Winter-Spring 2012 Connect Sessions

Below is the schedule for Web Development Connect sessions in the first half of 2012. Notice the emphasis on two areas: Google tools (Analytics, Docs, Forms, etc.) and slightly more advanced Working With Websites techniques (tables, multimedia, calenders). Those just starting to work with the CSU Extension Webpage Template are highly encouraged to attend these Working With Websites sessions.

Also included is a session on Prezi, a browser-based, non-linear alternative to death by PowerPoint!

2012 Connect Sessions:

Jan 18: Google Analytics
Feb 1: Using tables for web design (Working With Websites 6)
Feb 15: Prezi (an excellent alternative to PowerPoint)
March 7: Embedding Google Calenders on a web page (Working With Websites 7)
March 21: Google Docs
April 4: Multimedia on the web (Working With Websites 8)
April 18: Google Forms

Previous Connect sessions can be found at: http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/comptrain/co.shtml.

Previous Connect sessions relating to Working With Websites and the CSU Extension Webpage Template can be found here: http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/comptrain/co.shtml#wor

Four New Extension Websites

Four Extension County websites have recently been converted to the new CSU Extension template. Stop by and take a look!

Chaffee and Park counties have a site up at http://www.extension.colostate.edu/chaffee/. Note the multimedia zone in the right column, and Kurt Jones' ongoing video series on Solar Energy.


Prowers County features pages for local events such as The Sand and Sage Round-Up and the Holly Gateway Fair on their navigation pane at the upper left. Visit them at http://prowers.colostate.edu/


Elbert County uses their 4-H page to keep all forms, newsletters, reports, etc. on one easy-to-find page. Their site is at http://elbert.colostate.edu/.

The Gilpin County page gathers information on Noxious Weeds, Small Acreage Management and Water Rights and much more, and references them on the navigation pane at the left so they can be easily found. Visit the site at http://www.extension.colostate.edu/gilpin/.

Does your website need a facelift? Drop me an email at jeffrey.wood@colostate.edu and we'll make it happen.

Free, Painless Website Upgrades!

Do you have an old CSU Extension website you'd like to upgrade to the new CSU Extension template, but just don't have the time?

We'll do it for you!

Do you have no website, but would like a place to post newsletters, fairbooks, registration forms, and more?

We'll create one for you!

I can take all of your existing content (documents, forms, links, text, contact info), place it onto webpages, and post the entire website onto the web. In addition, I'll be offering monthly Connect sessions on how to maintain your pages, and will walk you through the process until you feel comfortable doing it yourself.

But wait, that's not all!

A customized graphical header that is consistent with other county Extension websites can be created for you. Your own logos and images can be used, provided the quality and resolution are sufficient. Please contact Darrin Goodman for assistance with this: darrin.goodman@colostate.edu.

So what are you waiting for? Contact me at jeffrey.wood@colostate.edu and let's get started!

New Template Header

Darrin Goodman has designed an elegant new graphical header that can be easily incorporated into the CSU Extension Webpage Template.

More importantly, the header can easily be modified to incorporate both your county logo and/or local photos to give your website a personalized flair.

Three examples are at the top of this post, for Boulder County, Arapahoe County, and Jackson County.

Please don't try to customize the header yourself; there are graphic standards that need to be followed. We'll be happy to do it for you (and when I say we, I mean Darrin). Just contact Darrin Goodman at darrin.goodman@colostate.edu (970-491-2734), and let him know the graphics you'd be interested in including.

CSU Extension Webpage Template lessons

The Connect recordings for the entire 10 session class on working with the CSU Extension Webpage Template are now archived and available at http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/comptrain/co.shtml#temp. Each session is about an hour long, and the sessions lead you through the entire process of building and publishing a website using the template. If you don't have 10 hours to spare, note that Session 8 is a "Putting It All Together" session where you are led through the entire process in about an hour and a half. Included in each session is a link to a .pdf that documents the session.

Here are the topics:

Session 1: Basic concepts, downloading the files, tour of template components, tour of Dreamweaver CS4 workspace.

Session 2: Defining the Site, Directory Structure, Metatags.

Session 3: Content. Adding text, headers and images; creating webpage, document and email links; working with lists and bullet points; working with tables.

Session 4: SSIs. Working with the Server Side Includes (SSIs) for the top navigation bar, left navigaton bar, and footer.

Session 5: Creating an Engaging home page. Working with tables and linked lists, embedding slideshows, YouTube, Flash and Quicktime videos, and audio podcasts.

Session 6: Second level pages. Differences between a first level and a second level page; creating new second level pages; posting content from PDF documents, Word documents, Excel documents, PowerPoint presentations.

Session 7: Named Anchors. Used to create links to different parts of the same page. Thus you can allow end-users to easily navigate a long webpage of content.

Session 8: Putting it all together. Setting up a website, start to finish.

Session 9: Writing your own CSS. How to add your own CSS sheet to the existing CSS, how to build your own header style, paragraph style, a box to add visual emphasis, and a photo with a caption underneath.

Session 10: Google Analytics. How to register for the code, how to add the code to your website, and how to use Find and Replace to add it to every page on your site.

Webpage Template Connect Sessions

We'll be conducting twice monthly Connect sessions on working with the CSU Extension webpage template, starting on the second Wednesday in January, and continuing on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month.

We'll work with every aspect of the webpage template, from downloading the files and defining the site in Dreamweaver to publishing the site working with Google Analytics to see who is visiting your site, and why.

The complete schedule is below. Each session will start at 9 a.m., and run approximately an hour. Mark your calenders!

Jan. 13 – Walkthrough of template components; Walkthrough of Dreamweaver workspace

Jan. 20 – Directory structure, defining the site

Feb. 3 – Metatags; Adding text, images, links to the home page

Feb. 17 –Working with Server Side Includes (SSIs)

March 3 – Named anchors

March 17 – Micro-content (headers, links, lists, data definition lists, buttons, block quotes, boxes)

April 7 – Working with tables on the main page

April 21 – 2nd level page content

May 5 – Writing your own CSS

May 19 – Using Google Analytics