Transformative Uses Of Digital Photography
- 1. Transformative Uses of Digital Photography Ms E. Gregory
- 2. All about you… … and me From a teaching family I went to fashion school BEd with minors in English and Geography I taught at elementary level for 7 years 6 th year teaching art/photography Recently completed a graduate diploma on education uses of technology at SFU MEd in a few years
- 3. Ways of Using Technology in the Field of Education Bernajean Porter’s research: Literacy Uses Adaptive Uses Transformative Uses
- 4. Benefits of Using Digital Photography in the Classroom Personally relevant Visual Literacy Fun, novel Makes kids move That old saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words”
- 5. Digital Cameras Used Manual Pentax Asahi 35mm Digital Canon A 590, A700 Nikon D50 – digital SLR
- 6. Helpful Hints: When using digital cameras in the classroom… Use memory cards to your advantage Batteries – rechargeable and charged Learn about file size Always use the neck/wrist strap Teach the camera with purpose in mind First lessons should focus on proper use
- 7. More things I learned… Classroom Management type issues… communicate with your staff if students will be out during class time no inappropriate behaviour while out taking photos teach how to and where to save images space on the school/district server save as JPEG (not as a PSD in Photoshop) I used a 2 gig flash drive to save images - invaluable Student copies – disk or email to themselves Printing – need a good printer $$$
- 8. Composition Tips Easy to teach and big impact Pay attention to your background Include it if it helps to tell the story Blurred backgrounds (aperture) Rule of thirds Strong center of focus Leading line Frames are very effective teach some composition tips no matter what the grade level to avoid the “snapshot” syndrome
- 9. A Short Assignment Get into 2-3 groups Choose a digital camera You have ten minutes to go shoot photos Shoot your subject following rule of thirds Shoot against an interesting background Shoot your subject within a frame Doorway, railing, etc.
- 10. Be Organized! Plan ahead to avoid problems… Arrange lab space – timetabling issues Storage of digital photos – disks, flash drives, school server, etc. How will students hand in digital work? Ask about release time for collaboration $$$ - PAC, learning resources budget, grants, etc. -my focused inquiry ~$3000 and only $20 came out of my budget Software licensing fees -district had a copy of Photoshop - $147 site license per workstation Do work orders well in advance for software installation
- 11. Project Ideas Big Question Project www.uic.edu/classes/ad/ad382/ (curriki) Could be adapted to many grade levels Use of technology Well within students’ comfort zone Well outside of mine Transformed students learning and mine too
- 12. Collaborative Project through the LSS Info Tech Committee A very simple, but extremely rich, learning experience Photography 11 & VAMT 12 students, English 11 & 12 students and Visual Arts students in grades 10-12 timing Truly a transformative use of technology in the classroom and school I learned how to let go and still learn from an unfinished project.
- 13. Multimedia Projects: Part One Moviemaker Slideshow of Art 9-12 Fall Semester Purpose – to record and communicate daily activities in Art 9/10 with students, parents and community members Peer Helper Midterm Project – taught how to use camera, how to use Moviemaker and create slideshow, discussed venue, purpose, etc.
- 14. Multimedia Projects: Part Two Art 8 Slideshow – Moviemaker Purpose – to communicate daily activities in Art 8 with parents, other students and community members. as an introduction to Art 8 for the next rotation of grade eight students as a communication tool for parents during parent/teacher interviews as a communication tool and to showcase to members of the community at the LSS Art Show Also a peer helper project.
- 15. Multimedia Projects: Part Three VAMT 12 Photoshop Spring 2007 Moviemaker Slideshow Purpose – to show student’s work using image editing software at the LSS Art Show made sense and solved the problem of how to show work could have done slideshow, but the two previous Moviemaker projects convinced me Another peer helper project
- 16. Sketchbook Slideshow Photos of pieces in a folder Watch quality of image Select “View as a Slideshow” (PC) Simple and effective An alternate way to show student work Large scale pieces (murals, etc.) For pieces that cannot be taken out of the sketchbook
- 17. VAMT 12 – Image Editing Software: Photoshop Amazing program Important to start with manual SLR cameras to teach aperture, shutter speed, darkroom procedures Important to include digital cameras because that is the world our students are living in Classroom in a Book is a great resource Workshops Start simple, can be overwhelming Kids will pick it up quicker than you think I should have used it in a more transformative way
- 18. Transformation of Learning Multimedia Slideshows – really transformed learning Communication tool with students, parents and the greater community Motivated students while they were being photographed and recorded The learning associated with the collaborative project would not have been possible without the use of photographic technology. Students inspiring students Colleagues motivating colleagues Students motivated to seek higher standards
- 19. Websites Tons – search digital cameras in education http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~ucfcasio/qvuses.htm http://members.sha.ca/dbrear/G4.html http://teachingtechnology.suite101.com/article.cfm/lessons_using_digital_cameras http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/gadgets.html http://ftp.sunrisesd.ca/centennial/teacher.html http://www.drscavanaugh.org/digitalcamera/ http://www.glencoe.com/sec/techingtoday/weeklytips.phtml/169 http://ftp.sunrisesd.ca/centennial/camera.html
- 20. Some final thoughts… It’s the learning that’s important So many things you learn along the way
- 21. Special thanks to: My family My administrators at LSS School District support SFU colleagues All of you!