Episode 149: Guiding Education with Sheena O'Connell

About this episode

Sheena O'Connell discusses her journey in Python education and the importance of soft skills in technical learning.

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…

People in this episode

Guest: Sheena O'Connell

Topics covered

• Python education
• soft skills in technical education
• Django learning sprints
• collaborative learning
• psychological safety
• team dynamics

Keywords

• Ubuntu
• Django Con Africa
• PyCon Africa
• Project Aristotle

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Python, Django

Books & works: Guiding Education with Sheena O'Connell, The Culture Map

Places: South Africa, Tanzania, Johannesburg, Arusha, San Antonio

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