Academic Goals & Web Design

In DTC/English 477, I my goal is to learn the basics of web design, including writing and reading XHTML and CSS code, utilizing templates, working with Dreamweaver and Photoshop, and how to integrate various medias into web sites I create. I also wish to better my ability to designing and planning a site and then fully construct the site for the web, in a workable and readable manner.

Before the start of DTC/English 477, I knew the basics of creating a web site. Having made a few sites using Dreamweaver, I knew the non-technical way of making a site--that is, using software, not hand-coding. Also, at my internship at the Washington State Magazine, I updated the online magazine database; with this, I learned a few basic coding tags, such as the paragraph and the break.

Now that I have worked on hand-coding a complete site, I know how hard creating a site from scratch really is. By reading the Castro text and using the module worksheet, I learned to recognize the tags necessary for a complete site. Also, I better understand the relationships between tags, div tags, and a CSS style sheet. With continued practice, I want to further understand these relationships and learn more tricks in order to create a functional, readable, and interesting web site.

Professional Goals & Web Design

In the future, my main goal is to attend graduate school. Currently, I am looking at Master's programs in English composition, rhetoric, and teaching of English. Following graduate school, I plan on working as a writer and/or editor for small publications such as a university magazine or company's technical communication department. If I find that academia is the right path for me, I will apply for a teaching position or a Ph.D. program in order to continue my studies at the academic level, ultimately teaching English at a community college or university.

DTC/English 477 will help me further my professional goals by teaching me a new set of skills necessary in today's job market. Even though I do not plan on becoming a web designer, I am sure that the basic skills taught in this class will help me in the future. By learning web design, I will be able to work in broader areas, including technical communication fields that require online work, web site development, and updating sites for various reasons, such as maintaining an online syllabus for teaching. I will also be able to create a personal website for myself, and put a resume and a portfolio online.