Programming
Code Academy (Or Comparable)
In previous courses, I have experimented with Code Academy as a way of introducing JavaScript. For the most part, students agree that this is a helpful way of covering new material, even if the Code Academy modules are not perfect. To earn this programming badge, you will use Code Academy (or a comparable resource) to teach yourself jQuery, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, SQL, SASS, Rails, Angular JS, or ReactJS.
Code Academy recently started charging for some of their resources, but they claim that the free resources are still sufficient for learning the language. You should not need to purchase an account to pursue this option.
When Code Academy first emerged on the scene, it was one of the only games in town for people who wanted free, interactive coding instruction. In 2020, as the staff at Net Magazine recently noted, there are many high-quality options. If you are interested in testing out a different system, please feel free to do some additional research and send me an email when you've identified a potential platform and topic.
Also, if you are interested in learning to code in JavaScript or Python, you might have more fun with a fantasy-themed coding game called Code Combat. If you're interested in this option, please email me for more details.
BADGE DELIVERABLES
- Connect to Code Academy, and work through all of the modules linked to a single programming language. As of January 2020, any of the following Code Academy courses will satisfy the requirements of this badge: jQuery, PHP, Python, Ruby, SQL, SASS, Rails, Angular JS, ReactJS, and Swift.
- When you're finished, take a screenshot of the badge completion page served up by Code Academy. The screenshot(s) should clearly indicate that you've completed all of the exercises linked to this particular programming language.
- As with the other badges, this should culminate in a blog posting. All badge write-ups should be posted to your personal blog. In approximately 750 words, discuss your experiences with this unit. Your blog posting should address the following questions:
- What programming language did you tackle, and how did the experience go for you?
- What is this programming language supposed to be used for? Imagine that you are explaining the concept to a non-technical friend or colleague.
- How is this programming language actually used in the real world? You will surely need to search web development blogs for more context about some of these things.
- What sorts of questions do you have about the practice of coding? Is there anything you don't know how to do that you want to learn how to do?
- What do you think about Code Academy as a tool for learning to code? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this platform?
- Although I will be reading and evaluating your blog posting, you should imagine that this blog posting is being read by a colleague or potential employer who has Googled your name. You should answer the above questions in a way that will demonstrate your skills as a writer, your facility with technology, your willingness to tackle new technologies, and your ability to find answers to technical questions. Think of this blog posting as an opportunity to impress someone you have not yet met.
- When you have finished the blog posting, send me an e-mail that includes a link to your completed blog posting. The subject line for this message should be "Pending: Code Academy Badge."
USEFUL RESOURCES
- "Code Academy Community Forums," Code Academy, January 2017.
- Anthony Grant (2019), "Why you shouldn't learn to code with Codeacademy," Make Use Of, December 20.
- Net Magazine Staff (2020), "17 of the best online coding courses," Creative Bloq, January 23.