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Comparison of Platforms

 For the last two assignments in our Media and Web Design class we were to create small websites in two different platforms  I considered using Wix, but even though other students said it was user friendly, I found it to be confusing.  I ended up using Google Sites and Weebly.  I had experimented with both of these platforms in the past, so I was at least familiar with them. I used Google Sites for the first website.  I did not have very many difficulties in the process.  I think this was because there were not very many requirements.  The biggest problem I had was in adding the email link.  I did not like the options it had for the email link.  It gave a picture of an envelope.  It did not have an option for any text with it.  I needed to add put a textbox with it, but I didn't like the way the two looked together.  I solved the issue by embedding html code myself do provide the link. I use Weebly for the second assignment....
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Using Pixlr

Image
I have never tried to do any photo editing beyond cropping a picture for this class 😁.  I am going to try this with a picture of my grandson at Farmland Adventures in Springdale.  I was so excited about the picture until I realized that I had caught his mom at the top of the tunnel.  I am going to try and make the adjustments on this picture. I first used the lasso select tool with the magnetic type to outline my daughter in the background.  I then used the brush to "erase" her using white.  I had to do this a few times while zooming in until I was able to completely remove her from the picture.  I had a difficult time using the tool.  I thought you could select and deselect by hitting escape.  No such luck.  I still don't know exactly how to do this.  I just kept trying until I got what I wanted. I then cropped the image by cutting out part of the bottom and left to center him. I thought the soles of his shoes were a little bright, so ...
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In last week's assignment we were introduced to Cascading Style Sheets.  This week we were to create a webpage resume in html, and we were expected to use css for all the formatting.  This assignment really made the power of css clear.  Even though the requirements were not very complicated, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to do with html alone.  Some of the formatting requirements included: a personal picture at the top of the page, at least three headings: 1) name; 2) education; and 3) experience, link to an external website, link to an email address, changes in font and font size, and changes in text colors. I encountered three main difficulties in completing this assignment; correctly linking the html and css files, indenting an entire paragraph, and removing the blank space below a header.  I initially tried to give the path when linking the html and css files.  Fortunately, after a couple of attempts, I realized that since they are in...
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Cascading Style Sheets and Box Models

This week's webpage building assignment was to design an invitation using Cascading Style Sheets and Box Models.  HTML was not designed to create complicated websites.  Cascading Style Sheets is used to format the layout of a webpage.  With it you can control multiple aspects of the design of a webpage.  The invitation was to include properly nested <html> tags, a heading describing the event, a CSS3 Box Model that contains information about the event, either bold or italic text, text that is different from the default color, and text that is hyper linked to my email address. I did not know this last week, but CSS was what I was looking for when I was trying to specify multiple design elements for last week's assignment.  After learning about CSS, it made sense why I had difficulties.  The biggest obstacle I had was trying to keep the syntax correct.  There are slight differences in the syntax when defining things in the Box Model and defining th...
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My First Web Page Using HTML

For my first programming assignment in Media and Web Design I had to create a webpage by coding in HTML.  I had to include the following: a header in which I introduce myself, an embedded picture with an alt tag, a paragraph introducing myself, a link to a favorite website, a link to my UARK email address, and a change in the text or background color. The provided resource was a great help.  It stepped us through everything we needed to do in this assignment.  My biggest obstacle was getting the introductory paragraph to look the way I wanted it to look.  I did not want my text extending across the entire page.  The training shows us how to use the <pre> element to preserve both spaces and line breaks.  I used this to keep my introductory paragraph in line with my picture.  I also had trouble with the fonts.  I like the Times New Roman font.  I found how to set the font for the paragraph and thought I had it.  However, I noticed th...
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Accessibility Blog

When creating documents that ensure accessibility to individuals with disabilities, you should be sure to do the following: Use alternative texts for images.  This will allow screen readers to give a description of the image. Create tables using the table feature instead of tabs or spaces.  By doing this, a screen reader will read each cell of the table in its entirety instead of a line at a time across the page. Use nothing smaller than a 12-point font.  This will help readers of all ages and abilities read the material. Resources for Accessibility Features of Desktop Computers Microsoft support provides information on how to adjust the settings in Windows to better ensure accessibility.  The topics include vision, hearing, dexterity and mobility, focus, and using Windows with a screen reader. Apple support provides information on how to turn on the accessibility features in macOS that support vision, hearing, and physical motor skills. Abilitynet.org.uk provides...
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Introduction

Hello, let me take just a minute and introduce myself. I am Brant Breeding. I grew up in Sylvan Hills which is a community in Sherwood, AR. I graduated from Sylvan Hills High School in 1983. After receiving my bachelor's degree in Secondary Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, I taught math at Rose City Junior High for two years. I then continued my education at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville where I received a MS in Statistics. I returned to teaching in the fall of 1997. I am now in my 27th year as a math teacher at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale, AR. This blog has two main purposes: 1) to provide us a way to learn another way to use technology to connect with our students, specifically online students, and 2) it gives us a place to put down our thoughts in relation to the topics we are studying in this class, in doing so it forces us to think analytically about what we are learning.
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