Why learn computer programming?

Create – bring your ideas to new people either through business, art.

Work  – everyone knows show to use Microsoft Office – but they don’t actually know how to use Access, which is a database program. The more skills you know the greater employment opportunities. And the computer skills you learn teach you how to solve problems and think differently.

Build – as a volunteer, employer, community organizer your computer programming skills can be a big advantage. You can create websites, projects, tools and more.

You can find offline courses that often charge a fee. There are many online courses that you can find through a simple google search for “computer programming” or “computer programming Toronto” or “learn Access” “learn python”

Great options for any program:

Free courses from top universities

• Coursera access courses from different schools //www.coursera.org/
• EdX.org—free courses from top universities that area bit more formal

Learn in a classroom or in person:

Toronto Library has a courses and they are a great starting point

Meetup: You can find really specific meetup groups for learning and really improving specialized skills. You can also make connections with potential partners, jobs and teachers.

• Learn Python
• Tech in general

Mix of for pay programs

by Vibhu Gairola–or just Vibz– Instagram or Twitter at @v_ibz at Yonge Street Media

1. HackerYou – $7500
2.  BitMaker – $200-9000
3.  Camp Tech – $199
4. Ladies Learning Code – $700
5.  Lighthouse Labs – $9000
6.  BrainStation $8000
7.  Red Academy – $1900
8. Coffee & Code or DevOps on Meetup

Learn online:

1. Try Codecademy for Hands-On Basic Coding Experience

Codecademy is on a lofty mission to fix education, which they say is broken (whether or not you agree, there’s merit in their statement).

Is Codecademy free?

Yes! Featured in Wired, Bloomberg, The Guardian and dozens of other major publications, Codecademy is one of the more popular free coding options.

You can choose from a variety of courses including HTML & CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Python, Ruby on Rails and more.

Here, you’ll learn how to code, but you won’t gain a deep understanding into why you’re doing anything you’re doing. There are other resources for that, but if you’re a marketer or you’re using and HTML-based CMS In your work, hands-on experience is just what you need.

2. For Theory, Head to MIT Open Courseware

If you really want to dig into the theory behind coding and better understand the “why,” MIT offers a number of programming courses. Their Open Courseware site features material from 2,150 MIT courses – all open and available to the world.

Beginners should start out with the Introduction to Computer Science and Programming course, which requires a commitment of three hours per week. Students communicate with one another using the OpenStudy platform and forums and the course includes video lectures, text resources and an exam.

3. Coding Lessons Gamified with Khan Academy

One of the first online resources to offer free coding lessons, Khan Academy has a unique teaching approach that often provides education through gaming elements.

Their Computer Programming course is no different. Using drawings, games and animations, Khan Academy teaches JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Students can interact with one another online and even share the work they’ve created.

And get Computer Help!
Martha Gandier (gandier47@hotmail.com) offers fellow consumers/survivors free computer advice and support.