Keynote: The Different Paths We Take As Programmers

Not everyone who learns Python is using it to become a back-end programmer. In this keynote, Tracy will cover her process on how she learned how to program and how she uses Python and programming in her current work, as well as why programming education can (and should) change considering all the ways we can use Python and programming in 2019.

Transcript

1. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
   T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
   The Different Paths We Take
   

   Tracy Osborn @limedaring
   

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   “I wish they would stop teaching Django.
   

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   “I wish they would stop teaching Django. 

   It teaches people to be bad programmers.”
   

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   My rocky road to
   programming
   

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    CSC 101
    Fundamentals of Computer Science
    

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    CSC 103
    Fundamentals of Computer Science III
    

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    The problem: 

    Viewing programming as 

    a straight line of progression
    

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    “No true programmer”
    

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    It’s like saying that there are only two kinds of people
    when it comes to swimming, those that can learn
    how to swim and those that can’t.
    http://jacquesmattheij.com/the-no-true-programmer-fallacy
    

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    Demand for software developers is expected to grow
    by 17% between 2014–2024.
    Kyle Thayer and Andrew J. Ko. (2017) Barriers Faced by Coding Bootcamp Students
    

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    In the 1984-1985 academic year, women accounted for
    nearly 37% of all computer science undergraduate
    students…
    

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59. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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    In the 1984-1985 academic year, women accounted for
    nearly 37% of all computer science undergraduate
    students… and as of 2010-2011, women made up just
    17.6% of computer science students.
    http://www.computerscience.org/resources/women-in-computer-science/
    

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60. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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    Furthermore, the percentage of women working in
    computer science-related professions has steadily
    declined since the 1990s, dropping from 35% to 25%
    in the last 15 years.
    http://www.computerscience.org/resources/women-in-computer-science/
    

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61. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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    The University of California at Berkeley experienced a
    revolution in their introductory computer science classes
    after changing how they marketed the course. What used
    to be known as Introduction to Symbolic Programming is
    now called The Beauty and the Joy of Computing.
    

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62. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    The University of California at Berkeley experienced a
    revolution in their introductory computer science classes
    after changing how they marketed the course. What used
    to be known as Introduction to Symbolic Programming is
    now called The Beauty and the Joy of Computing.
    The result? For the first time in 2014, women in the
    class outnumbered men.
    http://www.computerscience.org/resources/women-in-computer-science/
    

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63. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    The University of California at Berkeley experienced a
    revolution in their introductory computer science classes
    after changing how they marketed the course. What used
    to be known as Introduction to Symbolic Programming is
    now called The Beauty and the Joy of Computing.
    The result? For the first time in 2014, women in the
    class outnumbered men.
    http://www.computerscience.org/resources/women-in-computer-science/
    

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64. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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    Embracing different paths
    

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    Pool of beginners
    T H E N N O W
    

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    OQTGDCFRTQITCOOGTU
    DCFRTQITCOOGTU
    T H E N N O W
    

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73. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    N O W
    T H E N
    GPIKPGGTKPI
    YGDCRRFGXGNQROGPV
    UVCTVWRU
    FQEWOGPVCVKQP
    UEKGPEG V[RQITCRJ[
    

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74. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    PQVJKPI
    UVCTVWR
    HQWPFGT
    GPIKPGGT
    UEKGPVKUV
    YGDCRRFGXGNQRGT
    FQEWOGPVCTKCP
    QRGPUQWTEG
    EQPVTKDWVQT
    

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    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    PQVJKPI
    UVCTVWR
    HQWPFGT
    GPIKPGGT
    UEKGPVKUV
    YGDCRRFGXGNQRGT
    FQEWOGPVCTKCP
    QRGPUQWTEG
    EQPVTKDWVQT
    

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79. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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    Level up your skills more 

    before acting like you are an authority.
    

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80. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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    Level up your skills more 

    before acting like you are an authority.
    Also, if you are going to have a book for designers, consider
    showing more attractive web pages inside.
    

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81. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    What can we do better?
    

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82. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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    Reject the “one true programmer”
    

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83. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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84. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes lambdaschool.com
    

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    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes teamtreehouse.com
    

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    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes pluralsight.com
    

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    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes udemy.com
    

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    Two out of three developers are self-taught.
    http://stackoverflow.com/research/developer-survey-2016#work
    

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90. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    Two out of three developers are self-taught.
    http://stackoverflow.com/research/developer-survey-2016#work
    https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=metaphorm
    I would say that 3 out of 3 developers are self-taught, but
    that about one third of them also have a degree in
    Computer Science.
    

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93. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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    Students are faced with stereotypes of what a “real”
    programmer is. That “one true programmer” myth
    mentioned earlier.
    

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94. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    Students are faced with stereotypes of what a “real”
    programmer is. That “one true programmer” myth
    mentioned earlier.
    Bootcamp certificates were not perceived as high of
    value as university degrees. Many jobs stated they only
    interviewed candidates with degrees.
    

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95. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    Students are faced with stereotypes of what a “real”
    programmer is. That “one true programmer” myth
    mentioned earlier.
    Bootcamp certificates were not perceived as high of value as
    university degrees. Many jobs stated they only interviewed
    candidates with degrees.
    Contracting or freelance work was not seen as valuable
    as a full-time job.
    

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96. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    N O W
    T H E N
    GPIKPGGTKPI
    YGDCRRFGXGNQROGPV
    UVCTVWRU
    FQEWOGPVCVKQP
    UEKGPEG V[RQITCRJ[
    

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97. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
    T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
    Reject the “one true programmer”
    Embrace the mediocre programmer.
    (h/t Jacob Kaplan-Moss)
    

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    “The myth of the “genius programmer” is extremely
    dangerous.
    On one hand, it sets the entry threshold excessively high,
    scaring a lot of would-be-programmers away.
    On the other hand, it also haunts those that are already
    programmers, because it means that if you don’t ‘rock’ at
    programming, then basically, you suck.”
    

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100. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
     T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
     Reject the “one true programmer”
     Embrace the mediocre programmer.
     (h/t Jacob Kaplan-Moss)
     More specificity at conferences, events, and courses
     when it comes to complexity of material.
     

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101. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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     “Beginner” “Intermediate” and “Advanced”
     

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102. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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     “Beginner” “Intermediate” and “Advanced”
     Beginner + Deployment
     Beginner + Web Apps
     Intermediate + Data Science
     

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103. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
     T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
     Reject the “one true programmer”
     Embrace the mediocre programmer.
     (h/t Jacob Kaplan-Moss)
     More specificity at conferences, events, and courses when it
     comes to complexity of material.
     Mentor!
     

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104. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
     T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
     Reject the “one true programmer”
     Embrace the mediocre programmer.
     (h/t Jacob Kaplan-Moss)
     More specificity at conferences, events, and courses when it
     comes to complexity of material.
     Mentor!
     Build more tutorials and guides aimed at niches.
     

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105. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
     T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
     Programming for engineers.
     Programming for artists.
     Programming for writers.
     Programming for people who want to build a startup.
     

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106. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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     You can teach even if you feel like a “beginner”!
     

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107. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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     In conclusion…
     

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108. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
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     Thank you!
     Follow me on Twitter: @tracymakes
     

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109. PYCON TAIWAN 2019
     T R AC Y O S B O R N @tracymakes
     Psst…
     Hello Web Books:
     hellowebbooks.com
     

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