Writing in Light: Photography for English Language Learners
Help me give my students cameras for a creative outlet to increase their class engagement.
$2,657 goal
This project expired on May 11, 2022.
This project expired on May 11, 2022.
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
My students are very creative. They love to take and edit photos on their phone.
When students share images in class, their emotional depth and visual intelligence can be readily perceived.
This depth and intelligence is very difficult for them to express in writing since they are not native speakers of English. They are English language learners.
So what could an educator do to help ease their anxiety - to help lessen the complete strangeness of writing in English?
Imagine being a teenager and having all these feelings with limited ability to express yourself in this strange language your school is encouraging you to acquire. As the teacher, I need to provide a creative outlet to help ease this frustration. In photography, a visual language they are familiar with, expression comes easy.
My Project
With written assignments, I use the learner's visual prowess to kickstart an essay. Let’s call it their entry point. By asking them to visualize their ideas and have them take visual representations of them, the writing project becomes personal and this fact supercharges participation and thus their motivation to write. By having (functional) photographic equipment with up to date printer and software, students' engagement will grow exponentially.
Suddenly, with a camera in hand, the class walls crumble and a world of creative possibilities appears.
And with the results of their creativity displayed before them and others, wah-lah! They feel successful and empowered.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
135 students impacted
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Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.
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DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Dwyer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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