Introduction
This page contains links to useful resources for those attending our Aberdeen Tech Tribe sessions. It will always be available at the following short URL (address) http://bit.do/techtribe. If you see a broken link, let one of the mentors know! and we’ll fix it.
This covers
- Building websites in HTML/CSS/Javascript
- Coding in Python
- Blogging, newsletters, design
- Developing business models
- Collaborative working online with tools e.g. Trello, Slack and Google Suite
How to build as basic website
- a guide to setting up a WordPress blog, buying a domain, hosting the site, and tweaking its design
How to build webpages in HTML and CSS
The web is built on HTML and CSS.
- Lissa Explains It All http://www.lissaexplains.com/basics.shtml
- Five projects to get you started: https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/codeclub/webdev-module-1
- And another six to build your skills: https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/codeclub/webdev-module-2
- Here are three linked projects to develop your HTML and CSS skills further: https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/coderdojo/21
- And these three HTML / CSS projects are directed at social innovation: https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/coderdojo/html-css-for-social-enterprise
- Here are a bunch more projects to try: https://www.mvcode.com/platforms/html
The W3 Schools have great resources:
Similarly, the Code Academy has great content on HTML, CSS and loads more. Some courses are Pro (ie paid for ) but most are free to access:
Also, Udemy has a 6-hour free HTML / CSS course with exercises:
Add some Javascript
Javascript is a very popular language underpinning many websites. It adds functionality and interactivity to HTML and CSS.
You can learn more on these sites:
- W3 Schools: https://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp
- Hack Club has a progressive series of workshops you can use https://hackclub.com/workshops/
- Code Monster – an easy introduction: http://www.crunchzilla.com/code-monster
Here are a bunch more Javascript projects to test your skills
- MV Code projects: https://www.mvcode.com/platforms/javascript
User Experience Design
If you want to focus on ‘how’ someone experiences a website, or app on their mobile, then you should also look at how all of these components on the screen come together. That is UX or user experience.
- Usability Geek is a good resource to find articles on the topics as well as tools that will help you.
What is coding or programming?
When people speak about coding or programming what do they mean? This video is a simple introduction.
This further video, “What is Code” gives you a little more explanation.
What goes on inside a computer? Find out here.
Computers operate using Algorithms. What is an algorithm?
One popular algorithm in computing is the sort algorithm. How could you sort the books in a library with an algorithm?
This beginners guide to coding has some useful resources.
Programming in Python
Python is a powerful, yet easy to learn language that is used is every field of science. If you’ve outgrown Scratch, we suggest trying Python!
The W3 Schools have some useful python tutorials:
- Python on W3 Schools
- Invent your own games with Python (free online book): http://inventwithpython.com/invent4thed/
- These modules will help you develop your skills and build some fun projects:
Automate the boring stuff!
Al Sweigart created a great book called Automate The Boring Stuff With Python.
- Read the book for free on the author’s site https://automatetheboringstuff.com and you can buy a print copy if you want to reward the author!
- And there are fifteen videos based on the book that you can watch to learn more.
Editing python code
There are loads of code editors for Python. We’ve installed the MU code editor on our Tech Tribe laptops. While this is aimed at beginners it is a very useful editor in its own right. Look for the logo
- Here are some Tutorials: https://codewith.mu/en/tutorials/
- If you want to install it at home, here it is: https://codewith.mu/
Blogging, newsletters, design
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Developing business models
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Collaborative working online with tools e.g. Trello, Slack and Google Suite
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Data
Understanding data is a key skill that we all need. Here are some excellent resources to get started.
- School of Data: https://schoolofdata.org/courses/
- Data Journalism: http://datadrivenjournalism.net/resources
- SQL intro: https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming/sql
- The Data Lab’s Data Science for Schools: https://www.thedatalab.com/schools/
- Python for Data Journalists: https://datajournalism.com/watch/python-for-journalists
- The ONS’s Guide to Statistics is advanced but really useful.
- You can use a range of tools when working with large data sets: Power BI (free download and only available on Windows) Tableau has a free trial.
Moving onto Computing
After you’ve worked you way through the above, you’re probably ready to look at computing science concepts. You can find a list of online courses on offer from many leading universities.
Freecodecamp offer a list of 450 Ivy League courses – all for free.
Header image by Chris Ried on Unsplash
Code The City 