Help me micro teach Photoshop!
July 12, 2018 4:51 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for interesting ideas to teach the basic concepts of Photoshop.
As part of a job interview I've been asked to prepare and deliver a Micro Teach (10 min) Introductory Lesson on Photoshop to students (16-18 years old) with absolutely no previous knowledge.
I've been wracking my brain trying to think of an activity that will explain the basic principles while not being simply going through examples of digital image editing on some slides. It's a small set of students in a classroom with a simple computer/projector setup. I've done lots of Adobe teaching in the past but its been in large computer labs with students that have some experience behind them.
Special snowflake details - I'd like to make it as interactive as possible and also an activity flexible enough to deal with students who might not be as on task as they could be due to the current English hot weather.
As part of a job interview I've been asked to prepare and deliver a Micro Teach (10 min) Introductory Lesson on Photoshop to students (16-18 years old) with absolutely no previous knowledge.
I've been wracking my brain trying to think of an activity that will explain the basic principles while not being simply going through examples of digital image editing on some slides. It's a small set of students in a classroom with a simple computer/projector setup. I've done lots of Adobe teaching in the past but its been in large computer labs with students that have some experience behind them.
Special snowflake details - I'd like to make it as interactive as possible and also an activity flexible enough to deal with students who might not be as on task as they could be due to the current English hot weather.
Sorry, the last comment was phone-posted and incomplete. For an activity, try thinking of a way to create an original image by building it up one layer at a time. Think of it maybe like one of those Paint Night places where the teachers walks the students through, one step at a time, and the ending picture looks like the teacher's picture.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 6:09 AM on July 12, 2018
posted by overeducated_alligator at 6:09 AM on July 12, 2018
10 minutes for complete novices? I think I'd pick some simple photo editing task that everybody might need to do at some point - maybe removing clutter from the background of a photo or something like that. It would let you introduce several tools in 10 minutes, such as the selection tool, cloning tool, etc.
posted by COD at 6:10 AM on July 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by COD at 6:10 AM on July 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
This is mock teaching right? One thing that can help is that you don’t have to pretend you’re giving the very first lesson ever. If you want to make your presentation about layers, simply pretend it’s the third lesson, and start with ‘last time we covered the selection tools and copy/paste’ or whatever you need.
When people interview teachers, they are looking for overall ability and style, not necessarily a literal first 10 minutes of the first class and first meeting you would ever teach.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:26 AM on July 12, 2018 [3 favorites]
When people interview teachers, they are looking for overall ability and style, not necessarily a literal first 10 minutes of the first class and first meeting you would ever teach.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:26 AM on July 12, 2018 [3 favorites]
I teach Photoshop. 10 minutes is fast. Don't try and do too much. Talk about what an amazing program Photoshop is, and how much you can do by manipulating layers and pixels. Then give them a hands on demo telling them they are just getting a taste of the amazing things they can do. Warn them that you'll stop the demo (if you will) to help them out individually and that if they aren't in need of help they can just keep experimenting and that they can't permanently mess anything up. You might quickly show them the history palette.
Idea #1 would be to work with an easy "triple exposure" that you size and set up ahead of time as a psd file and do something like lay photos of hands, clouds and tree branches over each other. They could learn to move layers and play with blending modes and all of them would end up with a different, cool looking image after 10 minutes. Make sure you have great photos of course. This idea is the hardest for anyone to screw up if you want to avoid stopping the lecture from time to time to have to help individuals.
Idea #2 would be to take an image of a cute animal head and swap out the eyes for an image you've dropped below. Maybe put stars or something. This might be a little harder because you'd have to quickly show them selection tools (which can mess some people up a lot with deselecting) and how to create a mask. If they are quick you can also show them hue/saturation adjustment layers and get them to change the colour of the stars or animal or both and/or show them how to expand or retract the mask, or how to reload and feather it.
Idea #3 is to get them to make something "disappear". Get an image or two that have something in it that they can get rid of with the content aware fill. Beginners love doing that. Then get them to apply one of the artistic filters to the image.
Idea # 4 is to take a photo of a face and just get them to open up liquify and play with it. Beginners also love doing that and it is super easy and can be both scary and hilarious.
In all cases having great images - good quality, cute and/or funny will be very important and help with engaging them. Good luck!
posted by Cuke at 6:59 AM on July 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
Idea #1 would be to work with an easy "triple exposure" that you size and set up ahead of time as a psd file and do something like lay photos of hands, clouds and tree branches over each other. They could learn to move layers and play with blending modes and all of them would end up with a different, cool looking image after 10 minutes. Make sure you have great photos of course. This idea is the hardest for anyone to screw up if you want to avoid stopping the lecture from time to time to have to help individuals.
Idea #2 would be to take an image of a cute animal head and swap out the eyes for an image you've dropped below. Maybe put stars or something. This might be a little harder because you'd have to quickly show them selection tools (which can mess some people up a lot with deselecting) and how to create a mask. If they are quick you can also show them hue/saturation adjustment layers and get them to change the colour of the stars or animal or both and/or show them how to expand or retract the mask, or how to reload and feather it.
Idea #3 is to get them to make something "disappear". Get an image or two that have something in it that they can get rid of with the content aware fill. Beginners love doing that. Then get them to apply one of the artistic filters to the image.
Idea # 4 is to take a photo of a face and just get them to open up liquify and play with it. Beginners also love doing that and it is super easy and can be both scary and hilarious.
In all cases having great images - good quality, cute and/or funny will be very important and help with engaging them. Good luck!
posted by Cuke at 6:59 AM on July 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
I just reread your question and realized that you might be the only one with the computer. If this is the case I would ask for volunteers/victims to come up and manipulate the images on your computer as you go through things. So to show how layers work do idea #1 and have a student come up and drag things around. To show how masks work do idea #2 with another student, to show how filters work get another one to come up and do #4 with you. I think this will be more interesting that you just going through the techniques and will also show all of them how "easy" it is and allow themselves to see themselves working even if they are not one of the student volunteers.
posted by Cuke at 7:05 AM on July 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Cuke at 7:05 AM on July 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I just reread your question and realized that you might be the only one with the computer.
Yep - sorry, should have made that clearer, It's me presenting and the class watching which is why I worry a little bit about keeping the students attention.
Those are some good ideas - thanks.
posted by brilliantmistake at 7:56 AM on July 12, 2018
Yep - sorry, should have made that clearer, It's me presenting and the class watching which is why I worry a little bit about keeping the students attention.
Those are some good ideas - thanks.
posted by brilliantmistake at 7:56 AM on July 12, 2018
For projects how about -- making a meme, or pasting someone's head on someone else's body? If you pick easy enough examples, you could totally do one of them in ten minutes, while using a few different tools. Maybe that sounds kind of patronizing -- but those things are in fact all I do in Photoshop myself. (I'm 48.)
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 8:11 AM on July 12, 2018
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 8:11 AM on July 12, 2018
I'm another voice saying to demonstrate 1 capability. I'd choose editing a photo to put something into a picture, like a polar bear added to the school board, or removing a person from a photo. Nothing political or in any way sensitive. Another good demo is using Pshop to change the colors of things like clothing, picture of the school, add trees and a rooftop helicopter. Use a little humor, don't talk superfast. Tell them what the lesson will demonstrate, demonstrate, sum up what you did. I'm going to teach you how to edit a photograph and add content. You might want to use this to add someone to a family picture. I prepared a photograph and made it available on the web. I'm going to retrieve it from my public google drive by ... etc.As you do any step, say it out loud, and use the terms for the tools. I'm using the selection tool to etc. Prepare a handout - you want to cover visual, verbal, auditory learning preferences. Pause often to check in, see who has questions, verify that they are following.
posted by theora55 at 10:34 AM on July 12, 2018
posted by theora55 at 10:34 AM on July 12, 2018
Make your examples silly. Like, paste a moose’s head onto a duck’s body. If you’ve got Internet access you could even ask the students for THEIR favorite animals and hit up an image search right there.
posted by egypturnash at 2:22 PM on July 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by egypturnash at 2:22 PM on July 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
10 minutes? Redeye Removal tool. Definitely something everyone eventually needs, and it’s pretty quick to learn.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:31 PM on July 12, 2018
posted by Thorzdad at 6:31 PM on July 12, 2018
You HAVE to watch You Suck at Photoshop and take an idea from that but make it your own and be sure to credit them as inspiration.
posted by cda at 7:26 PM on July 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by cda at 7:26 PM on July 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
- layers
- channels
- non destructive editing (adjustment layers and Smart Objects)
- save for web/export formats
- color spaces (RGB, CMYK, Lab)
- layer effects
- blending modes
posted by overeducated_alligator at 5:27 AM on July 12, 2018