Ready4R 2025-01-26: Starting Again
Welcome to the Weekly Ready for R mailing list! If you need Ready for R course info, it's here. Past newsletters are available here.
Data Snacks
I haven't written a newsletter lately, because I started a new position in July: Director of Training and Community for the Office of the Chief Data Officer at Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
A lot of my work there has been figuring out a path forward, adding new courses, and rethinking what it means to have a learning community. And making these efforts sustainable, and hopefully in the end, self-sustaining. I'm blessed to be a part of a group that understands what I'm trying to do, and encourages it, following healthy discussion.
I would like to share one of the things I have been doing: Data Snacks. These are bite size tutorials in Python and R that leverage WebAssembly (via pyodide and WebR, see below) to run in your browser, so you can play with the code right away. Check them out here: https://hutchdatascience.org/data_snacks.
WebR is a Game Changer
One thing I've been working with a lot lately is WebR. WebR is a framework that allows you to run full R in the browser.
If people are interested (and if you're interested let me know in the comments) how I've been using WebR to empower my students in Active Learning, I will happily share more.
As with any technology, you have to treat it as a new medium of expression. You can enable active exercises with it, but it isn't the full picture. There are ways to structure exercises in the context of classes that can empower students, and get immediate feedback about your teaching.
The courage to go on
I have to convince that I've been discouraged and depressed by the way the election has gone and how these last few month have gone. Sometimes I think it has reflected that the world isn't what I thought it was: a world which was slowly making progress in how we treated each other.
I've been reminded of a quote from Bluey (yes, I'm quoting a kid's show). Chili Heeler (the mom) says to one of her kids:
Have a little cry. Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. Keep going. The show MUST go on! .... Sometimes, all you can do is the crying part. That's okay - focus on that for now.
(If you know the episode this comes from, you know that this is hard-won knowledge.) If we are to go on, we each need to learn how to shine again, and take care of each other. To pick fights and battles, and to support each other. We can't give up - but sometimes, all we can do is cry for right now. That's ok. But we need to pick yourself up. The world needs you more than ever.
Thanks for Reading This Far!
It has been an ongoing process marshalling my efforts and resources into something that can benefit not just the community at Fred Hutch, but also the larger Data Science community and beyond. I hope to start up this newsletter again on a more regular basis.
Best,
Ted
webR seems like a gamechanger. I would love to hear more. I am also realizing im fully incompetent with javascripting so I could make sense of the set up info. I'd love more info!!!!
Ted, your words really hit home. I’m so excited to hear about everything you’ve been up to—your new role sounds amazing, and it’s clear you’re doing such important work building those learning communities and creating resources like Data Snacks. I love how you’re blending innovation with care for others—it’s inspiring. And you’re absolutely right—sometimes we just need to let ourselves cry and sit with those feelings, but eventually, we have to dust ourselves off and keep going. Thank you for sharing this; it really resonated with me. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone in feeling this way sometimes.