My First Online Class

Monday was the official start of my first completely online class, Beginning Photoshop. Although I’m familiar with Photoshop CS2 version, which I learned more than five years ago, I will be taking this class as a requirement for my program. The latest version is Photoshop CS5, which is what I’ll be learning in this class. There have been a lot of updates and changes since I originally learned the program, one of them being the Content Aware Fill. We had talked about this feature in my Graphics for the Web class. It’s simply amazing. To see what I’m talking about, watch this video: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/photoshop-cs5-feature-tour/content-aware-fill-part-1/

Taking an online class is different than taking a class in-person. Luckily, I know how to use eCollege, because I’ve had blended classes that use this tool. Blended classes are ones that meet face-to-face but also have an online portion. The online portion uses eCollege, an online portal for classes.

The posting in the announcements section from my instructor explained how this class was going to work. Even though we don’t have a meeting time or place, homework still has specific due dates. I will be following along in the textbook to complete assignments. The instructor has additional comments and instructions to go along with the chapters. There are scoring guides so we can make sure we are meeting the criteria of the assignment and a schedule to follow. Other students have already posted their introduction to the discussion board. It’s pretty clear what I need to do for this class and when I need to do it.

Now, it’s time to get to work!