Virtual Learning Expectations

OVERVIEW & PURPOSE

In order to provide you with the best educational experience we can in our virtual classroom, we require you adhere to the following guidelines.

BE RESPECTFUL

Since all of us will be working from homes, where we often feel most comfortable, do your best to remember to keep things above board. Make sure you are fully clothed (which we shouldn’t have to say but here we are). Try to cut down on obnoxious background noise, avoid being particularly lewd or profane, and don’t talk over people. Additionally, our mission at We Can Code IT is to promote diversity and inclusion in the tech world, so it should not come as a surprise that you will find yourself working with someone who comes from a very different background than yourself. Be respectful and tolerant. Open up and maybe you will learn something unexpected. As you could expect, bigotry and exclusivity will not be taken lightly in this program.

KEEP YOUR CAMERA ON AT ALL TIMES

We get it. You’re stuck at home, there’s nobody to get dressed up for, no ability to get a haircut, nobody around to comment on how not shaving for two weeks makes you look like Tom Hanks in Castaway but not in a good way. No matter how scruffy, shy, or unkempt, we need to see your face at all times. Doing so will help you in several ways.

First, it helps your instructors. While we are workshopping new technical material for the class, it is extraordinarily helpful to see how the information is being received. If we pause during the lecture and see a bunch of bewildered and terrified faces, we can walk it back and get more granular in explaining the concept.

Second, it helps you. Working remotely is a big adjustment for most of us. The arrangement comes with more personal freedom, but also far more opportunity to get distracted and derailed. There may be a day where you are feeling burnt out and frustrated. You may just want to log into class, kill the camera, and zone out. Unfortunately, the pace of this class is such that missing a day of technical instruction can be a major setback. Keeping the camera on removes the temptation.

Lastly, it helps the class. We are going to be spending a whole lot of time together over the next 14 weeks. Every bootcamp I have been through or instructed has become a very close community. The material will be extensive and the assignments demanding. Leaning on your fellow students and offering them assistance in turn will help you master the material much more easily. Group projects are arduous but become more exciting and rewarding when you feel you are working with real people and not just disembodied voices on the computer. Now that the bootcamp is fully remote, we have to do everything possible to facilitate the bonding. Keeping your camera on is a small but crucial step in making that happen.

VIRTUAL TABLES

In the in-person bootcamp, we organize the students into small groups seated together around a table. Each table works together on certain projects and assignments. Even when working on individual projects, table groups offer each other assistance with understanding material, squashing bugs, and providing moral support when the stress sets in. As you will never find yourself in a development job that is not thoroughly collaborative, We Can Code IT considers maintaining this aspect of our program to be crucial.

• Unless there is a workshop, career services training, or something else specified on the calendar, you are to be in a Zoom Meeting with your table group.
• Communicate, collaborate, and don’t hesitate to show off your pets or post some memes.
• Helping a table mate through a problem they’re having with an individual assignment is encouraged; just avoid writing their code for them.
• Instructors will be periodically checking up on each table. If your group has hit a wall or are collectively confused about something, send a Slack message to your instructors and one of us will be there promptly.

WORKSHOP ETIQUETTE

In order to make you a professional fullstack developer in 14 short weeks, we are going to be covering a lot of technical material very quickly. The bulk of this instruction will take place during workshops. To ensure we can cover all the information you need to hear, we ask that you:

• Keep your microphone muted and your camera on.
• If you have a question, post it in the chat or use the "raise your hand" function in the Zoom Meeting and the instructor will answer as soon as there is a natural pause in the material.
• PLEASE ask questions or speak up if you are lost. Don’t feel self-conscious about being the first one to speak up, because it is a guarantee some of your classmates feel the same way. Your instructors are always happy to pause and ensure you understand the content.

COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR WCCI STAFF

You are entering a field as a total novice. If you work hard and stick it out, you will be a certified professional developer in 14 weeks. As amazing as that sounds, it is only possible through a process that cannot be described as gentle or relaxing. You will be stressed. We may enter a new Module and you may find yourself feeling more comfortable writing ancient Aramaic than writing in Javascript. You may find someone in your group insufferable. You may notice a number of people are profoundly confused about something technical and it needs to be covered more extensively in workshop. You may have unexpected trouble at home that is diminishing your ability to be present in class. Whatever the problem, don’t suffer in silence!

• Communicate!
• Communicate!
• Communicate!

Your staff members are always available on Slack. Direct message one of them, message all of them, or post it in the Cohort Slack channel. Whatever feels the most comfortable. WCCI also offers the option of an anonymous message form. Do not think your teachers and coaches are too busy, or that we’ll judge you for struggling, or that we won’t be able to address the problem. We have seen every personal struggle imaginable. We are excellent at mediating or setting aside the time to make sure you are up to speed on the material. If you are overwhelmed and don’t think you can make it through the program, we’re here to offer support and the insight of experience. Not every class has the same needs. Not every student has the same needs. We are willing and able to adapt if it helps us help you become a confident and competent full-stack developer.