Digital+Images

Oliver Abbott EDEL 2200 Digital Images I’m a person who is coming very late to the game of digital photography. For most of my life, until very recently, I’ve been intimidated by “the camera”, digital or otherwise, and have been reluctant to ever carry one. Even in my work at elementary schools, as an aide who always finds himself being asked to take on odd jobs and special assignments such as student council or yearbook, I’ve gotten sweaty palms when asked to “go get the digital camera” or given the charge to document an even or activity through digital photography. Obviously, this mindset is incompatible with current teaching methods and I’ve simply got to get over it. The 7 readings included with this assignment were very helpful in helping get my head around the concept of digital photography. Several of the readings simply included deeply comprehensive lists of the various advantages a class can enjoy if they have a digital camera. Those uses go far beyond simple documentation of class activities. Some of the ideas that appealed to me include taking photos to make a Word Wall, creating a book (rhyming, colors, moods, etc.), and using the camera to take a picture which could then be used as a writing prompt in the class. A few of the other articles focused more on some of the concerns and insecurities I, personally, suffer from with regards to choosing the right camera and how to avoid buying “more camera” than you need, which was a part I especially benefitted from reading. This article can be found here http://turleyedel2200.wikispaces.com/file/view/100+Ways+to+Use+Digital+Cameras.pdf. The perfect camera for my classroom would be inexpensive and easy to use. The features I’m most interested in for my class camera are a viewfinder (screen showing what the camera is seeing), flash, and ability to review photographs immediately after taking them. In anticipation of this assignment, my wife and I invested in a Canon digital camera. One of the readings I looked over for this task suggested that a Canon is a good investment for a novice photographer and also that one need not get too concerned with how many “megapixels” a camera is capable of capturing or displaying. I’ve found this to be the case with my new camera, which features 7 megapixels. For my class’ purposes, I can’t imagine needing to have anything more detailed than that. Among the activities I’ve discovered that my future class could do with a camera are the following ten: Students are taking pictures all the time these days with their phones. Incorporating the use of a digital camera into classroom activities would be enjoyable for them and would also supplement the learning/teaching experience.
 * 1) Take photos to compile a book (i.e. ABC book, colors, moods)
 * 2) Take/Use a digital picture as a writing prompt.
 * 3) Graphics/pictures for digital presentations
 * 4) Have a rotating job: Class documentarian
 * 5) “Check-out” the camera to a student each weekend to compile pictures of their family to share with the class.
 * 6) Create vocabulary flash cards for ESL students
 * 7) Allow students to design/create personalized name tags on their desks, which could greatly help substitute teachers
 * 8) <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Use photos to make games (matching, concentration, etc.)
 * 9) <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Create a digital scrapbook/yearbook (with parental consent for online publication)
 * 10) <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Enhance field trip experiences (show pictures of what the students can expect to see, create “scavenger hunt” assignment)