Well sort of.
I’m taking a class.  Through the outreach program at UCA.
On web design.

Since I have been working on the church’s website for the past 2 years, I have really developed a thirst for knowledge about wed design and computer coding.  I googled myself through building a new website for the church on WordPress using swift page builder, a great theme and handy plugins but I really want to know the structure behind all of that.  Sort of the difference in knowing the paint color names by heart and what kind of wallpaper would go best as opposed to knowing that the framework and foundation of your house are sound and the best they can be.

It also seems like a magical secret language.  I’ve spent some time on websites that offer some great introductory tutorials:

Code.org:

“Anybody can learn” is their motto.  And it’s true! They have great games and video interviews from famous people in the cyberspace world.  Very encouraging approach!

Codecademy:

This was a great website that I started picking up things on.  The lessons are easy to under stand but my biggest problem was that there wasn’t enough repetition.  I’m old.  Maybe I learn a bit slower but it seemed to move along and when I would have to stop and come back the lessons hadn’t stuck that well in the old gray matter.  And it was a little difficult to clear out the progress you had already made.  But still a very good site with great exercises.

Girls Who Code:

 MISSION: Girls Who Code programs work to inspire, educate, and equip girls with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities.

GWC is a great site helping to encourage more girls to go into computer sciences.

I have also been a part of a few WordPress gatherings.

Fayetteville WordCamp

WordPress Conway

And I am really looking forward to attending the upcoming RaspberryPi Bake Off at Hendrix College later this month.  This nifty little mini computer can be used to make so many things.  Even my friend Cyndi has a plan for incorporating it in the daily spin of her life 😉

As a kid I remember some magazine we used to get that had computer code listed in the back for games that other kids had designed.  I didn’t really understand what to do with it (and neither did any of my teachers at the time) but I remember being fascinated by it.  I knew that this jumble of symbols and letters and words and characters meant something.  Something secret that could do amazing things.  A code I wanted to break.

So here I am some 28 years later tackling my own Rosetta Stone.  I’m excited.  And nervous.  But more nervous to be on a college campus than to be in the class.