All preconvention workshops take place on Thursday, Nov. 10. Online preregistration is required to attend.
Advanced InDesign • $20
1–5 p.m. Limit 36.
Take your design skills to the next level with this seminar that will show you how to use the power of InDesign to streamline your publication production. Bradley Wilson, MJE, of Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, will cover libraries, styles and other InDesign tricks. Participants must bring their own laptops with Adobe Photoshop CS6 or later installed. Two students may share one laptop.
Broadcast and Video Boot Camp • $30
8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Limit 30.
In this hands-on workshop, beginning and intermediate students will learn the fundamentals of creating an effective news package from the ground up. This includes videography, sound recording, editing and story structure. Working in small teams, participants will spend the morning developing their videography skills and planning a story, then spend the afternoon shooting and editing that story. The instructor will be Michael Hernandez of Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California. Participants must bring their own video cameras, tripods, microphones and laptops with editing software. Please test and become familiar with your equipment before attending the session, as the presenter may not be familiar with your specific hardware/software.
Creative coaching • $20 NEW
8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Limit 72.
The key to a successful magazine, newspaper or yearbook is empowering your staff members to improve with every piece of work they turn in. This interactive session, led by Lori Keekley, MJE, of St. Louis Park (Minnesota) High School, will go through the coaching process for designers, photographers and writers. You will need to bring three samples of your work.
Digital Photography Workshop • FULL
8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Limit 40.
Designed for photographers who have at least one year’s experience shooting for their publications, this intensive workshop will cover composition, lighting, cropping and camera techniques. Participants will receive instruction and go on assignment with Jed Palmer, CJE, adviser of the Eagle Eye View yearbook and the Summit newspaper in Parker, Colorado, and Michael Simons, CJE, of West High School in Painted Post, New York. Following the photo shoot instructors will critique students’ work and offer editing tips and techniques. Participants must bring a digital camera, and they are encouraged to bring a laptop with the photo-editing program (Photoshop, Lightroom) they will use. An Off-site Permission Form is required for each student attending this workshop.
Fast and Furious: The Society for News Design QuickCourse • $30
1 p.m.-5 p.m. Limit 60.
This long-running pre-convention workshop, taught by Ron Johnson of Indiana University in Bloomington, is chock full of fresh ideas. We’ll tackle the fundamentals of print presentations — story forms, strong visuals, tasteful typography and smart packaging. Then we’ll move into the trends in news design, with dozens of ideas for photos, graphics and stories from publications around the world. Bring copies of your publication, in print or PDF, for the best part of the QuickCourse — our group critiques.
In-depth Legal Training • $8
9 a.m.–3 p.m. Limit 25.
The Student Press Law Center wants you to go into your newsroom equipped to understand your rights, protect them – and, if possible, make them even better. Led by SPLC Executive Director Frank LoMonte, this is a day-long workshop about free speech and free-press rights in schools, what the law does and doesn’t protect, and how students can organize and campaign for better policies protecting their rights. You’ll learn to make the case for a free and uncensored press, with lessons from the recent successful campaign in North Dakota that led to The New Voices Act, one of the strongest student press-rights laws in the country. This session is open to both students and advisers.
Intensive Journalistic Writing Workshop • $25 NEW
9 a.m.–noon. Limit 50.
Since 1988, the Intensive Journalistic Writing Institute (IJWI) has trained hundreds of English and journalism teachers around the country in new approaches to teaching writing and using real examples of contemporary and classic journalistic models. Taught by Valerie Kibler, CJE, of Harrisonburg (Va.) High School, the advisers-only institute comes to JEA/NSPA for a special half-day preconvention workshop. Teachers will read journalistic models, explore journalistic writing modes, learn teaching techniques and explore new unit plans to incorporate journalistic writing in your English curriculum.
Leadership Seminar • $30
Students: 9 a.m.–noon. Limit 50.
Advisers: 1 p.m.–4 p.m. Limit 50.
We’re all different people, which makes us different types of leaders. Sometimes, you’ll fall right in line with the team; other times, not so much. This session will help you figure out how you lead and, more importantly, how others think you lead. Taught by Tara Puckey, member strategist for the Society of Professional Journalists, this half-day workshop will make you a better, stronger, more effective leader and teach you how to work with people who aren’t anything like you.
Mobile Video Journalism Boot Camp • $25
8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Limit 30.
Become a citizen journalist using iOS to report on the world around you. Students will learn how to unleash the power of their iOS device to develop high-quality news packages. Taught by Don Goble of Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis, Missouri, this workshop will teach students how to plan, develop, shoot and edit a story. An iOS device (iPhone or iPad) is required, and you will want to bring your charger as well. While microphones and tripods are ideal, they aren’t necessary. We’ll be using the apps iMovie and Paper by FiftyThree, as well as collaborative apps such as Google Drive, Docs and Google Photos. Having Airdrop enabled on devices is also recommended.
Online Boot Camp • $35 NEW
8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Limit 45.
Whether launching your website or just looking for ideas to revive your existing site, this seminar will provide a look at best practices and provide you with easy tools to make your online publication shine. This workshop is taught by Chris Waugaman, MJE, of Prince George (Va.) High School and will cover everything from third-party multimedia tools and live coverage platforms to best practices in social media and interactivity. Participants may want to have the login and password available to use from their own site. All participants must bring a laptop.
Photoshop Workflow • $20
8:30 a.m.–noon. Limit 50.
Taught by Mark Murray, Arlington (Texas) Independent School District, participants will learn to use Adobe Photoshop. This workshop will emphasize a basic workflow for preparing photographs for publication. Participants must bring their own laptops with Adobe Photoshop CS4 or later installed. Two students may share one laptop. This session is open to both students and advisers.
Redesign Seminar • $25
8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Limit 75.
Students in this intensive, hands-on design seminar, led by Pete LeBlanc of Antelope (California) High School, will study advanced packaging techniques including modular design, typography, marriage of elements, negative space and photo packaging. Most of your time will be spent working on actual publication redesign. Laptop computers with InDesign are mandatory. Students who do not have a laptop may still sign up — though the experience may be limited — and will need to be prepared to bring supplies to work on manual designs. Students should bring some of their favorite magazines and supplies such as scissors, pencils and glue sticks. Students also are encouraged to bring their own publications for sharing and critique.
Writers’ Workshop • $20
8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Limit 125.
If you’re looking for ways to sharpen and brighten your writing so others will clamor to read it, this interactive workshop is for you. Taught by Shari Adwers, MJE, of Grosse Pointe (Michigan) North High School, this seminar will entertain and inspire as we analyze excellent writing and apply the pros’ techniques to your own work. Whether you need to write a catchy headline or a 2,000-word feature, you’ll learn to improve every aspect of your writing as we discuss ledes, voice, narrative style and literary devices to tighten and strengthen your writing.