IT 111 Podcast #10 for Fall 2007

I couldn't resist making a short movie of the snow that fell today in Seattle. Did you enjoy it?

This podcast has some announcements and several tips for getting a good grade on your final project. I'm recommending that you print a copy of the grading form I'll be using before you listen to the podcast. Then you can follow along as I review and give advice on each of the project elements.

Remember there are many web-based tools you might be able to use with your project. A quick review of the Class Links will direct you to sites that allow you to:

• make free customized buttons
• create a good color scheme
• find free stock photos

Listen to the Week 10 Podcast (6:23 minutes)
Or, if you prefer, read the transcript. (PDF)

Please feel free to leave a comment.

IT 111 Podcast #9 for Fall 2007

This week's podcast has some course announcements, an introduction to Assignment 7, and a very cool web site you'll want to use the next time you fly someplace.

Before you start Assignment 7, look at the Chapter 10 Updates on the textbook web site. There is a correction that will save you time and frustration if you know about it before you begin.

While you're looking at the Updates page, I encourage you to explore the CSS Page Layout Creator. It might help you understand these new CSS techniques or even help you create the layout for your final web project if you decide not to use tables.

Finally, make sure you check out the SeatGuru.com. I used it on both legs of my flight from Seattle to London and had good seats both times.

Listen to the Week 9 Podcast (3:51 minutes long)
Or, if you prefer, read the transcript. (PDF)

Feel free to leave a comment, too!

IT 111 Podcast #8 for Fall 2007

This podcast has some announcements and tips for completing Assignment 6.

One of the announcements is the online evaluation I'll be ordering for our class next week. Since the evaluation is sent to your email address, I'm asking you to check the email address that's listed for you in our system and correct it if necessary.

The screen snapshot shows the Chapter 6 web page for the textbook and if you want to learn more about the scripts that process forms or free remotely hosted form processing services, check out this page.

Listen to the Week 8 Podcast (4:21 minutes)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer. (PDF)

Feel free to post a comment!

IT 111 Podcast #7 for Fall 2007

This podcast has some additional tips for Assignment 5 and includes two book recommendations as well. The web page to the left shows Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug. The NSCC library has a copy but if you decide to purchase it, do it from this web site.

Here is a link to Eric Meyer's CSS Compatibility Chart but I think you might want to use the one from the W3Schools web site instead. It is more up-to-date.

The NSCC Library web site will help you order and/or place a hold on the two books mentioned in the podcast.

Thanks to Lisa for finding and sharing the Seattle Times article about Vint Cerf a founder of the Internet back in the 1960s.

Listen to the Week 7 Podcast (4:14 minutes)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer (PDF)

Feel free to leave a comment!

IT 111 Podcast #6 for Fall 2007

This podcast introduces Cascading Style Sheets and Assignment 5 which covers chapter 9 in the textbook. The screen snapshot to the left is of the W3Schools CSS Tutorial which I strongly encourage students to use as they begin learning CSS.

I'll get the test graded ASAP and I apologize for the technical problems that arose during the test. I know it impacted at least one student who had planned on taking the test in the afternoon.

Listen to the Week 6 Podcast (4:16 minutes)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer. PDF

Feel free to leave a comment!

IT 111 Podcast #4 for Fall 2007

This is a picture of my great nephew Tommy and me taken in London. I'll be returning to Seattle on Wednesday, Oct. 17 so we'll be in the same time zone soon.

This week's podcast has some background information on web color and graphics and some tips for Assignment 4.

Listen to the Week 4 Podcast. (6:24 minutes)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer. (PDF)

IT 111 Podcast #3 for Fall 2007

I cannot tell a lie, I'm in London, England now and soon I'll be traveling to Sweden. If you want to keep track of my whereabouts, check out my travel blog at http://www.offexploring.com/jkent20/home. I've been adding photos, videos, and blog entries about the sights I am seeing. I guess you could say this is one of the perks of teaching online.

The screen snapshot shows my travel blog - a free tool that I'm learning how to use. One thing is sure, I'll remember my trip much better with the help of this blog.

I am struggling with the wireless connection here in London so I haven't finished grading Assignment 1 yet. But I will keep working on it.

I've been sharing a YouTube movie with students that gives a great explanation about RSS. I highly recommend that you watch it. It's short but very well done.

Listen to the Week 3 podcast . (5:02 minutes)
Or read the podcast transcript. PDF

Feel free to leave a comment.

It 111Podcast #2 for Fall 2007

In this podcast, I review the assignments that are due in the next couple weeks and encourage you to check out a couple resources linked from the Class Links section of the course web site. The image to the left is a screen snapshot of the W3Schools XHTML Reference, one of the most helpful resources for XHTML coding. It not only lists and explains all the elements or tags but it also gives you a chance to practice using the element in the "Try-It-Yourself Demos."

The other resource explains the validation error messages in plain English. This should really help you as you work on getting your web pages to validate. The link for this page works okay from the Class Links page but for some reason, I couldn't get it to work here. Very strange. Thanks, Lisa, for the heads up about this.

I'd also like to remind you to look for chapter updates on the textbook website. Any errors that have been found after the book was printed will be listed for you. It could save you a lot of time when working on your assignments.

Listen to the Week 2 Podcast (4:40 minutes)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer.

Feel free to leave a comment!

Rules for Coding XHTML

I made a video (8:41 minutes) that explains four of the most important rules for properly coding XHTML. If you follow these rules, you'll avoid about 90 - 95% of the validation errors that student often make at the beginning of the quarter.

These are the rules (but watch the video to get a better understanding of them):

1. Documents must be well formed.
2. All element and attribute names must be written in lower case letters.
3. Attribute values must always be quoted.
4. Elements must be closed including empty elements.
   

IT 111 Podcast #1 for Fall 2007

Welcome to the IT 111 podcasts. I hope you will enjoy listening to them and that they will enrich your experience of this online class. When possible, I'll include a printed transcript so you have the option of either listening to or reading the podcasts.

The image to the left is a screen snapshot of the online orientation for the class. I'll keep it available throughout the quarter in case you want to review any part of it. After the first week I'll place the link to it on the Tips page.

This podcast discusses some of the communication tools I'll be using this quarter (Meebo and Skype) and the three graded assignments that are due on Friday.

Listen to the Week 1 Podcast (3:43 minutes)
Or, read the transcript. PDF

Feel free to leave me a comment, too!

IT 111 Podcast #3 for Summer, 2007

The image to the left is a screen snapshot of Pageflakes a very handy service that I've been using for several months now. It allows me to select items (called flakes) that provide updated information on a wide variety of topics to appear when I launch my default web browser. For example, I can see the weather forecast for the next five days. I can see the time in Sweden where a close friend, with whom I communicate using Skype, lives. I can also see the new pictures of my great nephew that my niece living in London uploads to her Picasa web album.

There are several flakes that students might find helpful, too. For examples there is a grade tracker, a schedule maker, a dictionary flake, a calculator, a notepad. I encourage you to check it out. Pakeflakes is a free service and I love having my information handy and updated constantly.

This podcast summarizes some of the great suggestions from Discussion 1, explains my grading strategy, and gives an overview and some tips for Assignment 3.

Listen to the Podcast #3 (4:05 minutes)
Or, if you prefer, read the transcript. PDF

IT 111 Podcast #2 for Summer, 2007

This podcast gives some course updates, talks about the WebCT quizzes, and discusses Assignment 2 which is due next week.

I know it isn't related to the course content but I'm providing a link to a web site that discusses and rates sunscreens (a screen snapshot of the web site appears at the left). There was an article about it in the PI earlier this week and I thought it might be useful information for those who will be spending the 4th of July out doors.

Speaking of the 4th, I hope everyone has a safe and sane holiday. We live on Lake Union and have a ringside seat for those fireworks. I'm planning to take some photos and maybe even a movie which I'll share if they turn out.

Listen to Podcast #2 (5:31 minutes)
Or, if you prefer, read the transcript. (PDF)

Feel free to leave a comment!

IT 111 Podcast #1 for Summer, 2007

This podcast introduces IT 111 Internet and Web Authoring using XHTML. I'll be experimenting with two communication tools this quarter. One of them is Skype (web page pictured to the left) and the other is Meebo. Listen to the podcast or read the transcript to find out more.

I've created an online version of the orientation for those who can't attend the on-campus orientation on Tuesday, June 26. The orientation will help you understand how the class works and I guarantee you'll be more successful if you take the time to watch it. The orientation is organized into five parts and it takes about 30 minutes to watch the entire thing. You'll find a link to it on the course web site.

Listen to Podcast #1 (4:35 minutes)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer!

Please feel free to add a comment.

IT 111 Podcast #10 for Spring, 2007

This weeks podcast has some class announcements, tips for the final project, and a discussion about password management systems. The screen snapshot to the left shows the Lifehacker blog posting on handling passwords. Read the entire posting called Track your passwords ten different ways.


I've decided to make taking the second test optional and the podcast explains why. If you want to take the test, it will be held on Thursday, June 14 from 5pm - 7:30pm in TB 1643B.

The quarter is almost over and next week will be my last podcast for the class.

Listen to the Week 10 podcast (4:39 minutes)
Or, if you prefer, read the podcast transcript. (PDF format)

IT 111 Podcast#9 for Spring, 2007

This week's podcast has course announcements, a few comments on Chapter 10, and some resources for the final web site project. The screen snapshot to the left shows a forms-based tool called "List-o-matic" that helps create CSS navigation for a web site. You decide on the number of navigation links, the link text and their URLs and then select a style. The CSS and XHTML code are generated for you and you can copy and paste it into your own code. Very cool. The URL for "List-o-matic" is http://www.accessify.com/tools-and-wizards/developer-tools/list-o-matic/.

Another resource for your final project is from a recent posting entitled Who Needs Headlines? from the blog A List Apart. It offers several interesting ideas for headlines that can seduce visitors into your web site. Since several of you are creating web sites for selling products or services, I thought it might help you write the copy for your project home page. Find the article at http://www.alistapart.com/articles/whoneedsheadlines.

Listen to the Week 9 Podcast. (5 minutes)
Or, if you prefer, read the transcript. (PDF format)

IT 111 Podcast #8 for Spring, 2007

This is a photo taken last weekend of my great nephew and me. He is about 5 weeks old in this picture and a real cutie, I think.

This podcast has some tips about Assignment 6 which has a new due date because of the holiday weekend. Now it is due on Wednesday, May 30. You'll want to listen to the podcast or read the transcript before you get too far into Chapter 6 and the assignment.

Thanks for the positive feedback on last week's podcast. And, have a great Memorial Day Weekend. It even looks like we'll have nice weather - a special treat.

Listen to the Week 8 podcast. (4:14 minutes)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer. (PDF format)

IT 111 Podcast #7 for Spring 2007

This podcast is a little late but I hope you'll find the content worth waiting for! I attended an event at Microsoft on Friday, May 18 called the Center for Information Technology Excellence 2007 IT Education Futures Summit. IT faculty from community colleges around the state attended and one of the most worthwhile presenations was on employment and hiring for IT students. Listen to the podcast for a summary of this presentation. I've also included some updates on Assignment 5 which is due next Tuesday, May 22.

Listen to the Week 7 podcast. (6:43 minutes)
Or, read the transcript, if you prefer. (PDF format)

Here's a link to the NSCC Career Services web site. I think you'll find it a helpful resource if you're preparing to hit the job market soon.

IT 111 Podcast #6 for Spring 2007

Better late than never, here is the Week 6 podcast. It has some information about the first test and Assignment 5 which covers Cascading Style Sheets. I'm also including a link to a blog posting from A List Apart on CSS. It gives several reasons why you shouldn't be afraid of learning this new type of code and why you'll like it once you learn more about it.

One last reminder, don't wait too long to start working on Assignment 5!

Listen to the Week 6 podcast (3:40 minutes)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer.

Feel free to post a comment.

IT 111 Podcast #5 for Spring 2007

This podcast has some general course information, an introduction to the next assignment (Discussion 2) and some advice on studying for the first test. This week you'll be reading Chapter 7, Web Site Design, and yes, we are skipping around a bit in the book. I've also recommended a book titled, "Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability" by Steve Krug. If you are interested in the topic of usability, you should definitely check out this book.

I've also included a short audio excerpt from the screen reader simulator that I posted to the course web site last week. It helps us experience what blind people do when they surf the web. If you didn't have time to follow the link last week, have a quick listen to the podcast. The image shown here is a screen snapshot of the simulator.

Listen to the week 5 podcast. (4:59 minutes)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer. PDF format

IT 111 Podcast #4 for Spring 2007

This week's podcast discusses some of the important topics from Chapter 4, provides an overview of Assignment 4 and introduces the Final Web Site project.

This is a screen snapshot of the Web Worker Daily, a blog I recently discovered. One of the postings caught my eye. It highlighted the importance of allowing one's unconscious mind to work on problems during sleep. There is convincing research that shows the more complex a problem or situation is, the better off we are to sleep on it. This made sense to me as I've often found I needed time to figure something out. Click on the link if you'd like to read more about the research.

Listen to Podcast #4 (5:47 minutes long)
Or, read the transcript if you prefer.

Please feel free to leave a comment!

IT 111 Podcast #3 for Spring 2007

In this podcast I'll explain my communication style, share some of the great suggestions from the first discussion, point out a couple new resources I've added to the course web page, and talk a little about my grading strategy. I'll also include a few tips on Assignment 3 which you'll working on this week.

The screen snapshot above is the main Gizmo Project page. This weekend, I sent invitations to everyone in the class to become a Gimzo member and a few students have already joined. Thanks! Gizmo has a free conference calling feature and I bet it would be an easy way to create a study group. I might even try using it for office hours if enough students are interested.

Listen to Podcast #3 (11 minutes in length)
Or, you can read the transcript if you prefer.

Feel free to leave a comment!

IT 111 Podcast #2 for Spring 2007

This is a screen snapshot of "Pageflakes" a start page tool that I discuss in this podcast and I've also added it to the IT 111 Playground page.

Listen to Podcast #2 (5:53 minutes).
Read the podcast transcript.

IT 111 Podcast #1 for Spring 2007

This is a short sample podcast to welcome students to IT 111 - Internet and Web Authoring Using XHTML. I've included some information about the textbook and announced the things that are due this week.

Here is the podcast (2:31 minutes long)
Here is the transcript if you prefer reading rather than listening.

I always welcome comments!