Getting Started

New to the course? Three steps to get set up, then a few habits that keep the semester on track.

1. Read the syllabus

Start with the syllabus. It covers how grading works, the late policy, and how generative AI fits into this course. Ten minutes here saves a lot of confusion later.

2. Set up your tools

Install and sign in to everything you will build with: the code editor, your AI assistant, Git, and GitHub. Each one has a short guide:

• Set up VS Code, the editor used in class
• Pick and install your AI tools
• Git basics: clone, commit, and push your work
• Publish with GitHub Pages to get a live URL

Do this before the first project, so class time goes to building instead of installing.

3. Join class and submit your work

Class meets live on WebEx, Mondays and Wednesdays. Submit projects and check your grades on Canvas. The schedule shows what is happening each week.

How to succeed

• Build something every week. You learn web development by making pages, not by reading about them.
• Use AI, then check it. Read what it writes, find the parts you do not understand, ask it to explain, and verify the code actually runs.
• Ask early. Post in the Class Board or bring questions to WebEx. A stuck hour is a question, not a failure.
• Ship in public. Your projects go live on the web and into the class gallery.

Last updated: Friday, 6/12/2026