Concord Spark Tutoring

More news! I'm going to start uploading materials (mostly slides and presentations) on various topics onto my website. You can find them under: Tutoring->Course Outlines and Materials. The first one - many more to come - is a presentation on Git, what it is and a few of its basic commands to get you started. The rest of it will be uploaded to the site soon. Also, I've added a link on the social media bar to Concord Spark's Instagram page. Check it out and follow ;)... https://www.concordspark.com/courses https://www.instagram.com/concordspark/

Doing a couple of test sessions with students on the latest resources for a small course I'll be offering in Git. Looking good so far :)

So excited!!! Project 'Spark Bills' is moving forward. One key thing to remember: Document, document and document! Every change, every idea and every error fixed has to be documented for future use.

Always good to be coding. I'm right in the middle of creating my own application to help keep track of clients and provide an easier method of issuing receipts, invoices and more! #csharp #programmingisfun #sparkbills

Check out the updated Rates page. I know many of you have been asking for me to update it, so I finally got around to it :) https://www.concordspark.com/my-rates

Thanks Viva City Studios for the awesome Starbucks gift card! Even nailed the logo!

Waayy back when I first started teaching - and even before Concord Spark Tutoring was even a thing - I had the pleasure of helping a very talented man: Sam. It's been over four years since our last session and he touched base with me a couple weeks back to share an exciting development. In the interim, he went on to develop his own apps for phones and finally published his very first one: Six Steps at Sunrise. It's an amazing, fun and not-too-complex app that provides a serie...s of six, arcade-style games to help you get out of bed if you're still struggling against the urge to duck back under the covers. Feel free to check it out as its both available for iOS and Android phones :) Link to Android is here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details

Just a quick tip for anyone installing the latest version of Visual Studio Community: Be sure to check off all the 'workloads' you want installed at the earliest stages of installation. Not only will it save you time, it will also ensure that you won't be "missing" any project types that you may wish to create. For example, leaving off 'Desktop Development with C++' will prevent you from being able to create a C++ Console Application Project. Lastly, don't forget to scroll down to see the other workloads you can install. Some of these include working with SQL Server and Azure. #tipsfortheprogrammer

I was going through the school library the other day and came across an older edition of this book: Effective C# by Bill Wagner. After picking it up and reading through the first 10 pages, I realized I had already learned something new about the C# language! I highly recommend any of you interested in deepening your programming skills to pick up the latest edition of this book. It is a MUST have!

I know I've been hinting at releasing various course outlines on account of the fact that many of my students have been looking for more "structured" lessons rather than random one-offs. However, with work and school all crammed together, I've had very little time to work on these materials. So, finally, I'm glad to finally present them to you all! Here they are! Check out the complete course outlines for C# and C++ on my website, under Tutoring -> Courses. Full link: https:...//www.concordspark.com/courses Other courses on the way include Android, Qt, Java and more! Stay tuned!

Today, I had someone - a very bright mind, I must add - ask about an idea he had for an app. He was worried that it was beyond his skill level and perhaps he should aim for something simpler. I told him to do no such thing and to continuously aim for high goals. His skill is exemplary, outmatched only by his eagerness to learn; so why should he settle for something simpler when he has the potential to do so much more? Looking back, I too have been plagued with these same doub...ts, but the answer I always go back to is this: Just start running and go with the flow. You may end up in a different spot than what you originally intended; or you may truly end up achieving that goal and more. Either way, if you don't try, you'll never know; if you don't push forward, you'll never set new boundaries; if you never risk, you will never learn. #thoughtsfortheday #keepgoing

I know I've been promising a few updates and they ARE coming... Just letting you guys know that I'm almost done with my final project and updates and materials will start getting churned out again! And for you students who've been patient with my busy schedule... Thank You!!! More session openings will be available after I finish this baby!

I usually post pics about my work and what I do behind the scenes on certain days. What about showing you all a glimpse of my own life as a student? Here is my classroom desk, where I'm studying Business Data Analysis with Tableau Software. Definitely challenging in its own right with a graphically pleasing and (hopefully) informative end-result.

Yes, learning at times can be drudgery, but always take a moment to be thankful that you're in an environment where you're able to learn something. Not everyone has that or embraces that. Learning provides you with knowledge and with that knowledge, new doors to better futures for yourself and others. So, keep learning and don't give up. The world relies on the people who learn things to make it a better place. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Photo Credit: Viva City Studios

This user interface is an accurate representation of the current state of my brain. #exhaustedtoday #windowspresentationfoundation

Prepping for ASP.NET lessons. #nextcoursecoming

A little behind the scenes shot of a typical Wednesday afternoon for me! Working hard on Android and Qt lessons, but loving every minute of it. #lovewhatyoudo

Sneak Peak: Late night edits on a revised lesson plan for C++. Updates for C# and a new lesson plan for a soon-to-be announced course coming as well!

When teaching, it's important to remember that having a "picture" of what happens is key to understanding the final concept - no matter how inaccurate that picture may be sometimes... And so tonight was a looong session that involved grabbing NASA robot pics off Google to explain certain OOP concepts. Out-of-the-box but worth it.

Sorry for the long silence these past few months as I've been busy readjusting to certain changes in life. Now that things are moving along again, I just wanted to throw out this picture circa 2014. This month, Concord Spark Tutoring turns 3 years old and that photo is way back when I was just tutoring "for a hobby." Thank you to all my family and friends who have supported me. And thank you to all my students who have trusted me to help them get through difficult moments in ...university or college and for those who have - and continue to - patiently read all my verbose lectures and handouts. New content will be coming soon, so I'll be posting some updates again in the very near future. :)

Check this out! http://www.makeuseof.com//7-unique-ways-practice-coding-s/

Received a positive comment from one of my students today. Thanks, Chris, for the positive attitude you bring to all of the sessions you attend! It's a pleasure helping you and learning with you.

For many people who still use the screenshot button on their keyboards to quickly snap their screen and then edit the photo in a paint program, here's a quicker way: On Windows 7 and later, there's a nifty tool called 'Snipping Tool'. Open it up and hit 'New' to drag-select an area of your screen to capture. You can even highlight certain areas and pen notes onto it. I definitely recommend this for people who need to cut down the time they spend on making that screenshot "per...fect." #computertips #letsomeoneelseknow

Finally able to announce this!!! I know many of you have had trouble making payments without creating a PayPal account. For this particular reason, I've added a payment option on the website which you can use without a PayPal account! After testing with several clients, I'm happy to reveal it to the rest of you guys! Head over to the site and check it out! :) Stock Photo Credit: Viva City Studios

For anyone who's interested in what their programs get turned into. Also answers the question: What is the difference between assembly and machine language? http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/machine_language.html

If you're looking for a good Android conference to get up to speed quickly on lots of current Android development topics, check out AnDevCon at the end of Novem...ber. Use the code DEITEL for a $200 discount. ======== AnDevCon, November 29-December 1, San Francisco (Burlingame), is the technical conference for software developers building or selling Android apps. It will offer three days of technical sessions. More than 1,000 software developers, engineers and entrepreneurs will attend AnDevCon and choose from 70+ classes. Visit more than 35 exhibitors! Receive a $200 discount off the prevailing rate of the 3-day pass by inserting the code DEITEL when prompted at www.andevcon.com

A look into what we do on Session 3 of the WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) course. Still a work in progress, but everyone's pretty pleased with it! The overall goal was to create a Windows Application that utilized multiple buttons, controls and customized tooltips.

Even though modern students tend towards Java and C#, this article still proves how much C++ is needed in today's I.T. industry. http://betanews.com//why-c-is-the-perfect-choice-for-mode/

Recalling a very interesting story my professor told me at BCIT: "I knew a student who once went for an interview that was supposed to take an hour or more. One of the first questions he was asked was on the Software Development Life Cycle. His response? "Let me Google that for you."... He shortened his interview time to less than 5 minutes and he walked out the door never to return. Moral of the story is that employers look for actual knowledge inside of you; not how well you can Google it up!" #foodforthought #learning #education #lifelessons

It's finally open! The official website for Concord Spark Tutoring is up and I couldn't be more excited! :) A special thank you to Jen, at Viva City Studios for photographing, editing and organizing all the stock photos for the website. If you have a moment, check her site out; there is some amazing work going on there! There's going to be more exciting news and updates coming in the near future, so stay tuned! In the meantime, check out the new site and let me know what you ...think! http://www.concordspark.com/

Spending the night working on a huge project. Wonder what it is? You'll find out tomorrow!

Happy Canada Day to everyone! Stay bug-free and performance-happy, especially today!