Anyone want to work through the beta curriculum with me? What do you think? Does this sound like something that’ll be helpful to people here? Do you think we should do this differently?
One of the characteristics of a successful Internet-based coding curriculum is having access to others who are available to review project code and help improve that code. This forum is a great example! However, since everyone volunteers to participate in and so many people post to the forum, it’s possible for one’s projects to fall through the cracks and not get fully reviewed. I’m hoping that this cohort will bring a subset of people together long enough to review and learn from one another’s projects. I’m also hoping that others can use this post and other cohort posts to run their own cohorts as needed.
The idea is that we’ll go through the freeCodeCamp beta curriculum Responsive Web Design path. We’ll learn from one another, review one another’s code, share links and helpful information that goes deeper into the challenge material, and generally support one another.
The main difference between being a part of this cohort and doing freeCodeCamp on one’s own is that we’ll try to finish projects and sections by the deadlines in the schedule below.
Cohort Process
I will create a new public topic for each deadline in the schedule below as we reach the previous deadline. So, for example, for the January 9, 2018 deadline, a public topic titled HTML/CSS Questions, Resources, and Discussion (January 2018 Cohort) will be created on January 4th, 2018. On January 10, 2018, I’ll create the Visual Design/Accessibility Questions, Resources, and Discussion (January 2018 Cohort) topic and so on.
I will update the schedule below to show which deadline we’re currently working on and add a link to the public topic for that deadline.
The first post of each public topic will be a wiki post that will initially include the following:
- Link to the Schedule
- Summary of the purpose of the topic for those who may not know about the Cohort
- Deadline for the section/project
- List of helpful resources
- Finished Projects for Review (for topics about projects)
- @ mentions for everyone who signs up for the cohort below
Anyone who’s participating in the cohort will want to bookmark those topics for future reference. Cohort members will ask questions and share links and information with one another within these topics. Please add to and edit the first post of each topic as needed to share resources and other helpful information with other cohort members.
Participating in the cohort means one commits to do the following:
- Work on and finish sections and projects by the deadline.
- Create a public topic when one has finished a project so cohort members have a place to post project reviews.
- Give others feedback on and reviews of their projects.
- Help by answering questions as needed.
- Share interesting information about section material and projects with the cohort.
Schedule
| DEADLINE | SECTION | DISCUSSION |
|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2018 | Basic HTML and HTML5 and Basic CSS | Forum Topic |
| January 14, 2018 | Applied Visual Design and Applied Accessibility | Forum Topic |
| January 19, 2018 | Responsive Web Design Principles and CSS Flexbox | Forum Topic |
| February 4, 2018 | Bulid a Tribute Page | Forum Topic |
| February 18, 2018 | Build a Survey Form | Forum Topic |
| March 4, 2018 | Build a Product Landing Page | Forum Topic |
| March 18, 2018 | Build a Technical Documentation Page | Forum Topic |
| April 1, 2018 | Build a Personal Portfolio Webpage | Forum Topic |
As you can see, most of the cohort is project-focused, so project feedback and reviews will be very important!
Cohort History
The October 2017 cohort was a previous attempt at running a cohort using the freeCodeCamp curriculum. In that cohort, we used forum private messages for internal communication and public topics for section and project reviews. We used the current curriculum and ended the cohort when it was announced that the beta curriculum could be ready by Christmas 2017.
The Chingu cohorts (#6 | #7) also exist for those who want a more team-based path outside of the freeCodeCamp ecosystem. I mention this here for reference only as the Chingu program is not connected to this cohort in any way.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Who can participate?
Anyone! Whether you’re just starting or you’ve been involved with freeCodeCamp for a long time, you’re welcome to join, follow along, and contribute. -
What’s the daily/weekly time commitment?
About an hour a day for the challenges, which includes reading through and completing the challenges and replying to questions from cohort members. For the projects, about 2-3 hours per day which includes reviewing other people’s projects. The expectation is that we’ll be learning 7 days a week. If we work hard, we can each have the Responsive Web Design Certificate by April 1st, 2018!
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What technologies will we need? Do I have to sign up for an account somewhere?
The only communication system we use is the freeCodeCamp forum system. If you’re reading this message and have an account on the forum system, then you have everything you need to succeed in this cohort! -
What if I fall behind or my situation changes and I can’t continue?
You don’t have to do anything. If you’re absent from our discussions, we’ll assume you’re not participating for important reasons and move on without you. There’s no pressure to participate. -
What if I work ahead or what if I’m already finished with some of the curriculum?
That’s great! Keep working hard! It’s one thing to have completed the challenges and projects, but it’s something entirely different (and potentially equally beneficial to one’s own learning) to review other people’s projects and help others when they get stuck. If you find yourself ahead of the cohort schedule because you know the material well or had extra time to get more finished, please check in with other cohort members to see if you can help!In this cohort, the schedule is created with the idea that we need to really learn the material in each of the sections, not just finish the sections. So, one suggestion for those who find themselves ahead is to read some extra materials about the section content (see the resources for each public topic) and really dive deep into the content so you can solidify your understanding of the topic.
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What about the rest of the freeCodeCamp beta curriculum?
If all goes well, we’ll start working on the other sections when we’re finished in April. -
When does this cohort start?
The cohort officially starts on January 4, 2018. You can start early if you want or join in late if you’re reading this after the 4th.
How Can I Join?
Bookmark this topic and edit this first post to add your username to the member list below. That’s it! All usernames in this list will be notified of future cohort topics. If you can’t edit this first post, comment below and I’ll add your username to the list.
Cohort Member List
- camper
- mohamedeliwa
- Fixy250185
- firuzshoev
- mberkland
- Wahe3bru
- TammyKnox
- slamoureux
- zaynaib
- angelinalblyth
- facundocorradini
- debu2code
- sasikumar07
- johnhannahdev
- nasef123
- ConnectExtend
- callumshaw
- PerkyPrince
- catherinewoodward
- Gildara
- dmac0505
- corneerasmus
- LawGaming
- lbeth
- DGC75
- Vanic6
- asmarino
- HaiCia
- arhillis
- pavankrcr
- stufinn
- 5Lions
- Jinxlaw
- yoizfefisch
- weindor
- shivendraDave
- deedee
- TiwaunP
- npalopoli
- kindaintellectual
- nicandromts
- MMahendra001
- basantos
- bobbyc
- bdfoz
- zeinab88
- aimeejulia
- Krate2016
- Codewife101
- ahmedosman
- codenoob
- fancyaction
- Alemrv
- swestphal
- gilvarry
- Miyazakid
- silentgamelan
- priscilla-littlecat
- Foo_Dog
- rafaelgus
- JimmyZno4
- KevinReynolds
After reviewing the 
