[aniani]

I'm a college student right now, and I will be teaching a Photoshop class at a high school to underpriviledged middle school/high school children. Many do not have much computer experience.

My coordinator suddenly emailed me and told me that I need to come up with a general plan for how I am going to be teaching the course, come up with assignments, tests/quizzes... methods to grade... etc..

I'm clueless as to where to start. I was basically going to follow something like this:

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshop/l/bllps5out.htm

What do you guys think. How should I start a course with people who do not have much computer experience... and expect them to improve over a period of 5 weeks.

Thanks!

[dflynn]

Anybody using a computer (or doing anything for that matter) will improve at what they are doing as long as they have the opportunity to do so, so don't sweat about that part.

I've taught a few high school classes photoshop, dreamweaver and flash (although unofficially so I never had to worry about the marking part)

That plan you have there in the link seems like a good place to start.

I find if you feel like you are going too slow, you are probably moving way to fast for most people who are unfamiliar with programs or computers in general.

Good luck

[jerryb]

hi,
you got your work cut out for you..... your manager did he say hejust want a bare bone summery outline of what you going to do and later a full outline? 5 weeks is not a whole lot of time..... your not going to be able to teach them everything....!! so look closely at how much of the basic you can teach in that amount of time...

I'll give you an idea what to start with and some other thoughts.... but it not going to be complete.... just not possible in message board like this.... also , if there a trade school near you, make contact with there curriculum department they have people trained in this.... but anyway to give you a start.....

note: there a lot of teaching info avail... do a search for photoshop instructors guide, photoshop student guide .... you get a lof examples to work with.... just a matter of tayloring them to your class and how much your going to teach them ....

1. you need to set your objectives: take a look at the college handbook that give you an idea what info be expected! ..... you may need to talk to your manager on what they expect!!
a. what are they to learn, just the very basics or doing some simple things or complex... ... is it in depth or familiarity?
b. h ow are they going to demonstrate what they learned... with quizes, test, projects, homework assignements?
c. the grading criteria.. pass/fail or a grade is given?

2. now as far as that link you gave.. that not bad for a reference to develope your outline/instructor guide!! ..... now you didn't say how many hours of lecturing your going to do or how many hours your setting aside for the students to practice what they were taught very important....
Also you didn't mention.... if this was a 1 hour class for 4 days/per week or is it 3 hour class once or twice a week... that important on how your going to divide your time and setup your lessons anyway.....
a. taylor each lesson to be about appx 50 minutes ... 30 or 40 minutes for talking and the rest of the time for questions...
b. i assume you have the extra computers for on hand training... may spend one hour lecturing and set aside one hour for student hand on training.. you didn't mention if there was lab period.....

3. test and quizes,
a. make sure your questions come from your instructor guide/student guide... this insures the students have been exposed to the area that questions are ask.....
b. you may want to plan pop quizes maybe one two.... probably make them T or F questions .... maybe 10 or 15 questions.... for your test s, of course larger number of questions.... rely on multible choice or matching questions... i stay away from essays and rote memory type questions... how many tests... well your choice... 1 per week, or 1 every two weeks and then final.....

4. aids..... handouts..... possibly list of tools, info sheets and such, a student guide that can be very helpfull addressing things you don't have time for.. a student guide can also serve as a workbook!
if you don't have a overhead type projector that hooks into a pc... then wha ty ou might look at is making transparencies for a projectors...... that will allow the kids to follow... plus it looks good to your manager.. smiling...

5. your final package maybe look something like this...
a. a page discribing, the course cuirriculm and objectives
b. a student guide, broken down by lessons and instructors guide
c. copies of your quizes and tests
d. copy of your aids,,, what handouts, transparencies, what aid equipment going to be used...

6. now as far as your student pc capabilities..... you may need to add a section that address just basic operation... but you don't have too much time to spend on this part and still get the photoshop.... if it turns out everyone familiar you can easily skip this section after the class convenes ...

this is a example of a outline.... the content will be different than yours....
http://www.sfsu.edu/~training/guides/photoshop_I_instructors_guide.htm

this is another example....
http://www.sfsu.edu/~training/guides/photoshop_I_instructors_guide.htm

this is a student guide.. again just a example,,, becaue you content will be different.... the very least....
http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/teach/visualdesign/vdcg_cs3_p2_student_guides.pdf

I hope i gave yo enough info to work with... there a lot more involved in devloping a course cuirriculum ... than what i covered....

[Raven12388]

Hi just give them a link to this site and all the tutorials and sit back and have a coffee hehe
just messin widya

i dont envy you in this task but my advice would be think back to when you first started to learn and what you was shown if it worked for you it could work for them !!!