ICT in Teaching and Learning
DIGITAL DOCUMENTS
Following is an in-depth look at digital documents in teaching and learning. Digital documents are any documents made on a computer, e.g. book, poster, microsoft office documents etc… and would appear to be the most commonly used type of applications in the classroom at this time and hence the most vital to assess. They are also a platform to countless other applications.
Specifically, Adobe Photoshop will be focussed on as this is an application that is popular in both professional fileds and in amateur hands..
Other examples of digital documents that would be used in conjunction with the K-6 syllabus in NSW schools are Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Fireworks. These are the commerical software programs available but it is important to remember that there are free software packages to be found online that do similar functions.
Adobe Photoshop is a program for editing graphics such as jpegs and bitmaps. It was developed and published by Adobe Systems and is considered to be the leading software for such editing. Photoshop revolves around editing pixels, unlike Adobe Illustartor which uses vectors (vector-based images can be scaled indefinitely without degrading). When an image is rendered into Photoshop, it is compiled by millions of single-colored pixels. At its core, Photoshop works by manipulating each individual pixel. Pixels are manipulated according to whichever tool is being used.
Examples of software packages and use in K-6 syllabuses
The most updated version of Adobe Photoshop is called Photoshop CS4, however this is the 11th version of the program and an earlier edition could be used effectively in the classroom (for a fraction of the price). The program will work alone as long as you have a means of adding media to a computer- this could be by disk or by downloading directly from a camera or from finding images on the internet.
Adobe Photoshop is often sold in a package with the premium package- Design Premium combining Adobe InDesign® CS4, Photoshop® CS4 Extended, Illustrator® CS4, Flash® CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver® CS4, Fireworks® CS4, and Acrobat® 9 Pro with additional tools and services.
Adobe Photoshop and the K-6 Syllabus
Image editing software is not something that students are required to master within the K-6 syllabus at this stage. However, it is a process that students will have a desire to use in order to enhance tasks given to them that are carried out using computers. Teachers have the option to make project tasks more appealing to students by incorporating images, and particularly creative aspects to do with the images within the task.
ICT is something students connect to fun and discovery- the more that can be incorporated into the curriculum the better.
Technical requirements
The requirements to run Photoshop CS4 are as follows:
Windows
- 1.8GHz or faster processor
- Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 (Service Pack 3 recommended) or Windows Vista® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise with Service Pack 1 (certified for 32-bit Windows XP and 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista)
- 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended)
- 1GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on flash-based storage devices)
- 1,024×768 display (1,280×800 recommended) with 16-bit video card
- Some GPU-accelerated features require graphics support for Shader Model 3.0 and OpenGL 2.0
- DVD-ROM drive
- QuickTime 7.2 software required for multimedia features
- Broadband Internet connection required for online services*
Mac OS
- PowerPC® G5 or multicore Intel® processor
- Mac OS X v10.4.11–10.5.4
- 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended)
- 2GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system or on flash-based storage devices)
- 1,024×768 display (1,280×800 recommended) with 16-bit video card
- Some GPU-accelerated features require graphics support for Shader Model 3.0 and OpenGL 2.0
- DVD-ROM drive
- QuickTime 7.2 software required for multimedia features
- Broadband Internet connection required for online services*
The above specifications are not unlikely to be found on your average school computer. This means that no additonal modifications would need to be made to computers in order to run the software.
User Requirements:
Although Photoshop has the capabilities to be used as a professional tool by highly experienced users, it is still straightforward enough to use for a beginner. Basic editing actions such as cropping, enhancing images and re-sizing are easy to perform and there are many effects that can be experimented with which is great for an artistic touch.
The additional editing capabilities may be overwhelming for some, so it is important that students know they don’t need to understand it all.
Cost, licensing, suppliers
K-12 School Site License
Adobe has a volume licensing program especially for K-12 (primary and secondary) schools. This K-12 School Site License allows schools to take advantage of affordable pricing for Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design, Web, and Production editions while getting valuable curriculum resources.
The K-12 School Site License allows for a maximum installation on up to 500 computers at a single school site and includes teacher home use rights.
The software can be purchase through numerous suppliers or online. Buyers need to prove their education credentials for the discounted price.
Adobe Photoshop has definitely proved itself as the leader in image editing- particularly photographic images. However, the price of the software- even with the educational discount- is quite hefty. Schools would be better off choosing a cheaper alternative or even making do with free software that is available such as GIMP for Windows or Serif PhotoPlus. These are programs that will be sufficient for primary aged students. Additionally, having students learn how to use different software increases their adaptability to different user interfaces. Having to learn new programs is something that is resisted, as many older people will attest to, so the more programs students are familiar with- the better.
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