Treehouse Teacher: Craig Dennis Interview (Bring Your Daughter Or Son To Work Day)

Hi, I'm Craig, welcome to The Treehouse Show. 0:00 The Treehouse Show is our weekly conversation with the Treehouse community. 0:02 [MUSIC] 0:05 In this episode, 0:11 we're going to be celebrating the Bring Your Child To Work Day. 0:11 My daughter Haddie is going to see firsthand what it's like 0:15 to host The Treehouse Show. 0:18 >> Hello, welcome to The Treehouse Show. 0:20 Introducing our first guest, Craig. 0:22 >> Thanks for having me on the show, Haddie. 0:25 >> How did you get started in technology? 0:31 >> That is a wonderful question. 0:33 So, when I was a little boy, about your age, actually. 0:35 You know Papa, right? 0:39 >> Yeah. >> Well Papa and I, Papa's a programmer. 0:41 You know that right? 0:43 So I would sit with Papa, and we would play a game called Zork. 0:44 It's very much like Zelda, that we play today, but it was a text-based game. 0:49 And you would be in a room, and there would be a lantern. 0:54 And you say, pick up lantern, turn lantern on. 0:56 And the story would change with what you did. 0:59 It was really cool. 1:01 >> Wow! >> It was a fun game, and 1:01 papa kind of tricked me. 1:04 He had me program one of those games. 1:07 And that's how I learned how to program. 1:09 That's how I did it and from there, yeah. 1:11 >> What do you teach at Treehouse? 1:13 >> So for Treehouse, I teach Java. 1:15 I've taught some other courses here, but yeah. 1:18 My main focus here is Java, and I've been doing that. 1:20 Have you ever done any Java coding? 1:23 No. >> Okay. 1:25 >> What's something that the students may not know about you? 1:27 >> Great question. 1:29 So aside from them knowing, 1:32 now they know that I have an adorably smart and cute daughter. 1:35 I was in the Peace Corps. 1:42 That's something they might not know. 1:43 >> Yeah, yeah. >> That's where I met Mommy. 1:44 So you're kind of a purebred Peace Corps baby. 1:46 >> [LAUGH] >> Uh-huh! 1:48 >> Yeah? 1:49 And I taught there, in Guayana, I taught how to program. 1:50 And I taught about Microsoft Office, and other things. 1:54 >> Yeah, yeah. 1:56 >> Yeah? You've heard those stories? 1:57 >> Yeah, yeah. 1:58 >> Okay. 1:59 So, I actually have a question for you, is that okay? 2:00 >> Yeah. >> I was wondering, 2:03 if you could tell the students what you think I do for a living. 2:05 What do I do every day? 2:09 >> You program and make video games. 2:11 >> I make video games? 2:13 What sort of video games do you think I make? 2:14 >> I think you make things that are hard to play. 2:17 >> Things that are hard to play. 2:21 Okay, why do you think I do that? 2:23 >> Because the point is, it's hard to play a video game, and a challenge. 2:27 >> So you think challenges are good? 2:31 >> Yeah. >> Yeah, so 2:33 people learn through challenge? 2:34 >> Yeah, dad. >> That's great. 2:35 [MUSIC] 2:37 Thanks for watching the Treehouse Show. 2:42 To get in touch with the show, reach out to me on Twitter. 2:43 Or hit us up in the Treehouse community. 2:45 See you next time. 2:47