To be honest, I'm going to have to go against the party line here. jQuery *is* javascript in this day and age, and I think that's what matters more than anything. I'm a straight programmer who isn't blessed with a skill at graphic design. And if I could work with a gDesigner who knew how to use jQuery, that would be the best thing ever.
If you were teaching javascript to budding web programmers, I would agree with the other posters and suggest teaching jQuery later on. But if you're working with designers first and foremost? Teaching them jQuery would be, I think, a big leg up. My suggestion is to make the focus of the class two fold. First, how to use the very basics of jQuery. Using selectors, changing attributes, modifying css, creating effects, etc. Then, as a final project sort of affair, have them design, build, and test a jQuery plugin. If they can get those two things down, they'll be picking up a lot of basic javascript skill as they go. On Jan 8, 5:03 pm, "Alexandre Plennevaux" <[email protected]> wrote: > Thank you all guys, these are very useful clarifications to me ! > > On Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 10:46 PM, Andy Matthews <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > I'd look at teaching jQuery as a 2nd level course. Once you've covered at > > least the basics of JavaScript, then you can get into jQuery. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > > Behalf Of Klaus Hartl > > Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 3:38 PM > > To: jQuery (English) > > Subject: [jQuery] Re: teaching jquery instead of javascript ? > > > jQuery is JavaScript, and at some point you need to know JavaScript. > > > I would never hire anyone who claims to know jQuery but not JavaScript. > > > my 0.02$ > > > --Klaus > > > On 8 Jan., 22:23, pixeline <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hello mates, > > >> I will start to teach web usability to freshly graduated youngsters in > >> a graphic design school _ web dept, web dept. > >> The Board recently proposed me to also take over javascript. Now i > >> intend to them i'm not literate enough in javascript to actually teach > >> it. But i proposed instead to teach jquery, with the main argument > >> being: it's a 3-year programme, it's not with 2 hours a week that most > >> kids will get professionnal level javascript skills. Teaching jquery > >> on the other hand, may give these junior designers a useful knowledge > >> and discover scripting from a starting point that they understand _ > >> not the (with all due respect:) ) geek's "code is poetry" point of > >> view, but from the "in your face" designer point of view. > > >> I would like to know what you guys think of my argument: is teaching > >> the usage of a specific javascript framework relevant to the business > >> world? Would you hire a freshman that cannot program pure javascript > >> but can pretty much achieve the same result, in less time, with > >> jquery? > > >> Looking forward to reading your thoughts ! > > >> Cheers, > > >> Alexandre
