Digital+Photography+for+Vocabulary+Study+in+the+Inclusive+Classroom

Presenter: Amity Smith and Jennifer Atkins Time: 9:30 - 10:15 Room: Auditorium Contact: asmith@hbgsd.k12.pa.us or jatkins@hbgsd.k12.pa.us

__Description of Presentation__ After learning about figurative language, students completed a project-based assessment using digital photography to design a figurative language reference book. Students can then use their book to refer to while analyzing literature and preparing for state assessments.









[|Importing Images into iPhoto[1.doc]]



Notes from the presentation at the CFF Collaboration Day
Amity Smith - Regular Ed English Teacher Jenn Atkins - Special Ed English Co-teacher

This was a project created to appeal to the range of academic levels in the classroom.

This from a unit on poetry designed in conjunction with PSSA vocabulary that data indicated our students were lacking in. This particular activity was the assessment for the unit. The students were to make a reference book for vocabulary in the unit. The students used either iPhoto, photoshop, or adobe to create the final projects. First students created a brainstorming sheet and planned out the project prior to using the computers (can be done on computer if you have continuous access to the computers, these teachers were sharing a laptop cart). Required students to take pictures with a camera and download from internet, to expose students to a wide variety of tools for finding pictures.

Students defined the vocabulary using text and graphics. They were able to find pictures online, or take their own.

Grading of the book can be done with the rubric or with the Focus Correction Areas (FCA's).

The book had a title page, an about the author page, etc... There are several opportunities for writing that can be expanded.

This activity forced the students to follow directions explicitly, in order for the final product to print correctly. Due to PLN (Penn Literacy Network) training, the teachers preferred using the FCA's to grade the assessment and devised a rubric that correlated with the FCA's.

When searching for pictures on the internet, search for large files to insure that the pictures will display properly in the book

When requiring the students to take their own photos, require them to put a personal item in the photo, ie school id, novel, etc...

Be able to show the students an example, this also helps you learn the program.

Find pictures that you can use in "published" examples on creativecommons.org - Google items are usually copyrighted and therefore cannot be used if you post to webpage, etc.

Jim Shaffer will post info about creative commons and the vocab cartoons in the discussion section for this page.