It was fun teaching advisers at Ball State University this past week. Teaching the fundamentals of InDesign and Photoshop provided real-life skills, everything from basic text formatting to making a PDF and indexing.
We decided that it’s best not to let the computers get the best of you when learning new stuff. Computers weren’t designed to make life easier; they were designed to do repetitious and arduous tasks.
Thanks to Greg, Jan, Sue, Josette, Jessica and Jim, here’s our list of five things to keep in mind.
- Be patient.
- Take small steps that lead to larger ones.
- Get your hands dirty. Get in and play in the software.
- Repeat the process. Produce one-page fliers, programs, posters, anything to get in there to use the skills.
- Utilize your resources, handouts, books and other students/advisers.
About the Author
As the director of student media at Midwestern State University, Bradley Wilson, Ph.D., advises a weekly newspaper and broadcast operation. As an assistant professor, he teachings news reporting. He is the editor of the publications for the national Journalism Education Association and active in local and regional associations to improve the quality of journalism education. He is a frequent speaker at workshops worldwide on topics ranging from the ethics of digital photography to publications design. He has received the Gold Key from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the Pioneer Award from the National Scholastic Press Association, the Medal of Merit from the Journalism Education Association, the Star of Texas from the Association of Texas Photography Instructors and the Trailblazer Award from the Texas Association of Journalism Educators. In 2006, JEA awarded Wilson its highest honor, the Carl Towley Award.