Learning with Team Treehouse

Just over a month ago I decided to start buckling down a bit and learn some more programming. I don’t use a lot in my daily job but it’s sure helpful to know when I do – and even more so for freelance work.

I’ve taught myself HTML and CSS and even some PHP along the way but anything outside of that has been a lot of Googling for a solution and just cutting and pasting it into my project.

If I needed to customize the code in anyway it was a luck of the draw on whether I could get the code to work like I needed it to.

I’ve had a number of ideas that I’ve started and simply let slide because I couldn’t get the copied code to work just right.

In order to learn more, I’ve signed up with Treehouse’s online training. I’m just over half-way through with their Javascript fundamentals and the approach they use has really helped.

The concepts and syntax I’ve struggled with in the past are starting to click for once. Hopefully in the very near future I’ll finish this course and move on to more advanced HTML, CSS and PHP.

At $25 a month I can learn a new skill for a couple hundred bucks or less (depending on how quickly I can work through the videos).

If you’ve been thinking about learning to code (whether HTML, CSS, Javascript, iPhone apps, Android apps etc), give Treehouse a try. They say they can get anyone from zero to job ready.

For a little more inspiration check out these two videos that helped push me towards getting serious:

Finally, if you are interested in getting started, you can get 3-months free when you sign up for a year of training via my affiliate link.

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Seven films to watch over the holiday season

Oregon-Portland-August 2009-13 anime theatre sepia
Oregon-Portland-August 2009-13 anime theatre sepia | Photo by eprater

I love me some movies… especially those that tell a great story, make me think, teach me something new or challenge my way of thinking.

Perhaps that’s why I really appreciate the art of documentary.

With the holidays coming up, a lot of us will have more downtime than normal. So rather than popping the same ole’ comedy into the DVD player, try some of these thought-provoking documentaries on for size.

If you have a Netflix account, most of these can be viewed instantly on your computer (Wii, mobile phone or any other Netflix enabled device.)
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