Reflection on Everything I Learned
The main things I learned are HTML and CSS coding, Javascript, Atom, and FileZilla. I have had some experience using Python coding in high school computer class, and I used HTML on a Google Site in a previous class, but for the most part, I was completely out of my depth at first. To start with, I found HTML coding the simplest and easiest to pick up, although it became more complicated with the addition of a CSS stylesheet and “div” elements used to move the content into columns and rows, much more intricate that moving boxes around in LibGuides. I loved that I could quickly check my changes by opening my coding file in my browser (Chrome) and refreshing. CSS coding simplified the lines and lines of style designations down into one document to link to, and I had a lot of fun trying out different fonts and picking a color for background, headings, table outlines and more to go with it. My favorite part was perusing the long list of HTML color names, since I’ve always loved vibrant colors and pastels, and many of the color names were creative.
Javascript was something I was very unfamiliar with, and I learned about so many more tags and keywords for variables in button-click functions and mouseover events such as changing text color. Such simple mechanics for a website were very complicated to make work, with lots of trial-and-error and wondering why the text didn't turn red when I moused over it during many, many attempts. I have a new appreciation for programmers who put a lot more moving parts into their webpages, because so many lines of code are required to make even the simplest page event happen, and when it stops working it can take a long time to figure out how to fix it. It was definitely one of the most difficult things I've learned this semester, but it was rewarding to see it finally work at the end.
App Lab on code.org was also something I was very unfamiliar with and nervous about, but I found it a lot more straightforward than making Javascript events. The easy-to-follow tutorials on the websites, along with the click-and-drag functions that reminded me of the program Scratch, helped me create a very brief quiz trying to guess someone’s horoscope element based on their favorite foods. I was unable to create a complex program to calculate it, so I ended up going with instructions for the user to add up a “score” as they answered questions, getting a result based on the number at the end.
Here's the link to my brief App Lab quiz!
I am very grateful that we were directed to use Atom to craft our website code, because it was fairly simple to learn. Also, the black background and different colors made it so much easier for my eyes to follow what code I was entering without getting too confused. Keeping all the website pages open in Atom tabs made it easier to compartmentalize each part of my project too. FileZilla was very convenient as well, since I could turn in my projects with simple uploads and I could see my page by clicking my name on the website for the class.
In continuing my technology education, I hope to make myself useful in public libraries. I will need to continue learning different code languages, since every library has a different system, but I eventually want to be part of the tech services department in a library. I have always been comfortable around computers, typing, designing documents and pages, and explaining how I did or found something online to others. This class was a great introduction to coding, and I hope to continue to use what I learned in the process of becoming a tech-savvy librarian. I also hope to continue learning more about how to make and edit webpages and what makes library websites, guides, and related sites the most user-friendly, accessible and useful they can be.
