Online ClassesOnline classes are different from
traditional classes in some important ways. You will need to be
self-motivated in learning to create your web site. The teacher won't
be there to remind you to get to work. Stay current with the class -
you'll be glad you did.
Another important difference is that you will not have the normal
face-to-face opportunities to meet with your teacher and classmates for
discussions. Instead, we use the Discussion Board. If you have
participated in online forums or have used instant messaging, using the
Discussion Board should be an easy transition for you.
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Your cat? |
Fav' Hot
Wheel?
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Getting a Client
The web site you will build in this class needs to be for a 'client'. It will not be acceptable to simply
make a personal web site with pictures of your cat, mom, hamster, and your
old collection of Hot Wheels!
The client needs to be a real organization or person who will use your web site
to make information available to anyone on the Internet. Examples of
suitable clients include local businesses, volunteer organizations, 'experts',
and your school. Teachers and coaches can be clients.
An 'expert' is an adult individual outside your immediate family who is knowledgeable in the subject matter of your website.
Imagine building a web site dedicated to your school's football team,
complete with photos, standings, and statistics of this season's games.
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Or if you are taking a class in
advanced field biology, you could document your project and publish it on
your school's or your teacher's web site. Or maybe you're already
involved in a volunteer project that you can build a web site about. If you want a web site dedicated to a hobby, find an 'expert' to be your client. For example, if you collect coins, your client can be a collectible coin dealer.
It will be your responsibility to contact a potential client for this class,
discuss with them ideas for a website, and to get your proposed client approved by the instructor before you begin
building your web site. If you are not sure about who to contact,
email or call the instructor for advice. Lesson 1, Task 1
Your first posted assignment will be L1-1 (Lesson 1, Task 1).
You should have a client either approved or suggested to the instructor
by the third day of class. Your first posted assignment
(L1-1) will be to introduce
yourself to the others in the class using the Discussion Board, and discuss
your preliminary ideas about the web site you want to build.
If you have an approved client, include that
information in your posting. If you do not have an approved client,
talk about the kind of client you would like to get. See the teacher's
example posting before you write your L1-1.
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Ants rule! |
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Changing Clients?
You won't be starting the actual website for your client until a
few weeks into the semester. The biggest reason for picking a client
early to not lose the opportunity to collect data for your web site.
For example, if you are covering a sports team and you miss the first 3
games, that is not a good thing. If your chosen client does not seem to be
working out as you hoped, it is possible to select a new client if the
timing for the new client is not critical. New clients will need to be
instructor approved. |
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