GitHub Fork & Clone

What are some examples of when you would fork?

A fork is a copy of a repository. Forking a repository allows you to freely experiment with changes without affecting the original project. Most commonly, forks are used to either propose changes to someone else's project or to use someone else's project as a starting point for your own idea.

Did you have any moments where it all clicked? What clicked?

Only when it works does it click! I need it to work for me versus stay stuck in Tutorial Hell.

Setup Repo & Create Blog

Reflect on this activity. When did you feel frustrated?

I actually want to figure out how to upload my current website www.jemmadixoncodes.com to Git. I need to learn Handlebar documentation and figure out how to zip and unzip the file. This way, I can configure my blog with css, html etc. I need to create a functional Navbar and place to store my reflections related to this course.

If you didn't already know that this is the way websites are made; was it what you pictured? How does the reality of this process differ from your preconceptions?

I'm still figuring out how to get to this step...

Thinking like a programmer

Learning Competencies

• Understand the meaning of 'thinking like a developer.'
• Understand flipped learning

Reflect

• What patterns do you notice about 'thinking like a programmer?'
• To think like a programmer is to focus on solutions. If this doesn't work, then try this. If that doesn't work, try X.
• Focus on learning how to solve problems versus learning syntax.
• Focus on one thing at a time.
• Apply the principle of "just in time" learning (don't try to learn it all)
• Before diving into the solution, create a plan.
• Break down large problems into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Remember that errors and bugs are conducive to your development (and that programming is full of them!) Adopt a 'not yet' attitude and go in with curiosity.

But what does this actually mean, to think like a programmer?

It means pretending to be the computer when you read code. There's an old joke: a programmer's wife tells him "hey, we need a couple things from the grocery store. Get a loaf of bread, and if they have eggs, then get a dozen." The programmer goes to the store and comes back with a dozen loaves of bread.

function groceryShop(loaves, storeHasEggs) 
{ if (storeHasEggs === true) 
{ return 12 loaves; } 
return 1 loaves; } A

• It's something you learn over time by writing code and solving problems. I think that saying is another way to say that you need to think differently about problems and situations than you would in other areas of life. Programming has a unique way of thinking required to be successful. But it's not one tangible thing you can read a manual and learn. It varies depending on the language, the methodology and more.
• Thinking like a programmer isn't a skill. Its a habit. You start to think in terms of code the more you write code.
• What does the internet say about flipped learning? What is flipped learning and flipped classroom? How do you think it will relate to your learning journey?
• Flipped learning puts the onus on the student to learn. i.e., You are responsible for your learning journey.
• The internet: "Look, others have commented on this in great detail, so I'll just throw in and note that there isn't one kind of good teaching. Lecturing and flipped classrooms can both be done lazily or with diligence can care. There is no monopoly on good teaching methods to be found in any single camp."
• Because people are weird: research has shown that students in classes that focus on active learning (often meaning discussing the materials with their classmates) learn more but think they learn less than students in lecture-based classes. There's actually a very recent study on this: https://www.pnas.org/content/116/39/19251
• Research has also shown that most students dislike the idea of flipped courses initially, but that large majorities prefer them when they've actually tried them.

What is your process so far for solving problems?

1. Persistence
2. Networking in with a more knowlegable other.
3. Taking care of my health and prioritising sleep, exercise, nutrition.
4. Not taking myself too seriously.
5. Trying to enjoy the course and have fun.

Introduce yourself

Hello, my name is Jemma and I'm currently based in Auckland. I spent some in France, Germany, and Italy in 2019 and came back to New Zealand in 2020, just one month before the fist lockdown. I just finished a Masters degree in English Literature (based on a French text), and I'd love to travel again, perhaps being able to eventually work remotely. I'm not sure why I initially felt like tech wasn't for me, but I'm interested in the connection between Art/Science/Philosophy/Tech/Ethics, and I enjoy learning new things and being challenged. I started teaching mysel some basic code at the beginning of 2021, and realised that if I want to take this seriously as a career, then partaking in a Bootcamp sounded like a good idea in terms of pace and intensity of learning, and also connecting to other people who are also interested in Tech.

In terms of values, if I were to list them, they would read as follows:

• Adventure
• Authenticity
• Compassion
• Integrity
• Justice
• Kindness
• Open-mindedness
• Autonomy
• Contribution
• Knowledge/ Learning/ Wisdom

In terms of identity, I'm not entirely sure how to relate to this question; I'm not trying to be contentious. I tend to think of transplace/transregionalism as its own real and valid condition - that constellated intersections are emplacement. I'm mostly repeating ideas from a poet who writes about Transplace Poetics and "The right to be transplace." I mean, growing up in different regions with different people and cultures shapes identity and values in a way that makes it hard to answer the question "Where do you come from?" So, I like this idea - that you belong everywhere.

Why I'm attending Dev Academy: I want to learn new skills, meet new people, expand my future possibilities in terms of work and travel. I'm trying to create a website at the moment to post and write about my interests, and I'd like to figure out how to do this! My goal and central focus right now is to become a web developer and make a difference in people's lives.

What was it like trying to summarise yourself to a group of strangers?

It was alright! It takes time to get to know people; I feel I communicated some central ideas about myself and that's all good.

Could you feel your ego? Were you self conscious?

Initially I was self conscious about sounding contentious with regards to identity, so I added this as a point. Reading through other people's responses, it seems as though quite a few people share a similar framework for thinking through identity as something complex and difficult to be reduced to X or Y or Z.