There were some excellent presentations during today's class from the IDP4UY crew.  I can honestly say that there wasn't a bad flavour in the bunch!

After tabulating all the votes, the winner of the best new flavour is "Vanilla Cherry Pie".  Congratulations to Ashley and Dustin!

Today the IDP4UY students will present their new Ice Cream flavour, market research, and promotional materials.  The AWE3MI students are acting as taste testers, and will make recommendations to the Chapman Board of Directors on what flavour will have the best chance at carving out market share.

AWE3MI students are reminded that they are to hand in both their photography and their ransom note assignments today.

While I am at CWOSSA for basketball, students are to use this period as dedicated work time (both IDP4U and AWE3M).

Everyone has projects due on Monday, so I doubt there is any reason for idle hands.  AWE you have your photo assignment and  your ransom note, while IDP your Chapman's presentations need to be finished, polished, and ready to go.

AWE students should be done the restaurant photoshop exercise, and completing 10-15 possible designs for their monogram/personal logo.  I would like to see these on Monday as well.

Today we will be looking at the components that make up typefaces, and working with Photoshop to create a monogram for our photographs.

IDPY4U
Because of the Boy's CWOSSA basketball game in Guelph on Friday, we will have to move the due date for the Chapman's presentations to Monday February 28th.  Please see me if this will cause any issues.

You should also be aiming to have at least 50 pts of your independent study finished by March Break (you'll find it easier during the end of the course if this number is closer to 100).

AWE3MI
Again, because of CWOSSA basketball, you are getting a few extra days to finish your Self-Directed Photo Assignment.  Also, your Ransom Note is due on Monday as well (as assigned today).  Email me if you have any issues meeting these dates.

Some students have a hard time realizing that there are "real world" deadlines.  Why, for the most part, High School does exist in a world unique to itself, such is not the case for the yearbook course.  We have a countdown clock that we are rushing against, and skills we must learn in order to finish the book on time (for a June delivery).

Case in point, the Rick Mercer challenge.  Because most students did not complete the assignment in time, the target of the week has now changed (thus making all the Photoshopped pictures of Gilles Duceppe now redundant).  I will accept the the completed works for evaluation (please include the rubric and planning sheet), any student wishing to earn the "automatic" Level 4 for appearing on the rickmercer.com website (or 4+ for making it to the TV program) will now have to redo the assignment with the new target. 

Students are to complete the tutorial posted last week on designing their own restaurant marquee.  I will come around and give feedback throughout the class.  You might find it easier to work with your headphones plugged in.

This has been a very busy start to the year, and as a result, I've missed a lot more classes than I ever planned on being away from.  

AWE3MI
Today we are going to finish up our introduction to the basic skills associated with Photo Shop.  The Rick Mercer submissions will also take place today, but REMEMBER nothing gets sent to the website without my permission first...so make sure that your image is approved as "high school appropriate".

Friendly reminder that your Photography Assignment is due on Monday.

IDP4UY
Before you work on your your points today, please see me re: what 3 yearbook pages you are taking responsibility for, and what leadership position you would like to handle.

I am presenting at a workshop this afternoon, so students are asked to finish up the following work

1) The Pitbull at the Holiday Inn practice exercise from yesterday

2) The Virtual Postcard practice exercise that we started at the tail end of yesterday's period.  Remember, the background needs to be developed from at least a 4mp photo.  You will also need a fellow student to take your picture so that you can place yourself in your "dream" destination.

3) Students who finish all of the above should check out Rick Mercer's website, and figure out who the "target of the week" is, and what sort of political/humourous message they are going to try and invoke in their photoshop submission. 

We will be working on the Rick Mercer assignment tomorrow in class, with the expectation that it is ready to hand in by the end of Friday's period.   This will be the major evaluation for the mini-Photoshop unit.

Reminder that the Self-Directed Photo assignment is due next Tuesday.

Today's class included the following:
1) The handout of course materials.

2) A discussion of the new policies re: homework and assignments.  A copy of these changes was included in the course overview handout that was sent home.

The IDP4U/AWE4MI Course Overview can be downloaded here
The AWE3MI Course Overview can be downloaded here

3) Since this is going to be a largely digital classroom, we all made sure that we had professional email addresses to correspond with each other.   We also set up Flickr.com sites to share our photographic work. 

Mr. Perry's photos can be seen and commented on by clicking on his Flickr page.

All students were asked to join the GHSS  Yearbook group so they can easily share their pics with their peers.

4) We had a brief discussion about the course, it's highlights, and the responsibilities and expectations that are placed upon all of us.