With the first of four rotations in IT Fellows’ inaugural year drawing to a close, student cohorts in the Web Rotation took the opportunity to show off just how far they’ve come in only six weeks.  As part of the Web Rotation, IT Fellows are tasked with creating and presenting a fully functional Web site.  The rotation requires IT Fellows to develop project management techniques, conduct research, work collaboratively, and demonstrate comprehension of newly acquired skills.  The rotation is quite a challenge for these freshmen, but they were more than up to the task.

The cohorts elected to build sites for a fictional movie and musical group.  Each team researched the core components for their type of site, conceptualized their site’s design, assigned project roles and responsibilities to team members, and established a timeline and milestones.  Students were also asked to journal about the experience over the course of their six-week rotation and post reflections to the Web Rotation Blog.

In order to complete the self-guided project, the IT Fellows identified their pre-existing Web skills and worked together to learn any of the areas where there was a knowledge gap.  The freshmen students spent time learning HTML, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Illustrator to code their web pages, create graphics, and post the site to a live web server.  One cohort even filmed and edited a short video trailer as part of their project.

"Working as a team and accomplishing each page together was a very fun experience,” said Anna Urish, freshmen IT Fellow.  “My teammates were very helpful with teaching me Photoshop and informing me of many other useful tips that have allowed me to form a base with my Web design knowledge."

"I had a lot of fun working in the web rotation.  My cohort really helped with getting the tasks completed on time and in a high quality fashion.  I really enjoyed this rotation and I hope the rest of this year emulates this rotation," added Jeff Lange, freshmen IT Fellow.

Each rotation completed by freshmen IT Fellows is designed to build knowledge and experience across many different facets of Information Technology.  IT Fellows select from rotations in many different areas of IT with the Web rotation being the sole mandatory rotation.  As freshmen IT Fellows progress from year to year, skills are developed to benefit the university as a whole and enhance each Fellow’s education with valuable technology experience. The focus of the first year is training and a broad exposure to the technologies that are redefining work in the digital age. IT Fellows participate in four six-week training rotations in areas, such as web design, hardware and software support, graphic design and digital video. During the second year, Fellows begin semester or year-long, on-campus internships in areas of their choice.  Fourth-year IT Fellows and Senior Fellows work on the most important and sophisticated technology projects on campus.

According to Jeni McIntosh-Elkins, Coordinator of the IT Fellows Program, "The Information Technology Fellows Program will provide Valparaiso University students with an unparalleled opportunity to link the traditional strengths of a Valpo education with the technology training and skills needed to succeed in an increasingly digital world.  These sites provide a small sample of these student's talents and capabilities."

Take a look at the sites built in the first Web Rotation:

• ITHD – Movie site for recently released blockbuster (Intranet Site)
• Sidekick Gang – Band site for the best band in IT