Why Use Digital Cameras?

 

•    The technology is engaging and motivating for students.

•    Planning and taking photographs fosters creative expression.

•    Taking photographs allows for realistic depictions of objects, people, and places, which may be necessary for certain projects.

•    Allowing students to use cameras encourages familiarity with a technology that will be needed for future life and job activities.

•    Digital photographs are easy to import and utilize in a variety of presentation formats, such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, iPhoto, KidPix, and Kidspiration.

•    Projects that include digital photographs are easy post on teacher websites and share with families and the community (PowerPoint slideshows, QuickTime movies, PDF files).

•    While working with digital cameras, students are meeting the K-2 NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) performance indicators. The following projects address indicators #1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9. All

 

indicators are listed below:

. Use input devices (mouse, keyboard, remote control) and output devices (monitor, printer) to successfully operate computers, VCRs, audiotapes, and other echnologies.

 

2. Use a variety of media and technology resources for directed & independent learning activities.

 

3. Communicate about technology using developmentally appropriate and accurate terminology.

 

4. Use developmentally appropriate multimedia resources (e.g., interactive books, educational software, elementary multimedia encyclopedias) to support learning.

 

5. Work cooperatively and collaboratively with peers, family members, and others when using technology in the classroom.

 

 

6. Demonstrate positive social and ethical behaviors whe using technology.

 

7. Practice responsible use of technology systems and software.

 

8. Create developmentally appropriate multimedia products with support from teachers, family members, o student partners.

 

9. Use technology resources (e.g., puzzles, logical thinking programs, writing tools, digital cameras, drawing tools) for problem solving, communication, and illustratio of thoughts, ideas, and stories.

 

10. Gather information and communicate with others using telecommunications, with support from teachers, family members, or student partners.

 

 

 

 

Linking Digital Photography and Literacy

 

Corduroy Stories

While reading Corduroy books by Don Freeman, students were introduced to a stuffed Corduroy bear. They were each given one night to take Corduroy home, along with a digital camera and some writing paper. The students wrote stories about Corduroy’s adventures in their homes and took photographs to accompany this writing. After all students had their night with Corduroy, we typed the stories in Word, imported the photographs, and assembled a class book that included all the stories.

“Many Ways to Make 10” Book

Reading, writing, math, and digital photography all came together in this project, where students designed and photographed scenes to illustrate different combinations of numbers that add up to 10. (For example, “Three black dice and seven green dice equals ten dice in all.”) Student pairs imported their photos into KidPix and typed a corresponding sentence to describe the scene. These pages were then assembled into a class book.

“If You Take a Lion to Lyon” Book

As a beginning of the year activity to familiarize students with people and places in the school, our class imagined what kinds of things a lion would do if he came to visit. We collaboratively wrote a book on the topic, and student pairs were each assigned one page to illustrate by taking digital photographs of a stuffed lion. Our technology facilitator took small groups of students around the school to take the photographs. I later typed up the book with all the kids’ photos, and it became a favorite in our classroom library. We also posted it to my website as a PDF file so students could share the book with their families.

Halloween Book

I photographed each child in his/her costume on Halloween and used the photos to illustrate a predictable text with a different page for each student. Although the students were not active participants in the creation of this project, they all read the book time and again for the rest of the year!

“How To” Books

In conjunction with the nonfiction writing unit in our writing workshop program, students learned about writing informational “How To” texts. They each chose one of their “How To” stories to illustrate with digital photographs. Students brought the necessary props and materials to school and planned out photographs to illustrate each step in the process they were teaching. The students were paired up to facilitate the photography process, since each one needed to be part of his/her own pictures. Each child later typed up his/her story in Word and imported the photos to create their own published books.

“Lucky Me” St. Patrick’s Day Activity

Students imported photographs of themselves into the center of a shamrock template in Kidspiration. Then they wrote one reason why they were lucky on each of the leaves.

Animal Research and Riddles

As an integrated science and language arts project, each student researched a different zoo animal using materials in the LRC and online resources. Based on this research, students wrote clues to describe the animals they studied. During our zoo field trip, each child photographed his/her animal. We are in the process of creating a PowerPoint presentation of our animal riddles. Clues are written on one slide, and the animal’s name and photograph will appear on the following slide. When completed, we will post this to the class website to share with others.

 

 

 

Other Project Ideas

 

•     “All About Me” – Have students create presentations about themselves using PowerPoint. Topics might include: family, hobbies, favorite book, favorite sport, favorite food, etc. Have students take digital photographs of objects/people/activities to illustrate each slide.

•     “We Can Read” – Have students take pictures of environmental print around school and/or in their neighborhoods and homes (i.e. stop sign, exit sign, store sign, fast food sign). Transform these photos into a class book or slideshow for students to read.

•     Alphabet Book – Have students take pictures of objects to represent each letter of the alphabet.

•     Vowel Sound Scavenger Hunts – Have students walk around the school in search of objects to photograph whose names have particular short or long vowel sounds. Create, for example, a short “a” class book or slideshow incorporating the pictures. (This type of activity can be used to highlight a variety of phonics/phonemic elements, such as consonant sounds or rhyming words)

•     “About the Author” Page – At the end of students’ published stories, include an “About the Author” page with a photograph and some biographical information.

•     Rebus Story – Take digital photographs to include in a rebus story that is created as a shared writing activity.

•     Character Counts Book – Have students design and photograph scenes to represent each pillar of character. Have them write about what is happening in each photograph.

•     Favorite Books – Photograph each student holding his/her favorite book. Have each child write a corresponding sentence or more describing why they like the chosen book. This can be turned into a bulletin board display or class book.

•     Writing Prompts – Have students generate a story to accompany a digital photograph. Alternatively, have students take 3-5 random photos and write a story that includes all of them.

 

 

Adapted from Tech Day Glenview School District 34; K.Wilson; First Grade Teacher