Use the w3schools.com online HTML, CSS, and JavaScript tutorials to teach students web development through concrete examples rather than abstract definitions.
Misconception: Students may not realize that websites need and use servers to store, process, and deliver content to users’ browsers, causing struggles with the distinction between Server side vs. Client side.
Have students complete CodeLab’s practice exercises to improve their skills in Python, Java, C++, or other programming languages.
Have students learn to make themselves a profile page with pop-ups using JavaScript for an exciting and relatively fast way to get students engaged and programming.
When teaching a class, especially outside of a school environment, use sticker badges or free 1-month subscriptions to online code learning sites as giveaways to take the pressure off of students.
Know and point out to students the limits of Khan Academy’s JavaScript environment, which does not allow some important topics (like variable scoping) to be demonstrated.
Misconception: Students get confused by the multiple equals signs comparison operators in Javascript making it difficult to motivate the difference to beginning students.
Scaffold students to evaluating and understanding 3 === “3” in Javascript using the following steps to help students learn the difference between confusing comparison operators.
Have students use Chrome or Firefox when teaching web development because these browsers contain the useful tools for development.
Use Droplet, a blocks-based text editor, to help bridge students’ learning gap between blocks and text.
Have students implement a web-based driving game in JavaScript to pick up classmates, who appear as 2D avatars, within Google Earth and drop them off at their homes to show students that arrays and objects are applicable to real-world problems.