on its limitations and possible benefits for colleagues.
Record the time actually spent learning and applying new skills. Your activity must be relevant to your apprenticeship and meet your training provider's off-the-job requirements.
For further guidance, visit the EdTechStuff Digital Support Technician v2.0 KSB Explorer, which provides practical examples for different workplace roles.
Worth adding to your reading list?
What makes How to AI interesting is its emphasis on actually trying things.
Ruben generally explains how to use new features and gives readers something practical to try.
His enthusiasm for particular products is clear, and some of his recommendations are strongly expressed. As with any independent AI commentary, it's worth testing the advice against your own needs.
For EdTechStuff readers who want to explore Claude and develop more confidence using AI at work, it's a useful resource to investigate.
You might find that spending 20 minutes following one of his tutorials teaches you more than reading another dozen announcements about what AI might eventually do.
Explore Ruben Hassid's How to AI newsletter: ruben.substack.com