Your journey to becoming a developer starts here. If you missed the live session, this guide will walk you through everything that happened in Lesson 1 — from big-picture goals to hands-on coding steps — so you can catch up with clarity and confidence.
🚀 What This Lesson Was All About
Week 1, Lesson 1 marked the official launch of the FNB App Academy 2025. More than just a course, this is a movement to empower thousands of South Africans with real digital skills.
The session kicked off with energy, vision, and reassurance — setting the tone for the 9-week program. Here’s what it focused on:
- Welcoming participants and setting expectations
- Introducing the course structure and LMS
- Preparing students to start building their first app using HTML
👋 Meet Your Hosts and Speakers
The lesson opened with host Kabo M leading the kickoff. His excitement was infectious as he introduced the App Academy as “a springboard to unlock your tech genius.”
He was joined by Katlego, an FNB executive, who shared:
- FNB’s belief that “help changes everything”
- Why digital inclusion is essential for South Africa’s future
- Encouragement for participants to complete the program and unlock opportunities like internships and business support
We were also introduced to NoluTando Mua, head of support at IT Varsity, who played a key role in explaining how the course works and walking students through their first experience on the LMS.
🖥️ How the Course Is Structured
The App Academy is divided into three levels:
- Beginner – HTML & CSS
- Intermediate – JavaScript & APIs
- Advanced – Python, backend, and AI
Each level includes:
- Weekly video lessons released on Tuesdays and Fridays
- Two live sessions per week (recorded if you miss them)
- A forum for peer support and instructor Q&A
- Hands-on projects: by the end of the course, you’ll have built six full apps
The program runs entirely online, and you’ll use the IT Varsity LMS (Learning Management System) to access your content and submit your work.
🧭 Your Orientation: How to Access Everything
NoluTando’s walkthrough made it clear: the LMS is your home base. Here’s how to get in and what to do once you’re inside.
Step 1: Log into your student portal
- Visit itvarsity.org
- Click “My Courses”
- Use the credentials emailed to you (check spam/junk folders)
Step 2: If you have login issues
- Use the “Lost Password” link to reset
- Still stuck? Complete the Self-Enrollment Form linked on the site
Step 3: Once inside
- Update your profile (name, email, etc.)
- Navigate to “FNB App Academy 2025” under My Courses
- You’ll land on the Week 1 dashboard, where the learning begins
🧱 Beginner Level Breakdown: What You’ll Be Learning First
The first few weeks focus on front-end development — the visible part of websites and apps.
In Lesson 1, you began with:
- An introduction to HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
- Setting up your workspace (text editor, folders, browser)
- Writing your first HTML document
Even if you’ve never coded before, don’t panic. NoluTando reminded learners that she also started as a complete beginner — and now leads others through the same journey.
🧑💻 Setting Up Your Workspace
You’ll need:
- A text editor (Visual Studio Code is recommended)
- A web browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
- A folder to store your project files
In the video, students were shown how to:
- Install their tools
- Create a folder called “Comp Kids Website”
- Open a new HTML file inside their text editor
- Write their first lines of HTML code
This is where you take your first real steps as a developer.
📝 Lesson 1 Practical: Start Coding with HTML
Here’s what you were guided to do:
- Write your first HTML document with tags like
<html>,<head>, and<body> - Add a title and a simple heading to your page
- Learn about file extensions (e.g.
.htmlvs.htlm) - Understand the basic structure of a webpage
If that sounds confusing, don’t worry — the video walks you through each step. And you’re encouraged to:
- Watch the video once to absorb
- Watch again while coding along
💬 Using the Forum to Ask Questions
Every course level has a dedicated support forum. You can:
- Post questions (about code or even login problems)
- Answer other students’ questions
- Search past posts before starting a new thread
Example: If you get stuck styling a menu bar, you can search “menu bar” and likely find a discussion on that exact issue.
The forums aren’t just technical — they’re a support system. If you’re struggling with motivation, clarity, or direction, this is where you’ll find your people.
📆 What’s Next in Week 1
Lesson 1 only covers part of the week. Later in the week, you’ll unlock the second lesson, which will focus on:
- Working with images in HTML
- Using the
<img>tag and attributes likesrcandalt - Continuing the development of your first app
Check back in the LMS on Friday when that content goes live. Be sure to complete Lesson 1 before then so you’re not falling behind.
✅ Your Action Plan
If you missed Lesson 1, here’s how to catch up:
- Log into the LMS at itvarsity.org
- Complete the full “Start Coding with HTML” lesson
- Build your introductory HTML file as shown in the video
- Visit the support forum and post a question or share your progress
- Prepare for Friday’s Lesson 2 on using images in HTML
📣 Final Thoughts
You’re not late. You’re not behind. You’re right where you need to be — and with thousands of other students learning alongside you, support is never far.
This is your first step into the world of code. Take your time, revisit lessons if needed, and keep showing up. The most powerful apps start with a single line of code — and you’ve just written yours.
Stay tuned for Lesson 2, where you’ll learn how to bring visuals to life in your app using images.
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