JS101 in 2017 - Goals, some new habits/elements for each session, topics

[katjad]

Want to at least start writing this, although quite tired!

So...
First of all, welcome to new members @cranbim and @Nat47 - and thanks to everybody for contributing to the discussion. Also, thanks again @rinse0ut for the JS101 handbook and for starting this discussion!

Key points:

• Mission statement for the group
• Goals for the group this year, and individual goals
• Things to introduce to the sessions
• Suggestions for topics to cover

Mission:
We arrived at the following mission statement which is now in the handbook about page:
A collaborative learning environment for learning Javascript best practises to industry standard.

Goals for the group:

• Release our 'resources collection' project as an app - this of course has already been a goal, but development had slowed down and we got sidetracked. But there seem to be a few people at the moment who are interested in taking it forward and have recently got into React.
• Another goal is to document what we find useful for learning, and document it in the JS101 handbook. This should also become a habit. At each session we look what we could put into the handbook.

Individual goals
We asked what people wanted to get out of the group, and what goals they had. - It seemed quite a few people eventually wanted to get a job in web/JS development. But the collaborating aspect was very strong as well.
@rinse0ut suggested creating a mini questionnaire where new members could enter their goals - I guess we could all do that. Suggestions for questions (from gitter chat)

• Why you are learning JS
• Previous programming experience
• JS Goals
  there was also the suggestion that each session at the beginning we could have something like a 'standup' where we each briefly say how it went in the last 2 weeks, in terms of working towards our goals etc.

Suggestions for coding sessions and topics

• I think many of us agree it would be nice to pair program more. One thing that would be good is we have a presentation on something, and the person presenting also prepares some exercises, perhaps by writing tests that the group can pass. I would quite like to do one on asynchronicity in about a month (21 Jan?) If you have suggestions, please post them!

• @rinse0ut suggested the following as topics, although I think this is a bit much for most in the group ;) But still interesting to keep in mind! Docker would probably be good to use, and it would be great to work towards a PWA, but not sure if we could cover much more!
  Docker
  Elastic Search
  GraphQL
  RxJS
  Progressive Apps
  Micro Services

• As some people will be looking for jobs we could also practice interview questions. Even mock interviews ;) @rinse0ut you will have to do that!

General structure of sessions has been covered by @TimHandy in the JS101 handbook about page.

'Homework' for next time: What should our JS resources App be able to do? think some more about your goals for the coming months. Also, read through JS101 handbook
What we will do next time: @Gicela will give a brief talk about ES6 features, apart from that suggestion is to work on JS Assessment as pair programming exercise

Please add/update!

@CodeHubOrg/js2016

[katjad]

Something I came across before Christmas. For those of us who are not doing FCC but would also like to work on smaller projects than the app inbetween. Actually, I think these are tutorials, so it's different from FCC, but could perhaps give ideas for own projects
https://javascript30.com/

[rinse0ut]

Great write up Katja. JS30 looks full of fun pojects!

…

On 25 Jan 2017 1:57 a.m., "Katja Durrani" ***@***.***> wrote: Something I came across before Christmas. For those of us who are not doing FCC but would also like to work on smaller projects than the app inbetween. Actually, I think these are tutorials, so it's different from FCC, but could perhaps give ideas for own projects https://javascript30.com/ — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#41 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABYlgA1qxX_4Gv_gPq5pD4nPv2N3wuy_ks5rVqv-gaJpZM4LtAZq> .

[Gicela]

Thank you @katjad There is certainly plenty to get on with at our next session 👍

[wingedeel]

Thanks Katja. A very useful write-up and Javascript30 looks great! I found this Front-end Developer Handbook 2017 which gives a great overview of what to learn, with resources: https://frontendmasters.gitbooks.io/front-end-handbook-2017/content/ I'm looking forward to attending the next JS101 session. I've just completed two months as an intern working on app using React and, Dave, alot of your suggestions were used on the project - Elastic Search, GraphQL, Micro Services. I could do a short talk on GraphQL.

…

On Wed, Jan 25, 2017 at 10:38 AM, Gicela ***@***.***> wrote: Thank you @katjad <https://github.com/katjad> There is certainly plenty to get on with at our next session 👍 — You are receiving this because you are on a team that was mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#41 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AARfbnnjnuzTQY4dj1yLCmBw7-ilcsN6ks5rVyYZgaJpZM4LtAZq> .

[katjad]

@wingedeel It would be great if you could give a talk on GraphQL. It sounds kind of mysterious (to me) but would sure be good to learn about it!

Also, wanted to share this. Some of you might have seen this before as is from December, anyway I quite liked it https://medium.freecodecamp.com/react-aha-moments-4b92bd36cc4e#.atv067hix - so I take nr. 5 means we never need to write components as classes? I never liked that! Can your write all components as functions?

Something else. Met up with ajara this evening, and she seemed interested in being a Scrum master for our project. She just did a 2-day Scrum master training in London 2 weeks ago, and this would be good practice for her. So she'd sometimes join the meetups, and we'd define sprints and so on. I don't know much about scrum but it sounded very good and a way to keep up the commitment. What do you think? We just need good ideas what we actually want the app could/should do! It does not even necessarily need to be a about JS resources. It could be anything you want to keep a record off.

@CodeHubOrg/js2016

[wingedeel]

That's a great article, Katja. Thanks. One of the big things I've had to get my head round recently is the various ways to implement React components. In most cases you write a component as a simple stateless functional component (ideally in ES6 syntax) with props passed in. If the component needs to be more complex and maintain state, use lifecycle methods you write the component as a class (extending React.Component - not in the old way which was using React.createClass) Shall I do a short talk on React components on February 7th JS101?

…

On Wed, Jan 25, 2017 at 11:24 PM, Katja Durrani ***@***.***> wrote: You might have seen this before, just came across it and quite liked it https://medium.freecodecamp.com/react-aha-moments-4b92bd36cc4e#.atv067hix - so I take nr. 5 means we never need to write components as classes? I never liked that! Can your write all components as functions? Something else. Met up with ajara this evening, and she seemed interested in being a Scrum master for our project. She just did a 2-day Scrum master training in London 2 weeks ago, and this would be good practice for her. So she'd sometimes join the meetups, and we'd define sprints and so on. I don't know much about scrum but it sounded very good and a way to keep up the commitment. What do you think? We just need good ideas what we actually want the app could/should do! It does not even necessarily need to be a about JS resources. It could be anything you want to keep a record off. — You are receiving this because you are on a team that was mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#41 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AARfbrSTAwwb8g73cP9NyXOiPw19Q5Exks5rV9nCgaJpZM4LtAZq> .

[Gicela]

It will be great to have Ajara on board. Managing our time is proving challenging! 👍

[STRAYKR]

I've been slowly working through some of these... they're good. I really like Wes Bos.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2017 at 01:57 Katja Durrani ***@***.***> wrote: Something I came across before Christmas. For those of us who are not doing FCC but would also like to work on smaller projects than the app inbetween. Actually, I think these are tutorials, so it's different from FCC, but could perhaps give ideas for own projects https://javascript30.com/ — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#41 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AM4h8BSYvvfCZwnmm8cxc6IDhlXAuaq_ks5rVqv-gaJpZM4LtAZq> .

-- Tim Handy | 07415 798 404

[STRAYKR]

You'll have to explain that one to me Katja next week. I don't geddit?

On Wed, 25 Jan 2017 at 23:24 Katja Durrani ***@***.***> wrote: You might have seen this before, just came across it and quite liked it https://medium.freecodecamp.com/react-aha-moments-4b92bd36cc4e#.atv067hix - so I take nr. 5 means we never need to write components as classes? I never liked that! Can your write all components as functions? Something else. Met up with ajara this evening, and she seemed interested in being a Scrum master for our project. She just did a 2-day Scrum master training in London 2 weeks ago, and this would be good practice for her. So she'd sometimes join the meetups, and we'd define sprints and so on. I don't know much about scrum but it sounded very good and a way to keep up the commitment. What do you think? We just need good ideas what we actually want the app could/should do! It does not even necessarily need to be a about JS resources. It could be anything you want to keep a record off. — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#41 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AM4h8L6LTX1hKCEx3ahmNKBlkCrE-uycks5rV9nCgaJpZM4LtAZq> .

-- Tim Handy | 07415 798 404

[STRAYKR]

Yes, I have found when learning React it took ages to realise that depending on where you read (and how old the resource you're reading is, even 6 months is old!) the styles can be way different. I should have read the official docs sooner; they're good! Lesson learned. I now ignore the React.createClass and associated initial State functions when I see them used.

On Thu, 26 Jan 2017 at 10:41 wingedeel ***@***.***> wrote: That's a great article, Katja. Thanks. One of the big things I've had to get my head round recently is the various ways to implement React components. In most cases you write a component as a simple stateless functional component (ideally in ES6 syntax) with props passed in. If the component needs to be more complex and maintain state, use lifecycle methods you write the component as a class (extending React.Component - not in the old way which was using React.createClass) Shall I do a short talk on React components on February 7th JS101? On Wed, Jan 25, 2017 at 11:24 PM, Katja Durrani ***@***.***> wrote: > You might have seen this before, just came across it and quite liked it > https://medium.freecodecamp.com/react-aha-moments-4b92bd36cc4e#.atv067hix > - so I take nr. 5 means we never need to write components as classes? I > never liked that! Can your write all components as functions? > > Something else. Met up with ajara this evening, and she seemed interested > in being a Scrum master for our project. She just did a 2-day Scrum master > training in London 2 weeks ago, and this would be good practice for her. So > she'd sometimes join the meetups, and we'd define sprints and so on. I > don't know much about scrum but it sounded very good and a way to keep up > the commitment. What do you think? We just need good ideas what we actually > want the app could/should do! It does not even necessarily need to be a > about JS resources. It could be anything you want to keep a record off. > > — > You are receiving this because you are on a team that was mentioned. > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > < #41 (comment) >, > or mute the thread > < https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AARfbrSTAwwb8g73cP9NyXOiPw19Q5Exks5rV9nCgaJpZM4LtAZq > > . > — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#41 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AM4h8E1W4oFBfI5j2hrJMrty1-gVOZNaks5rWHhTgaJpZM4LtAZq> .

-- Tim Handy | 07415 798 404

[cranbim]

I've been taking a look at the homework for this week.

As a newbie, my answers to the suggested questions are:

Why am I learning JS?
I am learning JS, but to strengthen my Computer Science/programming journey generally, rather than specifically to create web apps or sites as my main focus. I have been on a journey learning creative coding and it just happened that p5.js was part of that.

Coding experience
I have been learning coding through online learning tools and my own projects part time over 3 years. Mainly in Processing (Java based) and p5.js + pure JS. Very little DOM, CSS, website creation. I have been using JS as an actual programming language more than as a way to interact with, or present data to the DOM. Nothing commercial.
I have built functional sites in Wordpress, but always with configuring plugins, never touching PHP except to mod a few things.

JS101 looks to be a great fit for building up my coding skills generally, and along the way I will learn new specific skills (such as react, which is new to me).

My Personal Goals for this year.

• Learn a framework and be able to create a robust web app as a wrapper for my creative coding work, rather than just stand-alone code.
• Build up good skills, best practice, and coding muscle (so things like git, pair programming and learning as part of a group should help with this).
• Continue to build up my coding maths, CS and creative coding skills
• Get a digital art project exhibited somewhere
• Learn some machine learning, and utilise within a creative coding project.