This is the first assignment for ITM 352, which really challenges my understanding of different labs and class materials. After finishing the assignment 1, I think my programming skills have greatly improved. Firstly, I can combine different programming skills learned from different labs and class materials together to finish my assignment 1. Before doing this assignment, I felt I understood what I learned from class, but it was hard to apply and put everything together. Assignment 1 just like an organizer helps me organize what I learn from class. Next, I practiced my researching skills when I was doing the assignment 1. Because I cannot remember all of the codes, attributes and methods, I had to search it and do the reading to understand how it works in different scenarios. I feel I improved my research skills and problem solving skills after assignment 1. However, I think I need to be more careful when I am programming, and be patient to figure out the solution. I struggled in assignment 1 several times, and I felt so bad and nervous, this made the programming experience become worse. So I think I should change my attitude and be more patient in programming. More importantly, I should ask questions when I need them. I think it is really helpful to go to the office hour to ask for help, but I need to be prepared and try to solve the problem by myself first, then I can fully understand what I need to ask.
Some WODs are easy to me, I can figure it out by myself, so I don’t need to look at the screencast solutions. Even though some WODs are really difficult, and I had no idea how to start, I will always try to do it by myself first, then I will watch the screencast and try to understand the idea. Sometimes I will go back to the lab notes to review and find out the solution for WODs. The labs help me to learn and develop my programming skills.
I feel ready to work on the next stage of complexity in programming, which is assignment 2. Because I have a clear understanding that programming is hard after assignment 1, but I just need to be patient and work step by step. I need to understand what I desire for my web application (programming), then divide these desired stuff into small pieces and connect with attribute, function, method, object etc. And ask questions, do research if I get stuck in some places.
This class is really helpful and challenging to me, but I learned a lot. I think the class can be improved to help my learning by offering more office hours. I used to come to office hours/workshops, which is really useful. In addition, the screencast works really well for my learning in this class. Even though I can figure out some of the solutions by myself, I can learn how to program in an efficient way through watching the screencast.