Thursday, March 23, 2017
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Not even sure you can call this an interview...
Ok so here's what went down:
Around the second week, I emailed 3 different iOS App Development teachers. The only one who responded (so far) is Chris Ching, who runs 'Code With Chris', an online service that offers lots of tutorial videos for learning XCode, where you pay upwards of $100 to have access to all of his resources.
When he emailed me back, he said specifically that he didn't want to do a video interview because he didn't want to give away any account names or emails (I emailed him through a link on his website that didn't actually show his email and he responded with an email that apparently I could not reply to), so he told me that I could send another message with the questions that I wanted to ask, and he'd be happy to answer them for me.
So I came up with a few questions that I wanted to ask:
1. After learning the basics of XCode and Swift, what are the next things that I should learn to be able to make a good app?
2. What is the best way to learn each individual new development skill?
3. What challenges did you have when you were learning to develop apps, and how did you get past them?
He responded about 3 days later, and I couldn't have loved his response any more...
His email back to me was hilarious. It kind of answered my questions, but it seemed like he was really just trying to sell me his service. Also, at points he just totally switch topics without any transitioning, so I got a little suspicious. I went back on his website to contact him again, clicked on the courses page (because I forgot that the contact button was just on the bottom of every page), and saw the best thing I've seen on this whole entire month-long journey. The descriptions of his services were exactly the same as the answers to my questions! I literally laughed out loud at how much he just didn't care at all.
Nevertheless, here's what he sent me: (I sorted it into the different responses (if you can call them responses) to each of my questions)
1.
The entire course is split into 5 modules and you’ll be building a different app in each one:
MODULE 1: ORIENTATION
Get familiar with the tools and build your first Hello World app
In Module 1, you’ll get your introduction to app building on the iOS platform and also get your feet wet by completing your first simple iPhone app! You’ll get a tour of the development environment and learn about the components that make up an app.
MODULE 2: WAR CARD GAME
Build a War card game app!
In Module 2, you’ll build a War card game where you’ll learn about Xcode, the view, adding buttons and images to the view, hooking up the user interface to handle interaction, the basics of object oriented programming and some basic Swift code.
MODULE 3: CARD MATCH APP
Build a card matching game!
In Module 3, you’ll build a Card Match application where you’ll reinforce the knowledge gained from Module 1 as well as learn new concepts such as doing more complicated layouts, using scrollable views, adding animations, adding sounds and using timers. You’ll also learn how to pop up message boxes to alert the user, add an app icon, add a launch screen and more Swift coding concepts so that you can express more complicated logic.
MODULE 4: QUIZ APP
Build a quiz app!
In Module 4, you’ll build a Quiz app that gets the questions from reading a data file on the device. Then we’re going to take it a step further and make the app read the data file across the internet by placing the data file on our own server. In the process of building the quiz app, you’ll learn how to support landscape orientation in addition to portrait, you’ll do more animations, you’ll be presenting modal views to the user, using scrollable views, creating custom views and saving scores and other data to the device.
MODULE 5: NEWSREADER RSS APP
Build an RSS news reader app!
In Module 5, you’ll build an RSS app where you’ll learn how to create an app with multiple screens and how to navigate between them. You’ll be working with feed parsing classes to download and parse an RSS feed across the internet. Then you’ll display those stories in the feed to the user in a scrollable list. You’ll also learn how to use web views to present the web content from within the app.
(this is the list of things that you do in his beginner course...)
2.
THE LEARNING FRAMEWORK IS BASED ON 3 PILLARS
1. PROJECT BASED LEARNING
From my own experience and failures, I’ve discovered that the fastest and best way to learn is by doing. Nothing can replace the learning that takes place in your mind when you hit a road block and overcome it.
That’s why I’ve designed my courses to teach via working on actual app projects. I won’t drill theory and concepts into you non-stop. Instead, you’ll be building apps with me in an “over-the-shoulder” style and I’ll point things out to you as you need it along the way.
You’ll be building your iOS programming skills by constructing 4 different apps in increasing difficulty. Each of the apps will introduce new skills and concepts and build upon the previous concepts that were taught.
This is a fun, goal oriented and practical way to learn new concepts and to reinforce material learned in previous lessons.
By the end, you’ll have built 4 fully functional apps on your own!
2. KNOWLEDGE REINFORCEMENT AND INCENTIVES
I know people can get really excited and blaze through each lesson. That’s why under each lesson, I’ve designed a series of questions that checks if you’ve gotten the key concepts of the lesson. Then at the end of each module, there’s an “exam” containing every single quiz question from the lessons in that module.
These quizzes and exams are optional but it’s in your best interest to take them. Furthermore, you’ll get some cool badges to show off if you score 100% on the exams.
3. TEACHER SUPPORT
I mentioned that the best way to learn is by doing and overcoming obstacles. Well, I’m here to help you every part of the way.
I answer all student questions myself. No assistants or customer support agents here. If you have a question, just join in on the discussion below each lesson and you’ll get a personal response from me in a timely manner.
I’ll help you get “unstuck” so that you can spend your time making progress instead of pulling your hair out!
(and this is straight out of the overall description of all his classes from the website...)
3.
I’ve worked with over 3000 students and I noticed a pattern
Over the last 3 years, I’ve worked with over 3000 students through my courses to learn iOS development and I’ve noticed a pattern.
Those who succeed go on to publish app after app
However, those that give up all fail because of the same reason
I call this phenomemom “The Hump”
Let me explain,
This is the spot where students realize that things are more difficult or requires more effort than they thought.
It’s that point when they feel their first frustrating road block and they don’t know how to proceed.
It’s that point where they feel helpless and lost.
It’s that point when they feel like maybe coding just isn’t the thing for them.
Everyone who has successfully built an app has gone through that point
If you stop here, you’re really doing yourself a disservice because just a tiny bit more effort and you’ll push past it. When you make it past “The Hump”, something magical happens and I’ve seen it time and time again in students.
Something just clicks. Suddenly instead of feelings of frustration, it’s feelings of confidence and rising up to face the challenge. You’ve suddenly gained the confidence that you can solve anything in your way. The feeling that things aren’t hopeless and that you ARE made for this.
Suddenly you can only see the unexplored open field ahead of you. There’s so much to learn!
And you feel like you can learn it all!
(if you haven't noticed the pattern, this is from the website too...)
Around the second week, I emailed 3 different iOS App Development teachers. The only one who responded (so far) is Chris Ching, who runs 'Code With Chris', an online service that offers lots of tutorial videos for learning XCode, where you pay upwards of $100 to have access to all of his resources.
When he emailed me back, he said specifically that he didn't want to do a video interview because he didn't want to give away any account names or emails (I emailed him through a link on his website that didn't actually show his email and he responded with an email that apparently I could not reply to), so he told me that I could send another message with the questions that I wanted to ask, and he'd be happy to answer them for me.
So I came up with a few questions that I wanted to ask:
1. After learning the basics of XCode and Swift, what are the next things that I should learn to be able to make a good app?
2. What is the best way to learn each individual new development skill?
3. What challenges did you have when you were learning to develop apps, and how did you get past them?
He responded about 3 days later, and I couldn't have loved his response any more...
His email back to me was hilarious. It kind of answered my questions, but it seemed like he was really just trying to sell me his service. Also, at points he just totally switch topics without any transitioning, so I got a little suspicious. I went back on his website to contact him again, clicked on the courses page (because I forgot that the contact button was just on the bottom of every page), and saw the best thing I've seen on this whole entire month-long journey. The descriptions of his services were exactly the same as the answers to my questions! I literally laughed out loud at how much he just didn't care at all.
Nevertheless, here's what he sent me: (I sorted it into the different responses (if you can call them responses) to each of my questions)
1.
The entire course is split into 5 modules and you’ll be building a different app in each one:
MODULE 1: ORIENTATION
Get familiar with the tools and build your first Hello World app
In Module 1, you’ll get your introduction to app building on the iOS platform and also get your feet wet by completing your first simple iPhone app! You’ll get a tour of the development environment and learn about the components that make up an app.
MODULE 2: WAR CARD GAME
Build a War card game app!
In Module 2, you’ll build a War card game where you’ll learn about Xcode, the view, adding buttons and images to the view, hooking up the user interface to handle interaction, the basics of object oriented programming and some basic Swift code.
MODULE 3: CARD MATCH APP
Build a card matching game!
In Module 3, you’ll build a Card Match application where you’ll reinforce the knowledge gained from Module 1 as well as learn new concepts such as doing more complicated layouts, using scrollable views, adding animations, adding sounds and using timers. You’ll also learn how to pop up message boxes to alert the user, add an app icon, add a launch screen and more Swift coding concepts so that you can express more complicated logic.
MODULE 4: QUIZ APP
Build a quiz app!
In Module 4, you’ll build a Quiz app that gets the questions from reading a data file on the device. Then we’re going to take it a step further and make the app read the data file across the internet by placing the data file on our own server. In the process of building the quiz app, you’ll learn how to support landscape orientation in addition to portrait, you’ll do more animations, you’ll be presenting modal views to the user, using scrollable views, creating custom views and saving scores and other data to the device.
MODULE 5: NEWSREADER RSS APP
Build an RSS news reader app!
In Module 5, you’ll build an RSS app where you’ll learn how to create an app with multiple screens and how to navigate between them. You’ll be working with feed parsing classes to download and parse an RSS feed across the internet. Then you’ll display those stories in the feed to the user in a scrollable list. You’ll also learn how to use web views to present the web content from within the app.
(this is the list of things that you do in his beginner course...)
2.
THE LEARNING FRAMEWORK IS BASED ON 3 PILLARS
1. PROJECT BASED LEARNING
From my own experience and failures, I’ve discovered that the fastest and best way to learn is by doing. Nothing can replace the learning that takes place in your mind when you hit a road block and overcome it.
That’s why I’ve designed my courses to teach via working on actual app projects. I won’t drill theory and concepts into you non-stop. Instead, you’ll be building apps with me in an “over-the-shoulder” style and I’ll point things out to you as you need it along the way.
You’ll be building your iOS programming skills by constructing 4 different apps in increasing difficulty. Each of the apps will introduce new skills and concepts and build upon the previous concepts that were taught.
This is a fun, goal oriented and practical way to learn new concepts and to reinforce material learned in previous lessons.
By the end, you’ll have built 4 fully functional apps on your own!
2. KNOWLEDGE REINFORCEMENT AND INCENTIVES
I know people can get really excited and blaze through each lesson. That’s why under each lesson, I’ve designed a series of questions that checks if you’ve gotten the key concepts of the lesson. Then at the end of each module, there’s an “exam” containing every single quiz question from the lessons in that module.
These quizzes and exams are optional but it’s in your best interest to take them. Furthermore, you’ll get some cool badges to show off if you score 100% on the exams.
3. TEACHER SUPPORT
I mentioned that the best way to learn is by doing and overcoming obstacles. Well, I’m here to help you every part of the way.
I answer all student questions myself. No assistants or customer support agents here. If you have a question, just join in on the discussion below each lesson and you’ll get a personal response from me in a timely manner.
I’ll help you get “unstuck” so that you can spend your time making progress instead of pulling your hair out!
(and this is straight out of the overall description of all his classes from the website...)
3.
I’ve worked with over 3000 students and I noticed a pattern
Over the last 3 years, I’ve worked with over 3000 students through my courses to learn iOS development and I’ve noticed a pattern.
Those who succeed go on to publish app after app
However, those that give up all fail because of the same reason
I call this phenomemom “The Hump”
Let me explain,
This is the spot where students realize that things are more difficult or requires more effort than they thought.
It’s that point when they feel their first frustrating road block and they don’t know how to proceed.
It’s that point where they feel helpless and lost.
It’s that point when they feel like maybe coding just isn’t the thing for them.
Everyone who has successfully built an app has gone through that point
If you stop here, you’re really doing yourself a disservice because just a tiny bit more effort and you’ll push past it. When you make it past “The Hump”, something magical happens and I’ve seen it time and time again in students.
Something just clicks. Suddenly instead of feelings of frustration, it’s feelings of confidence and rising up to face the challenge. You’ve suddenly gained the confidence that you can solve anything in your way. The feeling that things aren’t hopeless and that you ARE made for this.
Suddenly you can only see the unexplored open field ahead of you. There’s so much to learn!
And you feel like you can learn it all!
(if you haven't noticed the pattern, this is from the website too...)