[Hidden-tech] Help me rewrite an old Programming / Web Development Curriculum? CMS, Language, Frameworks

Bram Moreinis bram at greenfielddigital.com
Sun Sep 10 19:06:02 EDT 2017


Hi, Folks.

I just got a job teaching Programming and Web Development at Pathfinder 
Vocational Technical High School in Palmer.  I love the kids and it's 
wonderful.

I need to immediately re-do the old curriculum, however.  They were 
learning Dreamweaver DHTML (so some Javascript).  They learned no 
databases. They developed project websites with Adobe Muse (the 
Anti-Coder web tool). And they can't afford Dreamweaver when they leave 
school, so all of this was dead-end.

There are three types of students: those who want to be web developers, 
those who want to be coders, and those who like computers and want to 
learn more.  They are at all different levels ... so I have to balance 
what would best set them up to be coders (few will be) with what will 
best get them doing SOMETHING.

The AP Computer Science test is in Java. Last year ONE student out of 10 
seemed ready to take it after learning it from a textbook (said the 
teacher who left).  The others tried to learn from textbooks and 
failed.  Obviously Java is quite valid to learn ... but what entry level 
work in Java can they find?  And how to connect it to web development?

Obviously they need to learn together, from a teacher (supplemented by 
online courses like Udacity) - not from textbooks.  I need a coherent, 
cumulative curriculum that goes deep into coding, and addresses both the 
back end and the front end. Ideally we also learn a CMS so everyone can 
make SOME kind of website without Dreamweaver.

I think I need to teach them:

  * a server-side coding language - either PHP (because Wordpress),
    Node.js (because Javascript), Java (because AP Computer Science) or
    Python (because Python)
  * a database to connect the language to - MySQL (because Wordpress) or
    PostgreSQL (because Python)
  * an associated framework to get comfy with - Symfony (because Drupal
    and Laravel), etc.
  * a CMS to get them started - Wordpress (because jobs) ...

What is my best grouping of the four?

 1. *PHP / MySQL / Symfony / Wordpress:* enough PHP to make templates
    and theme files. Many folks want to hire Wordpress developers. But
    Codecademy says PHP is so unpopular now that they won't update their
    course in it.  I can't find anything on the web about what php
    framework Wordpress was developed from, but
    http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/best-php-frameworks says Drupal used
    components from Symfony, and that Laravel is based on Symfony.
 2. *Java / MySQL / SpringMVC / dotCMS*: only two dotCMS developer jobs
    on Glassdoor makes me think that won't help them get jobs... but
    maybe that doesn't matter.  SpringMVC seems to be the most popular
    Java framework.
 3. *NodeJS / MySQL / Meteor / [Apostrophe]: *nobody is looking for
    Apostrophe.  But since we're parlaying Javascript into Node.js and
    everyone wants to hire mobile app developers, maybe I should push
    them and leap off the Wordpress bandwagon, leaving Apostrophe for
    students who can't hack the coding? Meteor seems to be the most
    popular Node.js framework.
 4. *Python / PostgreSQL / Django / Wagtail*: The problem is that none
    of these connect to the Javascript or Java that we know have to be
    part of the course, and that unlike Wordpress, Wagtail is not a way
    to get jobs.

It's better if they know how to do SOMETHING well than how to do many 
things poorly. What would you advise?

Please vote -- and if you have time to explain why, do!

Thanks,

-Bram

-- 

Martin Bram Moreinis, Designer/Developer
http://myinstructionaldesigns.com
(413) 829-0355

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