Putting Dreamweaver to Good Use

Over the weekend, my fiance and I decided to create a website for my mother. She's a notary public on Long Beach, CA who has recently experienced a decline in business because the banks she was a long time (10 years) contractor with had recently trained in-house and no longer needed her services. Now, she is relying on her people skills... being awesome... to drive her business. We also thought that posting her on a webpage would also be a good market for her. Even better, she lives in Long Beach, CA. Given this, we searched godaddy and found out the domain name: http://www.longbeachnotarypublic.com/ was available. We quickly snatched that up.

The importance of posting this on my blog is two-fold. One, to tell all my friends my mom travels for notaries if they ever need one... and two, because in order to start showing up on google searches, posting a website domain on other websites that already show up in google searches will create a road for discovery. I'm learning.

I will admit to my fiance having the skill to read the code and change the site as needed. I am just the idea collector, etc.

I love putting my $300 program to good use... at least I am getting more than one website worth out of it!

http://www.longbeachnotarypublic.com/

VirtCamp day #3.5, late night

Well, I just sat at my computer for a couple hours trying to maneuver Dreamweaver. Out of all the programs and information we've been introduced to so far, it is by far the most frustrating for me. I feel more confident programming legos! I really want to learn the tools and eventually the code (hopefully...one step at a time) that would allow me to understand this seemingly not-so-difficult machine. I feel like I figured out a few things on Dreamweaver tonight although I am having difficulty with a few things:

1. making sure the page fits within the traditional layout size for the average computer (currently it's too big and I can't figure out how to shrink everything down)
2. how to upload the site onto my web space that pepperdine provides http://students.pepperdine.edu/blfoster/ (I guess you can check back and see if I have figured it out soon... currently it's blank page)
3. how to organize my content better (site map) within creating my website.

Anyway, I will post pictures later... I really need a connector that is easier than my camera port. I think I'll be looking into that really soon.

Oh, and I guess I should sleep. We all went out to Paradise Cove for dinner... sooo good and then off to Moonshadows for drinks with a couple GA's from Cadre 9. They are so amazing and helpful. We are so appreciative of their work (for us!). Tomorrow morning, we have to be at the Dean's house at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast followed by class at 9:00 until whenever we finish:

-our cadre website
-our group link site detailing our experiences with "lego mission"
-our group video, fully edited with 20 second voice-overs (VO back from my broadcasting days) for each person in our group and lots of b-roll shots
-oh... and getting our lego machine completely built and properly functioning (multi-faceted)

Yep, I'm tired. Goodnight.

VirtCamp day #2, before campfire

My biggest fear about this year's OMET program is...

being able to juggle my entire life and enjoy all experiences simultaneously. I have a lot on my plate this year. In addition to this (intense) program, I am also working on my second year of teaching (a challenge in itself), completing the state mandated induction program to clear my credential, changing grade levels and getting used to a new team of teachers, and finally, planning my wedding. So, needless to say, I have a lot going on. Will I get through it, absolutely. I feel as though I have a pretty good handle on multitasking. I actually get mind-numbingly bored when I am given nothing stressful or challenging for more than a weeks time span. Before this program, I was renting movies just to fill time... mostly being anxious and forcing myself to relax as a sort of calm before the storm. Now that I'm here, my fear is not making use of all the awesome resources I am being fed (literally, my brain is eating it up!) and not forgetting too much of one thing that I can't take them away and re-create and use them to my benefit.

My hope throughout the next year is that I can use this degree to change and become a powerful contributor to my classroom, my students, and my own life. I hope for excitement and urgency to learn the fabulous tools that are being put forth in front of me. I hope I can understand Dreamweaver (you'd think that I'd get it after having already worked with it before... but it's just not coming naturally to me!) and create an awesome page that ultimately can lead me to passing my tech-y knowledge on to my students, my fellow colleagues, and my friends.

After all of this, though, I'm off to New Zealand, Tahiti, Morea, and Bora Bora (with future husband)!