Episode 149: Guiding Education with Sheena O'Connell

Episode 149: Guiding Education with Sheena O'Connell

Description In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome Sheena O'Connell, an educator and developer from South Africa who has been making waves in the Python education community. Sheena shares her journey from electrical engineering to founding Prelude, where she runs advanced Django learning sprints and teamwork training courses. We explore the critical importance of soft skills in technical education, diving into Google's Project Aristotle and the five key factors that make teams effective: psychological safety, dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact. Sheena provides fascinating insights into how cultural concepts like Ubuntu ("I am because we are") influence collaborative learning and professional development. The conversation covers practical strategies for teaching both technical and soft skills to adult learners, the challenges of helping students transition from learning to professional environments, and how to build psychologically safe spaces that promote growth and learning. We also discuss upcoming events including Django Con Africa in Tanzania and PyCon Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa, which Sheena is chairing. Whether you're an educator, team leader, or developer interested in fostering better collaborative environments, this episode offers valuable insights into the intersection of technical education, cultural awareness, and team dynamics. Key Topics Discussed Transitioning from technical roles to education Building effective coding bootcamps and adult learning programs The importance of soft skills in technical careers Google's Project Aristotle and team effectiveness Psychological safety and stereotype threat Cultural influences on learning and teamwork (Ubuntu philosophy) Managing the "desperation mindset" in learning environments Professional development and career transitions PyCon Africa and Django Con Africa Cross-cultural team dynamics and communication Guests Sheena O'Connell - Founder of Prelude, former educator at Umuzi, and chair of PyCon Africa 2025 Resources Mentioned Google's Project Aristotle (https://rework.withgoogle.com/en/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness) The Culture Map (book on cultural differences in teams) Prelude Tech (https://prelude.tech) - Sheena's platform for Django courses and teamwork training PyCon Africa 2025 (Johannesburg, South Africa) Django Con Africa (Arusha, Tanzania) Ubuntu philosophy Umuzi (South African coding bootcamp) Connect with Sheena Personal blog: sheenaoc.com (https://sheenaoc.com) Courses and training: Prelude TV PyCon Africa 2025: October, Johannesburg, South Africa Wins and Fails of the Week Sheena Win: Successfully running a teamwork course for Canonical with an international team Fail: All her plants fell onto the couch (and the subsequent cleanup) Kelly Win: Attending ISTE conference in San Antonio, meeting previous podcast guests, and co-hosting a presentation Fail: Losing momentum on Anthony Shaw's GitHub course due to summer break Sean Win: Being interviewed by media about AI coding tools and AWS Amazon Q Fail: Home server power supply failure during a lightning storm, breaking all home automations Episode Notes This episode provides valuable insights for educators at all levels, from K-12 teachers to corporate trainers. The discussion of soft skills, cultural awareness, and team dynamics offers practical strategies that can be applied in classrooms, coding bootcamps, and professional development settings. The conversation highlights how technical education must go beyond coding skills to prepare students for successful careers, emphasizing the importance of communication, collaboration, and cultural competency in today's global technology landscape. Special Guest: Sheena O'Connell.

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Episode 15: When Philosophy and Python COLLIDE! - Part 1

Episode 15: When Philosophy and Python COLLIDE! - Part 1

After a two day workshop on AI and Deep Learning, Kelly and Sean get philosophical about Python. From deep fakes to logical proofs to future non-driving generations that rely on self-driving cars, they'll explore the close relationship between computer science, ethics, and philosophy

20 Mars 201940min

Episode 14: Innovation In An Innovative Field

Episode 14: Innovation In An Innovative Field

With their school's Innovation Institute coming up, Kelly and Sean explore the topic of innovation in education. How do you cultivate it in yourself and others? What skills help you become more innovative? How do you teach it? With more than 35 combined years of experience working or teaching in innovation areas, Kelly and Sean have a lot to share. This week's episode includes resources from innovation thought leaders, tips to become more innovative in your classroom, and a review of critical skills for innovators.

7 Mars 201943min

Episode 13: Block-based Python with Josh Lowe

Episode 13: Block-based Python with Josh Lowe

In this episode, Kelly and Sean talk to Joshua Lowe, a Python entrepreneur who invented Edublocks (https://www.edublocks.org) to help bridge the gap from Scratch (https://scratch.mit.edu) to Edublocks and then into Python 3. Joshua started learning Python in 2013 and wanted to find a way to make it easier for others to understand. Special Guest: Josh Lowe.

2 Mars 201935min

Episode 12: Intercontinental Python with Bob and Julian from PyBites

Episode 12: Intercontinental Python with Bob and Julian from PyBites

In this episode, Kelly and Sean meet Bob and Julian from PyBit.es to discuss strategies, and how to seek advice and motivation when learning Python. Bob is a driven Pythonista working as a software developer at Oracle.. Bob is passionate about automation, data, web development, code quality, and mentoring other developers.” Julian is a Data Centre Technician at Amazon Web Services. He started coding a few years ago and codes for fun and to solve everyday projects. Together they founded PyBites, a Python blog featuring code challenges, articles, and news. Special Guests: Bob Belderbos and Julian Sequeira.

21 Feb 201944min

Episode 11: Signs of True Learning

Episode 11: Signs of True Learning

How do you know your students are really learning in Computer Science? In this episode, Sean and Kelly dig into developing the learner-centered classroom and some of the pedagogical philosophy of how to look for learning in your teaching.

14 Feb 201930min

Episode 10: Teaching with Python Turtle

Episode 10: Teaching with Python Turtle

This week, we're discussing how to use a very old programming tool to teach modern concepts. That's right, it's the return of the Turtle tool! Kelly and Sean will explore why this Python 2-era library based on a 53-year old concept still works so well to teach fundamental programming concepts. Want to learn how we use Turtle in the classroom? Kelly and Sean will go through our best practices, preferred starting points, helpful resources we've used, and desired outcomes for this tool.

4 Feb 201937min

Episode 9: Python For Future Engineers

Episode 9: Python For Future Engineers

This week, we're joined by Peter Kazarinoff (https://pythonforundergradengineers.com/pages/about.html), Professor of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Portland Community College to discuss how adult learners can learn Python, the use of Jupyter notebooks as teaching tools, and some of the common goals of learners of diverse ages, backgrounds, and education levels. Joined by your usual co-hosts, Kelly and Sean, we explore some of the different approaches needed for adult learners, the common traits needed for successful students of all ages, the materials that we've found most useful for teaching and learning, and some best practices for sequencing course material. Special Guest: Peter Kazarinoff.

29 Jan 20191h 1min

Episode 8: Persistence in Python

Episode 8: Persistence in Python

Persistence is defined as the ability to stick with something. In the educational world it is often used interchangeably with the phrases: Sticktoitiveness, grit or perseverance. In this episode, we will discuss how to develop persistence in programming for all learners. Whether your students already have an innate ability to stick with coding or if you are hoping to instill the “desire” in your students, Sean and Kelly will examine ways that they develop persistence in programming in their classrooms. Note: In this episode, Kelly mixed up Sylvia Duckworth, the creator of Sketchnotes, with Angela Duckworth, the author of Grit. We've linked both of their books below for you, since they're both great reads.

21 Jan 201937min

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