Introduction: Archived content from my time at QISS.Ahoy! I am Alexei Chernock and I was the upper school Information Technology teacher from 2013-2016 at Qingdao No.1 International School Shandong Province, China (QISS). I taught Middle School IT, Yearbook (HS), Computer Imaging (HS), HTML / Web Design (HS) and Student News (HS). You can explore these class pages under the drop down menu in QISS IT 2013-16. It was extremely rewarding working with everyone at QISS and building the IT program. We created memorable yearbooks, started a bi-weekly Student News video, and designed many great visual identities for the school. I was also involved with redesigning the school website and logo. Please visit QISS at www.qiss.org.cn. Thanks for visiting this section and if you have any questions feel free to contact me via the contact page. |
Welcome to HTML/Graphic Design
Students learn basic to intermediate Photoshop (with a focus on web optimisation), HTML, XHTML and CSS – languages commonly used to create beautiful and dynamic websites. Students will examine source codes to gain an understanding of HTML. They then learn how to manipulate the coding to understand how each tag functions. When they can confidently use tags to change appearance of text and graphics, students begin to plan and create their own webpage (two options: a personal portfolio site or creating a "how to" site). We then upload the completed websites to a server so the sites can be viewed by anyone in the world who has internet access. Here is the Course Outline.
PHOTOshopBOMB!
Photobomb: Spoil a photograph of (a person or thing) by unexpectedly appearing in the camera's field of view as the picture is taken, typically as a prank or practical joke.
In this assignment we discus websites that provide stock images both paid and free. This service should save designers time and money so they they do not have the stage and shoot specific scenes for what ever their project may be. Our task is to get comfortable searching through various databases to find an image for their Photobomb assignment. Their job is to convey a sense of irony by proposing away of inserting themselves into the photo to make it humors. They have to consider how best to photograph themselves and with Photoshop combine the two images so that it looks like one seamless images. Cryogenic ArtistThen we do an artist study in Illustrator which includes a 5 + 1 writing assignment where students must write from the perspective of their chosen artist. They must attempt to reproduce a well known piece of art using Illustrator and write an essay form the original artist's perspective to consider how they would use Illustrator and tool for creating art if they were alive today.
Poly Portrait
The Poly Portrait project allows students to combine their PS and AI skills to create a dynamic portrait. We take a look at this trending style both commercially and in fine arts. It is process heavy and labor intensive but students feel a great sense of accomplishment when the have a successful final product to use as there cool new profile picture in what ever social media site they frequent.
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Computer ImagingComputer Imaging provides students the opportunity to develop their Photoshop and Illustrator skills. We discuss how graphic designers employ the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design to render aesthetic images. We also touch on different ethical issues surrounding digital imaging.
The first unit introduces the the tools and functions of Photoshop. Who uses Photoshop and what do they use it for what? Discover how one can harness its power for their own benefit. The elements of design will be established as a tool for evaluating images and inform students' best practices when making creative decisions. Once we have established fundamental understanding how the tools we delve into photo retouching and enhancing. With these practices we discus the ethics surrounding photo manipulation. This semester we will collaborate with the 2D Art class to create Principles of Design posters in a "client" situation. Before we began working on the posters, students will practice their Adobe Illustrator skills. |
YearbookJoin weekly activities for this class on Edmodo.
This course addresses the multifaceted needs of the beginning journalism student by introducing them to all phases of yearbook production. Students will learn the skills of Photo Journalism, Layout & Design, Advertising, and Graphic Design. Students will acquire advanced skills in Adobe Photoshop and Indesign, the art of digital photography, and photo enhancement. Classroom activities are closely related to the real world of interviewing, reporting, meeting deadlines and producing widely viewed publications. Timeline August Theme Exploration and Concept building September Basics of Graphic Design – grids and layout, fonts and typography, photography and composition, October Training: Adobe InDesign – document layout, settings, preferences, tools, text, organization Software Practice - layout design - copy a layout as is (detail to detail. Print and post on board). November Ladder of Events – page organization Student ID and Class photos (Second Semester) / Training of students in class Faculty, Admin, Office, Depts, Lunch room, Student Clubs, Organizations, Activities, Cleaning Crew and Drivers Photos (Nov) 2 students Training in Illustrator/ 2 Organization of photos and categories/ 2 students - Seniors Info and childhood photos / 1 Photoshop outline of images (Save as JPEG and NOT TIFF – printing issues)/ 1 students - Design of Graphic Elements December Categorize photos and book sections / School wide - Correct student photo/name checks January/Feb Designing all pages – Minimum 4 spreads per student March Cover design, text review, index review, tying loose ends of book’s design. Completion of yearbook April Yearbook Committee Book Review: Final Editing Prepare files for Print May Send to Printers Printer Proofs – Color Corrections, edits and finals – A printer always comes back with changes and recommendations quite a few times in the final stages of production. |
Thanks to my Yearbook staff for all their hard work. Download the digital pdf here:
QISS Yearbook 2015-16 |
Student News Chum BucketStudent news is an inquiry based class that is student driven. I try to treat the class as a work place where students are held accountable for the content. As the facilitator, I assume the role of "Editor in Chief". My role in the class is to encourage students and provide direction as necessary.
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Dynamic IntroOne of our first assignments is to create a fun, attention-getting introduction that can be played at the start of every broadcast. This project highlights the importance of story boarding and pre-production. It also serves as a nice ice breaker to get the students to feel comfortable in front of the camera.
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Green Screen TechnologyThis year we have introduced "green screen" technology into our production. Using iMovie, students are able to employ this technique which provides them much more creative freedom. If you have any questions on how you incorporate this technology please feel free to contact me.
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PSAIn addition to covering school events such as the talent show, International Day, and team sports we also try to provide some original content. PSAs or Public Service Announcements are a great way to tackle important topics but have some fun while doing it. Please enjoy this anti-bullying PSA created by the 2015 Student News class.
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