As a Developer there are certain skills that I have not only had to learn but become comfortable with. Some of these skills are of course specific to Developers, however some are apparently transferable. UPER Ever heard of it? I hadn’t until I was learning about it in my training. It stands for Understand, Plan, Execute, and Review. Now I learned this while first learning Python. While learning Python they often threw code challenges at us. Some we would do in class other on our own. Well in class our instructor brought this up. He had us type out what the challenge was asking of us in plain English (Understand) Then pseudocode or using plan English write what our code is going to do (Plan) Then once we felt those steps would work we would then translate the pseudocode into actual code (Execute). Then of course once that is done and testing is done had us go back over and see if there was maybe a better way to do it or if it was laid out right things like that. Did we really answer the challenge? (Review).
How ever UPER itself doesn’t have anything to do with coding or Web Development. No where in there does it say this is a Web Developers secret to solving challenges. And. you know what? I used it the other day when trying to help my son solve a Math word problem. I also found myself in a way using it when sitting down to plan a lesson.
How about this one. Ever tried to do a Google search and the result you got were of absolutely no help at all? Now I am not about to tell you I have the answer to this….as it still happens, however I am going to tell you that helping and mentoring students at my school and now as a teacher at another one has certainly given me some extra tricks to add to my bag. I would say about 75% of the time I can get a reasonable answer to the question I am asking google. The trick? No trick, it’s just knowing what to ask. I know I know how in the world will that help? I’t won’t. Time and practice will. Sometimes knowing what the answer is to a students problem, but performing a google search with them can actually enlighten you to how google works or thinks.
If you have an idea of what the answer should be sometimes adding that to the question helps. Most of all it takes patience. Once you get an answer to a problem, try searching for it again but rephrasing your question a little hinting to the answer. Sure your thinking that that won’t help you in a search now, but actually it will in time. So your right, at this very moment it won’t help, however the more you do this the better you can get at rephrasing those questions. Since you know what the answer should be you can see which versions of the question got you closer to the answer.
Now here is one that will get you. Taking notes. When I first started my Developer Bootcamp I didn’t take too many notes…I already knew that beginner material so didn’t feel I needed too. I now see the error in my ways. How ever I didn’t just copy the code they wrote down and type what they were saying, I put it in terms that I would understand. For example when I was learning js and python I had some trouble understanding what it was doing. So I took notes that the web page is like your light switch, looks good on the wall, you and turn it on and off all you want but until you give it instructions it doesn’t have a clue what it’s job actually is. Add in that JS or Python and how you are saying when this switch is in position a apply power to the light. When it is in position b remove power to the light. But in just the same token you can write the instructions all you want but until you give those instructions a way to be activated nothing can happen.
Turns out this style of note taking that I developed has helped me in other ways too. Like for one, coming up with analogies for the kids when they are having issues with school work.
So what this whole thing goes to prove is skills you learn for one profession aren’t always exclusive to that profession. You migh be surprised to find yourself using some in every day life.