I have been to several of TLC’s workshops, on networks, git, Signal, and virtual machines, as well as their Hackers Next Door conference and a Mr. Robot-themed happy hour event. I also loved their online Foundations courses. I have found the instructors to be extraordinarily knowledgeable on an extremely wide variety of topics. They are fluent in this stuff, plain and simple, and quite good at explaining dense, complicated topics. As someone who is new to the “behind-the-scenes” of today’s technologies, I feel that I have benefited greatly from their events. After each workshop, I have numerous takeaways that help me continue to learn on my own time, but I keep coming back to their live workshops because of the quality of the instruction. I cannot overemphasize how highly I recommend Tech Learning Collective.

The workshop I most recently attended, File Sharing for Fun and Profit, was extremely well organized and was a great presentation demonstrating the ease of using BitTorrent as well as its benefits. Better still, since the instructor at every TLC workshop I’ve attended so far mentions resources that I probably wouldn’t have learned as much about in other ways, I’m often able to double the number of valuable resources I get from attending the workshop by entering the names of things I learn about from the workshop into the search box of several search engines.

It’s clear that TLC’s instructors possess a deep reservoir of knowledge about BitTorrent and the other subjects in their curriculum. I’d encourage anyone wishing to learn more about BitTorrent, Tor, PGP, Signal, etcetera, to enroll in a TLC workshop or course in order to get the opportunity to draw from this rich reservoir!

[I participated in] the “Tor: What is it Good For? (Absolutely Everything!)” workshop [and] I loved (LOVED!) the workshop.

The instructor was personable, friendly, and warm, with a keen vision of the change they want to see in the world and the ability to draw that vision into reality using self-direction and their unique and valuable gifts. They use analogies and examples to demystify complex subjects and connect, and anchor, abstract concepts to concrete understanding. They are kind, helpful, informative, and empowering to students.

The information was presented in an organized fashion, with step-by-step guidance that eliminated confusion in even the most inexperienced novice. The class is geared toward creating positive change in students’ lives by helping them better understand their use of internet security and privacy. Everything taught was highly applicable and useful to the common person. (These classes work to level the playing field between those with innate technological interest/skill and those without.)

The teaching methods used (analogies, examples, demonstration, verbal explanation, and hands-on practice) address the needs of all different kinds of learners in the classroom. The flow of the class was seamless. The incorporation of questions and answers was so helpful, and the progression of the material was logical and conducive to learning. There were frequent “comprehension checks” which made the material and instructor accessible to students throughout class.

I could go on, but TLDR: This class was immensely valuable, and changed my core beliefs about my technological proficiency and potential.

Teaching a technical class from the terminal is a difficult proposition when you have students coming in from all over the world. The instructor of “Exploring Cyberspace: Network Sniffing and Scanning” did a commendable job getting a sense of the (virtual) room and talking at our level. Their task is probably helped by the fact that the Tech Learning Collective’s course offerings have titles and a mission that engage curious minds.

Before taking the class, I had some passing experience with one or two of the tools the instructor introduced. I would have considered myself a beginner. The instructor managed to take us into deep waters by illustrating small steps, making sure we understood the fundamental terminology, and asking us lots of questions. The scope of the class was thoughtfully limited—enough to make sure we could swim but also realize there is much more to learn. Quite an accomplishment in under two hours!