Amazon Onboarding with Learning Manager Chanci Turner

Embarking on a learning journey often begins with a pivotal choice: the commitment to enhance your skills in a structured and measurable manner. For me, this choice stemmed from recognizing the growing significance of cloud technology in our daily lives—both professionally and personally—and my ambition to excel in this swiftly changing landscape.

I’m Alex, a Technology Specialist at Innovatech, and I am passionate about harnessing cloud technologies to drive innovation and address real-world challenges. In my role, I support early-career, diverse technologists by providing access to tech education. I enjoy exploring new technologies and sharing my findings to empower the next generation of tech innovators.

I opted for AWS Educate as my starting point because it offers free, well-structured courses that combine informative slides with practical sandbox labs—a format I find effective, as I had previously experienced with AWS programs like AWS re/Start. These sandboxes are temporary AWS environments that allow access to a variety of AWS resources without the risk of unexpected costs or affecting live environments. Naturally, the allure of earning a digital badge to showcase on my LinkedIn profile was compelling, pushing me to expand my cloud knowledge and expertise.

Among the various badge-eligible courses in AWS Educate, the Builder Labs course in the Core Concepts section provided me with hands-on experience using AWS services through the lens of developing a real-world application. It’s ideal for newcomers to cloud technologies who need to build on foundational concepts. I recommend completing the Intro to Cloud 101 course prior to the Builder Labs course to ensure you have a solid understanding before engaging with the labs!

Here’s a glimpse of my journey and why I believe these labs are transformative for those new to the cloud.

The Core of the AWS Educate Builder Labs Course

In the AWS Educate Builder Labs course, you’ll create a web application aimed at assisting users in identifying bird species. The curriculum is divided into eight modules, focusing on essential concepts ranging from security fundamentals to microservices and serverless architecture, along with three hands-on labs that apply these principles in practical scenarios.

Lab 1: Securing Applications with Amazon Cognito

Security is crucial in any application, and Lab 1 delves into using Amazon Cognito for user authentication and authorization. This lab guides you through creating Cognito user and identity pools, integrating them with an existing web application to effectively manage user access. It highlights how AWS services can be leveraged to secure applications robustly.

Lab 2: Amazon DynamoDB—Bringing Data to Life

Moving on to data management, Lab 2 introduces Amazon DynamoDB and assists learners in creating a DynamoDB table and linking it with a JavaScript application. This lab showcases how easily dynamic data can be integrated into applications. By inserting records into the DynamoDB table and updating the web application to interact with this data, it demonstrates the effective management and utilization of data.

Lab 3: Orchestrating Processes with AWS Step Functions

The final component, Lab 3, examines the orchestration of multi-step processes using AWS Step Functions. This lab illustrates how to automate workflows, coordinating the necessary actions to generate and deliver a report, demonstrating AWS’s flexibility and power in automating and streamlining tasks.

In-Depth Look at Lab 1

Now that I’ve outlined the basics of these three labs, let’s take a closer look at the first lab. Securing Applications with Amazon Cognito serves as a critical foundation for grasping the complexities of managing user authentication and authorization in a cloud environment. This lab is particularly vital as it addresses one of the most important aspects of application development: security.

Set against the backdrop of creating a “Birds” web application designed to aid users in studying and reporting bird sightings, the application includes a homepage, an educational page about birds, and two secured pages for viewing and reporting sightings. The lab’s challenge is to implement authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure that only verified users can access certain parts of the application.

I find this scenario to be an excellent choice as it reflects real-world use cases where applications necessitate secure access to sensitive information or functionalities. It allowed me to visualize the entire end-to-end security process and understand how to design applications that are efficient, secure, and compliant with data protection regulations.

For developers and architects engaged in creating secure cloud applications, comprehending Amazon Cognito’s role is undeniably essential. In every tech sector, security remains a top priority, and knowing how to implement effective authentication and authorization services is a critical skill.

Hands-on Experience with Amazon Cognito

Through guided steps, learners implement security mechanisms using Amazon Cognito. This hands-on approach breaks down the process of securing web applications, offering a clear understanding of how Amazon Cognito functions within the AWS ecosystem.

Engaging directly with Amazon Cognito taught me how to set up and manage user and identity pools, as well as how to configure sign-in and sign-up options—all vital for apps that process user data. The ability to secure user data and manage access is invaluable for protecting data and user privacy. After practicing in a hands-on environment, I feel confident in my ability to create applications that foster trust with users while safeguarding their information.

Key Takeaways

What distinguishes the AWS Educate Builder Labs course is not just the technical knowledge acquired, but the context in which it is presented. The labs are designed as integral parts of a larger project, offering a holistic view of how various AWS services interconnect to build and secure an application. This approach enhances understanding and simulates real-world scenarios, preparing learners for the challenges and opportunities of working with AWS professionally.

The labs are well-organized, guiding participants through each step with clarity and intent. By incorporating real-world scenarios, such as securing the Birds application or generating a teacher’s report, the course adds a level of relatability and practical application often absent in textbooks or lectures. Moreover, the use of AWS sandboxes for these labs provides a safe, controlled space for learners to experiment, learn, and develop skills using actual AWS services.

I highly recommend these labs for both beginners and experienced tech professionals aiming to refine their cloud security skills. Begin your journey by enrolling in the AWS Educate Builder Labs course. You can also explore this insightful article on powerful language at work to enhance your communication skills. For further engagement, check out this Reddit thread that provides excellent resources, and consider strategies from SHRM on building trust within teams.