Code Fellows 401 Python

The materials in this documentation support the Python Dev Accelerator program at Code Fellows in Seattle, WA.

Overview

A quick read on the objectives, philosophy and values held by Code Fellows and followed by this Course.

Course Objectives

  • Acquire strong and idiomatic skills as a Python programmer
  • Achieve a deep understanding of the full environment in which web programming occurs, from sockets up to frameworks.
  • Develop the evaluative criteria to choose the right tool for the job.
  • Build facility with associated technologies: git, HTML, CSS, Javascript.
  • Gain mastery of the fundamental skills of agile development, testing, deployment and teamwork.

Learning Philosophy

  • Give students new super powers: http://assets.codefellows.org/UserSuperPowers.pdf

  • Use experiential teaching techniques to make learning easier & faster

  • David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle and Learning Styles:

    “David Kolb identified four types activities in the adult education process that must all be performed to achieve true understanding: Concrete Experience -> Reflective Observation -> Abstract Conceptualization -> Active Experimentation. Each stage is mutually supportive of and feeds into the next. It is possible to enter the cycle at any stage and follow it through around the circle.”

    Review: http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html

  • Kathy Sierra’s Badass User Talk and Edge Practice

    • Practice Makes Permanent
      • If you could do one thing to make your users more badass, provide them with repeated exposure to the performance, process, and results of badass users. (models)
    • Edge Practice: a progressive series of exercises, each designed to build a fine-grained skill within 1 to 3 sessions.
    • Edge / deliberate practice is NOT the same as tutorials. High-quality, low-latency feedback. Example: play this short musical passage with no mistakes, at this speed in this key.
    • Optional further reading: http://justingoeres.tumblr.com/post/32669772969/live-from-bos2012-building-a-minimum-badass-user

  • Chunking

  • Tight feedback loops

    • The sooner you know you are off course, the quicker you can correct
    • Spending time practicing the right things will most effectively improve your skills

  • Approach this bootcamp like a Graduate Seminar

    • I’m standing in the front of the room, but you all have your own areas of expertise
    • I respect your areas of expertise
    • I expect you to bring them to bear in this class.
    • I will show you a door, but I expect you to go through it and journey on beyond

  • Code Fellows Values

    • Best practices

      Learning to program in Python is about more than just learning logic, algorithms and data structures. It’s about learning to write idiomatic Python. Python lends itself to clear, expressive programs, and learning to write the most pythonic Python will result in programs that are clean and easy to understand. But more than that, idiomatic Python is Python that operates to the strengths of the language. Throughout the course, an emphasis will be placed on writing truly pythonic Python, and on learning to evaluate what is pythonic.

    • BDD

      Behavior Driven Development outlines an application’s expected features and functionality first, before the coding begins. As Dan North says “Behavior is a more useful word than test”. Focusing on the behavior of an application reduces question of what to test, what to call the tests, and which things to test.

    • Engaging communication. We help people pay attention.

      “Activities are designed to fully engage the learning process. We encourage reflection, experimentation, play, communication and professional growth.”

    • Build upon fundamentals. Break it in to pieces, put the pieces together.

    • Paths and Sandboxes

      “A path is a prescribed series of steps that get completed one after another. It’s your classic tutorial. A sandbox is a collaborative learning space that values exploration, play, and generating autonomy. While there are many paths to Python learning online, it’s harder to provide a great example of a sandbox. That is why we are gathered here together in person at this Code Fellows Bootcamp. It’s why we don’t focus on creating yet another path for you to follow. “

The Honor Code:

As members of the Code Fellows community, each of us upholds and supports a high standard of personal, and community, honesty and integrity. We believe these values are critical to a community dedicated to learning, personal development, and a search for understanding. We consider them essential in promoting personal responsibility, moral and intellectual leadership, and pride in ourselves and our organization.

Therefore, each of us agrees to represent ourselves truthfully, claim only work that is our own, properly attribute collaborations, and engage honestly in all assignments. Moreover, each of us shares the responsibility for encouraging and reinforcing the importance of integrity in other community members. Members of the Code Fellows community who misrepresent themselves or their work through cheating, fabrication, facilitation, plagiarism, etc, or who suspect another of such misrepresentation are expected to follow the Reporting Procedures outlined. Code Fellows instructors and leaders reserve the right to remove any students or graduates who fail to live up to these standards from bootcamps, classes, or other parts of community membership, as appropriate.

Consistent with the basic expectations of the Honor Code, students who believe they may have violated Code Fellows’ standards of integrity are expected to acknowledge their concerns to the instructor in the class or to Code Fellows staff. Moreover, a student who observes what may be any dishonest behavior on the part of another student is expected to share that concern with the student immediately. At that point, if either student believes that an Honor Code violation may have occurred, the student observed is expected to self-report the incident immediately to the instructor in the class or to his or her or administrative adviser. Self-reporting does not constitute an admission of guilt but is an essential step, necessary to prevent misunderstanding and apprehensions. Within three class days, the observer will also contact a member of Code Fellows management to insure that the self-report has indeed taken place. The instructor will review the elements of the complaint, and if the instructor believes that the Honor Code has been violated, he or she will contact a member of Code Fellows management, who will take appropriate action.

Diversity and Equality

Don’t be a hater, we are all here in this together, and want to create a welcoming environment for everyone here. A Code Fellow works to widen access to computer science education and ensure it is open to all.

Non-discrimination policy:

As a part of our honor code, in order to maintain personal and communal integrity, Code Fellows is committed to the principle that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, services, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by Code Fellows policy and/or applicable laws.

Code Fellows prohibits discrimination, harassment and bullying against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religion, gender, sexual or affectional orientation, gender identity, appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Code Fellows expects that its students, employees, volunteers, members, and other constituents of Code Fellows, when and where ever those individuals are conducting Code Fellows business or participating in Code Fellows classes, events, or activities, shall maintain an environment free of discrimination, including harassment, bullying, or retaliation.

Pre-Work

This document contains no slides.

The 401 Python class moves fast through a large quantity of material. Having a level of comfort with the basic skills you’ll be using every day is vital to your success.

From the pre-work assignments below, please select the area in which you are the weakest. Begin by working on that. Once you have spent at least 10 hours on that area, select your next weakest area and move on to that.

You do not need to do a lot of work every day. One hour is enough, though just. The key is to work every single day. Do not let a day go by without spending your time practicing.

Course Schedule

Under Construction

Week 01

The theme for the week is Python, Python, Python!

Week 02

The theme of the week is communications: sockets and HTTP

Week 03

The theme of the week is Pyramid.

Week 04

The theme of the week is APIs

Week 05

The theme of the week is “Get It Done!”

It’s PROJECT WEEK!!!

Week 06

The theme for the week is statistics.

Week 07

The theme for the week is Django Views.

Week 08

The theme for the week is Django Security and Deployment.

Week 09

The theme for the week is automation.

Week 10

The theme of the week is “Almost Home!”

This is PROJECT WEEK!

All Course materials

Direct links to all course materials, without reference to schedule

Under Construction

Lecture Notes

This is a comprehensive list of the lectures for this course. Lectures are often available both as HTML and as slides. Slides will be presented in class, but the full HTML will serve as long-form lecture notes.

Assignments

A comprehensive list of assignments. Not in any particular order.