Learning Gap and Instructional Needs

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Many teachers are currently scrambling to get up-to-date on their technology skills in order to convert traditional lesson plans into remote or blended materials. Though there are now many apps that make photo enhancement easy, some of the basic principles of image selection, editing, and use need to be explained or reinforced. Since most prepare instructional materials on a laptop rather than a phone, some teachers may not know how to enhance images using programs like Google Slides, Canva, or Microsoft Word. With today's students, making visually appealing and fresh instructional materials is important for getting their attention and helping it feel relevant. 

 

Instructional Strategy 

 

I chose Canva to create an intro for this activity because it has a free version with many features, has so many options for various document types, and is pretty intuitive to learn. It is also something that teachers with a variety of skill in this area could use. I also prepared a video that incorporates various features of Canva - logo making, font selection, illustrations, photos, color palettes, animations, etc. To demonstrate basic principles of photo enhancement like composition, lighting, contrast, color correction, etc., I included images in the video that I enhanced or restored using Photoshop. I would then show the teachers how to use Canva's features to improve images and let them practice with their own images.