Goaty friends
Photo: Holly Vickery
So, how do you and I work together, to get you those Benjamins?
First thing: there'll be no lectures.
Georgina
What?!
We have limited time together. How best to use that time? I could lecture at you, but for skill learning, that's not a great use of time.
We'll flip the course. Instead of my lecturing when we're together, and you doing exercises on your own, we reverse it. You read well-crafted explanations on your own. When we're together, I help you do exercises when you're stuck, and explain things you don't understand.
When I say "help you," I mean you, the person reading this right now. What you have trouble with, won't be the same as the things other people have trouble with. When I teach the course in a lab, you'll raise your hand, and I'll run over to you, ready for your questions. I'll spend time with just you. If anyone else wants to listen, that's fine, but you are the one I'm focusing on.
When I run this course online, the same thing applies. We'll use a tool called Gather.Town, that creates the same experience you get in a flipped F2F (face-to-face) classroom. Actually, it's better, since I can do spontaneous mini-explanations to groups, if you want. That's harder in a physical classroom; more later.
I loooove Gather.Town for courses like this.
BTW, some educational experts think flipped, blended learning is the future of online education. I agree. It fits the science of learning, and the practicalities of everyday life.
A promise: you'll never get a Zoom lecture snooze-fest from me. Never never never!
Classes are optional, whether F2F, or virtual. I really mean it! If you don't need anything explained, you don't need to attend. My ego won't be bruised if you don't come to class. I got over that years ago.
Nor are you limited to the course schedule. You can work as far ahead as you want. Since I'm working with everyone individually, you can ask anything about the course, at any time. (You see how this all fits together into a smooth learning system?)
How you can work with each other
I want each person to learn how to program, so you all can get those Benjamins.
You'll learn individually. You'll do exams individually. You'll get tasty skills. I'll help.
Other students can help, too. Some of the most effective students work in small groups. They hang out during and outside of class, and help each other when they get stuck.
I don't require you to do this. If you can make it work, though, you should. You'll do better in the course, and maybe enjoy yourself more.
There will be a way to get to know other students. See if anyone clicks for you. If you already have friends in the class, even better.
Bottom line
This course is an effective learning system. The exercises, explanations, feedback, flippiness (that's a word)... they all fit together to help you learn effectively and efficiently. It has worked for years. Read the lessons, do the exercises, respond to the feedback, and you'll get a skill you can sell.
Do this, and you won't be able to not learn.