Lightning Talk: Learning to Program

by Dave Woodall

In this lightning talk titled "Learning to Program", Dave Woodall shares his personal journey of transitioning into programming, focusing on his experiences with Ruby on Rails and the steps he's taken towards becoming a junior developer.

Key Points Discussed:

Background: Dave started learning to program about a year and a half ago without any formal background in business or design. He emphasizes the importance of Rails and Ruby in solving business problems, which motivated his learning journey.
Initial Learning: Discovery of programming began with four months of self-study, engaging with a variety of books and online tutorials from platforms like Lynda. He emphasizes starting with the vocabulary of programming concepts.
Hacker Academies and Code Academy: After a pivotal discussion with a colleague, Mike, Dave joined Code Academy. Here he completed a three-month course on building CRUD applications, which significantly advanced his skills.
Career Transition: Returning to Colorado, Dave reflects on the challenges of transitioning from basic CRUD app development to a professional developer role. He researched the paths of past Code Academy graduates to better understand this transition.
Stages of Development: He outlines his personal roadmap using defined stages towards becoming a junior developer:
- Internship: A short-term engagement (1-3 months) partnering with a development shop.
- Apprenticeship: A medium-term role (6-9 months) involving mentorship and real project work.
Current Endeavors: Dave is currently working on a project with Mike who is guiding him in writing user stories, which presents him with both challenges and learning opportunities.
Future Goals: Dave’s ambitious target is to transition from a CRUD developer to a junior developer within eight to twelve months.

In conclusion, Dave's journey illustrates the importance of structured learning, mentorship, and gradual exposure to real-world development processes. His story emphasizes determination and a clear path towards achieving programming proficiency.

00:00:07.040 I'm Dave Woodall. I started learning to program about a year and a half ago. I didn't have any background in business or design. I actually created the t-shirt you see here, so I hope you like it.

00:00:18.720 I'm trying to chart a new path because Rails and Ruby are incredible. I have heard a lot of good things, and I felt like they could solve many of my business problems, but I didn't know how to get started. I've been working with Mike Gehart, and he suggested that I share my story to see if it helps anyone. This is a quick synopsis of where I've come from.

00:00:38.879 I first started with four months of self-study, which is pretty common. I focused on learning the vocabulary by reading a lot of books and taking Lynda tutorials. About a year ago, I had lunch with Mike for the first time, and I told him, 'Mike, I know what an array is, but I have no idea what it does. How do you actually use this stuff?' He advised me to check out the Hacker Academies. So, I ended up going to Code Academy, where I learned how to build CRUD apps in a three-month process. It was incredible to get everything moving.

00:01:22.799 After I returned to Colorado, I faced the question of what lies between building CRUD apps and becoming a developer. I wanted to understand the gap and how substantial that distance is. Being in the third class of Code Academy, I observed the paths of two classes that went before me and began asking them questions about their journeys to junior developer roles.

00:01:36.079 This is the path I'm currently trying to navigate: transitioning from CRUD to intern to apprentice, and ultimately to junior developer. I've defined these stages based on what I've learned. An internship, for instance, is typically a one to three-month period where you partner with a development shop. You immerse yourself in a community while working on a personal project. Elaine previously mentioned the 28 things; there's so much to learn, but it often goes unaddressed. This internship phase is when you really focus.

00:02:09.280 I'm currently working on a project with Mike, who is helping me write user stories while I strive to fulfill them. This presents a fair amount of pressure, but if I complete that three-month phase, I'll move to an apprenticeship. This will involve working on company projects—likely not with Pivotal, but any development opportunity that arises. This apprenticeship typically lasts six to nine months and includes regular mentorship, like a 30-minute check-in daily with mentors, similar to what some people are doing in Chicago.

00:02:54.720 My aspiration is to continue progressing through these stages. From CRUD to junior developer, my aggressive goal is to make that leap in eight to twelve months. If all goes well, I hope to achieve that soon. Thank you for listening!