Well, the semester is almost over and I am looking forward to a break! The 3D learning Ning discussion allowed me to vent a little. I really think that Second Life is a waste of students' time. I tried to access it in a previous class but couldn't even thougy my video card was on the "approved" list. That was the final straw for me!
What is being done with SMART technology is exciting, however. The use of multiple SMART Boards is a great way to "immerse" students into the learning activity. This technology is ideal for kinesthetic learner, especially younger students with less developed small motor skills.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Cascading Style Sheets.
Cascading Style Sheets.
I. What is CSS
CSS, Cascading Style Sheets, are first of all style sheets. They are designed to control the style of a web page. HTML can be used to identify the elements of a web page, but the current thought is to separate the content of the page from the presentation. HTML tags such as <H1>, <UL>,<TABLE>, and <P> can indicate a heading, bulleted list, table, or paragraph but should not be utilized to indicate how those elements should be displayed. The additional challenge is displaying a single page in different media – computer monitor, handheld device, or print. The World Wide Web Consortium, W3C, created CSS to provide an solution to these problems.
The “cascading” portion of the name is an indication of the hierarchy and inheritance in CSS. For all documents there is a default style sheet provided by the browser. These style settings are applied to any element, or element property, without a explicit style definition. The next level up from the default settings are those in an external style sheet. An external style sheet is coded outside the HTML file and referenced in the <HEAD> area of the HTML document. There can also be an internal style sheet defined within the <HEAD> of an HTML document. The internal style sheet will take precedence over the external style sheet unless the external style sheet link appears after the internally coded style sheet. Style elements can also be coded directly with the applicable element within the HTML code. These inline styles take priority over all other style sheets.
II. The relationship between CSS and ADA
CSS is used extensively to meet the requirements for ADA. Three media types have been created specifically for ADA –
· aural for speech synthesizers.
· braille for braille tactile feedback devices.
· embossed for braille printers.
III. Why use CSS
CSS is an easy and effective way to create a consistent web “look and feel”. Daniel Frommelt, the Web Coordinator for University of Wisconsin - Platteville, requires all websites to use the CSS files that he creates. Using this policy, the look of the entire university website can be updated by changing a single file or very limited number of files.
In the past web designers relied on tables to format and position information on the page. This outdated method weakens the power of most search engines to capture the essence of a web site. Tables should only be used for tabular information not for formatting. Formatting can all be done using CSS and the appropriate classes within the HTML document.
IV. Three examples based on your html page assignment
I made use of CSS in my multipage website for formatting the various elements. First of all I used the CSS template provided by Daniel Frommelt at the 2008 HELIX Conference to create a two-column presentation. Another example from Daniel’s example that I use frequently is the formatting of navigation tabs from unordered lists. I also try to include a print style sheet with each HTML file that “hides” the left-hand menu, banner heading, and footer.
V. Is there any disadvantages of CSS?
One of the disadvantages of applying any style to an HTML document is the lack of standardization among browsers. Some formatting is handled differently by IE and FireFox. This requires that the web site be tested with all operational browsers.
VI. Other info about CSS
I did learn some new tricks while browsing the CSS tutorial, www.w3schools.com/css.
· The z-index can be very useful to overlay an image with text. The z-index defines the “layer” when multiple elements are co-located on the webpage.
· The “Fixed” value for the position attribute can cause an element do remain fixed on the screen while scrolling up and down the page.
· I had never used “opacity” before and this is a great attribute for controlling images
· Using “overflow: scroll” within explicitly defined area can save “real estate” on the screen.
Monday, April 6, 2009
HTML Continued
This week we delved a little deeper into HTML. I decided to convert some of the work that I have done on the Semantic web into web pages. I used the PowerPoint presentation last Friday for the College-to-College (C2C) Spring Forum. This year they decided to try a video conference format. There were 5 sites including, Ft. Hays State, KU - Edwards, K-State, Washburn, and UCM. The VC was not well attended. Only a half-a-dozen or so at each site.
I used some of the CSS techniques on my site that I learned from Daniel Frommelt at last year's HELIX conference. You can take a look at the site on my student web page - Semantic Web
I used some of the CSS techniques on my site that I learned from Daniel Frommelt at last year's HELIX conference. You can take a look at the site on my student web page - Semantic Web
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