Author: Angelo Aquino

Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you.

Here is the work for this week (5/4 to 5/8). There are 2 assignments. The Social Media Post assignment and a google form with a Visual Thinking Strategy writing assignment.

Social Media Post Assignment: You will be doing a social media post using Adobe Spark. Spark is a free application that you can download on to your phone, or you can use it directly on their website through an internet browser. You will have to create an account or link your google account to it, but it is a solid program that allows you to create collages, web pages, social media posts, and video advertisements. So, either download the app to your smartphone, OR do it on your computer by clicking this link… https://spark.adobe.com/

Choose one of the following topics for your social media post:
1) 10 things my family and friends love
2) 10 things I have been doing at home during quarantine
3) 10 things I am looking forward to doing

For each of these… include 10 pictures, a title, and an icon. Use different cropping shapes for your photos (so they are not all just squares or rectangles). When you are done, download the image as a jpeg and send it to me via email with a paragraph explaining your choice of imagery and why. Don’t just give me a social media post showing a bunch of random pictures. EXPLAIN YOURSELF.

If you don’t know how to use Adobe Spark, don’t worry. I used it for the first time this weekend. I even had a friend do the assignment, and she has never touched the program until yesterday as well. Here is a video that I found that walks you through how to use the program…

If this video does not help, then feel free to search youtube or the internet for other tutorials. It is a free program that is simple to use, so there are PLENTY of tutorials out there for you to utilize.

Here are the examples that I (and a friend) made in half an hour with never even touching the program before….:

Visual Thinking Strategy assignment. The second assignment is in this google form. It is a short writing assignment with pictures. Fill out the questions I have listed for each image… https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGYGRzoapyYVStmmTqxftZQI9l9BR-QRmjqR7SKn4YV2gSGQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Don’t forget!

Today from 12pm-12:30pm, we have a video chat via Big Blue Button on iLearn. At about 11:55, the room will open. I will be answering questions for this week’s assignments as well as going over a supplemental lecture about color and its power in design.

In Tuesday’s video chat, I gave a minor little supplemental lecture about movie poster designs, and how they tend to follow trends. I did the lecture again in a recording, and here it is for you to see in case you missed out. I also went a little further in the lecture, as we were cut short due to time.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1voTS8vuMjSoTQwYStzTXfCMR-l19mYm6/view?usp=sharing

Here is another video that you guys might like to see where an industry professional breaks down movie poster design….

As of earlier this week, I assigned you the project to create an animal sculpture using stuff you can find outside. So here is a list of examples I found while doing a quick little search today for concepts for you guys to get inspiration from. Some of these are probably intimidating and need tools you do not have access to, but I still want you to have the ability to see them. Additionally, there are others here that use other objects like zippers and bottle caps, but remember, I only want you to use objects found from nature.

The little bug ones are there to give you an idea of ways you could do something, but please do not do a sculpture of a rock with a leaf glued to it and tell me its a bug. Put a little more effort into it. If you really wanted to do a sculpture of a bug and wanted to make it to be that simple, then make MULTIPLE bugs and compose them in a group arrangement (Like ants in a colony, or bees around a beehive).

DON’T FORGET. This week, you also have the Restaurants and Color assignment that is in this google form… https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQSmoJBrLZy7_l3uTb7kQBND04abDAJ2K36JJpJeL_wEm9WA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Whatup. Don’t forget, today at noon (12pm), we have a video chat.

So, there have been technical difficulties with google hangouts, so now, we are going to (attempt) a video chat today at noon through iLearn. For this, I want all of you to join the same iLearn course that I created for you. I will be sending an email with the enrollment key, so please check there.

If you have joined iLearn before for other classes (and I hope that you have), then you should need no instructions on getting enrolled. If you have NO IDEA what an iLearn is, please click on this link here…. https://moodle.dearbornschools.org/my/

Once you are in to the course Aquino Design Class 2020, please click on the “big blue button”.

HELLO. Here is what I got for you this week.

Do this survey! This will count as your “writing” project. Make sure to follow the directions, and write paragraphs using full sentences. https://forms.gle/siXBDSmvKf5MhSj3A

NEXT, for your art project…
Found object sculpture using materials from nature!

To the best of your ability, you are to make an animal (much like the toothpick project we almost did) using nothing but stuff you find outside. You can use rocks, leaves, sticks, and pinecones. DO NOT USE pop cans, metal, carpentry wood (like wood from home depot or lowes), or plastic bottles. Use hot glue to bond the pieces together, or use string to tie and bind each part together. Whatever works for you. Go searching for materials to make an animal sculpture, but please practice social distancing when you do so.

Here is an example of one I did this morning. It only took me a total of an hour and a half to do as much as I did, and it was with only sticks in my backyard.

I do intend on adding more (as it only took me a short amount of time to make this) so I will possibly add updates later in the week.

Take pictures of your sculpture as you’re working on it. Take a picture of the materials, the start of it, the middle of it, and the end of it. Send me these pictures via email to aquinoa@dearbornschools.org

VIDEO CHAT TOMORROW (Tuesday) at NOON.
(I almost had to change it to 11am, but it is still NOON.)
I am going to try and make another way of video chat, but please stay posted here to check in on directions.

SESSION ENDED. I had a good chunk of students attend (or contact me if they had issues). HOWEVER, I am hoping that those that have missed it are aware that these meetings are mandatory and should make an effort to reach out to me. Additionally, here is what we covered for today…:

Rules:
1) Keep your mic muted.
2) Don’t spam the chat.
3) Don’t forget, you’re on camera.

Every Monday I will be listing assignments that you are expected to do for the week. Friday, those projects are due, and I will be plugging in the points. Please check this blog on Monday to see the assignments and instructions.

You are expected to have some live contact with me at least twice a week. I am doing live video chats every Tuesday and Thursday at NOON (12pm) via google hangouts. Please attend those to assure your attendance.

If you can not make these video calls, please tell me. I can’t do anything to work with you if you don’t tell me that there is an issue. I will work with you to help you get through this online learning class… HOWEVER, the longer you wait to tell me, the less forgiving I am.

Don’t forget, for this week your assignments were to EMAIL ME and tell me how you’ve been this past month, and also to do the new My Learning Plan form. Get those done, and check back in on Monday to see what’s next.

Here is the plan, dudes and dudettes. Today at noon, you will be joining me in a google hangout session using a code that I will post here around 11:50. We are going to have a small check in conversation. To join, please use your school email and go to meet.google.com and click on “Join or Start a Meeting”.

From there, type in the code that I will provide you into this spot….

Once you enter the code, you must JOIN the room by clicking on “join now”.

I even drew BIG RED ARROWS so you can see what to click on. WOOOO. Super easy instructions! Go me!

Last thing to note. We are going to be in a chat with a large amount of students. So, keep in mind these three things….:

1) Please keep your mic muted. I can’t have 12 kids talking at once, I don’t want to hear your music, and I really don’t care to hear your mom vacuuming behind you.
2) Do not spam my chat. This is our class conversation, not a Twitch channel or your Discord group. Chat should be left to questions and responses, not to spam LOL, KEKW, omgggg, “AlL yoUr BaSE bELonG to uS”, your 1337 speak, and whatever else you kids type these days.
3) If you have your camera on, don’t forget, we can see you. So don’t do things you wouldn’t want the public to see you do. In fact, I personally would rather you just leave your camera off or covered.

After that, all you have to do is hang out for a bit and hear me babble about whatever instructions I am giving. EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY.

WHADDUP. Aside from your email check in, here is your first assignment. It is a chill one, so I expect all of you to have it done before the end of the week.

This is just an updated My Learning Plan. It is important for us to look into this a second time during semester 2. After the first semester, your perspective on what you want to learn may have completely changed. “Oh, I don’t want to be a video game tester” or “Hey, I really liked practicing the graphic design part of Adobe Illustrator” are completely valid changes of heart during your time in my class. You may have also learned about communication design careers that you didn’t even know existed, but now you have more of an idea. Consider all this while filling out this form.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhcIcp05Ov-hanT_vWdgUBJY3iqHijdjJu7O0hcYY40PbyGQ/viewform

NOW. I am in need of communication from you all. This is IMPORTANT FOR YOUR GRADE. To cover this, I will be doing two weekly group video chats that I will schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will also be giving weekly email assignments that you will need to respond to. If you do not meet this communication requirement, I will have to report this to the office and you will be risking failure.

Our first live video chat will be on Thursday, at noon. I will post a link on this blog on that day on how to join that chat.

My Office hours are at 12pm – 2pm on Wednesdays. I will be at my desk working on communication for anyone reaching out to me at that time.

Welcome Back!

Yessir!  School is back on for the rest of the year!

Aren’t you excited? SCHOOL COUNTS AGAIN!!!

That’s right – we are officially doing the last card marking together from home!  We’re going to have some video chats, we’ll have plenty of emails back-and-forth, you’ll show me your work, and I’ll put it in the gradebook for you!

So, if you look at your grades, right now you’ll see I added in some new ones:

Quarantine March, Quarantine April, and Email Me

The Quarantine March/April ones are to make sure that the ones who did work for me get credit for what they did during “enrichment time”, but then Email Me is our first counting grade for this last card marking.

That one is simple – just email me back and update me with how you’ve been.

It can be a new email, or just simply respond to this one.

(Some of you have already done this – I see you Superstars!)

I’ll be putting things up on this blog for you do. This is your assignment location. Directions will be left here. KEEP CHECKING THIS OFTEN.

Aside from emailing me, the first assignment you’ll see is a “My Learning Plan” review (and a quick survey) so we can pick up where we left off and look at your goals for both now and in the future

Things you can expect moving forward:

• We’ll have some Google Hangouts planned – right now it’s planned for Tuesday/Thursday, but everyone is figuring out schedules
• We’ll have some office hours planned – figure for that on Wednesday
• We’re going to try some new stuff too (since we can, why not?)
• Otherwise, I figure there will be lots of emails back-and-forth for questions and whatever else you may come up with in our new learning environment
• Potential Writing/Drawing assignments with various requirements and standards

If you are worried, don’t be; as long as you are doing the work you will be fine.