Hampden Academy 

Hampden Academy challenges all students to achieve individual excellence. 

 
Course Syllabus
Course Information

Course Title: Digital Communications

Course Number: 792

Course Date: 1​st​ or 2​nd​ Semester

Course Location: 102

Instructor: Melanie Crowe

Email: ​mcrowe@rsu22.us

Course Description: This course will be broken down into two areas of study. The first area of
study will give students a working knowledge of camera handling, digital
capture, and digital manipulation. Functions of the digital SLR camera are
studied and applied to picture taking challenges. Students will learn to use
Photoshop Elements to manipulate and creatively enhance their pictures.
Compositional guidelines are presented, discussed, and applied to the
student’s own work. This course involves the production and exhibition of a
number of the students’ photographs which will meet the aesthetic criteria of
the course. Students will learn about the history of photography and its
contribution to the visual image in history. The second area of study, students
will be creating a variety of movies. Students will be exposed to the history
of movie making and how movies have evolved through time. Students will
be exposed to the art of storyboarding and different techniques of recording
video, video editing, and video production. The students will be using state
of the art equipment and will be using Imovie to complete their productions.

Prerequisite/Program: None

Graduation Standards: Meets the Fine Arts Requirement for Graduation

ISTE Standards:
Empowered Learner
1a​ Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies
leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process
itself to improve learning outcomes.
1c​ Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves
their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
1d​ Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology
operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current
technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging
technologies
 Digital Citizen
2b​ Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when
using technology, including social interactions online or when using
networked devices.
2c​ Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights
and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property.

Knowledge Constructor
3c​ Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of
tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate
meaningful connections or conclusions.

Innovative Designer
4b​ Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design
process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.
4c​ Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical
design process.
4d​ Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the
capacity to work with open-ended problems.

Creative Communicator
6b​ Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix
digital resources into new creations.
6c​ Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by
creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or
simulations.
6d​ Students publish or present content that customizes the message and
medium for their intended audiences.

National Core Art Standards:

Media Arts / Connecting
MA:Cn10.1HSI Access, evaluate, and integrate personal and external
resources to inform the creation of original media artworks, such as
experiences, interests, and cultural experiences.

Media Arts / Creating

MA:Cr1.1.1.HSI Identified generative methods to formulate multiple ideas,
develop artistic goals, and problem solve in media arts creation processes.

MA:Cr2.1.1.HSI Uses aesthetic criteria in developing, proposing, and

refining artistic ideas, plans, prototypes, and production processes for media
arts production, considering original inspirations, goals, and presentation
context.

Media Arts / Producing

MA:Pr5.1.HSI Demonstrates progression in artistic, design, technical skills
as a result of selecting and fulfilling specific roles in the production of a
variety of media artworks.

Media Arts / Responding

MA:Re8.1.HSI Analyze the intent, meanings, and reception of a variety of
media artworks, focusing on personal and cultural contexts.
 MA:Re9.1.HSI Evaluate media artworks and production processes at
decisive stages, using identified criteria, and considering context and artistic
goals.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes: Students will master the Canon T5 or T5i camera functions:

◍ Camera’s Automatic Settings
◍ Camera’s Shutter Settings
◍ Camera’s Aperture Settings
◍ Camera’s Manual Settings
◍ Camera’s Macro Setting
◍ Camera’s Sport Setting
Students will learn and apply Constructive Photo Critiquing
Students will learn the History of Photography
Students will learn the capabilities of Photoshop Elements
Students will learn Storyboarding using Pages
Students will learn video production using IMovie
Students will learn and use Google Slides to create presentations

Instructional Methods

Methods: Digital Communications is a hands-on project based class that challenges

students to meet their individual level of excellence using creative problem
solving strategies. Topics will be introduced (​lecture)​ , discussed (​class
participation​), practiced (​project creation​), critiqued (​class discussion)​ , and
electronic discussion (​email & Google Classroom discussion)​ to a high level
of craftsmanship. Once students have created a quality finished product, they
will present it to the class.

Supporting Materials

Materials: Course Handouts, Google Classroom

Google Classroom Code: see Course description handout

Assignments:
Alphabet Name
A-Z Photography
Scavenger Hunt
Shutter Speed Images
Points of Interest: Depth of Field
Removing Color / Changing Color
Head Swapping
Filters
Surrealist Landscape
I Spy…
Cubist Face (Frontal / Profile)
Stop Motion Video
.
*Additional projects may be added to the above list as time permits
Assessments

Formative assessment tools:

Check-ins, Exit tickets, Observation, Google Forms, Checklists, Hand signals
(thumbs up / down), Reflective Journal Response (in process), Critiques

Summative assessment tools:

Art work, Digital Portfolio, Reflective Journal Response (end of project),
rubrics, minimal written assessments

Grading Policy Creating 50%

(Art Making, Application of Concepts, Creative Process & Artistic
Behaviors Focused, Rubric Focused)
Engagement 30%
(Preparedness, Skill Acquisition, Class Discussion, Use of Time)
Reflective Practice 20%
(Critiques, Reflective Response,)

 
 
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