Codecademy: PHP

Codecademy's PHP track takes students on a journey through strings, variables, if/then statements, arrays, loops, and several other key programming concepts. Before students begin this PHP course, they should already have extensive experience with HTML (since PHP code is inserted into HTML code). Even though the site says it's made for beginners, teachers should know that the PHP track expects students to have more experience than one might expect. The lessons move quickly through new concepts, with fewer opportunities for practice.

Before introducing this module to students, teachers should explain the uses and importance of PHP, since this isn't made clear otherwise. Students can work their way through the lessons individually or in small groups, but at some point, teachers should add a collaborative component, such as a team HTML website incorporating PHP. Teachers should also create some formative assessments to check on student progress. This can also give students some additional practice, reinforcing these PHP concepts outside of Codecademy's hurried pace.