Tutorial 1 - Developing a Web Page

Welcome to our class.

If you have not done so already, visit the class BlackBoard site and read the information included in Staff Information, Course Information, Course Materials, Assignments, and Discussion Board. You should read with great interest the Course Information section titled "Grading". You will also want to visit BlackBoard's Grade Center.

Please carefully read this page and read all the linked pages provided here. Read everything again.

Expectations
After completion of this class, you should have a working knowledge of HTML, the programing language for the World Wide Web. You will understand how to apply elements of HTML and XHTML needed for WebSite Design and Development. You will be an Author and a Publisher. You can call yourself a WebMaster and programmer.

During the first few weeks of class, I expect that some of you will already know much of what we will cover. GREAT! Also, I expect that some may feel like this is "too much too fast." Not so great. Ask for HELP. There are NO silly questions. Each week, there will be a Discussion Board Forum especially for HELP. I encourage all of us to use the Help Forums -- to ask and to answer. You can always send questions as eMail to me, gnorth@tulane.edu. I check my eMail many many times, days and nights. If need be, I will call you -- send me eMail with phone number and date/times you are available. And, if you really think it is an emergency, you may call me. My cell is 504-261-5748. My home is 504-834-1891. You can call as late as 11:00 PM (Central).

You need to be diligent in planning your time for this class. Assignments are organized to give you every opportunity to become familiar with WebSite Design and Development and its programming language -- HTML and XHTML.  We have a very good textbook. It is organized as Tutorials with Case Problems as assignments -- if you invest in reading the textbook and in working (writing HTML) the included examples as you read, you will have all the information needed to complete assignments.  

Tutorials 1, 2 and 3 are critical to your success and we will devote two week of class time for each. Tutorials 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 will be covered in one week each.  Don't get trapped into thinking that your can start working on Sunday for an assignment due the same day.  Start early. Submit WebSites early. Turn-in your partly completed WebSite on or before Fridays and your instructor will provide you with feedback that you can use to make changes and submit again.  It maters not how often you turn-in WebSites -- no one's assignment will be graded until after the assignment due date has passed.  It is in your best interest to turn-in assignments early. As documented in the Syllabus, there is a penalty for turning-in assignments late.  Be certain to keep your instructor informed if you need to turn-in an assignment late.  Provide an explanation, ask for an extension.

All WebSite assignments are chosen from the Case Problems at the end of each Tutorial.  You should give serious consideration to completing every Case Problem, even though you will be graded on just one.  Some assignments can be very time consuming. So remember the advice from above -- start assignments early, ask for feedback from your instructor.  

Required: The Text Book
As for our text, New Perspectives: HTML and XHTML, 5th Edition-Comprehensive (ISBN13: 978-1423925460), you should be well along reading Tutorial 1. If not, you should begin now. Tutorial 1 is fundamental to your success in our class. You cannot afford to fall behind before we start.

Required: Text Editor
To insure that you gain the needed knowledge of HTML, all web site development assignments will require that you write all HTML yourself using a text editor. Click here for an explanation and example.

Google definition of text editor. What is a Text Editor from Wikipedia.

A text editor is a HTML editor
There are many (free) text editors, some designed especially for HTML. It is OK to use a text editor that does HTLM syntax checking. It is NOT OK to use a WYSIWYG editor ... like MS Word, HomePage, Publisher, DreamWeaver, etc.

Required: eMail
When I send eMail to you, I will ONLY use your Tulane eMail address. I expect that when you send me eMail it will be from your Tulane eMail address and to my Tulane eMail address ( gnorth@tulane.edu ). The penalty for not following this guideline is that I may miss your eMail message to me -- it may get mixed up with one of my other eMail addresses and just get lost or treated as junk. Also I ask that part of the Subject be our course number ( CPST-2400 ), and that you type your full name at the end of the Message. I retain all copies of your eMail to me and my eMail to you. You can receive and send Tulane eMail using Webmail at https://owa.tulane.edu/.

Required: Your Tulane CPST WebSite
For our class you are required to have your own Web Site on Tulane's CPST WebServer.

Follow link to this page for CPST WebServer Information.

Required: FTP Client
For our class you are required to use FTP Client software to maintain files on Tulane's CPST WebServer.

Follow link to this page for information about FTP -- File Transfer Protocol.

Remember ... ask for HELP ... ask early, ask often. Read everything again.