Syllabus

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Visual Communications

Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center
Instructor: Lisa Rader (gro.cchap|redarl#gro.cchap|redarl, 382.1012 ext. 1044)

Class meeting times:
VisCom A: Odd calendar days on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8:45-10:45am
VisCom B: (MUHS only) on Tuesday and Friday, 9:39-11:12am

Class motto: “Design, Create, Communicate.”

Description:

Design is all around us. In Vis. Com., students learn the principles of design and how to communicate through the media arts. Students create original two and three-dimensional works using traditional art materials in combination with a variety of computer programs and technology, including: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, digital cameras, digital drawing tablets, scanners and the internet. "Traditional" and "non-traditional" physical art materials are used in cooperation with digital art & design media. Students learn the fundamentals of design including: space, tone, color, line, balance, composition and form through real-life design projects such as: album cover design, text design and apparel design. Careers in the arts are explored and investigated.

Philosophy:

Emphasis is placed on learning the creative process and personal expression. No two student works look alike and no two students arrive at the end result in the same way. Traditional art materials are used in non-traditional and new ways and are combined with computer approaches. Experimental approaches are encouraged.

Class Guidelines:

Through democratic process the upper level class (called 'Design & Illustration') will set the studio classroom guidelines, which will be posted in the classroom. All of the art students in the Career Center are expected to work together to create a studio environment where every person can thrive.

In short:
1. Show up, on time, ready to start work at the beginning of class
2. Be prepared to work (mind and body)
3. Have assignments ready (at the time they are to be ready)
4. Respect yourself and others (people and spaces)

Attendance & Expectations:

Attendance is crucial to your success in this program. Most of the work that you do will be completed in class and we rely heavily upon the use of the Adobe Creative Suite computer programs. When you miss class, it is difficult to make up the time that you lost being absent. If you find yourself in this situation, see your teacher immediately and a 'loaner laptop' with the software can be loaned to you to make up missing work at home.

**Your parent or guardian MUST CALL THE CAREER CENTER IF YOU ARE ABSENT. Your home high school will not call us to report your absence.

Call: 382-1012 to report an absence. If you have a planned absence, please bring a note to the Career Center front office and fill out a 'Planned Absence' form.

REFER TO THE HCC STUDENT HANDBOOK FOR DETAILS ON HCC’S POLICIES.

Grading

Our school assesses student achievement using proficiency-based grading on a four point scale. Assessments may be found by accessing the class wiki site or accessing your JumpRope (online grade book) account. Information will be sent home later in the school year on how to access your grade report online. Until then, if you want to see your progress, see your teacher and she/he will print out a report for you. Because the Hannaford Career Center is its own school, you will not be able to access the VisCom class through your home school portal.

Students' final assessments will be based on the following learning target areas:

1) Research & Test

2) Ideate & Develop

3) Create & Evaluate

4) Complete

5) Connect & Relate

Detailed learning target statements can be found on the attached/linked document 'VisCom Learning Targets'

Late and Missing Work:

Meeting deadlines is crucial in the world of work. It is expected that you will make every effort to turn in work on deadline. Should you miss a deadline, it will be adversely reflected in your Habits of Work assessment. You have two weeks to make up late or missing work (unless otherwise arranged with your teacher). If you need help making up the work, see your teacher to create a plan for completion — we want every student to succeed!


Odds and Ends:

All work will be deleted from the school server and from the students' individual computers at the end of the year. The student is responsible for saving any important files!

Student Resources & Opportunities:

• FREE student handbooks are available in the classroom or through the HCC Guidance Office.

All homework or in-class assignment sheets will be available ONLINE at:
https://sites.google.com/pahcc.org/viscom

• Students can receive extra help before and after class. Arrangements may be made with the teacher for students to use the Vis. Com. computer lab during a study hall if the student is a MUHS student or a home schooled student.

• Mr. Adaman and Ms. Payne are available in room A202 when Ms. Rader is not available or the classroom is locked. The classroom lab there has the Adobe Creative Suite software that we use in our VisCom classroom.

• HCC has a Guidance Counselor (Ms. Logee, x1007) that is available for additional career and college counseling. She is happy to meet with students and/or parents.

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