Jordan Magnet Middle School champions project-based learning using Adobe Express

Northside Independent School District’s (NISD) vision is for every student to grow in confidence, curiosity, and capability, and that means a strong passion for choice. NISD educates more than 97,000 students in San Antonio, Texas, through more than 100 neighborhood schools and 12 magnet schools designed to help students explore their specialized academic interest. What makes NISD stand out from many other school districts is that nearly half of its magnet programs are middle schools, enabling more students to attend magnet high schools and potentially spend seven years exploring their interests in greater depth.

“All of our magnet programs revolve around project-based learning, real-world practice, and hands-on experiences,” said Debbie Ruel-Schaefer, Career and Technical Education (CTE) Director for Northside Independent School District. “We incorporate industry-relevant software and tools into the classroom and invite industry professionals to collaborate with students and help them prepare for future careers.”

Jordan Magnet Middle School, part of NISD, specializes in multimedia and design learning. By incorporating Adobe Express into classrooms, Jessica Marcha, director of Jordan Magnet, and her faculty help students develop concepts and skills they’ll need for the future, such as marketing strategies and AI usage, through industry-standard Adobe applications. Adobe Express is so easy to use that sixth-grade students with little previous exposure to digital apps are able to start creating immediately, helping them develop skills that improve their chances of long-term success.

From beginners to designers in one week

In teacher Victoria Alambar’s Career Investigations class, sixth graders start working with Adobe Express in their first week of school. Using Adobe Firefly generative AI features in Adobe Express, they learn to create a unique profile picture by describing themselves and iterating on the results.

Working with generative AI encourages students to think critically about how to describe their vision. They need to think about their defining features and then translate those thoughts into specific and creative prompts. They also learn to troubleshoot and iterate. Many profile images initially looked like adults, so students needed to adjust the prompts to deliver a more accurate visual.

“The ease of use in Adobe Express is critical when teaching younger students,” Alambar said. “The interface is intuitive, but it also has templates and instructional videos that take out the intimidation factor. Help is there, even if you’re brand new.”

Templates make it easier for students to start creating immediately and also provide students with insights into what good design looks like. They learn how different fonts and colors can impact the design or how incorporating visuals can make messages more memorable. “Our goal is that students will start to absorb information using these templates as a guide, so that when they work on future assignments, they’ll understand how they can use design elements to elevate their projects,” Alambar added.

Real-world marketing from sixth graders

Fall Fest is a time when the Jordan Magnet community comes together. It’s also an excellent opportunity for students to work on real-world design and communications skills as part of the marketing effort. Students created commercials, social media posts, and print graphics to advertise Fall Fest within the school and to the public.

Jordan Magnet approached the project as an opportunity to give students a taste of agency work in the real world. Groups of students interviewed faculty to learn what they were doing for the Fall Fest. They then used this information to create social posts and graphics using Adobe Express, adding animations to help their designs stand out.

Along the way, Jordan Magnet incorporated lessons and feedback from professional marketers and designers. One of NISD’s own graphic designers talked students through his process for creating logos and designs. Adobe held a special webinar to answer questions about using Adobe Express and get students thinking about marketing principles. Finally, two members of NISD’s marketing team met with each group to give professional feedback.

“We want students to walk away with a skill set that they can use in any profession they choose,” Marcha said. “Working in groups, getting feedback, communicating to the public — these are all skills that will follow them throughout their academic and professional careers.”

The upcoming spring project will center on fashion design. Students will explore recycling within their neighborhood community, then design and create wearable fashion pieces made from recyclable materials.

“One of the great things about Adobe is that students learn to experiment, fail, and try again,” said Ruel-Schaefer. “We’re not just teaching them design with Adobe Express. We’re teaching them how to learn and adapt as successful members of our community.”