Learning New Technologies 📍 Used in: Sprint 1 - Version Control with Git, Sprint 1 - Command Line Primer

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Explain [technology/framework] in simple terms with practical examples. What are the key concepts I should understand first?"

🎯 Why this works: Gets you oriented without overwhelming detail, focuses on fundamentals first.

⚠️Beware of: Over-reliance on explanations without being able to apply concepts independently.

Understanding Documentation 📍 Used in: Sprint 1 - Command Line Primer

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "I'm reading the documentation for [tool/library]. Can you break down this section into simpler language: [paste documentation]"

🎯 Why this works: Helps decode dense technical documentation into learnable chunks.

⚠️Beware of: Avoiding original documentation entirely, which prevents learning to read technical specs independently.

Technology Comparisons 📍 Used in: Sprint 2 - Technical Blog

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Compare [Tool A] vs [Tool B] for [specific use case]. What are the trade-offs and when would I choose each?"

🎯 Why this works: Helps you understand not just what tools do, but when to use them.

⚠️Beware of: Accepting AI trade-off analysis without validating against real project requirements.

Making Sense of Error Messages 📍 Used in: Sprint 1 - Asking for Help

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "I got this error message: [paste error]. Explain what this means and suggest 3 possible solutions, ranked by likelihood."

🎯 Why this works: Transforms cryptic errors into actionable steps and teaches pattern recognition.

⚠️Beware of: Trying solutions without understanding why the error occurred.

Getting Debugging Help 📍 Used in: Sprint 1 - Setup New Repo & Create Blog

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "I expect this code to [describe expected behavior] but it's [describe actual behavior]. Help me debug by asking clarifying questions about my code."

🎯 Why this works: Forces you to articulate the problem clearly, often revealing the issue.

⚠️Beware of: Over-relying on AI for hypothesis generation instead of developing your own debugging intuition.

Reading Error Stack Traces 📍 Used in: Sprint 3 - Manipulating the DOM

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Here's my stack trace: [paste trace]. Walk me through reading this step by step and identifying the likely problem area."

🎯 Why this works: Teaches you to read stack traces independently for future debugging.

⚠️Beware of: Declining ability to read stack traces independently over time.

Learning Different Approaches 📍 Used in: Sprint 3 - Intro to JavaScript

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Show me 3 different ways to [accomplish task] in [language]. Explain the pros and cons of each approach."

🎯 Why this works: Exposes you to multiple patterns and builds understanding of trade-offs.

⚠️Beware of: Relying on AI patterns instead of learning idiomatic language constructs.

Getting Code Feedback 📍 Used in: Sprint 3 - JavaScript Cafe Challenge

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Review this code and suggest improvements for readability, performance, and best practices: [paste code]"

🎯 Why this works: Gets feedback on your code style and introduces best practices.

⚠️Beware of: Treating AI suggestions as authoritative without understanding the underlying principles.

Recognizing Code Patterns 📍 Used in: Sprint 4 - Gradebook

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "What design pattern is being used in this code? Explain how it works: [paste code]"

🎯 Why this works: Helps you recognize common patterns and understand their purpose.

⚠️Beware of: Over-confidence in AI pattern identification without verifying against documentation.

Understanding Difficult Concepts 📍 Used in: Sprint 2 - Learn HTML & CSS

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "I'm confused about [concept]. Can you explain it using an analogy, then show a simple code example?"

🎯 Why this works: Multiple learning modalities help concepts stick.

⚠️Beware of: Shallow conceptual understanding that breaks down when you need to apply concepts in novel situations.

Creating Practice Problems 📍 Used in: Sprint 4 - JavaScript Kata

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Create 3 coding challenges that would help me practice [specific skill]. Start with basic and increase difficulty."

🎯 Why this works: Provides targeted practice opportunities for skill building.

⚠️Beware of: Missing real-world complexity that AI practice problems often oversimplify.

Breaking Down Code 📍 Used in: Sprint 2 - JavaScript Primer

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Explain this code line by line, including what each part does and why it's written this way: [paste code]"

🎯 Why this works: Builds deep understanding of how code works, not just what it does.

⚠️Beware of: Accepting AI explanations without verifying against official documentation or testing the code.

The Teaching Prompt - AI as your pairing partner/tutor 📍 Used in: Sprint 5 - Pair Programming

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Don't give me the answer. Instead, ask me questions that guide me to figure it out myself."

🎯 Why this works: Develops problem-solving skills rather than just providing solutions.

⚠️Beware of: Giving up too quickly when the AI asks challenging questions.

The Understanding Check 📍 Used in: Sprint 4 - Testing

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "I think I understand this concept. Quiz me with 3 questions to test my knowledge."

🎯 Why this works: Reveals gaps in understanding before you move on to harder topics.

⚠️Beware of: Only asking for easy questions that make you feel confident.

The Step-by-Step Helper 📍 Used in: Sprint 4 - Problem Solving and Pseudocode

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Break down this complex problem into smaller steps I can tackle one at a time."

🎯 Why this works: Makes overwhelming problems manageable and teaches problem decomposition.

⚠️Beware of: Becoming dependent on AI to break down every problem for you.

The Context Builder 📍 Used in: Sprint 1 - Thinking Like a Programmer

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Before we solve this, help me understand the bigger picture of how this fits into [larger concept/framework]."

🎯 Why this works: Builds connections between concepts and improves retention.

⚠️Beware of: Getting lost in too much context when you need to focus on specific skills.

The Alternative Explorer 📍 Used in: Sprint 5 - Tic-Tac-Toe

🛠️ Ask an LLM: "Show me 3 different ways to approach this problem, with the pros and cons of each."

🎯 Why this works: Develops critical thinking about different solution approaches.

⚠️Beware of: Analysis paralysis from too many options without trying any of them.