Learning with Video is the Way...

...For me at least.

Last week at work some co-workers made a little video one-minute video about the library to put on our website as an introduction for new employees of the organization. Later, I learned in a staff meeting that the video had been posted on YouTube and then embedded into the webpage because the web guy didn't know Flash and hadn't been able to figure out how to build a video player to be hosted on our own server. After the meeting, I found a two video tutorials (video 1, video 2) on Adobe.com that explained how to do this and sent the links to the web guy.

This weekend, I watched the tutorials, and then built myself a Flash player using Dreamweaver. It took about two and a half hours from start to finish, including the video encoding time, and wasn't hard at all.

Inspired by all of this free, online video learning, I also watched a tutorial of how to use the Bridge (I guess I can cross one thing off the list already). Even though the software is really basic, its made it much easier to manage all of the images that we have on our site.

I want to take my html/css knowledge up a few notches, from intermediate to a rock-solid dependable skill set, and I need to figure out what my next learning resource will be to achieve css mastery. I don't want to only half-learn it before I move on to Database Management and CS50. I've looked at a bunch of books on Amazon (if you know my name you can check out my wishlist) but I can't decide what what to get. I wish Head First had an advanced book, but that would go against the point of the series.

Any suggestions?

Harvard rocks

Before I get started with this week's post, I want to say two things:

1. Shane's presentation was the most engaging and informative 45 minutes I've had at CSC in a long time. He's able to communicate the convergence of theory and practice in a realistic and unforced way. He is doing exactly what I want to do, and is a great role model to have in the community.


2. I am so proud of Nick's increased excitement in the MLIS program after Shane's visit. Finally he is starting to believe all the things (Joyce and) I tell him about the desirability of all his skills he thinks are no big deal. :)

Now on to why Harvard rocks:

Open courseware is blowing my mind. A few months ago, at the beginning of the semester, I downloaded several courses from the iTunes U store from Harvard and MIT. This week I started watching Harvard's CS50: Intro to Computing, and it is amazing. The professor, David Malan, is wonderful and has a great way of using analogies and creative demonstrations to illuminate a concept. The Fall 2007 version of the course (that I am watching) is available at cs50.tv, and this semester's version of the course (happening right now) is at cs50.net. The best part of the course podcasts is that all the supporting material is also available online -- the syllabus, assignments, notes, slides, quizzes and solutions.

This open courseware discovery has really improved my feeling about large research institutions, particularly Harvard, Yale, or MIT -- not only in terms of reaching outside the Ivory Tower, but also in terms of teaching and learning support for undergraduates. Harvard has quickly gone from a school that I would never consider attending to one that has earned my attention.

I would really like to bring the Harvard CS50 course into my education at St. Kate's. Maybe an independent study where I follow the CS50 curriculum? (Whatd'ya think, Joyce? You up for it? We could learn together -- the class starts with C and ends with PHP.) There is also the possibility of taking a Harvard summer or continuing ed class online for credit and transferring it back to St. Kate's (although CS50 isn't offered that way).

I've made myself stop watching the podcast because I have other homework to do, and because I'm hoping that the next time I start watching it I'll be getting credit for it.

Teamwork

Nick's right. We have totally different working styles, but as the project has come along, we've learned a lot about how each of us prefers to work, and the aspects of a project that are important to each of us. We've hashed everything out, and in the process, managed to keep our strong friendship. I understand now how our learning styles have really impacted our experience: Nick is not a visually-oriented person, and I am very much so. Especially with the extensive css-retooling of the site, these preferences have really become prominent. Combined with my perfectionistic tendencies and over-achiever drive, I can sometimes be an intense partner to work with, and Nick has handled this well, at times not afraid to push back or stand his ground. Websites are rarely made in isolation (at least the good ones aren't) and I think the kind of butting heads teamwork that Nick and I have experienced is not only common in web development but also leads to a better product.