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I already wrote about this[1] but the time period where I learned the fastest and the most programming knowledge was the winter of 2008 when my cofounder and I

by jmtame 14y ago

I already wrote about this[1] but the time period where I learned the fastest and the most programming knowledge was the winter of 2008 when my cofounder and I worked out of the computer science building, and various other buildings on campus. Having someone who could help me get unstuck made a huge difference. Same story even farther back when I was working with new frameworks for a different company; a more experienced person who was giving me feedback on my code was more help than I could have ever received on Freenode, Stack Exchange or from reading a book. It's a lot like setting a new years resolution: it requires willpower and discipline to learn something difficult like programming (everyone has their own opinion on whether it's easy to learn or not, but I think it's easy to lose sight of all the advantages you had growing up with computers and incrementally learning vs. complete beginners). You need others to hold you to it and help you whenever you get stuck. [1] http://jmtame.posterous.com/this-is-how-you-actually-teach-people-to-prog http://jmtame.posterous.com/this-is-how-you-actually-teach-p...

dudeguy999 14y ago
On the flip side, I tried (and failed) to learn to code several times before it finally stuck. It took me days just to get the programming environment set up! What finally or me over the hump was working with a partner when I went back to school.
- jmtame 14y ago
  If you're on Windows, setting up Ruby on Rails and using it can be pretty difficult because you need a proper terminal, and Windows' Command Prompt sucks. We've used Vagrant virtual boxes with Ubuntu with our Windows users at Bloc. There are also lots of other issues with running Ruby on Windows like character encoding, file paths, and particular gems not working properly, but overall the experience of setting it up is pretty painful for beginners and a huge deterrent to learning to program.
jacoblyles 14y ago
I love the resurgence of the old-school learning model (in-person). It's like university, but focused on practical things instead of trivium. And with the shortage of developer talent today, an 8-week $3,000 course can have a huge return for your students.
AdamFernandez 14y ago
I am in the current Bloc cohort (bloc.io), and I can tell you that I am learning much faster without a doubt. I was following the go it alone path for a few months prior, and was caught in the same situation described in this post. The Bloc guy's hybrid model of teaching (old/master-apprentice, new/online access) is excellent. It is way more efficient to have that direct feedback, and to have someone point you in the right direction.

by jmtame 14y ago

dudeguy999 14y ago

On the flip side, I tried (and failed) to learn to code several times before it finally stuck. It took me days just to get the programming environment set up! What finally or me over the hump was working with a partner when I went back to school.

jmtame 14y ago
If you're on Windows, setting up Ruby on Rails and using it can be pretty difficult because you need a proper terminal, and Windows' Command Prompt sucks. We've used Vagrant virtual boxes with Ubuntu with our Windows users at Bloc. There are also lots of other issues with running Ruby on Windows like character encoding, file paths, and particular gems not working properly, but overall the experience of setting it up is pretty painful for beginners and a huge deterrent to learning to program.

jacoblyles 14y ago

I love the resurgence of the old-school learning model (in-person). It's like university, but focused on practical things instead of trivium. And with the shortage of developer talent today, an 8-week $3,000 course can have a huge return for your students.

AdamFernandez 14y ago

I am in the current Bloc cohort (bloc.io), and I can tell you that I am learning much faster without a doubt. I was following the go it alone path for a few months prior, and was caught in the same situation described in this post. The Bloc guy's hybrid model of teaching (old/master-apprentice, new/online access) is excellent. It is way more efficient to have that direct feedback, and to have someone point you in the right direction.