Skip to main content

Instructor Notes

Want to make a change to this week but don't have the time? Click here

Want to report a bug in this week? Click here

Questions and Help

We highly recommend joining the relevant Slack Channel for this module. In this channel you can ask questions, get advice from previous teachers and discuss lesson content.

cyf-module-js2

For general Syllabus feedback and help you can post in cyf-syllabus

Flipped classroom recap/Q&A

The flipped classroom practice should have trainees

  • Revisit the DOM in the context of JavaScript programming
  • Run JavaScript from the browser (include a script in an html document with a script tag)
  • Use querySelector and querySelectorAll
    • getElementById is avoided except where relevant for CYF Blocks (out of desire not to overwhelm + querying classnames is more common)
    • css queries for elements, class names, ids are revisited
  • Iterate over the nodeList returned by querySelectorAll using for of
    • [...nodeList].map is described in case trainees want to use all array methods
  • Modify an element's attributes
    • .innerText
    • .style.fontSize (not preferred)
    • .classList.add (preferred)
  • Add a click event listener to an element
    • some handwaving about event.preventDefault()
  • Create new elements
    • document.createElement
    • elem.appendChild

Some questions/prompts that may be useful

  • What do we need to do to run JavaScript from an html page?
  • What is the DOM?
  • How can we access and modify the DOM in JavaScript?
  • Why do we prefer adding class names rather than directly modifying styles?
  • What is an event?
  • What is an event listener/handler?
  • How are the callback functions in array methods/event listeners similar/different?
  • What is different/similar when coding directly in JavaScript vs CYF Blocks? (The concepts and problem-solving approach are the same, only the details of JavaScript syntax are different. Additionally, the DOM is handled with more embedding in CYF Blocks)

Presentations

Notes

Build a static mockup first

  • I'll normally have the trainees first make a prototype static html version of the expected output, based on their interpretation of the homework's written task
  • Do they agree? Give them time to discuss it and convince each other. If they all agree on the same wrong question interpretation, I'll be tempted to aim for that rather than correct them - knowing the learning objectives is important here.
  • Normally I'll have them do this mockup on codepen, or somewhere quite distinct from their programmatically-constructed work so they don't mix them up.

Give trainees the intended HTML

  • I'd much prefer the exercise provided these mock-ups up-front, so the trainee can focus on the programming task. They waste a lot of time trying to interpret ambiguous task statements, and I'm sure volunteers also waste a lot of time trying to write them clearly, too. Picture is worth a 1000 words.

DOM Tree diagram

  • I'll have (or I'll help) the trainees draw the intended DOM tree based on their static HTML prototype. By hand is best (https://autodraw.com is quick and simple).
  • I'll have the trainees draw the starting DOM diagram (often the exercise has a starting div element into which the trainees will append created elements)
  • I'll show the trainees how I think of createElement and appendElement working - the former creating an element that is imagined but not yet attached to the tree
  • I'll stress that only those elements attached somehow to the tree will be shown.

Element view in dev tools

  • This will come in particularly useful when the trainees are debugging the addition of elements which are invisible due to missing text content.

Decomposition

  • Guide the trainees in breaking down the task into smaller steps, including learning experiments not directly contributing to the final wanted HTML.
  • With each subtask, prepare starting and target versions of HTML prototype codepen, and the starting version of the DOM tree diagram.

Use ALL of the representations

  • Get trainees to work through making the changes to the static HTML prototype (codepen) and then their DOM tree diagram, talking through the operations they need (creating an element, appending an element (where?)).
  • get commitment to predictions at each point.
  • Be wary of overwhelming the trainees with too many representations, but if they've met all of these individually with the exception of the DOM tree diagram, I have only seen struggling trainees embrace these different views and benefit from them. Certainly let them choose the ones that work best for them. Whatever helps them to reason about the task, their code, and the changes they need to make to it.