TECHBOSTON ACADEMY
Course Syllabus 2008-2009
Course Description:
In today’s age, humans are bombarded by images, ranging from advertisements to the labels on the everyday products we use. Students will examine various elements of visual culture and make connections between visual culture and art. They will achieve this through appropriating imagery from newspapers and magazines for collage, analyzing and drawing from advertisements, and using found objects in drawings. Students will receive an introduction to Adobe Photoshop, and learn about the various features it has.
Course Materials
Colored pencils, 9”x12” white paper, sketch pad HB pencils, tracing paper, rulers tape, magazines & newspapers (resources for advertisements)
Laptops (Provided by TBA)
Instructional Objectives
Major topics covered throughout the year:
- The relationship between visual culture and advertising
- Digital Art and its place in the art world
- The relationship between visual culture and commercial art.
- Appropriated imagery
- One point and two point perspective
- Adobe Photoshop
Key questions to include:
- What is visual culture?
- What is commercial art?
- How does visual culture affect us?
- What is the relationship between visual culture and art?
- What are some similarities between art and advertisement?
- What is Adobe Photoshop?
Required Student Products
Projects- Students will receive a number of projects that are expected to be completed during class.
Classwork- Students will receive a grade on classwork as they work on their projects. Classwork will be assessed after every class.
Homework- Students will have the occasional homework assignment, which will be used as resources for their projects.
Rules and Policies
Entering and Exiting Class
When you come to class, I expect you to enter quietly and be read. You should have everything you need for class with you (books, pen/pencil, laptop) and will not be allowed to go to your locker. If you do not enter quietly, you will be given another chance to enter appropriately. If your behavior causes a serious disruption, however, you may suffer a more serious consequence. When it is time for class to end, please do not pack up your bag before I dismiss you. I will be respectful of your time and getting you to your next class – and I expect you to be respectful of my and your classmates’ time. If you start packing up early, you will have the pleasure of being the last student to leave the room.
Restroom Policy
Because we only meet a few times per week, please refrain from making bathroom trips unless it is an emergency, You must take the hall pass and only one person may go at a time. You are young adults – I therefore expect you to act accordingly and not abuse your bathroom privileges.
Food/Drink Policy
There will be no food or drinks allowed in the classroom, except for water. If I see it, it becomes mine.
Obey School Rules
Please obey all school rules regarding cell phones, music listening devices, hats, and computer usage. I will strictly enforce them in our classroom.
Absence and Tardy Policies
I expect that you come to class on time. In the event that you are tardy, please enter the room quietly and get to work immediately, with as little disruption as possible. You will also be expected to make up any work that you missed due to tardiness, regardless of whether or not you have a pass. Remember that three tardies are the equivalent of an unexcused absence from class. Additionally, if you are tardy three times for class, you will be required to serve a 30-minute detention after school, doing something tedious and unpleasant (!). Please be on time.
You should first check the class website for handouts and a description of the day’s lesson. If you are absent on a day that a project is due, you should plan to turn in the project on the day you return to school, unless you arrange a special extension with me. Finally, you should check in with me either before school, after school, or via email to clarify the work you missed and to set a deadline for when any missed work is due. In general, you will have two days to make up any missed work.
If you know in advance that you will be absent, please check with me so that you can be prepared to do the missed work during your absence.
Late or Incomplete Work Policies
In order to prepare you for college, we expect you to complete homework and projects on time. Turning an assignment in on time means having it ready at the beginning of our class period! Turning in work at the end of the school day is considered late and your grade for the assignment will be lowered by a full grade (for example, an A- would be lowered to a B-). Late work will ONLY be accepted for two days after the due date (for example, if the assignment was due on a Monday, you will have no later than Wednesday to turn it in.) For each day that the assignment is late, your grade will be lowered one full grade.
There may be circumstances when you need an extension on a major assignment. If this is the case, you must request an extension with me at least two days before the due date. I may or may not grant your request depending on the circumstances.
Academic Honesty
As stated previously, you are all intelligent individuals with important ideas. Plagiarism and cheating of any kind are completely unacceptable in our environment, as it shows disrespect to yourself, your classmates, and me. Students who turn in work that is not their own will receive a zero for the assignment and will be required to make up the work. More serious consequences may result depending on the nature of the offense. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, turning in another student’s work (in which case both students will receive a zero) or turning in work from another source (book, magazine, Internet site, etc) without citing your source. If you have questions about the acceptable use of a source, please see me.
Assessment/Grading Policy
Assessment of student progress is as follows: Percentage of Term Grade
Projects 40%
Homework 10%
Classwork 50%
Final grade for the course will be based on: Percentage of Final Grade
Average of (2) term grades 80%
Final Project/Portfolio 20%
Instructional Strategies
Our learning together will be structured through at minimum the following strategies: direct instruction, collaborative group work, small and large group discussions, one-on-one conferences, technology-based instruction, student presentations. Completing projects and homework assignments is critical to your success in our class, just as it will be to your success in college courses.
Technology Integration
- Understand basic tools and techniques in Adobe Photoshop
- Selecting, copying and pasting to create layers.
- Using layer opacity and blending modes in collages.
- Selecting and painting with color
- Creative text effects
- Filter effects
- Adjusting color and contrast
- Be able to use scanners and digital cameras
- Be able to build a physical portfolio showing process as well as a final electronic portfolio
