Chalk Radio

Learn about Python, growth mindset, and the uses of rubber ducks in this interview with MIT lecturer Ana Bell. Dr. Bell, who has been programming since she was twelve and now teaches popular introductory courses in computer science, says that coding consists of almost equal parts creativity and logic. The creative part, she explains, gets exercised particularly when you have to come up with an algorithm to solve a given problem, because for any given complex problem there are many possible approaches to tackling it. The logical part comes into play when you sit down to translate that algorithm into an unambiguous sequence of rules in a programming language, and again when you discover that the code you’ve written doesn’t work exactly as you intended it to and you have to set about debugging it. Among the topics the conversation addresses are why everyone–even in the age of generative AI– ought to study at least the basics of programming, why it can be useful to speak to an inanimate object when your coding project is stuck in the debugging stage, and how programming can help you choose your own adventure.  Relevant Resources: MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu] The OCW Educator portal [https://ocw.mit.edu/educator/] Dr. Bell’s faculty page [https://www.mit.edu/~anabell/] 6.100 L Introduction to Computer Science and Programming using Python on MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-100l-introduction-to-cs-and-programming-using-python-fall-2022/] 6.0001 [now 6.100A] Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python on MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-0001-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-in-python-fall-2016/] 6.0002 [now 6.100B] Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science on MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-0002-introduction-to-computational-thinking-and-data-science-fall-2016/] Get Programming: Learn to Code with Python (book by Dr. Bell) [https://www.manning.com/books/get-programming] Doodle Debug (coloring book by Dr. Bell) [https://www.amazon.sg/Doodle-Debug-Adult-Coloring-Book/dp/B0BSL8N9DH] Video version of this interview on YouTube Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions [http://www.sessions.blue] Connect with Us If you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you!  Call us @ 617-715-2517 On our site [https://ocw.mit.edu/about/contactus/] On Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/MITOCW/] On X [https://twitter.com/MITOCW?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mitocw/?hl=en] On LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit-opencourseware/] Stay Current Subscribe [https://ocw.mit.edu/subscribe/index.htm?utm_source=header] to the free monthly "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" e-newsletter.  Support OCW If you like Chalk Radio and OpenCourseware, donate [https://giving.mit.edu/give/to/ocw/?utm_source=ocw&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=donate] to help keep these programs going!  Credits Sarah Hansen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-e-hansen/], host and producer  Brett Paci [https://twitter.com/Brett_Paci], producer   Dave Lishansky [https://twitter.com/DaveResonates], producer  Jackson Maher, producer Show notes by Peter Chipman

In this the first of two pilot episodes of Chalk Radio with VIDEO [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kFFg5jAoQc], Professor Andrew Lo, who teaches finance at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, knows that many people find financial matters perplexing and scary. Lots of us don’t have a good head for numbers, and besides, how can one get advice and make sound decisions when it’s taboo to discuss one’s finances at all? That’s where a financial advisor is useful–someone who understands the concepts, can crunch the numbers, and has a fiduciary responsibility to look out for your best interests. For many people, hiring a financial advisor might be a financial impossibility, but Prof. Lo and his colleagues are working to develop an AI financial advisor that not only gives ordinary people access to sound financial advice, but acts with real fiduciary responsibility. Large language models can’t do this yet, he says, but the technology is developing fast. Other topics he touches on in this episode include the outsized influence of finance on drug development and global decarbonization and the equally outsized influence of teachers on their students–he names many who changed his own life, from his third-grade teacher in Queens to his professors at college and graduate school.         Relevant Resources: MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu] The OCW Educator portal [https://ocw.mit.edu/educator/] Professor Lo’s faculty page [https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/andrew-w-lo] 15.401 Finance Theory I on MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/15-401-finance-theory-i-fall-2008/] 15.481x Adaptive Markets: Financial Market Dynamics and Human Behavior on MIT Open Learning Library [https://openlearninglibrary.mit.edu/courses/course-v1:MITx+15.481x+1T2021/about] 15.482x Healthcare Finance on MIT Open Learning Library [https://openlearninglibrary.mit.edu/courses/course-v1:MITx+15.482x+1T2019/about] Video version of this interview on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kFFg5jAoQc] Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions [http://www.sessions.blue]   Connect with Us If you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you!  Call us @ 617-715-2517 On our site [https://ocw.mit.edu/about/contactus/] On Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/MITOCW/] On X [https://twitter.com/MITOCW?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mitocw/?hl=en] On LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit-opencourseware/] Stay Current Subscribe [https://ocw.mit.edu/subscribe/index.htm?utm_source=header] to the free monthly "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" e-newsletter.  Support OCW If you like Chalk Radio and OpenCourseware, donate [https://giving.mit.edu/give/to/ocw/?utm_source=ocw&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=donate] to help keep these programs going!  Credits Sarah Hansen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-e-hansen/], host and producer  Brett Paci [https://twitter.com/Brett_Paci], producer   Dave Lishansky [https://twitter.com/DaveResonates], producer  Jackson Maher, producer Show notes by Peter Chipman

Sujood Khalid Eldouma recently relocated to the UK for her master’s studies, having previously lived in Egypt after fleeing her native Sudan to escape the devastating civil war in that country. Sujood holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Khartoum, but her ambitions extend far beyond the field she was trained in. She recently graduated from the MIT Emerging Talent certificate program in Computer and Data Science and is pursuing a MicroMasters in statistics and data science through the support of MIT Emerging Talent. In this episode, we hear how Sujood and her classmates at the university in Khartoum used MIT OpenCourseWare lecture videos as the basis of a group learning experience, in which knowledge was shared and lasting friendships were formed. We also hear how Sujood is pursuing her current online studies not just as a means of self-improvement but as part of the groundwork for a much bigger, future project: helping to rebuild Sudan’s educational and scientific infrastructure when peace comes to that country. “I'm not doing it just for myself,” she says. “I'm not doing it just for my family, but in the bigger picture and with a heart filled with hope.” The Open Learners podcast is produced by Alexis Haut and hosted by Emmanuel Kasigazi and Michael Jordan Pilgreen. Relevant Resources: MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu/] The OCW Educator portal [https://ocw.mit.edu/educator/] MIT Emerging Talent program [https://emergingtalent.mit.edu/] MIT MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science [https://micromasters.mit.edu/ds/] Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions [http://www.sessions.blue/]   Share Your Open Learning Story To share your own open learning story with Michael and Emmanuel, send them an email at open_learners_pod@mit.edu [open_learners_pod@mit.edu]. Connect with Us If you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you!  Call us @ 617-715-2517 On our site [https://ocw.mit.edu/about/contactus/] On Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/MITOCW/] On X [https://twitter.com/MITOCW?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mitocw/?hl=en] On LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit-opencourseware/] Stay Current Subscribe [https://ocw.mit.edu/subscribe/index.htm?utm_source=header] to the free monthly "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" e-newsletter.  Support OCW If you like Chalk Radio and OpenCourseware, donate [https://giving.mit.edu/give/to/ocw/?utm_source=ocw&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=donate] to help keep these programs going!  Credits Sarah Hansen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-e-hansen/], host and producer  Brett Paci [https://twitter.com/Brett_Paci], producer   Dave Lishansky [https://twitter.com/DaveResonates], producer  Jackson Maher, producer Show notes by Peter Chipman

They say every crisis also presents an opportunity. Open learner Jerry Vance Anguzu seized one such opportunity in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, when his native country of Uganda went into lockdown. Jerry was stuck at home, unable to earn a living, but that enforced inactivity gave him the chance to pursue new directions in his education. A few years earlier, he had discovered MIT OpenCourseWare and had seen what it had to offer; now he returned to MIT Open Learning resources in earnest, plowing through courses in data science and computer programming; soon thereafter he was accepted into the MIT Emerging Talent certificate program, where he began to develop an interest in entrepreneurship. Now, just a few years later, Jerry has his own startup, Everpesa Technologies, a financial services platform that offers sustainable investment opportunities and financial literacy resources to people in sub-Saharan Africa. Along the way, he has become a self-described “OCW ambassador,” enthusiastically spreading the word to relatives and colleagues about the learning resources that are available online through MIT OpenCourseWare. “You don’t need to pay anything,” Jerry tells them. “You just need to have a bit of time.” The Open Learners podcast is produced by Alexis Haut and hosted by Emmanuel Kasigazi and Michael Jordan Pilgreen. Relevant Resources: MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu/] The OCW Educator portal [https://ocw.mit.edu/educator/] MIT Emerging Talent program [https://emergingtalent.mit.edu/] MIT Jameel World Education Lab [https://www.jwel.mit.edu/] MIT MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science [https://micromasters.mit.edu/ds/] Everpesa website [https://everpesa.com/] 6.0001 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python on MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-0001-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-in-python-fall-2016/] Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions [http://www.sessions.blue/]   Share Your Open Learning Story To share your own open learning story with Michael and Emmanuel, send them an email at open_learners_pod@mit.edu [open_learners_pod@mit.edu]. Connect with Us If you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you!  Call us @ 617-715-2517 On our site [https://ocw.mit.edu/about/contactus/] On Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/MITOCW/] On X [https://twitter.com/MITOCW?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mitocw/?hl=en] On LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit-opencourseware/] Stay Current Subscribe [https://ocw.mit.edu/subscribe/index.htm?utm_source=header] to the free monthly "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" e-newsletter.  Support OCW If you like Chalk Radio and OpenCourseware, donate [https://giving.mit.edu/give/to/ocw/?utm_source=ocw&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=donate] to help keep these programs going!  Credits Sarah Hansen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-e-hansen/], host and producer  Brett Paci [https://twitter.com/Brett_Paci], producer   Dave Lishansky [https://twitter.com/DaveResonates], producer  Jackson Maher, producer Show notes by Peter Chipman

Our guest for this episode, Lotfullah Andishmand, grew up in a village in rural Afghanistan where there was no internet access or electric lights. (He describes having had to navigate by moonlight to get to his uncle’s house for tutoring in chemistry.) In search of educational opportunity, he eventually moved to Kabul, where he discovered MIT OpenCourseWare’s lecture videos while studying electrical engineering at the university. Even there, though, the internet infrastructure was shaky enough that Lotfullah often resorted to downloading the course materials so he could study them at leisure when broadband wasn’t available. He now resides in India and recently graduated from the MIT Emerging Talent certificate program in Computer and Data Science, specifically designed for displaced communities worldwide. As he continues his educational journey in data science and artificial intelligence, he remains deeply mindful of the challenges he encountered as a student in his home country. Recognizing that most of the available online educational resources are in English, a language few Afghans are fluent in, Lotfullah has used his computer skills to create an online learning platform offering educational materials in Persian. Someday, he hopes the platform will expand to include full online courses with direct interaction between instructors and students. The Open Learners podcast is produced by Alexis Haut and hosted by Emmanuel Kasigazi and Michael Jordan Pilgreen.   Relevant Resources: MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu/] The OCW Educator portal [https://ocw.mit.edu/educator/] MIT Emerging Talent program [https://emergingtalent.mit.edu/] MIT MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science [https://micromasters.mit.edu/ds/] 6.0001 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python on MIT OpenCourseWare [https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-0001-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-in-python-fall-2016/] Hooshmand Lab online learning website (in Persian) [https://hooshmandlab.com/] Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions [http://www.sessions.blue/]   Share Your Open Learning Story To share your own open learning story with Michael and Emmanuel, send them an email at open_learners_pod@mit.edu [open_learners_pod@mit.edu]. Connect with Us If you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you!  Call us @ 617-715-2517 On our site [https://ocw.mit.edu/about/contactus/] On Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/MITOCW/] On X [https://twitter.com/MITOCW?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mitocw/?hl=en] On LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit-opencourseware/] Stay Current Subscribe [https://ocw.mit.edu/subscribe/index.htm?utm_source=header] to the free monthly "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" e-newsletter.  Support OCW If you like Chalk Radio and OpenCourseware, donate [https://giving.mit.edu/give/to/ocw/?utm_source=ocw&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=donate] to help keep these programs going!  Credits Sarah Hansen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-e-hansen/], host and producer  Brett Paci [https://twitter.com/Brett_Paci], producer   Dave Lishansky [https://twitter.com/DaveResonates], producer  Jackson Maher, producer Show notes by Peter Chipman