Slides for LA Ruby Conf presentation: http://larubyconf.com/presentations/4

1. Teaching Ruby to Kids
Or, how to do your part for world domination.
Sarah Mei
Saturday, February 20, 2010 1

2. Ohai
• sarahmei (twitter, github...)
• Software engineer @ Pivotal Labs
• Teaching is my hobby
• Workshops for adults
• Workshops for kids
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3. Why?
Most programming instructors = FAIL.
Programming is becoming part of basic literacy.
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4. Why should you teach?
• It’s rewarding to spread your excitement about
programming to someone else.
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5. Why should you teach?
• It’s rewarding to spread your excitement about
programming to someone else. (blah, blah, blah...)
• Teaching leads to learning
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6. Teaching: not rocket science
• You already have all the tools you need
• You already use all the techniques you need
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7. Agile teaching
Look familiar?
• Set goals
• Form a plan, but expect to adapt
• Keep iterations short
• Listen to the customer
• Deploy continuously and listen to feedback
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8. Set goals
Specific, immediate, measurable, achievable
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9. I want Aiden to grow
up to be a developer.
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10. I want Emma to get
interested in
programming.
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11. I want Lily to be so
excited that she
explores things on her
own after we’re done.
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12. I want Jack to enjoy
programming so much
that he looks forward
to the next time.
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13. I want Ada to be my
little clone being so I
can subcontract work
out to her when she
turns 10.
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14. I want the kids to leave
excited about what they
can build, with enough
tools to keep exploring.
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15. Form a plan
(but expect to adapt)
• Also known as, “what do I start with?”
• Keep your goals in mind.
• Tools:
• Shoes
• Hackety Hack
• Small Ruby
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16. Notice a theme?
• Kids love anything visual
• They also love anything interactive
• irb: compelling for adults.
• (Maybe.)
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17. Your plan
• Install all the tools you might use on all the
computers the kids have access to.
• Start small
• Use teh intarwebz
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18. Keep iterations short
• Your “lesson plan” should be a series of
very small steps
• 15 minutes or less
• Visual change
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19. Listen to the customer
• Follow tangents!
• Don’t stick to a plan because it’s the plan
• Don’t worry about “finishing”
• Look for teachable moments
• Look for signs they’ve turned off
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20. Deploy continuously
• Teaching is a learned skill.
• Take all the opportunities you can to teach.
• talks at your local meetup
• pair programming
• summer camps, etc., need volunteers
• National Lab Day
• In SF, I always need teachers for introductory
workshops
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21. Expect some things you
try to fall flat.
Keep at it.
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22. To sum up
• You should teach.
• You can teach.
• Agile is for more than just development.
• Practice.
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23. Questions
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