Welcome to my corner of the web

Learn something.
Build something.

HylaPad is my technology playground and resource hub for educators, programmers, IT learners, and curious people.

Explore the Pad Meet Dawn

Hyla is a genus of tree frogs. This is my Hyla pad!

A green tree frog sitting beside a laptop in a warm, inviting workspace.

Welcome

A place to learn, experiment, and share

I created HylaPad to share useful technology resources, explore new ideas, and document some of what I learn along the way. It is starting small on purpose and will grow one useful project at a time.

Curated resources

Good places to begin

Helpful tools and sites, chosen because they make learning or teaching technology a little easier.

Programming & Code

Examples, references, and small projects for people learning to make software.

Teaching & Learning

Ideas and tools for educators who want to make technical subjects approachable.

Useful Tech Tools

Software, services, and discoveries that earn a place in Dawn's digital toolbox.

Teaching now

In the classroom

Explore the programming, technology, and professional education courses I teach, along with examples of instructional resources I've developed.

Current term

I teach programming, technology, cybersecurity, and related topics in higher education and workforce and professional education.

Tulsa Community College

Intro to Programming with Python
C Programming

Tulsa Tech

Technology and professional-development courses for adult learners.

GitHub Branch Workflow infographic showing six steps: start on the default branch, create a new branch, confirm it is selected, edit a file, commit changes, and continue working on the branch.

GitHub Branch Workflow, an instructional graphic by Dawn Susee, PhD. Click to view full size.

Cybersecurity Challenge

Can You Decode This Message?

KDYH D JUHDW GDB

This message was encrypted using one of the simplest classical ciphers. The cipher has been broken for a very long time, so you don't need to reinvent cryptanalysis today.

Bonus Challenge

Can you figure it out without using a decoder? Explain how you determined the shift.

Want to use a decoder?

Try one of these tools:

Need a hint?

This is a classical substitution cipher.

Need another hint?

Each letter has been shifted the same number of positions in the alphabet.

Featured Project

HylaPad Quest v1.0

Plan. Do. Earn. Grow.

HylaPad Quest is a gamified productivity system for Notion that turns everyday goals, habits, and tasks into quests you can complete and earn rewards for along the way.

Built to work with Notion Free, HylaPad Quest combines productivity with game-inspired progress to make getting things done a little more engaging.

✓ Quests ✓ Goals ✓ Habits ✓ Rewards

Get HylaPad Quest on Gumroad

About Dawn

Educator. IT professional. Lifelong learner.

I'm Dawn Susee, PhD, an educator and IT professional with a passion for teaching, technology, and lifelong learning.

My background includes programming, cybersecurity, instructional design, and technology education. I hold a PhD in Education, along with graduate degrees in Education and Cybersecurity.

I created HylaPad as a place to share useful resources, explore emerging technologies, and experiment with new ideas. Whether you're an educator, student, programmer, or simply curious about technology, I hope you'll find something useful here.

Away from the keyboard, I enjoy reading, playing video games, watching television, and spending time with my cats.

Connect on LinkedIn

Coming soon

Inside the HylaPad Lab

The HylaPad Lab is where new ideas take shape. Explore what's coming next, from programming examples and web experiments to interactive challenges and a few surprises along the way.

Code Library

Small, explained examples.

Web Experiments

New tools and technologies.

More Quests

Friendly, guided challenges.

The Cat Corner

Because every lab needs cats.