Standards 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.

I am very interested in increasing my skills in both digital graphics and digital animation. I feel that both of these skills are critical skills for my students to have in order to be successful in the working world of today--whether they are pursuing a career in a digital graphics field or any in business field. Just as Desktop Publishing became an impressive and useful skill to have in the '90s, Digital Graphics is becoming the skill to have in this decade.

When I first started the TATC courses, I felt I was reasonably skilled in Desktop Publishing and, to a lesser extent, Digital Graphics. I had developed all sorts of DTP products for almost 15 years. I had been teaching Digital Graphics in some of my High School Business classes for 3 years and was fairly comfortable working with basic Digital Graphics. Digital Animation, on the other hand, was something that I had had no experience with before TATC. Thanks to the courses in TATC, I have been able to polish my DTP skills and greatly expand my Digital Graphics knowledge. I now know more about different file types and which types are more effective in which areas or in which products. I know more about which software applications work best with different file types and why sometimes they won't work with a particular file type at all. I have a much better understanding of color, shade, hue and saturation and how these things can either work together to make a product look good, or work against each other to make a product look horrible. As far as Digital Animation is concerned, the TATC courses served to "break the ice" for me with Digital Animation software. I am now developing a much higher level of comfort with Digital Animation software--almost to the point that I (and my students) say, "Hey, this is fun!". And, well....isn't it supposed to be?

Artifact #1 / Artifact #12

Caption 1

Indicators: TA TEKs 7.7s, 7.9s, 7.10s, 7.32s, 7.37s, 7.38s, 8.13s, 8.17s, 8.24s, 8.25s, 8.27s, 11.1s

Artifact #1

Descriptors: Elements of Design, Principles of Design, Digital Graphics

Title: Representing Design

Course: Foundations 100-4 Week 4

Date Created: August 27, 2002

Source: Individual development using a graphic of a fall leaf from Microsoft Clip Art Gallery

Media: Macromedia Dreamweaver Web Page

Description: This project required the student to use digital graphics to illustrate the elements of design and the principles of design. Specifically: rules of visual composition, shape and form, space and depth, pattern and texture and composition and lighting.

Rationale: I chose this article to illustrate this Standard because I feel it well represents the Indicators listed. When I created the Representing Design website, I found myself forced to expand my awareness of all forms of graphic media. I looked at photos differently, billboards differently, newspapers, ads, brochures, all forms of communication. In addition, while I had had some familiarity with Photoshop and several other, more simple, digital imaging software applications, I found that my skills were stretched right to the point of being uncomfortable..."will this work?" while crossing my fingers and irrationally hoping I didn't lose all of my previous work. However, the end results were acceptable, if not outstanding. Not only did the Representing Design project represent design, it also expanded my skills. After all, isn't that why we are doing this?

Implications for Future: After seeing the effectiveness of simple techniques using Photoshop, I expect to utilize the software to a greater extent and in many more situations than in the past.

Reviewer's Comments: The color in this website is a warm neutral brown—it kind of reminds me of chocolate and it gave me a good feeling looking at it! The warmth of the color is welcoming and casual and harmonious. The values of brown used give the website variety and repetition.

Reviewer's Name: Jan North

Date Reviewed: 8/28/02

Title: TATC Student

Top of Page

Caption 12

Indicators:
TA Teks: 7.4, 7.6, 7.7, 7.15, 7.16, 7.21, 7.22, 7.24, 7.36, 7.47, 8.1, 8.11, 8.19, 8.21, 8.22, 8.25., 8.26, 8.31, 8.35, 8.38, 8.41, 8.42, 8.44, 8.45, 8.46, 8.47, 9.5, 9.11, 9.21, 9.28, 9.38, 9.39, 9.41, 11.1, 11.2, 11.10, 11.11, 11.26, 11.28, 11.29

Artifact #12

Descriptors: Digital Image Editing, Using Pictures for Words to Describe Yourself, Planning, Research

Title: Digital Bio

Course: 101 Digital Graphics, Module 1, Discussion 1

Date Created: October 10, 2002

Source: Microsoft Clip Art Gallery, digital picture of myself

Media: Adobe Photoshop, digital picture taken with Sony DSC 250

Description: In this assignment we were to create a brief introduction of ourselves which used pictures instead of words to describe our lives. This was a really fun project to do. I used clip art for most of the pictures and one edited digital picture put into a clip art graphic for the picture of myself. I used Photoshop to add special effects to the text and to add emphasis to the clip art.

Rationale: I chose this artifact for several reasons. First, it is a prime example of some of the fun things that digital graphics can accomplish. Secondly, I felt like this product was very accurate in portraying me and my life. Finally, I also picked this artifact because it was fun to do and brings back good memories of putting it together.

Implications for Future: I love working with and editing digital graphics. I've learned a tremendous amount of information and polished quite a few skills that I can use in so many different aspects of my life, not just while teaching technology at school. I look forward to continuing to learn and add to my digital imaging skills. It's exciting to think about what the future might hold in the area of digital graphics.

Reviewer's Comments:
Is there life after . . .
My sentiments, exactly.

Neat job of putting several elements into a coherent statement.

Reviewer's Name: Cliff Coan

Date Reviewed: October 12, 2002

Title: TATC Learner

Top of Page