eZine Timeline and Deadlines
Module 3 - On Assignment Group Project
(eZine student page / eZine teacher page)

Timeline

• Day One
  1. Choose the focus using the suggested process (.rtf) or (.doc).
  2. Brainstorm ideas and images you associate with your topic, then record the list. Add things you need to know but don't know.
  3. Look at the list of tasks in the requirements and divide them.
  4. Pick dates to match the deadlines in the right hand column using the deadline sheet.
  5. Set a series of things to research for each of the jobs.
     
• Day Two
  1. Work on the research tasks you set in day one. Anyone who finishes early works on helping others.
  2. Plan what additional sources you will need including interviews
     
• Day Three and Four
  1. Use the web site planning process to plan your pages
  2. Create your buttons and basic page layout
     
• Day Five
  1. Conduct interviews
  2. Take pictures
  3. Complete additional research
     
• Day Six
  1. Write your articles
  2. Download or scan your images, optimize them
  3. Work on web design
  4. Plan ads and write the text (copy) of them
     
• Day Seven
  1. Create additional graphics and place images on pages
  2. Edit articles for content and style
  3. Edit articles for errors in spelling, punctuation, and usage.
  4. Create visual for ads
     
• Day Eight
  1. Put articles, ads, and images into the web pages
  2. Check all links
  3. FTP your web site to the server

Planning how long it will take you to do something is a difficult task, but it is an essential skill for a journalist.

One of the key skills in this project is setting accurate deadlines and meeting them.

Deadlines

The timeline on the left is an ideal one. Barring problems, it should be exactly how much time you need. However, no one ever has no problems or glitches, particularly when working with technology.

Your teacher will tell you how many days of class time you will have for the project, but it will typically be around 3 weeks. Your job is to set a deadline for your group for each work period. You will be evaluated on your ability to meet the deadlines, and to set deadlines that naturally progress along.

On Day One, your deadline should be setting all your deadlines and selecting your topic. Hand your deadlines into your teacher at the end of class on Day One.

After Day One, you must demonstrate you have met your deadline at the end of class each day, unless your deadline requires that you not be in class.

• Day Nine and Ten
  1. Check site on the server for errors
  2. Plan presentation and practice it
     
• Day Eleven
  1. Test your project one last time in the exact conditions you will present in.
  2. Present your project in class