Project by: Mary Catherine FitzGerald (10th Grade)
Faculty Advisor: Joy Piedmont

The goal of my honors project was to learn the basic skills needed to code. I wanted to do this honors project because as our world evolves, technology becomes more and more important and vital in everyday life. Machines are becoming a massive part of all jobs, and we all must adapt to this. Additionally, coding is a language that I have always wanted to learn because it has the power to change technology, which is why I am able to be writing this right now. It is complex and interesting, and one day we will all need to learn it to survive in the new tech savvy world.

I started my Coding Honors Project by taking the course “Learn HTML” on Code HS. HTML is a coding language that controls the way things are formatted on a page. For example, this text, placing on the page, etc is all controlled through HTML. HTML is a key language in coding when designing websites. The good thing about Code HS is that it gives you new information about HTML each slide, and then gives you instructions you follow in the coding slide in the middle to really see how each element affects the display of a website, which is seen in the far right.

After finishing the HTML course, I moved on to the CSS course. CSS is a different coding language similar to HTML that is used to style HTML elements. It can be used to change color, font, and other things on a website. While HTML helps construct the wording and placement on a website, CSS is used to change the style of the website. These two coding languages work in tandem to create a website that has both all the right elements and placement as well as a visual appeal.

I also applied all of my coding knowledge into creating a web page of my own on Adobe Dreamweaver, an app that allows you to code text and images onto a blank template. While my webpage isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing, I was better able to practice all the code I was learning.

I also used the coding program Code HS, which taught me a lot about web design and gave a more in depth look at CSS and gave me more practice. I also met with Joy, who helped me navigate the courses and answer the many questions I had. She helped me use all the knowledge I have been learning to create my own web page. Overall, this honors project was a success. I was able to learn a lot about coding and technology and I was even able to create my own set of code.

Project by: Mary Catherine FitzGerald (10th Grade)
Faculty Advisor: Joy Piedmont

Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?

Coding has always interested me. However, it is not a part of our school curriculum. That is why I would like to learn code through taking free online courses online on Codeacademy. Under the supervision and help of Joy, I want to learn the basics of coding through taking these online courses and get a broader look on subjects not taught at LREI.

What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project?

I plan on completing both Introduction To JavaScript and Learn Python course. The Python course takes approximately 13 hours and the JavaScript course takes about 10 hours. Also, if I find that I have more time in the trimester, there is a Learn ReactJS: Part I course that I can take as well. I also plan on taking extensive notes, so even though this is not an interactive class like we normally see at LREI, I still plan on treating it as one by sticking to a strict schedule (which Joy and I will create together) and I will do my best to learn as much as possible.

When do you plan on meeting?
Wednesday x-block