Project 20 - That Code Click - Introduction

I like it when things click. When I’m programming I love that moment where things go together perfectly, and I love that moment in my own brain when a topic suddenly snaps into focus. I also like when I’m working with students and I see that moment for them.

via GIPHY

This next project is my attempt to share that feeling and to help people learn about all of the stuff in computing that I think is really cool. It’s a chance to look at how things work, how things fit together, how things were designed and how those elegant moments in problem solving come to be.

I hope this is a chance for me to stretch my writing, teaching and communication skills. Additionally there are a lot of other technical skills I should pick up such as video production and things like that. It’ll also be a nice chance to chase down those topics I’m interested in, but never really have the time to manage while I’m teaching (and then forget about when I’m not teaching).

For the short term I’m going to simply create a few written articles and upload them here while I start building out the idea. In the longer term I’d like to see a blog and then maybe a fully dedicated website to host those articles and other supporting material.

For this first iteration of the project, I’m planning to write one article on “Counting in Binary on Your Fingers” a fun trick I always enjoy using to introduce binary numbers. I’d like to get that finished some time before November 29, including text and my own photos to illustrate. I'll also put together a list of future topics I'm thinking of. If you happen to have a great computing "click" you'd like to suggest, let me know.

Blog: Favourite YouTube Videos (Volume 54)

This volume of my favourite YouTube videos sings us a song, then doodles us some math and some art.

• First, Nataly Dawn (the less bearded half of Pomplamoose) sings to us about Areceli. 
• Next, ViHeart tackles the boredom  of parabolas and doodles her way to ... well, I won't spoil it...
• Finally TEKSTArtist draws the Holstee manifesto. This is your LIFE...

Blog: Favourite YouTube Videos (Volume 32)

This volume of my favourite YouTube Videos we get everything we could need about video game history, dance and world history all in one awkward bundle.

• In the first video in this volume we learn everything we need to know about Dead Space. In less than a minute. What more could you need?
• Next up John Green teaches us everything we needed to know about Chinese history. In more than a minute. What more could you need?
• Next Rosanna Pansino does some chair dancing to the closing credits of Plants vs Zombies (written by perennial favourite Laura Shigihara). What more could you need?
• Finally, Husky and Kurt Hugo Schneider (and a lot of nerdy people) bring us their ... cover ... of "Sexy and I Know It". It's a little weird, but it's on this list for one very good reason: the zerging dance. First we have the video itself and then the behind the scenes. What more could you need?