New Assignment: Guest Speaker Synopsis Page

Hello Students,
Your new assignment is to create a written synopsis page that reflects on the wisdom, insight and advice from the many guest speakers we have hosted in our class. Create your written content, format it with HTML and CSS and connect it to your portfolio page. Upload the final document to our server and create access to it through your online portfolio for full credit.

Guest Speaker Synopsis Page Assignment:

Written Content:

• Assemble your speaker notes together and use them for the source of your information
• Create a short dossier one each speaker that has visited our class, name, company or website, professional title, education, work history, career pathway
• Write up any insight or advice you gained from the guest speaker
• Include a memorable quote from the guest speaker

Format Content:

• Create your synopsis as a text file, then convert it to HTML
• Format your content with HTML tags, bold the speakers name as a header for each dossier and make the text big
• Use italics and quotation marks to highlight the guest speakers memorable quote
• Use unordered lists to organize the information in the dossier
• Use a CSS file to format your document, add color to the background and text, use a font other than default, but make sure it is easy to read
• Use div tags to make boxes that arrange or divide each guest speaker dossier... the style is up to you, just make sure the information is well organized and easy to read

Connect content to your portfolio:

• Modify your portfolio to include a link to this new document
• Upload the new synopsis page and updated portfolio to our server for full credit

Due friday!

- Have Fun

   Mr.W

Web Design Reverse Learning Project

Hello Students,

In this project you will research, write and guide the class through a learning exercise. Use the internet to research a specific topic or activity or use your own knowledge as a base for creating an engaging exercise. Follow the guidelines for writing interesting lessons below and be ready to present to the class. You can use movies, powerpoint presentations, hand outs or online resources to enhance your activity.

Web Design Reverse Learning Project:

Use all resources available to write and develop an fun exercise or activity that can be taught to the class in about 10 minutes or so. Follow the structure laid out below to format your lesson. Teach the class a skill that is useful and relevant to using computers, creating digital media, using the internet or other related IT skills, techniques or concepts.

Getting Started:

• Think of something you would like to teach to the class, must be related to web design, digital media, IT, internet or digital literacy skills... it could be a cool piece of code that enhances a website or a cool trick or hack you learned... thing of something fun that everyone can try
• Use the internet to research and gather resources, assets and information
• Use presentation software like powerpoint to create a presentation or use work to create hand outs, you could even use a video to help deliver your information or to engage the audience
• Follow the structure laid out below to create a compelling activity, a good lesson will have a hook to get the audiences attention peaked, information should be presented well and there should be some kind of hands on activity.
• Be ready to present and teach the class

How to write a good lesson for instruction:

Follow the outline below to create your lesson or project, try to have something for each section detailed in your presentation. Use my model lesson as a guide if you need more clarification.

Objectives and Goals: State the objective or learning outcome for your project. What do you expect people to be able to do when your lesson or activity is complete

Hook or Anticipatory Set: Use something to engage the audience and get their brains primed for learning. This could be an interesting image or even a video or a prop. It should be relevant to the material you are covering in your lesson

Lecture or Present: Talk about the material in your lesson or activity, provide some background information or history that is relevant. Discuss or present details about the material. A few bullet points or slides and images are all that is needed to frame the activity

Hands On Activity / Guided Practice or Independent Practice: Have a hands on activity for the class to engage in, or an independent practice activity for students to put their new knowledge to work

Model Lesson: How To Customize The Icon Of Your USB Flash Memory Thumbdrive:

Portfolio Wrap Up: Print Portfolio

Hello Students,

Having a polished and professional looking portfolio is key to your success in finding work after High School and moving on to developing a career. Download the ROP Portfolio Handbook to use as a guide for creating your own portfolio.

Examples of student portfolio's from a computer graphics course.

Remember that the best portfolio in class will be sent to the portfolio design competition that ROP has at the end of each school year, your portfolio will compete against other classes across the county and there certificates for finalists and a prize for the winner.

A judge evaluates print portfolio's from past entrants...

Portfolio Development Assignment:

• Your portfolio can be created with microsoft word or with Indesign
• The final file you turn in to me must be a PDF document
• Portfolio must meet the requirements in the ROP Portfolio Handbook
• Your portfolio cover, table of contents and all materials should look clean and consistent. Use consistent design style across all aspects of your portfolio. The more extensive your portfolio is the better, that includes writing about your projects to document your learning progres

Your Portfolio must contain in this order:

• Cover page with your name, class title, year. Spend some time on this, it should show good design skill and be reflective of your personality
• Table of contents
• Letter of Introduction
• Resume
• Handwritten Job Application 
• List of References
• Letter of Recommendation -  cannot be from your ROP teacher or a family member
• 3 or more work samples with written explanation about the work, why is it important to your career choice? What did the project entail, what were the challenges and difficulties? Give us details. 
• You are responsible for printing and binding your portfolio
• Sky is the limit, you can add your own style to the entire portfolio

How Your Portfolio Is Evaluated:

• Contains required content and format
• Well organized
• Free of grammar errors
• ROP related work samples
• Shows creativity
• Shows skill development
• Appropriate for use in job search
• Professional yet creative appearance

Use this as a rough guide to laying out your own portfolio...

Ok have fun!

- Mr.W

Researching and Networking

Hello Students,

Your next assignment is to research web designers and developers that live in Santa Cruz County. Developing skills in networking is essential to future opportunities beyond school and college. After researching your designer you will contact them and ask them to visit our class as a guest speaker or to participate in an informational interview either by phone or via email. Hopefully we will have a good number of willing participants to visit our class.

Networking is a valuable skill, it can give you insights into different industries and open job opportunities that may not have been available to you.

Researching and Networking Project:

• Use the internet to find and research 2 local web designers, developers, programmers or IT specialists. You can use google to refine your search. You could even try looking in the phone book. Look up their website, portfolio or even if they have an office location in town. They could be web designers, coders, IT specialists, engineers, developers, product developers etc. Take time doing the research and find someone who's work interests you
• List the persons name, website and links to any work they have done as a post on your blog
• Contact them via email or telephone, refer to the script below as a guide to introduce yourself and ask questions, above all be professional. 
• If they can't make a public appearance, ask them if they would be willing to give an informational interview either on the phone or via email. Type up the results of your interview and post to your blog.
• We want to know how they got their training, what is their education, how long have they been working, who are their clients and how do they find new clients, how do they keep their skills current? We also want to know what kind of skills are currently in demand and where do they think the industry will be in 2-5 years? What skills will be in demand in the near future?
• If you are conducting an informational interview, here are some more questions you can ask
• When you have completed your research or informational interview create a dossier and email it to me to get credit for the assignment.

Introduction Script:

Dear _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

My name is (your name here) and I am a web design student in the Regional Occupational Program at Santa Cruz High School. I am researching local web designers and IT experts as part of a class assignment. I really like your work and would like to ask if you would be interested in being a guest speaker in my web design class. Our class meets M-F from 9:45 to 11:15 AM, just let us know what date would be best. If you are unable to make an appearance than I would like to conduct an informational interview with you either through email or on the phone if possible. Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

                                              - Sincerely

                                                 (Your Name Here)

                                                 (Your Email Address Here)

                                                  Santa Cruz High School Graphic Design Student

                                                  http://ropwebdesign.blogspot.com