RADARREDUX class fifteen/ outline

16. December 17 / Critique from outside PHP professional.

Goal: Critique from outside PHP professional. Branding in community. Finish and load semester articles. Prepare work to turn in on saved on cd for department.

Questions for PHP professional. Deep branding/advertising. How are we doing? Whats next?

Discussion: Critique and evaluation by professional in the field. PHP programmer will attend class and answer all questions and give class feedback. To be effective on the web you need to break through the noise and create a place people can find you and most importantly once they find you they stay awhile and return often. Branding remains an extremely important tool. Is RADARREDUX’s brand working? If changed how to bring an audience along.

• Coding
• Design
• Overall work
• Improvements for next semester?• How can we promote and grow?
• Use online viral techniques
• Other

Assignment: Retool all branding expansion of audience. Finalize work as editorial group tweaking all content and gather work to turn into the department.

RADARREDUX class fourteen / outline

15. December, 10 (Hopkins students finished with class, but are visiting for lunch discussion)

Goal: Evaluation and class crit. What is the next step. How to ensure it is a lasting platform for future participants.

Where should the live broadcasts be placed on the site? Maximize audience. Use mogulus to broadcast live and prerecorded material then set in rotation.

Discussion: What worked in the cross-institutional setting. What aspects of the site work best.
What needs work. Were there failures? What can we learn from these. How can students continue as full participants when class is finished.

• Individual input.
• Class input to instructor.
• Instructor to student.
• What forms can we bring to it.
• When will it be ready for broad community launch.
• Problems/improvements.

Assignment: Tweak site. Ready for Winter break so it can continue to flow content. More programming including programming that which goes outside the region. Continue to set agendas and work as editorial groups concerning content

RADARREDUX class thirteen/ outline

13. December, 1

Goals: Student feedback. Students understand their current and future options in the field and ways to proceed.

Assessment and how to continue to work with regional media in the future.

Discussion: What have we accomplished? Future.
• What worked and what did not?
• What was accomplished during semester we should emulate?
• What was not accomplished during semester we should consider in the future?
• What failures did we encounter and how can they work to our advantage.
• Further design issues?
• What is the next step?
• How participants can remain a part of this team and/or expand related agendas on their own?

Assignment: Continue to set agendas and work as editorial groups creating new content.

RADARREDUX class twelve/ outline

Class 12. November, 19

Goal: Understand how to use and upload site audio player. How to broadcast a live event via mogulus.net video. Build a page for live media.

Discuss what is the advantage of live programming. How it changes events. How it can be used.

Discussion: What do we want the station to project in terms of style and content?
• Structure
• Content
• Interviews?
• Performances?
• Films?
• How to create an audience

Assignment: Continue to set agendas and work as editorial groups creating new content. Place all current content in the site awaiting editorial approval and live placement. Work with live media, set up a channel of your own.

RADARREDUX class eleven/ outline

Class 11. November, 12

Goal: Complete audio set-up and begin weekly editorial uploads. Launch What to do with upper top flash. Start investigations and research into how to integrate the latest in rapid-fire social networking /text messaging. Brand logo.

Latest forms – percolating the site via text messaging/twitter and other related new technologies.
Discussion: How can cell phones/text messaging be utilized on RADARREDUX.net? Speaker: Find professional in the field to advise and discuss.

• Twitter set up
• Integrate text calls
• What can be said in 140 characters?
• Short text/abbreviated web languages

Assignment: Investigate and work out potential ways to utilize twitter or related text programming. Continue to create RADARREDUX.net content for week editorial pitch, upload, publishing.

RADARREDUX class ten/ outline

Class 10. November, 5

Goal: 1.Beta launch. Everyone puts content online. Test back-end design, page layouts.
2.Push to take risks and work in unfamiliar media.

The positive nature of failure: the accident and how it relates to this project.

Discussion: In the process of pursuing quality and professionalism we tend to forget it is more often accidents than regimentation that create the climate for change in art and life. Failure is more important than success when breaking down barriers and on to new ideas. How can individuals take risks and challenge themselves on this project? How can we apply this to RADAREDUX.net as a whole?

• Fear of failure
• Breakthrough
• The Black Swan
• The “writers room” in comedy - an analogy
• Accept rejection, reject acceptance
• Change the order
• Challenge orthodoxy
• Go further
• NOT about ego
• Discreet “non-ego” maneuvers
• Using our web publication as an experimental laboratory

Assignments: Work outside your comfort zone. Jump to different media or style to produce content. Break the mold. Create next set of internal pages.

RADARREDUX class 9/ outline

Week 9. October 29

Goal: Design group have review page and beta front finished. Get first round of reviews up and ready to be posted online (they need to accept video and audio). Testing beta launch.

Complete final edits on reviews. Be prepared to post with photos/media.

Discussion: How will we work posting reviews? Weekly, daily? How to save and post media. Editorial meeting. What other pages are needed. Photo spread pages, RADARtv (mogulus), masthead (include contact info).

• Page layout - how to use.
• Format.
• Consider first lines.
• Headers.
• Everyone try to create a page.
• Create post.
• When to post.
• Editorial meeting.
• Move reviews further out there.
• Social responsibilities.
• Mission statement!!!!
• Accept rejection, reject acceptance
• Challenge orthodoxy
• Go further
• NOT about ego
• Discreet “non-ego” maneuvers
• Using our web publication as an experimental laboratory

Assignment: Complete assigned work and professionalize quality, get ready for beta launch. Work to weekly schedule/posting on Wednesdays.

RADARREDUX class 8/ outline

Week 8. October, 22

Goal: Design moves forward. Integrate class into working unit. Understand posting system. Blogs filling with content.

Teamwork fully in play. Working as an individual in a dynamic group environment.

Discussion: Understanding our system. How to save and post reviews for the site. Issues of working in larger groups. How we move forward working alone or in teams on multiple projects. Unification of existing staff system. Understanding editing process.

• Who is in charge of what?
• Communication system?
• When and where and how to post?
• FTP - are we using it?
  
• Google docs?
  
• Guidelines ?
• Press passes
• Writer samples.
• Run through blogs
  

• Editorial meeting

Assignment: Finish next stage of site design. Work as team producing and placing fresh content. Expand ideas and techniques of creating critical reviews.

RADARREDUX class 7/ outline

Week 7. October 15.

Goal: Design 1 implemented. Internal structure under construction, ready for publication. First round of editorial ready for placement. Working editcheck, FTP.

Overall design and structure of the site considered. What is it meant to do. Functionality. Interior page structure. How to post. Functionality. What direction does the class want it to go?

Discussion: How to implement? Content in place. Show how to use FTP. When to go live? Discuss current content and run editorial roundtable. Visitor: Input from Todd Harvey. Missionmedia cofounder and RADAREDUX.net art director.

• The face
• The look
• Readability
• Return factor
• Tagging
• Robust
• Community
• Analytic
• Design set in motion
• Review page
• Mogulus page
• Photo pages
• Masthead (names)
• Other?
  
• MISSION STATEMENT.

Assignment: Web designers: completeing design and graphic tweaks build next phase - internal pages and impliment. Editorial, complete assignments/post and begin to work on next one. Consider multi media/hypermedia.

RADARREDUX class 6/ outline

Week 6. October, 10

Goal: New beta site up. Posting issues. Content percolating. Editorial process working.

Connect blogs to central hub via new RADARREDUX.com. Best of blogs can be published on site or can be referenced and we can bounce to blog. What is an FTP? What is the editcheck?

Discussion: What is a hub and how will it work here. Is this the best way to organize social network styles of reporting? Other ideas and suggestions? How to prioritize? Start thinking about how to get deeper into the web and build an audience. Make sure all interconnected work.

• Discuss the new site.
• FTP
• editcheck
  
• Mark out what is needed.
  
• Consider design and retooling.
• How can we improve this system?
• Show work you completed
• Pitch next story.
• Twitter addition
  

Assignment: Create content in any medium. (We want variety.) Content can converge and overlap. Get out into the city. Keep reviews short, engaging and managable without sacrificing quality. Complete site redesign for full operation.

RADARREDUX class five/ outline

WEEK 5, October, 1

Goal: Mission statement. Blog content up. Get content percolating, editorial process in full operation. Web design firming up.

Interconnect all blogs to central hub via RADARREDUX.net. Best of blogs can be published on site or can be referenced and we can bounce to blog. Think of shorter works for blog, longer reviews. Variety of media.

Discussion: What is a hub and how will it work here. Is this the best way to organize social network styles of reporting? Other ideas and suggestions? How to prioritize? Start thinking about how to get deeper into the web and build an audience. Visitor: blogger /artist/art critic Cara Ober.
• Go live with all interconnected work.
• Further discuss design site operates
• Consider design and retooling
• How can we improve this system?
• Pitch next story
• Google editcheck document
• Variety of media
• Interview – audio or e-mail
• Text – be experimental.
• Video – exploit the nature of the web.

Assignment: Create next content in any medium. Use various media. Content can converge and overlap. Keep it short and engaging without sacrificing quality. Prepare for site design alteration and discussion.

RADARREDUX class four/ outline

Week 4. September 24,

Goal: Complete first round of web design/function and working editorial process.

Set up editorial processes. Web design approval by art director.

Discussion: Review blog posts. How does the editorial process work? How does it work for differing media? What journalistic/critical standards are we using? Publishing issues, such as copyright, etc. How does the editorial process work for us in this situation? Web design. Vistor: RADAR art director Todd Harvey @ 12pm.
• Pitch
• Green light
• Voice and tone
• Submit first draft
• Edit process
• Group critique
• Final draft
• Post
• In front the camera vs. behind the scenes. The “talent”

Assignment: Complete blog connections. Create critical review in any medium using the above editorial process. Finish final drafts. Post to blog or send to editor for posting on RADARREDUX. (Note: Class splits into differing roles according to interests and talents.)

RADARREDUX class three/ outline

Week 3. September, 17

Goal: Design group creates first wire frames to show group. Editorial in place - start to create content. Discussion with John Lewis.

Consider site design options/wire frames and various logos – group consensus. Consolidate editorial and begin working on content. Pick a managing editor and copy editor. Pitch review ideas. Start individual blogs for individual content placement. (Use blogger.com) Discuss differing forms of critical review.

Discussion with John Lewis
Arts and Culture editor of Baltimore Magazine
11am - 12 pm


Bio: "I’ve been arts and culture editor at Baltimore Magazine for the past eight years. I’m the U.S. Correspondent for Vibrations, a French music magazine, where I write a monthly column. I’ve had that gig for ten years, and I’ve never spoken to anyone at the magazine. No kidding. I’ve also written for Rolling Stone, Spin, the Washington Post Magazine, and the Oxford American. I contributed to a few Oxford American issues that were nominated for National Magazine Awards, and my Ike Turner profile was recently anthologized in The Oxford American Book of Great Music Writing. I was a staff writer at City Paper for three years. For what it’s worth, I’ve never really thought about all this in terms of a career. It’s been more of an adventure."

Discussion: What is critical writing? Reporting? Academic vs. Pop Culture. Where does it merge? How has it changed? Issues of standards and quality. Uses of parody and irony.

• Academic critical writing
• Pop culture - Chuck Klosterman
• The art of the interview - Interview magazine/Warhol
• Newspaper writing
• ‘Zine writing
• Blog writing
• Pop music reviews - Lester Bangs
• TMZ
• Comedy set-up
• The Daily Show
• Mash up
• The new conservatives
• Foucault - late style vs. early

Assignment: Web design group consolidate design work. Editorial, finish blog set up. After review pitch is accepted, create short review in any media to be sent to editor for content/copy edit.

RADARREDUX class two /outline

2. September, 10

Goal: Assess community need as it relates to arts and culture webcasting. Set class goals and benchmarks. Establish short term editorial teams.

History of mass media with a focus on government funded public radio and television. What can we learn? Where does online media fit in and what role might RADARREDUX.net play? How will it work? Assessing current community need. Set goals. Begin team approach.

Discussion: What is the future role of traditional media? How is traditional media currently adapting to the web. Are traditional media outlets effective innovators in the field of hypermedia or are they continuing an old paradigm. How can we assess the current need? Internal teams.
• Radio – am, fm, talk show format, and politics.
• Film – golden age, counter culture, avant-garde
• Early television
• NPR
• Pacifica Radio
• All Things Considered
• This American Life
• Television news/entertainment. (24 hour news programs-CNN)
• New forms
• PS 1 ARTRADIO / http://www.wps1.org
• How is content different in each form of media?
• Currently who has a voice and who does not?
• What role does arts and culture play in all this?
• How can we begin to assess and address need?
• Establish working teams

Assignment: Individuals investigate differing aspects of history of media and how it is relevant to what we do now. List personal views regarding community needs and prepare to share results. (Consider how this may be addressed in the future.) Meet with assigned team and start work on first goal. Propose redesign concepts and content for editorial review.

RADARREDUX class one/ outline

1. September, 3

Goal: Introductions, expectations and mission statement.

An Introduction to RADARREDUX.net, from print to web by instructor. What’s out there now? How do we find it, analyze it and see where we fit in? Why a team approach? What is a mission statement and how does it apply here.

Discussion: Introductions. Why we are here. History/print version of RADAR
Students identify their areas of interests and expertise. Uses of arts and culture sites: consumer demand, cultural significance, social, networking, noise, the lure of the local, instant connection to the global. Writing a mission statement.
• History/print version of RADAR
• Migration to web/hypermedia
• Current goals and objectives/mission
• Class involvement/expectations
• Critical analysis/news/opinion – basic
• Regional sites
• National sites
• International sites
• What works and why
• Students as individuals who bring something to the group.
• Mission statement

Assignment: Research the web for other relevant sites you admire. Collect 5 site links and prepare to share sites with class next week. Write a one-sentence mission statement with five goals.

Interactive Spaces: Radar Redux Syllabus

IM 348: Interactive Spaces: Radar Redux /Livingston/Fall ’08
Wednesday 8:30am-2pm.
Brown Center MICA/ room 206
Contact: jlivingston@mica.edu
Office: MICA’s Bank Building,
113 West North Ave,
First floor, west entrance
Office hours: by appointment

Course Instructor:
Jack Livingston

Course Description:

Students will participate in the ongoing creation of a public arts and culture online publication serving the Baltimore community. The Baltimore region is home to a diverse arts community that produces work in all disciplines. Students, in conjunction with visiting professionals, will investigate the needs of the Baltimore community and define the mission of the publication and engage in all aspects of its development as well as develop an experimental network of converging media. Students will produce creative content utilizing their individual areas of expertise while working together as a professional organization. They will write articles, contribute to site design, stream performances and events, create podcasts, and learn about physical to virtual information spaces. This class will establish a solid base upon which cross-institutional collaborations may expand, and a platform for participating students to continue to work in the future.

This is a cross-institutional class offered by the Maryland Institute College of Art and Johns Hopkins University. The class will operate using an expansive group exploratory “think tank” model. A strong emphasis will be placed on the student’s collaborative participation and creative experimentation. Students with differing backgrounds in media will approach this project from different perspectives. These differences will be valued and cultivated.

Course Objective:

The goal of this course is to empower students through classroom and real-life experience to become active innovators in the field of socially engaged interactive media. RADARREDUX.net will be used as the experimental locus from which the course objectives are achieved

Course Requirements:

Students are expected to attend class regularly, to participate in class discussion and to complete assignments. They are expected to initiate discourse, conduct and share research on relevant topics and experiment in creating web-based content.

Evaluation and grades:

Grades in this course will be based on rigorous class participation, collaborative effort, regular class attendance, and quality of class assignments completed on deadline. There will not be a final exam during finals week. Final grades are subject to the following criteria:

A - Well exceeds class expectations. Highly motivated. Outstanding participation in all areas, including collaborative, creative, independent and technical aspects. Consistently produces high quality work relevant to class goals on deadline. Engages class in ways that influences and motivates others. Perfect attendance.

B - Exceeds expectations. Superior motivation and participation in all areas. Consistently produces quality work relevant to class goals on deadline. Engages class in ways that motivates others.

C - Meets expectations, average participation and engagement, turns in assignments on deadline.

D - Well below expectations. Produces below average work, problems with deadlines, participation, and attendance. Attitude problems.

F - Unsatisfactory work, attendance, and participation.


Attendance:
Two unexcused absences will lower your final course grade one full letter; three unexcused absences from class will result in failure. Two unexcused late arrivals, or early departures will be marked as the equivalent of one absence. Absence from a class is not an excuse for skipping an assignment, for not participating in a group assignment or for not posting an assignment.

Readings:

There is not a textbook for this class. Readings will either be online or handed out on hardcopy. Students will be expected to expand on readings and group discussions by researching assigned topics and sharing the results. Editorial critiques and group discussion will be the primary way information is disseminated in class.

Supplies:

External hard drive.

Note: When using a school computer at MICA or Hopkins, either in class or in the lab, all work done must be saved to either your external hard drive, CD-R, server space, flash drive, ipod, etc… at the conclusion of session. There will be many, many other students using these computers and anything saved on them will be permanently removed shortly after the conclusion of a session.

Food and Drink in the Computer Labs:

No.

Technical Assistance and Media Equipment:

Media equipment is provided in the media departments at both schools. Students should use the department of their home school only to check out equipment. Students may have to pass proficiency tests to use certain equipment. MICA’s Interactive Media Department and the JHU Digital Media Center have numerous computer work stations with the latest software installed, as well as recording and broadcast studios. Depending on the school and the room, students may have to sign up in advance and show proficiency per school requirements to use during off class hours.

Johns Hopkins’ Digital Media Center can be used by any full-time student in the JHU Schools of Arts & Sciences and Engineering. The center is a non-academic facility open to students of all majors and enrolled in all courses. Students are welcome to work on both academic and non-academic projects. MICA students can use these facilities when working in collaboration with Hopkins students.

The DMC comprises several professional staff, as well as trained student staff. In addition to the director there are digital audio and digital video specialists, and a technical support specialist. Many levels of instruction are available for the students, from basic book/CD-based tutorials to staff-run demonstrations and workshops. One-on-one assistance from student lab coaches can be arranged by appointment. The lab features high-end Dell and Apple computers, scanners and tablets. Lab software enables digital video editing, creation of transitions/effects, vector graphics, web site creation, animation, photo and image manipulation, 3-D modeling and virtual drawing and painting. The digital music suite contains a state-of-the art composition, recording and editing system complete with synthesizers, keyboards, effects processing and digital recording. After participating in prerequisite training, students can check-out video cameras, light and sound kits, cables, and assorted peripherals. The center is open from noon to midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 10pm on Friday and Sat. Please check the web site http://digitalmedia.jhu.edu/ for additional information of contact the Director Joan Freedman at digitalmedia@jhu.edu

Students are urged to take full advantage of all these opportunities throughout the course.

Visiting Professionals:

Throughout the semester a variety of professionals whose expertise is relevant to the class discussion will be invited to participate, either in class, off campus or by way of recorded interviews. Students may submit names for consideration regarding visiting professionals.

Transportation:

When traveling between Johns Hopkins University and Maryland Institute College of Art the Collegetown bus offers an excellent alternative to driving and alleviates parking concerns.

http://www.baltimorecollegetown.org/asp/shuttle.asp

Academic Honesty:

In this course, you must be honest and truthful. Ethical violations include, plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and electronic devices, unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded assignments, forgery and falsification, lying, facilitating academic dishonesty, and unfair competition. These violations will lead to failure in the course and possible expulsion from the university. Plagiarism is defined by the MLA Handbook as “[giving] the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from someone else.”

Final class date:

The final class date for MICA students is Wednesday, December 17.
The final class date for Johns Hopkins University students is Wednesday, December 1.


ADA Compliance Statement

Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Jack Livingston/ Interactive Spaces: Radar Redux Instructor privately to discuss specific needs. Please contact the Learning Resource Center at 410-225-2416, in Bunting 458, to establish eligibility and coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional information please refer to: http://www.mica.edu/learningresourcecenter/

Health and Safety Compliance
From the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS):

The Office works to provide EHS support for all member’s of the MICA community. The primary goal of the Office is to be proactive in establishing a culture of safety in which each member of the community shares ownership responsibility that allows each person to be involved in maintaining a healthy work and studying environment. EHS uses several methods to achieve this objective.

First, the EHS office looks at the totality of the EHS requirements by combining campus needs with state and federal requirements and clearly communicating the shared policies and procedures. Second, EHS identifies training needs and develops guidelines for the use of equipment, material and procedures. Third, we ensure compliance with policies through evaluations, inspections, and committees.


It is the responsibility of faculty and students to understand health and safety policies relevant to their individual activities and to review MICA's Emergency Action Plan, as well as to participate in training, drills, etc. It is also each faculty member's responsibility to coordinate with the EHS Office to ensure that all risks associated with their class activities are identified and to assure that their respective classroom procedures mirror the EHS and Academic Department guidelines. Each of the Academic Department's also publish EHS procedures and policies such as a dress code, the use of personal protective equipment, fire safety, training, and how to properly dispose of chemical waste. Each of these policies and procedures must be followed by all students and faculty. Most importantly, it is the responsibility of the faculty to review, test, and assess each student's awareness of basic safety procedures, such as evacuation routes, use of chemicals, fire prevention, and all other guidelines posted by the Environmental Health and Safety Office, (e.g., smoking policy, independent studio policies, pet policy, disposing of hazardous and chemical waste, etc).


To become a member of the Faculty EHS Committee or for any questions relating to EHS, please contact Denelle Bowser, EHS Manager, at dbowser@mica.edu or by calling 410.462.7593. You can also visit the department online at www.mica.edu/ehs