In the context of the posted Wired article, looking at programming as the "new blue collar job" and the fun driven approach of 42 school. There are several similar projects (https://www.recurse.com (formerly hackerschool), https://www.makeschool.com/, https://www.holbertonschool.com) project based, learning by doing approach. I found interesting to see the language they use: The introductory program of 42 is called piscine (swimming pool) - throwing students in at the deep end. The Rescue Center (NY) call themselves a n "educational retreat" and refer to "unschooling". Holberton and Make School in San Francisco, closer to Silicon Valley and consider themselves revolutionary, and still using a neoliberal vocabulary by "better prepared to succeed in this ever evolving industry". Non of these schools seems to have a goal to teach coding as a tool for empowerment and self-governance, they are the breeding places for the industry.
And by the way, here is a note on Xavier Niel, the founder of the Ecole 42:
"Niel, 51, was once a teenage programming whizz who set up electronic sex-chats on France’s proto-internet Minitel service. He later invested in sex shops and had a run-in with the law. The big money started rolling in when he launched a set-top box for home internet, TV and phone calls that undercut France’s established telecom companies.
Today he is partner to luxury goods executive Delphine Arnault (daughter of France’s richest man, Bernard Arnault), co-owns newspaper Le Monde and backed Macron’s presidential bid. Niel has a net worth of $5.2 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index." https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-30/french-billionaire-niel-is-backing-unconventional-entrepreneurs
https://www.wired.com/2017/02/programming-is-the-new-blue-collar-job/
ReplyDeleteIn the context of the posted Wired article, looking at programming as the "new blue collar job" and the fun driven approach of 42 school.
ReplyDeleteThere are several similar projects (https://www.recurse.com (formerly hackerschool), https://www.makeschool.com/, https://www.holbertonschool.com) project based, learning by doing approach. I found interesting to see the language they use:
The introductory program of 42 is called piscine (swimming pool) - throwing students in at the deep end. The Rescue Center (NY) call themselves a n "educational retreat" and refer to "unschooling". Holberton and Make School in San Francisco, closer to Silicon Valley and consider themselves revolutionary, and still using a neoliberal vocabulary by "better prepared to succeed in this ever evolving industry".
Non of these schools seems to have a goal to teach coding as a tool for empowerment and self-governance, they are the breeding places for the industry.
And by the way, here is a note on Xavier Niel, the founder of the Ecole 42:
"Niel, 51, was once a teenage programming whizz who set up electronic sex-chats on France’s proto-internet Minitel service. He later invested in sex shops and had a run-in with the law. The big money started rolling in when he launched a set-top box for home internet, TV and phone calls that undercut France’s established telecom companies.
Today he is partner to luxury goods executive Delphine Arnault (daughter of France’s richest man, Bernard Arnault), co-owns newspaper Le Monde and backed Macron’s presidential bid. Niel has a net worth of $5.2 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-30/french-billionaire-niel-is-backing-unconventional-entrepreneurs