> So I just got an e-mail from O'Reilly and their School of Technology > about a Python Certification course... anybody have any experience with > this?
> It also says Steve Holden is involved -- is this True? (Steve?)
Well, it's not not not False. You think O'Reilly would publish lies on their web site? :-)
I am a little more that involved. In ham and eggs the chicken is involved. I am committed, like the pig, having got three of the four classes into production after almost two years' work. So for those of you who may have wondered why I have been on c.l.py only sporadically lately, now you know.
The certificate will come from the University of Illinois after approximately 160 hours of study. By the end of the series you should have a substantial corpus of Python code that you have typed in yourself, understand and can discuss with potential employers and others. You will have a fair knowledge of Python and you will be accustomed to test-driven development.
> ~Ethan~
> PS
> Can you tell I've been programming? ;)
I would really like to hear from anyone who takes the class. I would like to ensure that it is kept up to date and relevant with continuous improvements, and feedback will be invaluable in helping me to achieve this goal.
> So I just got an e-mail from O'Reilly and their School of Technology > about a Python Certification course... anybody have any experience with > this?
> It also says Steve Holden is involved -- is this True?
you should just test for the truthiness without comparing to True:
if is_involved(steve_holden): your_code()
rather than asking
if is_involved(steve_holden) is True: your_code()
;-)
On a more serious note, it would be interesting to know if it's possible to test out of the certification for those of us that have been using Python for a long time.
> On a more serious note, it would be interesting to know if it's possible > to test out of the certification for those of us that have been using > Python for a long time.
That's an interesting idea - let a bunch of experienced Python users tell me what a lousy job I have done of explaining the language. :)
Seriously, I would be interested, and it's a terrific idea. I can't do anything before January, but if anyone is interested in taking part in such a review of the materials I'd be grateful if they would contact me privately by email on a "no promises" basis.
> On 12/15/2010 3:40 PM, Tim Chase wrote: >> On a more serious note, it would be interesting to know if it's possible >> to test out of the certification for those of us that have been using >> Python for a long time. > That's an interesting idea - let a bunch of experienced Python users > tell me what a lousy job I have done of explaining the language. :)
> Seriously, I would be interested, and it's a terrific idea. I can't do > anything before January, but if anyone is interested in taking part in > such a review of the materials I'd be grateful if they would contact me > privately by email on a "no promises" basis.
> regards > Steve
I think he meant: take the test without study first. I'd be interested in both, though.
> On 12/15/2010 3:40 PM, Tim Chase wrote: >> On a more serious note, it would be interesting to know if it's possible >> to test out of the certification for those of us that have been using >> Python for a long time.
> That's an interesting idea - let a bunch of experienced Python users > tell me what a lousy job I have done of explaining the language. :)
Actually Stephan read what I intended -- a way to take the final test (and receive the cert) without belaboring the taker or you with the actual course-work. I did that with several classes back in college where I needed a prereq. for a class but was able to ace the final for that prereq to show the prof(s) that I knew the material. Saved me a semester-long class in each case, and saved the professor the time spent grading my stuff.
That said, having peer-review of your course material can (well, *should*) only improve it.
> Am 15.12.2010 22:11, schrieb Steve Holden: >> On 12/15/2010 3:40 PM, Tim Chase wrote: >>> On a more serious note, it would be interesting to know if it's possible >>> to test out of the certification for those of us that have been using >>> Python for a long time. >> That's an interesting idea - let a bunch of experienced Python users >> tell me what a lousy job I have done of explaining the language. :)
>> Seriously, I would be interested, and it's a terrific idea. I can't do >> anything before January, but if anyone is interested in taking part in >> such a review of the materials I'd be grateful if they would contact me >> privately by email on a "no promises" basis.
>> regards >> Steve > I think he meant: take the test without study first. > I'd be interested in both, though.
There isn't a test. The award of the certificate is based on providing working solutions to projects at the end of each lesson.
Bear in mind I have not spoken to my O'Reilly contacts about whether they would be OK with such a scheme, hence the "no promises".
So how exactly does the class work? Is it like an elementary CS class where you have a teacher, assignments, etc. Or is it more like a guided tour through the O'Reilly Python book/cookbook?
Each lesson required you to complete a practical assignment. You submit these assignments for evaluation, and do not proceed to the next lesson until your assignment reaches a satisfactory standard. Thus, less experienced students will tend to have more interaction with their tutors.
A class will typically have between twelve and sixteen lessons. There are also quizzes and a final practical project.
> So how exactly does the class work? Is it like an elementary CS class > where you have a teacher, assignments, etc. Or is it more like a > guided tour through the O'Reilly Python book/cookbook?
> On Thu, Dec 16, 2010 at 10:40 AM, Ethan Furman <et...@stoneleaf.us> wrote: >> Please don't top-post. :)
>> Nitin Pawar wrote:
>>> Can someone provide any links or any starting points on how to apply and >>> what are the prerequisites
On 2010-12-16, Steve Holden <st...@holdenweb.com> wrote:
> Each lesson required you to complete a practical assignment. You submit > these assignments for evaluation, and do not proceed to the next lesson > until your assignment reaches a satisfactory standard. Thus, less > experienced students will tend to have more interaction with their tutors.
> A class will typically have between twelve and sixteen lessons. There > are also quizzes and a final practical project.
> regards > Steve
I have a general question.
Does it seem odd that a certificate in Python, an Open Source language; taught at O'Reilly, which offers an Open Source Programming Certificate and is something like waist-deep in Open Source publishing; is offered to the world at large but only (IIUC) if one runs some version of Windows by MS?
Based on what I am given to understand from my correspondence with OST, it seems that I *must* install an instance of Windows to take the certificate's courses.
Not that I particularly want to bash MS, but I am running FreeBSD, and have Python 2.x and 3.x installed; I can call either IDE; and I am competent at the shell, I think sufficiently, to manage coding at the shell.
Is it normal for people in CS courses at the University and/or certificate level to learn a given language under Windows?
Or is it just me who thinks it odd that an OS like FreeBSD won't (apparently, I stress) work with the O'Reilly Sandbox?
> Does it seem odd that a certificate in Python, an Open Source > language; taught at O'Reilly, which offers an Open Source Programming > Certificate and is something like waist-deep in Open Source > publishing; is offered to the world at large but only (IIUC) if one > runs some version of Windows by MS?
> Based on what I am given to understand from my correspondence with > OST, it seems that I *must* install an instance of Windows to take the > certificate's courses.
This is not true. You can take the course on any operating system that supports a RDP client. I am enrolled with in the python course and I use GNU/Linux. They even have instructions on their website on how to configure it. I would have preferred them to use a UNIX shell. I'm still waiting for somebody to come up with a course that teaches me a programming language, while teaching me a VCS and allows me to write code and submit to a repo with other students contributing. You want to bring people into F/OSS -- That is how you do it!
The complaint that I do have with OST (at least the Python course) and the reason I have not completed (or even worked on the course in almost a year) it, is that its just plain boring. It's almost 2011! Give me some interactive flash, a video, something. Reading some pages of dry text just doesn't cut it for me. I can do that on my own. If I'm going to pay for a course I want a teacher that is going to teach me something. I can buy plenty of books and read them. The entire course is just plain dry text. I don't even remeber seeing an image diagram. On top of that the text is horribly ugly to look at.
> Does it seem odd that a certificate in Python, an Open Source > language; taught at O'Reilly, which offers an Open Source Programming > Certificate and is something like waist-deep in Open Source > publishing; is offered to the world at large but only (IIUC) if one > runs some version of Windows by MS?
> Based on what I am given to understand from my correspondence with > OST, it seems that I *must* install an instance of Windows to take the > certificate's courses.
This is not true. You can take the course on any operating system that supports a RDP client. I am enrolled with in the python course and I use GNU/Linux. They even have instructions on their website on how to configure it. I would have preferred them to use a UNIX shell. I'm still waiting for somebody to come up with a course that teaches me a programming language, while teaching me a VCS and allows me to write code and submit to a repo with other students contributing. You want to bring people into F/OSS -- That is how you do it!
The complaint that I do have with OST (at least the Python course) and the reason I have not completed (or even worked on the course in almost a year) it, is that its just plain boring. It's almost 2011! Give me some interactive flash, a video, something. Reading some pages of dry text just doesn't cut it for me. I can do that on my own. If I'm going to pay for a course I want a teacher that is going to teach me something. I can buy plenty of books and read them. The entire course is just plain dry text. I don't even remeber seeing an image diagram. On top of that the text is horribly ugly to look at.
> Does it seem odd that a certificate in Python, an Open Source > language; taught at O'Reilly, which offers an Open Source Programming > Certificate and is something like waist-deep in Open Source > publishing; is offered to the world at large but only (IIUC) if one > runs some version of Windows by MS?
> Based on what I am given to understand from my correspondence with > OST, it seems that I *must* install an instance of Windows to take the > certificate's courses.
This is not true. You can take the course on any operating system that supports a RDP client. I am enrolled with in the python course and I use GNU/Linux. They even have instructions on their website on how to configure it. I would have preferred them to use a UNIX shell. I'm still waiting for somebody to come up with a course that teaches me a programming language, while teaching me a VCS and allows me to write code and submit to a repo with other students contributing. You want to bring people into F/OSS -- That is how you do it!
The complaint that I do have with OST (at least the Python course) and the reason I have not completed (or even worked on the course in almost a year) it, is that its just plain boring. It's almost 2011! Give me some interactive flash, a video, something. Reading some pages of dry text just doesn't cut it for me. I can do that on my own. If I'm going to pay for a course I want a teacher that is going to teach me something. I can buy plenty of books and read them. The entire course is just plain dry text. I don't even remeber seeing an image diagram. On top of that the text is horribly ugly to look at.
