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

[Paul Bissex]

Belatedly weighing in on this one. Thanks for asking.

As you of course know, designing a full year's curriculum is a big task. 
I've been involved with the Franklin County Tech web/programming shop, 
and taught web design at Hallmark for several years. It's exciting to 
help them learn the skills but it's easy to overwhelm the ones that have 
a low comfort level. So, good luck!

Here are some specific thoughts:

* Yes, drop Dreamweaver if you can. The world of templates and CSS 
frameworks  is very rich now. They can make a great-looking site without 
pushing pixels. Designing from scratch can be a real time-sink for 
beginners, with little substantial payoff.

* The first programming language that you introduce should probably be 
Javascript. It's far from perfect, but it's everywhere (on every 
computer the students will have access to), is a growing force, and lets 
them do both client-side and server-side work without having to learn a 
whole additional language. You can start in the browser and then 
introduce Node later when you get to server-side concepts. Use a "good 
parts" approach (http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596517748.do) to 
keep them away from the sharp edges.

* Python is a great teaching language, so if you include a second 
language that gets my vote. If you introduce web frameworks, I'd suggest 
looking at the Flask microframework (http://flask.pocoo.org/).  It's a 
lot more compact and comprehensible than Django for a beginner. It will 
do all the stuff that they would use Django for, without making them 
feel like they have been thrown at the controls of a humungous cruise 
ship (and I say this as a bonafide Django expert and fan).

* To reiterate what several others said, watch out for the complexity we 
take for granted.  The presentation layer (HTML + CSS) alone is a lot, 
and there are lots more layers (client-side logic, server-side logic, 
data persistence, server operation...) Try to make the boundaries 
between layers clear.

* Definitely reach out to other similar schools (e.g. FC Tech) to see 
what they do. I'm sure there's a diversity of approaches to draw from, 
and maybe even some free curriculum to adapt.

Again, good luck! I look forward to hearing how the year goes.

Paul

-- 
Paul Bissex, Software Engineer
http://paulbissex.com/
Greenfield MA USA
413-230-9451