Grading Your CFI Website

[CoffeeIcePapers]

I've messed around with building a few sites, but I've never had any formal training at coding or anything. I was a graphic designer for quite some time in my highschool and college days, but never got into web. I've never received a good explanation of what CSS is. Any chance you'd want to explain? I mean, I know it is like a style template that applies to every page, but it just all confuses the heck out of me.

CSS is a separate file that defines styles (fonts, colors, menus, etc...) That way, you just put the design in the one file, and it automatically styles every page the way you want it.

If you use Photoshop, you can make it look how you want and slice it up, and Photoshop will do all the CSS and coding for you.

 

[beasly]

I've messed around with building a few sites, but I've never had any formal training at coding or anything. I was a graphic designer for quite some time in my highschool and college days, but never got into web. I've never received a good explanation of what CSS is. Any chance you'd want to explain? I mean, I know it is like a style template that applies to every page, but it just all confuses the heck out of me.

CSS= Cascading Style Sheets.

go here to mess with it.

http://www.csszengarden.com/

Short answer, you decouple how a page is displayed from its specification.

b

 

[beasly]

I am going to email my former students the link--A lot of them are from India, and they have a reputation for networking which has benefited my instruction business.

Before I refer new student's to it (not that I actually HAVE any students at the moment--sigh) the site needs to:

1. get functional
2. allow CFI responses to student criticism

I think it is a great idea. More power to them.

b.

 

[TangoSix]

Some old students of mine started a website for kids like them who want to know if a certain CFI is knowledgeable/competent/so on so forth. Figured you guys and gals could make some use out of it.

http://theleftseatreport.com

neat.

my CFI is a complete dick. but i am also to some extent, so we get along.

 

[Roger, Roger]

neat.

my CFI is a complete dick. but i am also to some extent, so we get along.

LOL. Those student/teacher dynamics are always entertaining.
"You blockhead, you missed this!"
"No I didn't, numbskull, I was just gonna do it here!"

 

[beasly]

neat.

my CFI is a complete dick. but i am also to some extent, so we get along.

As compliments go, that is right up there with my favorite pickup line: "For a fat broad you sure don't sweat much."

b.

 

[OhioStatePilot]

beasly's recommendation, CSS Zen Garden, is a great site and can give you a lot of good info. Just to try to clarify a bit, the goal of a CSS goes even beyond uniformity. In an ideal site, you'll want each html or xhtml page to specify only the content and logical organization of the page. Then the CSS is used to create the design and layout so that one could completely change the design of a website by only making a new CSS file and leaving all the html pages intact. Also, using appropriate containers, you can make a CSS file completely replace the need for archaic layout tables.

 

[nosehair]

Would you like some cheese with that?

:rotfl:
Thanks for the touch of humor, jwp, it cooled me down after reading Joe Gremlin:

"if I'm an independent CFI and someone writes my name on there and says this CFI can't teach effectively, they're either taking that comment down or they're going to hear from my lawyer."

that's the current mindset that has destroyed everything. "I'm gonna tell my Mama."

The professional response to a criticism is to try to look inward and see the deficiency and learn how to correct it.

Even when you are right, but the student perceives that you are wrong, it is your job as an instructor to figure out how to interact with that student and achieve understanding.

Reputation is all an instructor has, and he has to earn it. It isn't given with the certificate; it is earned through hard work and positive results.

If you are doing the right thing, your results will show positive, you will be confident in youself, and you won't need to run tell Mamma every time some SchoolYard Bully calls you a name.

 

[Roger, Roger]

If someone is intent on getting themselves on this website, I'd say they need to make sure that they ask ALL their students to do it. The problem I've seen with soooo many anonymous interweb rating sites is that the only people who post on them are people who are really pissed about something, or on occasion people who are really happy. So, for example, ratemyprofessor.com makes it hard to figure out how a prof really is because all the reviews are either "OMG Dr. Smith is teh awesomez!!!1111" or "what a dick he akshully took pts awai wen i didant doo my homwrk. and he is a spelling notsee dont evar take a class w/him."

 

[mooneyguy]

If someone is intent on getting themselves on this website, I'd say they need to make sure that they ask ALL their students to do it. The problem I've seen with soooo many anonymous interweb rating sites is that the only people who post on them are people who are really pissed about something, or on occasion people who are really happy. So, for example, ratemyprofessor.com makes it hard to figure out how a prof really is because all the reviews are either "OMG Dr. Smith is teh awesomez!!!1111" or "what a dick he akshully took pts awai wen i didant doo my homwrk. and he is a spelling notsee dont evar take a class w/him."

:yeahthat:

 

[jwp_145]

:rotfl:
Thanks for the touch of humor, jwp, it cooled me down after reading Joe Gremlin:

"if I'm an independent CFI and someone writes my name on there and says this CFI can't teach effectively, they're either taking that comment down or they're going to hear from my lawyer."

that's the current mindset that has destroyed everything. "I'm gonna tell my Mama."

The professional response to a criticism is to try to look inward and see the deficiency and learn how to correct it.

Even when you are right, but the student perceives that you are wrong, it is your job as an instructor to figure out how to interact with that student and achieve understanding.

Reputation is all an instructor has, and he has to earn it. It isn't given with the certificate; it is earned through hard work and positive results.

If you are doing the right thing, your results will show positive, you will be confident in youself, and you won't need to run tell Mamma every time some SchoolYard Bully calls you a name.

Haha glad someone finally got that!!

It just amazes me how litigious society has become these days... quite sad actually. I wouldn't be suprised if the people who do this "take your bad comments down, or else!" schtuff are in reality terrible instructors who are threatened by their terribleness!

 

[Joe Gremlin]

:rotfl:
that's the current mindset that has destroyed everything. "I'm gonna tell my Mama."

You and jwp_145 seem to be making a few assumptions about me based on my post. You assume that I am a CFI and that I personally would sue, I am neither. My point was that those people are most definitely out there and if the owners of this site are going to survive, they will have to have a bulletproof plan for dealing with those people. I agree that people sue too quickly these days. But IMO, you can either acknowledge reality as it is (which I have tried to do here) and deal with it, or you can kill the messenger.

Even when you are right, but the student perceives that you are wrong, it is your job as an instructor to figure out how to interact with that student and achieve understanding.

Reputation is all an instructor has, and he has to earn it. It isn't given with the certificate; it is earned through hard work and positive results.

If you are doing the right thing, your results will show positive, you will be confident in youself, and you won't need to run tell Mamma every time some SchoolYard Bully calls you a name.

Like I said, we all sit around and talk about how things should be and how people ought to act, or we talk about how things really are. Your choice.

 

[beasly]

beasly's recommendation, CSS Zen Garden, is a great site and can give you a lot of good info. Just to try to clarify a bit, the goal of a CSS goes even beyond uniformity. In an ideal site, you'll want each html or xhtml page to specify only the content and logical organization of the page. Then the CSS is used to create the design and layout so that one could completely change the design of a website by only making a new CSS file and leaving all the html pages intact. Also, using appropriate containers, you can make a CSS file completely replace the need for archaic layout tables.

:yeahthat:


b.

 

[beasly]

.... Also, using appropriate containers, you can make a CSS file completely replace the need for archaic layout tables....

Great points, but a hot button for the best Graphics designer I have ever had the pleasure of working with;.


Check out http://www.familying.com

The graphics guy I teamed up with is one of the best, a pleasure to work with, completely OBLIVIOUS to back end programming* and he insists that Dreamweaver and table layouts are superior to CSS.

Just saying,

b.

* back end programming. THIS site runs on PHP BB. It looks good because of graphics guys, it WORKS because of infrastructure programmers like me.

It's like the debate between the real people who make the airplane fly (the mechanics and engineers) and the people who make flying look good--(insert pilot name here)

 

[OhioStatePilot]

I know how you feel man. I spent some time studying programming and the back end is what I'm comfortable with. Give me a blank file with a PHP and SQL server and I'm a happy guy. Put me in Photoshop and I'm ready to tear my hear out!

 

[Diego Dangers.]

Well it looks as if I'm on there already...lol hmm

yeah, hmm.

 

[nosehair]

or we talk about how things really are.

That's actually my point. I see that you are not a CFI. Are you a pilot? I have heard and seen these kinds of references about being sued, but I am wondering about the actual case(s).

The bullet-proof plan you speak of is in quality instruction documented with plenty of paperwork to justify your actions, and you will always be able to defend yourself in your actions.

You're right to point it out, no matter where you come from, to be wary of undocumented actions. It is a hard lesson for young instructors to learn to document with sufficient paper as to the kind and quality of training he/she provides. Logbook entries are not enough if and when a student turns on you.

 

[Joe Gremlin]

That's actually my point. I see that you are not a CFI. Are you a pilot? I have heard and seen these kinds of references about being sued, but I am wondering about the actual case(s).

I don't know of any situations which turned into cases and I'm not a lawyer so I don't have easy access to research any that might exist. And quite frankly, I don't really care enough to try even if I did have easy access. However I do know of a few website and/or forum owners who have been threatened with legal action due to content posted by members of the site. In all the cases I'm aware of, the offending material was simply taken down and the issue went away.

And that is really what I'm speaking of here. If that site takes off and attracts users in any measurable numbers, the owners will almost surely be threatened with legal action from someone, either a CFI or a flight school, who doesn't like what was written about them and wants it removed. When that happens, their choice will be to either fight it in the legal system which will cost them money, even if they win, or simply take the offending post down which will cost them nothing.

The bullet-proof plan you speak of is in quality instruction documented with plenty of paperwork to justify your actions, and you will always be able to defend yourself in your actions.

Ok, if you say so. My point was the site owners should be prepared to handle threats of legal action. If you think them hoping that every CFI on the planet gives only quality instruction and sufficiently documents same is a good plan for the site owners to avoid threats of legal action, then so be it. But I say again, we can talk about how we wish things were, or we can talk about how things really are. You seem to prefer the former. That's fine. As long as we're going to completely ignore reality and focus on how we wish things were, let's talk about all those super models who want to sleep with me. Its flattering and all, but I've really got to get some sleep once in a while.

You're right to point it out, no matter where you come from, to be wary of undocumented actions. It is a hard lesson for young instructors to learn to document with sufficient paper as to the kind and quality of training he/she provides. Logbook entries are not enough if and when a student turns on you.

Excellent point. I'm not sure what it has to do with the website owners in question, but excellent point none the less.