ePortfolio Welcome

Welcome to the Ridge ePortfolio guide blog/website. The purpose of this site is to give you guidance for how to structure and maintain your ePortfolio for the 21st Century Journalism/Digital Media Technology and Digital Media Design and Production classes on the Ridge. Current posts are displayed below, while the menu buttons above provide guidance for your ePortfolio setup and information related to our current assignments and class schedules.

Please comment with any questions and your adviser will get back to you soon!


Digital Video News Critique

1. Watch a few news packages on CNN Video and USA Today video to get a feel for what individual news packages are like when they aren’t connected to a full broadcast.

2. Select two packages, one from CNN and one from USA Today, that deal with the same topic (i.e. both are about the Malaysia Airlines incident, Kansas City shootings, the Ukraine, etc) and complete the following:

  1. Explain your selected topic and link directly to both videos in your post (don’t link to the overall videos page, make sure your link would take a viewer directly to the videos you watched).
  2. Explain what type of video news each one is — a VO? VO-SOT? full package?
  3. Explain how each video uses: b-roll, interviews, reporter stand ups, graphics, other interactive elements?, including the types of b-roll and interview clips that are used
  4. Grade each video (A, B, C, D, F) according to the following criteria:
    1. Telling a complete story — Does it answer your questions?  How could it be better?
    2. B-roll use — Are the pictures/background clips effective?  How?  How could they be improved?
    3. Interviews — Who else could they have included?
    4. Writing — Is their style informational and easy to understand?  Did you have to go back and watch it again to understand it?  What do you remember the most from the package?
    5. Is the video tasteful and appropriate?  How?
    6. Is the video more than just a reporter talking?  How does it help you understand the story better than print would?
    7. What types of shots are used — Wide? Medium? Close? Cut-aways?
    8. How is the technical quality — Blurry or clear? Dizzying or easy to watch?
  5. Which video did you like best?  Why?

This is due by the end of class on Tuesday, April 22, and will be graded according to the following:

  • 5 points per video for summaries and explaining the elements of the packages
  • 24 points (3 each) for giving the videos a grade in each category and explaining it
  • 6 points for explaining which video you liked best and why

This critique will be graded in the classwork category and is worth 40 points total.

Infographic Post

This week, we’re going to spend some time learning about the newest phenomenon in web communication: infographics.  In fact, if you go to dictionary.com and try to find a definition for infographics, you won’t find one!  Popularity of infographics on the web has increased dramatically in the past year or so due to social media sites such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr, which tend to emphasize visual content over verbal content.  If you think about it, this makes a lot of sense because the web is much more of a visual tool than a verbal one.

With that being said, I think it makes the most sense for you to learn about infographics … with infographics.  It’s a little like the movie “Inception”.  So, I’m going to give you some questions to answer and you’ll spend the next few days exploring infographics online and completing your post, which is due by midnight on Monday.

Enjoy!  Please let me know if you have any questions.  This post will be graded in the classwork category and will be based on the following:

  • 5 points for correct answers for questions 1-6 (30 points), including 2 points per question for demonstrating knowledge of the infographics that the question guides you to use as resources
  • 20 points for your infographic critique, including:
    • 2 points for linking to it from your blog
    • 8 points for explaining why you chose it
    • 5 points for explaining its’ strengths
    • 5 points for explaining its’ weaknesses

Directions: Please complete Post #8 according to the following instructions.  Be sure to answer all of the questions and spend some time examining each of the infographics carefully.

1. What is an infographic?  Why are they valuable?  Take a look at the following infographics to help you with a definition:

  • Watch this video (very short) first

2. What types of infographics are there?

3. When should you make an infographic?

  • how-to infographic that looks at this question

4. Describe the different elements used in infographics.

5. Use this website to describe the five steps for creating a good infographic.

6. How is social media making infographics popular?

7. Take a look at the top 30 most shared infographics on Visual.ly, a social networking site devoted solely to infographics.  Alternatively, take a look at this board on Pinterest that features the top infographics about social media from 2012.  If you don’t find one you like on either of those pages, you’re welcome to search the web for another one you do like!  Choose one infographic and do the following:

  • Link to it from your blog
  • Explain why you chose it
  • What are 2 strengths
  • What is 1 weakness

Podcast Links

Please leave a comment on this post after you’ve read it!  Today, April 2 and April 3, your task is to listen to a podcast from one of the links below and then complete the podcast critique on your blog.  When you finish, start working on your script for your own podcast that you will create next week.

You are welcome to find your own podcast to listen to online, but here are some suggestions that are 15-20 minutes.

Also, make sure you listen online (streaming!) and NOT by downloading the podcast to your device.

Podcast suggestions:

  • CNN Podcasts — make sure you scroll down the page to the AUDIO podcasts, not the video ones!  Lots of options here, all news-focused, however.
  • ESPN Podcasts
  • Assortment of student podcasts about art — Some are probably really good, and some are probably not so good.  Listen to ones from high school or college, not elementary or middle school.
  • Student podcasts at Michigan State University — Make sure to listen to the audio ones, don’t watch the videos.  These are 30-45 minutes, so only listen to the beginning, 15 minutes in the middle, and the end to see how they end the show.
  • NPR Story of the Day — Nice, short snippets … if you do these, listen to either one that is longer than 10 minutes or two that are shorter than 10 minutes.
  • SPLC Podcasts — These are perfect length, and talk about important issues in student journalism.

Hopefully one of those is interesting to you!  Again, you are welcome to find and stream your own podcast discovery, but please include the link to the podcast you listened to, if you find your own.

1 in 300 Video Slideshow

This week, you will need to complete your video slideshow and save it to the Student Shared drive in the folder.  Tell me when you’re done so I can upload your slideshow to our private YouTube account.  After that, I will give you the website address.  For your blog post, you will need to write a 100-250-word summary describing the person from your slideshow and their interest/whatever you interviewed them about, and then link to the website address from your video so that someone reading your post could read your summary and then view the slideshow you created. Think of it as a mini personality profile. You are welcome to use quotes from the interview, if you’d like. It should be edited for spelling and grammar, just like a regular story would be.

Go to this page for some help on using Windows Live Movie Maker:



Keep in mind how you are going to be graded on this project:


1 2 3 4 5
Audio (x2) Inaudible due to background noise Sound sometimes unclear due to low voices or overly loud ambient noise Sound usually clear; no unintended ambient noise Sound always clear and ambient noise always appropriate Sound always clear, ambient noise appropriate, appropriate use of silence
Images (x2) Sometimes in focus, little variety in angles and shots, no attention to composition techniques Sometimes in focus, some variety in angles and shots, some attention paid to composition techniques Usually in focus, some variety in angles and shots, some attention paid to composition techniques Usually in focus, variety in angles and shots, attention paid to composition techniques Always in focus, variety in angles and shots and composition techniques are purposeful
5 Show & Tells One case where photos and audio match Two cases where photos and audio match Three cases where photos and audio match Four cases where photos and audio match Five cases where photos and audio match
Package (x2) Pacing slow and transitions are inappropriate, text unclear, does not tell a complete story Pacing slow and transitions are inappropriate, text may not be clear, but overall tells a story Pacing might be slow, transitions fit content, text may not be clear, overall tells a mostly complete story Pacing keeps viewers interested, transitions fit content, text may not be clear, overall tells a complete story Pacing keeps viewers interested, transitions fit content, text is clear and readable, overall tells a compelling story
Requirements More than one requirement is not met More than 20 or less than 18 photos Audio goes over 2:30 or under 2:00 Did not include a text summary at the end All requirements are met
Total _________ / 40

Interactivity WebQuest

Directions: Complete the steps below as a third post to your blog ePortfolio, making sure the follow the conventions for blog writing.

The purpose of this assignment is for you to explore how news websites use the 5 I’s, but especially interactivity, to engage and involve readers.  Hopefully, this will give you a sense for the different types of interactivity out there.  Make sure you follow all of the steps!  This is due by Friday at midnight.

  1. Explain the 5 I’s (interactivity, involvement, immediacy, integration, in-depth opportunities) and what they mean for digital storytelling.
  2. Select ONE of the following major news websites and evaluate (judge) it based on how well you think it uses the 5 I’s: interactivity, involvement, immediacy, integration, and in-depth opportunities.  Please write at least 2 sentences for each of the 5 I’s and explain your reasoning.  Link to this website in your blog post so I can see what you are referring to.
  3. Select ONE of the following in-depth websites that cover a major event and explore the interactive elements on the site.  How many different types of interactive elements are there?  List and describe them, including how they help you understand the story of what happened in this event better.  Additionally, evaluate this website for the 5 I’s … does it use them effectively?  Link to the website in your blog post so I can see what you are referring to.
  4. Find an example of FIVE of the following from any of the websites in Question #3 above and link to the page that has that element; you will need to CLICK on the elements themselves and link to the page they are on, don’t just link to the home page:
    1. A story about the event
    2. A photo slideshow
    3. A video about an aspect of the event
    4. A quiz for readers to take
    5. A poll or question for readers to answer
    6. A map or graphic that shows information about the story
    7. An “iReport”, which is a video uploaded by a USER, not by a journalist working for CNN
    8. An article that includes links to another article
    9. A blog about the event in question, in which a journalist expresses an opinion about the event
    10. A timeline
  5. Of all the interactive elements you found, which were you most interested in?  Why?

“Digital Nation” Post

Today with the sub, you watched about half of the PBS Frontline documentary “Digital Nation”.  You actually saw all that I intended for you to see, so, you’re good to go for writing a response to it.

For this second blog post, I want you to answer the following questions in about 200-400 words.  You should consider what you saw in “Digital Nation” as well as the changes you’ve seen in the world in just the past three years, and especially how you see your friends and family using social media.

Please answer each of the following question groups in a separate paragraph.  Blogging paragraphs are short, like other journalism paragraphs.  You also write in a conversational tone, giving your opinion, and you’re allowed to use words like “I” or “me” (first person).

  1. Summarize the “Digital Nation” video and describe your reaction to it. Did you think it was interesting?  Sad?  Insightful?  Funny?  Completely incorrect?  Why did you feel this way?  3-5 sentences
  2. Many individuals in the video described spending time online or with technology as a risky behavior.  Do you agree that it is?  Why or why not?  How can we use technology responsibly?  3-5 sentences
  3. Do you think recent, and continuing, increases in technology represent positive or negative change in our society?  Discuss the following types of technology in your answer (3-5 sentences):
    • Personal devices (smart phones, iPads or other tablet computers, etc)
    • Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, etc … feel free to have different opinions for different types!)
  4. Consider everything you have learned about journalism so far.  What do you think these changes in society mean for journalism?  What do people need from newspapers, news websites, and broadcast (TV and radio) news?  2-4 sentences
  5. Think about our school.  How do most of your peers use technology (including the Internet, personal devices, social media, etc)?  What would be the best way to reach them with our articles?  (2-4 sentences)

Here are links to the original videos in case you want to view parts of them again:

Please note: There is a word counter below the typing field on WordPress, so you can see how long your post is, if you write it in there.  The current post that you are reading is 475 words, so the perfect length for the assignment you are about to complete.

This assignment is due by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, February 25, OR midnight on Wednesday, February 26 (1 minute later).  I will check your time stamps to make sure your posts are submitted on time. This assignment is worth 20 points in the Writing category of your grade. You may earn up to 10 points for answering the questions and 10 points for the depth of your responses.

Digital Media Technology: Photo Slideshow

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


Assignment: Plan, photograph, and create a photo slideshow with captions about an event at PRHS.


  • Take 25-30 photos; choose 8-10 for slideshow
  • Do at least 3 interviews of 5 questions each to help write captions for slideshow




Points Possible

Content and Storytelling The slideshow tells a storyCaptures conflict, decisive action, emotion, or relationship through the way photos were chosen and placed in order 15 points
Photo Composition 10 photos have been selected that meet the following criteria:

  • Center of interest dominates the photo by filling the frame
  • Background is controlled and not distracting
  • Photo is shot from an impactful and appropriate angle
  • No hands/feet have been lost by cropping at the joints
2 points per photo (1/2 point per bullet) = 20 points total
Technical Quality 10 photos have been selected that meet the following criteria:

  • Focus is sharp and clear
  • Noise and red eye are avoided
  • Color is rich and vibrant
2 points per photo = 20 points total
Captions A caption has been written for each photoOverall, written captions meet the following criteria:

  • Accurately answer the 5 W’s and H
  • Second sentences expand upon the information in the first sentence
  • At least two photos include a direct quote
  • Joke captions have been avoided
  • Specific, strong, descriptive words are used
  • Spelling and grammar are correct
  • All names are spelled correctly
  • First sentences are in present tense, second sentences are in past tense
5 points per photo:

  • Information
  • People Identified
  • Word Choice
  • Spelling and Grammar
  • Present and Past Tense

= 50 points total


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