This semester I took computer programming. We covered a variety of basic programming topics, including basic HTML, a little bit of CSS, an in depth exploration of Scratch and spent a long time learning basic Python code through a program called Jeroo.
I enjoyed the HTML portion of the class. I had done some basic HTML coding before, but I wasn’t very skilled. Learning how to format web pages with HTML was simple and intuitive. We incorporated CSS with our HTML code to reduce the lines of our code. This I had a little more trouble understanding. I feel like if we has spent a little more time learning CSS that I would have understood it much better.
Scratch was really easy. The program was fun because it was easy to work and you could make some pretty cool things with it. The catch, however, was that because it was a drag and drop format, I don’t feel like I actually benefitted from learning how to work in Scratch. Perhaps it helped me become more familiar with the thinking process that you have to use when programming, but I don’t think that my programming ability was improved by learning Scratch.
Jeroo was probably my favorite portion of this semester. The puzzles were intriguing in their simplicity, and I felt like I was actually programming. I think that I learned a lot through Jeroo, and I am confident that this experience will really help me when we begin programming in Python.
Overall, I really enjoyed this class. The structure was really good because we learned a lot in the course of one semester while being in a relaxed environment and enjoying the time in class. One thing that I feel could be improved is the procedure of turning in typed documents, often reading reflections or labs. In conclusion I really enjoyed this class and look forwards to next semester.
