Picture This! Using Photography as a Teaching and Assessment Tool Roban Johnson, The Academy for Classical Education

Roban Johnson 8th-grade language arts teacher holds ESOL, gifted, and teacher leader endorsements Jones County Teacher of the Year

Students and Digital Technology Harris Interactive conducted a study for Pearson publishing. They polled 2,300 American students in grades 4 through 12 about their use of digital technologies for educational purposes. Image courtesy of stoonn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Students Who Use Smart Phones for Educational Purposes

Frequency of Smart Phone Use Of those students who use smart phones, 27 percent use their devices for educational purposes (explicitly not for texting or social networking) two to three times per week. Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Student Attitude About Use Of all the students surveyed, 67 percent indicated they would like to use their mobile devices more often in class. Another 21 percent said they're using their mobile devices the right amount of time as it is.

It is especially useful for ELLs. “Use authentic visuals and manipulatives.… Implement the use of authentic resources. For example: menus, bus schedules, post- cards, photographs, and video clips can enhance student comprehension of complex content concepts.” ~ Ayana Cooper, Author “Edutopia”

“Brain-based and second language acquisition research has taught us, thankfully, that the old school method — assign a chapter, take a test, and discuss the test — will not result in quality and depth of thought. Our ESL students are not tape recorders, waiting eagerly to receive our golden nuggets of wisdom. Instead, they are multi-taskers who can play video games, talk on cell phones, and listen to music, all without missing a beat.” ~ Judy Lombardi California State University Northridge Brain-based Research

Teaching and Assessing is Just a Click Away! Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Photography + Grammar = Learning Fun! Photography-based projects can be used as learning tools… … and as formative and summative assessments.

Applicable CCGPS Standards

In your packet, mark the language concepts that you teach.

Examples Student-Created Exemplars Grammar

Direct objects appear after an action verb. Ask “what?” or “whom?” to find them.

Indirect objects appear between the action verb and the direct object. Ask “to what?” or “to whom?” to find them.

WHAT? TO WHOM?

A predicate nominative is a noun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject of the verb.

If a PN is in a sentence, you can usually flip the sentence and use the PN as the subject. The wizard is Alana.

A predicate adjective is an adjective that follows a linking verb and modifies the verb’s subject.

PAs won’t work as subjects, but you can slide the word in front of the subject to see that it works as an adjective. Her long hair has a bow in it.

Assessment: Create a visual representation of a predicate noun.

Assessment: Create a visual representation of a predicate adjective. The cold desk needs a jacket.

Assessment: Create a visual representation of a direct object.

Assessment: Create a visual representation of an indirect object.

Free Web-based Photo Editing Tool (a free on-line editing software program.

Free Mobile Apps for Phones and Tablets

It’s Your Turn to “Picture This!”

Step 1: Download ONE photo editing app onto your smart phone or tablet, or use one that you have previously downloaded.

Step 2: With a table partner or group, choose a concept and brainstorm ideas on the planning sheet in your packet. Draw or … jot down notes.

Steps 3 and 4: Create your photo. Use an app to add text that will explain the concept.

Timed Activity 1. Download ONE photo editing app onto your smart phone or tablet, or use one that you have previously downloaded. 2. With a table partner or group, brainstorm ideas on the planning sheet in your packet. 3. Create your photo. 4. Use an app to add text that will explain the concept.

Send me your photos! When you have edited your image, post it on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag: #rjpicturethis

Picture This! Scavenger Hunt With cameras, smartphones, or tablets, send students on a scavenger hunt for sentence parts. Publish the photographs as a book. Hang them in the classroom as visual reminders.

Picture This! For Writing Students take a picture and write a descriptive paragraph to describe what they see in the photo. Students then go on a gallery walk and match paragraphs with photographs. Students photograph a household item and write a poem using personification.

Picture This! For Reading To teach inference, have students plan a series of photos that would show a scenario and the emotions of a character. Students then determine what might have happened. Create an alphabet book with photography or go on an ABC vocabulary hunt.

Your Turn! Brainstorm with others at your table. How many ideas can you come up with to integrate photography into your lessons? Use the brainstorming page in your packet to record your ideas.

Students with various learning styles can benefit from this.

References and Credits Cooper, A. (2012, January 25). 10 Tips for Teaching English Language Learners. Edutopia. Retrieved April 23, 2014, from ayanna-cooper ayanna-cooper Nagel, David. "Report: Students Use Smart Phones and Tablets for School, Want More." T.H.E. Journal. N.p., 8 May Web. 21 Apr Lombardi, Judy. “Practical Ways Brain-based Research Applies to ESL Learners.” The Internet TSEL Journal. Retrieved April 23, 2014, from Students in Roban Johnson’s 8 th -grade English classes at Clifton Ridge Middle School in Jones County created the photo exemplars.

check it: happy students …