WebDesign

Course Standards

The objective of this class is to help students achieve a better understanding of Web Technologies, how websites are put together and how to use the medium to communicate with others. The skills gained in this class will allow students to be more confident website creators as well as being more informed web “consumers.”

Web technologies change rapidly. Because of this rapid change, we all need to be prepared to adapt and change as necessary. Our classroom will be one of constant discovery and collaboration. One of the most important expectations for this class is that we treat each other and ourselves with kindness and respect. Everyone in this class should feel comfortable making mistakes and sharing successes with support from the group. Following are some general guidelines about the essential skills that students will gain from the class, grading, and class participation. I look forward to working with you all this semester.

Grading
Most assessments in this course will be in the form of projects. Each project will be based on activities outlined in the competencies for this course. Throughout the course, I will strive to make assignments meaningful and relevant. We will discuss the assignment’s real-world applications include careers related to the topic. Because projects are lengthy and comprise the bulk of the work done in class, students must turn in all assignments to have a chance at receiving an A or a B in the class. Students who fail to turn in 2 projects will not be able to pass the course.

There will also be occasional quizzes on vocabulary, on current events related to technology, or on subjects such as copyright and fair use. These will be graded on a points system.

There will be homework that will primarily take the form of reading or written (online) responses to topics covered in class.

The Final Project- a large website - will take the place of a Final Exam.

Assignments are weighted as follows:

Projects 40%
Quizzes/Tests 20%
Homework 10%
Participation 10%
Final Project 20%

Assignments are due on the date specified in the syllabus. Ten points will be deducted for each day a project is late. However, I understand that we all have circumstances that may arise, making it difficult to meet a deadline. For this reason, you will be allowed 1 (and only one) opportunity to arrange with me in advance to turn in an assignment late. If prior arrangements are not made, the standard penalty applies.

X periods and Attendance

We will have an x-period on Thursday in this class. These days are to be used for students who need extra time in finishing our major projects. All students are expected to come to class during the x-period and may only leave if the instructor believes the work to be complete, and demonstrating the students best effort.

Attendance expectations are outlined in the school policy in the Student Handbook, and will be strictly enforced for both absence and tardiness

Competencies

The following list of competencies represents the kind of activities we will be using to achieve mastery of this subject:

Creativity and Innovation 
1.  Students will examine ways in which the World Wide Web has contributed to innovation in the past decade and will produce a short paper outlining future innovations and their impact on society.


Communication and Collaboration
2.  Students will demonstrate an understanding of effective online communications techniques.
3.  Students, using the web, will demonstrate persuasive communication.
4.  Students will use a team approach to develop effective websites.
5.  Students will employ online collaborative environments such as Blogger and Moodle.


Research and Information Fluency
6.  Students will demonstrate knowledge of effective digital research strategies, including the use of Boolean search techniques to limit and focus search results.
7.  Students will use relevant, scholarly research using websites such as EBSCO and other subscription based scholarly research tools.
8.  Students will examine the way that search engines categorize and prioritize information and use this information to influence ranking results for their own websites.


Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving & Decision-Making 
9.   Students will formulate decisions related to usability and user interface based on an understanding of basic design principles.
10. Students will display data in ways that effectively communicate ideas.


Digital Citizenship 
11. Students will examine issues of digital copyright, fair use, and digital ethics.
12. Students will demonstrate an understanding of Internet safety.
13. Students will examine issues of Internet security and how those issues relate to website production.


Technology Operations and Concepts 
14. Students will write html code using a text editor.
15. Students will use a content management system to develop a website.
16. Students will produce digital images in a web-ready format using Adobe Photoshop.
17. Students will format sound and video files for the Internet