It was time for my 7th graders to construct, print and publish an Adobe Photoshop collage on any topic of their choosing. Some brought in photos to scan, others took photos with two of the digital cameras we have in the lab, and others downloaded photos from the Internet, adding them to the iPhoto libraries.

     Once they had assembled the digital pieces, they then learned how to select and fade out a background, how to use feathering to copy and paste selections of other photos, and how to add text layers.

     Several toyed with the various Photoshop filters such as liquefy, neon glow, and other artistic choices. They really like the liquefy filters.

     With 16 twelve-thirteen year olds, one would think the room would be chaotic, but they paid close attention to the projector as I showed them Photoshop techniques that they said were “cool.” Their attention to the task was really very good. I have always felt that if the instructor showed some enthusiasm for the subject, it would more likely than not become “contagious.”  I have also felt that if students had a choice in what to study (in this case the choice was the subject of their collages), they would be able to show some creativity that might not been seen otherwise.

     Once the collages were finished, students were offered the opportunity to print on a local, not networked color deskjet printer on photo quality paper. During this part of the lesson, they learned how to select a correct printer, to be sure it was connected and to understand the print monitor manipulations.

     The next part of their assignment was to save their collages using Photoshop’s “save for the web” choices, understand the importance of reducing the file sizes for email, attach the newly saved collage to an email and send it to the “collages go here” conference on their FirstClass desktops. Their final task was to find a way to publish their collages on their FirstClass web pages.

     The results were pretty amazing. I usually hop around from one workstation to another answering questions for the first few days, watch their printer selections carefully as they try to match up the printer name with the label on the printer itself, and assist in reducing the file size. I can tell they’re excited when they share their products with one another, plead to print that day as they really, really want to bring it home then, not later, and tell me they showed their work on their web pages to their parents.

     These students will be more than ready when asked to create items like note cards, calendars, photos for framing.  With this program, I have more fun than most teachers ever do! And my students enjoy themselves, too.