Day 39

Secondary Resources: JavaScript on Khan Academy

Challenge: Recipe CardMade using: Khan Academy Computer Science

Challenge: Movie ReviewsMade using: Khan Academy Computer Science

Challenge: Picture PainterMade using: Khan Academy Computer Science

Spin-off of "Project: Bookshelf"Made using: Khan Academy Computer Science

Math Review

Intro to slope-intercept form: Slope-intercept form, y=mx+b, of linear equations, emphasizes the slope and the y-intercept of the line. Watch this video to learn more about it and see some examples.

A bit of physics...

And some art in the neolithic era

Day 38

Math Review

Linear equations with unknown coefficients: Sal solves the equations ax+3x=bx+5 and a(5-x)=bx-8 for x. Note that these equations include other unknowns (a and b) but we solve them for x.
Interpreting units in formulas: Sal finds an appropriate measurement unit for Power given the formula P=W/t where P is Power, W is Work, and t is Time.

Intercepts from a table: Sal finds the y-intercept of the graph of a linear function given a table of values.

Some introductory physics:

These are fairly short videos that put art history in a broader, albeit simplistic context:

And yes, the narrator is kind of annoying.

Day 36

Launch School Prep Curriculum

Here is a podcast from Course Report about coding boot camp news. It's worth a listen:

https://soundcloud.com/course-report/episode-8-october-2016-coding-bootcamp-news-roundup

And a Chicago Tribune article about standards for reporting job placement statistic for boot camp grads:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-coding-boot-camp-job-placement-bsi-20161027-story.html

Secondary Resources

So I have a ton of javascript and html/css projects I worked on through Khan Academy that I haven't shared here yet. Khan Academy used to have a simple embed link to embed them easily here, but that functionality does not seem to be working lately. Instead I will have to rely on screenshots to show what I have been up to. These are ugly and missing functionality. Hopefully Khan Academy fixes the issue soon.

These challenges are all about arrays, which are basically just collections of elements that you store so you can tell the program to access them and do something with them later.

Math Review

I'm up to 46% in Algebra I.

Evaluating expressions using structure (advanced): A few more examples where Sal evaluates expressions with multiple unknown variables.

And for something lighter, here is a video about the process for making lithographic prints.

Day 35

Creating an equation with no solutions: Sal shows how to complete the equation -11x + 4 = __x + __ so that it has no solutions.

Day 28

Math Review

I've been hovering around 43% in Algebra I all week. Making progress slowly.

Equations with parentheses: Sal solves the equation -9 - (9x - 6) = 3(4x + 6) using the distributive property.

And some art history for fun:

Day 27

Math Review

Equations with parentheses: Sal solves the equation -9 - (9x - 6) = 3(4x + 6) using the distributive property.

Number of solutions to equations: See how some equations have one solution, others have no solutions, and still others have infinite solutions.

Study Habits

Here's Sal Khan giving a Ted Talk on Mastery Based Learning.

My Study Priorities

My Study Priorities

I've laid out my study priorities for the next couple of months. Breaking them into categories and writing them down has really given my a sense of structure and more confidence that I can put in the work I need to to reach my goals.

Launch School Curriculum

The landing page at Launch School says "Our program is about slowly building up proficiency in fundamentals (of software development) while at the same time exposing you to new workflows and practices. Don't rush, take it slow, follow the path, and you'll be transformed. This is the slow path to master." I've been very attracted by the teaching philosophy they hint at here, and you can find more about it on their website: launchschool.com.

They offer a full path to learning full stack development with a monthly payment plan. The coursework is self paced, but there are teaching assistants always available.

They also offer a big chunk of beginner prep coursework for free. Right now I am working through the beginner section and really trying to get all of the concepts down before I start the main (paid) section.

Secondary Online Resources

For secondary resources beyond the Launch School curriculum and as preparation for it there are lots of options. Here are a few: codeacademy.com, khanacademy.com, Learn to Program by Chris Pine, coursera.org, edx.org, udacity.com, udemy.com, and MIT open courses. My plan to is to pick and choose what is useful from the free or low cost option among these. I'm always happy to be pointed in the direction of more resources as well!

Math Review

Khanacademy.org is a great resource for reviewing math. It goes all the way from beginning elementary school math to calculus. You can do practice sessions and mastery challenges to move on to higher levels, and can even share the videos they have to help you.

Study Habits

I believe we can all study more efficiently. And efficiency it truly key when we have limited time with work, family and social obligations. I want to share all the things I find helpful to me to be an efficient learner in this section.

Exercise, Nutrition and Sleep

Exercise, nutrition and sleep are helpful for efficient learning. I aim to keep track of some of my habits here.

Language Studies

Language studies are by now means my primary goal right now. But being a polyglot has always been a life goal of mine. That being said, some spaced repetition of languages using duolingo, rosetta stone and other online resources will lay the foundation for working on languages when I have more time.