Interactive Photo Journalism

Reflection: When working with the students in class last year creating our WALL OF FAME, we discovered that the students became very interested in using the camera, taking photographs to document their interests and video taping themselves and their friends. The students responded very well to using a a variety of tools (ipads, printers, apps, etc.) in order to take, manipulate and create the images and information that they wanted to share with others.

2018-19 - Moving Forward - Taking into consideration the response from students last year we wanted to continue our Wall of Fame and then develop student ability to interview current and previous students from Class 213, other teachers or friends in PS112.

In order to begin this process in a new year with a new group of students , we started by getting the children comfortable with using the i-pads to take photos and document things of interest in the classroom. We then moved on to creating our Wall of Fame as the students shared their Getting to Know You Bags, using Ipads to take photos to document their likes and interests. As their confidence and ability grows we will have them take photos and videos of themselves and friends.

Interviews and Conversation!

In order to help students develop an understanding of reciprocal conversation and interviews, it is helpful to begin small and break down the process into steps to provide modeling and visual supports to document the interactions.

Before using video to document an interview, we felt it would be beneficial to have still photos with speech bubbles/captions of what each individual is saying. There will also be assigned roles within the process so that the children have the opportunity to learn and take on different conversational roles - speaker, listener, recorder. The teachers will begin by modeling the activity asking the following questions:

What is your name?
What do you like to play?
What is your favorite food?
What is/was your favorite thing about Class 213?

The teachers will always be mindful of modeling appropriate social interactions (looking at the person you are speaking to, listening to what they are saying, responding back, commenting or asking further questions for more information, etc.) as well as keeping their responses simple enough for children to understand and perhaps at some stage record in written form/transcript.

As the process continues and student understanding and conversational skills develop, the next steps will involve learning what a video interview looks and sounds like and how the visuals that we had provided (stills of individuals with speech bubble of what each person is saying) represent that same process but without movement and audio. The teacher will use video to explicitly teach what a video interview looks and sounds like. How when someone is interviewing or being interviewed that we are hearing and listening, showing and recording movements as well as using facial expressions and body gestures (face and hands) to help express what we are thinking and feeling.

This entire process will help the children develop a greater understanding of reciprocal language and social communication.

We are using the CAT tool in order to help guide the student interactions and gauge their level of functioning within a conversation.

Conversation Analysis Tool or CAT has various Dimensions used in analyzing student verbal interactions. Dimension 0 focuses on student ability to take turns to construct a conversation.

4 - students appropriately (e.g. speaking one at a time, not interrupting, etc.) start and stop their turns throughout the interaction, and they contribute more or less equally.3 - Students engage in some appropriate turns, but at times either student might interrupt, pause in mid-turn, not talk when appropriate, talk too much in one or several turns, or display other awkward behaviors.2 - students rarely start and stop their turns appropriately, or one person talks too much in most turns.1 - Students do not take turns during the interaction time.

For our purposes within this activity and this classroom Dimension 0 will be our focus, while always keeping in mind the next stages of conversational development:

Dimension 1 - Turns build on previous turn to build up an idea.

4 Half or more of the turns build on previous turns to effectively build up a clear and complete idea3 Half or more of the turns build on previous turns to adequately build up an idea, which may be incomplete or lack clarity.2 Few turns build on previous turns to build up an idea.1 Turns are not used to build up an idea.

Dimension 2 - Turns focus on the knowledge or skills of the lesson objectives.

4 Half or more of the turns effectively focus on the lesson’s objectives and show depthor fostering of the intended learning.3 Half or more of the turns sufficiently focus on the lesson’s objectives, but this focusmay be superficial or lack clarity.2 Few turns focus on the lesson’s objectives.1 Turns do not focus on the lesson’s objectives.

Common Core Learning Standards: College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening

Comprehension and Collaboration

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
- SLK.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). b. Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges. c. Seek to understand and communicate with individuals from different cultural backgrounds.
- SLK.3 Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
- Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
  - SLK.4 4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
  - SLK.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

CCLS

Speaking and Listening Standards K-5

Comprehension and Collaboration

1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).

b. Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

c. Seek to understand and communicate with individuals from different cultural backgrounds.

2. Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.

3. Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

6. Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

Report abuse