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Section #34492
January 12 - May 18, 2015

You may take this class totally online!!!
No classroom attendance required.

This class is repeatable!
You can take it more than once!

Course Description and Objectives

In GCMW 102 you will learn the basics of Web design: how to create your pages, how to optimize your graphics for use on your pages and how to upload them to a server so that they will be available for everyone to see. We will use the state-of-art Web Design tool used most often by Professionals, Adobe Dreamweaver. For our graphics we will use Adobe Fireworks, a program that is part of the same Adobe suite and that was created just for the needs of Web designers. In addition we will cover such topics as how to create interactive Web forms, how to find a host, how to register a domain name, and how to get your site listed in the search engines.

Software Requirements:

For work at home, this class requires Adobe Dreamweaver CS5, Dreamweaver CS6 or Dreamweaver CC .

After you enroll in class, you are eligible for Academic Prices on software. (Note: When you purchase this software at academic prices, you are getting complete versions of the programs. You need not worry about reduced functionality. The difference between the Academic version of Dreamweaver and the Full version is in the licensing. The academic version is only licensed for academic or private use. The regular version is licensed for commercial use.) Adobe is also offering good prices on bundles many of the popular Adobe products such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks and Flash. One of the best places to purchase an academic version of the Adobe software is at Foundation for California Community Colleges.

Other software that you will need are the free Adobe Acrobat Reader and an unzipping (decompression) program such as the free Stuffit Expander to unzip files.

Waiting List

If you are on the waiting list, or would like to be on the waiting list, you should email the teacher so that she can contact you if there are openings. If you don't send an email, we will have no way of contacting you. There is no orientation. The teacher's email address is: jfontanella@palomar.edu.

If you are on the waiting list, check your status frequently. They automatically enroll students from the waiting list if there are openings in the class. Sometimes they also start a new section and enroll all of the students from the waiting list.

Required Texts:

You should get the version of the book that goes with your version of Dreamweaver.

Other Helpful Texts:

While the textbook is super for hands-on-learning, which I think is the best way to learn, the Visual Quickstart books are much better for reference. They are inexpensive, but very handy to have close at hand for looking up how to do something. The Dreamweaver books are excellent and I highly recommend them. You can get these books in Dreamweaver CS5, CS6 or CC versions.

Dreamweaver CS5 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith.
ISBN-978-0321703576
Publication Date: June 19, 2010

or

Dreamweaver CS6: Visual QuickStart Guide by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith.
ISBN- 978-0321822529
Publication Date: June 25, 2012

or

Dreamweaver CC: Visual QuickStart Guide
ISBN-13: 978-0321929518
Publication Date: August 31, 2013

Some Class Topics:

  1. Orientation to the Online Classroom
  2. Understanding HTML
  3. Introduction to Dreamweaver Site Setup and FTP
  4. Basic Pages in Dreamweaver
  5. Creating Links
  6. Using Cascading Style Sheets to Format Text in Dreamweaver
  7. Using Cascading Style Sheets to Layout Your Pages
  8. Images for the Web
  9. Image Optimization for the Web
  10. Adding Multimedia to your pages
  11. Using Templates
  12. Managing Your Site
  13. Creating Interactive Forms
  14. Adding Functionality with Javascript
  15. Adding Advanced Features with jQuery or Spry
  16. Uploading Files to the Remote Server

Class Format:

Units will consist of teacher notes for background information, hands-on tutorials for learning the programs, and assignments for applying and practicing the new target skills. Students will also create their own Web site projects and maintain their own Web sites on the student server.

Prerequisite Skills:

This is a beginning class in Web page design. No previous experience is expected. However, to be successful in this class, you will need to have had experience in using a computer to perform basic tasks. Most of all, you will need good computer file management skills. This means that you understand how to set up folders, how to save files within those folders, and how to find, rename, move and copy files to new locations on your computer. Learn to do this before attempting this class, because Web design involves a substantial amount of file management.

Logging on to the class site:

Connections to our online Web site will be activated at http://blackboard.palomar.edu/ on January 12th, the first day of the semester.

Username: Students registered for this class will use their nine-digit student identification number for their UserID to login. Be sure to type in all 9 digits.

Passwords: For your password, use the same password that you use on eServices.

Problems Logging In: If you are experiencing problems, please contact the Academic Technology department for help.

eServices Email Address: Be sure to check your email address on eServices. Keep it updated so that if a teacher wants to send you some information, she will be able to. You can add a non-Palomar address, and then mark it as your "Preferred" email address. That way you can receive your Palomar email at the address that you use most often. Also, if you are unsure of your password for Blackboard, you can use the "Forgot Password" link, and the password will be sent to your preferred address.

Once you are logged on to the system, click on the link to the Page Layout for the Internet, GCMW 102 class. Then read the Announcements that you will see on the first page. They contain instructions on what to do. You don't have to log in at any particular time of day. During the course you will be logging in frequently, but at times that are convenient to your schedule. You will have an assignment due at the end of the first week of classes, so it is important that you do login during the first few days of class.

No-Show Policy and Drops:

I sometimes have a long waiting list for this class. It would be a shame for someone to take up a space in the class if they are not intending to complete the course work, when someone else is waiting to get in. Therefore, anyone who does not login to the class site and complete the first unit (easy assignments which don't require any special text book or software) by the end of the first week will be considered a NO-SHOW and might be dropped so that I can let in students from the waiting list. If you are having computer problems, there are many computer labs on campus that have internet connections that you can use. If some other circumstances prevent you from doing this, be sure to email me to let me know what is happening. You might also be dropped if long periods of time have passed without communication from you such as participation on the discussion board or submission of assignments.

Check Back Often:

This page will be updated to reflect any changes in information about the class. Please check back often.

Applying to Palomar and Registering for the Class

You can apply to Palomar College Online and register for the class. Please go to: Eservices - Apply to Palomar.

Your application to Palomar College is free. When you apply, you will be given a student ID number. Once you have your student ID number, you will be able to register online for classes.

Register at: https://eservices.palomar.edu/psp/pals9prd/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG&