Project 1 Rubric

I updated the numbers, and I think they may work. We’ll find out when I start grading this weekend. Remember that the standards won’t change, but the rubric’s appearance and numbers may.

Project 1 Presentations

You will have about two minutes each to introduce yourself to the class and say a few words about your image. We’ll follow the order in the Discussions thread.

• Relax! You’re just talking to friends.
• Make eye contact with your classmates (Don’t stare at me).
• Tell us who you are.
• Explain what your image depicts (if it’s not obvious).
• Say a few words about why/how it represents you.
• Make sure I give you a "Like" on your image. That’s how I’ll track who has presented.

Homework

For Monday (9/7), have a pleasant day off. Be safe! Go Hokies!

For Wednesday’s session (9/9), do the following before class:

• If you haven’t submitted Project 1, please use the grace period to finish by 11:59 PM. Follow the submission instructions.
• Go to one of the Lynda.com tutorials linked below and watch a minimum of three videos of your choice (not all three courses):
  • Design Aesthetics for Web Design with Sue Jenkins
  • Writing for the Web with Chris Nodder
  • Before & After: Things Every Designer Should Know with John McWade
• Look for advice on what makes a webpage/site work, and be ready to discuss what you found in class. Focus on general principles rather than any specific details on how to code something.

Project 1 Rubric

I have added a rubric to the assignment in Canvas. As I begin using the rubric to grade your work, I may need to change the way it’s set up. It’s hard to tell whether it’s a workable tool in Canvas without using it.

So far I have figured out that I have to put numbers into the rubric for it to work, even though I’m not using the rubric in the traditional way. Pay no attention to the numbers. The rubric is not going to add up to your grade. Instead I’m going to look at whether you have met the requirements established for each grade level.

Bottom line: The standards won’t change. The information on the Assignment page is correct and that’s the guidelines I will use as I look at your work.

Submitting Your Project

Submitting your work in Canvas is similar to Scholar. Follow the submission instructions to make sure you upload your work, add the reflection comments, and submit your work.

Submitting Your Image for Your Presentation

You will need to upload your image before you can embed it in the Discussion for Friday’s presentations. Be sure that your image appears in your reply, and not a link to your image.

Follow the instructions for Submitting the Image to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Peer Review Activity

Today’s peer review is just a short activity where you look over each other’s papers. You will provide each other verbal feedback. Please complete these steps:

• Pair up with someone else in class. You may have to work in threes if there are an odd number of people in class.
• Share your projects with one another, using whatever method is easiest. You can probably simply read one another’s screens.
• Provide feedback on the following:
  • Check the title of the file and document. Let your partner know if it is unique, clear, and effective.
  • If you notice any spelling errors, punctuation errors, or typos, point them out, but please focus more on the content rather than editing.
  • Look at the image and the explanatory statement. Comment on at least three things your classmate does well and at least three things that your classmate could improve on.
• Be sure you end your conversation with a bit of encouragement.
• Make any corrections or changes that you want to improve your work before submitting it.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

• If you didn’t post your image to share in the "Self-Introduction and Image Presentation" Discussion in Canvas in class, please use the grace period to finish by 11:59 PM on Thursday, 9/3. Follow the instructions for Submitting the Image.

For Friday’s session (9/4), do the following before class:

• Be prepared to introduce yourself to the class and explain/comment on your Project 1 image. You will have two minutes maximum. This is a low-stress presentation. You’re just telling everyone who you are and a bit about what you care about as a student or writer.

For Monday (9/7), have a pleasant day off. Go Hokies!

For Wednesday’s session (9/9), do the following before class:

• If you haven’t submitted Project 1, please use the grace period to finish by 11:59 PM. Follow the submission instructions
• Go to one of the Lynda.com tutorials linked below and watch a minimum of three videos of your choice (not all three courses):
  • Design Aesthetics for Web Design with Sue Jenkins
  • Writing for the Web with Chris Nodder
  • Before & After: Things Every Designer Should Know with John McWade
• Look for general advice on what makes a webpage/site work, and be ready to discuss what you found in class. Focus on general principles rather than any specific details on how to code something.

1. Go to the Courses and Groups pulldown, and choose your group in Canvas (10:10 or 11:15).
2. Choose Files from the left sidebar.
3. Click the big blue Upload button on the upper right.
4. Navigate to the file on your computer and click Open. The file will upload to your folder for the course.
5. Choose Discussions from the left sidebar.
6. Choose "Self-Introduction and Image Presentation."
7. Click the group name for your course (10:10 or 11:15).
8. Click Reply
9. Click the Embed Image button (shown below):
   
   
10. Click on the Canvas tab, and then on the Course Files link.
11. Choose your image.
12. Click the Update button, and your image will appear in the Discussion Reply.
    Important: Be sure that your image appears in the reply, and not a link to your image!
13. Click the Post Reply button, and you’re done.

1. Go to our course in Canvas.
2. Choose Assignments from the left sidebar.
3. Choose "Statement of Online Identity."
4. Click the big Submit Assignment button on the upper right. You’ll see this File Upload form:
   
5. Click the Choose File button, and navigate to your file. It must be a *.doc, *.docx, or *.pdf file.
6. Type your reflection comments in the Comments… box (indicated by the orange arrow):
   • Tell me your audience and purpose in a sentence (e.g., This is for a job search portfolio for a sports journalist).
   • Tell me what grade you aimed for (e.g., I aimed for a B+ by including headings and …..).
   • Tell me anything else you want me to know before I grade your project.
7. Click the Submit Assignment button, and your work will be uploaded and turned in.

For today, you watched “Images and Words” from Foundations of Layout and Composition with Sean Adams. You will apply the information in those videos as you look at examples and create your own image, but first we’ll go over some design tips and look at some example images.

Ten Design Tips

You can learn more about how to use design elements to to make your project visually appealing and easy to read by working through these Ten Design Tips and the related Lynda.com videos.

Example Images

These example images were created by students who took the course in the Spring. Their assignment was slightly different from yours, since they were focusing on who they were online. Your images and explanatory text will have a different focus, since you are introducing yourself to the class and to the world once you incorporate the piece into your portfolio site.

• A Dreamer
• Erica’s Adventures Online
• It’s All About Connections
• On to My Next Adventure
• Natalie, Nature, and the Net
• Wanderlust

As you create your image, try to think about your perspective on the world as it relates to your portfolio. So, for instance, if you are pre-ed, you might have an image that relates your attitude about education, teaching, or students. If you are a poet, your image might be about writing, poetry, or even an abstract concept like beauty.

Your image can be a self-portrait, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be a photo or a drawing. Anything goes as long as it represents you in some way.

Editing Images

1. Go to PicMonkey.com. It’s a free site, and it does not require a login.
2. Watch for the crown logo, which represents Royale upgrades that you would have to pay for. Don’t waste time on them.
3. Make sure you have a backup of your original image and that the image is available on your computer.
4. Choose Edit and then upload your image.
5. Crop out any distractions in the background so that the image focuses on the main point.
6. Edit the image as you like, adding filters, special effects, and so forth.
7. Add text to the image that complements the image and helps communicate the message you are making.
8. Save your image with a new name and make a backup.

We are using PicMonkey in class because it’s easy and free. You can use whatever image editor you like for the image you create for Project 1. Regardless of the tool you choose, you need to crop out distractions and add some text to your image. See the documentation for the tool you have chosen if you need help.

In-Class Writing

All you have to do is upload the image you worked on in class for credit. Go to the Quizzes tool in Canvas and take the "Image Editing" quiz. You can add an optional comment if you want/need to tell me anything about your image.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

• If you didn’t complete your "Image Editing" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5 PM Tuesday (9/1).

For Wednesday’s session (9/2), do the following before class:

• Aim to have a draft of your image and text ready to share in class. We will spend part of the session on peer review and part talking about how to submit your work and the reflection comments. You will post your image to share in the "Self-Introduction and Image Presentation" Discussion in Canvas by 11:59 PM on Thursday, 9/3.

For Friday’s session (9/4), do the following before class:

• Be prepared to introduce yourself to the class and explain/comment on your Project 1 image. You will have two minutes maximum. This is a low-stress presentation. You’re just telling everyone who you are and a bit about what you care about as a student or writer.

For Monday (9/7), have a pleasant day off. Go Hokies!

For Wednesday’s session (9/9), do the following before class:

• Go to one of the Lynda.com tutorials linked below and watch a minimum of three videos of your choice (not all three courses):
  • Design Aesthetics for Web Design with Sue Jenkins
  • Writing for the Web with Chris Nodder
  • Before & After: Things Every Designer Should Know with John McWade
• Look for general advice on what makes a webpage/site work, and be ready to discuss what you found in class. Focus on general principles rather than any specific details on how to code something.