This week, has been another busy week, however having my son back at the babysitters has made things a lot easier, and has given me the energy to get extra things done at night after he goes to bed. I’ve been able to stay caught up in school and get back to working on some of my other endeavors.
So, starting with what I did in school this week; I made my discussion post with the intentions of teaching, and not just meeting the requirements of the assignment. This has been my habit with all of the discussion assignments in both of the programming courses I’ve taken so far.
I feel that if I’ve already gained the experience, insight and knowledge of a concept, that it’s my responsibility to try and explain that concept in a way that can be helpful to students who are new to programming.
Going through this process of writing my posts in a way that makes them so they are a tutorial or article has giving me the practice I need to write professionally about programming. I hope to one day write a book that teaches beginners how to code, so these assignments are being applied to that endeavor.
I’m not currently working on a book per say, but I’ve been slowly working on writing a guide that’s available for free on my blog. I hope to one day turn it into a book, but I don’t know for sure when yet. It’s going to be a long journey to see this project to completion and there are a lot of important details that I haven’t worked out yet.
I recently brought a friend from UoPeople on board to help me with the guide. I’m hoping with his technical expertise and my writing, we’ll be able to push out a quality product in much less time than I could on my own.
Some feedback that I’ve gotten on my assignment had mentioned something about my assignment being so well written that the student forgot they were reading an assignment and felt like they were reading a programming book. This is amazing feedback for me, because this is coming from a student who has no idea that I plan to write a book one day.
The comment gave me a nice boost in confidence, which I feel I needed, because I’ve definitely had doubtful thoughts about my goals. It’s nice to hear such positive feedback about my writing, as I don’t always feel that I’m the best writer, or teacher.
My feelings and attitudes this week have been very positive. I’ve been thinking a lot about the future this week, and I feel more than ever that this school is a better opportunity than traditional means of education. I still haven’t found work, but I know it’s going to happen soon enough. Once I find work for a tech company, I will be able to juggle a full-time job while pursuing a degree in computer science.
To me, this is the better way of pursuing a career even if it takes me as long as 8 years to earn my degree. Experience is becoming more necessary than education today in fields that don’t legally require a degree such as computer science. UoPeople gives me the flexibility to earn real world experience while getting an education.
Lastly, to discuss what I’ve learned… I’d say I learned (or really have been reminded) that no matter how hard things get, or no matter how much you doubt yourself to keep trying. This year has come with a lot of struggles for me, but it has come with a lot of great opportunities and experiences as well. There have been more than a few times I’ve wanted to give up everything I’m trying and just go back to working as a labourer in construction for a steady paycheque. I’m glad I keep pushing forward though, because in the long run it’s all going to pay off.
It’s important to actively find words of encouragement when ever you’re trying to do something that is hard. Hearing peoples feedback in the forums at school, and in the comments on my blog, have helped me tremendously in staying motivated.
Thanks everyone 
Dan