ET-710 CNW1 Class Homepage

Building websites

Some Cool Stuff!


First, we're going to have some of what I call "Advanced Web Fun Stuff." 

Ever wonder where the little picture on a browser tab comes from? The one you see here is from ebay. This week you'll add some of these to your websites. You'll even create one of your own!

After that we'll play with QR Codes and YouTube videos.

Secondly, you're going to make a lot of progress on your personal sites, and we'll make sure everything is up to snuff on your project sites.

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How to Build Web Forms


Have you ever filled in a form on the web? Signed up for a group? Ordered something? Ever wonder how a form is created? Where does the information go after you submit your form?

Find out this week as we create forms from scratch, and from a cool add-in that can save you a lot of pain.

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Using Tables on Web Pages


How did amazon design their original pages? Before responsive web design? They used something called Tables. We briefly examined them in our graphics class, but this week, we'll see the full power of tables. You'll actually see what amazon's original site looked like using this design.

We'll finalize your personal website topics, and begin work on them.

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What else is up for Midterm Week?


How about some Graphics? You're going to love working with different types of images. Make sure you understand the differences between png's and jpg's and gif's (Is it a hard 'g' or a soft 'g'? You'll be surprised at the what the creator of the gif says.)

And you'll meet the bunny. 

We'll do some cool tricks with him. You'll learn how to place images anywhere you want on a page; and how to remove backgrounds. You'll visit some cool images sites and see an amazing free image editing program (almost as powerful as Photoshop).

We'll also continue to link-up and work on our websites. Some of you folks have not been uploading your assignments, so we'll take a look at what needs to be done about that.


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Midterm


On Tuesday, April 1st, we'll have our Midterm. The test will start exactly at 4:10 PM with instructions. The test is open book. You can use your notes, the web, or any other source (except for your classmates).

On Tuesday, we'll review how far we've come in our web-journey. So prepare any questions you may have for review. 

[Note: Ignore the cartoon on the left. Some students (usually the best ones) always get scared before a test. No need here. It's all material we've covered.]

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Working with Templates

Templates are an easy (free) way to style your websites so that they look professional. We'll look at a number of ways to style our sites this week, including building a site online using a popular program. On Thursday, you'll pick your final topic for your class project (a personal site based on something you're really interested in). I'll meet with you separately to hone your topics. Finally, you'll be provided with a Google doc to track your progress on creating your sites.

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Design! Design! Design! (Part 2)


Last class we were introduced to 3 ways of using CSS to put some design on our web pages. (Who can name them?) This week we'll continue on that journey with some amazing coding.

Students in the past have asked me to spend more time on design.

That's what today is about.

We're actually going to code our CSS without using a graphical interface of Dreamweaver. Yes, that's right: by typing it in. You'll see first hand how spending a little time learning these codes will go a long way to styling your sites.

Today, you'll learn how to take this page, add some styling, and turn out this page.

Same content, different styles - like these sites



You'll learn about the CSS Block model and how you can apply it to virtually any design you want to create.

We'll practice at w3schools to see the different types of CSS and how these rules affect our styling.

[Files we need today are in Handouts] Download them to your Week_06 folder in your website.


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Know your value


A gentleman is strolling along 14th Street in Greenwich Village when he comes upon a street artist who's set up to do charcoal sketchings of pasersby. He sees some of the work hanging on the fence behind the artist, and he likes what he sees. 

He asks the artist, "Hey, can you do a drawing of me?" 

The artist replies, "Sure. Sit down over here." 

The artist begins his magic. Of course, the gentleman (as subject) actually can't see what the artist is doing behind the easel. He assumes this is going to take a while, so he readies himself for a long sitting.

About 5 minutes or so later, the artist announces, "Done!"

"Wow," thinks the gentleman, "that was amazingly fast! Can I see your work?"

"Sure," says the artist as he turns the portrait towards the gentleman.

The gentleman is impressed. He wants to purchase this work of art, so much a favorable likeness of himself. He asks, "How much to buy it?"

"One hundred twenty-five dollars," quotes the artist for the sketch.

"What?" replies the gentleman, "$125? I don't get it. It took you only 5 minutes to create this portrait. How could it cost $125?"

"Yes," replied the artist, "it took 5 minutes to create --- and 20 years!"

The gentleman immediately understood, and he purchased the work.

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Design: Part 1



Most students really want to get into the design aspect of web publishing. I'm sure that in this class alone, there are some creative geniuses with us.

Well here's your chance to shine. This week we're going to look at one of the most powerful design aspects of the web. Picture it. Your boss comes in and tells you he needs a font change on all 2000 pages of your company's website. Do you plan to pull an all-night-er? Or do you spend about 5 minutes, make her happy, and get on your usual train home?

The answer: CSS - (look it up)

Don't miss it.

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Web Publishing - Take 2 - Week 4.5

Only 4 of you managed to publish your websites last class, so we'll do it again this week. 

It's absolutely critical that your sites are published because that's how all of your labs and assignments will be graded from now on.

Finally, you MUST have a flash drive, or I can't help you.

Once you get the hang of publishing, it's all fun after this.

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Let's Publish! Week 4


Last week, we looked further into creating web pages with Dreamweaver. And we took a look at what makes the web the web. What was the main invention of Timothy Berners Lee that gives us today this amazing thing called the World Wide Web?

This week,  your sites go "LIVE"! This means that you'll be able to view your creations from any browser anywhere (not just from your computer).
Make sure you do not leave until you understand 

- Paths
- Publishing
- Hyperlinks
- Your own website address
- How to FTP (publish) your site

It's all even more fun here on out.

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Week 3 - What makes the web the web?


Last class, you were introduced to Dreamweaver, and many of you created your first website and web pages

This week we will explore the beginnings of the web, and the powerful tool that made all our inter-connectivity today possible.

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HINT for what makes the web the web:







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Week 2 - Creating web pages with Adobe Dreamweaver



This week, we're going to get into creating web pages using Dreamweaver, the premier web-building program. We'll see what the web is all about. 

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It was really nice to meet you all!

For next class, please remember to bring a flash drive and a (digital) "head shot" of yourself (in case you didn't have one last class, and didn't do your Bio (A4).

Please review "things needed" for this semester.

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Welcome


Welcome to the class! You're going to enjoy yourself this semester. You'll uncover perhaps some hidden talents, or sharpen the ones you already have.



We'll start at the beginning of the web (did you know the world wide web actually has a birthday?), and take it right up to today's methods for creating websites. 

Today we'll go over some protocols, expectations, and setups. You'll compose your first web page in the language of the web, HTML. 

It will be a fun journey, the end of which will see you completely understanding what's behind a web page, how a website is built, and the skills you need to take it all to your next level.

And... you'll build a beautiful personal website in the process!
 

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