Due to the past two weeks being a little more hectic than usual, I missed out on last week’s post, which is a book review on one of the more thought-shaping books for me. I still have to put the finishing touches on editing that post. Instead, I will just briefly write about projects that excited me.

  • Put together a Python script that made recommendations on how learners can take their next step, based on available data. It’s a set of simple conditional statements based on aggregate data.
    • On this, I had briefly thought about the need to collect data seamlessly with existing practices in the classroom. Without mindful integration of a new tool, we are not using that tool.
    • This project was made easy from the wealth of already existing data. The value of the data was providing an objective measure of the learner, independent from my impression of them.
    • Conversations with a few colleagues led to mixed opinion. Some were surprised at the willingness to build this tool, thinking that it took excessive time. I initiated this project under the belief that it would help me save even more time down the road.
  • Put together a few spreadsheets to automate some administration tasks at work. It took an experienced colleague 1-2 hours per instance of the task. I took 3 hours to get the tool viable, and hope to ‘speedrun’ these tasks in about 10 min maximum for future instances.
    • In building the tool, used VLOOKUP for the second time in my life, and again amazed at its utility. I believe this function, with Excel and Google Sheets, should be a compulsory topic for the secondary school syllabus