2021 courses
Advisers
Instructor: Rebecca Pollard
Adviser-driven sessions will help develop skills and target specific needs for those attending — from timely issues like team building and recruiting ideas to skill-based topics like teaching reporting and ways to navigate copyright laws.
Advisers are welcome to attend both the adviser-only or student sessions. Those seeking professional development hours will receive a certificate of completion. Advisers bringing 10 or more students will have the $95 registration fee waived.
Newspaper Boot Camp
Instructor: TBD
This course is designed for staffers who will get their first exposure to journalism while writing for their school paper.
Instruction will focus on giving students skills to survive that first assignment and to become a meaningful contributor from the first deadline.
The instructor will focus on news gathering, interviewing, news writing techniques and other skills necessary to equip any top-notch school news reporter.
Newspaper Editorial Leadership
Instructor: Corey Hale
Newspaper Editorial Leadership is designed to help prepare incoming editors, both print and online, to lead their respective staffs when school begins.
The instructor will guide students through discussions of newspaper coverage, idea generation, story-telling methods and issue-driven coverage, story development, creative design, increasing readership, and planning and production methods — all designed to make you a powerful leader whose newspaper is valued — read and enjoyed — by your school community.
The class is primarily geared for editors-in-chief and managing editors, but section editors will benefit as well.
Feature Writing
Instructors: Bobby Hawthorne, Lori Oglesbee
This course will concentrate on coverage, including human interest stories, personality profiles and in-depth interpretive features. It is relevant to newspaper and yearbook, and it is useful for broadcast and online. It is not intended for beginners.
Strong emphasis will be placed on narrative, voice, style, interpretation and the use of literary devices.
Specialized Writing
Instructors: David Knight, Scott Winter
This is an advanced class designed for the big-story reporter who is interested in in-depth reporting, strategic writing tools, multimedia/packaging tips and personal column writing.
It will focus first on identifying local people, events and issues worthy of coverage, then explain the reporting process (research, interview, observation), then review the writing/editing process.
Online Publications
Instructor: Jennifer de la Fuente
Students will learn about publishing stories for the web and mobile storytelling. They will produce an original story during the workshop, writing, shooting photos or video, and doing all their reporting using just a mobile phone.
Students will also learn basic code (HTML and CSS) and create their own webpage for their story.
We’ll also talk about storytelling techniques for social media, online tools you can use to create maps, graphics, or other simple interactive content, and tips on how to do more on the web.
Beginning Photography
Instructors: Derek Gower, TBD
This class is aimed at photographers who are new to taking pictures for a school publication. Students will receive one-on-one help with the functions of their cameras.
Featured topics include learning basic camera and exposure controls, effective composition, basic Photoshop skills, use of a basic flash and strategies for covering a variety of school assignments.
Intermediate Photography
Instructor: Clint Smith
This class is designed for the photographer who has publications experience. Instruction will be focused towards understanding camera operations metering, learning the rules of composition, improving shooting skills, making the most of everyday assignments and working on a publication.
Students should have a good working knowledge of their digital cameras.
Advanced Photography
Instructors: Wade Kennedy, Mike McLean
This virtual version of the advanced class is geared to the experienced student who has worked as a publication photographer for a year or more. This class will emphasize traditional storytelling skills and visual strategy.
Students will be exposed to using a digital camera meter in difficult lighting situations, overcoming common white balance issues and advanced compositional guidelines, developing effective photo assignments, covering assignment strategies, and image selection skills and the impact of a powerful crop.
Students will also learn location lighting and flash techniques from simple to more advanced remote triggers. Students will also take part in a Photoshop ethical discussions and learn Photoshop tools and guidelines used by professional photojournalists set forth by the National Press Photographers Association.
This online version of the advanced photography class includes an exclusive GSW special guest appearance by award-winning photographer Louis DeLuca with discussions on the best tips and tricks for capturing award-winning storytelling images.
Beginning Publication Design
Instructor: Alyssa Boehringer
This course prepares students for the world of publication design. Students will learn basic design principles, typography, color theory and layout techniques. In addition, students will gain a basic understanding of Adobe InDesign software and how it applies to publishing yearbooks, magazines and newspapers.
Students will produce logos, modules, headline packages and layouts during the week.
Students should come prepared with Adobe InDesign installed on their computer. Each student will need access to their own computer.
Advanced Publication Design
Instructor: Gary Lundgren
This is an intense course in using verbal and visual elements for effective storytelling
with a focus on content packaging, typography, white space, graphics and color. Readability will be the guiding principle.
Experienced designers from print newspapers, magazines and yearbooks are encouraged to take this course if they wish to expand their skills and be pushed to master advanced techniques.
Students will produce prototype content including headlines, content modules and pages/spread for the publication they will work for in the fall.
Computer skills will not be taught in this course. Each student will need access to a computer containing the programs, files and fonts used at school and be able to use these tools. If a yearbook company online site is used, the student must have log-in information and full permission to use the site.
Beginning Yearbook
Instructor: Margie Raper
Created for yearbook rookies, this course will prepare students to be contributing members of the staff on the first day of school.
Among the topics to be covered are yearbook terminology, parts of the spread, creative coverage topics, sources and interviewing techniques and basic design. Students will also be taught skills for writing traditional and alternative copy, headlines and captions.
Intermediate Yearbook
Instructor: Tamra McCarthy
This class is for yearbook staffers who want to learn everything to make a great spread, from conception to completion.
The class will cover all aspects of yearbook design, including stories, captions, sidebars and headlines. Software will not be a part of the instruction. Students will need to have a solid working knowledge of the design program their school uses.
Yearbook Theme Development
Instructors: Charla Harris, Becky Tate, Cindy Todd
This class is for yearbook staff leaders who want to learn strategies for enhancing the quality of their yearbook concept and leading their staff through the process.
The class will cover all aspects of yearbook production, including theme development, design, storytelling, photo packaging, captions, sidebars, headlines and staff leadership.
Students will need to have a solid working knowledge of the design program their school uses in addition to access to the software.
Beginning Video
Instructor: Jim McCarthy
This course is designed for entry-level students with photography experience.
We will cover video reporting basics, including story structure, story planning, sequencing basic shots, sound design, and editing workflow. Students will produce an original story by the end of the course.
Advanced Video
Instructor: Don Goble
This course will cover advanced reporting techniques and story structure, videography, sound design, lighting, editing workflow, and ultimately produce multiple stories, which will be published online.
We will also discuss effective ways to build staff leadership and plan for your upcoming school year.
Gloria Shields NSPA Media Workshop
National Scholastic Press Association • info@studentpress.org • 612-200-9254