Teachers Set Sites On Web
Ridgecrest, California – Aug. 13, 2003.
A new group of Sierra Sands Unified School District faculty and
staff members will soon join the small cadre who participated
in the pilot Web Design for Education certificate curriculum that
Cerro Coso Community College launched earlier this year in collaboration
with Sierra Sands Unified School District. The four-course program
is for teachers, librarians, instructional assistants and others
interested in learning how to design effective Web pages, create
content and incorporate Web media into classroom and other activities.
The next course in the series, Digital Imaging, starts August
25. This class uses Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and teaches participants
how to create and optimize graphics for the web, retouch photographs,
create digital collages, use a digital camera and scanner, and
more. Digital Imaging will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays,
4:20-6:50 PM, August 25 - December 12 on the Cerro Coso campus.
The cost is $54 for tuition plus $105 for textbooks. Sierra Sands
faculty and staff that enroll in this class will receive a personal
fully-licensed educational version of Adobe Photoshop to use at
home or school on outside projects.
"The reason for providing this," explains Cerro Coso
Academy of Media Arts Director Jim Kiggens, "is to support
the investment that the system has already made in the technology.
The district is in the process of rolling out a computer in every
classroom and connectivity to every classroom. This can be good
or it can be great, depending on the level of training made available
to the schools. We're making it available to school districts
throughout the Cerro Coso Community College service area."
"Sierra Sands Unified School District provides resources
for faculty and staff to become computer literate," adds
Web Design Program Coordinator, Suzanne Braithwaite-Ama. "Our
web design program builds upon that foundation by teaching visual
literacy and Web development skills, which will enable District
faculty and staff take full advantage of the classroom internet
connectivity. Teachers that want to enhance their instruction
with Web-based curriculum will be able to provide that."
Web Design for Education students began with Digital Media Design
in Spring 2003. But students new to the program are welcome to
join the group with the Digital Imaging class this Fall. The previous
class was not a prerequisite for Digital Imaging. Students do
need to have strong computer and internet skills, however, and
have the ability to work independently on projects outside of
class.
In Spring 2004, Accessibility and Usability will be offered,
and in Fall 2004, Web Animation will be offered.
Students have expressed enthusiasm about their class assignments
because of the relevancy to their own classroom activities, such
as Burroughs paraprofessional Rosie Burdette's site-in-progress
for Special Education. When finished, it will feature descriptions
of lessons, photo galleries of class trips, and a spotlight on
individual achievements.
Throughout the four-course program students will learn Macromedia
Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX, and Adobe Photoshop. They will learn
how to organize content, lay out and design web pages, create
and optimize web graphics, and create interactive and animated
Flash media. They will also learn how to make content easy to
use, access, and read through principles of visual design.
According to Braithwaite-Ama, "Accessibility is an important
issue now because it's legally mandated. Web sites that are connected
to publicly-funded institutions or agencies must be accessible
to individuals with disabilities. It's not difficult to make a
site compliant, but you need to know what the criteria is and
what technological accommodations to apply."
Students completing the four courses earn a certificate in Web
Design for Education. They may also apply the credits toward Cerro
Coso's eight-course Associate of Science Degree in Web Design.
For further details, visit www.academy-webdesign.com/sierrasands/
or phone Suzanne Braithwaite-Ama at 384-6274. For information
concerning SSUSD professional development, contact Laurie St.
Gean at 375-3923.
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