Talk

Learning Through Tinkering
Conference (BEGINNER level)
Room 9
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Do you also feel like it’s hard to keep up with all the new tools and frameworks coming your way? You are not alone! By choosing IT, you are choosing to learn for the rest of your life… not an easy task.

In this session we’ll look into some concepts that will help you get the most out of your efforts to learn new shiny stuff!

We’ll go over a couple of example projects and give you some guidelines to keep learning without being overwhelmed by the flood of new technologies.

Tom Cools
Info Support NV

Developer without borders, both geographically and technically. Active as a consultant with a focus on Java technologies.

Next to that I am a trainer and mentor who loves to share not only knowledge but also passion for our craft. I do this through mentorships (codingcoach.io), guiding students at my alma mater or just helping strangers on Twitter and StackOverflow.

Currently working for Info Support nv. in Mechelen, Belgium.

Generated Summary
WARNING: This summary was generated using GPT based on the transcript, as a result spelling mistakes and more importantly hallucinations can be present.

Lifelong Learning in Software Development
Half-Life of Relevant IT Knowledge
The half-life of relevant IT knowledge is two to five years, which is shorter than the three year education required to become a software engineer. It is important to focus on concepts instead of technical implementations, as the latter decay faster. Tips and tricks are provided to help with lifelong learning, such as finding the right thing to learn about and managing one's time efficiently.
Zone of Proximal Development and Cognitive Load Theory
This text discusses the Zone of Proximal Development and Cognitive Load Theory. The Zone of Proximal Development is a simple model that helps people understand what they are capable of learning. Cognitive Load Theory states that a person's brain can only hold a certain number of items in memory at any time. These theories can help people learn more effectively and understand when a task is too difficult for them to complete. Lead developers can use these theories to help their teams become more effective in their work.
Working Memory and Long-Term Memory
Working memory has two types of load: intrinsic and extraneous. Intrinsic load is the task at hand, while extraneous load is caused by instructional techniques. Long-term memory is filled with useful concepts that can be reused, such as programming language schemas. Object-oriented programming is a skill that can be transferred to many different languages. Functional programming, TDD, and design patterns are important skills to have for any programming language or project. Codingcoach.io is a free platform for developers who need help with coding.
Bloom's Taxonomy and Learning Through Tinkering
Bloom's Taxonomy is an educational structure used to help students learn and remember information. Learning through tinkering is a way to experiment with ideas to understand them better. Tom will demonstrate four of his pet projects to show how to stay up-to-date with coding.
Conclusion
This summary is about the importance of limiting yourself when learning coding. It is important to stay up to date with your skills and knowledge, and it is the responsibility of the individual to make sure they have time to do this. It is also important to be conscious of learning goals, and to reflect on mistakes in order to learn from them. Finally, it is important to be yourself and have fun while learning new things.
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