Yearbook Sept. 30th

Quite a few of you have adjustments you need to make on your blogs; posts or comments that have your full name, other students' or teachers' names, the school's name, the city's name, and/or pictures of yourself. This must change. Check your blog, remove as needed.

If someone can browse through your blog, comments on your blog, or your uploaded PDF file and find out your full name, our school's name, or a teacher's or student's name, then your blog is releasing personal information online, which is against district policy. So, if any of that is you... (check, don't just assume) then fix it.

0- Current Events

NHS inductions tonight, anyone going to be there?

Report Card Pickup is next Thursday Night. This would be a time to have advertising up.

2- Current Events

Homecoming and a Pep Rally just passed. What can you do to help provide content in your area on these topics. Figure it out for you particular area and get started on that.

3- Job Specific

Photographers: Trade off. One student: research more information about photography compositions and techniques. Other student: Tour the building. Think about composition and your photographic knowledge up to this point. Us this knowledge to take interesting photos of the building, architecture, courtyards, etc. You are not visiting any classrooms at this time. Next class, students switch tasks. (Same as last time, but switch positions with other photographer)

Writers & captions: Create a form for Student/Parent ads for the yearbook. These are often seen in the back of yearbooks, and allow parent's to express their pride and celebration of their student's success.

Marketers: Continue marketing goals.

Posters and Parent-ads ready for report card pick-up night; this happens next Thursday!

Digital Artists:

Work work! First look up typography design, and how it is utilized for advertising. Find 3 examples you like and post them in your blog.

Next, use photoshop to deign an advertisement for the yearbook to be in the newspaper.

Work needs to be in black and white. Use typography to make it interesting and eye-catching. If you use the school's name in the ad, don't post it in your blog. On your blog or not, you need to email me your work as well. Time constraint!! Due at the end of class! Work work work!

ID Staff: A day? Continue working on website.
B day? Come see me.

Designers: Look at feedback on design work. Keep sticky notes attached. Find one you like, consider the feedback provided. Open pages, create a new document (canvas, not word processing; profile, not landscape) and utilize the program to try and recreate the layout in this program. Pages is less complicated than our actual yearbook software, but they are comparable. This will be a nice start before jumping into the yearbook software.

Need some short video tutorials? Check out Apple's tutorials. Lynda also has some free video tutorials.

Don't forget to blog about what you did today!

Multimedia Sept. 29

So... If you haven't already, start working on your brochure. Brochures have a couple different purposes.

• Get Attention
• Impress and Inform the Viewer
• Increase Interest
• Sell Product

Those should be the goal for your brochure.

Here are some interesting examples. Choose two that you like for their design work (not the information/location/product), and explain what makes them stand out above other brochures. Could these design concepts or ideas be incorporated into your work?


After getting to see a few examples, continue working on your brochure.

What's due next?

Updated Work Log & Bibliography + Introduction and Brochure

My examples: Document and Brochure

Yearbook, sept 27th

Quite a few of you have adjustments you need to make on your blogs; posts or comments that have your full name, other students' or teachers' names, the school's name, the city's name, and/or pictures of yourself. This must change. Check your blog, remove as needed.

If someone can browse through your blog, comments on your blog, or your uploaded PDF file and find out your full name, our school's name, or a teacher's or student's name, then your blog is releasing personal information online, which is against district policy. So, if any of that is you... (check, don't just assume) then fix it.

0- Current Events

Directors and Editors, see me first.

1- Did you do this already?

2- YB Pages Signup!

Each student will be responsible that everything comes together on a page in the yearbook. You will be responsible for making sure that everything comes together for the page. Which Page would you like to be in charge of? I don't know, you tell me! Look over the different content in the yearbook, and make your top six choices (in blog). These can correspond with things you are interested in, or participate in (I would expect some of them to).

I know some of you didn't :/

Choose, or get stuck with whatever is left.

2- Current Events

Homecoming and a Pep Rally just passed. What can you do to help provide content in your area on these topics. Figure it out for you particular area and get started on that.

3- Job Specific

Photographers: Trade off. One student: research more information about photography compositions and techniques. Other student: Tour the building. Think about composition and your photographic knowledge up to this point. Us this knowledge to take interesting photos of the building, architecture, courtyards, etc. You are not visiting any classrooms at this time. Next class, students switch tasks.

Writers & captions: There were quite a number of interest forms regarding the calendar. Type up a follow up letter, informing them of the availability of calendars for purchase.

Marketers: Continue marketing goals.

Third Priority- Posters and Parent-ads ready for report card pick-up night.

Complication regarding T-shirts. See me, and we'll discuss it :(

Digital Artists: Keep working on your photoshop skills. Slowly getting more interesting, but also more complicated...

We should be able to start editing real photos soon. Don't forgot to post up your work. New tutorials:

Vintage Effect - Double Exposure - Vintage Design Work - Lomo Effect

ID Staff: A day? Continue working on website.
B day? Come see me.

Designers: Design a couple possible page layouts for homecoming and Pep Rallys on paper for the directors and editors to consider.

Don't forget to blog about what you did today!

Multimedia Sept 27th!

Quite a few of you have adjustments you need to make on your blogs; inappropriate comments, inappropriate avatars, blogs that have your full name, other students' or teachers' names, the school's name, the city's name, and/or pictures of yourself. This must change. Check your blog, remove as needed.

If someone can browse through your blog, comments on your blog, or your uploaded PDF file and find out your full name, our school's name, or a teacher's or student's name, then your blog is releasing personal information online, which is against district policy. So, if any of that is you... (check, don't just assume) then fix it.

1st Six Weeks Reflection

Think about this first six weeks. How well are you progressing through this class? What can you tell me about what you've learned and gained from this period of time in this class? How could these things benefit you in the future?

(hint, hint) Review (hint, hint)

Review the following concepts. If you don't remember them, maybe you should look them up.

• What is a blog? Is it a verb or a noun? What about commenting on blogs?
• What is an avatar? What does it mean and where does the term originate?
• What is digital citizenship/netiquette? What are some reasons it is important?
• What is Pages? What is its purpose?
• What is Royalty Free Imagery/stock photography? What is Public Domain? How are these beneficial?
• What is a citation? Why are they important? How can different internet websites make them easier?
• What is a PDF? Why are they useful?

Make sure you review them before the (hint, hint) last thirty minutes of class (hint, hint) .

Work on your Pages projects!

Yearbook, Sept. 24

1- Pep Rally Friday! Homecoming Saturday!

What can you do to help cover these events? We need photos with captions, content written, and layouts for these. There will be content for both of these in the yearbook. Homecoming will have its own page.

Both events are now in the past, how would you be able to help provide content for these?

2- YB Pages Signup!

Each student will be responsible that everything comes together on a page in the yearbook. You will be responsible for making sure that everything comes together for the page. Look over the different content in the yearbook, and make your top six choices (in blog). These can correspond with things you are interested in, or participate in (I would expect some of them to).

3- Independent Areas

Directors: Work with your staff.

Photographers: Check out 10 Tips to Improve your Composition. Practice taking photos. Maybe look into a few resources (magazine or online) for tips, pointers, etc. Keep in mind different compositional techniques when shooting (rule of thirds, close ups, leading lines, etc).

Writers & captions: Think and prep for written content regarding the pep rally and homecoming.

Marketers: Continue marketing goals.

First priority- write up a dialogue for WAIS TV announcements about students that ordered calendars being able to pick them up in my room. They will need their student ID.

Second Priority- Need to get T-shirts taken care of so we can order them asap. Need advertisers and their art (is the order form for their ads already complete? I can print it for you if needed).

Third Priority- Posters and Parent-ads ready for report card pick-up night.

Digital Artists: Keep working on your photoshop skills. As the yearbook is to incorporate styles of older photography, try some tutorials focusing on a vintage look.

New tutorials:

Vintage Antique Look - Vintage Photo Effect - Vintage Effect

ID Staff: A day? Continue working on website. Need a written and drawn out plan before creating the actual website.
B day? There are quite a number of submitted forms of interest regarding the calendar. Prepare a document to follow up on their interest of potential purchase.

Designers: Homecoming will have its own page, Pep Rallies are still undecided how they will be in the book. Consider possibilities for homecoming. Also, come talk to me and you can look through the student's sketches for potential ideas for layouts for the book. Come talk to me, and I will give you viewing access to the current and up-to-date ladder, allowing you to start planning accordingly.

Dont have anything to do? There are other things to do as well. Come talk to me.

4- As always, reflect in blog on today's work.

Multimedia, Sept. 24

1- Comment on your Peers

Look at what some of your fellow students have uploaded for their project already.

Choose the three you like best. Hotlink them in your blog and give a brief explanation of what you like about each one.

2- Self Grading

Using the rubric for the first part of the project, self-evaluate what you turned in.

Fro the rubric, I might have been a bit too ambitious on the citations. Instead of for each, lets pretend it says total.

List each category and how many points(0-4) you believe you earned based on the descriptions. (and post it in your blog)

3- Continue Working

Once these are both complete, you may continue working on your project. The next major part due is the brochure. (Don't forget your daily reflection at the end of class)

Yearbook Sept 22

Working in Your Area of Expertise
If you have any trouble with the following, please bring it to my attention so I can help you.

Directors: Research your area. You need to be the expert on the topic. OR work with the staff of your area.

Photographers: Practice using composition techniques. For each subject, take a shot using Rule of Thirds, Up Close, Framing, and Leading Lines.

Writers & captions: Start considering what in the yearbook may require written content. Start thinking about this content, and what it will contain. Look into clubs and what events may be in the yearbook. (borrowing a school calendar from mr. w may help)

Marketers: Continue marketing goals. Report card pickup is in a couple weeks. Having a few posters and a form for senior and 8th grade ads could be a good idea. Finish yearbook order form as well.

Digital Artists: Keep working on your photoshop skills. As the yearbook is to incorporate styles of older photography, try some tutorials focusing on a vintage look. We'll start with some relatively simple ones and move to more complex ones. Retro Vintage Tutorial - Vintage Tone - Retro Photo - Vintage Looking Image.

ID Staff: A day? Continue working on website. Need a written and drawn out plan before creating the actual website.
B day? There are quite a number of submitted forms of interest regarding the calendar. Prepare a document to follow up on their interest of potential purchase.

Designers: Speak with your instructor, and then begin working on layouts.

Your Daily Post
What did you do today? Was it beneficial as a member of yearbook? Why or why not? Anything else I should know about what you did today in class? These post-class reflections are part of how you will be graded, if you earned a good grade for your work today, fight for it (with a well thought out and polite post). What's next (upcoming events to cover? plans for next class? plans between now and next class?)?

Think you've finished early? Let me know. I'll find something you can work on.

Multimedia Sept. 22

Finish Pages Project (part 1)

First... complete the Cover, Table of Content, Work Log (just initial sketches for now), and Bibliography. I know these will change a bit in the final document (or at least the work log and bibliography sure should!). You probably need to leave 10 to 20 minutes to learn the next part.

Upload your document as a PDF. PD-what? PDF. What's a PDF? Portable Document Format- P.D.F. Does that answer your question? Probably not. So, what's a PDF? It's a document developed back in 1993 by Adobe (developers of Photoshop and other impressive, and expensive computer software). So, whats the big deal? Basically, a PDF is a single document that contains everything in it (images, text, fonts, everything) into a compact file that almost ANY computer can read. Mac, PC, old, new, without pages, without word, etc. Not only that, but it also becomes unchangeable. Why is that good? Well, sometimes you don't want other people changing and altering your work.

PBJ?

So... the next step. Turning your document into a PDF. Woah. Wait a moment. Before you do anything else, make sure you've saved your document. Now, in Pages, click File in your overhead menu, and then click on Reduce File Size. This can make your file amazingly smaller, especially if you have alot of images in it. Shouldn't we always do this? No... if you are printing a document, you want the document to have the original larger images, as it will print out with much higher quality. Doing this reduces the image quality to be able to allow people to download your document much faster.

Now what? Click File again, then click Print. The print window will pop-up do NOT hit print. In the bottom left of your print window, it says PDF. Click PDF. Click Save as PDF...

And now? Ok... go to your email login page, and click google docs. Once you're in google docs, click the Upload button. Click Select files to Upload, and find your PDF you created. Next click the button that says Private with the lock next to it. Change this to Anyone with the Link. Finally, press Start Upload.

After its uploaded, the file name should change color to blue, as it has now become a link. Click it and it will open your PDF file.

You're almost there. I know... this takes crazy forever. But once you've done it a few times, you get used to it, and it takes no more than 2-3 minutes. So with the file open, click Share, and then Sharing settings.

It will pop up a window that contains the URL for your file. Post this link into your blog for today's entry and you're done! That only took forever, right?

Last 5 minutes of class?

Reflect in your blog about what you did today. What difficulties and successes did you experience? How did you address any challenges, and what did you learn from them? What's the next step from here?

Yearbook Sept 20

First: Full group discussion
Discuss topics from last week, including what the yearbook was, what it offered vs what it should be, what it should offer.

Today will be very much like last class.

Second: Split into specialties
If you have any trouble with the following, please bring it to my attention so I can help you.

Directors: become a master of your area of focus. Make sure you understand what makes something good good, and how to improve things that aren't quite there yet.

Photographers: continue learning about photography through magazines or internet. Tell me about what you learned, summarize the concept or the information you read. Was it good information, and will it be useful?

Writers & captions: Continue learning about written content in yearbooks. Use online sources or physical sources. Discuss. Reflect on what you did in your blog.

Marketers: Finish order form. Continue working on marketing goals. Reflect in your blogs.

Digital Artists: Continue learning photoshop. Having trouble with photoshop? Lynda.com's video tutorials is a great place to start. Check out and use the official adobe website, magazines on the shelves, adobe tv, and there's plenty others too. There are also plenty of resources out theres, such as Design Review's learn photoshop in 24 hours, About.com's Photoshop Basics, and Photoshop Essentials just to name a few. Post your work in photoshop as you progress through different tutorials and other learning tools (even if not-yet-finished) at the end of class in the reflection. Where did you find the information/tutorial? How did it go, was it successful? How was going through it beneficial for you in this class?

ID Staff: A day? Continue working on website. Need a written and drawn out plan before creating the actual website.
B day? Label calendars with recipients names. Finish early? learn about social networks. Is there a way we can use this to increase yearbook success?

Designers: Look at layout designs in physical or e-sources. Discuss some of the really good ones, what makes them good? Talk about it in your blog.

Third: Post on blog.
What did you do today? Was it beneficial as a member of yearbook? Why or why not? Anything else I should know about what you did today in class? These post-class reflections are part of how you will be graded, if you earned a good grade for your work today, fight for it (with a well thought out and polite post). What's next (upcoming events to cover? plans for next class? plans between now and next class?)?

Think you've finished early? Let me know, theres plenty of other things to do as well.

Multimedia Sept 20th

If you hadn't noticed before, some of you have feedback in your blogs. When logged into blogger and on the dashboard page, click comments. This allows you to see all the comments on your blog and which posts they were made in reference to, all at the same time. Don't have any recent comments from me (or worse, none at all)? Then I might not have your blog url :( This may be because you've changed you url (which means you need to get it to me. like now. no really, right now).

Continue working on your Pages project.

First Due Date: Sept. 23rd

PDF document containing the Cover, Table of Contents, Work Log-Initial Design, Bibliography

I've uploaded an example of what will be due first. Taking a look may be beneficial for you. Mine has an introduction, which isn't yet required. But it will be in the final document!

Still having some difficulty with pages? Just want to know more about it?

Lynda.com has video tutorials for Pages as well. Some of them are free. But most of them are only for members. Guess what, your instructor has a membership. If there's one or two that you think will help you that is members only, let me know and I'll let you watch it.

Keep working in pages. Try to finish those four things first before working on your brochure.

Yearbook Sept 16

First: Full group discussion
We'll have a discussion regarding the direction of the class from here on out.

Second: Split into specialties
If you have any trouble with this, please bring it to my attention so I can help you.

Photographers: start learning about photography through magazines or internet. Tell me about what you learned, summarize the concept or the information you read. Was it good information, and will it be useful?

Writers & captions: look into what writing content there is in yearbooks. Use online sources or physical sources. Discuss. Reflect on what you did in your blog.

Marketers: Discuss marketing goals, possible strategies, Watch Seth Godin, discuss. Reflect in your blogs.

Digital Artists: Start learning photoshop. Check out and use the official adobe website, magazines on the shelves, adobe tv, and Lynda.com's video tutorials. There are also plenty of resources out theres, such as Design Review's learn photoshop in 24 hours, About.com's Photoshop Basics, and Photoshop Essentials just to name a few. Post your work in phtoshop as you progress through different tutorials and other learning tools (even if not-yet-finished) at the end of class in the reflection. Where did you find the information/tutorial? How did it go, was it successful? How was going through it beneficial for you in this class?

ID Staff: Come see instructor, watch Seth Godin, discuss team possibilities, check out appropriate applications for discussed tasks. In your blog, reflect and discuss what you did for the day.

Designers: Look at layout designs in physical or e-sources. Discuss some of the really good ones, what makes them good? Talk about it in your blog.

Third: Video
Done with everything already and have nothing else to do? Really? Are you sure? I don't believe you... well, if thats really true... watch this video:

Seth Godin on Standing Out!

Forth: Post on blog.
What did you do today? Was it beneficial as a member of yearbook? Why or why not? Anything else I should know about what you did today in class? These post-class reflections are part of how you will be graded, if you earned a good grade for your work today, fight for it (with a well thought out and polite post). What's next (upcoming events to cover? plans for next class? plans between now and next class?)?

Multimedia Sept 16

So... by now, you should have three design sketches in your blog:

1. Inside of Brochure
2. Outside of Brochure
3. Itinerary

What's next? Well... as stated last class, here is the rubric for the first part of your project thats due. It may look a little different from first advertised. Instead of the whole brochure being due first, lets turn in parts of your finalized document first.

First Due Date: Sept. 23rd

PDF document containing the Cover, Table of Contents, Work Log-Initial Design, Bibliography

Why? Because creating the brochure itself requires a lot more knowledge and experience than the surrounding parts of the document. So, follow the rubric for whats due first.

Done looking at the rubric?

If you'd like more guidance on pages, theres still a few good tutorials on Apple's website.

Using and Customizing Images in Pages

How to Use Full-Screen View

This document shouldn't take too long to prepare, but when you finish that doesn't mean its playtime. You should continue working on your brochure, as that WILL be the next piece due.

Yearbook Sept. 15

First: Meet up in groups with similar staff members.

Group 1:
Director of Writing
staff writers
caption writers
id staff

Group 2:
Director of photography
photographers
digital artists

Group 3:
Director of Design
designers

marketing

If you have a director or assistant editor in your group, they are the lead. They should start the topics and end the topics. First:

• Starting with director/assistant editor, members of the group introduce themselves, state their position, and what school clubs or activities are you involved in?
• Why do you think it is important for the members of the group to get to know each other?
• As a group, discuss the different positions in your (designer, photographer, director of ... etc.)
• As a group, discuss how different positions may interact with other positions as they try to complete work for the yearbook
• Sharing amongst the group, does anyone have concerns regarding their position? How do other interpret it? Does this need to be brought up to your editor or yearbook adviser? If you don't bring it up, how will the issue be addressed?
  
• Sharing amongst the group, what are the thoughts of your current environment? This includes the classroom, interactions with other students, and the editors and adviser as well. Anything to be concerned about? If so, have you brought it up to the adviser's attention? If not, how will the issue be addressed?
• Regarding the yearbook: Who is our primary audience? Who is secondary?
• What service has yearbook been offering the school? Is it enough? What can be done about it?

Second: Work time: In your blog

• Why do you think its important to know the other students with similar positions as your own?
• Define your position.
• How might your position interact with others?
• What is our primary and secondary market audience for the yearbook?
• What service has yearbook offered the school? Is it enough? What else can we do?
• List any school activities or clubs you are a part of.
• Can you think of, and list, what activities and clubs your friends are involved in?
• Can you drive for weekend/evening events? Or are you only available for after school events?

Third: Read the following article. We/They Don't Get it!

Having trouble reading the text? Read it in the Taylor Talk Flash Magazine
(navigate to pages 8/9 & 10/11).

Reflect on it in your blog.

Finished? If you didn't finish anything last time, now's the time.

Multimedia Sept. 15

Today, you will spend the majority of your time working on your pages project. This project will be done in pieces, and then, in the end compiled into a larger document.

First, in your blog, post what country your project is based around and your initial thoughts about this. Next, read the following document regarding your project.

Pages General Premise Document

- Brochure Example
(these were both created in pages, using stock imagery)

Plan your itinerary and brochure(front and back) before progressing any further. Follow the walk through below to post your plan into your blog.

Got your sketches ready? Good, now open Photobooth. Hold your paper up so it fills the frame (no facetime! remember to protect yourself online) and take the picture. Drag it onto your desktop. It should look something like this.

It's backward and hard to read. But we can fix that! Follow the step-by-step instructions.

Right click the file on your desktop, hover over open with, then click Adobe Photoshop. Your desktop should now look something like this -->

Now that you're in Photoshop... Click Image in the overhead menu, hover over Image Rotation, and then click Flip Canvas Horizontal. Now the image should no longer be backward :)

But it's still a little hard to read :/

Next, click Image in the overhead menu gain, and click Auto Tone. That should take care of that :)

It should look similar to this now:

(but hopefully not so small)

Now, you just have to save it before you can upload it into your blog. Click on File in the overhead menu, and click on Save As... A window will pop up, don't just hit save willy-nilly. You need to change the file format from a Photoshop format into a JPEG Format. Another window will pop up, this just lets you choose the level of quality for the photo, just hit ok. Now, upload your sketch into your blog :)

Post up your photo for your other design as well.

Finished already?
Watch this video on outlines, and this one on the table of contents.

They are each only about 2 minutes. Watch them, they will help you.

If you didn't see the video last time, watch it too; it's also very short.

Introductory video on pages from last class.

Did you finish everything from last class period? If not, now would be a good time...

Everything else completed? Great! Now, open pages and start creating these 3 Pages documents.

Last 5 Minutes

At the end of class, reflect on what you've done today. Did you get a lot accomplished? Why or why not? What did you get accomplished? Any challenges or difficulties?