John-Paul Takats

This course provides students with an introduction to internet and web technologies, and to development on Macintosh/UNIX computer platforms. Topics include HTML and CSS, CSS3 features, digital images, web page design and website publishing. Emphasis is placed on fundamentals, concepts and standards. Additional topics include the user experience, mobile design issues, and copyright/intellectual property considerations.

• 2022 – Major revamp and new interactive textbook integration (ZyBook). Began as a pilot over the summer, to be ready to launch in Fall 2022 to over 10 sections with 6 instructors all teaching ISTE-140 on the Rochester campus of RIT simultaneously. Added custom material not found in ZyBook and adapted 10 ZyLabs.
• 2021 Creation of a new sequence of projects. Here is an example of one
  • Intro to project 3 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-enxiapt4A
• 2020 – Conversion of in person class to an online asynchronous course. Recorded dozens of videos (listed in section above) to create an online asynchronous version of web and mobile 1 that has since been offered in subsequent summers.

Course Coordination & More on Zybook Implementation: This class will often have at least 8 sections in a single fall semester, and is offered in multiple countries (RIT Dubai, RIT Croatia) so significant coordination efforts need to be spent here. As described in the section above, another area I helped coordinate this course being offered around the world was when I implemented the virtual textbook (zybook). This video goes over how the zylabs work and I give a few demos (for summer 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VNT5z3p8Yg

This course builds on the basic aspects of web page development that are presented in the first course and extends that knowledge to focus on issues and technologies related to the design and development of web sites. Topics include advanced internet technologies (including, but not limited to: AJAX, server-side programming, database use and access, client libraries, server frameworks, and creating and consuming information services).

Group Project for Local Non-Profit Organization Initiative

• Overview: Traditionally, students in the course (ISTE-646 Foundations of Web Technologies II) are tasked with developing a design document and a small website, complete with dynamic features such as web forms and database-driven content. However, recognizing the potential for real-world impact, I initiated an initiative to engage genuine clients, primarily from the Rochester non-profit sector. This strategic shift not only offered students a tangible connection to industry practices but also aimed to enhance the web presence of small organizations with very limited resources.

News article w/ video on RIT website: https://www.rit.edu/spotlights/code-community-weaving-real-world-non-profit-projects-web-technologies-course

• Presentation to computing college on findings:
  • YouTube Video of presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbc3pi-8MnM
    • Slide Deck: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1raZNfZQC5be35rxtHDm9M3nryl6T-7iA/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116505914402717236361&rtpof=true&sd=true

• Organizations we have helped:
  • Marketview heights (a community service organization committed to improving the quality of life in Rochester through underscoring the need for decent housing that is affordable to low and moderate income people):
    • Working Website:
      https://646marketview.cad.rit.edu/marketviewheights/
  • South Lyon Cardio Drumming
    • Working Website:
      https://646cardio.cad.rit.edu/getsimple-main/
  • Additional Organizations we have helped but not a finished website to show are: Britton Rd. Cemetery, UPSTAT Statistics Conference Mastermind (an academic quiz bowl for middle school and high school students).

Additional Initiatives and Development:

• Content Management Systems Added to curriculum. Since the class is composed of graduate students, many of whom are not actually going into Full Stack Development it wasn’t a requirement to learn as many of the basics. This allowed me to implement several content management systems the students could use in their group project including: WordPress, Joomla, Get Simple CMS.