This document summarizes a presentation about computer programming and effective learning. It introduces the speaker as a software developer who works on cloud-based CRM systems. It then discusses what programming is, how computers understand binary, and why the speaker enjoys programming. The document also provides resources for learning to code and outlines elements of effective learning using an analogy to earth, fire, air and water. It emphasizes developing grit, delaying gratification, curiosity and optimism as important aspects of character.

1. Great American
Teach In 2014
Rajasekar Elango

2. Introduction
Software Developer at Salesforce.com
We deliver Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) products on the cloud.
CRM is a system for managing a company's
interactions with current and future
customers.

3. Are Computers Smart?

4. What is computer programming?
● Computers are stupid but fast.
● Humans are smart but slow.
● Programming is the act of taking
complicated human ideas and breaking
them down into simple enough instructions
that a computer can understand and follow.
● Then the computer can perform your idea
super-fast for you.

5. Binary
Infact computer hardware understands only
binary 0 & 1.
1 Bit = Binary Digit
8 Bits = 1 Byte
1024 Bytes = 1 Kilobyte
1024 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte
1024 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte =1024*1024*1024*8 Bits or
8589934592 Bits

6. How many of you like pets?
● In some way computers are like pets.
● Once you learn to communicate in their
language, you can make them do whatever
you want. (Of Course, with some limitation)

7. Why I like programming?
● I love making things for other people to
use.
● I like solving puzzles.
● I like experimenting and research.
● I enjoy continuous learning.
● Right mix of creativity (Arts) and logic
(Engineering)
● No cost of raw materials.
● Work from anywhere internet is available.

8. Resources for learning programming
http://lightbot.com/ (Age 4-8 & 9 and up)
http://scratch.mit.edu/ (Age 5-15)
http://www.greenfoot.org/door (Age 10-15)
http://code.org
Python-Kids-Playful-Introduction-Programming
Hello World!: Computer Programming for Kids
and Other Beginners
Lego mind storms (Age 8-15)

9. Khan Academy - Great site for
learning
https://www.khanacademy.org/

10. Questions ?

11. Elements of Effective Learning
How should you Learn...?
Analogy with Elements of Universe

12. Earth - Grounding your thinking
● Understand simple things deeply
● Master the basics
● Ask: What do you know ? what you don’t
know?
The simple and familiar hold the secrets of the complex
and unknown. The depth with which you master the
basics influences how well you understand everything you
learn after that.

13. Fire - Igniting insights through
mistakes
● Welcome accidental missteps - let errors be
your guide
● Mistakes and failure are not signs of
weakness; instead they are opportunities
for future success.
● What separates the good from the great is
how we react to that bad day.

14. Fire - Fail nine times
● The next time you face a daunting challenge, think to yourself, “In order
for me to resolve this issue, I will have to fail nine times, but on the
tenth attempt, I will be successful.”
● This attitude frees you and allows you to think creatively without fear of
failure, because you understand that failure is a forward step toward
success.
● Take a risk and when you fail, no longer think, “Oh, no, what a
frustrating waste of time and effort,” but instead correctly think,
“Great: one down, nine to go— I’m making forward progress!”
● Mistakes, loss, and failure are all flashing lights clearly pointing the way
to deeper understanding and creative solutions.

15. Air - Create questions out of thin air
● Creating questions enlivens your curiosity
● Asking questions about an assignment or
project before beginning work in earnest
will always lead to a stronger final product.
Ask, “What’s the goal of this task?” and
“What benefit flows from the task?”

16. Air - Teach to Learn
● There is no better way to learn anything than to
actually teach it, because to teach something you
have to confront many fundamental questions:
o What is the motivation to learn this topic?
o What are the basic examples?
o On what aspects of this material should I focus?
o What are the underlying themes ?
o What ties the ideas together?
● These questions force you to discover the heart of the
matter and see exactly what you truly understand and
what you still need to work on.

17. Water - Seeing flow of ideas
● Understanding current ideas through flow of
ideas
● Creating new ideas from old ones.
● The flow of iteration will lead to a refined
final product. - Start with draft and iterate.
Whenever you face an issue— whether an area of study or
a decision about a future path—consider what came
before. Wonder how the issue at hand landed in front of
you. Ask where and what it was yesterday, a month ago,
a year ago, and so forth. Everything, everyone evolves.

18. Engaging change : Transform yourself
● Adopt the habit of improvement, whether
using our four elements or by any other
methods that you find.
Remember that learning is a lifelong journey ;
It doesn’t stop at school. thus each of us
remains a work-in-progress— always evolving,
ever changing— and that’s Quintessential
living.

19. Character is more
important than Scores

20. Character - Grit
● Grit:
Grit is disposition to pursue long term goals
with passion and perseverance
Grit is a noncognitive personality trait based
on someone’s ability to persevere despite the
presence of many challenges and obstacles to
achieve a given goal

21. Character - Delay Gratification
Delayed Gratification the ability to resist the
temptation for an immediate reward and wait
for a later reward
Delaying gratification is a process of
scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in
such a way as to enhance the pleasure by
meeting and experiencing the pain first and
getting it over with

22. Character - Curiosity
Curiosity is an eagerness to explore and
discover new things.

23. Character - Optimism
Optimistic child believes that his or her effort will be
rewarding and will improve their future.
People with an optimistic explanatory style interpret
adversity as being local and temporary (i.e., “It’s not that
bad, and it will get better.”) while those with a
pessimistic explanatory style see these events as more
global and permanent (i.e., “It’s really bad, and it’s
never going to change.”). Their beliefs then directly
affect their actions; the ones who believe the latter
statement sink into helplessness and stop trying, while
the ones who believe the former are spurred on to higher
performance -

24. Thank You