I think that all students need to know the basics of web development and internet history. Today, everything that is published online is managed by giant platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Coding provides more freedom for individuals who use the internet in their creative projects. Also, it allows the learner to understand how the internet functions.
Before finishing the HTML Dog tutorials, my experience in coding was quite limited since it included mostly my ability to work with Fusion 360 and create and modify 3D models. I have gained knowledge about how HTML constructs the page and how CSS manages its design. I found out that even a very simple website is built from multiple parts.
Thus, for instance, HTML may be used for constructing a simple webpage:
<head> <title>My First Web Page</title> </head> <body> <h1>My First Web Page</h1> <h2>What This Is</h2> <p>A simple webpage created using HTML.</p><h2>Why I Am Learning HTML</h2> <p>Learning HTML helps me understand how websites are built.</p> <ol> <li>To learn how to code</li> <li>To create my own website</li> <li>To share ideas online</li> </ol> </body> </html>While this may be an elementary example, it shows the power of a few lines of coding to make something accessible on the Internet.
In Julian Lucas’s article, “Tim Berners-Lee Invented the World Wide Web. Now He Wants to Save It,” Berners-Lee’s original vision for the web was centered on openness and accessibility. However, Lucas discusses how large platforms have changed the internet, writing that they have “revealed themselves as extractive monopolies” (p. 20). This shows the importance of understanding how the web works instead of relying entirely on companies to control online experiences.
Coding provides students the ability to make their own websites and express themselves in their own way without having to rely on any corporate website. Everyone is not required to be a software engineer, but the ability to code will help students think creatively and independently.
I agree with your assessment. Developing websites will not be for everyone, but having some coding experience begins to open up doors to new ways of thinking about our interaction with the internet. I do wonder how much education is required to make our knowledge of coding useful? Is it enough to know the bare bones and learn as we go, or is more intensive education required to really be effective in our own creative endeavors?
I agree with you completely. I think that learning a new skill such as coding allows for new ways of creative expression, and I think that you’ve summed this up perfectly. I relate to you as this was my first time working with a coding language that’s like HTML. Do you think that just learning how a site works actually gives people a way to see what companies are doing or just simply gives them a way to create for themselves?
I agree with your point, Faimon, that learning the basics of web development can give people more freedom over how they use the internet. I especially liked your connection between coding and independence from large platforms. Your HTML example also shows how a small amount of code can create something that is accessible to other people online. I think learning how websites are actually built makes it easier to understand the technology we interact with every day.
I completely agree with your stance that students need to learn how to code. I liked how you emphasized the creativity aspect because knowing how to code will offer people more liberation in their work. Given that some web languages emphasize different functions, do you think they should learn how to use a certain language more (ex. Java Script more than CSS)?
I completely agree with you. Knowing the internet and basic coding techniques gives people more freedom to explore the web, and that background really helps students express themselves and demonstrate their critical thinking. It’s definitely an essential step. How do you think learning HTML or understanding how the web works actually helps us break free from corporate control?
Great post, Faimon! I really resonate with your point about moving away from walled gardens like Instagram and TikTok to take back creative ownership of our content. It’s awesome to see how quickly you picked up HTML and CSS after working in Fusion 360, transitioning from 3D spatial modeling to web structure is a really cool shift! Do you feel like your background in 3D modeling helped you visualize how web page elements fit together?
I agree that gaining coding skills will enable students to have control over their online activity. What I loved about your point is the realization that one does not have to be a software engineer in order to learn coding skills such as HTML and CSS. Knowing how websites work makes us view the internet not as something to consume but something to create. Your link to Berners-Lee highlights the importance of acquiring this knowledge amid the dominance of giant platforms.
I agree with your idea, Faimon, in that understanding the fundamentals of website programming can give people more independence in how they interact with the internet. I loved your comparison of programming with the independence gained by not using major platforms. Also, your example of HTML proves how just a few lines of code can produce an application that is usable by others on the internet.
I really like your conclusions. I think that even having the ability necessary to code one’s own projects is an important leg up against large “extractive” internet monopolies. It could also provide an integral understanding towards breaking into the “black boxes” that are platforms such as TikTok which constantly present us with content as on a digital conveyor belt of sorts.
I like how you brought in Berners-Lee’s vision of an open web. I agree understanding the web matters, but I’m not sure everyone needs to code for that. Even people who can build their own site still use Instagram because their friends are there. Could learning the web’s history do more than coding?