Building Our Staff Community Through

TechnologyAn Introductory Project for Photojournalism I-III Students

PROJECT DAY ONE1. Overview2. Bio Poems3. Taking and Uploading Digital Photos

Since our Yearbook Staff has expanded to three different class periods this year, we now have the challenge of getting to know each other and working together as one team even though we are all never in the classroom together at the same time.

The Problem…

TECHNOLOGY Mrs. Sheetz has been busy this summer

brainstorming ways to solve our problem. This introductory project is designed to

accomplish many different goals: mainly getting to know each other while learning a few basic yearbook and technology skills, and hopefully having some creative fun too!

The Solution…

1. To build community among our yearbook staff.2. To introduce you to the basics of taking and uploading digital photos.3. To review Internet plagiarism and how to cite Internet sources properly.4. To utilize technology as a means for communication among our three sections of yearbook.5. To utilize technology as a means for collaboration among our three sections of yearbook.

Project Goals: What’s the Point?

BY THE END OF THIS PROJECT, ALL OF YOU WILL:

1. have completed a Bio Poem introducing yourself to the staff and include your headshot.

2. be familiar with taking and uploading digital photos.3. be familiar with using the Internet to find pictures.4. be familiar with plagiarism as it applies to Internet material and will

know how to cite Internet sources.5. have created a Photo Story presentation sharing your poems and

incorporating both properly cited Internet sources and digital photographs.

6. have posted your Photo Story presentations to our staff wiki.7. have viewed and commented on the Photo Story presentations of the

staff members in the other classes via our staff wiki.8. have posted a question or answer to the Discussion Board on our staff

wiki.9. have established contact with your assigned “wiki buddies.”

Project Objectives: What Will We Accomplish?

To ensure your learning of material and your participation, you willbe graded based on the following:

1. I will evaluate your Word Processing skills by reading and grading your typed Bio Poems.

2. I will evaluate your Digital Photography skills by viewing your uploaded headshot on your Bio Poem and your use of digital photography in your Photo Story presentations.

3. I will evaluate your use of Photo Story by viewing and grading your Photo Story presentations.

4. I will evaluate your Internet use by viewing your Internet sources used in your Photo Story presentations.

5. I will evaluate your use of wikis by viewing your posted Photo Story presentations, comments on others’ presentations, posted questions or answers, and contact with assigned “wiki buddies”

Be sure to follow specific assignment guidelines and directions!

Project Assessment: How Will I Be Graded?

Yes, this is a lot of information to cover and a lot of steps to complete!

This project will take place over approximately five class periods.

To help stay on track, go to our staff wiki and click on this Power Point presentation to review information and to ensure you have completed all necessary steps.

Project Timeline

Listed in order of completion:1. Bio Poem (25 points)2. Take a digital headshot of a classmate (10 points)3. Pose for a digital headshot of yourself (10 points)4. Upload your digital headshot (10 points)5. Create a Photo Story Presentation of your Bio Poem (100 points)6. Upload your Photo Story Presentation to our staff wiki (10 points)7. View and comment on all classmates’ Photo Story Presentations

in the other two classes (50 points)8. Post a question or an answer to our staff Discussion Board

located on our staff wiki (25 points)9. Establish contact with your assigned “wiki buddies” on our staff

wiki (10 points)PROJECT TOTAL: 250 points

Project Tasks and Their Point Values

The first step in this project is writing a Bio Poem.

Bio Poems are a fun, easy way to introduce yourself to your fellow staff members.

Go to our staff wiki and click on the link to the Bio Poem template.

Save a copy of the Bio Poem template to your individual network folder.

Get typing! Completed Bio Poems are worth 25

points

Bio Poems

The three types of photographs we use in our yearbook are posed headshots, candids, and action photos.

Headshots are posed pictures of a single person in front of an approved background (lockers, trophy case, red/white/blue checkered wall) focusing on the person’s body from the shoulders up

Candids are non-posed, natural pictures capturing genuine reactions and moments

Action Photos are non-posed pictures that capture the actions of your subjects in motion

Regardless of the photo type, they are all uploaded the same way.

Taking and Uploading Digital Photos

To upload digital photos for yearbook use, follow the steps below: 1. Remove the memory card from the camera 2. Insert the memory card into the AV computer or into the portable card reader 3. Click on “My Computer” and open the memory card icon 4. Click on “Thumbnail” option to see all pictures 5. Open “My Computer” in a new window, click on “Limited Access” drive, open “Yearbook” Folder, and open the appropriate folder in which you would like to save your pictures (ex: Homecoming, Football, Drama, etc.) 6. Go back to picture thumbnails, highlight the ones you want to save, and drag and drop them into the appropriate yearbook folder

Taking and Uploading Digital Photos Continued

The next step in this project is to partner up with another classmate and take a digital headshot of each other.

You may use your own cameras or the staff cameras for this task.

Line up your subject in front of an approved background (lockers, trophy case, red/white/blue checkered wall) and be sure just the shoulders and above are in the focus window/digital preview screen.

Practice until your picture is perfect! Upload the headshot of yourself into the folder with your name

on it located in the “Yearbook” folder.

1. Take a digital headshot of a classmate (10 points)2. Pose for a digital headshot of yourself (10 points)3. Upload your digital headshot (10 points)

Bio Poem Headshots

PROJECT DAY TWO1. Internet Pictures 2. Plagiarism and Citation Review3. Begin Photo Story Presentations

For the purposes of this project, you will be searching the Internet for pictures to include in your Photo Story Presentations along with the pictures you take and upload yourself.

Most of you are familiar with searching Google Images for pictures. If you do not know how to do this, please ask me and I will come show you how.

I would encourage you to also try searching our Library Databases, as many of them have high-quality images approved for student use.

Internet Pictures

As you all know from last year’s English classes, plagiarism is when you take another’s work and use it for your own purposes without giving credit to the original source.

Today’s technology, especially the Internet, makes plagiarism incredibly easy for students.

According to the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards, Standard 4A states that teachers must “advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.”

JUST BECAUSE YOU FOUND IT ON THE INTERNET DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN LEGALLY USE IT! DO NOT ASSUME IT IS “PUBLIC DOMAIN”…ASSUME IT IS NOT!

Plagiarism and Citation Review

Plagiarism and Copyright laws apply to photographs and pictures you find on the Internet too! You must cite all pictures you use in your Photo Story Presentations.

When you find a picture you would like to use, save it to your individual network folder and be sure to save the citation information into a separate Word document along with the name of the picture.

If you are in the Library Databases, the citation information will automatically come up underneath the picture. If you are in Google Images, you will have to hover over or right-click on the image and copy/paste the URL link where it is located.

Plagiarism and Citation Review

The next step in our project is to create a Photo Story Presentation of your Bio Poem that incorporates pictures you take yourself, pictures you find on the Internet, and text, music, or recorded voice.

Once you have completed your Bio Poem, you need to begin taking and searching the Internet for pictures to illustrate each line of your poem.

Your Photo Story Presentation must include a minimum of five self-taken digital pictures and five pictures found on the Internet. Your final required digital picture is your headshot taken last class.

Photo Story Presentation

Once you have your minimum of eleven pictures taken, uploaded to your “Yearbook” folder (self-taken) and downloaded to your individual network folder (Internet pictures), you are ready to begin assembling your Photo Story Presentation.

Click on the Start Menu on the computer, scroll down to the Multimedia Folder, and open “Photo Story.”

Follow the directions on the screen for inserting your Bio Poem text and pictures into this digital storytelling program.

Have fun and be creative! My minimum requirement is text, but if you would like to incorporate music or recorded voice, you may. See me to check out a microphone.

Photo Story Presentations Continued

Your Photo Story Presentation must include the following:

1. The text of your Bio Poem2. Your headshot taken last class3. A minimum of five self-taken digital pictures 4. A minimum of five pictures found on the Internet5. A reference slide with all picture citations,

including citing your own photos and your headshot with “Photo taken by” and the date it was taken

6. MAY include music or recorded voice (optional)Photo Story Presentation is worth 100 points.

Photo Story Presentation Requirements

PROJECT DAY THREE1. Finish Photo Story Presentations

Today is a work day to work on and finish your Photo Story Presentations.

Good luck, have fun, and let me know if you have any questions.

Make sure you are saving your work as you go!

When your Photo Story Presentation is complete, please title the file your first and last name!

PROJECT DAY THREE

PROJECT DAY FOUR1. The Staff Wiki 2. Upload Photo Story Presentations to Staff Wiki3. Review and Comment on Other Classes’ Presentations

Because our staff is spread over three different class periods, I have created a staff wiki page for all of us to use.

A wiki is a Web 2.0 tool used for collaboration and communication among groups of people.

You will each be given access to our private staff wiki page.

We will use this staff wiki page throughout the year for various tasks, including uploading, viewing, and commenting on our Photo Story Presentations, posting questions and answers to our staff Discussion Board, and communicating with your assigned wiki buddies.

The Staff Wiki

To upload your Photo Story Presentations to our staff wiki, follow the steps below:

1. Open our staff wiki page on the Internet and log in.

2. Find the “Staff Photo Story Presentations” section and follow the given directions.

3. Once you have uploaded your Photo Story Presentation, you may begin viewing and commenting on others’ presentations.

Uploading your Photo Story Presentation to our

staff wiki is worth 10 points.

Uploading Photo Story Presentations

After you have uploaded your Photo Story Presentation, you are required to view and comment on the Photo Story Presentations of ALL other staff members in BOTH other yearbook sections.

Follow the directions on the wiki for posting comments or questions.

Viewing and commenting on all classmates’

Photo Story Presentations in the other two

classes (50 points)

Commenting on Photo Story Presentations

PROJECT DAY FIVE1. Staff Wiki Discussion Board2. Wiki Buddies3. Conclusion

One of the useful features of a wiki page is a Discussion Board.

We will use this Discussion Board throughout the year as a way to communicate and collaborate among our three class periods.

Use the Discussion Board to post and answer any questions you may have about the class or how to do something.

Feel free to answer any questions you know an answer to. Remember: there is more than one way to do most things yearbook-related, so multiple answers and discussion will be helpful to all!

Staff Wiki Discussion Board

Possible topics you may have questions about include PHOTOS, CAPTIONS, COPY, THEME, STYLE, INTERVIEWING, E-DESIGN, RANDOM TASKS/OTHER

Follow the directions on the staff wiki for posting a question or an answer to our staff Discussion Board.

Posting a question or an answer to our staff Discussion Board located on our staff wiki (25 points)

Staff Wiki Discussion Biard Continued

The “Staff Wiki Buddies” space on our staff wiki will be used to communicate with your assigned wiki buddies.

Buddy groups will have one member from 2nd period, one from 3rd period, and one from 4th period.

Once your buddies are assigned a group number, this will be your space to use.

Be sure to check in with each other at least once per week.

Answer any questions, provide encouragement, and problem-solve together!

Follow the directions on the staff wiki for communicating with your “wiki buddies”

Establishing contact with your assigned “wiki buddies” on our staff wiki (10 points)

Wiki Buddies

Phew! That was a lot of work, but hopefully a lot of fun too! Let’s review our project objectives below to ensure we did everything we

set out to do:

BY THE END OF THIS PROJECT, ALL OF YOU WILL:1. have completed a Bio Poem introducing yourself to the staff and include

your headshot.2. be familiar with taking and uploading digital photos.3. be familiar with using the Internet to find pictures.4. be familiar with plagiarism as it applies to Internet material and will know

how to cite Internet sources.5. have created a Photo Story presentation sharing your poems and

incorporating both properly cited Internet sources and digital photographs.6. have posted your Photo Story presentations to our staff wiki.7. have viewed and commented on the Photo Story presentations of the staff

members in the other classes via our staff wiki.8. have posted a question or answer to the Discussion Board on our staff wiki.9. have established contact with your assigned “wiki buddies.”

PROJECT CONCLUSION