Web Development utilizes a project-oriented approach to provide learners with the skills to plan, design, develop, and maintain web pages, sites, and mobile applications – using programming and visual design applications, integrated development environments, and front-end web development frameworks. Additional tools will be utilized to capture, create, and edit audio and video clips. In addition to developing web sites, pages, and mobile applications, students will apply their programming skills to interact with and control robots and physical computing devices like micro:bits, raspberry pis, and programmable drones. Students will have the opportunity to earn three industry certifications throughout the three-year program that will also earn them college credit.

Click here to view the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) CTE Information Technology (IT) Career Guide.

We want to extend a heartfelt CTE congratulations to 2020 Von Steuben CTE Web Development graduate Emily Aguilar for securing employment maintaining the computer network in the dormitory of the university that she now attends. While she was a CTE student, Emily won the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Award, and earned four certifications. The training and support that Emily received in her CTE IT Web Development program from Mr. Andres Hernandez; her CS experience; Tech Crew participation and service; and earned certifications contributed to her success. We are SO proud of you, Emily, and we look forward to hearing more about your accomplishments. #CTEProud

• CS – Involves the mathematical and computational thinking and practice involved in solving problems and building applications and systems using technical devices.

• Digital literacy – A demonstrated proficiency in the hardware, software, communication, and collaboration skills necessary for success in a digital environment.

• IT – Includes some CS practices (like programming), but a greater emphasis is placed on an in-depth understanding of: how hardware, software, and networked communication systems work and are configured; problem analysis; and strong communication and collaboration skills - in an effort to fulfill organizational needs.

Fundamentals of IT

This orientation-level (ORN) course is designed to provide students with transferable employability competencies, digital literacy, problem solving, and technical skills that are essential for success in academic and employment settings. Students will engage in an exploration of academic and career options, as they examine and develop their interests and strengths to identify and plan the steps necessary to access college and career opportunities. Students will cultivate and validate their digital literacy through the exploration of: information technology hardware and software; information management; software application content creation; communication and collaboration; and safety and security – as they prepare for an industry digital literacy certification. Further, they will explore digital literacy as a foundation of digital equity and active citizenship that allows for full participation in our society, and employ strategies for positive and productive engagement with technology. Students will apply the digital literacy and problem-solving strategies and skills that they develop in a variety of hard and soft-skill scenarios, and through hands-on computing tasks. This course is a prerequisite for the CTE IT Game Programming/Programming, Networking and Security, and Web Development training and advanced-level courses that are part of IT career-focused training programs.

Web Development I

Web Development I is a training-level (TRN) course that utilizes a project-oriented approach to provide learners with the skills to plan, design, create, and maintain web pages and sites using programming and visual design applications. The HTML and CSS languages will be explored (with an introduction to JavaScript) to create web pages and sites that utilize stylesheets, promote interactivity, and incorporate elements such as: paragraphs, hyperlinks, tables, forms, paragraphs, audio, and video. Learners will use a visual design application to create and manipulate web page elements like graphics, headers, buttons, and backgrounds. Additional tools will be utilized to capture, create, and edit audio and video clips. This is the second course in the CTE IT Web Development career-focused training program, and is a prerequisite for the CTE Web Development II course.

This course is taught in a blended format, and includes: a guided exploration of post-secondary academic and professional prospects in Information Technology, and instruction in the visual design and web development disciplines. Instruction, collaboration, and learning takes place in virtual (online) and face-to-face environments. Students will begin the course exploring visual design, and the role that it plays in web design and development. To promote students’ contextualization of Web Design and Development, they will engage in the project development process to develop a website in two phases – Phase I (web design using Photoshop) and Phase II (web development using HTML and CSS). During Phase II, students will begin using the Visual Studio IDE and the Bootstrap front-end web development framework. Phase I will be due at the end of the first semester, and Phase II will be due at the end of the school year. Students will engage in physical computing activities and create projects using micro:bits and raspberry pis. Students will create a Web Design and Development Digital Portfolio at the end of the course that includes the visual design and web development performance tasks that they complete during each unit. It is important that students have continued access to the Web Design and Development Project they create, and their digital portfolios, because they will be further developed in the Web Development II course.

Additionally, after learning about visual design and creating web page elements, students will take the Adobe Certified Associate exam in Photoshop at the end of the first semester. Students will then begin their study of the HTML and CSS web development languages, and the course will culminate with the Information Technology Specialist (ITS) certification exam in HTML and CSS.

Web Development II

Web Development II is an advanced training-level (ATR) course that is designed for learners who have successfully met or exceeded the Web Development I HTML, CSS, and Photoshop learning outcomes. Throughout this course, students will build on previously-learned HTML and CSS skills, and spend the majority of the course exploring the JavaScript object-oriented programming language. Learning the JavaScript language will provide students with the skills to enhance the web pages they develop through responsive design, as they: create interactive elements; develop dynamic forms; connect to databases and libraries; and utilize JavaScript frameworks for HTML5 app development. Proficiency in JavaScript promotes additional learning opportunities in drone and virtual reality programming. This is the third and final course in the CTE IT Web Development career-focused training program.

This course is taught in a blended format, and primarily includes instruction in JavaScript. Instruction, collaboration, and learning takes place in virtual (online) and face-to-face environments. Students will begin the course with a brief review of HTML and CSS through an exploration of their previously-created digital portfolios. Students will continue to engage in the project development process to enhance their digital portfolios and Web Design and Development Project (started in Web Development I) to include JavaScript and multimedia components – through mobile app user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. Students will continue using the Visual Studio IDE and Bootstrap front-end web development framework, and learn to develop mobile applications using the React Native framework. They will also engage in physical computing activities and create projects using micro:bits, raspberry pis, and the JavaScript language. Additionally, students will take the Information Technology Specialist (ITS) certification exam in JavaScript.

The American Council on Education (ACE) “connects workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping students gain access to academic credit for formal training taken outside traditional degree programs.” Through ACE, students can earn articulation credit at more than 400 participating colleges and universities. The credits that students can earn for certifications in this pathway are as follows: