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Learning to Code by Failing Safely
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Lucas Cherkewski
July 22, 2017
Programming
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Learning to Code by Failing Safely
Lucas Cherkewski
July 22, 2017
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Transcript
Learning to code by failing safely
What’s the plan?
1. Groundwork
1. Groundwork 2. Process
1. Groundwork 2. Process 3. Resources
None
Lucas Cherkewski
What is code?
Code is…
Code is… scary?
Code is… scary? Code is… hard?
Code is… scary? Code is… hard? Code is… worthwhile?
Is code scary?
Powerful stuff
Movie portrayals of code
It’s reasonable to feel that code is scary
Is code hard?
Code is (literally) an unfamiliar language
We try hard to learn, but walk away confused
Even with practice, it can be difficult
I struggle with code, too
Is code worthwhile?
Yes!
Major industries embracing tech
Thinking technically is valuable
We can solve our own problems
We can work with better coders
Knowing code enables us to work in a technical world
What is code, really?
VS The Product The Process
Process > Product
What is code? A problem solving process
Who can code?
None
Only nerds, definitely.
Only people gifted with awesome coding power, definitely.
BAH.
Anyone can code.
Anyone can code. (If you can problem solve.)
Anyone can code. This is a good thing.
What are some practical examples of code?
Google search
None
None
None
Formatting text
None
None
None
None
None
=
= <strong>
Building spreadsheets
None
None
None
None
None
None
Why so many questions?
None
Socrates
Socrates: Not just an old dead guy.
Questions are key to learning to code.
None
Socrates died for your questions.
How do we code?
The Process
1. Identify
1. Identify 2. Research
1. Identify 2. Research 3. Try
The key is iteration.
1. Identify
1. Identify 2. Research
1. Identify 2. Research 3. Try
Iterate, Iterate, Iterate.
Where should I start?
Personal projects Fun failure
None
None
None
Client projects Always an imposter
Who can help me learn to code?
In-person
In-person • Ladies Learning Code
In-person • Ladies Learning Code • Camp Tech
In-person • Ladies Learning Code • Camp Tech • Lighthouse
Labs
Online courses
Online courses • Treehouse
Online courses • Treehouse • Codecademy
Online courses • Treehouse • Codecademy • Lynda
Online resources
Online resources • CSS-Tricks
Online resources • CSS-Tricks • MDN
Online resources • CSS-Tricks • MDN • Stack Overflow
Tools
Tools • Code editors
Tools • Code editors • Codepen
Tools • Code editors • Codepen • Glitch
WordPress specific
WordPress specific • Codex
WordPress specific • Codex • Facebook groups
WordPress specific • Codex • Facebook groups • WordCamps and
meetups
Why bother with code?
Code is scary and hard, but worthwhile
Code through research, exploration, and creation
Do it again and again
None
Thanks! Thanks!
[email protected]
@lchski