Class Schedule: Topics, Assignments, Discussions

(The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the weekly schedule to fit the needs of the class and to accommodate guest speakers. All readings should be done before class meets, except for readings for the first class, which should be done before Week 2. Please be sure to check the website of this syllabus every week to check for any changes to the schedule.)

01/30/12 Week 1	Overview of Syllabus What do you stand for? Choosing web site for semester analysis Discussion: How I got here Web Resume assigned. Created on Word Press must include text, subheads, email address link, hyperlink In class assignment: 400 word bio for "About Me" for your Word Press site. Copy edited by next week. Assignment for next week discussion: Watch the Super Bowl with an eye towards how many instances of interaction and web site/ app/ mobile pushes appear.  Submit analysis. http://tinyurl.com/online20121 Reading for 2/6: Chapter 1 in the Foust book: "Introduction to Online Journalism."  and Chapter 5 in the Foust book: "Using Online Reporting Sources."
02/06/12 Week 2 Sourcing RSS	What's cool on the web this week Quiz on Foust readings Assignment Due: Interactivity during Super Bowl Web site for analysis chosen Discussion: History of Web and news in the digital age. Terms. Metrics. SEO. Reliable sources vs. junk on the web. In class assignment: Create WordPress site, RSS feeds in iGoogle, Google Reader and work on online resume. The html file should include text, subheads, an e-mail address link, at least one external hyperlink, and at least one bulleted list. Read before class: Chapter 1 in the Foust book: "Introduction to Online Journalism."  and Chapter 5 in the Foust book: "Using Online Reporting Sources."
02/13/12 Week 3 Speaker Html	What's cool on the web this week Assignment Due: Resume ready to post to WordPress site.  Discussion: TBA Speaker from 7-8:15: Discussion with with Sara Ganim, reporter for Harrisburg Patriot-News brought to light the allegations of child-abuse against former longtime Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. 7 p.m. in the Richard Eaton Auditorium, Room 1208 at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Tweet during presentation using hashtag In class assignment: Basic html + Wordpress creation Read before class: Chapter 6 in the Foust book: "Creating and Managing Web Content."
02/20/12 Week 4 Photography MM proposals	What's cool on the web this week Quiz Assignment Due: Two blog posts on site analysis. Submit 2 story pitches for your multimedia package. Each proposal should be a paragraph and include focus of the main element and how you will use different media for sidebars.  I will approve subject by next class. Discussion: Ethics in photography and image manipulation In class assignment: Photoshop basics. Bring a digital camera to class. You'll be posting what you shoot to your WordPress site. Read before class: View and be prepared to discuss: NPPA Best of Photojournalism: http://bop.nppa.org/  Plus: Paul Grabowicz's "Picking the Right Media for Reporting a Story."
02/27/12 Week 5 Ethics Copyright	What's cool on the web this week Quiz Assignment Due: Clips page on your WordPress site. All links must be your published work. This should be examples of work to show a prospective employer.   Discussion: Ethics, taste and restraint in new media. Publishing decisions and how the speed of the 24-hour news cycle has affected news judgment; whether or not online sites are properly differentiating between editorial and advertising content; corrections and linking policies, and more. In class assignment: Find questionable ethical examples on news websites. Written summary of issues discovered. Read before class: Chapter 12 in the Foust book, "Legal and Ethical Issues." 10 Big Myths about copyright explained: http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
03/05/12 Week 6 Social Media & Dreamweaver	We covered live tweeting during Sara Ganim’s presentation. Be prepared to talk about what you learned about using Twitter to report and other instances where you can see it applying.  Also discuss how to apply Facebook as a reporter.  I’m moving up the intro to Dreamweaver to this week. What's cool on the web this week- have some examples to share of effective use of social media in reporting. Quiz- on The Audience: Involved and in Motion Discussion: Using social media in news gathering and building audience. Read before class: Chapter 3 in the Foust book: "The Audience: Involved and in Motion." Plus: "Advice for Editors on Becoming Conversational on Twitter," by Steve Buttry, published Oct. 16, 2011; "What You Need to Know About StumbleUpon, the Web's Hot New Referral Service," by Jeff Sonderman, published Aug. 23, 2011 on poynter.org Assignment Due: 2 blogs on web site analysis In class assignment: Intro to Dreamweaver as a Web-editing tool, and basic CSS. We'll be using Dreamweaver to create your multimedia story projects, which will be published on our college servers for assessment purposes.  More on interactivity including incorporating interactive quizzes and Google maps. Using markers, lines, shapes and photos, along with text in Google maps.
03/12/12 Week 7 Guest Speaker	What's cool on the web this week Quiz Assignment Due: 4th Website analysis posted on your WordPress. Don't forget to comment on class blog at least 7 times. In class assignment: Guest Speaker Phil Metlin FOX 5 News Director. What you need to know to get a job and he'll critique your work. I'm giving him your WordPress urls beforehand. Reading before class: Chapters 10 and 11 in the Foust book, "Multimedia, Mashups and APIs," and "Gathering and Editing Images, Audio and Video."
03/19/12	NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK
03/26/12 Week 8 Midterm REVIEW More Dreamweaver	What's cool on the web this week Review for test Assignment Due: 6th Web site analysis blog Discussion: Dreamweaver & CSS In class assignment: Dreamweaver practice. Reading before class: Readings: Chapter 7 in the Foust book, "Web Page Design." Plus: Dan Farber's "Eye tracking Web usability" on ZDNet's "Between the Lines," March 27, 2006 and F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content, CSS Tutorial
04/02/12 Week 9 MIDTERM Headlines SEO	What's cool on the web this week Midterm test Assignment Due: Discussion: Headlines and SEO In class assignment: Writing web headlines Reading before class: Chapter 8 in the Foust book: "Writing and Editing Online" and Chapter 9 in the Foust book: "Using Links in Online Stories." Plus: "This Boring Headline Is Written for Google." And check out these general headline writing tips from Wayne Countryman on copydesk.org. &  Google SEO Starter Guide, SEO Basics
04/09/12 Week 10	What's cool on the web this week Return midterms Assignment Due: MM project progress Discussion:
04/16/12 Week 11	What's cool on the web this week Assignment Due: Rough draft for MM returned. Discussion: There are only 3 weeks left to complete your MM Project. We will be devoting the next 2 classes to working on your web pages and multi-media creation.  You should have some content from your subject to work on tomorrow.  At the very least you should have an idea of how you want to lay-out your web page. Then you can work on building the page and leave place holders for content still not complete.  Bring an USB drive and whatever content you have produced so far.  We have covered most of the bullet points required for the class: http://onlinejournalismspring2012.blogspot.com/p/352-class-requirements.html If any of you would like to have more discussion/demo of topics let me know.  Monday we'll discuss eye-tracking studies and do a Soundslides demo along with working on your projects. In class assignment: Work on MM project, Edit MM text
04/23/12 Week 12	What's cool on the web this week Assignment Due: Finished written text of web feature MM story. 500-700 words Discussion: In class assignment:Work on MM website
04/30/12 Week 13 Finalize MM package	What's cool on the web this week Assignment Due: Final blog posts to total 8 Discussion: In class assignment: Work on multimedia website. Must post to server by 5/3 to give yourself time for fixes.
05/07/12 Multimedia Presentation	FINAL CLASS- Multimedia package due. Presentations of multimedia packages to class.