islt 7360
introduction to web development
This class was HARD. And there's no way I could ever be a professional HTML or CSS coder, but I'm glad that those folks are out there. And perseverance is a trait I do possess. Perseverance, but not perfection. That's about all that really sticks in my mind about this mind blowing course.
Okay, okay, maybe I learned a little more than that. I learned that web design involves quite a bit more than just the actual site creation. It involves research, an understanding of your audience and aesthetics, a vast knowledge of current trends and coding techniques and A LOT of patience.
As I worked through the creation process of actually building websites from scratch to code and submit the reflection papers assigned, I see that scaffolding learners is definitely an effective technique. Had my instructor thrown at me the final requirements without the baby steps along the way, I certainly may have dropped the class or likely failed if I attempted to stick it out.
Rather, by layering on content about web design along with a more sophisticated coding technique each week, I stepped my way up to being a successful, albeit rudimentary, web designer.
I was able to take this reminder of effective pedagogy back to my own classroom as I taught my third graders the intricate process of making new posts, commenting and embedding content in their Kidblog. At first I was unsure why they continued to struggle despite the fact that I'd given them the step-by-step instructions to refer to. It dawned on me that I'd not provided enough hands on practice at each level of the site's interface. It was an important lesson for me that was timed well with this course and has stuck with me since.
Okay, okay, maybe I learned a little more than that. I learned that web design involves quite a bit more than just the actual site creation. It involves research, an understanding of your audience and aesthetics, a vast knowledge of current trends and coding techniques and A LOT of patience.
As I worked through the creation process of actually building websites from scratch to code and submit the reflection papers assigned, I see that scaffolding learners is definitely an effective technique. Had my instructor thrown at me the final requirements without the baby steps along the way, I certainly may have dropped the class or likely failed if I attempted to stick it out.
Rather, by layering on content about web design along with a more sophisticated coding technique each week, I stepped my way up to being a successful, albeit rudimentary, web designer.
I was able to take this reminder of effective pedagogy back to my own classroom as I taught my third graders the intricate process of making new posts, commenting and embedding content in their Kidblog. At first I was unsure why they continued to struggle despite the fact that I'd given them the step-by-step instructions to refer to. It dawned on me that I'd not provided enough hands on practice at each level of the site's interface. It was an important lesson for me that was timed well with this course and has stuck with me since.