IT 111 Tips
- The Student Data Files that you'll need to complete the case study and some of the hands-on assignments are available from WebCT.
- Get the IT111 Course ePacket which requires Acrobat Reader. If you have any problems with the ePacket, get the newest version of Acrobat Reader.
- The Online Orientation (35 minutes) is mandatory viewing. Here is the handout that you'll need, too. Remember the Intro Quiz is based on the online orientation.
- What does it take to succeed in this class? Listen to my interview (11:28 minutes long) with a former student to find out. My interview questions are also available. We used Gizmo Project for recording our voices and any flaws in the audio can be attributed to our recording technique.
- The University of Washington Bookstore offers academically priced software for students in its Technology Center. You are eligible to purchase this software which can be a big savings. You only need to take your student ID and another piece of photo ID when you go. The Technology Center is located in the main bookstore on University Way NE.
- One of the things you must do at the beginning of the quarter is to change the password on your web account. If you are using a Windows-based computer for the class, you'll need a program called PuTTY, a secure shell client to do this. Download PuTTY and then follow the instructions in the course packet for configuring it and changing your password. If you are using a Mac with OS 9 for the class, you'll need to use Nifty Telnet (see the next tip below) for changing your password. There is a short tutorial on downloading PuTTY, too. If you're using Mac OS X, the ePacket has instructions on the steps for changing your password.
- This quarter you'll be using special software to copy your web page files to the student web server. If you are using a Windows-based computer for the class I recommend that you get WinSCP. It's free and all of the step by step instructions I'll be giving you this quarter will assume you are using it. Download the most recent, non-beta version of WinSCP now. There is a short tutorial on dowloading and installing WinSCP. If you are using Mac OS X, download the newest non-beta version of Fugu. The instructions for installing and using it are available on the NSCC web site.
- If you are using the Windows operating system, you might want to try LopeEdit for coding your web page files instead of Notepad. It has many nice features including the ability to have multiple files open at the same time and it color codes your xhtml code. There is a short tutorial on downloading and installing LopeEdit. A student in the Spring 2007 class recommended it.
- I'd like you to use at least two different web browsers for testing your pages. If you're using Window, please install both Internet Explorer and a non Microsoft browser on your computer. Go to Microsoft to download the latest version of Internet Explorer. I recommend getting Firefox for your non-Microsoft browser. If your using Mac OS X, you can use Safari and Firefox.
- I will be using Skype, a free Internet telephone product this quarter. If you have a broadband connection, a microphone for your computer, download and install the software, you can call me on my computer and get immediate help with your questions.
- If you're having any problems with WebCT, you can visit the "WebCT Browser Tuneup" Page. Using this page should help you find out if you have your computer configured properly for WebCT.
- We will be resizing and compressing photos this quarter then adding to web pages. You'll need image editing software and many times your digital camera will come with appropriate software. If you don't have any image editing software, you can download and install Picasa from the Google web site. It's free and will work perfectly for the class. The Course ePacket has written instructions on using Picasa and there is a narrated tutorial, too.
