Tuesday

Web 2:

Finish quiz first.

Start Project 2: Adding Web Pages, Links, and Images. Be sure to check Erica's blog for the changes. This project is LONG and will require a lot of work and checking. There may be many new concepts for you. I would read the whole thing first, then do the project.

Items to complete:

Chapter summary for Project 2
Chapter Project
Apply Your Knowledge
In the Lab 3 (beware: the border image thing might not work quite right)

Monday

Web 1: You will continue in the HTML book. Often in the directions they ask you to add code on a certain line. Please note, that these line numbers may be slightly different for you. This project is LONG. Take your time. I would read the whole thing first, then do the project.

You will complete the following:

• Chapter summary for Project 2
• Project
• Apply Your Knowledge
• In The Lab 1 and In The Lab 2

Friday

Today is the twelfth day of class. I hope that I have given you something of value over these days and that we can only add to the fun over the next months. I wanted to take a moment and review my expectations.

1. Make connections every day. The power to make connections in this global, digital, networked world is essential. Instead of having one teacher, have many. For example, on blogmeister there are thousands of teachers and students from around the world. Write to them, read their stories, and then write about the experience on your blog. Take a moment today and read some of the blogs from K-2 grade classrooms. They are fun to read. There is a saying that "isolation is the enemy of improvement". Make connections, collaborate, and improve.

2. Always do your best. You never know who is watching your work or reading your blog. Often people do not realize the power they have until it is lost. You are in a time unique to human history. You can read everything ever written at anytime. You can contact almost anyone at anytime. You can publish your ideas and thoughts instantly. That translates to huge gains in productivity. If the world is moving faster then you must as well. There is no substitute for hard work.

3. Add something to the conversation. Have a story to tell. This could be about how to make a ball bounce, issues you have in learning math, or how you are trying to work together with your classmates. Learn how to get your point across. Spend some time today looking at the read counts on your blog. How can you increase them? If you have a story to tell people from all over the world will read what you have to say. If we all add some thing of value to the conversation everyday (remember R1-R4?) there will be an incredible amount of learning going on in this classroom.

OK. Enough reading. Notice that you read (and I wrote) the above in 3D (links, etc...). Start writing that way!

Today (Web1-2): Grading. I will be looking at all of your work to date. If you are done then help others, read blogs, edit your writing. Web 4 will be revising their ThinkQuest presentations.

Technorati Tags: k12education leadership Lulu blogmeister Seymour

Web 1 Quiz

The quiz for web 1 will be due by the end of the Period on Friday. Some of you will finish early, some of you will have to work fast...

You will create a one page website about your current class schedule. This website should include:

• A title in the header.
• A clear heading on the page.
• A list of classes.
• A brief paragraph describing yourself (junior at Seymour High School, etc...)
• Background color.

Save the file to your WDrive-Classwork when done.

Projects Start

Web 1: You will start the HTML book. You will complete the following:

• Chapter summary for Project 1
• Project
• Apply Your Knowledge
• In The Lab 2

Notes for Web 1: page 1.17--save to WDrive (not floppy disk). Skip 1.20-1.22. Don't print page (1.31)

Web 2: You will start the Dreamweaver book. You will complete the following:

• Chapter summary for Project 1.
• Project
• Apply Your Knowledge
• In the Lab 3

Notes for Web2: pages 1.12 through page 1.20 will require some network navigation. Create your "parks" folder in WDrive-Dreamweaver-folder. Read carefully and ask if you are not sure. Skip the step on 1.65--select browsers. Click f12 to preview web page. Click here for the book errors wiki.

Web 4: You will start the ThinkQuest project.

Introduction Unit Quiz

This quiz is for Web 1 and Web 2.

Please answer the following questions on your blog.

In your answer you must:
1. Link to the described websites.
2. Write effectively. Spell correctly.
3. Try to start a conversation. Blog entries that elicit comments will receive higher grades.
4. None of the answers should be more than 4 sentances.

Questions:
1. Does this website demonstrate gender bias in its design? Or is it neutral? Defend your answer.
2. Rate the usability of the following sites (choose one). Daylife OR Don't Click It

Usability

Today we will finish our introductory unit (test to come shortly).

Here is what bad design looks like according to Vincent Flanders: Check out the worst website ever and his checklist for how to ruin your website.

Top ways to ruin a website:
1. We've designed our site to meet our organization's needs (more sales/ contributions) rather than meeting the needs of our visitors.
2. It takes longer than four seconds for the man from Mars to understand what our site is about. Example.
3. Our site looks like we've never seen another web site. Example.
4. We use design elements that get in the way of our visitors.
5. Our site doesn't make us look like credible professionals.

1. Read the following article. Save it in your favorites. Web Usability Guidelines.

2. Skim this basic article about usability from Great Britian.

3. There is also this great site from the US Government.

Start a MS Word document. Please answer the following questions:

1. Define the following. The answers are in the readings.

• bandwidth
• web usability

2. Which of the following websites has a higher usability for teenagers. Why??

Newsmap
Connecticut Post

3. Find a website that you think has a high usability rating (the opposite of above). Provide a link to this website and explain why you think its usability rating is high. Possible examples: Bobby (use headphones), Swingset

Please post your answers on your blog.