Not too long ago, my wife said to me, "I'd like you to teach the children about computers". Knowing what I did about technology, it seemed like a good idea to introduce my daughter Amanda (age 12) and my oldest son Tyler (age 10) to the HTML markup language. Some immediate benefits to doing this sprang to my mind. They were as follows:
- Not much setup or expense necessary.
- By its very nature, HTML promotes structured, disciplined thinking.
- HTML is a good fundamental skill for anyone considering a career in web design or computer programming.
- The process of learning HTML will introduce them to basic computer concepts
That last point is kind of interesting. Our home has as much technology in it as any other, if not more. From an early age my children have had so much access to computer games and internet applications that it is easy to assume that they already have all the computer literacy they need.
But I have come to rethink that idea. In working with Amanda and Tyler I realized that they didn't immediately grasp the difference between a search engine (like Google) and a browser (like Internet explorer). This is old news to grownups that lived through the 90s. But to this generation of children it is all new. Also, the mechanics of manipulating a text file (creating the file, renaming the file, copying / pasting text) were also new to Amanda and Tyler. Well, that's a handy skill to have in just about any scenario of computer usage that I can imagine!
So, even if HTML should go the way of the Commodore 64 in the coming years, I still think the process of learning it will be time well spent.
On that note, I should mention that the ability to hand-code HTML seems to be something of a dying art. We live in the age of blogs (like this one!) and Facebook. It is my prediction that, because of these conveniences, a solid understanding of the HTML markup language will become more and more rare as the years pass by. Eventually, it will become a differentiator for those who wish to pursue careers in web design or software development in much the same way that Latin (another "dead" language) is a differentiator for those persons in pursuit of language arts careers.
I should also mention that I am lazy. Teaching HTML had immediate appeal because there is an excellent online resource called W3schools. W3schools has been in existence for many years and has a very well thought out HTML tutorial available, for free, from any web browser, anywhere. That's nice. There was no book for me to buy, and no extensive research for me to do.
I should note that this blog is in no way affiliated with or sponsored by W3schools. Same goes for me, personally. I just like their tutorial.
The problem with W3schools is that an adult-oriented oriented tutorial (no matter how good it is) is not really the same thing as a lesson plan for children. So I set out to create a series of assignments that were structured around the W3schools content. As I mentioned a moment ago, I really am lazy, so not a one of these assignments is terribly elaborate. But they do build on each other and they do give the student the opportunity to apply what they are learning.
I am bringing all that content together here on this blog: W3Homeschools.
If any of that sounds interesting at all to you, welcome to the W3homeschool. Read on!
