"A picture says a thousand words" isn't just a saying in my project plans. I want my students to have the opportunity to collect data with picture taking, incorporate those pictures into a variety of short term and long term math, science and technology rich projects.
Our students are about 60% minority and 78% free and reduced lunch status.
The availability of technology is limited in our elementary school. With the push of STEM education, technology exposure to my students is a priority. Our school is very science based and we have many areas available to our students, in which cameras can be useful in incorporating technology projects. Most of our students are familiar with cameras of some kind, but do not see them as a technology tool.
My Project
With our limited school budget, digital cameras aren't an educational tool in our school. Photographs are so much a part of our technology world. My 5th grade students see digital pictures being used for "fun" and mainly taken by cellular phones. Pictures taken with cameras can be used in research projects, data collection, comparing and contrasting, power points and science fairs. The manipulation of the images in digital form allows for authentic learning with computer programs. The images also creates a personal and real world emphasis on what the students have available in their "here and now".
The students will love using cameras to create science based projects!
Their imagination will guide them on how to use the photos THEY would be able to make. I will be able to create technology rich lessons for the students to use with their own personal photos.
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