Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Farrell-Practicum 7

Hey guys!

I finished my website today!!! Take a look:


After 1 Dreamweaver class and 3 appointments with a technical trainer, it all came together!! I'm excited and relieved I must admit. This was hard!!

Today during my last appointment, I really felt like i knew what i was doing and the trainer was simply there to tell me how to save. It felt good because believe me, this program is hard work!

I feel because this is my last practicum post, I wanted to reflect a bit on my experience with Dreamweaver.

First off, i was terrified of this program going into the project. I knew I wanted to learn Dreamweaver, but i didn't realize the amount of work and dedication it takes in creating a full blown website. It took weeks of research and hours in the lab to finally get it all together. This project was difficult to work on because the program is not available in every computer lab or library. I had to schedule time to make for this project.

Second, I realized that in order to gain visibility, just like a movie, you have to talk it up. I was telling all of my friends about my website and what I called it. They all laughed and i knew i sparked interest in them. They eventually looked at it :). Just like a preview to a movie, i had to make a preview for my website.

Third, when designing a website, you really need to know what you want to do with your site. Do you want to have a blog? Do you want it to be interactive? Is the goal for your own personal use or others? How many pages? What links? You have to ask yourself a million questions before even hitting the computer lab.

Fourth, its really helpful in Dreamweaver to know the codes. For example, today i needed to get all of my background colors the same purple. I could not remember which purple i chose, so I went to the "split view" and found the code for the right purple and put that code into each page. Done and done! Also, once you've grasped codes, making a website is much easier and faster (I'm not quite there yet :)).

Fifth, even though I still feel like I need the support of a trainer when working on this, I don't feel as much of a rookie anymore, especially today. The trainer was able to sit back and do his own homework while i buzzed through the rest of my site. I only needed him for a few minor tweeks (like when linking, always put it to "blank" so when you click the link it goes to a separate page).

Finally, I learned that technology, as hard as it is, is now something that is crucial to learn, especially with today's generation. More and more jobs are implementing more and more technology. Just to have some background is super beneficial. Yes, learning a new program or device is quite intimidating at first, but the feeling of "getting it" is pretty cool i must say. I know so many new terms now like Div Tag (space where you can put texts and pictures), CSS (this is your styling guide), ID, Link, Html, and so many others. This project in all was very rewarding and as hard as it was, I'm happy with the results!

2 comments:

  1. Looks good Erin! Right now I feel very sympathetic for your having had to learn a new program and do a project with it. I'm wrapping up a 3D animation which took hours (and I had to learn the program from scratch).

    I think you're totally right about the cruciality of learning how to use creative programs, especially for students getting ready to graduate. I'm also considering learning how to design a website, since that seems to be a skill in such ridiculous demand right now. Now that all is said and done, would you recommend learning how to use Dreamweaver, or do you wish you started out with something else?

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  2. I'm definitely glad I learned Dreamweaver. As hard as it was, I'm very proud of myself for not going in another direction and doing it the "easy way." I found a few sites that told you to literally fill in the blanks and Pow, you've got a website. This was it was mine...my idea and my site. I definitely suggest getting help from a trainer when you begin, it takes a bit to get comfortable. It also takes the right equipment! But after a few tires, it's very rewarding! (and looks better on a resume :))

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