Teaching a photoshop class, Your thoughts

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  • Ali//325i
    Wrencher
    • Jul 2005
    • 270

    #1

    Teaching a photoshop class, Your thoughts

    Okay So I am going to be teaching 3 photoshop classes at the highschool. Just a simple introductory type class to show some kids in a webdesign class how to improve their sites. I was wondering if you guys had any sudgestions. I think the first 2 classes should be instruction and the 3rd day be experimentation.

    I will start with generalizing them with the interface and help them design a few cool things like some abstract stuff, To get them interested, I will probably show them a few things i have done just to get them believeing what i say lol. Then from there i am thinking of moving into using the selection tool. I will probably use that to help explain the use of layers and the fill tool and a few things that go along with that. Then if i have any time left i will give them a demonstration on how to create something a little more advanced.

    The second class will start off with questioning and making sure everyone is familiar with what they are doing. Then once everyone is doing okay i will move into web interface details. I will talk about colors that usually look good together and how different shapes give different effects. During this time i will walk them through creating a simple web site layout. I think that way they will be doing it with me and not just watching me do it and asking a million questions. I will use a few text effects and blending techniques to get them feeling quite creative. Then once we have created the actual layout i will ask for questions. Then from there i will probably do another more advanced type of art. From there i will give them free time to do as they wish with photoshop.

    The final day will be more experimentation and learning by exploring. I mean i taught myself photoshop using tutorials and asking questions so i think they can learn a lot more if I take a hands on approach. Of course i will give 3-5 different options of things they can make ranging in level of difficulty from easy to advanced of course. I feel this way it gives all the kids who will most likely be at different levels a chance to feel a small accomplishment. I will wait till the end of class to talk about my web design company and how I learned everything, Just so they get a feeling for what they can do with photoshop. I will show them a few other avenues photoshop can take them, and then finally to top off the class i will have one kid come to the board and write down most of their personal sudgestions on how to improve the class and things of that nature. i.e. What they liked and didnt like, did and didnt understand, and if they would take a FULL semester class like this.

    The reason I ask for help is because i am actually a junior attending this school. lol I am only 16, taking all AP/honors courses, taking a C/C++ programming class at the community college, and i have a girlfriend and a live, as well as my webdesign company on my mind lol,so the slightest bit of help from you guys will be greatly appreciated. The reason I am doing this is to help out the webdesign class because the teacher is a f***ing moron. So ya. Your thoughts, sudgestions, Anything will be appreciated.

    Thanks guys,
    -Ali
  • Ali//325i
    Wrencher
    • Jul 2005
    • 270

    #2
    bump for help

    Comment

    • straight6pwr
      No R3VLimiter
      • Sep 2004
      • 3450

      #3
      Originally posted by Ali//325i
      bump for help
      that plan sounds good to me. try to make some kind of small handout with all the stuff youll be talking about since there will be a lot to learn in only 2 or 3 days. and you could also put a list of websites with tutorials on there too. bring some examples of some really cool before and after pics, the students would probably like that.

      Comment

      • Ali//325i
        Wrencher
        • Jul 2005
        • 270

        #4
        Ya thanks i will add that aswell.

        Also if anyone would like to submit some before and after i can give the kids an idea of what it is capable of. Of course i will not be taking credit for your ideas so no worries ;) .

        Keep the sudgestions coming.
        -Ali

        Comment

        • straight6pwr
          No R3VLimiter
          • Sep 2004
          • 3450

          #5
          heres one before and after:





          and im glad youre not teaching english. it's suggestions.:roll:

          Comment

          • wiredroach
            Noobie
            • Jan 2004
            • 33

            #6
            Originally posted by straight6pwr
            heres one before and after:





            and im glad youre not teaching english. it's suggestions.:roll:
            It's also "I'm," "you're" and "English." :roll:

            Ali, as for your teaching plan, it's a good idea to keep the demonstration times down to 30 minutes or so at a stretch. If people have a machine in front of them, they'll want to start experimenting right away, and they'll get impatient if you show them too many concepts at a time. Quickly show them how to do a project using some of the topics you want to teach, then give them a handout breaking down the steps. Have the handout spell out the process in some detail, using screen shots and locations of menu items, so if they get stuck they'll have something to refer to. Then, you can wander around and help them individually as they need it.

            Comment

            • Ali//325i
              Wrencher
              • Jul 2005
              • 270

              #7
              lol thanks for the grammar lesson guys. Well if it makes either of you feel better I have taken some of the hardest English classes my school has to offer, I just figured you guys would be cool with the shortcut typing. Oh well, If you guys would like to discuss grammar my previous honors English teacher would love to strike up a conversation.

              Getting back on subject, you guys have great Ideas, thank you for your suggestions. I will try to keep my lecture time to a minimum because as you said, kids love to experiment when a computer is right in front of them. I do have 6 or 7 tutorials that I will use to help demonstrate layers, selection tools, shape tools, renders, distortions, effects, etc. I have a lot to cover in a few days. Hopefully they will appreciate this after I am done.

              P.S. I must confess, I never had a taste for grammar and/or spelling.

              -Ali

              Comment

              • Nathan
                Mod Crazy
                • Apr 2004
                • 671

                #8
                You sound surprisingly familiar to me... I am THE tech guy at my highschool, also 16. I took all of the tech classes and found them mostly to be a joke with an idiot teacher. (Web Design, Adv. Web Design). We used to have a Flash profesional guest speaker come in all the time and what you have planned is similar to what he did, except with Photoshop and not Flash. When I was reading your initial post it did surprise me when you said you were in highschool and 16, but only a little. Good Luck!
                PNW E30 CREW ///

                Comment

                • wiredroach
                  Noobie
                  • Jan 2004
                  • 33

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Ali//325i
                  lol thanks for the grammar lesson guys. Well if it makes either of you feel better I have taken some of the hardest English classes my school has to offer, I just figured you guys would be cool with the shortcut typing. Oh well, If you guys would like to discuss grammar my previous honors English teacher would love to strike up a conversation.

                  Getting back on subject, you guys have great Ideas, thank you for your suggestions. I will try to keep my lecture time to a minimum because as you said, kids love to experiment when a computer is right in front of them. I do have 6 or 7 tutorials that I will use to help demonstrate layers, selection tools, shape tools, renders, distortions, effects, etc. I have a lot to cover in a few days. Hopefully they will appreciate this after I am done.

                  P.S. I must confess, I never had a taste for grammar and/or spelling.

                  -Ali
                  I was only correcting straight6pwr's errors. I just jumped on him because he jumped on you.

                  Comment

                  • Ali//325i
                    Wrencher
                    • Jul 2005
                    • 270

                    #10
                    Oh sorry...didnt take the time to look...Totally pwned. sorry. :oops: . Anywaiz thanks for all the infor guys i am going to show my "Teacher" today to see what he thinks. As always E30 people are amazing when it comes to help.

                    -Ali

                    Comment

                    • M42Technik
                      R3V OG
                      • Dec 2003
                      • 9781

                      #11
                      Are you showing them the shortcut keys? They are HUGE time savers. I did not check to find if you had said that. I know it helped me out a bunch.


                      Also www.photoshopjunkie.com for car related things. Gives them ideas on what they can do with Photoshop as well...there's a shortcut key list and some of the basics. It sure helped me!
                      Reminiscing...

                      Comment

                      • Ali//325i
                        Wrencher
                        • Jul 2005
                        • 270

                        #12
                        I am using tutorials to teach them, and i incorporate a lot of shortcut keys in there as well. They are very very very SLOW, so throwing too many shortcut keys and terms tends to get them confused. Maybe i will make a handout that has most of the important shortcuts.

                        Good idea on the shortcut keys. Thanks.

                        Btw in case anyone is wondering i have taught 5 classes and only 2 classes completed making a cool caution tape. lol its a little slow going.

                        -ali

                        Comment

                        • s0urce
                          R3VLimited
                          • Dec 2004
                          • 2933

                          #13
                          There are some great photoshop books out there. Go get one, do yourself a favor and if you're really serious about teaching photoshop get a decent projector hooked up to your pc to show them. Teach them techniques that they can actually use. While caution tape is kinda cool, have everyone bring in their own photographs to manipulate or have them find some off the web. Teach them USEFULL things that will make them want to use photosohp on their own time as well. Otherwise what you're teaching will most likely be a waste of effort for 65% of your students.
                          tasty

                          Comment

                          • Ali//325i
                            Wrencher
                            • Jul 2005
                            • 270

                            #14
                            The caution tape was a quick warm up. I did have a nice projector and i did all the steps with them. I own a web design company and I taught them a lot about designing templates and how to use colors and such. The tutorials are how i learned all of the terms and tools so i thought it would be nice for them to do the same.


                            -Ali

                            Comment

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