An Elementary School Yearbook

An Online Project

St Dorothy Elementary

2000 - 2002

Presentation OutlineIntroduction

St. Dorothy

Background Information

The Yearbook Process

Concluding Advice

IntroductionThe yearbook project began as a booklet of writing produced by the graduates for the graduates.

As computer technology and its access began to expand, so too did the yearbook.

Today it has developed into a year-long, school-wide, student-driven online publication.

St Dorothy

St Dorothy 8931, 6th Avenue

Montréal, Québec,

Tel: (514) 381-0355

Fax: (514) 381-0788

www.emsb.qc.ca/stdorothy

Who We AreAn inner-city school

Pre-K to Level 6 (410 students)

Bilingual French program

ICT Integration pilot school

Part of the Canadian Innovative Schools Network

Personal BackgroundFull-time level six teacherClass size = 29 studentsInner city environmentWorkload: *Level 6 - all subjects, *Level 4 - 30 minutes per day of Language Arts, *Level 3 - 2 hours a week of Language Arts: Written Expression.

The Yearbook ProcessFunding & resources

School-wide participation

Graduate responsibilitiesIndividual pages

Tech teams

FundingAll of the students receive a copy of the yearbook free of charge thanks to the Grassroots Block project.Grassroots Block project funding comes to approx $5000.00 - enough to cover the cost of publicationWe have to apply for this funding every year.

School wide resources:Fully equipped computer labTechnology resource person1 digital cameraDigital video camera

Classroom resources:6 iMac computers2 scanners

Resources

More ResourcesComputer Software:

Adobe PhotoDeluxeAdobe PageMakerAppleWorksClaris Home PageMacromedia DreamweaveriMovie

School-wide ParticipationEvery class from Pre-K to Level 5 submits:

1 page of English language contributions1 page of French language contributionsPictures of any class activities that take place over the course of the year.Work is placed into a Group Shared folder in the Yearbook file or can be given “on paper”. (scanned/prepared by level 6 students)

Graduate ResponsibilitiesTEAMWORK!

Class is divided into committees Each committee has specific tasksEach committee is run by a “manager” Each group has to transcribe their experiences in order to help students in the following years…what they did..how they did it..tricks they learned along the way…an ONLINE MANUAL.Each student is responsible for 1-2 pages of personal work, including a picture .

Editorial CommitteeMade up of two students who are responsible for:

Writing and distributing memos to staff about class contribution deadlines,project information,labeling of pupils in group pictures…Contact the printing company to find out technical information regarding the printing (best fonts,picture quality, etc…) and the cost of the yearbook.Work with all the other managers to ensure that all the work is proceeding as planned.

Photography CommitteeResponsibilities:

Using the digital camera and/or digital video camera to record any events taking place in the school.

Uploading of images and importing of stills from video footage.

Processing images for online & printed publications.

Scanner CommitteeResponsibilities:

Scanning of any and all pictures to be used in the online & printed publications.

Includes the scanning of staff and individual class photos.

Layout CommitteeResponsibilities:

Sorting through all the images that have been uploaded and selecting which ones will be included in the yearbook.Prepares each page so that they are visually stimulating both online & printed.

Print/Typing CommitteeResponsibilities:

Researching and filling in the names of each person present in the class photos.All text work on “novelty” pages.Printing the “best” copy of each page for the hardcopy of the yearbook.

ONLINE PUBLICATIONTEAMWORK:

Divided into committees similar to the printed publicationEach committee is responsible for different aspects ..e.g .Graduates’ pages…Activity pagesExport to web site (PDF file)Create links.

CONCLUDING ADVICEThoughts/Advice based on my experiences…and, often,my mistakes.Just repeat:

I will get through this !My students DO understand English / French !Tylenol is available in EXTRA STRENGTH !

1.Get an early start:A. Teamwork:

Prepare students to work as a group.

Choose/accept leadership roles.

Be responsible for their own tasks.

Keep a “record” of who does whatSelf-evaluation - accomplishment as a group & as an individual within that group.

B. Photography Committee:

Remember that the children must learn to operate the equipment.Allow for enough time so that pictures and videos can be downloaded properly.Have a record of all activities - including the ones that occur at the beginning of the school year.Let the staff know that these “in-school” photographers are available to record classroom activities or projects.

C. Choose Title / Theme

Allows for ample time to design a cover for the yearbook.

Gives the rest of the school lots of time to complete their submissions based on the yearbook’s theme.(if desired)

2. GET HELP– A. Work groups:• 2 teachers are better than 1 and…• 3 teachers are better than 2 and…• A committee made up of teachers and

the principal working on different aspects of the yearbook is even better.

• Add a technology resource person and you have the BEST combo yet!

B. Personal AidTry to use some of the Grassroots money to arrange for time off towards the end of the project when everything needs to be “put together.”

Arrange to have the computer lab declared “off limits” during that time.

3.CLASSROOM SCHEDULEIT WILL CHANGE: you need to use some class time for the committees to meet/organize.

Suggestion: Use the first part of the day to do the “teaching/explaining”in various subject areas.

Assign the work to be coveredCommittees meet or work on

the computers on a rotational basis with a limited time period …depending on what stage of the yearbook you’ve reached.

1 more thing…

• YES..lunch time and after school are often needed especially for lab access!

4.Murphy’s Law & Computers!

SAVE as much as possible on CD’s.If you’re working with a server, use the external hard drive.Always remember:

“If something can go wrong… it WILL go wrong!”

FINALLY…A personal note. We are jugglers: teaching, correcting, testing, reporting to parents, attending meetings, decorating our classrooms, refereeing disputes, filling in endless forms,collecting snacks and milk cartons, while trying to do the best for our students. We do it…we’re TEACHERS!

One last cartoon..it’s often helped me.