Click and Construct:Using Digital Cameras to Improve Writing Skills: Click and Construct: Using Digital Cameras to Improve Writing Skills Doug Prouty dprouty@cccoe.k12.ca.us Contra Costa County Office of Education


Agenda: Agenda Why the camera in the writing process? Ideas for the writing process Samples Managing the camera in the classroom Digital camera tips, tricks and resources


Why the Camera?: Why the Camera? Ease of use by students Instant Feedback/Gratification Students are visual - motivated to write about what they see and capture with a camera Research shows that student writing improves through writing often. Take a picture each day and write Writing about images that are important


Why the Camera?: Why the Camera? Reluctant writers overwhelmed by the whole writing process trouble getting started unless assigned a topic Spark the composing process of writing Students photograph objects, people, and places that are important to them Personal photos can help build risk takers excited about reading and writing.


Ideas for the Writing Process: Ideas for the Writing Process


Ideas for the Process: Ideas for the Process Newspapers Reports Fiction Letters to penpals Class books Alphabet books


Ideas for the Process: Ideas for the Process Illustrate Sequences Stories, science experiments, processes Document Class Activities year-end journals or “scrapbooks” Prompt Memory on field trips & during special events


Samples: Samples


Vowel/Alphabet Books: umbrella u Long Vowels Short Vowels a fan globe o a tape Vowel/Alphabet Books


Sequencing: 1. Gather materials 2. Cut circle at the top. 3. Scoop out the insides. 4. Draw the face. 5. Cut out the eyes. 6. Then the nose and mouth. 7. Put a candle inside and your ready for Halloween. 8. But they don’t keep TOO long! Yuck! That’s really scary! Sequencing


Career Choice: Career Choice I want to be a doctor when I grow up. I want to help people get better. They have to be smart to make a lot of money. They get to use a lot of neat stuff like a stethoscope and big machines that check your body. I don’t really want to give shots.


Positions: Positions


Field Trips: Field Trips


Samples: Samples Autobiographical - Students make a 3 to 4 slide presentation about themselves. Opposites-Take pictures of opposites such as hot coffee and cold water, Take a picture of anything and describe it in detail - like “I Spy” Create scenes to go with a creative writing story. When publishing the story, insert the images as illustrations. Write a how to essay describing how to do something. Take pictures of each step to include in the essay when published.


Samples: Samples Compare/Contrast - Take pictures of two objects, people, or places. Make a venn Diagram Adjectives - Take a picture of an everyday object. What are all the words or phrases you can think of to describe the object? Everyday objects - personification Take pictures of ordinary objects. Write a story or description of that object using personification. Making Inferences or Deductions -Take a picture such as a boat on the water. Ask students what clues they see that tell which direction the boat is sailing


Samples: Samples Early in the school year students can take pictures of classmates and write biographies. Students can use the digital camera to photograph classmates posing as characters in books they are creating.


Not so Obvious Uses: Not so Obvious Uses Create “concentration” like game with matching photos of vocabulary Create a story outline of events Document characters or settings in a story Capture adjectives (textures, colors, emotions, etc.)


Not so Obvious: Not so Obvious Created book about local history Choose 3 random pictures and then incorporate them into their story. Write an alternate explanation or use for an object (ie use a fork to comb) Extreme close-ups and have students write about what the object is or the point of view of an ant


Family: Family


Family: So do you still think she’s REALLY cute? Family


Managing the Camera in the Classroom: Managing the Camera in the Classroom


Rules for Using the Camera: Rules for Using the Camera One pair of hands on the camera at a time Allow each person to have an equal chance Group knows what it is going to do before the equipment is used Keep the equipment dry and clean Keep the equipment in its storage case when not in use Report any malfunction right away Use the neck strap to prevent accidents


Rules for Using the Camera: Rules for Using the Camera Before downloading images from camera, create a folder called, “originals_project” and put all photos there Pull from this folder to edit, but save edits somewhere else so originals remain intact Remember: just saving, will replace the original


10 Tips for Cameras in the Classroom: 10 Tips for Cameras in the Classroom Take a photo class Set up rules Manage the images Practice builds confidence Know your camera Action photographs: often produce a more natural look. Check your camera maker's web site Be digitally safe: read and follow your school's policies on using student photos By APTE Professional Education Development Group


Digital Camera Tips, Tricks and Resources: Digital Camera Tips, Tricks and Resources


Digital CameraTricks & Resources: Digital Camera Tricks & Resources Adobe Digital Kids Club www.adobe.com/education/digkids Tips and How-Tos


Importing Pictures: Importing Pictures How to important photos into a word processors Examples MS Word Demo Kid Pix Demo Kidspiration


Kid Pix: Kid Pix “India’s spontaneous comments, made while she added artistic embellishments to her photo, reveal an intense level of engagement that provided her with opportunities for learning more about the letter c.”


Purchasing Resources: Purchasing Resources CNET – www.cnet.com Digital Camera Web Resources Digital Photography Review - www.dpreview.com A Complete Guide to Digital Cameras www.shortcourses.com Books


Thanks!: Thanks! Doug Prouty Contra Costa County Office of Education CUE Conference 2004 Is the audience gone yet?