Photoshop Phantoms

I am a little behind in creating this post, but all's well that ends well, right? Well, a couple of weeks ago my class started working with Photoshop. When trying to think of an alliterative title for this post, "phantoms" came to mind. To make sure that title would work logically, I naturally googled the definition. One of the definitions for "phantoms" that thefreedictionary.com brought up was, "something dreaded or despised." BINGO!!

Okay, I didn't really dread or despise working with Photoshop; my usual panic was just very prevalent whenever I thought about it. Even though the program is frequently used at my house, I had never before been the one using it. However, I can now say that I have used Photoshop all by myself.

My lesson learned regarding the elusive phantoms? Well, I figure that many of my future students will also be wary of trying new things. Their new things might not be related to technology--in fact, their "new" things might be actually reading a book instead of waiting for the movie to come out (novel idea, I know--pun intended). My point is that I need to keep in mind the hesitant feelings I had so that I can be a more patient educator when my students are resistant to what I want them to learn. We'll see how well that works!!

Picture Perfect (in theory;-)

Last week in class we all took pictures using digital cameras and then learned a little about how we could use images in iPhoto and Comic Life. Using iPhoto, we made photo albums and slideshows. Then we went on to make comic strips using Comic Life.

I really liked learning about these new programs. I can definitely see how using them in the classroom could hook students' attention. In particular, I think students would enjoy creating comic strips for a more unique assignment. It would change up the typical English classroom of reading, writing, listening, and talking. I think it would peak the interests of students with different learning styles, especially with the increased popularity of graphic novels over the last few years.

While I did enjoy the things we learned in class, I really wish we could have taken more time on it. As my blog already clearly outlined, I am not familiar with many programs. The class where we "learned" how to use the programs went so quickly that at least half the time I was in panic mode trying to keep up. Oh, well. I know that we don't have a lot of time to learn everything, and we are just supposed to become aware of everything that's "out there" by getting our toes wet. I just wish we could have had more time to learn and play with the programs in class.

DON'T PANIC!

I am currently trying to take to heart this advice penned by a literary genius. (If you don't know who I am talking about, then you have a homework assignment: read something by Douglas Adams!) This semester I am taking a class titled "Technology Tools for Secondary Teachers," which is why I find myself creating a blog. In the class, I have already been required to do things that I don't necessarily do when given the choice (e.g. learning how to use a Mac).

You see, even though I was technically born in the "digital age," I am not a "natural" when it comes to anything dealing with technology. Last week in class we talked about digital natives and digital immigrants. Technically, I am a digital native. What a laugh.

This class will be good for me, though. Logically, I know that I need to learn all of these tools so I can better engage my future students. For example, last week in class we read an article talking about incorporating video games into the curriculum. In particular, the article focused on a game that was created for a high school English class to complement their study of a novel. By the end of the article, I was excited about gaming. (This is no small miracle; just ask my husband.)

I want to reach as many of my students as possible, and I believe my best successes will come when I try to cater to their interests. Therefore, I have my own homework. I need to swallow my insecurities associated with trying new technology and just try it. I'll try not to panic.