<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Steve Smiley's TATC Portfolio: Standard #7
 

SBEC Standard #7

Desktop Publishing
The desktop publishing 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 desktop publishing, in addition to the content described in Technology Applications Standards I-V.
 

Reflection:

Desktop Publishing was one of my "worry zones". I had dealt with a large number of reports, business documents and the like, but never created a flyer or announcement using a page-level layout tool. Most of my layout experience was with FrameMaker or Quark - a direct-to-print orientation. Desktop Publishing encompasses a very large area of materials that schools create internally and most businesses outsource.

Once I began the assignments and started applying my TATC and previous writing and development experience together, DTP was the greatest part of the course. The stresses of learning new tools caught up with me a few times, but I learned how to apply layout, advertising, marketing, and flow control to create a desired affect in an audience - experience that I needed.
 

Caption #10 - Caption #13 - Caption #18
 

Caption 10

Indicators:

 7.1s, 7.2s, 7.4s, 7.5s, 7.6s, 7.7s, 7.8s, 7.9s, 7.10s, 7.13s, 7.14s, 7.15s, 7.16s, 7.17s, 7.19s, 7.20s, 7.21s, 7.22s, 7.23s, 7.24s, 7.25s, 7.27s, 7.28s, 7.29s, 7.30s, 7.31s, 7.32s, 7.34s, 7.35s, 7.36s, 7.37s, 7.38s, 7.40s, 7.41s, 7.44s, 7.45s, 7.47s, 7.48s, 7.49s, 8.1s, 8.2s, 8.11s, 8.13s, 8.14s, 8.17s, 8.18s, 8.19s, 8.20s, 8.23s, 8.24s, 8.25s, 8.27s, 8.31s, 8.34s, 8.36s, 8.38s, 8.41s, 8.43s, 8.44s, 8.45s, 8.46s, 9.8s, 9.11s, 9.13s, 9.15s, 9.27s, 9.39s, 11.1s, 11.2s, 11.4s, 11.7s, 11.10s, 11.11s, 11.12s, 11.13s, 11.17s, 11.18s, 11.19s, 11.20s, 11.21s, 11.23s, 11.24s, 11.25s, 11.26s, 11.29s, 11.35
   
Artifact #10 Flyer Unit Lesson
 

Descriptors:

 Desktop Publishing, Web Delivery, Lesson Plans, Assessment
   

Title:

 Flyer Unit Lesson
   

Course:

 TATC 104-1: Week 4: Unit Lesson
   

Date Created:

 12/14/2002
   

Source:

 Used one of the Adobe PageMaker Templates as a base and built the rest using Macromedia HomeSite, Microsoft Word, and Adobe PageMaker. Some editing performed with Adobe PhotoShop.
   

Media:

 HTML Delivery with associated PDF, RTF, and PMD files.
   

Description:

 The assignment:
When you are working in different media, you still follow the same design elements; however, the attributes and requirements for each type will change. Use the Readings, research and prior experience to complete the following assignment.

Requirements:

  1. Create an assignment/handout for your class that teaches the students about "how to"
    • create one of the media listed below Make the assignment utilize whatever software you will have the students using
    • List all the requirements that the student must meet or have to create the product
  2. Create a Student Sample. You are starting a company called Heart of Texas Teachers ( HOTT).
    1. You are to create an original logo for the company.
    2. Using the elements and principles of design, create one of the following media products, incorporating the newly designed logo.
      • poster
      • billboard
      • business card
      • stationery
      • book jacket
      • folder
      • booklet
      • pamphlet
      • brochure
      • magazine
      • flyer
      • CD cover
      • etc.
  3. Write a Summary
    • Summarize the attributes needed on your particular media
    • What you used to create the student sample
    • Describe the elements and principles of design that you used
    • Predict future implications in your classroom
   

Rationale:

The flyer lesson contains everything necessary to deliver a 3 day lesson in flyer creation. It assumes a basic understanding of image creation and a limited initiation to PageMaker. It can be built in one day; the class discussion about design elements, PageMaker usage, and layout would be covered in the other two days of class.

My use of graphic-based desktop publishing was limited to the creation of reports and charts using Microsoft products. The Flyer Unit Lesson was my first attempt at creating a full unit that contained concepts needed in desktop publishing:

  • Layout
  • Fonts
  • Logo Creation
  • Color
  • Element Hierarchies

The lesson is limited in that it deals with concepts at a high level, then walks the student through tasks at a procedural level; more weight will need to be given to getting the student across the mental hump between what they want to do and how to do it.
   

Implications for Future:

My next lesson would take "a day" as the basic unit of presentation, rather than painting a broad picture of "high-level" material and then a jump to doing it. More time to bridge the conceptual gap.

By building this lesson, I obtained a better understanding of the steps necessary to building a "teaching" lesson, rather than a "doing" lesson".
   

Reviewers Comments:

 Creative and funny. I liked the phrases you had at the top of the sample. I liked to inclusion of the color palates. I would have included those, but I used too many.

Reviewer Name:

 Beverly Sweeney

Date Reviewed:

 12/14/2002

Reviewers Title:

 TATC Student

Reviewers Comments:

 Okay, Steve, we can throw my project out the window and I'll just use yours!!! Great job and I don't think the colors are ugly. I think the kids will like them. I couldn't get the flyer to show, I clicked on it and it went to a blank page. Everything else was fine. Wonderful job!

Reviewer Name:

 Carol Luttmer

Date Reviewed:

 12/13/2002

Reviewers Title:

 TATC Student
 
Top of Page
 

Caption 13

Indicators:

 1, 7.2s, 7.3s, 7.4s, 7.6s, 7.7s, 7.8s, 7.9s, 7.10s, 7.12s, 7.13s, 7.15s, 7.16s, 7.17s, 7.18s, 7.19s, 7.21s, 7.22s, 7.23s, 7.31s, 7.35s, 7.36s, 7.37s, 7.40s, 7.42s, 7.43s, 8.1s, 8.3s, 8.7s, 8.9s, 8.11s, 8.13s, 8.20s, 8.23s, 8.24s, 8.25s, 8.31s, 8.33s, 8.34s, 8.44s
   
Artifact #13 Scattered Ones Baseball League Draft Party Invitation
 

Descriptors:

 Desktop Publishing, Vector Image Handling, Layout Principles
   

Title:

 SOBL Invitation
   

Course:

 TATC 104-1: Desktop Publishing Week 2 Greeting Card
   

Date Created:

 1/20/2003
   

Source:

 Icon is from Microsoft Word; Map courtesy of Yahoo. All other materials were created using PageMaker.
   

Media:

 PDF delivery with PageMaker source.
   

Description:

 The assignment:
In the Class Index complete the reading for Lesson One and then move on to Lesson 2. Complete the Nine lessons and create the assigned greeting card and post it. Post your greeting card and email your mentor the card you created along with a request to your mentor to email you back an acknowledgment of your card and an overview of your work.
   

Rationale:

This was my first creation with PageMaker. I was impressed with the number of options within PageMaker and how the paradigm of page flow, layout, and guides are enforced. Contrary to standard web practice, it IS important how words and pictures flow through a page. Also, the font capabilities of a page layout tool were beyond anything that I encountered before in Microsoft or web development packages.

Primarily, this artifact is included because it highlights my growth in knowledge of a new software package and the extended layout capabilities available.

   

Implications for Future:

 The creation of a greeting card or invitation is easy; most people are familiar with the layout and purpose of the document. Creating the output document teaches students about layout, colors, font mixing and usage, and the integration of multiple elements into a static (and reusable) document.
   

Reviewers Comments:

 That is wonderful -- map included -- every bit of info that is necessary. What can we bring? :-)

Reviewer Name:

 Dotty Hare

Date Reviewed:

 1/20/2003

Reviewers Title:

 TATC Student
Top of Page
 

Caption 18

Indicators:

 1, 2, 3, 5, 7.1s, 7.2s, 7.3s, 7.4s, 7.5s, 7.6s, 7.7s, 7.8s, 7.9s, 7.10s, 7.11s, 7.12s, 7.13s, 7.14s, 7.15s, 7.16s, 7.17s, 7.18s, 7.19s, 7.20s, 7.21s, 7.22s, 7.23s, 7.24s, 7.25s, 7.26s, 7.28s, 7.29s, 7.30s, 7.31s, 7.35s, 7.36s, 7.37s, 7.38s, 7.40s, 7.41s, 7.42s, 7.43s, 7.45s, 7.46s, 7.47s, 7.48s, 7.49s, 8.1s, 8.3s, 8.9s, 8.11s, 8.13s, 8.14s, 8.15s, 8.20s, 8.22s, 8.23s, 8.24s, 8.25s, 8.26s, 8.27s, 8.31s, 8.33s, 8.34s, 8.35s, 8.36s, 8.37s, 8.38s, 8.39s, 8.40s, 8.43s, 8.44s, 8.46s
   
Artifact #18 Desktop Publishing Unit Lesson
 

Descriptors:

 Desktop Publishing, Teaching Unit, PageMaker, Layout, Color
   

Title:

 Desktop Publishing Unit
   

Course:

 TATC 104-1: Desktop Publishing
   

Date Created:

 2/6/2003
   

Source:

 Created using PageMaker and Adobe Distiller
   

Media:

 PDF Delivery
   

Description:

 The assignment:
Using the TEKS for desktop publishing, you are going to create a unit/lesson plan for one of the following studies. We will share these plans to create a healthy resource for you to refer to in your classroom.
  • Newsletter
  • Envelope
  • Brochure
  • Invitation
  • Letterhead
  • Business Card
  • Flyer
  • Announcement
  • Greeting Card
  • Reports and Manuscripts
Desktop publishing for the Technology Applications instructor can be doubly important. Teaching the concepts and elements requires the instructor to demonstrate from the printed lesson examples in addition to the classroom techniques. You must model what you teach in all of your handouts and examples. Every lesson needs headlines, contrast, typography, etc. As a community of learners and experienced classroom warriors, there is a treasure trove to be discovered during this cruise. As our ship makes its final voyage back to port TATC one thing to remember is: " If a picture is worth a thousand words, then an example is worth a thousand pictures."

We will share with one another and benefit from the large group process of refinement.

Your product requirements are:

  1. Objective of the unit or lesson
    • Stated and measurable objectives
    • Appropriate level for the learners
    • Auxiliary applications for modifications, G/T students, etc.
  2. Teacher tools and supplies list
  3. Materials selected support the objectives
    • Sources cited
    • Software requirements
    • Hardware requirements
  4. Design concepts and TA standards applied to lesson plan and all associated documents
    • Appropriate use of White space
    • Headlines and Banners utilized
    • Typography meaningful and engaging
    • Graphics, Fonts, Drop caps utilized
  5. Sample product of lesson
    • Provided in universal desktop publishing file format (pdf, eps, etc)
    • Concepts/Terms utilized in sample product
  6. Procedures used in instruction
    • Classroom instruction time for the unit
    • Classroom lab time for student work
    • Handouts required for lesson
  7. Assessment tool (application assessment is suggested; however, an objective assessment tool will be acceptable also)
    • Accurately reflects the objectives

Your sample desktop publishing product should be formatted as a universally assessable file such as pdf, eps, etc files for publishing. Do not publish your sample product here as a web page but link to it from the web page or other form of presentation for your lesson plan.
   

Rationale:

 The Desktop Publishing Unit Lesson was my first lesson plan created in a medium other than web development or animation. It included vocabulary, planning sheets, templates, font manipulation, and a unique rubric. The Student Review Panel was created to mimic the real world, where stakeholders and non-stakeholders in a final product have a final, and sometimes, entirely subjective, chance to critique and affect your work. This type of grading mechanism, when used with traditional grading schemes, will help students understand the subjective component of their work and strive toward a common understanding with the public that pays/views/uses their way.
   

Implications for Future:

 Student involvement in grading and creation of a product is an integral portion of the TEKS for technology applications. Real world applications of this technology involve tight and loose teams, not always with the same goals and attitudes about what is to be created. Dealing with the personal and emotional issues that can arise during this process within the controlled confines of the classroom gives the students a way to prepare themselves for self and external critiques. Regardless of whether I ever use this particular lesson plan, I will use the grading scheme contained in this artifact.
   

Reviewers Comments:

 No comments were ever presented on this piece.

Reviewer Name:

  

Date Reviewed:

  

Reviewers Title:

  
Top of Page
© Copyright 2003 Questions for Concerns: Steve Smiley