Python Programming | Beginner | 10 Week Flex (Compressed) | Automate Awesome

Welcome to Python Programming Compressed 10 Weekly Modules Flex Class  - Automate Awesome!

In this ten week course, we are going to cover Python programming from the very beginning and work our way towards more complex and intricate programs. This is a great course for those with programming experience or students that are starting from scratch. Our goal is to introduce various programming methods and techniques as we build examples that have real-world applications. Programming is a superpower for the future, and students will look at many different ways to interact with the world, gather and analyze data, manipulate various elements using programming, and ultimately gain a deep insight into the Python programming language. 

The compressed format has two modules per week, and students should expect to do a minimum of 2-4 hours of homework per week. Modules are sent out at noon EST with code, video, and detailed instructions, and students work through the modules, complete a weekly homework assignment for feedback, and write in with any questions or problems as we go.

This course is divided into two parts, the first part is composed of 6 modules (three weeks) on the basics of Python programming, which will go over data structures and various types of programs, which will serve as a refresher for those who have python experience, or an introduction for those who are new to programming. The second part of the course is 14 modules (seven weeks) that cover how to use many different Python packages, from designing, reading and writing word and PDF documents in code, automating computer control of the mouse and keyboard, building games, and a great overview of the things you can do with Python.

Required experience:
No knowledge of programming is required to get started with this course, our goal is to work through the tools we need in the first part of the course so we can experiment with amazing projects in the latter 14 modules. 

We will work on expanding our foundational knowledge of python in the second part of the course By working on projects that automate various tasks. We will look at validating input reading and writing to files, connecting with the web and scraping data, working with various kinds of data and documents, using python to send emails and text messages, manipulating images, and even creating keyboard and mouse control using python. Each module will very clearly break down the elements that we need to know to increase our knowledge of python. Each module will have code, examples, and video. And throughout the course will work on many interesting projects including text based adventure games, programs that actually do things, and look at many interesting pieces of code as we go. The goal is that by the end of the course students should be able to program intricate and complex programs on their own, build games, and become very familiar with automating various tasks using Python programming.

Learner Interaction:
One of the fantastic things about programming is that there is a whole community of people who are working on the same problems and looking for answers. In our class we are going to interact frequently by sharing and commenting on each other's code, looking at different ways to solve the same problems, and providing feedback to each other in order to learn and approach problems with new and creative ways. Students will submit weekly code homework assignments, and will review and comment on each other's work. Building our programming community in the course is important, and by sharing and collaborating, we will all get better at solving coding challenges. Each week, learners review each others code and and share their successes and challenges in the classroom with their weekly homework assignment. 

Course Outline (Introduction or Refresher to Python):
Part I: Python Programming Basics
Module 1: Python Basics
Module 2: Flow Control
Module 3: Functions
Module 4: Lists
Module 5: Dictionaries and Structuring Data
Module 6: Manipulating Strings

Part II: Automating Tasks (Projects and Programming Exploration)
Module 7: Pattern Matching with Regular Expressions
Module 8: Input Validation
Module 9: Reading and Writing Files
Module 10: Organizing Files
Module 11: Debugging Code
Module 12: Web Scraping
Module 13: Working with Excel Spreadsheets
Module 14: Working with Google Sheets
Module 15: Working with PDF and Word Documents
Module 16: Working with CSV Files and JSON Data
Module 17: Keeping Time, Scheduling Tasks, and Launching Programs
Module 18: Sending Email and Text Messages
Module 19: Manipulating Images
Module 20: Controlling the Keyboard and Mouse with GUI Automation