Hello Code Academy!

I'm back! In the States, that is, and although I plan on writing a few more posts about the final weeks in Kenya and just generally about my experience, this post is about what's next: Code Academy.

I've done some work on the Urban Worm this year and have actually learned quite a bit about setting up a basic ecommerce site, but I've always been very frustrated by my limitations in customizing the design of the Urban Worm and in adding functionality to the site, and that frustration goes way beyond just the Urban Worm. There are plenty of new sites and web applications I've wanted to build but have never had the knowledge required. Enter Code Academy - a beginner focused, 12 week course that will give me all the skills required to not only blow up the Urban Worm into something way cooler but to also build any new site I dream up (check out Look About You for one idea in particular). Last week was the first week of the course, and as a part of the program my classmates and I have been asked to blog at least once weekly about our experience in the program and our paths to becoming coders. Here it goes.

Week one was awesome. We'll primarily learn the Ruby on Rails framework, and I learned more in eight hours of instructed class time than I would have in months of self teaching. I've found that the practical, hands-on Code Academy approach to learning is much more enjoyable (and probably more useful) than what I'd likely pick up in a community college type course focused more on theory. The program is filled with a bunch of very interesting and motivated folks with whom I'm particularly excited to learn, and each of us has been paired up with a local mentor - a Ruby on Rails developer who works within the Chicago tech scene. So far, the learning environment and program has been top notch, and I can't wait to see what the Code Academy community accomplishes by the end of the twelve weeks.

More thoughts to come on week two and with any luck, I'll be able to chronicle more than just thoughts in these posts...I'm hoping to show off some new applications soon (that I build!)!