Joel Zehring

My Web Development Journey (July 2019)

I've been very interested in technology for a very long time. As a kid and an adult, I played with computers personally and professionally. As a teacher, I leveraged the web as a classroom tool and professional development resource. In my spare time, I hacked on Nintendo Wiis and flashed custom ROMs on Android phones.

In January 2019, I resolved to turn my interest and occasional hobby into a self-directed course of study. I started with Python, working through Guido van Rossum's Python tutorial.

I hacked together a couple simple Python apps and realized quickly that it was really hard to share these apps with my family to show off what I was learning. So in February I shifted gears to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I started with Jon Duckett's HTML & CSS, then moved on to Marijn Haverbeke's Eloquent JavaScript.

I found additional resources through Pima County Public Library, working through David McFarland's CSS: The Missing Manual in April.

With my new knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, I hacked together my first web app: a Bible memory game. It's far from done, but it's been a good MVP to remind me that I can build and ship something of value.

In June, I found freeCodeCamp. I hustled through their Responsive Web Design program and claimed the first of six certifications. My prior study made it a little easier to complete, I think. Now I'm working through the JavaScript Algorithms And Data Structures program. The early topics are mostly review from my prior foray into JavaScript.

My goal: transition from a web development enthusiast to a web development professional.

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