Digital Imagery in the Classroom

In researching the use of digital imagery in the classroom, it quickly became very apparent that there are endless amounts of activities and opportunities that use such technology within the learning environment. Although many websites outline things that the teacher can do with digital photography, there are also many opportunities for the students themselves to have hands-on experience with this. I am a strong believer in experiential learning, and many children learn better by doing. So, what better way to teach any subject, than with first hand experience using a digital camera? The following are a few ways that digital imagery can be used within regular and special needs classrooms.
One application of using digital photography in the classroom is within the Health and Physical Education strand. In grade five, one of the specific expectations for physical fitness is to be able to describe the components of physical fitness and relate each component to an appropriate physical activity. These categories include cardiorespiratory, muscle endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility. The teacher would divide the class up into four different groups, and have them come up with different activities they could do for each type of physical fitness. For example, one group would be the ‘flexibility’ group, and it would be their task to come up with 3-5 appropriate exercises or activities we should do daily that fall into that group.
Once every group has had a chance to establish their activities and practice, the teacher will give them a digital camera and they are to take still photos as well as video footage of what each activity looks like as the students perform them. Once every group has taken their photos, they can print them out and make captions for them. The students must then put these photographs on display in the school hallway in a pyramid format, showing the entire school which physical activity should be done the most to the least, and what each one could look like. At the end you will have a photo collage, created completely by the students, of the different physical activities you should do daily, as well as captions explaining each one.
Other classes can be invited to join the “Physical Fitness Photo Wall” by adding their own photographs of other physical activities you could do. As an extension of this, the photographs that the students take can then be added to the school’s website for parents and other community members to see. The teacher can also post the video footage online so that parents and other students can click on it to see what the exercises will look like from start to finish. This assignment would not only link to the Health and Physical Education curriculum, but it would also integrate well with the Human Body science curriculum, as well as the Visual Arts strand.
A second idea that incorporates digital imagery in the special needs classroom includes having a student study local landmarks. In the grade five social studies curriculum, Canadian Landmarks is a subject that is taught. Since the concept of Canadian landmarks may be overwhelming or intimidating for a student with special needs, the teacher can accommodate to his/her needs by making it local landmarks. It is the student’s task to drive (or walk if it is a smaller town) around the city with an adult helper, and take pictures of different places the student considers to be local landmarks. Such places may include his neighbourhood grocery store, the town hall, the local beach, and the school. The places the student considers to be local landmarks may be special to the student, or they can be places the student can relate to. For example, he may take a picture of the building where his dad works. If possible, the student with special needs is encouraged to be the one who takes the photos, as this will allow him to have ownership in his work. The student may need a reminder of what a ‘landmark’ is, and the definition should be established prior to the photo-taking extravaganza. While taking these photos, the student should also try to focus on different photo techniques and use different camera angles, etc. This of course can be incorporated into the arts curriculum.
After the photos are taken, it is the student’s task to arrange them in a presentation of some sort. If the student is able to manipulate a presentation software program such as Microsoft PowerPoint, then he can be asked to make a slide show with the digital images he took, with captions under each photo. If the student is working at a lower primary level, have him print the photos out, and arrange them on a presentation board, along with captions for each. As an extension of this task, the teacher can ask the student to create a large to-scale map of the hometown. On that map he is to place the pictures where they belong respectively. This will encourage the student to develop his mapping skills. Furthermore, if the map were created on grid paper, he could also be asked to give the coordinates of each location, which would concur with mathematics curriculum.
Once the entire project is finished, the teacher may have the student present his project orally in front of the class. If he created his presentation on PowerPoint, he could also record himself reading the information, and then play the slideshow in front of the class using the LCD projector.
The following is another example of a lesson that incorporates digital photography in the primary grades. At the beginning of the year, the teacher will explain to the class that each child is to choose a living thing outdoors that is special to them. This can be a tree, a flower, a pond, etc. In the fall, the students will go on a fall walk and (with help from the teacher, parent volunteers, or EAs) each student will take a photograph of their special item using a digital camera. The students will then print their photos out on coloured paper twice. With one set of photos they will create a wall or bulletin board with all of their pictures. The pictures can be labeled with the student’s name, as well as why that item is special to them. With the second set of photos, they will create their very own photo journal. This could be done using a simple notebook that has half the page blank for a picture and the other half with lines. If it is a more advanced class, the photo journal can be created online using a free photo journal website, or even in a folder on the computer that belongs to that one student.
This will be an ongoing task throughout the year, because as each new season presents itself, the students will venture outside and take a photograph of that same item. As the year progresses they will continue to go outside and take photos of their special item. Every time they do, they will add to their photo journals, and write a reflection each time a new picture is taken. This is a good way for students to have first-hand learning of the seasons, or life cycles in the environment. Throughout the year the students will begin to notice changes in the environment and to their special item in particular. They will be able to state their findings, as well as reflect and ask questions as to why certain things happened. What’s great about this assignment is the fact that each child should be encouraged to choose his own item, something that is unique and different from everyone else’s. This way, each student has ownership of his own special item, and that item can become “theirs”.
Young students will look forward to many things in this task; they will look forward to the next season or anytime their item changes, and they will look forward to using and manipulating a digital camera, since many of their parents may not let them use theirs at home. This is also a great literacy lesson because it encourages students to make predictions and write using descriptive language. This is a very well-rounded lesson that both the teacher and students will benefit from greatly.
As stated above, there are so many things students can do with digital imagery inside and outside of the classroom. It was very difficult to choose just three lessons, as there are so many that exist. However, I chose these three for a couple different reasons. First of all, each lesson I discussed had the student as the hands-on learner; the one manipulating the digital camera and other technologies. I also chose these lessons because each of them had so many cross-curricular integrations and extensions, which is always something teachers are looking for. Lastly, I included them because they show a range of different ages and abilities, from the junior grades, to students with special needs, right down to the primary grades.
It is very apparent that digital imagery is a concept that can be used in any classroom, and at any age or grade. It is something that is so easily at our finger tips that we would be doing ourselves and our students a disservice if we didn’t allow them to explore with digital cameras.