As an area of technology, digital photography offers exciting potential for preschool children. Children in Australia are immersed in photographic images, in nearly every part of their daily lives, so it is of practical importance that children understand the medium (Cummins et al., 2008). Today, digital still and video cameras are found in many preschools, although most of the available research literature focuses on how teachers can utilise digital cameras within their program, for example, Snap it up! Using Digital Photography in Early Childhood by (Good, 2005), and I know how much this child has learned. I have proof! Employing digital technologies for documentation processes in kindergarten(Boardman, 2007).
Many educators are taking this one step further by providing the means for children to document and collaborate upon their projects through their own digital still, DV and DV production efforts (Ching et al., 2006). Students capture images and video to convey their thoughts or represent their ideas and feelings, where without these means they would otherwise struggle given their lack of written language. Kim Walters (Walters and Early Childhood Australia., 2006), found that children as young as 3 were quite capable of using these technologies, and children were engaged in their learning in pleasurable and enthusiastic ways.
Context:
I work in a Reggio Inspired community based preschool in Victoria, we have 26 children with two educators. I am a 4 year university trained Early Childhood and Primary teacher, with my teaching partner having her certificate three. We currently have, no ICT within our learning program for children to access.
After reading the journal article written by Ching et al., (2006), I was motivated to implement a similar project with my children. In our programme we use digital photography with our documentation panels, children are familiar and comfortable with their photos being taken as they work, or when they have finished a project.
=Project Title: What is learning? =
Time frame: Depending on children’s interest.
Five Standards for Effective Pedagogy (CREDE, 2002)
I. Joint Productive Activity: Teachers and students producing together
II. Developing Language and Literacy Across the Curriculum
III. Making Meaning: Connecting School to Students’ Lives
IV. Teaching Complex Thinking: Cognitive Challenge
V. Teaching Through Instructional Conversation
ISTE Standards (4-8 yrs) 1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concept
General Goal(s): To provide students with the opportunity to be socially and cognitively reflective of what learning means in our preschool environment. To encourage children to use technology correctly and confidently. Outline: One or two children for the day will be given the school digital camera to take photos in our learning environment of things that represent learning to them. Prior to having the camera, an adult will have a discussion with each child about why the teachers at school take photos, whether they have used a digital camera before, if they haven’t, the adult will use this time to give basic introductions. At the end of the day or throughout if appropriate, the adult will discuss with the child what photos they have taken and the rationale behind them. The child will later on will pick which pictures they would like to be used in a class or individual book about learning at our preschool. Standards Addressed:
ISTE Standards: 1,2, 4
CREDE’s Pedagogy standards
I. This is a collaborative project between children in the class and the adults, done on a one to one basis or in pairs. II. The discussions at the beginning and end encourage children to express their prior knowledge, ideas and feelings. In selecting the images they want included in the books they will need to give a verbal rationale that may include reference to feelings and beliefs about learning and visual literacy. III. Children are exposed daily to photographic images taken and chosen by others, this gives them the opportunity to change some of those images into ones taken and chosen by them. IV. For some of the children they will never have handled a digital camera (or any camera) before, so this may be their initial challenge of learning, how to use the technology. For others articulating a rationale, which includes more than “I like it”or“it’s my friend, may be the challenge. V. The adults will guide conversations to encourage children to present their views, judgements, and rationales, as well as assist their learning during conversations by questioning, restating, and encouraging.
Required Materials: · Digital Camera · Computer with a graphic viewing software.
Evaluation
Photo
13/05
I asked one of the children if she would like to help me today to take photos of children learning, she agreed. I used a Dictaphone to record our introduction conversation, with a couple of short ones during the day. As she was the first child to do this, I think she was a little nervous and conscious of me watching her through out the day and only took a couple of pictures. Though it was interesting watching her, looking carrying the camera and looking around the room at what everyone was doing.
One of the articles I have since read, discussed that children may feel inhibited by having an adult present observing them, they ended up sending the camera home with the children, though their focus was on visual literacy and reflection. With our focus on learning in our environment this is not an option, so hopefully as children see each other doing this their self consciousness may subside.
While the child had the camera, three other children came up and asked if they can have a turn so I think the interest is definitely there to see where this goes. One thing that was intereting was even though I had shown her the LCD screen on the back, she continued to use the view finder, LCD to dark? small? I will need to ask her.
On Thursday I will view the photos with the child so as to pick which photo /s she would like to have in the class book.
Audio of brief conversations
Beginning of the day
After a couple of photos
After a photo
After hula hoop photo
At end of day
Follow up
Have a look at what other children are doing with digital cameras around the world for inspiration:
Curriculum areas the project covers: Arts , English , Health and Physical Education , Languages other than English , Studies of Society and Environment , Technology Year level range for the project: Pre to Year 12
Technology participants use in the project: WWW access
Fee charged: No
Boardman, M. 2007, ''I know how much this child has learned. I have proof!' Employing digital technologies for documentation processes in kindergarten', Australian Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 59(8).
Ching, C. C., Wang, X. C., Shih, M.-L. & Kedem, Y. 2006, 'Digital Photography and Journals in a Kindergarten–First-Grade Classroom: Toward Meaningful Technology Integration in Early Childhood Education', Early Education & Development, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 347 - 371.
Cummins, L., Rees, R. & Bacncroft, K. 2008, A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: The Use of Digital Photography to Enhance Literacy Development in Young Children, Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2008, Crawford, C., Willis, D. A., Carlsen, R., Gibson, I., McFerrin, K., Price, J. & Weber, R. (Eds.), AACE, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, pp. 3462-3466.
Good, L. 2005, 'Snap it up! Using digital photography in early childhood.(using photos to promote student motivation)', Childhood Education, vol. 82, no. 2, pp. 79(7).
Walters, K. & Early Childhood Australia. 2006, Capture the moment : using digital photography in early childhood settings, ECA research in practice series ;, Early Childhood Australia, Watson, A.C.T.
Preschoolers as photographers!
As an area of technology, digital photography offers exciting potential for preschool children. Children in Australia are immersed in photographic images, in nearly every part of their daily lives, so it is of practical importance that children understand the medium (Cummins et al., 2008). Today, digital still and video cameras are found in many preschools, although most of the available research literature focuses on how teachers can utilise digital cameras within their program, for example, Snap it up! Using Digital Photography in Early Childhood by (Good, 2005), and I know how much this child has learned. I have proof! Employing digital technologies for documentation processes in kindergarten (Boardman, 2007) .Many educators are taking this one step further by providing the means for children to document and collaborate upon their projects through their own digital still, DV and DV production efforts (Ching et al., 2006). Students capture images and video to convey their thoughts or represent their ideas and feelings, where without these means they would otherwise struggle given their lack of written language. Kim Walters (Walters and Early Childhood Australia., 2006), found that children as young as 3 were quite capable of using these technologies, and children were engaged in their learning in pleasurable and enthusiastic ways.
Context:
I work in a Reggio Inspired community based preschool in Victoria, we have 26 children with two educators. I am a 4 year university trained Early Childhood and Primary teacher, with my teaching partner having her certificate three. We currently have, no ICT within our learning program for children to access.
After reading the journal article written by Ching et al., (2006), I was motivated to implement a similar project with my children. In our programme we use digital photography with our documentation panels, children are familiar and comfortable with their photos being taken as they work, or when they have finished a project.
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concept
To provide students with the opportunity to be socially and cognitively reflective of what learning means in our preschool environment.
To encourage children to use technology correctly and confidently.
Outline:
One or two children for the day will be given the school digital camera to take photos in our learning environment of things that represent learning to them.
Prior to having the camera, an adult will have a discussion with each child about why the teachers at school take photos, whether they have used a digital camera before, if they haven’t, the adult will use this time to give basic introductions.
At the end of the day or throughout if appropriate, the adult will discuss with the child what photos they have taken and the rationale behind them.
The child will later on will pick which pictures they would like to be used in a class or individual book about learning at our preschool.
Standards Addressed:
ISTE Standards: 1,2, 4
CREDE’s Pedagogy standards
I. This is a collaborative project between children in the class and the adults, done on a one to one basis or in pairs.
II. The discussions at the beginning and end encourage children to express their prior knowledge, ideas and feelings. In selecting the images they want included in the books they will need to give a verbal rationale that may include reference to feelings and beliefs about learning and visual literacy.
III. Children are exposed daily to photographic images taken and chosen by others, this gives them the opportunity to change some of those images into ones taken and chosen by them.
IV. For some of the children they will never have handled a digital camera (or any camera) before, so this may be their initial challenge of learning, how to use the technology. For others articulating a rationale, which includes more than “I like it”or“it’s my friend, may be the challenge.
V. The adults will guide conversations to encourage children to present their views, judgements, and rationales, as well as assist their learning during conversations by questioning, restating, and encouraging.
· Digital Camera
· Computer with a graphic viewing software.
Evaluation
Photo13/05
I asked one of the children if she would like to help me today to take photos of children learning, she agreed. I used a Dictaphone to record our introduction conversation, with a couple of short ones during the day. As she was the first child to do this, I think she was a little nervous and conscious of me watching her through out the day and only took a couple of pictures. Though it was interesting watching her, looking carrying the camera and looking around the room at what everyone was doing.
One of the articles I have since read, discussed that children may feel inhibited by having an adult present observing them, they ended up sending the camera home with the children, though their focus was on visual literacy and reflection. With our focus on learning in our environment this is not an option, so hopefully as children see each other doing this their self consciousness may subside.
While the child had the camera, three other children came up and asked if they can have a turn so I think the interest is definitely there to see where this goes. One thing that was intereting was even though I had shown her the LCD screen on the back, she continued to use the view finder, LCD to dark? small? I will need to ask her.
On Thursday I will view the photos with the child so as to pick which photo /s she would like to have in the class book.
Follow up
Have a look at what other children are doing with digital cameras around the world for inspiration:
· Children as photographers
· Kids with Camera’s
· The New Orleans Kids Camera project
· Getting kids started with taking digital photos
· Adobe digital kids club
One line projects
Project title: Kids Down Under Project website address: http://www.gigglepotz.com/caustralia.htm
Brief project description: Kids Down Under Project allows aussie kids to submit writings and photos of what it means to be an Aussie kid.
Project coordinator's name: Shaz Law
Project coordinator's email: gigglepotz@sbcglobal.net
Beginning date for project: 15-7-2003
Ending date for project: 31-12-2008
Curriculum areas the project covers: Arts , English , Health and Physical Education , Languages other than English , Studies of Society and Environment , Technology Year level range for the project: Pre to Year 12
Technology participants use in the project: WWW access
Fee charged: No
Boardman, M. 2007, ''I know how much this child has learned. I have proof!' Employing digital technologies for documentation processes in kindergarten', Australian Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 59(8).
Ching, C. C., Wang, X. C., Shih, M.-L. & Kedem, Y. 2006, 'Digital Photography and Journals in a Kindergarten–First-Grade Classroom: Toward Meaningful Technology Integration in Early Childhood Education', Early Education & Development, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 347 - 371.
Cummins, L., Rees, R. & Bacncroft, K. 2008, A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: The Use of Digital Photography to Enhance Literacy Development in Young Children, Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2008, Crawford, C., Willis, D. A., Carlsen, R., Gibson, I., McFerrin, K., Price, J. & Weber, R. (Eds.), AACE, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, pp. 3462-3466.
Good, L. 2005, 'Snap it up! Using digital photography in early childhood.(using photos to promote student motivation)', Childhood Education, vol. 82, no. 2, pp. 79(7).
Walters, K. & Early Childhood Australia. 2006, Capture the moment : using digital photography in early childhood settings, ECA research in practice series ;, Early Childhood Australia, Watson, A.C.T.