Hello!
I'm a Shodor Apprentice, and I do a wide variety of things.
>>> What types of things?
As part of the apprentice program, I've sampled a wide variety of topics. One of the topics that we've spent a lot of time on is modelling. I've learned to create models in Agentsheets, NetLogo, Vensim, and Excel. I've also learned what the advantages and disadvantages of each program are, and what sorts of models they're best used for. In order to be able to describe these models, we spent a while learning about technical writing. That was quite useful, as it's not really something stressed in schools. Another thing that we spent a lot of time learning about was web design. I know a decent amount of HTML, CSS, and PHP, as well as a very modest amount of Javascript (just enough to know how absolutely out of my depth I am). I've also learned a lot about what good design practices are, and I've tried to implement those in this website. Hopefully I've suceeded -- if not, send me a message via my contact form!
There are a lot of other things that we've learned about or covered, though. The first year of the apprenticeship was basically a crash-course in everything that's done at Shodor, and the second year has been a more in-depth experience with a particular aspect of Shodor.
>>> How does the apprenticeship work?
Well, that's a somewhat complex question to answer. The apprenticeship, in its current form, lasts two years. Children who participate in SSP (Shodor Scholars Program) have the option to apply for an apprenticeship. If their application is successful, they become a first year apprentice. First year apprentices attend classes during the year and summer -- well, at least, they did when I was one. I've heard rumors of restructuring. But anyway, then you move on to being a second year apprentice. Second year apprentices mainly do group projects during the summer, which apply skills taught during the first year.
>>> What exactly is Shodor, anyway?
I always have trouble explaining exactly what Shodor is, because I find that the words 'comptuational science institute', which are the first that come to mind, don't really conjure my intended image. So why don't you take a look at the Shodor home page and see if that answers your question better?
