Adobe Acrobat allows users to convert documents you create in Word, Excel, PowerPoint or any other application into Portable Document Files (PDF). A PDF can be viewed and printed by any with a copy of Adobe's free Acrobat Reader. In this course students will learn to create and manage PDF files. Students will add navigation aids to their PDF files. Students will prepare documents for review and adding security features to their documents. Students will also learn to complete PDF forms electronically. Students must have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Standard. A 30-day trial of Adobe Acrobat is available for download.

Students will learn the basics of building forms using Adobe Acrobat. Students will add form fields like text boxes, check boxes, radio button and drop down lists. Students will learn how to send forms to be filled out and collect data from users. Students should have a basic familiarity with Adobe Acrobat. A copy of Adobe Acrobat is required. A 30-day trial version is available.

Adobe Acrobat allows users to convert documents you create in Word, Excel, PowerPoint or any other application into Portable Document Files (PDF). A PDF can be viewed and printed by any with a copy of Adobe's free Acrobat Reader. In this course students will learn to create and use PDF files. Students will learn to work with PDF documents and create PDF files from their appliations and web pages. Student will laern to add comments to PDF files and make their PDF documents accessible. Students must have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Standard. A 30-day trial of Adobe Acrobat is available for download.

Adobe Flex allows you to create interactive internet applications. In this course you will learn to design, develop and deploy Flex applications. You will learn to develop custom components using MXML and ActionScript. You will need a copy of Adobe Flex. A trial version is available.

Students will learn the basics of web design using Adobe GoLive. Students will add text and graphics to their web pages and create page layouts using tables and frames. Students will add interactivity using links, smart objects, and actions. Students will add formatting using cascading style sheets. Students will design forms and manage their websites using GoLive. A copy of GoLive is required. A free 30-day trial is available.

Adobe Illustrator allows you to create artwork that you can use for web pages or any print or electronic media. This course will give students a good overview of the tools and features of Illustrator. Students will create artwork using the various tools including the pencil and pen tools. Students will learn the various ways to apply color to their artwork. Students will work with layers, the 3D effects, and symbols. Students will need to have a copy of Illustrator. A 30-day trial is available for download.

Adobe InDesign allows you to design and produce stunning documents on your desktop printer or using a professional printer. Or convert your documents to PDF format or publish them on a website. This class will walk you through setting up the InDesign workspace, adding text and graphics to your document, creating layouts with frames and applying formatting with styles. Students will need a copy of InDesign. A trial version is available.

One of the advantages of PDF documents is the ability to distrubute forms to your end user for them to fill out and return. LiveCycle Designer is the tool that comes with Acrobat that allows you to create interactive forms. In this class you will explore the LiveCycle Designer interface and build a basic form. The course content includes design and usability tips on how to build effective forms. You will create forms, add interaction and manage form data. Students will need a copy of LiveCycle Designer. A trial version is available.

Adobe Premiere give you powerful video and audio editing tools. Students will add transitions, special effects, graphics, titles, and music to their Premiere projects. Students will adjust the image quality of the video and edit and mix the sound track. Students will build picture-in-picture effects, create animated titles, record voice-overs, add motion effects, and publish the results to a variety of formats. Students will create streaming video for playback on a web site. Students must have a copy of Adobe Premiere. A 30-day trial is available.

If you are already familiar with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP and you want to move your web application development to the next level, then Ajax is where you need to be. Ajax allows you to create dynamic and responsive web applications. Using Ajax you send information to the server and update the page without sending the page to the server. The course covers the very basics of CSS, JavaScript and PHP as they relate to Ajax but a knowledge of those before you start the course will be helpful.  You will need a web browser and a tool for creating website. Many are available for free.

Since Communism has largely fallen, it is said that that perhaps nowhere in the world do two countries that are as different as the US and Mexico share a border.

The US and Mexico have long had a very bizarre relationship.

Note: when you are there, avoid mentioning the Texas thing.

This course uses an innovative mix of tips, language, music, links and anecdotes to provide travelers and business people a unique insight into the beauty of the "enigma" that is the US' neighbor to the South.

Students will learn to create dynamic sites using ASP.NET with C#. During this class students will work examples to collect information from a form and to process it, and read and write records to a database. Students will learn to track user state, using session, and server variables and will learn how to create a secure web application. Students will learn to work server controls, validation controls and will learn to create their own user controls. A background in both C# programming and web design is helpful. Students will need a copy of Visual Studio.NET and access to a web server that supports ASP.NET.

Students will learn to create dynamic sites using ASP.NET with VB.NET. During this class students will work examples to collect information from a form and to process it, and read and write records to a database. Students will learn to track user state, using session, and server variables and will learn how to create a secure web application. Students will learn to work server controls, validation controls and will learn to create their own user controls. A background in both programming and web design is helpful. Students will need a copy of Visual Studio .NET and access to a web server that supports ASP.NET.

This course provides an overview of the basic administration functions and skills necessary for planning, organizing, staffing, budgeting, and coordinating the work of a local church or non-profit organization. Upon completion of this course the student should better understand how a minister: relates to organization and to people; performs administrative functions; and develops leadership and ministry skills.

This course will provide students the necessary tools for moving into a management position and staying there. Students will be taught how to navigate through the "management minefield" with ease, how to deal with peer as well as upper management pressure, methods for dealing with unruly employees, how to understand office politics and listening techniques for knowing what your boss is really saying. The impact of effective management on corporate goals and profitability will also be covered. Upon completion, the successful student will be empowered in dealing with all aspects of a position at the management level.

Identified by many as a career-survival skill for the new millennium, problem solving is increasingly important at all levels in the organization. We are all problem solvers. Problems arise and we find ways to avoid them, adapt to them, or solve them. The extraordinary problem solver does much more by turning problems into opportunities. Learn the skills that take you beyond ordinary problem solving. Tools and techniques give you step by step guidance for solving your most challenging problems.

Blogging is a great way to get the word out about your product, expertise or anything that's on your mind. WordPress is one of the most popular blogging applications, readily available on a lot of web hosts. In this course you will configure WordPress options and customize its appearance. We explore options for blog topics and getting the word out about your blog. You will write blog entries, publish them and then set up accounts for allowing access to your blog.

Most workers today, regardless of their position and responsibilities, face an overwhelming need to use their brains more effectively. Learning and adapting to changing demands are the critical survival skills for today and the future. This course will help you sharpen your learning, remembering, and thinking skills through stimulating exercises and practical experiences. During the course, you'll explore your current strategies for learning and remembering as you map out techniques for dealing with new information and skills. Hands-on practice with concentration boosters and learning techniques can help you increase your effectiveness at work while decreasing fatigue. Your success in the business environment today and in the future depends on life-long learning. This course will help you develop personalized strategies for meeting this critical challenge.

Create pages that are section 508 compliant. Students will learn about page layout, HTML options, tag attributes and other requirements that will help to make their pages accessible to all users. Students will need to download a trial version of a screen reader so they can experience how their pages are "viewed" by the visually impaired.

Even with highspeed internet connections becoming more the norm, the demand is still for faster, more responsive web pages. Ajax allows you send information to the server and refresh the content on the page without having to resubmit the entire page. In combination with CSS and JavaScript, Ajax allows you to create interactive web pages that look great and respond to the user quickly. This course will cover the basics of CSS, DHTML with JavaScript and Ajax. A knowledge of HTML is a must. You will need a tool for creating web pages. Many are available for free.

Students will learn the important role that building relationships with reporters plays in getting stories about their businesses publicized, as well as the techniques they should use when dealing with the media. Students will also learn how and when to address the media, which will include information about understanding reporters' deadlines and the varying focuses of certain trade publications and/or newspapers and broadcast media.

This course will build on the general information in Part I, which covers relationship-building with reporters and the different focuses of different media. Students will gain a better understanding of why working with the media is crucial when it comes to getting the word out about their businesses. Many businesspeople have reservations about dealing with the media, especially when it comes to answering pointed questions about profits and losses and mergers and acquisitions. Students will walk away from this course with a clear understanding of how and why they should make efforts to answer, or at least respond, to questions from the media, even when the focus is not necessarily positive.

Students will learn strategies to write documents faster and better. They will learn how to customize their documents for a specific reader and to accomplish their writing purpose. They will discover ways to create documents when time is limited. Students will also master models to organize and format letters, emails, and reports in order to make them clear, direct, and reader friendly. Conversational writing style and parallel structure will also be covered.

Students will practice using different writing styles and determining which is most appropriate for a specific reader and purpose. They will learn to properly manage active and passive verbs, transitions, and words with a positive or negative connotation. They will acquire techniques to simplify documents and make them more concise. Students will be able to recognize common surface errors that undermine their professional written image and understand how to fix them. The writing essentials covered in Part 1 will be revisited and reinforced through practice.

Students will receive a thorough introduction to the basic syntax and structure of the C programming language. Students will create C applications that define variables and arrays and that use if statements, switch/case statements, for loops and while loops. Students will create functions. Students will build applications made up of several files. This course is a good introduction for those that have never programmed before. Students will need a C compiler. There are compilers that are available for free.

This course is a continuation of the C# Introduction course. Students will learn to define classes and how to build new classes by inheriting from existing classes. Students will create C# applications that read from and write to a database. Students will create C# to read and write binary files and to work XML data. Students will need a C# compiler. One is available for download for free.

Students will be introduced to the concepts of Object-oriented programming using C#. Students will learn the fundamentals of .NET programming as they create C# applications. Students will create applications that use variables, conditional statements, looping statements, arrays and function. No programming background is required for this course. Students will need a C# compiler. One is available for free download.

Students will receive a thorough introduction to object-oriented programming in C++. Students will define classes and use those classes for building applications. The classes will include overloaded operators, friend functions, constructors and destructors. Students will create new classes from existing classes using inheritance and polymorphism. In addition students will learn to read and write data to files. This class is a continuation of the Introduction to C++ class. Students will need access to a C++ compiler. There are compilers available for download.

Students will receive a thorough introduction to the basic syntax and structure of the C++ programming language. Students will create C++ applications that define variables and arrays and that use if statements, switch/case statements, for loops and while loops. Students will create functions and pass information into functions by value and by reference using pointers. Students will build applications made up of several files. This course is a good introduction for those that have never programmed before. Students will need access to a C++ compiler. There are compilers available for download.

This class is a continuation of the Introduction to ColdFusion class. At the end of this class, students will be able to improve the processing of their data-driven web sites by creating user-defined functions and reusable components. Students will be able to include dynamic graphs from their database in their web applications. Students will be able to send email from their ColdFusion applications. Students will be able to create applications that gracefully recover from errors and will be able to package their data as XML for sending to other applications. Students will need access to ColdFusion Server. A free evaluation version is available.

ColdFusion is a powerful server-side scripting language that allows users to interact with databases to produce dynamic pages. ColdFusion is a tag-based language and very easy to learn to use but also a powerful programming environment. At the end of this class, students will be able to create pages that display a requested set of records from the database. Students will be able to create forms that allow users to add, edit or delete records from the database. Students will be able to create data-driven applications using application, client and session variables. A good understanding of web page creation is useful but not necessary for this class. Students will need access to ColdFusion Server. A free evaluation version is available.

This course explores individual communication styles and elements of communication.  It focuses the students attention to the finer points of communication.  Ultimately the student will gain a sense of the types of communicators he or she will deal with on a daily basis and offer techniques to improve the communication process.

Learn the latest tricks in web page design. Students will use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and the layer tags to create page layouts. Students will position objects on the page and combine text and graphics for stylish layouts. Students should have a basic understanding of HTML. No software is required.

Conflict is an inevitable part of work life. It can block effectiveness or boost results, depending on how you deal with it. Explore your preferred approaches to conflict resolution and learn new strategies for resolving workplace conflict in this dynamic on-line course. Apply conflict resolution skills using practice scenarios and real situations. Prepare for anticipated conflict and lay the groundwork for positive interactions using the practical tools provided in this course.

Using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to design the format and structure of your web pages can make your life as a web designer and web design maintainer much easier! CSS allows you to control the appearance of text, graphics and page layout for a single page or the entire site. If you decide later that you want to make a change to the design of the site you can change a few lines of CSS formatting and have the changes made without having to change the structure of the page. In this course you will learn to build web pages to best take advantage of using CSS to design the look of the site. You will learn to apply color, font and spacing attributes to pages for both web and print layout. Students will need a text editor or web site design tool. There are free tools available.

During this course students will learn to build data-driven websites using Dreamweaver. The course starts with a review of building static websites using HTML, CSS, and templates. Students will configure their Dreamweaver sites to be ready to build a dynamic web site. Students can use PHP, ASP or ColdFusion to build their dynamic sites. Using the Dreamweaver tools, students will build dynamic sites that include emailing form content, connecting to a database and displaying records from the database, and updating database information using forms. Students should be familiar with creating web pages with Dreamweaver. Students will need a copy of Dreamweaver and a webserver that supports the server technology they choose to work with.

At the end of this class students will be able to create and manage web sites using Macromedia Dreamweaver. Students will insert pictures, Flash text and buttons into web pages. Students will use Cascading Style Sheets to format web pages. Students will use frames, layers and tables for designing layout for pages. Students will manage sites using Dreamweaver's site management tools. Students will need a copy of Dreamweaver. A 30-day evaluation version is available.

This class will give students a working knowledge of the quality standards required of all business correspondence. Standard procedures to follow before a document is sent and professional techniques to spot errors will be covered. Students will be able to construct complete sentences and punctuate clauses, phrases, and appositives. They will also learn how to correctly use quotation marks, dashes, parentheses, colons, and semicolons. Students will be able to avoid confusing common look-alike and sound-alike words. They will be able to locate and correct these surface errors in a variety of documents of differing lengths.

This class will continue the essentials of editing begun in Part 1. Students be able to match subjects and verbs, use correct verb tenses, use pronouns correctly, and make headings, bullets, and sentences parallel. They will be able to recognize when to use the active verb instead of the passive, and they will be able to avoid shifting between active and passive verbs. They will understand how to locate and correct surface errors in long and complicated documents. The editing essentials covered in Part 1 will be revisited and reinforced through practice.

This course will give the student a new recognition that they are able to construct a very large part of their own future. There is a relationship between what we want and what we can do and create. If you are seeking a new challenge in your current profession, a change of direction that seriously engages your intellect, passion and energy, or if you are ready to get a life-long ambition underway, then this course is for you. Through a process designed to ask tough questions, you will examine your current life, your values and beliefs, and chose a better future in your career and family life. In this course, students will review their past to create a sense of appreciation for their history. The course will also clarify the underlying values and beliefs that have determined the students' actions and the values and beliefs that they want in the future. Students will identify their current life situations and determine what's working and what isn't. Students will also create a preferred future vision and link their vision into actionable steps to propel them to the future they desire.

This course will instruct the learner how to create images for web pages. Students will learn how to work with Bitmap images, how to effectively use Vector drawing tools, how to create buttons, and how to optimize images for your web page. Students will need a copy of Fireworks. A 30-day trial is available.

This course will give the student an overview of the workings of Flash MX ActionScripting. Students will learn how to use ActionScripting to create content, create and manipulate components, to load movies, and to animate colors and filters. Students will need a copy of Flash. A 30-day trial is available.

Students will create vector graphics using Flash's drawing tools. Students will create basic animations using motion and shape tweening. Students will create interactive Flash projects using ActionScript. Students will create a web-based application that reads from files and links to other pages. Students will create accessible content using Flash. Students will import sound and video into their Flash animations. Students will need a copy of Flash. A 30-day trial is available.

Create cool buttons for your web pages. Students will create movie clips, and buttons and combine them to create animated buttons. Students will use basic ActionScript commands to create menus. Students will need a copy of Flash. A 30-day trial is available.

This course introduces the learner to Macromedia FreeHand. Students will learn how to use Freehand's tools to design a logo. Students will use the logo to create a document that will server as a corporate identity. Students will organize and manage complex illustrations, and even create an animation that will then be used in a Flash animation. Students will need a copy of Freehand. A 30-day trial is available.

Students will explore ways in which courses can be designed. Students will be introduced to the ADDIE design model and other design models that may work in other environments. Students will write instructional objectives and design a unit of instruction and assessments that support the instructional objects. Students will plan an evaluation of their instructional materials.

Only about one-quarter of all business projects are successful. The discipline of Project Management aims to improve those dismal results with a systematic approach to the unique tasks that abound in an enterprise. This hands-on course will acquaint the student with world-recognized methodologies used to produce more successful projects.

Students who are comfortable designing in Flash and are familiar with ActionScript will learn the basics of designing games using Flash. Students will start with creating a basic game and progress through adding scripts, sound, and the physics of games. Students will save data and create 3D interactive games. Students will need a copy of Flash. A 30-day evaluation is available for free.

Got a computer? a microphone? a topic you can talk about? Then you are ready to get started with podcasting! Podcasting allows you to publish audio or video content that you can share with the world. Your listeners can download your message and listen to it on their mobile audio devices. This course will introduce you to the skills you will need to create, edit and publish your audio or video podcast. We will explore tools that are available for creating podcasts, publishing them and how you could make money.

If you have thought about starting your own blog, then this is the course for you. In this course you will lauch your blog and learn to write for your audience. Topics to be discussed include writing and editing your blog, getting others to contribute, getting the word out about your blog, generating traffic to your blog, and ways you can make money from your blog.

This course provides an overview of Christian history from the time of Jesus Christ to modern times. Three major periods are examined: Christian Beginnings (4 B.C. - A.D. 1215); The Reformation (A.D. 1215 - 1648); The Modern Period (A.D. 1648 - present). Readings and class discussions are designed to present the major persons, events, and movements in the history of Christianity.

Students will learn the basics of creating HTML documents by handcoding HTML. Students will create web pages that contain text and formatting. Students will learn to add graphic images to their web pages, as well as adding images as backgrounds. Students will learn the basics of using tables for page layout. No software or book is required for this course.

Whether you are planning to build a basic web page with pictures of the kids for Grandma to see, or planning to build the next e-commerce portal, you will be using HTML to build your pages. HTML is the language of the web and what gives us all the ability to access the information regardless of the type of computer or types of applications we run.

HTML is in the process of becoming XHTML, Extensible HyperText Markup Language. This new generation of markup language focuses on the description of what the text is. Formatting is removed from the markup language and left to the Cascading StyleSheets (CSS). HTML will always be with us, but the move to XHTML will make your web pages better structured and more accessible to the world.

Another aspect of web design that we will focus on throughout the class is making sure that you are building web pages that are accessible to those that use screen readers or other aids when they are viewing web pages. We will also look at ways you can improve the ability of your web pages to be translated to other languages.

In today's business environment, not improving is not an option. If you aren't moving forward, you are moving backward, there is no staying even. Continuous improvement has become a part of our organizations. Successful organizations constantly measure and improve every internal and external process that contributes to customer satisfaction and organizational goals. Process improvement is used to advance those goals or to improve a measurement that is not acceptable, to obtain continuous improvement. In this course, students will learn to identify process issues, problems, and opportunities, and how the customer affects process improvement. Students will learn the steps that lead to improving a process and the importance of a process improvement team and their roles. Students will also learn the tools for understanding and accessing the current process, what is happening now. The difference between process improvement and redesign will also be covered.

Who Are Your Ancestors? What were they like? How and where did they live? Ever considered learning more about your family history? Learn to trace your family's roots and start your own family tree. This class will help you learn how to begin your hunt, introducing you to the resources available for performing genealogical research. Learn how to find online databases, obtain vital (birth, marriage, and death) records, and discover the resources available at Family History Library branches across the US.

Project management provides significant benefits to companies and to managers when the principles and methodologies are consistently applied. A successful project manager uses both art and science, or more succinctly, both project leadership and management. Regardless of your position in an organization, good project management skills are essential. Everyone leads projects of some type, and the principles are the same for all projects - big or small. This course will help you understand those principles and apply them in both your professional and personal life. In this course, the student will learn the art and science of leading a project and the importance of being (or having) an active sponsor. Students will learn the different steps in a project's life cycle and the keys to leading and managing a successful project. How to manage "scope creep" and how to use structured tools such as activity diagrams, project plans, charters, and GANTT charts will also be covered.

The Introduction to Six Sigma course will give learners a flavor of some of the methodologies used in this popular quality tool. The learner will receive an overview of the Six Sigma movement itself and some DMAIC, Control and Causal methodologies.

Need funding for future projects or planned activities? Are you (a student, parent, teacher or school administrator) hoping to find a way to pay for research or services we all used to take for granted, which are no longer funded? This course provides a step-by-step approach to preparing winning grant proposals. Learn to write successful letters and grant proposals. Researching and approaching funders for grant money can help you develop new services, (strengthen your operating budget) and support existing programs. Students leave this course feeling confident in their grant writing abilities and ready to start winning the funding they need to help make a better life for themselves and others.