Welcome to Mrs. Fine’s Communications Technology Web Site!

This school year we will be doing a wide variety of amazing projects. We’ll be using the Adobe Creative Suite CS6 (PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Dreamweaver and Flash) to produce industry standard materials.

This is my sixth year teaching design at Palm Bay High School. I have worked as a graphic and web designer for many years, studied art for countless years, and have enjoyed making art my whole life. This summer I received my Adobe Certified Educator certification and excited to share my new knowledge with you!

I love teaching! My goal is for everyone to find something inspiring, interesting, fun, or new. I look forward to learning from - and being inspired by - you too.

The intention of this course is to introduce you to the structure of art through the medium of digital photography and digital image manipulation. We will explore the process of learning new ways of seeing and creating through intentional and purposeful arrangement of visual elements. This course is about design and how its principles and elements affect the way we make art and look at the world around us

Graphic/Web Design Club

STUDENTS OF THE CLASS OF 2013, PLEASE APPLY FOR A BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP!

Lab Fee

There is a $10 lab fee . This is used to buy the art supplies we use. Please pay cash only.

You will be required to have a 2" Clear View 3 ring binder to leave in the classroom for your portfolio work. Pen and/or pencil is a must! A USB Drive to store your work is not required, but recommended. At least 1 gig.

I created this website to make your learning easier and more organized. Click on the Calendars link from the home page, and you will see a detailed academic calendar.

• A variety of challenging projects using different media and skills
• Clear instructions and demonstrations for using the materials and doing the projects
• Encouragement and guidance in evaluating your own and your peers’ work constructively
• A clear grading policy and frequent formal or informal progress reports
• Respect for your input, ideas, and personal interests

As a result of taking this class, you should be able to:

• Work professionally within a design team.
• Identify numerous design careers which are available.
• Evaluate designs (your work and others’) for audience, meaning, and effectiveness.
• Use the elements and principles of design in a decisive fashion.
• Plan a design project according to a client’s needs.
• Build a design gradually using thumbnail sketches and mockups.
• Create attractive layouts that communicate messages effectively.
• Use color to communicate ideas to others.
• Use typography effectively in a design.

I believe that every one of you is capable of receiving an A in my class, even if you’ve never worked on a computer before. I give lots of opportunities to improve sagging grades, including redos and extra credit.

Whenever possible, I will provide rubrics for each design project that tell you what I expect. I consider three main things in evaluating student’s design work:

• Effort (visible in the work and/or demonstrated in class; spend quality time on your work!)
• Creativity (how original your work is)
• Following Directions (did you explore the assignment as given?)

Since everyone learns about design here, everyone is considered a designer. Get used to thinking of yourself that way! My job is to teach you professionalism in addition to design skills. Professionalism means being respectful to yourself and others around you, and behaving in an acceptable, predictable way.

• Don’t prevent me from teaching
• Don’t prevent others from learning
• Be safe
• Keep things clean. NO FOOD OR DRINKS in the computer area. Period.

• Show respect for yourself, your fellow students, your artwork, our classroom and our equipment and supplies
• Arrive on time and be ready to work
• Pay attention during lectures and demonstrations
• Participate in classroom discussions and activities
• Do your best work during each and every class

Keeping our classroom welcoming, safe and interesting depends on everyone. Here’s what I offer if you have a great attitude and behavior:

• A fun, exciting design room where you can learn cool skills
• I will praise you for your outstanding professionalism
• I will treat you like a responsible adult
• The opportunity to work on real projects for school activities

Students earn free time on the computers by maintaining a good grade and keeping up in class. You will be allowed free time on the computer only if you meet the following criteria:

• You have asked for and received my permission
• You have completed that day’s task
• You have an A in the class – OR – you have completed all assignments so far in the semester

You may choose where you would like to sit. The computer you choose is yours for the entire year. Please do not move to another seat without my permission.

I will allow music to be played while working on assignments at a volume I consider acceptable. If you exceed this level, I will ask you to please turn the volume down. I will not allow music to be played during a lesson. I will not allow "Bad Words" to be used in my classroom, and this includes the music you listen to. If you have any questions about this, please see me.