Talent is a pursued interest. Anything that you're willing to practice, you can do.
​-Bob Ross

About the Class

The worlds of art designers, performers and media artists intersect historically, culturally and aesthetically. In this introductory course for the Arts and Communication Career Field, students learn the basics of performance, design, audio and video. They review brochures, photographs, news stories, videos and other products common to the visual, media and performing arts industries. They will create projects focusing within this career field.

What Is Covered

Employability Skills. In this unit, students begin to recognize the skills and qualities required in the workplace and what they look like in practice. They appreciate how the skills and qualities they develop in school are similar to those required in the workplace.

Performing Arts. In this unit, students will explore and create performances, such as improvised performances and vocal exercises.

Media Arts. This unit focuses on communication through media such as photography, video, and audio. Students will learn simple photography techniques, create a radio commercial, and record videos such as movie trailers and instructional videos. ​In addition, students will study ad awareness and create a magazine ad that advertises a product. 

Visual Arts and Design. This is a shorter version of the Visual Design course where students will learn design techniques and strategies while creating projects such as billboards, flyers, and posters. ​

About Grading

Progress Book. You can keep track of your students grades and upcoming assignments through Progress Book. Because I can’t predict the exact amount of time it will take students to complete various Studio Projects, the due dates may change. Students are always made aware of these changes in advance. 

Rubrics. All artwork is graded using rubrics that are customized to the specific project. These provide detailed feedback to the student, breaking down how well they demonstrate each of the project’s requirements. Progress Book only reflects the final grade, so be sure to talk with your student if you want to see these rubrics. 

Late Work. Late work is accepted with no penalties to their grade. However, be alert for any missing assignments in Progress Book. These have a tendency to pile up as time progresses, usually resulting in lower quality work. 
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Fixing Mistakes. Just because a student earned a lower grade on an assignment doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Students are encouraged to fix any mistakes and to turn the assignment back in to me. I will then regrade the assignment and update the grade to reflect these changes.