Welcome to SWIC Web Development

Develop the right mindset for learning to code, understand modern development tools, and build patience and persistence for your journey into professional web development.

Introduction

Welcome to your first step towards becoming a professional web developer! In this course, you'll build on your HTML/CSS skills and learn to create dynamic web applications using JavaScript - but more importantly, you'll learn to think like a developer.

Real-world scenario: Imagine you're at a new job and your boss asks you to automate a tedious task that takes 3 hours every week. With programming skills, you could write a script that does it in 3 minutes. That's the power of programming - turning repetitive work into automated solutions.

This course aims to mimic real-world web development as closely as possible using the latest tools and technologies that professional developers use today. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the Holy Trinity of Web Development - you're expected to know basic HTML and CSS, but we'll build on these skills throughout the course.

What You'll Learn Today

How to approach learning programming with the right mindset
How to effectively use AI tools as learning assistants
How to ask better questions when you get stuck
Why patience and persistence are your most important tools

Core Concept Overview

Programming is Problem Solving

Programming isn't about memorizing syntax - it's about breaking big problems into smaller, manageable pieces. Think of it like following a recipe:

Read the whole recipe first (understand the problem)
Gather your ingredients (identify what tools/knowledge you need)
Follow steps in order (break the problem into logical steps)
Taste and adjust (test and debug your solution)

Key Terms You Need to Know

Algorithm: A set of step-by-step instructions to solve a problem
Debugging: Finding and fixing errors in your code
Syntax: The grammar and rules of a programming language
Logic: The reasoning behind how your program should work

The Learning Mindset

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset:

❌ Fixed: "I'm not a math person, so I can't program"
✅ Growth: "I haven't learned this concept yet"

Embrace the Struggle: Getting stuck is not a sign of failure - it's a sign that you're learning something new. Every programmer, from beginners to experts, spends most of their time being confused and figuring things out.

This is a Safe Space: This course is designed to be a safe environment where:

You can ask questions without judgment
Struggling with a problem is expected and welcomed
Your effort and learning process matter more than perfect code
AI tools like Claude are your allies in understanding concepts

Hands-On Application

Using AI as a Learning Tool

✅ Good Ways to Use AI:

Explain concepts: "Can you explain what a variable is in simple terms?"
Debug errors: "I'm getting this error message: [paste error]. What does it mean?"
Review code: "Can you explain what this code does line by line?"
Suggest improvements: "How could I make this code cleaner?"

❌ Bad Ways to Use AI:

Generate entire solutions: "Write a program that does X for me"
Skip understanding: Using AI code without knowing how it works
Replace problem-solving: Not attempting solutions before asking AI

The Art of Asking Good Questions

When you get stuck (and you will!), here's how to ask questions that get you helpful answers:

The STAR Method:

Situation: What are you trying to accomplish?
Task: What specific part isn't working?
Action: What have you already tried?
Result: What happened when you tried it?

Example:

Bad question: "JavaScript doesn't work, please help!"

Good question: "I'm trying to create a variable to store someone's name (Situation). When I run my code, nothing appears in the console (Task). I tried using let name = John but got an error message (Action). The error says 'John is not defined' (Result). What am I missing?"

Building Patience and Persistence

The 20-Minute Rule

When you're stuck on a problem:

Spend 20 minutes trying to solve it yourself
Take a 5-minute break (walk around, drink water)
Try for another 20 minutes with fresh eyes
If still stuck, then ask for help

This builds problem-solving muscles while preventing frustration overload.

Learning Resources & Community

Different Learning Styles in Programming

Visual Learners: Draw diagrams of how code flows, use visual debugging tools. Excalidraw works well for this.
Auditory Learners: Explain code out loud, discuss with your peers, walk around the room by yourself and pretend that you are giving a lesson, talk to a rubber duck 🦆.
Kinesthetic Learners: Type code yourself (don't just read). Disable the AI 🤖 and do as much as you can without it.

The Programming Community

Programming has an incredibly supportive community. Take advantage of:

Stack Overflow: Q&A site for programming questions. Be aware that this is not always beginner friendly, and is subject general internet gatekeepers and jerks.
GitHub: See how others solve problems
Reddit: r/learnprogramming, r/webdev communities
Discord/Slack: Real-time chat with other learners

Troubleshooting & Best Practices

Common Learning Obstacles and Solutions

"I Don't Know Where to Start"

Start with the smallest possible step
Break big goals into tiny, specific actions

"Everyone Else Learns Faster Than Me"

Everyone learns at their own pace
Focus on your progress, not others'

"I Keep Forgetting What I Learned"

This is completely normal!
Keep notes in your own words
Practice regularly, even 15 minutes daily

Building Learning Habits

Consistency over intensity: 20-60 minutes per day beats cramming for 3 hours
Make it a habit: Like going to the gym - regular practice, not marathon sessions
Be curious: Ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help

Effective Research Skills

Where to Look First

MDN Web Docs (developer.mozilla.org): The gold standard for web development documentation
Stack Overflow: Great for finding answers, but always verify solutions
Check dates on articles: Make sure techniques aren't outdated

Wrap-Up & Assessment

Key Takeaways

Programming is problem-solving, not memorizing syntax
Getting stuck is normal - it means you're learning
AI tools are assistants, not replacements for understanding
Good questions get good answers - be specific and detailed
Patience and persistence are your most valuable skills

HW: Quiz Reflections

Review this quiz. Then, open up any text editor and write down your thoughts on each question. Expound on the correct answers and reflect on your own learning process. Explain why the other answers are wrong. Add in any personal analogies or insights from your own learning journey.

Scenario: You're working on your first JavaScript program and keep getting error messages. You've been stuck for 10 minutes. What should you do next?
- a) Ask AI to write the entire program for you
- b) Give up and try again tomorrow
- c) Continue trying for another 10 minutes, then take a break
- d) Immediately post on Stack Overflow asking for the complete solution
Which question is most likely to get helpful responses?
- a) "My code is broken, please fix"
- b) "JavaScript is stupid, why won't this work?"
- c) "I'm trying to store a user's age in a variable, but getting 'unexpected token' error. Here's my code: let age = 25;. What's wrong?"
- d) "How do I become a programmer?"
True or False: Using AI to explain error messages and concepts is cheating.
Short Answer: Describe the difference between using AI as a "tool" versus using it as a "crutch" in your own words.

HW: Goals Reflections

Set up a dedicated folder on your computer for this course, or just use Documents.
Create a text file called learning-journal.txt
Write one paragraph about what you want to accomplish in this course and what concerns you have

Next Steps

In our next lesson, we'll get your development environment set up with VS Code, Node.js, Git, and other essential tools.

Remember: The goal isn't to never get stuck - it's to get better at getting unstuck.