Scrum, Time Management and Learning a New Language – August 2017

Earlier this month, I attended a two-day training and became a Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM) through the Scrum Alliance®. I’m looking forward to putting what I learned into practice in my new role as an Application Developer.

I am currently reading Pomodoro Technique Illustrated: The Easy Way to Do More in Less Time by Staffan Noteberg and experimenting with using the technique.

I first heard about the Pomodoro Technique in a Pluralsight course called Learning To Program – Being A Better Programmer by Scott Allen and Iris Classon. I wanted to learn more so I picked up this book and found it to be a quick read with techniques that I could put into use right away. I’ve experimented with using a kitchen timer, but found the alarm to be a bit too loud and jarring. What works best for me so far is a free online timer called TomatoTimer. I’ll admit, I’m a long way from using the system perfectly, but I do find it useful when I really need to focus on a task.

I’m still learning Swedish through Duolingo. I don’t know how they measure fluency, but according to Duolingo, I am 36% fluent after going through the entire course about 1 1/2 times over. I think that means I have a 64% chance of looking like an idiot if I try to speak to someone who actually IS fluent. I can, however, discuss moose, strawberries, and express my desire for a beer. I can also ask for directions to the bathroom (this important after you’ve successfully ordered a few beers). So I suppose all the most important bits are covered. When I actually make it to Sweden, I’ll let you know how it works out.

Cheers!

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