A/E Online Courses >> Computers & Technology

Increase your online savvy and ability to position yourself and your organization for greater success. Experience the interaction and big take-aways from studying with top-notch professionals. Your instructors not only work with these tools every day, but speak at national conferences and train others. Your teachers have tips you have not discovered yet. Learn more about Google Analytics, Google apps for business, and Google+ . Acquire new tips and techniques. Just one new tip can mean greater productivity, effectiveness and even profitability for your work. Three one-month courses.

Inbound marketing is a way to help potential customers find you through organic search. It is a process of using your website in a way that attracts visitors naturally through search engines, the blogosphere, and social media. Inbound marketing is more effective than outbound marketing, where you push sales messages to your potential customers. Inbound marketing is the future of the way we market in the 21st century. Discover how to attract customers to your site, what kind of content to share with them, how to use landing pages and forms to collect names and email address, and how to implement lead-nurturing campaigns that result in sales. Three one-month courses.

Take away a practical strategy and techniques for implementing social media for your organization or business. Learn how to create your own private social media using Ning, work socially using Google Docs and calendars, and move your website to an interactive Web 2.0 site. Then your instructor will help you choose which social media tools are right for your situation, and then integrate them into your web site to develop a social media strategy for your organization. Find out what you can be doing, what you should be doing, and take back a plan to integrate social media into your communication and marketing. Agenda Unit 1. Running a Community and Creating Your Own Social Network Using Ning Online Communities and Creating Your Own Social Network with Ning Top 5 Considerations When Starting a Social Network What Goes into Build a Great Social Network What is an online community manager What is Ning and How to Use the Platform Examples of Companies Using Ning Unit 2. What Tools to Use for Your Organization What tools and platforms will help get content on the web Readings on top new tools to consider How to select which tool to use How video fits into online marketing Organizing and collaborating with Google products How to take advantage of mobile and local in applications and search Unit 3. Integrating Social Platforms into Your Web Site Discovering how web design has changed and what is needed for true integration Understanding elements on web sites that increase interaction, engagement, search engines findability Learn best practices for website usability and landing page design Discuss how your sites compare and generate next steps that will improve your business Unit 4: Developing a Manageable Work Flow: Time, Resources, Policies, and Trends Developing a Manageable Work Flow Time and Resources: How do you know where to spend your time? Target Social Media Influencers to Boost Traffic and Sales Is Your Company Ready for Social Media or Are They Holding You Back? Trends - What''s Next or Are We Still Working on Last Year''s Trends? Social Media Policies and Planning For A CrisisRequirementsInternet connection ,IE8 or higher, Chrome, FireFox and access to Adobe Flash Player

3D printing has been hailed as a solution to all manufacturing problems. Obviously that is exaggerated, but what is it good for, and when is traditional manufacturing still the better choice? In this course you will learn how to separate the real promise of the technology from the hype, and understand the workflow for a consumer-level 3D printer. You will become familiar with some typical online databases of objects available to print, and get a bit of experience with free or open-source software for all stages of the process. This class will be primarily focused to introduce you to the tools of the open 3D printer ecosystem, but the principles will apply to consumer 3D printers in general.

Arduino. 3D printing. Wearable tech. Your students or your kids may be talking about these things, but what is all this stuff, and how can you keep up and try to get ahead of them? This class will survey the core technologies found in makerspaces and give you a start in understanding what you will need to learn to create awesome technology projects. You will also learn how to find and sort through the many free resources online. Agenda Unit 1: What are maker technologies? -Why did shop class go away? -The maker movement philosophy of learning iteratively -What a makerspace is, and considerations when planning one. -Technologies that you will learn about in this class -What makes a project easy, intermediate or hard. Unit 2: 3D printing -What is 3D printing? -What can it do? -The process of using a 3D printer (modeling, slicing, printing) -Related technologies: 3D scanners, laser cutters, vinyl cutters -Where to learn more Unit 3: Basics of maker electronics: hardware -Open-source standards -Definitions: resistors, capacitors, LEDs, Ohm’s law -Getting started with Arduino microprocessor hardware -Wearable circuits: Flora, sensors and neopixels -Where to learn more Unit 4: Basics of maker electronics: -Software -How to program Arduino and similar systems -Basic project ideas -Where you can learn more.

Games are increasingly recognized as a tool that can serve many business purposes beyond entertainment. This course provides a general introduction to what goes into the design and development of both video and analog games, with a particular focus on the use of games outside of consumer entertainment. By completing this course, you can take the first steps into understanding game design, and how it can be applied in your field. Agenda Unit 1 What Makes a Game? - Practical Definition for Game -The Anatomy of a Game -Games and Play -Different Types of Games Unit 2 Essentials of Design -Getting Beyond a Game Idea -Game Verbs and Game Mechanics -Documentation -Test Early, Test Often Unit 3 Game Design: Solo and in Teams -Defining Development Needs -Roles in Game Design -Finding Design and Development Partners Unit 4 Serious Games & Gamification -Games Beyond Entertainment -Designing "Serious" Games -Gamification -Designing Gamification Systems

Inbound marketing is a process of using your website in a way that it attracts visitors naturally through search engines, the blogosphere, and social media. The average human today is inundated with more than 2000 outbound marketing interruptions per day – and we’re all figuring out how to block them. Caller ID, spam filters, TiVo, and satellite radio are all things we use today so that we can avoid being marketed to. In this course, you will discover how to attract customers to your site, what kind of content to share with them, how to use landing pages and forms to collect names and email address, and how to implement lead-nurturing campaigns that result in sales. Agenda Unit 1 What inbound marketing is and does -Inbound versus outbound marketing – a history -Why outbound marketing doesn’t work as well as it used to -Why inbound marketing works -Basic SEO – how our potential customers find you online Unit 2 Your inbound marketing plan -Creating an inbound marketing plan -Creating a powerful website – the cornerstone of your inbound marketing effort -Creating a blog – why you need one and what it can do for you -Creating calls to action and landing pages Unit 3 Generating Traffic -The best ways to help the right people find you -Social media – what goals to set and what platforms to focus on -How to get people to convert from just being a visitor to your site to becoming a lead -Benchmarks and conversion rates Unit 4 Lead Nurturing -Lead Nurturing basics -Why you shouldn’t try to close the sale on the first website visit -How to write effective drip email campaigns -Is there such a thing as too many emails? -Email benchmarks – open rates, click through rates, bounce rates

Get involved in the move from in-person to online communication. Learn what social media are and their role in your business and personal life. Find out the top sites and how businesses are using the sites for communication, customer retention, branding, marketing, market research, needs assessment and serving customers and clients. Explore the options for your organization. Look at case studies of what other organizations are doing. Let your instructor guide your exploration of Facebook and YouTube. For anyone interested in social media. Agenda Unit 1: How Marketing has Changed and Where Social Networks Fit? How is marketing changing? Who is your customer & where are they online? What role does content play? What are the trends on the horizon? Unit 2: Where to Start? Strategy, Listening, & Accounts Start with a plan: Developing a social media marketing strategy. Where does listening & engagement fit into strategy? Learning to use some basic tools How are organizations using social media? Unit 3: What Do Social Networks Fit in Your Business? General overview of social sites that may fit your marketing goals. Where are your customers and how are they using social media? How to set up social network profiles? Can you measure the return on your investment? Unit 4: Using Facebook to Promote Your Brand and Engage Your Customers The Basics of Facebook: Personal & Business Applications How to Set-up Your Facebook Page Using Content and Posts to Boost Engagement Case Studies on How Businesses Use FacebookRequirementsInternet connection ,IE8 or higher, Chrome, FireFox and access to Adobe Flash Player

Different social networks have distinct characteristics, different features, and are used to develop a two-way communication and marketing strategy for your organization. Get a skill set for working and managing different social media platforms. Then find out what you can be doing, what you should be doing, and take back a plan to integrate social networks into your communication and marketing. You will get a firm foundation in Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook platforms. Come away with both an understanding of these social networks and practical, how-to techniques to integrate social networks into your organization or business. Your instructors are outstanding practitioners who also speak, write, and train others on social networks. Three one-month courses. Requirementsnternet connection ,IE8 or higher, Chrome, FireFox and access to Adobe Flash Player

Businesses are turning to podcasting to grow their brand and connect with customers. People with a niche hobby are turning podcasts into a business. Podcasting is experiencing a rebirth as mobile devices are everywhere. The intimate nature of the audio medium allows potential clients to get to know who you are and determine if you are the kind of company with which they want to do business. Learn how to take your business or hobby and turn it into a podcast. This step-by-step class will take you from start to finish and cover the required elements needed to get your show online. Come to class with your idea and end with your show online for all to hear. Agenda Unit 1 Starting a Podcast for Businesses or Pleasure What is a podcast and how it works Finding your target audience and goals What type of podcast will work for your clients: interview style, panel discussions, host lectures How long your show should be and what should you call it What realistic expectations and options are for the total number of shows you will produce Including Audio and Video options of your shows Unit 2 Setting-up your Show Best equipment for you (microphones, computers, headphones, mixing boards) - budget options as well as full professional set up Finding audio files to make the “bumpers” for your show Options for editing files on a mac or PC Where to host your show files and setting up a website Submitting to iTunes, Stitcher and other podcast directories Unit 3 Recording Your Podcast How to set up a studio in your home What is a good on-the-go podcast set up? Talking to others outside of your business Tips on recording your podcast for good audio quality Setting up simple camera and lights if you are incorporating video Unit 4 Marketing and Promoting Your Podcast Getting the word out about your show Making money with subscriptions Building a community around your podcast Reaching current AND new clients How to use your podcast to grow your leadership position in your industry Being an effective marketer without being an obnoxious sales person

Bring your vision to life with Prezi and leave PowerPoint behind! Take a journey into the world of creative presentations! Learn how to use and engage your creative side for amazing presentations. Your audience will be stimulated with what you are presenting as well as how you are presenting. Agenda Unit 1 Create -Create an account -3 Steps to a successful Prezi -Front Page Controls -Templates -Inside Prezi Page Controls Unit 2 Insert -Inserting Media -Zooming & adding frames -3-D background -Diagrams & arrows Unit 3 Edit -Change/Move Media -Edit Path -Presenting -PowerPoint conversion Unit 4 Share -Meetings -Apps -Online vs desktop -Review

Twitter is a hot social media platform these days, and everyone seems to be using it. Learn the best way to take advantage of the unique opportunities Twitter offers, and discover the best ways to create relationships and network with your key constituents. You will find out the best and easiest techniques for successful interactions in the Twitter verse. Agenda Unit One How to Use Twitter -Uniqueness of Twitter -Creating Tweets and messages -Doing Research and information gathering with Twitter -Integrating Twitter with other publicity Unit Two Developing relationships -You’re it! How tagging people and sharing content keeps you relevant -Why tagging people is better than direct messaging -Developing relationships in the Twitter verse and why it’s important -How to get retweeted Unit Three What lists can do for your online presence -How to create and edit lists -Getting others to share your lists -Getting yourself listed on other Tweeters lists – and why you want this to happen Unit Four Your personal brand using Twitter -Twitter as a networking tool -How to create a personal brand using Twitter -What not to do on Twitter -Quantity versus quality – how to monitor and maintain your list of followers and who you are followingRequirementsnternet connection ,IE8 or higher, Chrome, FireFox and access to Adobe Flash Player