Category Archives: Uncategorized

I taught my first AP CS class on Thursday. I was wearing a Google teeshirt (it was a “nice” one, have to dress up for the first day of school) so the first thing the students asked me was, “Do you work for Google?” Then: “Can we visit Google?” And: “Will this help us getContinue reading “Teaching CS”

I’m going to be volunteer teaching AP computer science this fall at a NYC high school! Aside from actually prepping them for the AP exam, I’ve been thinking about how to share the programming culture I love with the students. Off the top of my head, I’d like to tell them about: Stuff you canContinue reading “Sharing Programming”

When I started at Google last year, I was really impressed by their testing. Every C++ class had three files: a <classsname>.h file, a <classsname>.cc, and a <classname>_test.cc. Every time something new is implemented, it has to be tested. The code review tool even warns you if you add a new .h without an accompanyingContinue reading “I will gladly write a test Tuesday for a program today”

If you’re in NYC and thinking about volunteering, there is another TEALS information session tonight. After my last post on TEALS, Dan Goldin generously offered to answer some questions about his experience teaching students in Kentucky (remotely from NYC). What class are you teaching? What are they learning now? I’m currently teaching AP Computer ScienceContinue reading “TEALS – Teaching CS on your way to work, part 2”

I’ve been doing capoeira for about a year now. It’s very fun and a great martial art for geeks (singing! dancing! friendly people!). I really recommend it if you’re trying to get into shape or build strength/flexibility. Different capoeira schools use different sequences of moves, and I’ve never been able to find the ones myContinue reading “Mestre Boneco’s Training Sequences”

Last night, I went to an information session about TEALS, a volunteer program where software engineers teach CS to high school students on their way to work. Basically, the schools schedule the CS class for first period so that the engineers can make it into work by 9:30. There are four programmer volunteers per classContinue reading “TEALS – Teaching CS on your way to work”

I recently switched this blog to using Digital Ocean for hosting, so please let me know if you notice anything broken. On a side note, Digital Ocean is amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone who needs web hosting. You know how Github makes working with Git repos so pleasant? Digital Ocean does theContinue reading “Hello, Digital Ocean!”

Some RSS housekeeping: If you haven’t subscribed, subscribe over RSS or email! If you subscribed within the last couple of years, thank you and you don’t need to do anything. If you subscribed more than three years ago, please make sure you’re subscribed to kchodorow.com, not snailinaturtleneck.com. This site has been permanently redirecting to kchodorow.comContinue reading “Update Your Feeds”

After getting Google Glass, I started wearing it around. Every day I’ve worn it, someone has asked me about it. A waiter even asked to try it on (which I let him, not like he was going to run off). Only guys have asked me about it, but that might be because guys tend toContinue reading “Glupdate”

On Friday, I got Glass, which is pretty cool so far. I got to “bring a guest,” so Andrew and I went over to the Glass studio in Chelsea Market after work. I had been there before for a workshop on designing Glassware (or, as I prefer to call them, Glapplications), so I knew thatContinue reading “Hello, Glass”