Profile
Name: Frenk Reemer
resume: Software developer and architect, musician, composer, IT teacher and coach, inspiration
Tech stack: C++, C#, Java, Python, SQL, JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, Angular and DotNet
The Young_Coders IT bootcamp
What is your main goal for bootcamps?
My main goal is to teach Challengers not only the technical skills they need to be successful in the IT industry, but also to prepare them for the realities of the field. This means teaching them how to function as a team, how to solve problems and how to constantly adapt to new technologies and methodologies.
It is not enough just to be able to write code; Challengers must understand how to apply that code to solve real problems. They must learn how to think critically and how to transfer their knowledge to others.
In short, my main goal is to create a learning environment that not only prepares them for their IT work with Young_Coders’ client, but also teaches them the skills they need to continue to grow throughout their careers.
What is the difference between teaching at a college and teaching in an IT bootcamp?
Teaching college students and boot camp participants differs in several areas, each offering its own challenges and opportunities:
1 Length of time and intensity:
A college course is generally more spread out in time and less intensive, while a boot camp is a short and very intensive learning program. This affects how much time is available for delving into the material and for practical practice.
2 Prior Knowledge and Experience:
In college, students often have a more uniform background and prior knowledge, while bootcamp participants may come from different disciplines and have varying levels of experience. This requires a more adaptive teaching style in an IT bootcamp, but also allows for great insights and cross-pollination from a variety of unique study backgrounds.
3 Curriculum Structure:
In a college education, there is usually a set, broad curriculum that covers a wide range of topics. Bootcamps usually focus on the rapid learning of specific skills that are immediately applicable in practice.
4 Assessment and Evaluation:
The assessment system in college is often more formal and includes more varied evaluation methods such as exams, projects and presentations. In a boot camp, assessment is hands-on and based on the performance of specific tasks and projects.
5 Learning Environment:
A college institution provides a broad academic environment, including access to a range of resources such as libraries, labs and extra-curricular activities. A boot camp is often more focused and offers fewer of these additional learning resources. We consult YouTube, StackOverflow and ChatGPT whenever possible. In these, it is also very similar to the day-to-day life of a programmer.
6 Diversity in Learning Goals:
Students in college are often looking for a broad education that can lead to a variety of career paths, while boot camp participants usually have a specific goal in mind that they are working toward in a focused way.
How do you challenge each at his or her level in classes where everyone enters with different programming knowledge?
It is indeed challenging to have a class in which the students have different levels of programming knowledge. My approach is usually multifaceted and flexible to meet the diverse needs and skill levels of the Challengers.
First, I use differentiated learning, which means I use different learning methods and materials adapted to the needs of each individual student. For example, I may repeat basic knowledge for beginners, while offering more advanced topics for more experienced students.
Second, I encourage peer-to-peer learning. If there are enough participants, I divide the students into two or sometimes three groups in which beginners and more experienced students work together. This creates a win-win situation: beginners can accelerate their learning through direct interaction with their more experienced peers, and the more experienced students have the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge by transferring it to others.
Third, we work with a real-world project. I usually get those provided by Young_Coders and otherwise we find our own topic that we can really make an impact on. This allows me to give each participant the opportunity to work on a project that fits their skill level, while still giving them the experience they need to prepare for real-world work scenarios.
Finally, I make sure to organize regular presentations where one of the participants can explain the work of the group. The conversation about what the code or your code does or should do is an interesting motivation to learn more about where you yourself stand in your development. Making decisions and justifying them is a skill every modern developer must have.
By combining these approaches, I strive to create an inclusive and challenging learning environment that empowers each participant.
Rules of conduct for a developer.
You are a man of complexity and theory. How do you combine theory and practice in an IT bootcamp where you only have two months?
In a two-month bootcamp, time is indeed limited, but I believe theory and practice must go hand in hand to ensure effective learning.
From day one, I start with some principles that turn a group of loose-sand developers into a “band of brothers.”
A real pro:
– Writes code that others can read and understand
– Can actively listen (seek to understand, then to be understood);
– Is open and honest about who he/she is and what he/she can do;
– Is a team player (think win-win & synergy);
– Can review code himself and wants his/her code to be reviewed;
– encodes documented: that is, with meaningful variables;
– Has ownership: mistake made? Repair and learn from it;
– keeps appointments: prepare well (begin with the end in mind);
– continues to learn, develop and share knowledge (sharpen the saw);
– Treats each team member with respect.
I am trying to achieve that with the points below:
Just-In-Time: Instead of offering extensive theoretical sessions before we go into practice, I integrate theory “just-in-time. That means I introduce theoretical concepts at the moment they are relevant to a practical task or project. This helps students immediately see the usefulness and application of the theory.
Small, digestible chunks: I break down complex theoretical topics into smaller, more digestible chunks. This makes it easier for students to absorb the information and apply it to their code. I create small examples in code for this purpose.
Practical assignments: Immediately after introducing a new theoretical concept, a practical assignment follows. This allows students to apply the newly acquired knowledge directly, making it more enduring and contributing to better understanding.
Peer reviews and feedback: By having students review each other’s work, they gain a deeper understanding of how theory can vary in practical implementation depending on the approach.
Flexible agenda: Although time is limited, I try to keep the agenda flexible to accommodate topics that participants find difficult or particularly interesting.
From learning to applying
What do you enjoy most about working with Challengers?
What I like most about working with Challengers is the dynamic interplay between information and experience, or knowledge. In a conventional educational setting, there is often an imbalance, with an emphasis on theory over practice. In the IT bootcamp, however, these two elements come together in a meaningful way.
Participants come with different levels of information. Some have been programming for years but have studied something completely different. Others have less experience but, for example, a technical study background that helps them learn programming quickly. What they all have in common is a lack of focused and practical experience. The bootcamp provides a unique platform to connect these two elements.
The intensity and hands-on nature of the IT bootcamp also ensure that participants not only gain new information, but also apply it immediately. The connection between information and experience excites the learning process and transforms it into something much greater: real, applicable knowledge.
It gives me satisfaction to watch the Challengers undergo this transformation. They come in with certain pieces of the puzzle – whether it’s experience from another sector or previous academic knowledge – and leave with a much more complete picture.
For me, this is the true essence of knowledge, and it is what makes working with Challengers so incredibly satisfying.
