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Syllabus (Grades 3-5)

Syllabus- Elementary Media Arts

INSTRUCTOR & COURSE INFORMATION:

Name: Mr. Aaron Smith

E-Mail Address: aaron.smith@pgcps.org

Planning Time: 9:15 AM - 10:25 AM

Phone Number: 301-817-0300

Course Name: Elementary Media Arts

OVERVIEW:

Elementary Media Arts allows students to create while using technology.

For Primary (K-2) grades, this course is meant to be exploratory for students to understand technology, the different ways to create with technology, and problem solve with technology.

For Intermediate (3-5) grades, the curriculum is meant to prepare students for Middle School expectations. This includes the Media Arts major, but also the Technology Concepts elective and the state required CS Discoveries course.

GOALS:

Students will:

  • Log into PGCPS services without assistance.
  • Gain a basic understanding of internet safety strategies.
  • Learn to make a variety of digital artworks.
  • Learn basic coding skills.
  • Learn basic typing skills.

Class Expectations:

  • Be kind.
  • Remember that your rights stop where they begin to infringe on the rights of others.
    1. This includes equipment use, talking loudly while another student is recording, and of course US copyright regulations.
  • Be present, attentive, and on task during class time.
  • Make good use of your resources.
    1. Most questions asked are answered in the instructions.
    2. When vague requests are given (“I don’t get any of it”) specific follow-up questions will be given in response. (“Which step of the instructions needs clarification?”)
    3. Read the instructions and/or watch the videos before asking for additional help.
    4. Do not wait until the last minute to get started or ask for help. TIME is a resource.
  • Curate how you present yourself, particularly during productions.
    1. Attire
    2. Setting (Who and what is in the background? Sight & Sound!)
    3. Camera Angle (A closer shot means less background to curate.)
    4. Lighting (Have light sources, but keep them out of the shot.)
  • Students arriving for class should enter and quickly find their seats. Time waiting in the hallway is time wasted.
    • Seats are rarely permanently assigned, with the main exceptions being for accommodations or, more rarely, disciplinary concerns. With that said, students who spend the class changing their seats as they see which students are choosing to sit elsewhere may be assigned a specific seat for that day.
    • Students may be given guidance similar to "only 3 students per table" or "students who have already completed [assignment name] should sit at this table" as they enter the room.
  • While students are encouraged to not bring food or beverages into a room filled with expensive electronics, it is understood that some students have medical needs that might not be able to be postponed until class is over.
    • The half-hexagon table in the corner of the room is the designated food/beverage table. Students who wish to eat or drink something during class may move to that table briefly before returning to their seat to complete their assigned tasks.
    • Any food or beverages placed near the electronics (even on the floor) will be confiscated, as it will be assumed the intent was to consume what was brought while making a mess on and around the electronics.
  • Upon finding their seat, students are expected to visit FouloisTech.info and click the image for their grade level to see the agenda and instructions for that day's activities.
    • Some assignments will require introduction and guidance before students may begin their work. Others will allow students to begin immediately, especially if guidance/instruction was provided during a previous class.
    • Most assignments require students to log into one or more services with their PGCPS usernames and passwords. If students are using the classroom computers, they should not log into Chrome. Student credentials will work as expected without logging into the Chrome browser.
  • Students may at any time ask for assistance, provided the teacher is not already providing assistance to another student.
    • WIth the exception of assessments, students are actively encouraged to help each other. This is seen as a way for the helping students to reinforce their knowledge and skills.
    • Helping vs. Cheating
      • Students cross the line from "helping" to "cheating" if they begin doing the work for the other student.
      • Students cross the line from "helping" to "cheating" if they allow the other student to copy everything off of their screen, especially if the "helper" then leaves that seat to do something else.
      • Students do not cross the line from "helping" to "cheating" if they provide verbal instruction, point at important things on the helped student's screen, or demonstrate a technique on their own device.
  • There will be times when the teacher asks for the students' attention partway through a work period. Students are expected to pause their activities, including assignment completion and/or conversation, to receive the new information.
  • At the end of class, students using classroom computers are expected to have them restart, but not close laptops or turn off monitors.
    • (Students who do this frequently forget to restart the device, leaving them logged in for the next student to use that device. This is a security risk for those students.)
  • Students will not be dismissed until it is verified that their computer has been properly restarted and any additional equipment has been returned.

Grading:

  • PGCPS policy has grades divided into the following three weighted categories:
    • Classwork (70% of the final average)
    • Assessments (20% of the final average)
    • Independent Work (10% of the final average)
  • A minimum of 3 grades will be placed in each category by the end of the Quarter., with the goal being 4 or more.
    • Our limited number of classes (15 days per Quarter, on average) can possibly lead to inclement weather days or other unforeseen circumstances limiting a category to only 3 assignments, but 4+ per category remains the goal as this prevents any one low grade from disproportionately affecting the final average.
  • 1st Semester:
    • Each day's activities will usually be graded based on 10 points.
    • Most classwork grades will be assessed using a rubric provided during the lesson.
      • Assignments that do not make use of a rubric will be scored based on participation and proofreading. These will usually be assessed as Independent Work.
  • 2nd Semester:
    • Lesson point values will be determined by the grade-appropriate activities found on Code.org.
  • Late Work
    • Work not completed in class but still completed the same day will not be counted as late.
    • Missing assignments may be handed in late, with certain caveats.
      • No late work is accepted during the last two weeks of any Quarter, barring excused absences.
        • (PGCPS policy allows for a number of days equal to the excused absences to complete missing work, but this is from the day the student returns to the building, not from the day an excuse note is delivered to Ms. Holmes.)
        • New work will still be assigned during the last 2 weeks of the Quarter, but late work will not be graded without an excused absence.
        • Absences are established as "excused" based on PGCPS guidelines, as interpreted by Ms. Holmes and school administration.
      • Students are encouraged to not wait until the deadline approaches to submit missing work, for two reasons:
        • Rushed work usually receives a lower grade.
        • Lessons in this course are designed to built off of previous lessons. (Deciding to wait until after a video assignment is due to begin writing the script for the video will usually result in a low grade for the video.)
    • Missing assignments are graded as a 0 in SchoolMax until they are handed in.
      • PGCPS policy does not encourage the marking of an assignment as "Excused" with no entered grade.
  • Resubmissions
    • Quizzes provide for 3-5 attempts (depending on the quiz), with students given the chance to review their answers after each attempt. All attempts are due on the day the quiz is assigned.
    • Other than quizzes, no work may be resubmitted during the last two weeks of the Quarter.
    • Assignments being completed in Code.org may be revisited as many times as needed up until the previously stated deadline of 2 weeks before the end of the Quarter.
    • Assignments that are neither quizzes nor being completed in Code.org may each be resubmitted once for a higher grade, with the following restrictions.
      • Resubmissions are due within 10 calendar days (not class days or school days) of the day feedback is provided in Canvas.
      • As missing work earns a 0, it is not eligible for resubmission unless the absence was excused.

CELL PHONES AND OTHER PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Students do not need any devices other than their PGCPS Chromebook and a pair of headphones to earn an A in this course. The classroom has cameras and microphones for use during class time, but even these are not necessary to earn an A.

To that end, cell phones are not allowed to be used during Media Arts.

ATTENDANCE:

Most if not all projects in this course can be completed in or out of class, provided the student has a Chromebook (or other computer) and a working internet connection. Attendance is important as the teacher is there to provide help and guidance during the lessons, but a student in need of extra time or who is home due to illness can still complete and submit the projects from home.

With that said, students are still expected to make good use of their class time. A student is not permitted, for example, to declare that they are working on their entire project at home and therefore have nothing to do in class. Such a declaration may result in a lower classwork grade due to a lack of participation as well as other disciplinary steps.

Finally, regardless of where most of the work has been completed, a student who is absent on the day a project is due will earn a zero unless the absence is determined to be lawful within 3 days of the student returning. This requirement has been added to adhere to PGCPS policy.

Parent Contact And Communication

  1. Parents are welcome to email course instructors using the contact information provided above.
    1. Parents will receive a reply within 48 hours, not counting non-school or off-duty days.
  2. Parents, please do NOT contact teachers using a student’s account, either through email or Canvas.
    1. Teachers must assume all communication from a student account is from the student.
    2. It is possible, using a student account, to see communications from other students without their parents’ consent. This cannot be condoned or encouraged.
  3. Please make sure your contact information is up to date in the SchoolMax Family Portal.
    1. Contact can be via email and text messages, but only if the information in Family Portal is up to date.
  4. Parent Contact will occur when there is a concern about student behavior, performance, and/or attendance, and your help is requested.
  5. “Notices of Concern” are official documents that are kept on file and are sent to school administration at the same time they are sent to the parent.

Schedule:

A more detailed schedule for this class can be found here.