Standard VIII

Digital Graphics/Animation

The digital graphics/animation teacher has the knowledge and skills needed to teach the Foundations, Information Acquisition, Work in Solving Problems, Communication strands of the Technology Applications Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in digital graphics/animation, in addition to the content described in Technology Applications Standards I-V.

Reflection:  Digital graphics is one of the main reasons I decided to study and become certified in the technology application courses. I have always been fascinated with visual mediums and art. Digital graphics are found everywhere and I wanted to become a part of the phenomenon. When I found out that I could get paid to teach this subject, I jumped at the chance. Then I found out that I would learn animations too. What more could I ask for!!!

As I study, teach, and create more digital graphics and animations, I learn more about the art as I go. My goal is to continue growing in this art and teach my students to pull their creativity out of them. I am beginning to have students ask if they can come and create graphics during their extra time during the day. Maybe I'm on to something!!

Artifact #1 / Artifact #10 / Artifact #11

Caption 1

Indicators: TA TEKS 7.36s, 7.37s, 7.38s, 8.1s, 8.24s, 8.25s, 8.27s, 9.1s, 9.16s, 9.2s, 10.2s, 10.19s, 11.12s,11.19s, 8.2s, 7.40s, 8.41s,

Artifact #1

Descriptors:  Elements and Principles of Design
Title: Representing Design - This Project Sponsored by the Candy Corn  

Course:100 Foundations

Date Created:  August 27, 2002

Source: This project was built using the art principles that artists and graphic designers use in their medium.

Media: For the web page, Microsoft Front Page was used.

Description: Identify the elements and principles of design by creating an image and giving an example of each.

Rationale: When I started this project, I wanted to use a graphic that represented my name.  I could have used a key but they are too thin to make me happy on all the effects.  I then picked this as one of my artifacts because of this play on words and because I had fun building and playing with all the effects on this single candy corn.  I love to try to apply the design elements on a simple object like the candy corn.  I learned to notice that the design elements are all around me and that I have used many of them for years. Now I understand why I use them, and I continue to see other examples of these principles in the media daily.

Implications for future: These images and the studies we did on all the elements of design have made me more aware of pictures and images I see. I am now doing the annual and I am the photographer.  I catch myself looking for more with my shots other than "straight on and smile and look at the camera".  I have even worked on some art projects since Foundations when I built this artifact.  I look at my art in a different perspective and I teach these design elements in my classroom.  My future projects will improve as I continue using the design principles I have learned from this course.

Reviewer's Comments: "middle school kids would love this candy theme"

Reviewer's Name: Carla Bukutis

Date Reviewed: August 27, 2002

Title: TATC Participant

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Caption 10

Indicators: Standard 2 - TA TEKS 8.21s, 8.22s, 9.20s, 8.25s, 8.31s, 9.24s, 8.45s, 8.9s, 9.10s, 8.40s, 8.47s, 8.32s, 9.7s, 10.24s, 8.10s, 8.27s, 8.28s, 8.29s

Artifact #10

Descriptors: Animation Project

Title: Merry Christmas To You All!!!

Course: 201 Digital Graphics/Animation

Date Created: December 2, 2002

Source: I used the classic Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

Media: I used Front Page to build the web page and I used Live Motion to build my animation.

Description: To take your favorite poem, song, or Christmas song and animate it.

Rationale: I considered this project a challenge to complete. When I began looking for a song, I found it hard because I just love Christmas and all the songs. Rachel, my teacher, suggested using a poem. I just could not. I had to use a Christmas song. So....I used the last verse of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Using that verse let me use all graphics possible for my animation. Putting all this together with sound is the reason I chose this for one of my artifacts. This project shows the use of many tools - tools I want my students to also use in their projects.

Implications for future: What the future holds for this assignment is.....I will give this same assignment each year to my class learning Live Motion and just before Christmas. I am also having them share their animation with the class on a web page with a summary included. I will also use this type project other times in the school year. Students will use a poem or a children’s book to do a similar assignment. I need to improve on my sound extensions usages. As I help my students with their projects, my knowledge will expand!

Reviewer's Comments:

"I really enjoyed the sound and pictures." - Wes Little, TATC Participant, December 2, 2002.

"I loved it!" - Terri Arons, TATC Participant, December 3, 2002

"What a lovely piece." - Carol Luttmer, TATC Participant, December 2, 2002

"That was so entertaining." - Carla Bakutis, TATC Participant, December 2, 2002

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Caption 11

Indicators: Standards 1 and 3 - TA TEKS 8.21s, 8.15s, 8.33s, 8.45s, 8.35s, 9.20s, 8.22s, 8.2s, 8.4s, 8.47s, 8.29s, 8.28s, 8.32s, 7.4s, 8.11s, 9.13s, 11.11s, 8.26s, 8.27s, 8.43s, 9.6s, 10.28s, 8.31s, 9.24s, 8.42s, 7.32s, 8.6s, 8.17s, 9.21s, 10.16s

Artifact #11

Descriptors: Putting It All Together

Title: Watch My Tesselated Pieces All Come Together!

Course: Digital Graphics and Animations

Date Created: November 5, 2002

Source: I built this unit using my mathematical knowledge and fascination of tesselations.

Media: Live Motion, Go Live, and Photoshop were extensively used in this unit lesson project

Description: I was to build a unit lesson for the Digital Graphic and Animation classroom including descriptions, instructions, and a sample project item. All concepts learned in the course were to be applied to this unit. All units were to be built to use in our classrooms and to share with other tech applications teachers. The units needed step by step instructions, a vocabulary list, a vocabulary worksheet to use in class, and a sample or example for all to see when using this unit. I also included some of the basics of tesselating for the beginner to the topic. Design principles were also to be used in our sample design and discussed in our instructions.

Rationale: This unit lesson is what I consider as being MY BEST WORK because this unit lesson takes a concept from my other field (math)and incorporates it into the technology application field using the appropriate software and tools to their maximum. I feel that the concept of tesselating is a strong idea to use in the technology field. I feel that the products I produced are strong uses for the Photoshop and Live Motion software packages. But most of all, I loved building this unit and I loved what I produced! When I looked over all my work from the year, this unit stands out as one of my all time favorites and I used so much of what I learned in my course work in this project.

Implications for future: I have to admit when I built the web pages for the unit I had so many goodies to share, I probably did not build the strongest web pages. However, the use of digital graphics and animations is strong in this unit lesson. For this reason, my students will learn about tesselations first on paper and then on the computer. This will provide a cross curriculum linkage between Geometry and Technology Applications.

Reviewer's Comments: This is a wonderful lesson! Your instructions are very good and your examples are great! I had a little trouble navigating and knowing where I was and how to get back. You might consider making the navigational links the same on each page. I think students would have a really fun time with this in computer class or math!

Reviewer's Name: Janice North

Date Reviewed: November 6, 2002

Title: TATC Participant 2002-2003

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