Digital Design
Drake offers a variety of classes that encompass an area of digital design.
Digital Design Courses
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is a trimester-long CTE (Career and Technical Education) Explorer class focused on Audio/Visual Technology and Broadcast Journalism, where students will build a foundation of the skill sets required for visual storytelling. Students will be introduced to Cinematography, Audio and Video Editing, Interviewing Techniques, and Writing and Producing for our weekly "Drake TV" broadcast. They will also have the opportunity to further practice these skills by producing projects like music videos, commercials, public service announcements, and more!
Creative Computing
Creative Computing is a trimester-long CTE (Career and Technical Education) Explorer class focused on Visual and Design Arts, where students will build a foundation of the skill sets required for designing and communicating using technology. Students will be introduced to taking photographs with a DSLR camera, photo enhancement and manipulation using Affinity Photo, digital illustration using Affinity Designer, Animation, 3D Design with SketchUp, as well as other topics related to graphic design and multimedia. Students will also learn to understand and analyze works of visual communication.
Exploring Computer Science
Exploring Computer Science is a trimester-long CTE (Career and Technical Education) Explorer class focused on computational thinking, communication, and problem solving. Students will build a foundation of the skill sets required for creating using technology. Students will be introduced to topics that include Web Development, Mobile App Development, Coding Autonomous Drones, as well as other topics related to the fields of Computer & Digital Technologies.
Graphic Design
Graphic Design trimester-long CTE (Career and Technical Education) Explorer class focused on Visual and Design Arts, and provides students with an understanding of what graphic design is and the work that graphic artists engage in. This course will explore techniques that graphic artists use when creating quality communicative pieces. Students will learn how to visually communicate ideas through the use of typography, layout, photography, illustration, and other visual media. This course will also provide exploration of career opportunities in graphic arts and include the study of significant graphic artists, movements, and styles.
Video Game Design
Video Game Design is a trimester-long CTE (Career and Technical Education) Explorer class offered to 7th and 8th graders where students use code to create animations, interactive art, and games. Students learn fundamental programming constructs and practices in the JavaScript programming language (block or text-based) while developing animations and games. Starting off with simple shapes and building up to more sophisticated sprite-based games, students become familiar with the programming concepts and the design process computer scientists use daily. They then learn how these simpler constructs can be combined to create more complex programs. In the final project, students develop a personalized, interactive game.