1. What was you previous experience with HTML & CSS?
I never actually used HTML and CSS before I entered Southwest Career and Tech. However, in my freshman year I had an Exploring Computer Science class where I started learning about all the components and techniques used. We had two projects, a website we worked on our own that could be any topic, and another website about a specific region which we worked with a group. This was where I was properly introduced to HTML and CSS.
2. What is the most important thing you learned?
The most important thing I learned would probably be the really simple tags, like utilizing different div classes for different parts of the website. The div class reallyhelped me be able to stylize my website however I wanted. The span element is also something that is a basic technique, but really just makes everything look much neater and pulled together.
3. What do you wish you had spent more time on a done differently?
I wish I spent more time on the layout of the website, and learning different techniques to make it even better. I had a lot of ideas for the website, how it would look, and what would be inside of it, but I didn’t hash it out the way I wanted to it. I would like to have spent more time researching different tags to make it look more modern than the way it turned out.
4. What part of the project did you find the most challenging and how did you overcome that challenge?
Managing my time well was the most challenging part of this project. There were times when I planned out how much I could get done in one period, but I didn’t think about some tags not working, or just something really weird happening which pushed me behind. To put it simply, I overcame that challenge by pulling some all nighters at my home. In the end, I was able to create a functioning website, and I’m happy I was able to succeed.
5. What was the most enjoyable part of the project?
The most enjoyable part was simply brainstorming what I wanted to include in my website. I had a lot of ideas on how I wanted the website to look and spent a lot of time sketching out the pages and how each page would adhere to the requirements (I have at least ten pages in my sketchbook dedicated to the layout). While some parts didn’t turn out the way I wanted to, brainstorming ideas and layouts were really fun.
6. What was the least enjoyable part of the project?
The least enjoyable part of this project was realizing I had not managed my time well and was forced to pull an all nighter. I also had a lot of issues with my layout and tags which caused me a lot of stress.
7. Describe your project and the process steps that you took.
My website is simply about me and the things that I like. At first, I sketched out ideas a few times and then started working on the tags and layout. I made a lot of different websites with different components. After I had a solid idea to work on, I then focused on smoothing out the edges as much as I can. After some bumps in my time management, I was able to turn it in and present on time.
8. How could the teacher change the project to make it better?
I don’t really think changing the project too much is needed, I know a lot of people were struggling with coming up with ideas since the topic was so broad. I think next time maybe have a slightly more specific topic while still allowing the students the same freedom. Overall, this project did succeed in helping me improve my skills in coding HTML and CSS.
Eman 