(Approximate onboarding time: 45 minutes -- see time breakdowns next to each video)
These videos will introduce you to some of the tools you need to successfully start and navigate through this course. The recordings are from a live demonstration during a previous round of SSP, and may refer to it by number, but do not worry! These instructions are still relevant to you and your current SSP. Please ignore any referenced to the SSP numbered 38. I'll say it again..
Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get into the videos.
Learn is our current learning management system for the course. This is where most of our course content will reside. I'm putting an emphasis on "our", because the internet will be a massive resource for you as well (as it should be), and there's no way we'll be able to contain all of the internet's data within our learn interface.
My name is Kevin. I am one of the Technical Coaches in SSP, and it will be my face that you see, and voice that you hear, during these recordings. I highly recommend that you follow along with these recordings, pause, play, and rewind as you need to, and familiarize yourself with our system tools.
(Video) Introduction to Learn duration: 2:33
- Side note: After this video, if you are having troubles getting access to learn, check this video out: (Video) Troubleshooting Learn Login duration: 0:52
Once you're set on that Introduction, you can navigate to the course syllabus on the nav bar!
Next up is what we call "challenge". This is where you'll be tackling exercises for most of the course. You'll notice later in the video I say "you're number 38" which is, of course, not true -- feel free to carry on with your TRUE SSP number.
(Video) Navigating to Challenge duration: 1:00
(Video) Introduction to Challenge duration: 2:26
(Video) Challenge exercises and their components duration: 4:57
Wohoo! You made it through! Now, these videos only serve as an introduction to the platform and tools. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to your community members or assigned staff (likely through Slack -- don't know what "Slack" is just yet, or how to use it? The intro videos are below!).
Helpdesk is our ticketing system and your way to reach out for any technical assistance or support. Helpdesk is online only during class hours, and we strongly suggest you reach out. We enjoy talking about code!
- Ask us questions there when you're stuck.
- Bring up a situation that's slowing you down
- Bring up a topic that you just learned, and verify that you've got it down! or even (and this comes up a lot)..
- When you're stuck, but you don't know how you're stuck, or how to verbalize it: let's talk about what you do understand, and pick it up from there!
Just let us know how we can support via helpdesk!
Help desk does not have to be for questions when you don't know the answer, but we'd also like to help you better how to think about these problems, and start helping you "think like an engineer".
(Video) Helpdesk! duration: 4:38
Last, but certainly not the least: Slack!
We use Slack as the primary method of communication for this course. We use it to announce when we start the day (kick off Zoom links are sent out), notify you when lectures are starting, ask you details about your code, communicate with you for updates, and other important announcements. It is most active during class hours, and we expect you to be online and responsive during class hours.
(Video) Introduction to Slack duration: 4:25 A few other topics we discuss during the video:
- Notification preferences
- Updating your profile picture
- >> Updating your display name -- this is particularly important for a script that we run during the first week; please follow these instructions
For this next part, please make sure that you pay attention about having the Slack conversation with yourself -- you should not send me any Slack messages while practicing these tips and tricks. In other words: send direct messages to yourself. (Video) Sending Code on Slack duration: 6:24
- I just learned that "tilde", as I mistakenly refer to it in the video, is this character:
~, and not the backtick character that you need. They're on the same key though!
(Video) Channels, Direct Messages, and Threads duration: 3:08
Thanks for tuning in! Hope that gives you all an idea of how to use our tools for SSP. Happy Hacking, everyone!
Great work on this. It was easy to understand, and I feel like I have a good foundation to start digging in!