What is new media?
New media is people designing graphics, moving images, sound, text, and storytelling to creatively advance digital communication, and to fulfill the need for interactivity using online social networks, collaboration, and sharing.
What is the new media academy and who is it for?
The New Media Academy is a specialized training program for students who are interested in imaginative computer use, creative expression, are motivated and teachable, and are interested in exploring and building a foundation for a career in this expanding field.
Mission Statement
The CHAMPS New Media Academy is committed to developing happy, self-confident, responsible, and skilled digital media content creators. We will provide opportunities for enthusiastic students to be inspired, educated, and challenged.
The Academy’s objectives are to:
- Train students to produce creative ways to communicate, educate, and entertain using digital media and the technical arts.
- Prepare students for continued study in college or professional schools.
- Increase the students’ overall self-confidence that comes from discovering and developing one’s talents, work ethic, and ability to productively work individually and in partnerships.
- Provide ongoing direction, resources, and practice to make life-long learning a pattern.
- Make some class time available to help students understand how to have fun using these skills to creatively complete homework for other classes and personal projects.
Each student will need to sign up for a free Google email account in order to gain access to the wide array tools they provide. This does not have to become your main personal email, it can be your dedicated school address.
Grading:
100%-90%=A | 89%-80%=B | 79%-70%=C | 69%-60=D | 59%-0=F
The four major elements that decide a student’s grade are:
Attendance:
Most projects are explained and completed in class, therefore attendance is very important.
Class participation:
There will be very little homework assigned, therefore, students need to be working on and completing class related projects in order to successfully complete each course. No myspace, unauthorized chats, or other off task activities.
Maintain a positive attitude:
be nice, polite and supportive of others
Complete all Weekly Assignments: you can make up any missing assignments
Tardies:
Be in your seat and ready to work before the tardy bell rings. Lateness disrupts and wastes class time. Three unexcused tardies within a grading period will result in a “U” in Work Habits.
All of the following courses are required and sequential:
All students who have been accepted into the New Media Academy are required to pass all of the required courses with a C or better. Most academy courses require projects to be published online, as well as some short written research assignments.
These courses have been developed using the new media workflow model that integrates a real-world combination of authoring tools that together contribute to the completion of each project. This method of production is very common in the professional small group and entrepreneurial business environments.
New Media Academy Courses: Year One
Technology and Design 1
A one-year course - Primary software: Microsoft Office, Google Docs and Spreadsheets
Students will become familiar with Macintosh OS X, learn how to transfer their skills between Mac and Windows, and design a system for file organization. Additionally, they will develop college level word processing and research skills in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Using Microsoft PowerPoint, students will apply the principles of design, basic image manipulation, color theory, and typography for simple written and graphic storytelling. This course will give students a firm understanding of the expert capabilities of these professional tools and begin to develop effective visual communication and formatting skills.
Web Design 1
A one-semester course - Software: Google Page Creator, Adobe Dreamweaver, Picasa Web Albums, and iPhoto
The objective of this one-semester course is to introduce students to quick and easy web site design and publishing. Students will learn how to keep personal information a secret and understand how to keep safe by avoiding the very real dangers of online predators. Each student will create and publish an online student portfolio and a new personal web site. They will design intuitive navigation and page layout, become familiar with web related terminology, and convert, compress, import, upload and link common image files. Myspace and other social sites are very cool and fun, but make no mistake, what you do there is NOT web design.
The Digital Lifestyle
“The only thing we can count on is change.” This mini-course is blended into the curriculum. It is designed to help students understand, enjoy, and feel the excitement in the ever-changing world of technology. Students will learn how to easily find key resources that will keep them on the front edge of new innovations and evolving social movements. They will be given in-class time to practice becoming a life-long learner through, podcast subscriptions, video news sites, blogs, and other resources. Each student will regularly prepare a short multimedia presentation on interesting new information they discovered.
Multimedia 1: Shoot, Edit, Create a Soundtrack, and Publish a Short Film
A one-year course - Primary software: iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, Alice, SketchUp, and The Movies
The objective of this one-year course is to teach students the power of the audio and visual communication methods that professionals use to effectively communicate their message. Topics include: knowing your target audience, persuasive techniques, storyline, camera angle, lighting, color, and audio. Students will analyze and begin to apply these production techniques in order to create the desired viewer experience in their original short films, video, advertisements, games and other media. Class members will create a simple compelling short story and to begin to use professional techniques in order to produce engaging video, and finally compress and deliver high quality media to DVD and the web. We will also experiment with the new film making process called Machinima and The Movies software.
Pro Applications 1: A one-year course - Software: Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Flash
Students will be exposed to classic great photographs, learn foundational composition, and practice correct digital photography techniques. (During the photography unit, it is helpful for students to bring their own camera along with the power and USB cords.) These photos will then be used in Photoshop and Flash projects. Students will then be introduced to Adobe Photoshop and learn: cropping for composition, color correction, image enhancement, removing a background, layers, compositing, filter effects, blend modes, animation, creating abstract backgrounds, adding text and effects, and converting and compressing image files for print, web, and to export to other applications. Adobe Flash will then be introduced. Students will learn the vector drawing tools, animation using a motion tween, shape tween, or frame by frame, build an animated web site banner and navigation, and if time permits, Flash game design will be introduced.
New Media Academy: Year Two
Web Design 2, Advanced Multimedia Design, Professional Apps 2
Final Cut Pro, Live Type, 3D Modeling and Animation, Illustrator, Flash Game Creation, and Independent Projects - learning: motion graphics, advanced design, and advanced game production
The National Education Technology Standards addressed
“What students should know and be able to do to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly digital world …”
2007 INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
http://www.iste.org/inhouse/nets/cnets/index.html - Choose: National Educational Technology Standards 2007
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems and operations.
California Department of Education: Career Pathway
http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/pn/fd/documents/careertechstnd.pdf
The New Media Academy will build a foundation for students to pursue a career in the following Media and Design Arts:
Computer graphics, digital design, web design, animation, computer game development, Internet publishing, building interactive online media, movie and video production, broadcast, commercial digital artist, photography, or computer science
Of all the career industries, the Media and Design Arts sector requires perhaps the greatest cross-disciplinary interaction and development because the work in this sector has a propensity to be largely project-based, requiring uniquely independent work and self-management career skills.
Whatever the form or medium of creative expression, all careers in this sector require “publication” or a public presentation in one-way or another. Therefore there is a focus on the technical, organizational, and managerial knowledge and skills necessary to bring a project to the public.
New technological developments are also constantly reshaping the boundaries and skill sets of many arts career pathways. Consequently, core arts sector occupations demand constantly varying combinations of skills.
Successful career preparation involves both in-depth and broad academic preparation as well as the cultivation of such intangible assets as flexibility, problem-solving abilities, and interpersonal skills.
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