The Creative Digital Media course is an introductory course that combines digital video production, photography, and graphic design. This course will serve as a starting point for students who want to experience both of the different media creation outlets of still photography and/or video media. In this course, students will get hands-on experience in all aspects of digital media creation which can help them choose their path forward between photography and video. Students will also learn how to create entertaining and educational material to be expressed through a variety of applications and social media platforms. 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS 

Creative Digital Media fulfills the following graduation requirements:

• Visual/Performing Arts

• 21st Century Life and Careers or Career Technical Education

Creative Digital Media is a pathway course that introduces students to Photography and Video Production.  It is the prerequisite course for Broadcasting Media, Cinematic Storytelling, Creative Photography, and Studio Photography.

Projects & Quizzes - 50%

Major creative projects and assessments that evaluate both technical ability and understanding of course concepts. These may include photo essays, video productions, or design pieces.

Assignments - 30%

Practice-based tasks, exercises, and smaller projects designed to build technical and creative skills in photography, video, audio, and design.

Collaboration & Reflection - 10%

Students will be evaluated on their collaborative efforts in group projects.  Additionally, students will complete individual short reflections on their creative process and growth. Students explain their choices, discuss challenges they overcame, and highlight how their skills developed across different projects.

Photoshop Tutorials - 10%

Step-by-step guided assignments completed in Photoshop to learn editing and design techniques. These help prepare students for more advanced creative projects.

Evening of the Arts - 10%

A final showcase project presented at Cherokee’s Evening of the Arts, where students prepare and display a polished piece that represents their best work from the year.

Extra Credit & Community Service Hours

Students may earn extra credit or community service hours by participating as part of the production crew for a Cherokee Digital Media or LDTV Sports event at Cherokee. To receive credit, students must sign up in advance, arrive on time for crew call, effectively fulfill their assigned crew role, and remain through the completion of the event, including equipment breakdown. When signing up for an event, students will indicate whether they are choosing extra credit or community service hours. Students may also earn credit by creating broadcast-quality content for Cherokee Digital Media or LDTV. 

Discipline Policy

The school policies for cell phones, lates, class cutting, and behavior problems will be utilized as outlined in the student handbook and Cherokee Discipline Guidelines.

Grading Policy

Numerical grades are typically tied to a rubric that can be found on the assignment or project in Google Classroom.  The OSU (Outstanding, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory) grading model is used for assignments evaluated for completion of criteria: O = met all criteria, S = met most criteria, and U = met some criteria.  The pass/fail/missing grading system is used for assignments that build skills or routine; it is not evaluated on specified criteria.  Pass = student completed all the steps and submitted the assignment correctly; Fail = student did not complete the steps for the assignment; Missing = student did not submit the assignment.  Progress reports will be sent via email at least once per marking period to highlight student progress and work completion.

Missing Work

All assignments that have not been submitted by the due date will be entered in the gradebook as “M” for Missing. The “M” will remain until the assignment is submitted or until the assignment becomes ineligible for late submission. Once an assignment is no longer eligible to be submitted, the “M” will be changed to a zero (0).

Late Work

Late work is accepted for full credit until the week before the end of the marking period. This deadline allows adequate time for assignments to be submitted, reviewed, and graded before grades are finalized.

An assignment may become ineligible for late submission when it is time-sensitive or connected to a specific event, project, or production. For example, a graphic designed for a specific event may no longer be eligible for submission once that event has passed. The teacher will determine when an assignment is no longer applicable or can no longer be completed.

Completing & Grading Late Work

Late assignments may be completed at home as homework when the assignment does not require specialized classroom equipment, software, or applications. Assignments that require in-class equipment, materials, or applications must be completed during a scheduled Lunch & Learn or after-school meeting with the teacher.

Students may not complete late work during regular class time unless the teacher specifically gives permission.

Students are responsible for communicating with the teacher and making arrangements to complete outstanding work within the established late-work window.

Late work will not be graded immediately upon submission. The teacher will review and grade late assignments at their discretion, as time permits, based on the teacher's grading schedule and other course responsibilities. Students should not expect their grade to update immediately after submitting late work.

Work Submitted After the Marking Period

Late work submitted after the marking period has ended will automatically receive a 20% late penalty, and a grade change will be submitted to reflect the updated grade.

Why Completing Work on Time Matters

In this course, assignments are designed to build the skills, knowledge, and technical abilities needed for future projects and assignments. Missing or delaying an assignment can make future work more challenging because you may not have developed the skills needed to be successful.

For this reason, while late work is accepted, I strongly encourage you to complete assignments by the due date. Staying caught up will help you get the most out of the course and make future projects more manageable.