Working on Web Design 2 Curriculum... Sharing GREAT resources! #busedu

I've been revamping my Web Design 2 curriculum. This course starts up in January and I realize that I have to move into more responsive web design and mobile design this year. I am also finally abandoning Flash.  Also, I have some students who will be in the class straight out of Web Design 1 this semester and others that may be a year removed from taking the prerequisite. So, a review is necessary.

I also don't dive into the box model too much (we just do a basic DIV and then a stack of DIVs on the final project) since it's just a semester in Web Design 1. So, I get into that pretty heavily in Web Design 2.

So, I've been working through some online Udacity lessons. I have found one that I really like that will work as both a review and a thorough introduction to understanding the box model--
https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-html-and-css--ud304

Description:  In this course you will learn how to convert digital design mockups into static web pages. We will teach you how to approach page layout, how to break down a design mockup into page elements, and how to implement that in HTML and CSS.

You will also learn about responsive design techniques, which are increasingly important in a world where mobile devices and TV screens are used more and more often to look for information and entertainment.

It has videos you watch and then applications you can do in a text editor and using Chrome Dev Tools. And, it "quizzes" along the way.

Today, when I was working through it, she was talking about how a webpage is made up of rectangles and then demonstrated by actually printing a page and cutting out boxes. I thought... great idea! Why didn't I think of that?

Just wanted to share that, but also recommend this short course. The instructor tries to be funny, so it's not hard to watch.  It's three lessons leading into a "project" and it says the entire module will take roughly three weeks to complete (assuming 6 hours a week working at your own pace). I'm not sure I'll assign the students the entire module, but once I'm done with it, I'll have a better idea. I think my students will be faster since they all will come in with fundamentals. But, we'll see.

If anything, it would be great for you to work through as an instructor to give you some instructional strategies. They use some great metaphors for explaining the concepts.

I do know that for the first week, I am going to have them sign up and work through FreeCodeCamp. There is an HTML5 and CSS module that takes about 5 hours to complete. This site is much like Codecademy if you've used that (and we do in Web Design 1).  And, that module covers pretty much everything I cover in Web Design 2. They also have a responsive web design with Bootstrap module that I haven't tried yet but intend to work through as well.

Hope this helps someone else. Happy web designing, friends!