DO: Improve your creative skills
A digitally literate student can ...
Write in different media for others to read on-screen and present information online using their creative skills.
| Site: | Jisc Moodle Archive |
| Course: | Digital Literacy |
| Book: | DO: Improve your creative skills |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Thursday, 18 August 2022, 2:53 AM |
Table of contents
Access to software
Hopefully, many of you will have access to a range of software applications at school or college that you can download under licence and use on your home computer. Check with the IT department whether any offers are available that allow you to buy a personal licence at a discounted student rate. The software included in this activity includes:
Adobe products - Photoshop and InDesign
Photoshop is considered one of the leaders for editing and manipulating digital images. The software is particularly popular amongst professional photographers and graphic designers.
InDesign is less technical than Photoshop. It is a desktop design/publishing application that allows you to create and modify page layouts for any type of print publication.
You might be able to get 80% off the retail directly from Adobe from these products.
Prezi is a great way to assimilate information. It is quick to learn, visually interesting, can be placed online, and used as a revision resource.
Go to the appropriate chapter in this book to find guidance on how to improve your skills on that piece of software.
Coding
Getting technical here! Steady on... but start slow. Great for website, great for basic blog layout
A lovely way of representing case studies, revision techniques, experiments, theories, thoughts, ideas, flow-charts, revision skills
A lovely way of keeping an interest alive and building an online community
Adobe InDesign
This software is less technical than Photoshop. It is a desktop design/publishing application that allows you to create and modify page layouts for any type of print publication.
Overview
The Basics
The Basics - importing images and text
Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop is considered one of the leaders for editing and manipulating digital images. The software is particularly popular amongst professional photographers and graphic designers.
Blogging
- Your blog is part of your portfolio – It’s increasingly important for you to be able to showcase your skills and academic achievements. A blog is a great way to document and present your work online. It allows you to reflect on what you’re learning as well as showcase some of your best work.
- Develop a positive digital footprint – Your digital footprint is becoming more and more significant. It’s not uncommon for employers to do a simple online search to find out more about candidates. Whilst there are important steps to ensure you have the right privacy settings on your social media accounts, why not make a positive impact and make your name stand out for all the right reasons through your blog.
- Develop your communication skills – Blogging is an excellent way to demonstrate and develop your written communication skills. However, it’s also a great way to develop skills on other digital platforms that will make you more attractive to future employers. A blog doesn’t have to be written text, why not record a short audio piece or video to include?
- Share ideas and have a voice – Blogging about something you’re passionate about whether that's your studies or an extra-curricular activity gives you a voice. It offers an opportunity to highlight your thoughts and views and to share ideas with a global community. It’s a great way to make contact with like-minded people whose own experiences may enhance your learning and development.
Free tutorials
Infographics
Tutorials
How to make infographics: a beginner's guide to data visualisation - The Guardian 28 Aug 2014
Easel.ly - free app
Free app for creating an Infographic
This free web-based infographic tool offers you a dozen free templates to start you off, which are easily customisable.
You get access to a library of things like arrows, shapes and connector lines, and you can customize the text with range of fonts, colours, text styles and sizes. The tool also lets you upload your graphics and position them with one touch.
PowerPoint
PowerPoint 2013 is a presentation program in Microsoft Office that allows you to create amazing slide presentations that can integrate images, video, narration, charts, and more. You're probably already familiar with it and have used it many times before. GCF Learnfree have produced 32 short videos - 4 of which are embedded below - that you can watch on YouTube.
Link to the
Slide basics
Text basics
Applying themes
Free tutorials
Reworking a PowerPoint into a prezi
FIRSTLY you will need to create a free prezi account if you are going to use this software. Go to the following webpage and sign-up using your school/college email address.
WATCH the prezi below to guide you how to import your PowerPoint and then edit the imported slides
Now it's your turn!
DO
- Log into prezi
- Select "New prezi"
- Select "Start blank prezi"
- Select "Insert" and then "PowerPoint"
- Select a PowerPoint from a file and "Open" to begin importing your PowerPoint.
To edit your imported PowerPoint, test out the following features of prezi:
- insert all the slides (right hand side of screen) and then select the green tick
- use the frame selector (left hand side of screen) to go through each slide and correct any formatting errors
- edit path of the slides (Select "Edit path" button). A nice feature is to have a shot of all the slides. Add this by first zooming out so all slides are in view.Then select "Add current view" to your path
Making a magazine using InDesign
Making a mindmap in InDesign takes some time, but InDesign is a great piece of software to use if you like design, playing with images, and using vectors.
1. Basics - make sure you can do these first!
2. Professional magazine
Making a magazine front cover using InDesign
FIRSTLY, find a computer with the InDesign software.
1. Choose a subject area. 'Google image' magazine covers.
2. Draw the outline of the different magazine areas.
3. Number them all.
4. Watch this video on the tools needed.
5. Create each numbered area from 4 (this might be tough!)
6. Put them together in whichever way you think is best
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/adobe-evangelists-terry-white/how-to-get-started-with-adobe-indesign-cs6-10-things-beginners-want-to-know-how-to-do/
Advanced skills in Photoshop
Photoshop can be a very advanced programme. This is your chance to spend some time learning tools beyond the standard.
You will need... Photoshop!
And a photo of a person, ideally a portrait style shot of a face. Be careful that it is someone famous and no one that might get offended!
1.
2.
3. CHOOSE
A
or
B
4. WELL DONE! Upload to earn your badge,