Hack your workday to maximize learning/ It's Bigger on the Inside: Creating Learning Opportunities

In an industry where Github is your resume and you're required to know the latest tools and technologies, finding the time to learn can be difficult when balancing responsibilities outside of work. Much of the advice on learning and staying sharp within the industry depends on the availability of an abundance of time which is not a privilege many have. But learning keeps us interested, engaged and at the top of our game. Discover actionable tools, tips, and strategies to maximize the amount of learning you can accomplish within the confines of the work day. Learn how to make the most of the time while still accomplishing your daily responsibilities to advance yourself and your career as a developer.

Presented at MagmaConf 2017 and Ship It 2017

Transcript

1. It’s Bigger on the Inside: Creating Learning Opportunities Allison McMillan @allie_p
8. wocintechchat.com
26. Question Time
27. Question 1: You are helping someone who wants to go to your airport, the center of town or railway station. You would: a. go with them. b. tell them the directions. c. write down the directions. d. draw, or show them a map, or give them a map.
28. Question 2: A website has a video showing how to make a special graph. There is a person speaking, some lists and words describing what to do and some diagrams. You would learn most from: a. seeing the diagrams. b. listening. c. reading the words. d. watching the actions.
29. Question 3: You are planning a vacation for a group. You want some feedback from them about the plan. You would: a. describe some of the highlights they will experience. b. use a map to show them the places. c. give them a copy of the printed itinerary. d. phone, text or email them.
30. Question 4: You are going to cook something as a special treat. You would: a. cook something you know without the need for instructions. b. ask friends for suggestions. c. look on the Internet or in some cookbooks for ideas from the pictures. d. use a good recipe.
31. Question 5: A group of tourists want to learn about the parks or wildlife reserves in your area. You would: a. talk about, or arrange a talk for them about parks or wildlife reserves. b. show them maps and internet pictures. c. take them to a park or wildlife reserve and walk with them. d. give them a book or pamphlets about the parks or wildlife reserves
32. Question 6: You are about to purchase a digital camera or mobile phone. Other than price, what would most influence your decision? a. Trying or testing it. b. Reading the details or checking its features online. c. It is a modern design and looks good. d. The salesperson telling me about its features.
33. Question 7: Remember a time when you learned how to do something new. Avoid choosing a physical skill, eg. riding a bike. You learned best by: a. watching a demonstration. b. listening to somebody explaining it and asking questions. c. diagrams, maps, and charts - visual clues. d. written instructions – e.g. a manual or book.
34. Question 8: You have a problem with your heart. You would prefer that the doctor: a. gave you something to read to explain what was wrong. b. used a plastic model to show what was wrong. c. described what was wrong. d. showed you a diagram of what was wrong.
35. Question 9: You want to learn a new program, skill or game on a computer. You would: a. read the written instructions that came with the program. b. talk with people who know about the program. c. use the computer controls or keyboard. d. follow the diagrams in the book that came with it.
36. Question 10: I like websites that have: a. things I can click on, shift or try. b. interesting design and visual features. c. interesting written descriptions, lists and explanations. d. audio channels where I can hear music, radio programs or interviews.
37. http://vark-learn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/The-VARK-Questionnaire.pdf
42. Tailor strategies to how you learn
43. Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Goals Steps 1. Goals
44. Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Goals
45. SMART Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-constrained Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Goals
46. Lines of Code Features Completed Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Goals
47. Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Goals
48. Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Goals
49. Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Goals
50. • Learn to put search functionality into the user homepage • Feel more comfortable with defining my abilities • Commit something to OSS • Build something using JavaScript Bad Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Goals
51. • Write a useful script • Continue to improve in testing and learn more about testing concepts like stubbing, mocking, and message chains • Understand the basics of relational data modeling and relational data • Become more of a go-to person for pairing and getting unstuck Better Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Goals
52. Goals Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Action 1. Goals 2. Actions Steps
53. A goal without a plan is just a wish -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Goals Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Action
54. How will I know if I’m making progress? What are the smaller things that need to be learned or done in order to accomplish this goal? What is my plan for breaking this goal down into smaller parts in order to accomplish the goal one step at a time? Goals Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Action
55. Goals Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Action
56. Learn 4 testing frameworks Continue to improve in testing and learn more about testing concepts like stubbing, mocking, and message chains Read a blog post about mocking Bad Action Steps Goals Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Action
57. Become more of a go-to person for pairing and getting unstuck Ask everyone all the time if they have questions Try to drive all the time Bad Action Steps Goals Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Action
58. Continue to improve in testing and learn more about testing concepts like stubbing, mocking, and message chains Become more of a go-to person for pairing and getting unstuck Find scenarios that require complex testing concepts Do test set-ups from scratch Pair with interns and let them ask questions Determine what areas are good for me to be a go to person Better Action Steps Goals Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Action
59. Continue to improve in testing and learn more about testing concepts like stubbing, mocking, and message chains 2. Find scenarios that require complex testing concepts 1. Do test set-ups from scratch Better Action Steps Goals Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect Action
60. Goals Action Incorporate Assess Reflect Accountability 1. Goals 2. Actions 3. Accountability Steps
61. Goals Action Incorporate Assess Reflect Accountability
62. Goals Action Incorporate Assess Reflect Accountability
63. Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate 1. Goals 2. Actions 3. Accountability 4. Incorporate Steps
64. Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
65. Pick up the story most related to your learning goal(s) Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
66. If you can’t: Ask to pair with whomever does Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
67. If you can’t: Ask to pair with whomever does Code review the pull request Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
68. Incorporate your goal into the tickets you DO pick up creatively Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
69. Do tests exist? What do you think of them? How do the tests relate to the methods being tested? Look at a similar file to compare and contrast Goal: Continue to improve in testing and learn more about testing concepts like stubbing, mocking, and message chains Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
70. Test Drive the ticket Add tests after OR Goal: Continue to improve in testing and learn more about testing concepts like stubbing, mocking, and message chains Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
71. Ask specific questions on your pr to make it easy to get feedback Goal: Continue to improve in testing and learn more about testing concepts like stubbing, mocking, and message chains Test Drive the ticket Add tests after OR Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
72. Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
73. Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
74. Goals Action Accountability Assess Reflect Incorporate
75. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess 1. Goals 2. Actions 3. Accountability 4. Incorporate 5. Assess Steps
76. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
77. Leverage meetings Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
78. Sprints What did you learn over the past sprint? What do you want to try to read more about? Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
79. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
80. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
81. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
82. Retrospectives Make your own additional retro Liked, Learned, Lacked Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
83. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
84. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
85. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Reflect Assess
86. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect 1. Goals 2. Actions 3. Accountability 4. Incorporate 5. Assess 6. Reflect Steps
87. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect
88. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect
89. Goals Action Accountability Incorporate Assess Reflect
93. Thank you!
94. @allie_p allison.p.mcmillan@gmail.com www.collectiveidea.com www.daydreamsinruby.com