NMD Site Pages

See below for NMD Site Pages/Tasks due as well as News post topics, and Lexicon Research topics–all are due Thursday April 23.  Please be sure they are now complete and working–see my feedback below. I have also sent the class URL to the faculty for first round of feedback, which we can incorporate.

Feedback from Margo Lukens, Chair:

ABOUT US: 

There needs to be a first page “about us” that narrates the existence of the New Media major and the department offices in Chadbourne Hall. It also needs to tell about ASAP–the New Media and Internet Technologies Lab–in Chadbourne, and give Mike Scott’s contact info there. It also needs to narrate a brief story about the creation of the IMRC, tell that many classes meet there and that we have fab labs (covered later under RESOURCES).

On the “admissions” page, put in my name as chair (I know you are planning a link, but the name would be good there–and I’ve given you lots of material for the link. . . finally! ) and my contact information.

The “visit” page should direct people to Susan Smith and give a map to dept offices in Chadbourne–conveniently located in the same building as the UMaine Admissions Office! (What’s there is IMRC info–that should move to the RESOURCES tab).

And the “contact” page should not list Velma & IMRC fax as primary contacts–please put my name & number and Susan’s name & number here above the IMRC numbers.

Move the “directions” page down below “admissions” & “visit”–and make sure to clarify directions to Chadbourne Hall as well as directions to IMRC.

ACADEMICS

On the “faculty” page, I think the segregation of “faculty” from “instructors” is unfortunate. Better to put everyone on the same page–call it “faculty”–and perhaps have the full-time people at the top, with a label like “full-time,” and then a label that says “part-time” or “adjunct” with the rest of the instructors listed there.

It will make our ranks look healthier, and it will still allow for distinctions to be made. And we can add people like John Carney and Amy Pierce. Also, I’m not sure I am in love with the slogan at the top of the “faculty” page:

Who Are We? A team of designers, creators, and makers who strive to be on the cutting edge of all things New Media. All things New Media? What if it were something more about how each person brings their most cutting-edge ideas, skills, and talents to the teaching of New Media?

Speaking of slogans, I strongly suggest that the tag line on my portable banner appear on the website. One thing I’ve learned is that a unified message is important to marketing. Maybe even the banner design could somehow be incorporated? I’m attaching it FYI–designed by Eric Morrison.

On the “advising” page, I think we should not have a big photo of John Bell, no matter how much we revere his memory–he no longer works here (except in DIG, but not NMD). Also, I think we should not get down in the weeds of Gen Ed–let that stay in the University catalog, where it belongs and can be updated as things happen. You don’t want the departmental site to be responsible for all that detail, so simply remove it from the “advising” page.

Thanks so much for your efforts, and for the collective efforts of your students this semester.

PAGES/TASKS:

About Us Sections:  Shannon

Curriculum & Advising, Tutorials:  Sarah

Faculty: Miles
*Faculty page needs to be split into Faculty/Instructors sections. Email faculty to hound them for photos/data; and fix glitches–you may have to start with new page

Capstones: Maria
*create two new categories: capstone2014 (for all previous years), and capstone2015
*change current capstone to capstone2014; and add info for this year’s capstones, using info at http://499.nmdprojects.net/2015/

Portfolio: Aiden
*are all portfolios for 2014 & 2015 listed?

IMRC Fab Lab: Nate
*i don’t see this page
*create slider with Meghan’s new IMRC photos

Events, Hide N Seek Cafe & Photos: Meghan & Dustin
*optimize & upload images–focus on best ones & quality
*add Hide & Seek page and make sure it’s in Menu–now menu may be placeholder
*work on events area–each of the News items below, should have a brief event with time/place; you can use the news data once each person has posted it–but for now, you can create and place the events!

Course Plan Page & Menus: Devon
*get course plan page into menu–replace the current placeholder; use .pgn & upload pdf, and add link to it onto page.
*you might also create a list of advising  “tips” about courses; e.g.

  • Art, COS and INV, BUA are common and compatible minors
  • there is usual one section of COS 125 just for NMD majors
  • you may petition to have a different Writing Intensive course than ENG 317…

Logo: Kevin

-we will need a long term logo development plan, (faculty are interested in this branding opportunity) , but it’s a good idea to move ahead with your version as a test/spur

Hire Us Page, with Contact Form data input: Adam
*I think there may be a better way to make use of categories here…
*simple & clear info, i’d love an interface that can sort by skill set .

News Items:

Each of you should consult FC, NM Majors folder and find info on your news item–Velma keeps up with most of these and sends them there. Your task is to Create a short title, and 1-2 paragraph post of the event, with a “featured image” set in bottom right of post.  Use category “News”.

  • New Media Night–Aiden
  • Europe Trip-Dustin
  • NMD Grants–Sarah (should list all students, with 1 sentence version of project)
  • Issue Magazine–Kevin (mention internship with NMD Alum, and her work–could be a “feature” on Amy as alum, or could be 2 separate articles)
  • Capstone Presentation in Mike’s Classes Apr 20-27–Adam
  • Lexicon Show–Meghan
  • Last Chance Museum–Shannon (see NM Majors on your First Class desktop for info about this–it’s Susan Smith’s project)
  • New Faculty member–Gene Felice–Miles Pretlove
  • New Media Website project NMD 206–humorous take on ups & downs–Devon

 Lexicon Research

  • Urban Apiary/Agriculture–Nate & Adam
  • Humane Slaughter-Shannon & Adam & Kevin
  • Experiential Learning–Shannon & Aidan
  • Pastured Poultry–Meghan
  • Grass Farmer–Meghan
  • Gleaning–Aiden, & Devon
  • Watershed–Sarah & Maria
  • Antibiotic Free–Maria
  • Know Your Farmer–Miles & Nate
  • Seed Sovereignty–Miles
  • Traceability–Devon

SLIDERS

Each one of you should create a slider to use for your page(s). We can then decide if we want to use one on every page, and then have a few extra to use. Meghan is uploading more images that we can use for these–imagine a 2-5 image slider for eh of our pages–one featuring students might have candids of students; the IMRC page could use one of IMRC photos, etc. Each slider should have a purpose/theme, even if not currently in use.