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Discussion on: Don't Learn JavaScript and React at the Same Time

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stereoplegic profile image
Mike Bybee

I recently connected with someone on LinkedIn who, like me, wants to create a free educational platform for JS devs. One unique perspective he brings is that a lot of the failings of core JavaScript education is that it's usually bolted on to HTML/CSS education as an afterthought, at least in the early stages. His answer is going the opposite route: Learning JS on the backend (via Node.js) first, then moving to frontend development.

If you're interested, his project is available at github.com/HansUXdev/JavaScript-First.

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Adam Nathaniel Davis

Very cool!

A tangent to this is the fact that, at this point in my career, I've basically forgotten how challenging it can be to do "just" HTML/CSS. Granted, HTML is "just" a markup language. And it doesn't have nearly as much complexity as handling loops, and conditionals, and API calls, and...

But some years ago, I took up the task of teaching a friend how to code. And I didn't realize just how much "base" knowledge I've acquired over the years that is often applied before you write even your first line of logic. To me, writing HTML/CSS is like coloring. But for brand-spankin-new devs, that's not always the case.

And when you throw in more "advanced" concepts, like responsive design and the flex model, well, it's not always as simple as just throwing some tags around some content.