Hey, everyone! I’m interested in teaching an entry-level, no-experience-needed programming class. This would be intended for people who’ve never touched a programming language before. It’s not going to magically turn anyone into a master programmer in a single class, but what it hopefully will do is demystify programming, and give the student a solid foundation for learning more on their own.
Qualifications: I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Computer Science five years ago, and I’ve been tutoring full time for about four months. Seeing the kind of things beginners struggle with caused me to develop strong opinions about teaching methodology, and a desire to try teaching an introductory course in the way I think is best.
Student Requirements: a computer and a webcam (or at least a microphone). This class would be taught via Zoom. No software installation required, we would be using an online editor.
Length: 2 hours, with a break after the first hour. This is long enough to sink your teeth in, but not long enough to fry your brain.
Target Audience: people who have never programmed before, or maybe tried learning but didn’t get very far. It assumes no prior knowledge of programming, and requires no particular knowledge of computers. If you can use a computer well enough to browse this forum, you can learn to program!
Teaching Methodology: this will be very hands-on. We’ll use the online-python editor, and spend our time exploring the program that that editor loads by default, which just adds two numbers together. A simple concept, but with a surprising amount of depth! I’ve done a trial run of this class with my two roommates (both of whom had never programmed before) and it went well.
Class Size: I think four people is a good starting size. Enough people to spark good discussions, but few enough to make sure no one gets left behind.
Cost: zero dollars!
Date and time: TBD
If you’re interested, let me know!
