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Book for the
Advanced Option

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

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

Section #32760
January 18th - May 20th, 2011

Course Description and Objectives

No matter which tools are used by today's Web designers, they must know which choices to make so that their pages are compliant with current Web standards, and they must know how to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) both to style their text and to layout their pages. Their Web pages should be devoid of markup that is intended to enhance the appearance of the page. It needs to be clean, structural markup that reflects the structure of the content. All presentational markup must be eliminated, and replaced with CSS. Knowing how to use CSS effectively is no longer a nice extra. It's an absolute necessity for today's Web designers. This class spends the entire semester studying these skills. You will learn how to create Web pages with advanced visual designs that are compliant with current Web standards. You will learn how to separate your content from your presentation. You will learn to use CSS positioning, instead of tables, for your page layout. You will learn best practices for using CSS, and you will learn some work-arounds that make up for the fact that all modern browsers won't display your pages in the same way. Anyone who is serious about Web design absolutely needs all of these skills.

One of the nice extras about studying CSS is that the CSS address one of the Designer's long-standing frustrations with Web Design - the inability to more precisely control their text and the positioning of elements on the page. CSS is not only more standards-compliant, it's more powerful, and it's letting designers do on the Web what they have been doing on paper for a long time. In this class we'll explore the use of style rules, margins, line heights, font-families and positioning for use on the Web.

Preparation and Prerequisites

Prerequisites for GCMW 221: If you have any questions about your eligibility, please email me at: jfontanella@palomar.edu . This is not a beginning level class, and you do need some background in Web design in order to understand it. Here is the real lowdown on the foundation that you need to do well in this class:

  1. You should know the basics of Web design and have experience planning a site, implementing a site and uploading it to a remote server. A class such as GCMW 102 or GCMW 220 would fulfil this requirement. You might also meet this requirement through other classes or experience in the field.
  2. You should have knowledge of HTML. When CSS is discussed, it is often in terms of the HTML tags that the CSS rules are applied to. If you don't understand the tag structure of HTML, it will be harder to follow the discussion. You will also have to be able to read through chapters that provide HTML code for examples of new techniques. If you don't understand the HTML code, you won't understand the chapter. There are many ways to learn HTML. Classes such as GCMW 220, CSWB 110 or CSWB 130 will give you some familiarity with HTML. There are many good books, tutorials and other classes that teach HTML/XHTML, as well. Some of you may be using HTML on the job and, therefore, know it well. Lynda.com (http://lynda.com) has good movie tutorials, as well. eClasses.org is an organization on the Web where you can find good short term classes on HTML, as well as other Web Design topics. (All of these ways to meet the HTML requirement are acceptable. )
  3. Web Graphics. You should also know enough about creating graphics for the Web to create some basic images for your projects.

Advanced Option

For those students who have already completed GCMW 221 and who would like more advanced material, there will be an advanced option with a different curriculum. We'll be studying more advanced considerations in planning your design and also the new CSS3.

Class Topics

Required Texts

Text for the Advanced Option

Free Amazon Prime Offer When You Buy Textbooks from Amazon

Amazon is offering a free 1-year trial of Amazon Prime when you order certain textbooks from them. You'll find a link for sign-up from the Stylin with CSS book page. Amazon Prime usually costs $70 for the year. It gives you free two-day shipping on items shipped from Amazon with no minimum purchase necessary. You will need to use your Palomar email address to sign up for this offer, so be sure to get one, if you don't have one already. See details.

Good Reference Book to Have Close By - Not Required:

Great Book for Inspiration - Not Required but you'll love it

Software Requirements

Since you will be experienced in Web design by the time you take this class, you can use the software that you are most comfortable with for creating Web pages - as long as it gives you access to the HTML code. A good text editor is fine, and so is Dreamweaver.

You will also need to have as many browsers installed as you can for checking the pages that you design.

Waiting List

If you are told that the class and/or the waiting list is full, you should email the teacher to let her know that you are still interested in taking the class. I maintain an email waiting list so that I can notify you quickly should room become available in the class.

If you are on the waiting list, check your status frequently. They automatically enroll students from the waiting list if there is an opening in the class.

Logging on to the class site:

Connections to our online Web site will be activated at http://www.palomar.edu/blackboard on 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, they 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, please read the entries under the "Announcements" forum. 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:

It would be a shame for someone to take up a space in the class if they are not intending to complete the course, and 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. 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&

Tuition

Tuition is very low for students with a California address. At the present time, the enrollment fee for a 3-unit class such as this is $60. For those outside of California, tuition and fees are $579 for a 3-unit class. Please check online or in the course catalog to be sure that these figures are current.