Google Gadgets For Your Webpage

One of the principles of web design is don`t try and do everything yourself; there is help out there.

If you want an array of fancy bells and whistles for your site, or just a sleek gadget to spice up your content, try Googles Gadgets. Very easy to install and bring life to your site.

Google Gadgets For Your Webpage

WikiAnswers - How far is Earth from space

WikiAnswers - How far is Earth from space: "Atmosphere

The earth's atmosphere officially ends at approximately 800 km (500 miles) but shuttles and the northern lights have been seen at altitudes of around 690 km (431 miles)."

WebCoursesBangkok.com

Dear ./world

../It`t time to update everyone on a project I am working on. I hope you all will have a good read and tell me your ideas about WebCoursesBangkok.com

I am teacher here in Bangkok now for two years, teaching other peoples material as well as teaching a subject that at school, was my worst; English. So I thought why not start my own course on a subject that I am both passionate about and experienced in.

I have started creating my own course to teach people Web Design. Anyone can learn Dreamweaver, Photoshop and the other tools but its rare to find a course that teaches you all the other pieces of the puzzle that make up effective Web Design.

Got a question for you: "Why pay a stranger to interpret what you want, when you can do it yourself and know how you did it"?

It's a slighty retorical question in that if you knew how to do it yourself, you probably would. "If you want a job doing well, do it yourself" as the old saying goes and thats what I want to teach people to do. To create; to be Creative Creators.

First the story began at the place:

TCDC (Thailand Creative & Design Center)

This is an amazing place and where I now do all my work as a freelancer. I am surrounded by thousands of creative books, and many creative peope. The vibe there is fantastic. It's impressive to look at and fantastic to work at. They have nice sound proof meeting rooms with four seats. Perfect for my small groups. So, stage one complete.

Then came the question of how I was going to teach. How would I get the users to learn the tools and how to use them all at the same time? So that is where the Blended Learning learning Idea came from. I would teach students at the TCDC but they would then complete self learning tutorials at home for Drewmweaver and Photoshop at home inbetween lessons. The timing quickly fell into place after asking friends. I would teach for 3 hours per session over a 1 month period.

Now the most important question, what was I going to teach. Well its important but also one that I enjoyed tackling. I went to a place called the Loft, which sells everything from stationary to pillow cases. I got myself a nice little notebook, because ideas for this course were flowing out of me like snot when you have a monster of a cold; quick bursts of sometimes messyness. I wrote down all the topics I think that make up what you need to know as a web desginer. I wrote down ideas for marketing forms, web site ideas, payment plans, worksheet designs... Everything. I then put the ideas into a excel spreadsheet which I then split up into the four week lessons:

Week1[ Planning ] - This is where CC's would learn what the web is made up of. From servers to domain names and everything in between. The main aim of this first week is to effectively plan for their web site. Their self learning task will be to learn the basic functions of Photoshop ready for next weeks design tasks.

Week2 [Design] - Students will then take their plan and begin designing their site. Using their new skills with Photoshop they will begin turning their paper designs into reality on the screen. This week will concentrate on design conepts. Their self learning goal will be to cut-up the design ready to create a HTML version next week.

Week3 [Development] - Students will learn how to create a template from their design, taking their imags and putting it into Dreamweaver. They will learn HTML and basic CSS as well as learning how to link pages, add forms and plan for Search Engine Optimisation. Their self learning task will be to finish adding their content to the site by creating additional pages from their newly developed template.

Week4 [Finishing] - This is often the hardest part of a site, finishing it off. The CCs will check their site after uploading it to a server. Here they can buy Hosting and Domain name and get ready to launch their site once they have tested it properly for usability, W3C coding standards, SEO and accability. Their self learning task will then to maintain their site.

Throughout the course I will give them support via the WebCoursesBangkok.com web site as well as answering any email queries they have. The main selling point of this course is that students will have a finished site at then end of the course.

"why pay someone else...."etc

Now I working on the Topic worksheets, start packs and I planning a Market Research push to find out what people want from a course like this.

So wish me luck and please give me any feedback or ideas you may have.

Thanks,


C

House Warming - New Appartment in Rachaddarpisek

HI there, I now have my own place, thanks to everyone who came to the house warming. The games were great !

Appartment warming and Pirate sword fights

Sorry not been blogging

I am trying to find a quick and easy way to update, but with the lack of internet at home ive not had time.

Ko Chang via Cambodia

OK, killing two birds with one stone does not always mean that it is quicker and in this case it wasnt. I needed to do a Visa run and a few people had told us that we could go to the very tip of Thailand, cross the boarder and bobs your uncle your set for another month. "Computer says no!". We got there to be told that as there was no embassasy I couldnt get a VISA and I had to do a skip over the boarder then come back with no Visa. As a Bit I get a 30 day period to come the country with no visa...after that i have to get one or leave for good. So I hope my work permit comes through in time.

After that we headed to Ko Chang...an amazing place as the pics will show ya!

Ko Chang

Keera Pat Internatio

Keera Pat International School

Well Monday was my first day as a English / IT teacher at the Keera Pat international school. I am teaching brats from 6 years to 15 years old. Can’t say I am enjoying it as this isn’t the age I wanted to teach.

I am being lead in nicely though by a cool guy Teacher Patrick who is letting me sit in all of his classes. In two weeks I will be flying solo after taking over all his classes as he is leaving for the middle east.

The school is bran new only 2 years old, and it shows. This iceberg is the other way round. Everything works on the outside, but like most Educational establishments, on the flipside it’s a mess. I have been here three days and no not have a pass, access to the systems or even a contract.

I am getting a lift into School with Taya which is great as we get chat and be silly while making the crappy journey in the crappy traffic to the crappy job.

The staff here are, well we will say diverse. Some strong personalities with some wanting to prove much more than others. They are all nice people but just I sense they need to prove a lot as they don’t have the “ive been here 30 years” behind them.

I teach the IES class, the Intensive English Study programme which basically consists of the students who don’t cut the mustard in the normal Language arts class. I also teach IT to six year olds and its amazing how good they are at both English and IT itself. They all know Word better than me!

Well, I will keep ya`ll posted (AHHh the Americanisms are creeping into my mind).

I've missed loads sorry!

Hay, folks thanks for tuning in! Right, I as you can see there are a few gaps in my adventures before writing about my Thai Adventures. I move from France to Edinburgh where I saw some of my family of friends who I love dearly.

Taya eventually joined me and I showed her all the amazing sights of what I call “my home” town. From screaming on the Ferris wheel to a Ghost and Ghouls Tour we had a great time. After Edinburgh we moved to Dunfermline in the neighbouring county of Fife. My ex-landy lady and fantastic friend Karen gave us one of her 4 bedroom flats to stay in, mostly all to ourselves, where we stayed for a week or so.

From Dunfermline we made our way to Manchester where we would stay with my Mum in the not so sleepy town of Littleborough in the North West of England on the Pennines. We had a great time and it was brill to see my Mum with even my Sister and Niece paying a sarcastic visit. Was strange to actually get that warm glow of a family feeling….didn`t last for long tho ;)

My Unk Roy was the best and took us all the way to the train station ready for our long journey down to London where we would be staying for a week ready for Tayas graduation.

We had fun there even tho we stayed in the dogyiest place in London! The graduation ceremony was fantastic. We met soe amazing people and I was so proud of Taya seeing her get her award! More on that later.

Ok, time to catch up on all the other mad adventures.