Playing with Photoshop

Here is the original photo I have used for Picnik, which I now used in Photoshop. I have transferred clip art of butterflies and altered their size to add them into this photo of a hill on the Amalfi coast in Italy. This program looks easy, but it is actually very complex. In Photoshop you can accomplish just about everything and more that you can imagine doing to a digital photograph. When I was using Photoshop (which was the first time I've ever encountered the program), I almost felt that there were too many options. You can alter every megapixel in the photo...well almost.

This program can be very useful in the classroom for teachers. I would not use this program with my students, however, since my students' ages range from five to ten, I think Photoshop is a bit too much for them to use at this point in their young lives. For teachers, however, I feel that this is a wonderful way to be able to merge scenes throughout history, comparing the modern world with a historical scene for virtually every event in history which is perfect for a social studies lesson. Another example is if you are printing a poem, quote or song, adding an digital photo to the text helps students to visually see the text that is written, and it is also a way to make the learning fun for students by adding a bit of a whimsical touch to the lesson.

Photoshop teaches the skills to both teachers and students that learning, assignments and lessons in school can all be fun. It is a great way to expand thinking beyond the realm of simple lessons into helping students make connections between all disciplines learned in school. It also provides an opportunity for students to use their imagination, which they cannot use much as they progress through school.

All in all Photoshop is an excellent too if you ever have the opportunity as an educator to check it out. Do not be afraid. I repeat do not be afraid. All you need is an hour to figure out all the small bells and whistles, and after all: practice makes perfect.