Trimester 1 Reflection:
Week 0-3:
During the initial weeks of the term, configuring utilities such as Github, VSCode, and various dependencies proved to be a difficult task. I dedicated numerous hours to resolve straightforward issues, such as misnaming a Jupyter Notebook file. Displaying Python code on the frontend without resorting to Javascript also posed a challenge for me. Despite these hurdles, it was thrilling to participate in a course that catered specifically to my interest in computer science, which dispelled the usual ambiguity about beginning steps. I engaged in simple projects, for instance, creating a to-do list. This project helped me learn about Javascript functionalities, utilizing local storage, and connecting scripts to HTML documents.
Week 4-7:
After the initial easy-going weeks, I started to feel more sure of myself and kicked off my own projects. I worked with the Canvas LMS API to show homework tasks, getting better at Python and Flask along the way. In a basic web coding test, I tweaked a menu on a website and put together a site all about skincare that has a clear purpose. This helped me learn about setting up Jupyter notebooks, using Javascript to make things work, and writing loops.
Week 7 marked the start of team teaching and our passion project.
Week 8-12 (Current Week 11):
In these weeks, we dove into a major project and practiced teaching. I’ve improved in teamwork, communication, and using APIs to better our work. APIs are crucial for data flow between a website’s front and back ends, and I’ve enhanced my abilities in Python and Flask. We touched on launching applications with AWS, using HTTP methods, and the Postman tool. I wish we had learned about managing databases for big data, but that hasn’t happened yet. We skipped over data analysis with Pandas, too. Our student teaching involved watching College Board videos and designing lesson plans.
This trimester has intensified my enthusiasm for programming and crafting projects. I’ve transitioned from uncertainty about starting to a readiness to tackle personal projects, even with limited time. I’m eager to continue during the Thanksgiving break.