Congratulations to the 2023 Graduates!

Here’s a memory from “on this day” 14 years ago(!)* I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be teaching two different classes, Intro to Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop and Advanced Imaging (Photoshop), remotely this past year for MWSU. My good friend, Alysa, (pictured to my left) also taught Photo I in person.

Introduction to Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop

Goals

My goals for students are always:

• Have fun
• Learn (a lot)
• Get plenty of practice

and just as importantly…

• Understand why & how we use the programs
• Organization, file setup, & naming conventions
• Learn how to see and use design principles (I explain what I’m looking at as I’m designing–composition, space, hierarchy, font choices, sizes, contrast, etc)
• Learn how to save properly (print vs interactive web, proof vs print-ready, file formats, dimensions, color space, resolution, etc)
• Learn fundamental tools, techniques, effects, & concepts for application in future creative work and courses

As a working professional, I have learned so much through experience that I want to impart that knowledge to students as soon as possible to make their lives easier… and without overwhelming them. All of my materials are intended for use during and after class to use as a reference.

Challenges with the online-only format

My class of (23) students this semester was online-only, not just remote. I noticed that it was more challenging for at least a few students to focus, find motivation, and stay accountable without having a regular meet time. As a professor, it is a detached learning format. Making screencasts is a sweet spot for me; however, I missed getting to know the students’ faces and did my best to make communications and instructions thorough and clear, post regular announcements, and correspond as personally as I could. Several students expressed that they would have prefered in-person to ask questions and troubleshoot issues.

Student Work

I am SO proud of students’ efforts on their campfire and typography posters and layouts. It even made me a little teary-eyed. I still remember what it’s like to begin using a new program, and I understand that students have a range of comfort and experience using computers. Individual feedback is difficult to give in such a large intro class and while creating a brand-new curriculum (and running a business); however, given the effort of the typography posters & layouts, I prioritized making a thorough review and critique. For the most part, an introductory class and its assignments are less about creativity and more about learning the location of and use of tools and techniques and learning composition and the fundamentals of design.

Teaching Challenges

TWO Programs in ONE Semester

Creating a new curriculum for TWO programs in ONE semester in a very limited time (15 weeks), all while setting reasonable due dates and being mindful of students’ course loads and schedules is very challenging! I came up with (6) Adobe Illustrator & (6) Adobe Photoshop assignments. Some assignments had multiple parts, in an attempt to cover a variety of tools through small exercises and mix it up with a few larger projects to give students the accomplishment of being able to make something while exploring and implementing several tools & techniques.

Feedback

From the end-of-semester feedback I received from students, this semester felt like a success. They learned a lot, enjoyed the variety of assignments and found them useful, and felt like everything was detailed and thoroughly explained. A few people even said this was their favorite class this semester, so that’s pretty cool!

Here were the final questions:

• What was/were your favorite piece(s) this semester?
• Why is it your favorite or what makes this piece successful?
• What was/were most challenging – a specific exercise/project? particular tools?
• Was there anything that could have been communicated more clearly in the exercises or would have been helpful to demonstrate or explain more thoroughly?
• Did you enjoy the class? Do you have any recommendations for Ashley?

The Changing Landscape of Higher Education

Where are all of the fine arts?

Universities have changed so much in the past ~3-5 years. Two months ago, MWSU auctioned its Workshop, Photography (dark room), Printmaking, Painting, Sculpture, & Ceramics equipment, cabinetry, etc. What a loss and disservice to current and future students, the community, and the surrounding areas. Just before the auction, it had already been abandoned, as if everything and all of the memories had been frozen in time since I left. I’ve heard that other universities are experiencing this, too. It is deeply saddening… as much as I wanted to go to the Kansas City Art Institute as a graduating high school senior, the program at MWSU was where I was meant to be. I’m still good friends with my professors and the program was truly state-of-the-art and prepared me and my portfolio for my first design job. Learning to use power equipment and tools in Tools & Techniques class has been a life skill that has empowered me to have faith and courage in my ability to continue woodworking, building, and making things with my hands. A lot of the courses now are geared toward computer graphics, interactive design, and animation.

Online Learning

The Information Age is wonderful in that you can continue to build upon your skillset or learn new skills at your own pace; however, having some parameters like taking an official class makes you accountable for your work which is expected for working with clients and meeting deadlines. I’m curious to see how long universities will last in the changing landscape of higher education.

The Good ol’ Days*

I miss the late-night hours spent in the studio and graphics lab, the camaraderie with classmate-friends, printing & putting together our packaging mockups, posters, making dark room prints, matting artwork, stretching canvas, etc. Those early morning hours, I would step outside in the dawn to find crystal clear skies and stars. All was quiet and still except for the sounds of birds and insects. Or once, I remember there was fresh snow on the empty parking lot and I spun a few donuts (or cookies) in my car. ha!

Inspiration

This quote continues to serve as inspiration.