DEV Community: Sharda Kaur

Model Mondays Season 2 – For Developers: Episodes 1 to 5 Now Available

Sharda Kaur — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:52:57 +0000

If you're a developer working with or exploring Generative AI, these first five episodes of Model Mondays Season 2 are packed with practical insights from Microsoft PMs and engineers. Topics include model reasoning, developer experience, model context protocols, and efficient deployment techniques.
**

S2E1 – Advanced Reasoning Recap** How advanced reasoning is evolving in modern LLMs and what it means for developers. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/educatordeveloperblog/s2e01-recap-advanced-reasoning-session/4425738?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805

**2. S2E2 – Understanding Model Context Protocol (MCP)
**A look at MCP and how it gives developers better control over model behavior.
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/educatordeveloperblog/model-mondays-s2e2---understanding-model-context-protocol-mcp/4427914?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805

**3. S2E3 – Understanding SLMs & Reasoning with Mojan Javaheripi
**Small Language Models (SLMs) and their real-world use cases for performance-sensitive apps.
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/educatordeveloperblog/s2e3-understanding-slms-and-reasoning-with-mojan-javaheripi/4429758?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805

**4. S2E4 – Understanding AI Developer Experiences with Leo Yao
**What developers actually need when building with AI – from tooling to workflows.
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/educatordeveloperblog/s2e4-understanding-ai-developer-experiences-with-leo-yao/4431643?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805

**5. S2E5 – Fine-Tuning & Distillation with Dave Voutila
**How to fine-tune large models and use distillation to create efficient versions for deployment.
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/educatordeveloperblog/model-mondays-s2e5-%E2%80%93-fine-tuning--distillation-with-dave-voutila/4433445?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805

Stay tuned for new technical drops every Monday. Great content if you're building with Azure ML, working on custom copilots, or exploring efficient model deployment.

I Wrote About SLMs in Model Mondays: Easy Explanation Inside!

Sharda Kaur — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 12:22:16 +0000

Hey everyone!
I just published a new Model Mondays blog: S2E3 - Understanding SLMs and Reasoning with Mojan Javaheripi.

In this post,** I’ve explained Small Language Models (SLMs) in a simple and beginner-friendly way.**
We also explored how SLMs are helping AI give better, faster, and more reliable answers.

If you’ve been curious about SLMs but didn’t know where to start — this blog is for you!

👉 Check it out and let me know what you think.
[https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/educatordeveloperblog/s2e3-understanding-slms-and-reasoning-with-mojan-javaheripi/4429758]
Let’s keep learning and growing together!

🚀 Model Mondays S2E2: Understanding Model Context Protocol (MCP) – A Beginner-Friendly Guide

Sharda Kaur — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 14:33:42 +0000

Hey Dev Community! 👋

I’m excited to continue my journey as the official blogger for Model Mondays – Season 2.
This week, I’m breaking down a super important topic: Model Context Protocol (MCP) in simple, easy-to-understand language.

If you’ve ever wondered:

🤔 What is #MCP and why does it matter?

🔐 How can #AImodels securely connect to tools like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Salesforce?

🛠️ How can YOU get started using MCP with Azure AI Foundry and VS Code?

I’ve got you covered.

In this blog, I share:
✅ Simple MCP explanations
✅ Real-world examples
✅ Quick start resources
✅ My honest learning journey (I used ChatGPT to help me summarize it too!)

👉 Check out the full blog here: Model Mondays S2E2: Understanding MCP [https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/educatordeveloperblog/model-mondays-s2e2---understanding-model-context-protocol-mcp/4427914?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805]

🚨 Why You Should Read It:
It’s written in beginner-friendly language

Great for students, new developers, and anyone getting started with Azure AI

_Practical takeaways and links you can use today
_
Follow me for more weekly updates as I break down each Model Mondays episode step by step!
Next up: Small Language Models & Reasoning with Phi-4.

Let’s keep learning together. 💬

ModelMondays #AzureAI #MCP #AIModels #OpenSource #LearningJourney #BeginnerFriendly #AI #Microsoft #DevCommunity #StudentDeveloper

I Wrote the S2E01 Recap for Model Mondays: Advanced Reasoning Session

Sharda Kaur — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:09:15 +0000

Hey Dev Community! 👋

I'm super excited to share that I authored the official blog for Model Mondays Season 2 Episode 1 on the Microsoft TechCommunity! 🎉

🔍 What’s in the Blog?

This episode dives into Advanced Reasoning with LLMs — how we can build Deep Researcher agents using:

🧩 DeepSeek-R1
🔗 LangGraph
☁️ Azure AI Foundry

✅ Key Highlights:

Why reasoning-first models matter
How to design reasoning-based scenarios
Step-by-step hands-on labs to try
What’s new in Azure AI Foundry

👉 Read My Blog Here:

S2E01 Recap: Advanced Reasoning Session

🙏 Special Thanks

Big thanks to @nitya and @lee_stott for their constant support and guidance throughout this journey! 💙

If you're exploring reasoning models or building your own agents, I’d love to connect and hear what you’re working on! Let’s learn and build together 🚀

AzureAI #LangGraph #DeepSeekR1 #ModelMondays #AI #LLMs

[Boost]

Sharda Kaur — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:05:08 +0000

Nitya Narasimhan, Ph.D for Microsoft Azure

Jun 17 '25

Model Mondays S2E01 - AMA on Advanced Reasoning

#ama #beginners #azureaifoundry #modelmondays

Comments 4

3 min read

Getting Started with Microsoft’s AI Toolkit — A Beginner’s Guide

Sharda Kaur — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 11:11:57 +0000

🚀 New to AI? Start Here!
In this blog, I break down how to use the Microsoft AI Toolkit in the easiest way possible — perfect for beginners! 🙌

✅ Run AI models locally or in the cloud
✅ Use tools like VS Code to explore and test models
✅ No deep coding needed – just follow the steps and try it out!
✅ Includes demos, tips, and useful resources

Whether you're a student, developer, or just curious about AI — this guide will help you get started quickly.

👉 Read the blog and take your first step into the world of AI!(https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/educatordeveloperblog/getting-started-with-the-ai-toolkit-a-beginner%E2%80%99s-guide-with-demos-and-resources/4425608?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805)

Hello, I am Sharda Kaur 👋

Sharda Kaur — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 11:40:55 +0000

I'm excited to join the Dev.to community and start sharing my journey, learnings, and projects!

I’m a passionate tech enthusiast, currently exploring the world of Generative AI, cloud technologies, and software engineering. I've been actively writing on the Microsoft Tech Community, sharing insights on topics like AI model evaluations, responsible synthetic data, and real-world applications of Microsoft’s AI tools.

Some of the things I love working on:

💡 Creating technical blogs that simplify complex topics

💻 Running workshops and events to guide student developers

✨ Exploring the intersection of AI, creativity, and community building

🧠 Constantly learning — from Azure to GitHub to Open Source projects

You can also find me here:

GitHub

X (Twitter)

Looking forward to connecting with like-minded creators, learning from your experiences, and sharing mine. If you're into AI, tech content, student communities, or just good vibes — let’s connect! 🌱