Learning Through Tinkering by Tom Cools

Testing

Discover how learning through tinkering can revolutionize your approach to coding, exploring the benefits of focusing on a few key concepts, testing, and collaboration to accelerate your coding skills.

Key takeaways

Learning through tinkering is a more effective way to learn and retain information.
The brain can only hold 7 items in the working memory, and learning too many things at once can lead to mental overload.
It’s essential to focus on a few concepts and build a deep understanding of them before moving on.
Reflecting on what you’ve learned and what you’re going to do next is crucial for effective learning.
Creating a personal toolbox of reusable concepts and techniques can be very valuable.
Protocols like JSON and protocol buffers can be beneficial for communication between the frontend and backend.
Using a form-based approach to machine learning can be an efficient way to create models.
Experimental learning and exploring new ideas can lead to valuable insights and breakthroughs.
The “Half Life” of IT knowledge refers to the time it takes for skills to become outdated.
Focusing on a specific programming language and sticking to it can be beneficial for learning.
Programming languages like Java and JavaScript are fundamental and versatile tools.
Creating a pet project and experimenting with new ideas can be a fun and educational way to learn.
TDD (Test-Driven Development) is a valuable skill for ensuring quality and reliability in code.
“Tinkering” with code and exploring new ideas is an essential part of the learning process.
Learning to write tests for your code is a valuable skill, even if it takes time and effort.
Creating a learning community and sharing knowledge with others can be a powerful way to accelerate learning.
Learning to focus and prioritize what you’re going to learn is crucial for effective learning.
Limiting what you’re learning and focusing on a few key concepts can be beneficial for retention and understanding.
Learning to apply what you’ve learned in a practical way is essential for retaining knowledge.
Sharing what you’ve learned and helping others can be a fulfilling and educational experience.
The concept of “schema” and understanding how to structure and organize code is essential for effective programming.

Learning Through Tinkering by Tom Cools

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