More than just two computing courses
Some of my friends would know that mobile app development is one of my first few choices for my uni minor. It stemmed from an interest to create apps for my children in the future as I've noticed them being very drawn to technology related things. To explore this interest further, I signed up for two IT courses, one on mobile app development and another on web app development.
Along the way, I became more aware of the workings behind the different codes, and the reason why certain apps are less user friendly (raising my expectations for apps x))
I also came across various educational technologies that are ready for educators to use (eg. BoomLearning, BookWidgets, Thunkable, WordWall, Quizizz). Some of them might not have the interface i dream of, but are rather functional and convenient to complement learning.
I worked so hard and dedicated so much time and energy for mobile app dev, and sought a lot of help to accomplish a humble Pomodorocket (it is a timer & to-do app). Here is the screen-recording of the interface and my use of different screens, buttons, animations, pop-ups and a countdown component.
The process made me realize the vast amount of time i needed to invest into this study---from researching, debugging, setting-up to everything. I had to spread myself thin over other summer plans I had, that are related to ece, volunteering, freelancing, and other interests.
I discovered that for me to be a good app developer for my kids, the opportunity cost is huge. I have to ensure I gain ample experience and mastery into the programming language/world of coding, usually at the expense of other commitments.
Yet, through seeking for help all over the place to write the code for the app above, I got to know my friend's mentor through zoom, and he invested 11 hours across two nights to help me with the debugging and cleaning up of the code, even though it is not a programming language he was familiar with, and despite having other commitments himself, and not knowing me personally. He said, "I know the feeling of starting out as a beginner programmer."
His words and actions struck me. I discovered humanity amidst the hard and structured frame of computer science.
Society has always been honoring people in the social sectors for their dedication and contribution as 'front-liners' who provide a personal touch to empowering others, be it beneficiaries or anyone under their care. And I really agree with this too, because these people are the ones on the ground, and they invest a lot of time effort emotions physical and mental strength in supporting the people they interact with.
It was through my 11 hours of interaction with this mentor that I understood that it is a stereotype to say that programming is only for opportunists (due to industrial revolution)/nerds/the 'cold-hearted', just because they deal with lesser humans.
Perhaps i can never justify/understand the reason behind the huge income difference between people working in the science sector versus those working in the social sectors, but I came to realize many intrinsic values that are required in this science field. However, my views can be myopic given my short experience, but the past 1.5 months has taught me how precious it is for programmers to be:
1. merticulous (when analyzing codes)
2. patient & persistent (in troubleshooting)
3. kind (when helping noobies debug things they (programmers) do not have an ownership for)
4. adventurous (in trying out new methods to problem-solve)
5. courageous (in braving the unknown and making mistakes)
At the point of writing this entry, I am left with the last two sessions of the second course, and I'm utterly grateful that both courses are claimable and their assignments do not have strict requirements. That is because I know that programming languages are evolving really rapidly and the fact that I wouldn't be able to fully devote my current self into this area of study. For the time being, I just want to invest more time into bettering my teaching practices and in developing greater insights for ece, while taking care of the other commitments I have.
Despite computer science being an extremely lucrative industry, I feel that I still treasure the power of human-touch in the pursuit of my career. I'm going to take one step at a time, but I will not stop being on the look-out for how I can use different types of technology/non-tech methods to give my children the best learning experience :)
Here is the logo I drew for my Mobile App, Pomodorocket :)
