1. PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE CLASSROOM Joel Turner TED 5351

2. Photography in the classroom is…  A photo essay, or set of photos that tell a story, a day in the life project where students visually document a day in their life, school, or community, or a portrait assignment where students take a self- portrait that reflects their personality.  A way to encourage student-centered learning, which focuses on the needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles of the student, and incorporate an array of academic knowledge, including writing, reading, science, and art.  A way to weave the student’s voice and perspective into thematic units to help them solidify the material and actively engage in the learning process.  A multi-step process:  Students learn how to analyze the elements of a photograph, closely examining photos for the use of color, angles, framing, lighting, and focal point. They also learn to ask why the elements are there (What do you think the photographer is trying to say?).  Students learn how a camera works and the methods to take a good photograph, both technically and aesthetically.  Students have a chance to document a topic and reflect on their photos through oral presentations and written essays.

3. STRENGTHS:  Students improve their critical thinking skills through analyzing the elements of a photo and critiquing photographs.  Students improve communication skills as they learn to articulate their feelings about photographs.  Students learn how to be both thoughtful and reflective in critique and while capturing images.  Provides an opportunity to improve writing and reading skills through written reflections. Students also learn how the structure of a paragraph is similar to a photo essay, as they both need a beginning, middle, end, and supporting details. LIMITATIONS:  A visual platform may not fit every students learning intelligence.  Time consuming project.  Photography projects may require additional money and equipment.  Students with special needs may need additional assistance. Evaluation

4. Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades http://www.learner.org/workshops/tml/workshop8/teaching3.html “The photography project supports various learners, including English-language learners. By allowing the students to practice two complementary media, more students will feel engaged and successful.” Middle School Students Find Their Voice with Digital Cameras http://www.edutopia.org/blog/art-lesson-plans-photography-writing-elena-aguilar “It turned out they had a lot more to say and could do so, could tell the stories behind the images and their feelings behind the stories, when prompted with their own photos.” Children As Photographers http://www.cap.ac.uk/cap.asp?pagename=intro-sum Large-scale research project looking at how and why children take photographs. Undertaken jointly by the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, the University of Birmingham and Kodak. Let’s Make a Better Picture: Teaching Photography as Science and Art to First Graders http://www.lesley.edu/journals/jppp/8/Sensiper.pdf “My experience teaching first graders photography over a period of a few months showed that they were emotionally engaged, fascinated with the technology, and could grasp complex ideas and put them to use.” Supporting Research & Evidence

5. INTO: Activate prior knowledge by recalling what makes a good story in literature - plot, settings, characters, etc. (Grade Two ELA Content Standards, Literary Response and Analysis 3.0). In groups of four have students arrange photographs from magazines into a story. Have groups try to figure out the other stories and explain why they chose the order of the photos. Have students analyze their favorite photos for what makes a good picture - color, angles, framing, lighting, and focal point. THROUGH: Show the students an example of a strong photo essay.photo essay Explain that using maps to navigate their neighborhood or community, teams of students will photograph key people, places, and create a photo essay with their images. In addition to the photo essay students keep daily written journals, participate in group storytelling, and write an essay about their neighborhood or community and the people who make a difference. BEYOND: The written essay and photographs are displayed during a concluding “gallery show” that family and friends will be invited to attend. APPLICATION: Incorporate into the second grade history-social science content standard, which examines “People Who Make a Difference.” 2.2 Students demonstrate map skills by describing the absolute and relative locations of people, places, and environments. 1.Locate on a simple letter-number grid system the specific locations and geographic features in their neighborhood or community (e.g., map of the classroom, the school). EXAMPLE : Kids sharpen reading and writing through photographyKids sharpen reading and writing through photography Photos by elementary school kids in Philadelphia using the "Literacy Through Photography" program, which has children snap photos of their lives, then write about what they see.