Photoshop Obama Hope Poster Project #busedu

As we are nearing the end of the presidential term and entering election season, it's fun to see the various takes people have made on the "Obama" Hope poster. I found it quite amusing and then it served as inspiration for my next class project!

From Pinterest

I actually started by watching a tutorial on how to do this from Blue Lightning TV, but it didn't use our version of PS, utilize shapes, and wasn't clear on clipping adjustments, and I wanted to incorporate that into the project. So, I developed my own resource adapted from theirs. I figured I'd share it with you! I really enjoyed their tutorial. I didn't really use the Channel Mixer or the Gradient Map adjustment features in Photoshop before, so I was psyched to learn something new.

• Handout Link
• YouTube Playlist Link

Here is one of my examples:

I'm going to have the students follow the steps (and/or watch the video tutorial I created) to recreate it using their own image of themselves. Then, my early finishers will have the option to parody the poster for a character of their choosing. Like this!

What do you think? It's actually a pretty quick, short project. So, if you are headed into Spring Break with a day or two to kill, maybe give it a shot! Or, perhaps district testing is happening soon and you need filler. Enjoy!

Photoshop Class Group Project #busedu #gafe

Last year, I was watching an episode of Celebrity Apprentice and got inspired to create a Photoshop project for my class.


The whole task is from about the 5 minute mark to the 31 minute mark (if you want to see which team wins) or the  43 minute mark (if you want to see the Board Room to see who goes home). My students enjoyed getting to watch the thought process and pitches and I liked that it gave me a little more "business" in my Photoshop class.

The students enjoyed it when we did it last year and, though we didn't do it last semester, I decided to bring it back this semester. It's sometimes difficult to do cooperative activities in computer classes so this is another effort to incorporate.

I changed a few things around this time. Here's the general process:

1. I talk about the project and my inspiration and show them clips from the show.
2. They pick groups (I let them pick by putting a sign up sheet on the wall with assigned group names and then a certain number of lines underneath, so anyone without a group could easily just add themselves to a line and not feel totally left out).
3. Day 1: They decide a leader and a recorder. Groups do a brainstorming session and the recorded writes down info. They all sign their names to the sheet and record the product and a shared hashtag that they will all use. They write that down and I pick up those papers to review and return the next day. 
4. Day 2: The group leader sets up a Google Slides project and shares to all group members and me. The leader sets up the first slide, which is the title (includes the product, hashtag, and group member names) and the second slide, which is the "logo brainstorming" slide. All group members then locate and copy/paste logos for this company/product from online. They must source the image in a comment. Then, all group members collectively decide which one to use. All group members will use the same product logo. The leader adds the chosen logo to the title slide. All group members create two slides with their first names at the top for their finished projects. Then, they all set up the basic page setup (10"x8") and put their logo on the page (removing the background if it has one). Finally, they start obtaining images for the first project OR they can work on finding the perfect font and adding their slogan and hashtag. 
5. Day 3: All group members will update their class portfolio to embed the group Slides presentation and to discuss their project so far (what they picked and why, etc.). Then, they continue working.
6. After that, they continue working on the project with the last 5-7 minutes daily being group feedback time. Group members walk around to provide feedback. They are collectively in charge of ensuring all group members have the requirements, the logo, a slogan and the shared hashtag, and that the project is set up correctly. 
7. As they finish an ad design, they are to save it for the web and post to their class portfolio AND to the Google Slide. (My students write a reflection for their projects on the class portfolio site)
8. Eventually, each student will have 2 or 3 designs. I grade the best 2. And, the group will present their group slideshow and discuss (using Photoshop terms) how they created the design.

Here is one of last year's projects (it doesn't have the logo and feedback portion... that's new, but this one was used to show my kids examples of good and not great... and we also did a short fonts unit before this project because you could obviously see font issues on a few of these ads):

Here is a link to my project explanation and scoring guide:
http://classjump.com/s/skinner/documents/Hashtag_Photobomb_Campaign_Group_Project.docx

SD card idea! #busedu #photoshopclass

In my Photoshop and Multimedia classes, students are required to purchase SD cards to use for the cameras. However, I have struggled over the years managing how to keep them from losing their cards! If I let them keep them, I have to require a pencil case or something with a zipper. But, then they forget and leave them in the computers or they are found on the floor. And, half of the time, they try to write names in pencil or they rub off so I have no idea who a card belongs to.

I have had binders with those "baseball card" holders (9 per page) and even photo albums from the Dollar Tree with one SD card per slot. But, none of that is perfect. And the album pages would rip or they will fly out as the students turned pages. 

But, I had an idea this year over Christmas! What about a jewelry holder? So, I went to Five Below, a store near me, and bought this pretty dotted one (yes for $5!). It actually had 30 small slots and three large at the bottom and it's perfect. I bought sticker dots and put numbers on each slot that correspond with my 30 student workstations (their assigned seat numbers). Then, I came up with a key! Each hour is assigned a different color (see the Spring 2016 card below). And, they put that sticker on the SD card and label with their initials, hour, and computer number. Then, everyone who sits in seat 1 will store their cards in slot 1 on this! And each has a different color so you can easily identify your card. Since it's not in an album, they aren't lined up waiting to turn the page and several can retrieve their cards at the same time.

I mean, maybe I'm a genius. Just kidding, but this idea is working out really well and had to share. Happy Friday!

Responsive Web Design thoughts... and fun first week thing! #busedu

In my Web Design 2 class this semester, I've decided to just totally redo the curriculum. As I shared the other day with a link I posted, I am done with Flash. And, I need to refocus and teach more about preparing sites for mobile use and responsive web design. So, I've been learning.

But, I wanted something fun to do as we introduce this topic and ran across this neat little web quiz:
WHICH POPULAR WEB DESIGN TREND ARE YOU?

It's a "fun" thing that has you answer 10 questions and then pegs you into a certain category. I love it! I got Flat Design by the way (oh, man). Not sure what all of the choices are, but presumably fixed (glad I wasn't that one) and responsive have to be on there.

Then, I will be able to lead into those various types of design techniques. I'm actually pretty pumped!

Oh, and here's my explanation for my flat design personality... lol:
"Just like Flat Design, you are practical and straightforward. You tell it like it is, no sugar coating, no bells and whistles. Though sensitive ears may find you blunt and outspoken, most people will appreciate your bold voice of reason. Your cool confidence impresses those around you, and your drama-free attitude puts people at ease. You are content to spend your leisure time just shootin' the breeze with friends."

Pretty. Much. On. Point.

Working on Web Design 2 Curriculum... Sharing GREAT resources! #busedu

I've been revamping my Web Design 2 curriculum. This course starts up in January and I realize that I have to move into more responsive web design and mobile design this year. I am also finally abandoning Flash.  Also, I have some students who will be in the class straight out of Web Design 1 this semester and others that may be a year removed from taking the prerequisite. So, a review is necessary.

I also don't dive into the box model too much (we just do a basic DIV and then a stack of DIVs on the final project) since it's just a semester in Web Design 1. So, I get into that pretty heavily in Web Design 2.

So, I've been working through some online Udacity lessons. I have found one that I really like that will work as both a review and a thorough introduction to understanding the box model--
https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-html-and-css--ud304

Description:  In this course you will learn how to convert digital design mockups into static web pages. We will teach you how to approach page layout, how to break down a design mockup into page elements, and how to implement that in HTML and CSS.

You will also learn about responsive design techniques, which are increasingly important in a world where mobile devices and TV screens are used more and more often to look for information and entertainment.

It has videos you watch and then applications you can do in a text editor and using Chrome Dev Tools. And, it "quizzes" along the way.

Today, when I was working through it, she was talking about how a webpage is made up of rectangles and then demonstrated by actually printing a page and cutting out boxes. I thought... great idea! Why didn't I think of that?

Just wanted to share that, but also recommend this short course. The instructor tries to be funny, so it's not hard to watch.  It's three lessons leading into a "project" and it says the entire module will take roughly three weeks to complete (assuming 6 hours a week working at your own pace). I'm not sure I'll assign the students the entire module, but once I'm done with it, I'll have a better idea. I think my students will be faster since they all will come in with fundamentals. But, we'll see.

If anything, it would be great for you to work through as an instructor to give you some instructional strategies. They use some great metaphors for explaining the concepts.

I do know that for the first week, I am going to have them sign up and work through FreeCodeCamp. There is an HTML5 and CSS module that takes about 5 hours to complete. This site is much like Codecademy if you've used that (and we do in Web Design 1).  And, that module covers pretty much everything I cover in Web Design 2. They also have a responsive web design with Bootstrap module that I haven't tried yet but intend to work through as well.

Hope this helps someone else. Happy web designing, friends!

Fun Multimedia Video Project! #busedu #multimedia

I decided to come up with something a little different this year as the final project in Multimedia, so this is it. I watched several videos to get ideas (you'll see those links on the scoring guide), but none of them met all the competencies I wanted covered. Thus, this Personal Narrative Project was born.

They had three different theme options-- movie review, DIY video, or "Surviving High School" narrative video.

Here's my example Movie Review:

And here's the scoring guide we used. So far, they seem to be enjoying it, but I'll know more in about a week! This semester went by so quickly!
http://classjump.com/s/skinner/documents/Personal_Narrative_Cutaway_Project_5943.pdf

Computer Keyboarding Rant...is Typing a Lost Art? #busedu

We had a meeting today to discuss our grades 6-12 curriculum. It was time spent talking in our vertical team with administration present about new course offerings and what should be offered when.

Coming out of this meeting, I had a thought. Is keyboarding even a thing anymore? Honestly.

I find it incredibly useful to know how to touch type. I know it makes me much more efficient, especially when typing long documents or in web design when coding. I don't know how someone could code quickly if they had to look down at their fingers constantly.  But, my own 13-year old daughter doesn't type "properly" with her hands on her home row. She doesn't look (too much) but she doesn't use the right fingers. She was formally taught to type in 7th grade last year, but the teacher doesn't correct her form. And, why would she? The girl types over 40 wpm most of the time and often times, closer to 60!

I found this article dated November 24, 2014, about how he feels that for many programmers, the "single big efficiency improvement that can be made to their technique is to learn to touch type."
The author (a computer programmer) also states, "What really amazes me, is that after years of doing it and getting by, many programmers like a lot of other computer users don't know that there is a right way to type. They have just observed the simple fact that some people seem to be able to type faster than they can and sort of assume that it must be just practice - and one day they will get to the same level of speed."

I just wonder if this generation of youth honestly don't see a reason to know how to type. I know that they see the ol' QWERTY keyboard on their phones when they text people. And, we all know they can text faster with two thumbs than I can with 10 fingers. I presume that means they know where the letters are. But, they pretty much all learn first on an iPad or some sort of device (admit it, your 5 year old uses an iPad!) and teaching them to "type right" at the age of 13 would require slowing them down. Most students have no interest in that.

Many programmers (who responded on the comments on that article) claim to be getting by just fine with a hunt and peck method. Others say that "composing" code is more about figuring out what to write and not doing it fast. But, in a classroom of computers, I would almost bet that my faster typists (of course, fast doesn't mean proper technique!) are also my strongest computer students. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd love to do that research.

As a teacher who doesn't teach that age and who doesn't teach typing since I'm in a senior high school, I am just curious how others feel about this. Is typing a lost art? I'm beginning to wonder.