Just looking for some insight. After 5 years of Software Admin and Development for a Bank I have taken a job as an IT Coordinator and Technology Teacher at a local High School. I have redesigned their current Tech class structure. I have now teaching Computer Support (A+), Networking (CompTIA Network, Server, and Security), and Web Design.

Web Design is where I really need some suggestions. The school has bought me the Adobe Creative Suite Web Premium with Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Fireworks, Acrobat, and I think that's it. I really don't know how to structure the class within 4 sets of 9 weeks. I can do this stuff myself and done it for years but never have taught it.

Any suggestions before I create my syllabus?

Thanks in advance!

Every web design class should spend at least 30 minutes discussing web pages that suck

http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com

It may not be purely academic, but it will make them better.

The only advice I can give is this: for at least the first 2-3 classes, focus on getting an understanding of what the web actually is, what HTML actually is, and what active content actually is. It amazes me when I talk to people with 4 year degrees in SAN, CS, or MIS - and they don't understand these basic concepts. Instead, they only know how to use the tools - with no real understanding of what the tools are doing.

That doesn't mean you spend the whole time lecturing on concepts. But, you need to make it clear that basically all web pages are HTML and no matter what tool you use - it ALL comes down to HTML and you need to have a general understanding of how it works and what it's about. From there, you can get into the myriad of active content and how it works, from AJAX to scripting to Flash, etc. You can pepper those over the course.

From a marketing point of view, dumping tons of tools and fancy junk on them is FUN - but you will yield better students if you help them understand what they're doing. Again, I've seen people not able to figure out why their AJAX doesn't work and they didn't have the necessary server-side installation done... and some of them (one I think of in particular) are closing in on 100k salaries.

But, maybe I'm contradicting myself... because you can make a lot of jack just knowing enough buzz.

Are you going to be getting these students as HTML virgins? That's the first huge thing.

Givin... i began Jan 5 and these kids can barely type. The bad thing is that I have Juniors and Seniors for the most part. I had 1 kid that knew what most CS majors knew and the others didn't know how to turn on the computer. Needless to say, he graduated so, i'm getting kids that knew very very little about computers in general.

I was thinking the fist 2 weeks or more may be basic web building and just learning about HTML but, I thought about just doing a 4-5 weeks on Dreamweaver building HTML and going to CSS and then moving to some photoshop and letting them build some basic assets to put into their website. That in itself may take the whole first semester.

I think that would be the best route. Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Flash. The rest are fluff. Important fluff, but those three are the foundation.

Definitely start them out in the Dreamweaver text editor or a free downloadable HTML editor that will show and highlight formatting mistakes. I think 4 weeks is a bit much to spend on HTML, but you could easily transition them from learning what the actual code does, to the shortcuts and plugins in the Dreamweaver GUI. This will also give them understanding to basic Flash later on down the line and it wont feel so alien. After a few days, they should easily be able to hand you an HTML page with some examples of basic HTML coding. Background picture, fonts, hyperlinks, email and maybe a table if you're feeling froggy. Have them build on that maybe and add some more pages to flip through. Partner them up and have them link to each others site.

Once they got a grasp on that, show em the Dreamweaver hotness. Tell them how much of a pain in the ass it was to make frames 15 years ago and show them how you can do the same thing better in less than 5 seconds with Dreamweaver. They will of course love this and probably not understand why you didn't show them this in the first place.

Then bust Flash on them and watch them weep when they have to relearn the same language but with just enough difference to piss them off. I'd say start with something simple, like making animated buttons that they can throw in Dreamweaver to link to their different pages or classmates, and then to close, create a short animated swf with some moving thing, like a ball bouncing or a man walking. I would say Flash would be the biggest focus of the semester since it could be as easy or hard as you really want it to be. Maybe spend some time afterward discussing how to import stuff into Dreamweaver. Plus, with all the back and forth, by this time they should have Dreamweaver down no problem.

Photoshop is a bitch to teach unless you are 100% devoted to teaching Photoshop. You could spend many days going over the very basics. I'm terrible with Photoshop to be honest. I'd hit the library and check out some of the Adobe guides and build from the first few chapters of that.

Probably the hardest part is fitting in what you want to teach into the time you want it completed. Nine weeks is plenty to go over all three programs. You could spend 3 on each I reckon, since the odds that the kids will have A...time or B...resources to practice on their own outside of the lab. I guess to really sum it up, if you think it's too simple to mention, focus on it because odds are it's super important in the overall scheme of things.

I only mention basic stuff like that because I had to go through and write this exact same stuff down as I thought about it, and there is a ton that I didn't mention that you could add to as well. It's crazy how much stuff we take for granted or bypass by using those Dreamweaver shortcuts. And Flash, well. I've learned Flash 3 times already. It's almost time for them to update again so I'm sure they will change another "OnLookAtMeWrong" command to justify another 800 bucks for the suite.

I honestly wouldn't bother teaching photoshop. it's way, way too complicated for a class that's not dedicated to it.

maybe photoshop elements. Unless you're getting the cs3/4 suite at a steal, I wouldn't even use dreamweaver. free wysiwyg html editors should be enough, just make sure they offer some sort of syntax highlighting.

if they have an interest at that point, maybe offer an advanced class that uses dreamweaver and flash, but my personal distaste for flash makes me want to suggest not even doing that.

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I used to tutor adults on web site building. I always started with the very basics... like servers, FTP, index.html, domain names, file directories...

If they don't know/understand that sort of thing, it will be hard to wrap their heads around what they are actually doing.

Oh, and for the love of god, tell them that putting music on their website is obnoxious.

Since they are kids, make sure you teach them some things on Myspace. You can teach a lot about web design while giving them something they can show off and keep them interested.

Dreamweaver is a good program, but honestly, what kid is going to have access to that outside of class?

Basic photoshop skills are important, and many of the skill learned by using photoshop are translatable to other software packages. If nothing else, show them what all the tools in photoshop do, explain image size and formats (gif, png, jpg) and teach them how to make simple banners.

Graphic design sells websites.

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I do have 4 9 weeks to teach this class. I also have alot of resources. Classroom in a book and Digital Classroom for each module.

Since this is a stand alone class, I may have to get relatively basic in the beginning.

I have that Photoshop Classroom book. It's a pretty good one but I feel they really hit and miss on their chapter organization, and it's super hardcore about Photoshop. The first few sections with the coin teach a lot of the very basic stuff that you would use, like cropping, different cuts and wand use, and the few chapters after with the fruit and flower examples would probably be about where I would stop. Probably wouldn't need to go in depth about image doctoring and restoration.

I still say to hit Dreamweaver and Flash. If these kids go on to college they will probably have to start with another class similar to what you're setting up. They will either be bored to tears with it, or completely obliterate it and be 1 up on everyone else.

Muligan:

Let me offer you a suggestion that may seem counter-intuitive, but hear me out.

Don't start with the technical. Forget about Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and the rest -- at least at the beginning.

Far too many people start out learning HTML and the rest, then go on to produce technically compliant crap.

Instead, start with design. Start with the principles of user interfaces, something they can use no matter what type of programming they may do.

Anything else is akin to teaching a kid how to drive without making sure they first know the rules and culture of the road.