Last year I was taught visual Basic, which was a great start, to learn a language. However, this year I wanted to formally learn a real language. So I took the only other option available to me, java class. I was excited to learn, but quickly became disappoint. The class was extremely slow, and I would finish programs by the end of class. Then halfway through the year the teacher decided she didn't like java, and started teaching html(something I already knew). And she didn't teach html5, she taught old html without css. Next year I will be enrolling in a technology program, where I will be forced to retake visual Basic and html again. Any advice?
I'm not a programmer but I did survive high school and I can give you the most professional advice evar:
Don't count on teachers to teach you anything. They're doing a job and for most it becomes routine, they just want to get it easy, not be mentors for others. Look up to people like Steve Wozniak, he's got the right idea of what teaching should be about. Try to find a mentor like that or keep going solo until you do find one. Most programmers will tell you learning on your own is the best way to learn anyway (of course, learning from others' mistakes is the best way, no need to reinvent the wheel).
As a HS student I cannot agree more.
All technology related classes are bs, at least in Australia (QLD), and are known to cause brain hemorrhages.
Open a book / site and you will save yourself a lot of trouble
At least you guys have high school programming class the closest thing I have is a robotics class with those Lego robots.
Go to university, take programming, hate computers for it. Thats where I got to. Didn't meet another deadline like every other student in my programming paper
Why? Because the more people educate themselves, the less government will be needed to take care of them, so the government solution is to make education next to impossible to achieve.
Of course, it was the Illuminati all along!
Well html isnt a programming language its a mark-up language.
Sucks you started with java then it got shitcanned halfway through though. I'd be right pissed off.
Advice - if you liked java stick with it I reckon. Study it in your own time. After awhile you'll be able to apply what you've learnt to other languages anyway. Grab a textbook from Savitch (even old revisions are fine), go from front to back. Ed-X is also pretty darn good for course material, goes a little further than codeacademy.
Even get a few of your like minded school mates together and learn & code as a group.
I wrote a paper on programming in schools. One of the big challenges is finding teachers who are certified to teach programming. Let's face it, if your even half way decent at it you can make far more working for a company than being a teacher
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I took Java in highschool, wasn't TOO bad but I didn't really enjoy it, it was rewarding though. I have a basic understanding of programming and respect for it, but it just isn't my cup of tea. Also, in uni I'm taking a Object Oriented Programming (basic), which is WAY easier. If you are just starting out with programming object oriented is the way to go.
It's the old adage "those who can do, those who can't teach" , your better off teaching yourself or if you need structure in learning look at a community collage class, most community collages (here in the USA) will take high school students if you meet the age requirement which I think is 16 or 17 but I'm just guessin'.
It come down to teaching to a low or common average student. When your passionate or excited about a topic you will find the class pace way to slow and get bored. When I was a kid I ended up teaching myself basic and assembly then learning OS2 on a TRS-80 computer (long time ago). I found school computer science depressing.
Physics was the other subject I loved and that was the same I sat in the class's wanting more and nothing was available. No internet back then.
lol. I went through high school and had already forgotten all about my programming lessons. None were actually ever memorable. I lost interest in programming because of highschool, but I'm now slowly trying to get the interest back since I might get good use out of it sometime later on.
Damn, I saw this a while ago. You actually got kicked out of the course?
Freaking douchebags.
A lot of teachers are incompetent, because they lack any real expertise. One of my Java lecturers works as a software architect, what a cool guy he is, and he teaches with enthusiasm, unlike many other lecturers. Having a discussion with him is so awesome. Wish everyone could keep up to what he could be teaching, that would be the best class ever :D.
Thanks for all the responses. I do try to teach myself on my own, and I feel I've been very successful doing that. I just hope that next year will be better.
cause people think highschoolers are too stupid?
I agree and yet we put them in charge of our children. When you look at it, baby sitters, Pre school chass's. All of them are the lowest paid workers you can find moulding kids minds.
As a Parent you really have to get evolved. My step dad was an amateur radio operator...CK3COF I thank you for all the electronics kits and computers.
I could have had a dad that did not give a fuck. I had a step one that tried.
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still not kicked out but things arnt looking too great