The popularity of the Graphic Design Program at Ralph R. McKee CTE HS has been strongly increased throughout the years. Due to the increased interest in the program, the school was obliged to open a second sector. This additional class was created to accommodate twenty- eight other students that chose Graphic Design as their shop of choice. Four years ago, I designed a college and career readiness curriculum, which implemented the same methodologies as the college level graphic design class. These methodologies have served as a strong transition for our graphics students, because they not only targeted their higher-order thinking skills, but allowed them to build their confidence as well.
During the first year of the program, the fundamentals of graphic design are taught, as well as Adobe Illustrator. This instructional scaffolding is imperative, because it is essential that students understand color and type theory before they begin designing. After working hands on in the graphics industry for many years, I noticed Adobe Illustrator was the dominant program used. This is the core of the industry; therefore, it is essential for students to start there.
Following year one, the program incorporates Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign. For any designer, it is important to have the ability to edit images that are given to you so that they will place seamlessly into the space that is given. Adobe InDesign is essential for multipage documents such as manuals, catalogs, magazines, and more. Over the years the graphic designers in the industry are expected to know and do more, as technology continues to rapidly shift in a much more advanced direction.
I felt it was an advantage for my senior class to be exposed to Adobe Premiere Pro as well as Web Design. These two areas were not taught to me while I was a graphics design student in high school. This resulted in a an academic struggle for me, while I was in my college. My goal is to expose any students that wish to pursue design in college, to as many resources and experience in the field as possible. Adobe Premiere Pro allows students to edit original and existing video and audio files, while Web Design is essential for any company wanting an online presence. When students master these skills, this will give them advantages in college as well as the workforce.