jbedi10 / preparation01

Preparation 1 - Git-ing Started

All of your work for STA 418/518 will be completed using GitHub. This activity will walk you through practicing some of the GitHub steps to get more comfortable with this workflow.

Estimated Time

• 🎞 Four Videos: 45 minutes
• ☑️ Four Tasks: 20-30 minutes

Introduction to Git and GitHub

🎞 Video 1: Introduction (13:43 minutes)

Objectives

At the end of this video, learners will be able to:

• Explain the difference between Git and GitHub,
• Create repositories in GitHub with a README file,
• Create new plain text (.txt) and Markdown (.md) files within a GitHub repository
• Edit and commit changes to files in a GitHub repository,
• Provide informative commit messages, and
• View commit history for a particular file.

☑️ Task 1: Introduction

Create your own repo. You can follow the steps here (stopping once you reach the “Commit your first change” section). In step 2, name your reflection preparation01. In step 4, you can choose to make your repository private if you would prefer for your reflective writing to private. If you choose to make your repo private, you will need to grant me @dykesb access to your private repository.

In this repository, create a new markdown file called kohn-reflection.md. Notice that Daniel (video host) created a raw text file (.txt), but I am asking you to instead create a markdown file (.md). In this newly created markdown file, write a reflection (at least a full page, at least 500 words, with multiple paragraphs) after reading Alfie’s article. This should be a reflection, not simply reporting what Alfie’s article says. Some prompts that you may find useful are provided below, but feel free to make this reflection your own!

1. Describe a class where you felt your final grade in a course did not match with what you learned throughout the semester (this could be where your grade was “too low” or “too high”).
2. What do you think grades represent? What is your experience with grades?
3. If grades were removed from courses, what would you use for motivation? What value would learning have for you without grades?
4. Describe a time where you took the “easy way out” for an assignment. Why did you choose to go this route?

This repository also contains a README.md file. Provide a brief description of what your preparation01 repo contains.

In the videos, notice that Daniel keeps referring to the “master branch.” While Git’s “master” branch naming convention was likely from the “master copy” or “master recording” use of the word, there also a history of “master/slave” that has been used in many technology applications. The language that we use matters. The term “master” has an oppressive association, and there are better, more inclusive words that we can use. Beginning in October, GitHub began using “main” instead of “master” for all newly-created repositories. I am getting better at referring to it “main” branch, but I might slip-up. Also, I am aware that doing this is not going to solve the larger issue and there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Some amazing organizations/communities to support are Data For Black Lives, MiR Community, and RLadies.

Branches and Pull Requests

These next two videos are meant to provide you with insight into what else you can do in GitHub. I expect these steps will be new and confusing to most of you. That is ok! We will get better at these steps throughout the semester. At the very least, watch the videos to be aware of what these terms mean.

🎞 Video 2: Branches (11:54 minutes)

Note that the network plot that Daniel shows throughout this video is now located at 💹 Insights > Network (on the left-hand toolbar).

Objectives

At the end of this video, learners will be able to:

• Create a new branch in a GitHub repository,
• Switch between branches in GitHub,
• Edit and commit changes to a separate branches in GitHub, and
• Merge branches with a pull request.

☑️ Task 2: Make a branch and pull request

Create a new branch of your preparation01 repository. Name this branch after your favorite color (or any color).

In this new branch, add to your README.md by finding a link to a gif that speaks to your current feeling(s) and include this as an image (Remember how to do this in markdown?)

Create a Pull Request to your main branch from your new branch.

You are done working in this repository. For the remainder of this Activity, you will work with other repositories in the gvsu-sta518 GitHub organization (linked below).

Forks and Pull Requests

🎞 Video 3: Forks and Pull Request (12:22 minutes)

We will do more with pull requests in our next class session, but watch this video to help prepare you.

Objectives

At the end of this video, learners will be able to:

• Describe what forking is in Git/GitHub.
• Describe what a pull request is.

Issues

🎞 Video 4: Issues and Markdown (11:31 minutes)

Objectives

At the end of this video, learners will be able to:

• Respond to an Issue in a GitHub repository

☑️ Tasks 3: Comment on an Issue

Find the issue titled “Preparation 1 Issue” that Bradford created in the community repository of our STA 418/518 GitHub organization. Reply to the question somewhere below. Use at least two Markdown styling trick in your reply.

☑️ Tasks 4: Respond to a different kind of issue

In our Slack workspace (link provided in Blackboard), find the #agenda channel. In this channel, there should be a post called “Day 2 Agenda” that Bradford created.

This post currently includes my planned agenda for our second class session. From the syllabus you saw that I want to encourage you seek help in visible ways and the Slack workspace is one way to do this!

In this post, provide details for what was the muddiest thing from this Preparation. If someone else already mentioned what you thought was muddy, give them a “+ 1” 👍.

You will continue to do this for each Preparation. This is one way to ask me to discuss things at the beginning of a class session (and with enough heads up, I can provide a better discussion). If, as your working on non-Preparation material, you experience some “mudd-iness”, create a post in the #random channel or create a new themed channel. You can always ask questions live during our class sessions.

Optional

• Personalize your GitHub profile with a picture, name, etc.
• Register for the (free!) Student Developer Pack with GitHub

Attribution

Parts of this activity are based on materials from the Stat 431 course by Kelly Bodwin and Hunter Glanz.