Sunday, January 29, 2017
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Guidelines for building a Wordpress website that works for you
Social
Media
Guidelines
This
semester, you will use your Wordpress website for several reasons:
- Build a portfolio
- Turn in your homework
- Create a platform to share information with your students
- Share your vision and voice
Consider
these guidelines to help you find and organize your website.
Step One:
Template. It is very important you choose
the right template; it could become a part of your portfolio/resume.
- Spend at least an hour searching through various templates until you find one that works for you
- Make sure it’s easy to read and follow
- Keep it simply organized
- It absolutely needs to be photo friendly
- Stay away from websites designed for marketing or selling stuff
- Don’t feel you need to select the first one you find. Go through them until you find the right fit
- When you do find one you like, but then decide two weeks later it doesn’t work, then change it
- Spend the first month getting to understand and know your website. Experiment!
Consider
these options:
Visuals and Voices – This
doesn’t have a homepage
Lori King’s Website – This one does
King’s Klass Blog – This is a true
blog, not a website
Step Three:
Blog. Once you’ve chosen your homepage
option, then add a blog, or not.
Some
websites are blogs, while others have
separate pages for blogs. You have to decide which one works for you. Whatever
you decide, your blog posts need to be found fast and easy, because this is
where you will post 99% of your essays and photos.
Step Four:
Twitter. Your Twitter feed should be on
the homepage.
Visitors
need to be able to read your most recent Tweets. They also should be able to
click on your name to go directly to your Twitter feed.
Remember the
following requirements:
- Upload professional headshot
- Brief but informative description
- Include Website URL in your description
- Include required hashtags in every post
- Follow @intro2pj + five others from my feed
Step Five:
Instagram. Your Instagram feed should be
on the homepage.
Visitors
need to be able to view your most recent Instagram posts. They should also be
able to click on your name to go directly to your Instagram feed.
Remember the
following requirements:
Prezi presentation on social media- Upload professional headshot
- Brief but informative description. This can be the same as your Twitter description
- Include Website URL in your description
- You must post a first photo to make it active on your website
- Open a new account if your original account is mostly selfies and personal content
- Follow @toledophotog + five others from my feed
Your
Wordpress: The site that binds
Thursday, January 5, 2017
WSU Digital Photojournalism: Q & A for a new hybrid format course
The Wayne State Digital Photojournalism course is going to be a bit different this semester.
The course is typically a one-day a week, three-hour class. But beginning next week, the classroom time will be cut down to 1:15 minutes. It will be a hybrid course, otherwise known as a flipped class. This means most of the lectures will be available either on Blackboard or this course blog.
Lectures will be prepared, recorded and posted, and students must view them by due
dates, which will be announced on the assignment sheets. This will give them the
time they need to soak up the information. Class periods will be used for
using the software, taking quizzes and contributing to classmate critiques.
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| Digital PJ course schedule for winter 2017 semester |
Speaking of questions, here are a few popular questions students have asked over the years.
Q: Why do I have to take this course? I’m
a journalist/broadcaster/PR specialist, not a photojournalist.
A: This course is necessary because at some point in your
career you probably will be asked to take your own photos. It is
a stark, real and unfortunate reality that staff photojournalism jobs are
dwindling each year, leaving journalists to pick up the slack with point and
shoot cameras and cell phones.
Despite their lack of photography experience, journalists
are being tasked (and sometimes forced) to produce their own images. The only
way to combat poor photo quality and legal/ethical issues is to offer courses
like COM 2280, which is designed to prepare you for the inevitable.
Also, even if you never take another
photo in this field, this class will help you understand the photographers you
will work with, for, or who will work for you.
Q:
How hard is this course?
A: Moderately difficult. This course is
designed to give you basic photojournalism skills that will prepare you to work
in 21st Century journalism newsrooms. It is a practical-skills
driven course, meaning you will practice what you learn.
You will be exposed to camera operations, and many of the industry standard software used by most
photojournalists, like Photo Mechanic, Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro CC. You'll even learn how to capture and edit audio using Audacity. So yes,
expect a steep learning curve on a few assignments.
The
two most important tips I can give are to pay attention and keep up.
Please be fully engaged in every lesson, even if you’ve already been exposed to
photography and some of the digital editing tools. After all, practice makes perfect
(I never say perfect in this course) precision. Once you think you know it all,
you stop learning and improving.
Q:
How can I get an A?
A: I understand that most students
expect an A in every class they take. That’s human nature, but it’s not
realistic to issue 20 As per class. If you don’t earn an A, don’t fret. Remember that you are learning
the building blocks of a very technical profession. Practice and opportunity in
the field are what truly matters, not an A in a single class.
That said, here are several ways that
will NOT earn you an A:
Here are several ways that will help you earn an A, because I don't just strictly look at the assignment assessments:
- Be willing to help your classmates
- Have no fear of asking questions when you don’t understand something
- Pay attention to the little details, like spelling, AP styles, blog design, etc., how to post your assignments
- Redo less-than-stellar assignments
- Have a good attitude
- Telling me you need an A because you have a perfect GPA so far won't help your case. If you want an A, you have to earn it with great attendance; zero missed assignments; good class participation; and a willingness to climb out of your comfort zone.
- Miss more than two classes
- Miss one assignment or quiz
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Wayne State Digital Photojournalism final projects showcase multiple skills
“This assignment was
truly a culmination of skills, and I exercised them all to the best of my
ability. After this assignment I’ve realized just how artful photojournalism is
and the work people put in to doing it. For me the hardest part was still the
photos, the technique. I now know that as a photojournalist you also have to
create your style, your ‘way of doing,’ to create this common thread in your
images and that thread is you. What you’re looking at through your lenses, what
composition you’re using, how you’re using light, what moments you capture.
You’re given the tools and the skills but once you’re out shooting it all comes
down to you.” – Pulled quote from blog post of Kayla Cockrel, fall semester
2016 Wayne State Digital Photojournalism student.
Yes, it’s progressive. But because this is the only
photojournalism course available in the journalism program, I stand by the
curriculum. Because I understand this is a difficult course for the novice
photographer, which most of them are, I allow them to turn in assignments late.
This gives them time to soak in the information; reshoot weak assignments; give
them confidence and time to get out of their comfort zones.
What a succinct way of describing what photojournalists do!
It is certainly true that once you’re out there with camera in hand, whatever and wherever it is, it
all comes down to you, the shooter: What lens you choose. What composition you
see. How you evaluate light. What moment you capture.
Kayla learned this through experiencing those
important choices via the assignments given in the Digital Photojournalism
class at Wayne State University in Detroit.
I’ve heard grumblings from former students complaining
that the course is too advanced. Too difficult. They come in on that first day
thinking it’s basically a camera class, but find out as the course progresses
that it’s much more than learning apertures and shutter speeds.
Lessons include:
- What news and photojournalism is. This includes identifying all parts of a print newspaper, learning the history of journalism, and identifying eight news values
- The camera: Learning ISO, shutter speed, aperture; composition; reading light; capturing the moment
- Setting up and maintaining social media sites: Wordpress blogs, Twitter and Instagram
- Writing AP style captions
- Law & Ethics
- Collecting and editing audio
- Shooting feature, portrait, sports and photo story assignments
- Using industry standard software: Photo Mechanic; Photoshop; Adobe Premiere Pro CC; Audacity
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| Screen grab: Blog post by Morgan Kollen |
Even if they will never use a camera again, they, as journalism and PR majors, will undoubtedly work with photojournalists, or manage them. Now they will have an appreciation of what photojournalists do, and what they need to get the job done.
The final project is a culmination of all of the aforementioned lessons. I’m proud to say most of the students did amazingly well. Rather than have a strict rule on how it should be presented, they were encouraged to follow their guts, and hearts. Considering most of these students knew absolutely nothing about cameras and storytelling four months ago, I think they did a great job putting their stories together.
The final project is a culmination of all of the aforementioned lessons. I’m proud to say most of the students did amazingly well. Rather than have a strict rule on how it should be presented, they were encouraged to follow their guts, and hearts. Considering most of these students knew absolutely nothing about cameras and storytelling four months ago, I think they did a great job putting their stories together.
This proves to me that I am on the right track in
keeping the curriculum challenging, but giving them time and room to grow. Most students walk into class with a minimal digital footprint, and depart with a Wordpress blog showcasing a variety of photojournalism content.
Now,
I present to you three wonderful, very different examples of their work. These are their final projects:
Ryan Miller – a conversation
interview format, shot in a difficult lighting situation:
Chris Ehrmann – a video story on
his trip with fellow WSU classmates to Ghana in October:
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
My justification as to why audio lesson is a vital part of photoj curriculum
This is the very first audio story recorded and produced by Owens Visual Storytelling student Suzanne Caris, published on the Owens Outlook online student newspaper Nov. 28.
![]() |
| WGTE's Haley Taylor explains her strategy for producing her Rough Draft Diaries series at the Toledo station. |
That student wrote, and I quote:
“Why in the f--- are we editing sound?”
A few years ago I would have
asked that same question, but not now. Gone are the days when photojournalists
simply take still photos and write captions.
I try to make it pretty clear throughout
each semester that photojournalism is rapidly evolving, expanding,
transforming, and yes, getting harder. We are multitasking; being spread
too thin; and doing more for less. Photojournalists now shoot video (and some even fly drones and do VR and 3D work), while
journalists can be expected to shoot their own still photos and videos, as well.
All three of my classes (Wayne State, Kent State and Owens) are either creating audio
slideshows or podcasting. So, as a photojournalism instructor, it's my job to expose students to basic audio capture and production.
That’s why they are editing sound.
The WSU Digital Photojournalism course is an intense introduction class
that is filled with journalism, broadcasting and public relation majors. They
learn the basics of the DSLR camera, how to write captions, and their First
Amendment rights. They also shoot feature, portrait and sports assignments for
practical experience.
For their final project, they shoot
and produce an audio slideshow, which requires an audio track. They shoot the
story, and also record interviews and capture ambient sound, if appropriate.
The students can add royalty-free music if it benefits the story.
The audio is recorded with their
cell phones, a recording device or their cameras, and then edited using Audacity, a free multi-track audio editor and recorder that is
installed on all of the MAC computers in the classroom. Adobe Premiere Pro CCis used for the audio slideshow production.
![]() |
| Haley Taylor's strategy for a Rough Draft Diaries show. |
According to
Dictionary.com, a podcast is a digital audio or
video file or recording, usually part of a themed series, that can be
downloaded from a website to a media player or computer.
To kick off the audio lesson we
took a field trip to WGTE Public Radio in Toledo in October. We were given a tour by Cathy Kamenca, and podcaster Haley Taylor
was gracious enough to show us how she produces her Rough Draft Diaries series.
Then the students hit the ground
running. They used either the Zoom H2 recorder or their cell phones to capture
the audio; edited their files using Audacity, and uploaded their stories on either
audioBoom or SoundCloud.
Their audio stories are currently
airing weekly on the Owens
Outlook student newspaper.
This new audio lesson, which is pretty basic, is
appropriate for this course, considering the Visual Storytelling class is now a
requirement course in the new broadcasting major.
The Owens Outlook staff is pondering a
name and branding image for the podcasts. It’s unclear at the time the
direction we’ll go with them.
After all, this class, like
photojournalism, is still evolving, transforming and expanding.
To listen to my first effort at
podcasting for the Toledo Blade, go here.
![]() |
| WGTE's Cathy Kamenca, second from right, gives the Owens' Visual Storytelling students a tour of the Toledo studio. |
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
My failed job interview at Kent State: What I would say differently
This is a
story about failure and sabotage.
I’ve lost plenty of sleep over
it, and played back my poor performance in my head a million times. How could I
have done it differently?
Well, this is my first step in
trying to redeem a little of myself, by helping others. Though it’s too late for me because I
didn’t get the job, it’s not too late for others, who will be in my
shoes at some point in their careers.
Earlier this year I applied to
teach at my Alma Mater, Kent State. The position was in the journalism
department, and it was for a nine-month tenure track position, meaning
full-time employment with summers off. I was selected for the first initial Skype
interview.
Though my attention to details is
fading, and for the sake of brevity, I will highlight two major mistakes that could have cost me the job.
o Mistake
No. 1: My paraphrased answer to their first question.
The search committee: “So, why should we hire you?”
Me: “Because I worked very, very hard to get here.”
What? Did I really say that? Who doesn’t work very, very hard to get
where they are?
What I should have said was this:
“Because I’m a very experienced journalist, photojournalist
and newspaper editor. I’m also social media savvy. I believe every student
journalist should graduate with multiple skills (writing, shooting stills and
video, podcasting) because that’s what the job dictates these days.
“I’m also experienced in the classroom, teaching
the skills I have mastered over the years.
“I love teaching so much that I went back to school
and received a Master’s degree in Journalism Education in 2012. In fact, I
currently teach the Teaching Multimedia grad course within that program, which
is at your fine institution.
I also have written two articles in 2016 on journalism education and photojournalism interns for NPPA's News Photographer Magazine. Plus, I'm the faculty advisor for the Owens Outlook student online newspaper.
I also have written two articles in 2016 on journalism education and photojournalism interns for NPPA's News Photographer Magazine. Plus, I'm the faculty advisor for the Owens Outlook student online newspaper.
“I think you should hire me because I understand
that this field is always evolving, so I continue to learn, and I thoroughly enjoy evolving with it,
and taking students on that journey with me.”
o Mistake
No. 2: My answer to this question: “What is your biggest weakness?”
“Um, I guess research.”
Sigh. Did I really just admit that? Yes, I did. I was even warned
that they were looking for a researcher. This is when I truly sabotaged myself.
What I should have said was this:
“My biggest weakness is my greatest strength.
"As you know, I am a working full-time
photojournalist at the Toledo Blade. The strength
of that job, which I've had for the past 21 years, is that it keeps my shooting and
communication skills sharp. I’m shooting everyday, and using social media to
promote our stories. I’m also very aware of our First Amendment rights,
and am very ethically and legally fit. Students should be aware of our photographer rights, as well.
“However, the weakness of having that job is that it takes up at least 40 hours a
week of my time. Consider that each fall semester I also teach a class at two
universities, and in the spring I teach a class at three universities! Can you imagine how much energy I can put into my
job at Kent State if I directed all my resources into one, single school and
job? I would be thrilled to devote that extra 40 hours to do research on innovation, which I would love to do
if I only had the time.”
So,
there it is. Truth is I am not quick on my feet in front of a search committee.
Maybe
next time, since I’ve actually written this out, I can do a better job in
letting them know that I would be a great asset to their school. Sure, I’ve failed in two formal job interviews at Bowling Green University and Kent
State, but I can’t give up because I still believe I have a lot to give.
Of course, I could be totally wrong about why it didn't work out. But regardless, my advice is this:
Of course, I could be totally wrong about why it didn't work out. But regardless, my advice is this:
- Write an essay on both your strengths and weaknesses. Read it over and over again before the interview so it’s fresh in your head.
- Know exactly what you want to say about why you would be great at the job.
- Don't be afraid to brag about your accomplishments. I should have told them to look at my website and my class blog, because the proof is in the demonstrated work.
Maybe I
didn’t have the courage to talk up my accomplishments enough, and that could have been my biggest mistake.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Owen's Visual Storytelling students going on trip of a lifetime to Atlanta
Campus Pulse Promo from Owens Outlook Student Newspaper on Vimeo.
This is an example of the Visual Storytelling students in action, recorded and published last month. Imagine what they will do after they get back from the CMA conference!
The Visual Storytelling class will soon be packing their bags for a trip of a lifetime!
All six of my
Visual Storytelling students are also members of the student newspaper, a
requirement of the course. Because we are a community college with no
journalism program, I, as the sole journalism instructor on campus, have turned
my photojournalism class into a practicum course. The definition of practicum applies because this course is
designed to give students supervised practical experience in a particular
field, in this case visual storytelling, which includes shooting stills and video, and podcasting.
This is an example of the Visual Storytelling students in action, recorded and published last month. Imagine what they will do after they get back from the CMA conference!
The Visual Storytelling class will soon be packing their bags for a trip of a lifetime!
Plane and hotel reservations are
booked, and the students have notified their other instructors that they’ll be
missing a few days of school Oct. 26-29.
With funds from Owens Community
College Student Activities and an Owens Outlook student newspaper Block Foundation
endowment, eight of us will be traveling to Atlanta to attend the Fall 2016 College Media Association convention.
As the class instructor and
student newspaper adviser, I believe this student media convention will pack a
humungous educational punch that I can’t replicate.
We are one of nearly 100 schools
that will learn the craft of all things journalism while sitting in choices of 360 breakout
sessions, led by industry leaders and college media experts. The variety of sessions is quite impressive, and includes everything
from learning how to write feature stories, get better sound out of your
broadcast studio, and manage student media, to how to sell ads and become a
better adviser.
The keynote speakers alone are worth the trip.
Here a few I’m excited to hear:
- Award-winning CNN producer/editor Jen Christensen, who will lead a panel on the Orlando shooting and its aftermath
- Tom Luse, executive producer for The Walking Dead television show about zombies
- Hank Kilibanoff, director of the Georgia Civil Rights Cold Cases Project at Emory University
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| Visual Storytelling class in their first Owens Outlook meeting. |
Also attending the conference is the Owens
Outlook student business manager, a paid part-time Owens employee. Alicia is
responsible for all of our business needs, including selling ads for revenue,
which pays for our camera equipment. We also use ads to purchase gift cards
for students who go above and beyond. Because Owens Outlook student media are
not paid, this is one way of giving back (not all student media are students in
the Visual Storytelling class. The Owens Outlook is open to all students).
This is the third time I’ve taken
students the CMA conference, and I hope it won’t be the last. There is no
better way of inspiring students to be better communicators and informed
citizens, whether they stay in the journalism field, or not.
Each student will be required to
write a blog post, including an essay and photos, about their experience after they get
back. I encourage you to check out their blogs, which you can find here.
I can tell that the upcoming conference
has already made a difference in their attitudes and enthusiasm. Their attendance
is nearly perfect, and their participation is amazing.
Yes, I wholeheartedly believe the
monetary cost is worth every penny.
Friday, September 30, 2016
The Golden Camera: A symbol of achievement, hard work & true grit
| Kyle Benner: First recipient for Visual Storytelling class |
It is significant to note I am not a yard saler. I don't bargain hunt, clip coupons or window shop. But for some reason I stopped at this one.
I noticed a collection of vintage
camera stuff, so I, of course, did a quick scan of what was being
pawned off as other people's treasures. And there, amongst the
junk, was the Golden Camera.
The hollow camera is a gold-plated
monstrosity of a thing, and I had to have it! So I bartered, like I
hear you're supposed to do at yard sales, and successfully shaved off a
few bucks. I borrowed the $3 sale price from my spouse and walked away feeling like I had just bought
something pretty special.
It didn't take long before I realized what to do with it. It would be perfect as
an incentive and reward for students in my Owens Community College
Visual Storytelling and Wayne State University Digital
Photojournalism classes.
The camera is now presented during
class to those who go above and beyond. Each recipient will get their photo taken with it, and it will be posted on Instagram. They then get to keep it for a week.
So far, two students have had the esteemed honor of being presented with the Golden Camera: Kyle Benner, of Owens, and Wayne State's Ryan Miller.
So far, two students have had the esteemed honor of being presented with the Golden Camera: Kyle Benner, of Owens, and Wayne State's Ryan Miller.
This is just one way of giving back
to students who work hard to show up to class, follow assignment
instructions, turn in their homework on time, and try their best.
It is important to mention that the Golden Camera is not about
being perfect or flawless, just getting the job done with enthusiasm,
and for demonstrating true grit for getting out of their comfort
zones.
So, this is the story behind
the Golden Camera. May it be in the hands of many, many, many
students for the unforseeable future.
Monday, August 29, 2016
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Lesson One: Visual storytelling is photojournalism with a purpose
The first Storify lesson on the definition of photojournalism and visual storytelling:
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Welcome back visual storyteller and photojournalism students!
Welcome back!
I'm looking forward to this semester for several reasons:
The name change puts this course more in line with the Commercial Photography and Commercial Art Technology degrees. It also takes away the scary 'journalism' part, considering the students aren't journalism majors. No, there is no journalism major at Owens. This class is as close as it gets.
Because it's the first semester for this new course, I'll be experimenting with assignment ideas. The first major tweak is eliminating the sports assignment, and adding podcasting. Don't let the 'visual' part of the course title fool you; storytelling comes in all platforms, even the use of audio.
The textbook has also changed. We'll be using Multimedia Journalism, by Andy Bull. This book helps "build proficiency and professional standards in multimedia journalism." It features lessons on social media, Wordpress, smartphone apps and building a personal brand.
Another tweak is to change from Blogger to Wordpress. Wordpress blogs are more universally accepted in the journalism world, and I forced myself to learn and use it this summer. As my own test subject, I developed Visuals & Voices of Toledo, and am quite satisfied with the results. You, as Toledo-area students, will also be submitting your work, particularly your podcasts, to that platform, too.
I strongly believe that learning is doing, so you will have ample opportunity to learn as you create real and published visual and audio stories.
We, as a class, will also be meeting once a week in the Owens Outlook student newspaper office. That means one class period will be in the classroom, and the other class period will be in the newspaper office located in the SHAC. I'm hoping this will help get you into the spirit of the newspaper, considering you all will be staff members.
And the best news of all - all six students have been invited to join me at the College Media Association Fall Convention in Atlanta the end of October. As the Outlook adviser, I will bring back with fresh ideas to keep this student newspaper running for as long as I am with Owens.
So, students, bear with me as we go forth into the exciting unknown.
I'm looking forward to this semester for several reasons:
Owens Community College
The Introduction to Photojournalism course at Owens has been changed. It is now Visual Storytelling. This means less emphasis on journalism, and more on multimedia.The name change puts this course more in line with the Commercial Photography and Commercial Art Technology degrees. It also takes away the scary 'journalism' part, considering the students aren't journalism majors. No, there is no journalism major at Owens. This class is as close as it gets.
Because it's the first semester for this new course, I'll be experimenting with assignment ideas. The first major tweak is eliminating the sports assignment, and adding podcasting. Don't let the 'visual' part of the course title fool you; storytelling comes in all platforms, even the use of audio.
The textbook has also changed. We'll be using Multimedia Journalism, by Andy Bull. This book helps "build proficiency and professional standards in multimedia journalism." It features lessons on social media, Wordpress, smartphone apps and building a personal brand.
Another tweak is to change from Blogger to Wordpress. Wordpress blogs are more universally accepted in the journalism world, and I forced myself to learn and use it this summer. As my own test subject, I developed Visuals & Voices of Toledo, and am quite satisfied with the results. You, as Toledo-area students, will also be submitting your work, particularly your podcasts, to that platform, too.
I strongly believe that learning is doing, so you will have ample opportunity to learn as you create real and published visual and audio stories.
We, as a class, will also be meeting once a week in the Owens Outlook student newspaper office. That means one class period will be in the classroom, and the other class period will be in the newspaper office located in the SHAC. I'm hoping this will help get you into the spirit of the newspaper, considering you all will be staff members.
And the best news of all - all six students have been invited to join me at the College Media Association Fall Convention in Atlanta the end of October. As the Outlook adviser, I will bring back with fresh ideas to keep this student newspaper running for as long as I am with Owens.
So, students, bear with me as we go forth into the exciting unknown.
Wayne State University
There are no dramatic changes in this course.
However, after reading the instructor evaluations, there will be more group sessions, particularly while going through the photo selection and editing process. In fact, I've added an assignment specifically geared for that process.
As with the Owens course, you will also change from Blogger to Wordpress. This will go well with the website class many of you have taken, or will take, here at Wayne State.
For inspiration and to get you into the spirit of storytelling, please view this PBS special on photojournalist and war photographer Lynsey Addario:
Monday, May 16, 2016
KSU Teaching Multimedia students post final assignment: A lesson plan
The semester
is now over, but before I put this blog to bed for the summer, I want to share
the final projects for my Kent State Teaching Multimedia grad students.
But first, I want to say that
the Teaching MM course impacted me a great deal when I was a grad student
in the KSU Journalism Education program. Under the tutelage of Sue Zake in 2009, a
KSU adjunct and instructor for that course back then, I created my first blog, and
have been blogging ever since. Now, Zake is a KSU assistant professor, and I am
honored to have inherited that course from her in 2013.
Blogs are now required in all of
my photojournalism courses because, it most cases, it’s the first visual
portfolio for the students. Blogs are a powerful way of documenting what they’ve
learned throughout the semester, and passing that knowledge forward.
The final and most significant posting is their final
project, which is developing a lesson plan, homework
sheet, rubric and Camtasia Studio tutorial on a topic of their
choice. It was based on their newfound expertise in creating multimedia journalism. The students were instructed to select a subject they wanted to teach and/or use with their
own students, and upload all of the required elements to their blogs.
Not only do I grade from the
blogs, but by posting to their blogs, other teachers and students can share it, as well.
Of course, all of the teachers have developed lesson
plans and rubrics throughout their career. But what was new was developing a lesson using Camtasia, a screen recording and video editing software that is perfect
for creating how-to tutorials. Since this was a multimedia course, why not introduce them to a program that enhances their lesson plans?
I loved the wide range of subjects chosen for
this assignment: Videolicious, Twitter, video sequencing and editing, creating
infographics, Picasa and editing podcasts using Audacity.
So, it is with immense pride that I present to you the blogs of the spring semester 2016 class, who are mostly high school teachers advising or teaching student media (broadcasting, newspapers, yearbook).
Adding a poll to your content from Mark Davidson on Vimeo.How to use Twitter to promote a news story from Teaching Multimedia on Vimeo.
(This video is a demonstration for students posting their live broadcasts to Todd's school website on his class page, by Todd Hatfield)
Editing Video to Tell a Story from Stephen Milligan on Vimeo.
(Introducing students to ThingLink, a website that allows users to create interactive graphics, by Michael Gluskin)
AIR Exam Video from Robin Lester on Vimeo.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
The final assignment for the Intro to PJ class: The Sunshine Magazine
This 24-page magazine showcases the photography, writing and newfound layout and design skills by the spring 2016 Owens Community College Intro to Photojournalism course students.
With my guidance, each student was responsible for their own work, including the layout and design of their assigned pages, using only Photoshop and Word.
These commercial photography majors were certainly out of their comfort zones when they were tasked with writing and editing duties, but isn't that why they were in that classroom for the past four months... to be challenged with building new skills?
The explanation of the successes and pitfalls of the overall project, which took a month to shoot and produce, is in the previous blog post. This is a Steller iPhone slideshow of our visit to Sunshine: Click here for Steller slideshow
Thank you, Sunshine, for inviting us in, and thank YOU for viewing!
With my guidance, each student was responsible for their own work, including the layout and design of their assigned pages, using only Photoshop and Word.
These commercial photography majors were certainly out of their comfort zones when they were tasked with writing and editing duties, but isn't that why they were in that classroom for the past four months... to be challenged with building new skills?
The explanation of the successes and pitfalls of the overall project, which took a month to shoot and produce, is in the previous blog post. This is a Steller iPhone slideshow of our visit to Sunshine: Click here for Steller slideshow
Thank you, Sunshine, for inviting us in, and thank YOU for viewing!
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| Page 1 |
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| Page 2 (The Play button on Page 2 indicates a video shot by Caleb, which is not linked on this blog post.) |
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| Page 3 |
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| Page 4-5 (Note: The trapped white spacing at the end of the third column occurred during the transition from Word to PDF) |
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| Page 7 |
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| Page 8 |
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| Page 9 |
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| Page 10 |
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| Page 11 |
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| Pages 12-13 |
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| Pages 14-15 |
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| Page 16 |
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| Page 17 |
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| Page 18 |
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| Page 19 |
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| Pages 20-21 |
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| Pages 22-23 |
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| Page 24 (This last page is a sponsorship ad submitted by Sunshine) |
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