TGJ2O Course Handout

Exploring Communication Technologies

2023-2024

Instructors:

Mr. Ron English, Mr. Carey Lam & Mr. Louis Pahis

ron.english@crestwood.on.ca

carey.lam@crestwood.on.ca 

louis.pahis@crestwood.on.ca

Course Description: 

This course introduces students to communications technology from a media perspective. Students will work in the areas of TV/video and movie production, radio and audio production, print and graphic communications, photography, and interactive new media and animation. 

Student projects may include computer-based activities such as creating videos, editing photos, working with audio, cartooning, developing animations, and designing web pages. 

Students will also develop an awareness of environmental and societal issues related to communications technology, and will explore secondary and postsecondary education and training pathways and career opportunities in the various communications technology fields. 

From The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Technological Education, 2009 (revised)

Units of Study/Course Breakdown:

The course focus is on demonstrating an understanding of the material that is being covered.  The course will not involve many tests of quizzes as it will primarily be assignment based.  Assignments will be released in advance, so students will be expected to work on the assignments throughout the block of lessons.

The course is divided into six units and an ISP:

Unit 0 – Introduction to TGJ

• Students will be introduced into the idea and importance of communications technology and the importance of it in the media.

• Introduction and exposure to the the course site and the different features of the course, Edbsy and Google Apps

Unit 1 – Photography & Camera Techniques

• Students will learn about the hardware components and different properties of cameras.

• Students will be introduced to some key techniques related to digital photography focusing on enhancing photographs such as contrast, shutter speed, etc…

• Students will learn about online photographic presentation software, they will submit their photographic productions in a digital format.

Unit 2 – Graphic Design

• Students will be introduced to the different types of graphic design that surrounds them.

• Students will learn the main use of a Graphic Design software as well as the design process.

• Students will apply their knowledge to create some graphical designs.

Unit 3 – Video Production

• Students will learn about the planning processes involved in video production namely the script writing, location/site, and storyboard design.

• Students will learn about video production involving camera techniques/features, lighting, framing and video capture.

• Students will learn about post-production including editing, publishing, formatting, titles, voice-overs, transitions, titles and special effects using Adobe Premiere Pro.

• Students will learn about how to upload video creations using YouTube.

Unit 4 - App Development

• Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of app development

• Students will understand the drag and drop app creation

• Students will learn the fundamentals of how apps generate revenue

Unit 5 – Visual Design

Students will...

• differentiate between bitmaps and vectors.

• learn the workspace structure of Adobe Illustrator.

• use the Pen Tool in Adobe Illustrator.

• use basic shapes in Illustrator.

• manipulate shapes using the pathfinder panel.

• create text using the type tool.

• use gradients.

• use image trace.

• organize layers in a vector.

ISP - Independent Study Project (Careers in Communications Technology)

Independent study unit where students will conduct research and create a report that details a career in communications technology.

The report will have to be presented in one of the digital forms learned during the year.

Final Project

Students will apply the skills learned during the year to create a piece to be used in one of their other subjects at school.

Assessment and Evaluation:

All of your assessments will cover the following four categories:
Knowledge/Understanding 25 %
Thinking/Inquiry 25 %
Communication 25 %
Application 25 %

Performance Tasks/Assignments/In Class Work 

End of unit tasks that extend the concepts from the unit.

70%

Independent Study Project

20%

Final Exam

10%

Determining a Report Card Grade:

Teachers will take various considerations into account before making a decision about the grade to be entered on the report card. The teacher will consider all evidence collected through observations, conversations, and student products (tests/exams, assignments for evaluation). The teacher will consider the evidence for all the tests/exams and assignments for evaluation that the student has completed or submitted the number of tests/exams or assignments for evaluation that were not completed or submitted, and the evidence of achievement that is available for each overall expectation for a subject in a particular grade or course. In addition, the teacher will consider that some evidence carries greater weight than other evidence; for example, some performance tasks are richer and reveal more about students’ skills and knowledge than others. Teachers will weigh all evidence of student achievement in light of these considerations and will use their professional judgement to determine the student’s report card grade. The report card grade represents a student’s achievement of overall curriculum expectations, as demonstrated to that point in time.

Determining a report card grade will involve teachers’ professional judgement and interpretation of evidence and should reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement, with special consideration given to more recent evidence.

As a result, the grade entered on the report card may not be a simple calculation of all the assessments throughout the year.

Course Policies:

Extra Help/Office Hours: 

Your instructor will be publishing an extra help schedule on a weekly basis due to various extracurricular commitments and school events. The schedule will be posted on Edsby. You may also email your instructor to set up an appointment.

Materials:

The course is designed to be primarily digital and environmentally friendly as most files are provided in WORD or PDF form.  Students will typically be typing out notes and programs that they will be working on in class.  The key is that students need to be organized digitally first then have a secondary source in the form of a binder. 

In-class we will be using Google Drive and Edsby to help maintain an organized digital file system. This will enable you to access your files from home and at school by way of the Internet. 

You will need a smaller three-ring binder for all tests, quizzes and rubrics that you receive from assignments. It is suggested that this binder remain at home or in the student’s locker. 

Computer (at home) Requirements: 

Students will also need to have access to a laptop or desktop computer (PC or MAC) for the programming portions of the course. A tablet (iPad, or Android) will not be able to accommodate the programming needs for a student in this course. 

The software that we will be using for Java programming sections is free and students will simply download any of the required components.  Instructions for download will be provided at the beginning of the first unit. It is imperative that students have a working form of the software for homework and work on their ISP project.

Homework:

Homework will be assigned and checked on a regular basis. You will be given work periods in class to practice as well as installation files for any programming that needs to be done at home.  

Plagiarism Policy: 

Plagiarism is any representation of the thoughts or ideas of others as your own. A first offence for a student will result in an automatic “0” for the assignment or test. Further incidents will be referred to the administration.

Assignments/PTs and Projects: 

All assignments/tasks are due at the beginning of class on the assigned day.

All work must be neat and accurate.  Typing or word processing of major assignments is mandatory.

Absences:

When a student is absent, it is their responsibility to catch up on missed class work.  If you know that you are going to be away in advance of a test/assignment/quiz, please let me know so that arrangements can be made.

If a student is ill on a test date or on the date of an assignment he/she is expected to write the test or submit the assignment on the first day they return to school unless otherwise discussed.

• Create your TGJ2O Google Drive Folder and share it with your teacher

• You will be submitting your work in this folder throughout the school year