Class 01

The Week’s Topics

Course Intro
Syllabus
Class Skills Survey
Domain name registration
Web hosting
The Internet
Web file naming conventions
File Organization (Website Directory Structure)
HTML review
WordPress
Knowing your tools
Finding answers/troubleshooting
Staying up-to-date
Collaborating

Announcement

Graphic Design Club

There are lots of reasons to join the Graphic Design Club. The first is the sense of community that is built by the club members, a sense of belonging with others who have the same interest. This is especially important for a commuter college like SMC. It is also a chance for students to learn about Graphic Design topics, see exhibits, and hear lectures that are outside the tight frame of class curriculum. Please check the signage at the front door entrance of AET for information about meeting time and dates.

Assignment 1: Due Monday, February 27

1. Read & watch all the “important stuff” for this week.

2. Create a biographical 3 page HTML/CSS website.

Please create an HTML/CSS page using images and text that tells me a little about your self. If you already have a personal or business website, please create a new website for this assignment. The purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate your basic skills building an HTML page. In this assignment you should demonstrate the following:

An understanding of the basic structure of an HTML page.
How to use an external CSS file
An understanding of how to use the tags outlined in the class notes.
In particular, I want you to demonstrate a skill in inserting images and links into a page.
An understanding of correct file organization.
Your ability to use FTP to upload the web page to the class server.

You can use Dreamweaver or any other HTML editor you choose. When you’ve completed the assignment, please upload the project folder (be sure your file organization is correct or you will be asked to re-do this assignment) to our class server. Be sure that you place your project folder inside a folder with your last name_first name so I know the files are yours. Check the FTP page for more information. Be sure to check your page after you’ve uploaded it here: http://www.cavanaugh.smcgrdes.com/grdes66/.

If you run into problems uploading your files to the class server, please refer to the FTP page. There are directions and additional resources there. You may also ask a fellow classmate for help if you’d like. If you continue to have problems, don’t worry, we’ll review FTP next week.

3. Sign up for WordPress.

Post the URL to your WordPress blog in the comments section below.

Sign up at WordPress.com and start your blog for this class. Be sure to view the videos posted in the WordPress section for more information on how to do this.

4. Read the following chapters from our textbook.

Chapter 2: Tools
Chapter 3: Learning on the Web
Chapter 4: Internet Fundamentals

Important Stuff

VIDEO: File Organization (Website Directory Structure)

VIDEO: The Basics of HTML

VIDEO: The Basics of CSS

WordPress

I’m asking all of you to sign-up on WordPress.com to start a blog for this class. WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS). Below is a short video about WordPress (the version you install on your own server — more info can be found at WordPress.org). Note that we’re using the WordPress.com version of WordPress which is different than the version you install on your server.

There is also a good video about what is a CMS.