Pitchfork or Rake?

Are we under using image manipulation software in education?  We live in a world that is wallpapered with advertisement and images.   There are careers upon careers that use this skill day in and day out.  More importantly students love it and are capable of using it.   So why are we not using it more in our classrooms?

Are we scared that the students will misuse it?  Perhaps they will crop one of their friend’s heads onto other strange images or create something that we do not agree with.  Even if this is the case, at least they will be developing skills they can use in the future.  Just like using cell phones in the classroom, students can be shown and it can be modeled how to transform this technology from a silly distraction to a powerful tool in education. 

Or is it that teachers fear the unknown?  When I present workshops on Photoshop there is this intense fear as I walk into the classroom.  As I slowly free them from the shackles of their doubts and their low self-efficacy, they usually turn to me and say, “I cannot believe it is this easy, why did I not learn this earlier”. 

I sometimes think that Adobe Photoshop is the culprit that has scared them and made the run away from image manipulation.  I want to yell out to them that they are safe and that they only need to know under 5% of the program to create the things that they or their students could only dream of before.  Or I want to tell them that there are much easier programs available that they can use that are free, online and fun, such as; Gimp, Paint.net and Picasa. 

Image manipulation opens up worlds for students that they never knew existed.  Students will poor dexterity can create masterful pieces of art that they beg to print in colour and show everyone.  Students who are tired of fighting with word processing programs to create something visually stimulating are set free into a world where the only restriction is their own creativity.  

It is our job as teachers to give students tools that will give them the best opportunity for success and tools that engage and satisfy their curiosities.  However, we often hand them a pitchfork instead of a rake.  Some assignment need programs with more tools such as Photoshop or the endless other image manipulation type softwares. 

OSPAC needs to reconsider or renegotiate with Adobe to keep this program available to students.  Or at very least, they need to find a comparable alternative that will allow our student to create their masterpieces digitally.