In January 2026, Anthropic introduced a feature called Cowork in the Claude desktop app. Unlike the web-based Projects feature (which requires you to upload files manually), Cowork lets Claude access folders on your computer directly — with your permission.
This means Claude can read your lesson plans, curriculum documents, and standards files right where they already live on your hard drive. No uploading, no copy-pasting. You point Claude at a folder, describe what you need, and it works alongside you.
| Feature | Claude Chat | Claude Projects | Claude Cowork |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Web browser | Web browser | Desktop app |
| File access | Copy-paste only | Upload files manually | Reads your folders directly |
| Can create files | No | No | Yes — saves files to your computer |
| Memory | Per conversation | Per project | Per folder + CLAUDE.md file |
| Best for | Quick questions | Ongoing projects with uploaded docs | Working directly with your files |
Think of it this way: Chat is like texting an expert. Projects is like giving that expert a binder of your documents. Cowork is like having that expert sit at your desk and work in your files alongside you.
The most effective way to use Cowork is to create a dedicated folder for each teaching project:
My-Teaching-Workspace/
├── CLAUDE.md ← Instructions for Claude
├── standards/
│ ├── ELPS-framework.pdf
│ ├── TEKS-science-grade5.pdf
│ └── district-pacing-guide.pdf
├── lesson-plans/
│ ├── week-12-water-cycle.docx
│ └── week-13-weather.docx
└── templates/
└── 5E-lesson-template.docxThe CLAUDE.md file is a special instruction file. Claude reads it automatically when you open the folder in Cowork. You can write instructions like:
I teach 5th grade science to emergent bilingual students.
Always align with ELPS and TEKS standards.
Include Spanish vocabulary support.
Format lessons for 45-minute blocks.
Use the 5E template in the templates/ folder.One of the most powerful uses of Cowork for educators is placing your standards documents directly in the folder. When Claude can access your ELPS framework, TEKS standards, or WIDA descriptors, it can:
What’s safe to include in your folder:
What you should NOT include:
Example 1: “Read my lesson plans from last semester and create a summary table showing which ELPS standards I’ve covered and which ones I’m missing.”
Example 2: “Look at the TEKS for 5th grade science and my pacing guide. Create three new lessons for Unit 4 using the 5E template.”
Example 3: “Read my district’s evaluation rubric and help me write my professional development reflection for this semester.”
Cowork is not limited to simple, one-at-a-time requests. You can describe an entire project and let the agent work through it autonomously. Here is an example of what a single task description can do:
“I need to prepare my Ecosystems unit for next week. Read the TEKS and ELPS documents in my standards folder. Create a 5-day lesson plan using the 5E model and save it in the lesson-plans folder. For each day, create a student handout with vocabulary in English and Spanish, including cognates, and save those in the student-materials folder. Then create a formative assessment quiz with a mix of multiple choice and short answer, along with an answer key and scoring rubric, and save those in the assessments folder. Finally, create a parent letter in English and Spanish explaining what students will learn this week.”
Cowork reads your standards documents, processes everything, and creates all of these files in the correct folders. You come back a few minutes later and your entire week is ready for review. One task description, multiple files, all organized exactly where you need them.
This is the difference between a chatbot and an agent. A chatbot answers one question at a time. An agent takes a complete task, breaks it into steps, and executes all of them autonomously.
For the official step-by-step walkthrough from Anthropic, visit: Getting Started with Cowork
Downloadable guide: For a complete step-by-step walkthrough with privacy guidelines and tips specifically for bilingual/ESL teachers, download the Claude Cowork Guide for Educators (available in English and Spanish) in this course’s resources section.
One of the most practical features of Cowork is its plugin system. Plugins add specialized capabilities to Claude, allowing it to go beyond reading and writing files. You can browse and install plugins directly from the Cowork sidebar (click “Plugins” in the left panel).
Here are the plugins most relevant for educators:
| Plugin | What It Does | How Educators Can Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Productivity | Manages tasks, calendars, and workflows | Organize lesson planning tasks, track to-dos across units, manage your weekly schedule |
| Data | Queries, visualizes, and transforms datasets | Analyze student assessment data (anonymized), create charts from grade distributions, summarize survey results |
| Biology Research | Searches scientific literature and experiments | Science teachers can find current research to support NGSS-aligned lessons; useful for any educator doing academic research |
How to add a plugin:
Plugins are especially useful when your work goes beyond document creation. For example, the Data plugin can help you take an anonymized spreadsheet of assessment scores and produce a visual breakdown of class performance, something that would normally require a separate tool like Excel or Google Sheets. The Productivity plugin can help you organize complex multi-week planning across several units.
Note: Anthropic’s full collection of plugins is available on GitHub. Advanced users can even create custom plugins tailored to their specific workflows.
Beyond plugins, Cowork also supports connectors, integrations that let Claude connect directly to online services you already use. These connectors are powered by something called the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a standardized way for AI to communicate with external tools and services securely.
Through connectors, Claude can work with services across categories like:
You can browse available connectors at claude.com/connectors. Each connector clearly shows whether it offers read-only access or full read-and-write capabilities, and you always control which services Claude can access through your settings at claude.ai/settings/connectors.
This is part of a bigger picture: Anthropic is building a system where AI agents can work with your projects, your folders, and your online services, all with your explicit permission. Instead of copying information between apps manually, you describe what you need and the AI agent coordinates across your tools. The key principle is that you remain in control: Claude cannot access anything you haven’t approved.
We recommend starting with Cowork. It provides a visual, approachable way to experience what AI agents can do, from working with your files and following your instructions to connecting to your tools. For most educators, Cowork will cover everything you need.
However, if you feel adventurous and want even more control over what AI agents can do on your computer, like running commands, processing files in bulk, and building custom workflows, the next step is terminal-based AI agents. You can learn about those in the lesson “AI Agents in the CLI (Advanced)” later in this module.
When you work with Cowork or terminal-based AI tools, you’ll notice they often create files with a .md extension. These are Markdown files, a simple text format that uses symbols like # for headings and ** for bold text.
Markdown is widely used because it’s lightweight, works everywhere, and is easy for both humans and AI to read. You can open .md files with any text editor, or use a free app like Obsidian for a more polished reading experience with formatted headings, bold text, and organized notes.
Take these guides with you. Each one is a step-by-step companion designed specifically for educators, with practical examples, sample prompts, and classroom use cases.
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Windows – Keyboard shortcuts for international characters
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