Hailey's Blog

I have realized that editing images isn't just a technical skill, it changes how you think about explaining things. When I was thinking of ideas for our class assignment focused on making an instructional handout for learning, I had to slow down and think from the perspective of the person learning. I already understand the topic myself, but I didn't want to miss anything that would've been helpful to myself while learning. My first question when editing images is, "Where will their eyes go first?" Once I find my focal point, I make sure nothing is confusing or overwhelming about my editing. I want to make my focus points as obvious as possible, easy to learn, and easy to remember.  I feel like a lot of the time teaching can become focused on just wording instructions clearly. However, visuals can carry an explanation just as well. Everyone learns differently and a mix of both would be ideal. With image editing, you can anticipate where someone might struggle and ...

My desk setup is clean and organized, but not everything on my desk is work related. I have several decorations, cute objects, and personal items that are mixed in with my work tools. When I took a photo of my desk and used an editor to highlight what I use for work, it changed how I saw the image. Even though my desk isn't messy, editing the photo shows the separation between the parts I actually use to work on my desk and the aesthetic elements. This made me think about how visuals work in professional settings. Images don't have to be chaotic or confusing. Even a clean visual can send someone mixed messages depending on what draws their attention first. Editing can help with the focus of an image and prioritize your attention. By circling things, cropping parts, emphasizing elements, or adding labels, you can guide the viewer towards what matters.  For HRD professionals, this can be relevant when creating training materials or presentations. When a visual is well ...

 This week I learned about a tool new to me called Feedly. Before using Feedly, it was a bit difficult to follow the blogs that I wanted to. I could open a bunch of tabs, make bookmarks, or just leave blogs open, but it never felt very smooth or efficient. I just assumed that I didn't like learning information from multiple blogs because of this. However, I downloaded Feedly to try it out and it puts all the blogs in one place. The updated ones show up automatically, and it made everything more organized overall. This actually has a huge impact on motivation. When information is scattered, or difficult to find, it makes it overwhelming for me. I like information to be clear and laid out in a way that makes it easy to find the things you need. Having Feedly makes a central feed for blogs that makes it easier to follow. You don't have to waste time looking around and clicking through different bookmarks to find something you need.  Online learning isn't just about the conte...