Syllabus for Journalism/Yearbook & Broadcasting Class (Period 2) COMPONENT 1: Journalism and Yearbook Portion of Class

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1 Syllabus for Journalism/Yearbook & Broadcasting Class (Period 2) Mrs. Roberts: Technology Teacher, Yearbook Advisor, KMSN News Advisor, and Mason s Webmaster Room 716 Computer Lab ~ Classroom Phone: My cantono@tacoma.k12.wa.us My District Website: Mason s Website: TASC (My students access login to all my class objectives, agenda, work, links, and resources). Students can receive work and submit work here as well): Students Online Login Page (to HAC--grades online, Student , Classroom Websites and more!): You can access a copy of this syllabus if needed from TASC (students have logins) or from the Documents Section of my website-use category Journalism/Yearbook/Broadcasting. IMPORTANT NOTE: There are two curriculum components to this class: JOURNALISM/YEARBOOK & BROADCASTING COMPONENT 1: Journalism and Yearbook Portion of Class Journalism/Yearbook is a year-long advanced elective course for both 7 th and 8 th grade students. As the name implies, students in this class will learn many things about the world of journalism and yearbook, and about the many different kinds of work that go into writing, editing, designing and producing print publications. Students will also learn about photography and photo journalism. The Journalism/Yearbook class objectives are: 1. To develop skills in journalistic writing, editing, photography, layout and design. 2. To develop computer skills in word processing, desktop publishing, photo management and manipulation and touch-typing. 3. To design and create the annual Mason yearbook, 4. To market and sell the yearbook. 5. To learn together with respect, responsibility, communication and cooperation. The single largest project and by far the largest portion of what students will work on for the first 7 8 months of the school year, is the annual Mason yearbook. During and after the final yearbook deadline, we will also be working with KMSN Channel 16 News, which I have outlined below. In addition to taking the pictures, writing the text, and designing every page for the yearbook, the yearbook class also has a business side: we need to market and sell the yearbook! This sales and marketing aspect of the class is fun and interesting; it is also quite demanding in terms of time required outside of class and also the need for very careful accurate record keeping. 1

2 Why Journalism/Yearbook is not like other classes: Journalism/Yearbook is more than a class - it is a real world business! We have a legal and financial obligation to produce the Yearbook, and by joining this class you assume responsibility for meeting these obligations. You are expected to be a hard-working and cooperative member of the Yearbook staff. We are running a business with a real budget! We have some absolute deadlines that we must meet, or possibly lose thousands of dollars! You can expect to work late maybe even at home -on several occasions during the course of the school year, in order for us to complete all work to high standards, in order to meet production deadlines. Furthermore, there are strict quality and legal standards upon which every piece of writing, every photograph and every page of our publications are evaluated. There are certain principles of layout and design that we will follow in creating our publications. You are expected to learn and follow these principles, and you are expected to meet the high quality standards in all the work you do as a Yearbook staff member. So Journalism/Yearbook is not just another class! It requires a high level of commitment, focus, hard work and professionalism from all of you and if you're not ready to make such a commitment, then maybe this class is not for you. Yearbook Deadlines: Deadline 1: November 10 (12) pages due this day! Deadline Party: Thursday, November 9 2:50 4:00 PM NEED TO BE UPDATED Deadline 2: January 19 (32) pages due this day! Deadline Party: Thursday, January 18 2:50 4:00 PM Deadline 3: March 16 The final (56) pages are due this day! Deadline Party: Thursday, March 19 2:50 4:00 PM 2

3 Examples of Class Activities: Reading, writing, lecture, discussions, hands-on activities, drawing pictures & diagrams, taking photos, and other activities to learn about journalism, journalistic writing, photography and photo journalism, layout & design, desktop publishing, computer file management, digital photo manipulation, marketing & sales, and other topics. Using various software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, photo manipulation, and more. Using keyboarding software to develop touch-typing skills. Going on assignment around campus to take pictures, interview people, conduct surveys and polls, conduct research about people and events, and other duties as assigned. Lunchtime, after school and evening work, attending sports games and other school events as reporters and photographers, and working late to complete all assignments before each publication deadline. Required Materials: A 1 or 1-1/2 3-ring binder with a set of section dividers just for Journalism class. There will be many different kinds of papers to keep track of; please get a separate 3-ring binder for this class! You are expected to save all class work for this class until the end of each quarter or longer! Lined paper, 2 or more pencils and 2 or more pens (dark blue or black only). Dictionary: Please have your own and learn to use it whenever you need to confirm the spelling or meaning of a word! Mason s Planner!: You will have daily/weekly/monthly and even longer term deadlines and due dates to keep track of not just for Journalism, but also for Yearbook and Broadcasting-plus homework for other classes- use your PLANNER every day in all your classes! Optional Materials: A digital camera: This is by no means a requirement, but if you do have a digital camera (at least 4 megapixels resolution), you may use it for journalism assignments. (The journalism program and Mason Middle School cannot and do not assume any responsibility for damaged, lost or stolen personal property.) A computer, laptop, or tablet with Internet access: If your family has a computer at home with word processing software, it can help you with your articles and other writing assignments. If you have Internet access, then we can use as an effective means of communication. Also, there will be a lot of information for journalism/yearbook class (including deadlines and due dates, and your grades) posted on HAC (Grades Online). We will be using Walsworth Yearbooks and you will be registered in order to log in and work on your yearbook page(s) at school and at home. 3

4 COMPONENT 2: Broadcasting Portion of Class Broadcasting is a year-long advanced elective course for both 7 th and 8 th grade students. As the name implies, students in this class will learn many things about the world of broadcasting, video, audio, news copy, and performing on camera. They will also learn about the many different kinds of work that go into writing, editing, designing and producing broadcast publications. Students will also learn about photography and video journalism. Component Description: Broadcasting (KMSN) is a course to introduce students to the daily process of delivering a successful television broadcast. Along with learning the foundations of broadcast television, the students will also learn the technical and the mental aspects of delivering a television newscast. In this class students will be learning about media and broadcast production. Students will learn how to produce, direct, edit, and anchor different types of news stories as well as advertising productions. To accomplish this they will be exploring different computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Audacity, and Adobe PhotoShop and Premiere Pro CS4. Broadcasts will be shown via the school s closed-circuit television Channel 16. IMPORTANT!!!!!! This course may take up some personal time. Because broadcasts are expected to air regularly, deadlines must be met. The number of hours that this class meets a week may not be enough to meet these goals. Students may be asked or directed to work during time outside of class. This will include lunch, before or after school, and/or or weekends. Equipment that will be extensively used during this next semester is digital video and still cameras, microphones, and tripods. Students will be expected to take great care of the equipment because of their value and frequent usage (equipment will be shared with several other classes). Component Objectives: 1. Upon leaving the Broadcasting Class Component, students should: 2. Demonstrate knowledge of the history of broadcast journalism 3. -Be able research and analyze careers in television and broadcast 4. journalism 5. -Show knowledge of audio equipment and formats, for production 6. -Demonstrate the ability to write scripts for programming 7. -Show knowledge of the requirements for lighting a production 8. -Show knowledge of the operation of various cameras 9. -Exhibit knowledge of computer based video production and editing 10. -Exhibit knowledge of pre-production, production and post-production 11. activities 12. -Be able to examine and analyze a production for corrections before airing 13. -Demonstrate the proper use of graphics and titles 14. -Show ethical decision making 15. -Understand copyright laws and how to seek formal permission to use 16. copyrighted materials 17. -Understand the First Amendment 4

5 Journalism/Yearbook/Broadcasting Class Expectations and Policies Homework (Components 1 & 2): Completing all publication/broadcasting assignments by their deadlines! Whatever it takes for you to complete your assignments before the deadline, you are expected to do so! Reading, writing, photography, research, design work, and other duties as assigned. Lunchtime, after school and evening work, attending sports games and other school events as reporters and photographers, and working late to complete all assignments before each publication/kmsn deadline. This includes several deadline parties throughout the year, which start right after school and will go until 4 p.m. (Activity bus will be available). The way to avoid extra work meetings is to keep up with your work and complete all assignments before the deadlines! Parent/guardian signatures will be required on progress reports and other papers sent home. Since not everyone has a computer at home, no computer-based homework will be mandatory. However, additional practice or work time on a computer, as needed by individual students, may be necessary in order to practice basic skills or complete class assignments. All computer-based work you are asked to do while in class should be plenty of time for you to do what needs to be done. Students are expected to do this work in in class, at the library, or at home (if possible). All homework and classwork assignments and due dates will be posted on TASC all students KNOW HOW TO ACCESS THIS from any computer at school, at home, at the library, or anywhere that has computer access. Here s the link: ( and in the documents section of my website. Here s the direct link-select Journalism/Yearbook/Broadcasting from the category drop-down menu: Late Work (Components 1 & 2): It s worth repeating here: Journalism/Yearbook/Broadcasting is more than a class it is a real world business with some absolute deadlines that we must meet, or we run the risk of losing thousands of dollars (yearbook) and/or important KMSN items (broadcasting)! Students who miss their publication/broadcast deadlines will pay the price in lower grades and loss of class privileges (such as their Press Pass to go on assignment around campus). Students who miss several deadlines may be exited from the class altogether! If you are absent, you should make up work you missed. Only work completed promptly will be given full credit. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO FIND OUT WHAT WORK HAS BEEN MISSED! Late work will be accepted on some assignments, for partial credit. Some assignments must be completed and turned in by the due date in order to receive any credit at all. If You Want Extra Help Understanding or Completing Any Work in this Class: ASK FOR HELP! Please ask for help during class. ( The squeaky wheel gets the grease! ) If you want extra time in the lab, or additional help outside of class, ask me. I am happy to open the lab before or after school, or during lunchtime, and to meet with students who want extra help. 5

6 Assessment & Grading (Components 1 & 2): Graded assignments and formal assessments will include: Various paper-and-pencil and/or computer-based assignments. Successful on-time completion of reporting, broadcasting and/or photography assignments and the writing and editing of stories/articles/layouts for the various publications and newscasts. Creating at least 5 ads-you will choose from various types of media i.e. posters, PowerPoint slides, video commercials, webpage, recorded jingle, etc. for the yearbook and/or broadcasting and be expected to publish them i.e. put up and take down posters, get the slides/commercial/jingle on KMSN morning news, etc. Daily online keyboarding lessons and WORD-processed keyboarding as well as timed typing tests to measure progress toward the goal of touch-typing at wpm and % accuracy. Paper-and-pencil and/or computer-based quizzes and tests; projects, yearbook pages, broadcast copy or other KMSN Items. The grading scale is the usual: 1. A: 90% and above 2. B: 80 89% 3. C: 70 79% 4. D: 60 69% 5. E: Below 60% CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE AND GPA: I will be tracking student classroom performance periodically. These scores will show up as Performance scores and will affect the GPA. When a student does not earn the total points for these score times, a message will be included as to why. I will be recording when a student is Processed (see Schoolwide Management Policy for more details about Processing) for not following Performance Guidelines (Classroom Contract). In a progressive manner, two Processings = a Lunch Detention. Then the slate clears. Two more Processings = another Lunch Detention and so forth. Two Lunch Detentions served for Processing = an After School Detention. After School Detentions will involve a phone call home for arranging when the After School Detention will take place. Processings, Lunch Detentions, and After School Detentions assigned by me will reduce the periodic Classroom Performance score for the related time period. Parent contact: A parent will be contacted and informed of the issue at hand and asked for a conference to assist me on rectifying any academic or behavior problem. Also, parents can contact me at any time for any concerns regarding their child s performance. 6

7 SPECIAL GRADEBOOK CODES: You may see special codes or abbreviations in the gradebook in place of a score. If so, I will include a message as to why: MI = Missing (57% until I receive the work. It will then be scored and the 57% WILL BE CHANGED TO THE SCORE EARNED BY THE STUDENT) Yes = Yes (did it-received FORMATIVE credit) NO = No (didn t do it-must do it if student wants FORMATIVE credit) P = Pass (received FORMATIVE credit) F = Fail (did not receive FORMATIVE credit-cannot make up unless there are approved circumstances) INC = Incomplete (70%)-student must complete and submit work for the 70% score to reflect what the student earned) EX = Excused for the work (reason will be noted in the gradebook) AB = Absent (the student IS responsible for the work unless I deem to excuse it). MC = Modified Curriculum-assignment/project/classwork, etc. has been adjusted to meet individual students needs Extra Credit opportunities are always available, but students must already have completed the regular assignments before they are eligible for extra credit. Students who put in lots of extra time on marketing & sales, reporting on and/or photographing school events, working to meet publication deadlines, or other tasks, will receive extra credit for their extra efforts. Course Expectations and Rules: Components 1 & 2 Guiding Principles: Show RESPECT to yourself, other people, and property. Accept RESPONSIBILITY for your work, your decisions, and your actions. COMMUNICATE what you think, feel, want and need. Ask for help! Work COOPERATIVELY with your classmates and school staff. Be PREPARED and FOCUSED. School is for learning first, socializing later. DO YOUR BEST to do your best: work hard, play fair; be nice. NORMS: 1. Follow all school rules. Be a Peace Builder! 2. Be in your seat, with all materials ready, when the bell rings. 3. Stay focused on the lesson and the work you need to complete; do not distract others from their learning and the work they need to complete. 4. Listen attentively to whoever is speaking. Stop, look, listen! 5. Work cooperatively in whatever groups you are assigned. 6. No drinks, food, candy or gum. Rewards: Students are encouraged and rewarded for being good students and good citizens! The class as a whole can also earn class-wide rewards. Rewards may include: Positive notes, s, and phone calls home Earned choice computer time Class Celebration Inner PRIDE and SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT! Increases work ethic quality and quantity! 7

8 Consequences: Students who do not follow the rules and procedures of my classroom and the journalism/yearbook program will face some or all of the following consequences based on the MASON SCHOOLWIDE DISCIPLINE POLICY: See the Document Section of my district website for samples and expanded explanations of all steps-here s the link to my website: Steps: 1. Redirect 2. Processing: sent to another classroom with a 15 Minute Reflection Sheet (off task, wasting class time, bothering neighbor, failure to comply with signal, inappropriate classroom entrance, inappropriate classroom talk-outs, and for my classroom: failure to comply with the Acceptable Use of Computers and Internet Contract signed in class and kept in my files. 3. Lunch Detention, contact and/or phone call home, loss of "Press Pass" privileges: Tardy to class, unprepared for class, gum chewing, dress code violation, in hall without pass, hallway disturbance, lunch room disturbance, any electronic device. 4. After School Detention: Low level profanities, classroom disruptions, cumulative lunch detentions, repeated failure to complete work, misbehavior during lunch detention, repeated non-compliance, negative report from substitute teacher, cumulative minor rule violations, plagiarism. 5. Office Referral/Friday School, Possible behavior contract, Removal from class: Profane language, significant cumulative violations, sexual harassment, social harassment, gang issues, fighting, violence or threats, non-compliance, racial harassment, vandalism, weapons, tobacco. Repeated behavioral infractions will result in loss of Participation grade on the quarterly or semester report card. Students who do not demonstrate the maturity to be able to work productively in the self-directed environment of the journalism/yearbook class may be exited from the class. 8

9 DETACH HERE AND RETURN TO MRS. ROBERTS-ROOM 716 DEADLINE: MONDAY, September 8 Student - Parent Syllabus and Class Contract Mrs. Roberts: Technology Teacher, Yearbook Advisor, KMSN Advisor, & Mason Webmaster It is the Teacher's Job to Teach and to Help Students! It is the Student's Job to Be Ready to Learn and to Help Themselves and Others! Dear Students and Parents, Please read carefully and discuss the Journalism, Yearbook & Broadcasting Class Syllabus and Expectations and Rules. Also review the contract below. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Please complete and sign the form below, including the contract portion, please return this to me no later than the deadline: Monday, 9/8. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Caren Roberts STUDENT CONTRACT FOR JOURNALISM/YEARBOOK/BROADCASTING I, understand that if I am found intentionally misusing a computer, chair, lamp, equipment, or tool that could result in compromising my safety or that of others or violating the Acceptable Use Policy (found in MASON HANDBOOK), I will: Immediately lose all privileges to use any equipment for a minimum of 2 days, Lose access to my student account according to the Acceptable Use Policy, Receive appropriate/applicable disciplinary actions according to Chapter 19, and Write a 2 page essay on proper use of equipment and importance of the Acceptable Use Policy. I also understand what will be expected of me to be successful in this Journalism/Yearbook/Broadcasting class. As an important member of these crews, I will to do my very best to complete my responsibilities as described is this syllabus and by Mrs. Roberts. Student Agreement: I have read and understand Mrs. Roberts Journalism/Yearbook/Broadcasting Class Syllabus, Contract, and Rules and Expectations. I agree to abide by the rules and do my best to be successful. Student Signature, Date 9

10 Parent Agreement: I have read and understand Mrs. Roberts Journalism/Yearbook/Broadcasting Class Syllabus, Contract, and Rules and Expectations. I agree to help my child to be successful. Parent/Guardian Signature, Date Parent Contact Information: Parent Name Best phone number(s) to call Best time(s) to call Parent Address Personal Student Do you have any questions for me? Comments? 10