transformation of understanding
The transformation in understanding that I would like to see in my students is to build confidence in their design-based learning as well as their journalistic skills. This is the big picture because without a proficient understanding of the tool we use to produce our paper, there will not be a paper or at least a very aesthetically pleasing one. I need to build a stronger infrastructure within the confines of my newspaper course. Often I have 3-4 students who are relatively comfortable with certain Adobe programs we use, but I would like their understanding to grow much more deeply. They are able to have the gist down concerning news writing style or style parameters associated with the paper we are under time constraints to finish, but it is not exactly reaching the quality of production I am aiming for yet because some form of instruction or some tool to get across the content is missing. I want to provide, efficiently, a strong basis of understanding in which kids can then learn and grow within the context of the class more easily.
In terms of journalistic content, I need to address their needs as well as the paper’s needs. When structuring my “Intro to Journalism” month-long curriculum, I tend to backwards design as to what I need the students to walk away knowing, and almost always, design is the most immediately necessary. Often times the students on my staff were hired to be on staff because they are already strong writers, so although I do need to teach the basics of journalistic writing, design is the one thing most have little to no experience with, and as important as it is to have good writing, having an aesthetically pleasing newspaper is what gets other students and staff and community members to pick it up to read.
The facets that are most important to the domain in which I will be teaching and to my students are, according to Wiggins & McTighe, Interpret, Apply, Have Perspective, Empathize and Have Self-Knowledge. I believe they need to have the ability to interpret who their audience is, what they need to know and how that audience will perceive what they have created. They are using words, pictures, infographics, etc. to relate to a community of readers and viewers. Through all aspects of the paper they need to interpret where their own growth needs to take place to make the paper even more accessible and relatable. Not every issue is going to go perfectly, nor will each issue be the same as the last, so they need to be able to use what they’ve learned about InDesign and Photoshop and the good qualities of design in general and apply it to the new issue. They need to be able to adapt, and that is a learned skill. Perspective is not only important for journalism students, but for all students. They need to be open to constructive criticism and a difference of opinion. They should be able to see the end picture. Not everyone is going to be able to be as creative as someone else, but they do need to be able to take others’ advice and critiques and put it into their design to put their best “design foot” forward. In another way they need to be able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, as everyone has a different opinion. They need to be able to understand that what someone else thinks looks great, they may think looks odd, and to be able to understand how that person might feel when approached to critically is important. As journalists they must be able to empathize with their audience and make sure they are not purposely hurting anyone’s feelings or hurting someone’s reputation. In terms of having self-knowledge, this just means that they are able to understand that this is a learning process and they may not take to design immediately. They need to understand that it is okay not to understand everything. As citizens, they need to have the confidence not to stand in the way of their own learning.
The skills or understandings I want my journalism students to have as a result of the technology integration I propose are a more proficient understanding of the process through which we create our paper. Our content is the paper and its production. We cannot function without knowledge of the content which helps us produce the newspaper. I need my kids to be able to place copy, place photos, design infographics, crop photos, and understand what makes strong design aesthetically pleasing. The technological tool has the potential to enhance the teaching and assessment of the skills they need to know in order to be successful. There are better opportunities then for class reflection, collaboration between students, modeling and shared work.
In terms of journalistic content, I need to address their needs as well as the paper’s needs. When structuring my “Intro to Journalism” month-long curriculum, I tend to backwards design as to what I need the students to walk away knowing, and almost always, design is the most immediately necessary. Often times the students on my staff were hired to be on staff because they are already strong writers, so although I do need to teach the basics of journalistic writing, design is the one thing most have little to no experience with, and as important as it is to have good writing, having an aesthetically pleasing newspaper is what gets other students and staff and community members to pick it up to read.
The facets that are most important to the domain in which I will be teaching and to my students are, according to Wiggins & McTighe, Interpret, Apply, Have Perspective, Empathize and Have Self-Knowledge. I believe they need to have the ability to interpret who their audience is, what they need to know and how that audience will perceive what they have created. They are using words, pictures, infographics, etc. to relate to a community of readers and viewers. Through all aspects of the paper they need to interpret where their own growth needs to take place to make the paper even more accessible and relatable. Not every issue is going to go perfectly, nor will each issue be the same as the last, so they need to be able to use what they’ve learned about InDesign and Photoshop and the good qualities of design in general and apply it to the new issue. They need to be able to adapt, and that is a learned skill. Perspective is not only important for journalism students, but for all students. They need to be open to constructive criticism and a difference of opinion. They should be able to see the end picture. Not everyone is going to be able to be as creative as someone else, but they do need to be able to take others’ advice and critiques and put it into their design to put their best “design foot” forward. In another way they need to be able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, as everyone has a different opinion. They need to be able to understand that what someone else thinks looks great, they may think looks odd, and to be able to understand how that person might feel when approached to critically is important. As journalists they must be able to empathize with their audience and make sure they are not purposely hurting anyone’s feelings or hurting someone’s reputation. In terms of having self-knowledge, this just means that they are able to understand that this is a learning process and they may not take to design immediately. They need to understand that it is okay not to understand everything. As citizens, they need to have the confidence not to stand in the way of their own learning.
The skills or understandings I want my journalism students to have as a result of the technology integration I propose are a more proficient understanding of the process through which we create our paper. Our content is the paper and its production. We cannot function without knowledge of the content which helps us produce the newspaper. I need my kids to be able to place copy, place photos, design infographics, crop photos, and understand what makes strong design aesthetically pleasing. The technological tool has the potential to enhance the teaching and assessment of the skills they need to know in order to be successful. There are better opportunities then for class reflection, collaboration between students, modeling and shared work.