This course is a comprehensive introduction to the internet. The ubiquity of the internet in the early 21st century, its penetration into our everyday life and commerce, demands that students acquire new skills and a clear understanding of information technology.

The Internet Classroom's objectives are: (1) to give students the tools to understand, navigate and engage the internet with ease; (2) to teach students website design, creation and maintenance; and (3) to provide students a meaningful context with which to understand our "information age," with its diverse array of online communities.

The class will start with conceptual foundations and functions of computer hardware and software and proceed to examine the structure and use of the Internet. Students will work on a substantial web design project. They will create websites using XHTML, CSS and a bit of Javascript, with an eye towards coding according to web standards. They will incorporate creative work and ideas into the online world, with such tools as Flickr, Slide, MySpace, and Blogger. Students will also explore cutting-edge developments such as podcasting and the burgeoning world of network gaming.

Additionally, this class will have an online component, its students engaging beyond the scheduled lab time with their instructors, their classmates, and other ATDP students. Furthermore, students will investigate technical, sociological, and even philosophical issues on the impact of the internet and information technology on students and their families, on schools and their communities, and on society at large.

---