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It is the mission of this website to assist in the development of learning environments that promote Career and Technical Education as well as academic excellence. To provide examples of effective 21st century teaching and learning strategies in order to assist in the development of more engaged and motivated classrooms. To provide multimedia Podcasts and articles to facilitate an understanding of how to implement technology and multimedia in classrooms regardless of content area. To encourage independent and personalized learning by teaching students to enjoy the process of learning. To assist teachers in becoming facilitators of learning.
Photography 101: The NETS•S?
From day one of my course, I try to teach the students how to manage their time, how to work collaboratively, and most importantly, how to follow directions. Throughout their time in the course, the students learn to master these skills; however, they must be reinforced with every new skill set. For instance, when learning graphic design, the students work independently on the computers. Teaching the students how to effectively manage their time is quite simple, as we use iCal to set daily reminders for when the students are to wrap up their work and begin their end of the day activities (writing journals, daily assessments, organizing their binders). However, during activities that require the students to be in environments without direct supervision, I need to be sure that they can manage themselves as well as their classmates. For this reason, I deploy certain “methods of madness,” as described by my students, so that I can be sure my students are learning not only the skills required to complete the task at hand, but important soft skills as well.
When teaching photography, I often start by questioning my students regarding the skills and knowledge needed to be successful photographers. Their answers often include, but are not limited to, knowing how to use the camera, knowing the subject, and recognizing the conditions of the location. I provide the students with a quick demonstration of how the camera works, including how to turn it on and how to manipulate the aperture and shutter speed. I tell the students that I am not concerned with composition, focus, or having every picture properly exposed. I break them up into groups of three and ask that they each take 11 photos. The first picture should be of their face, so I can determine the person who took the pictures. The other 10 could be of any object. When I hand over the cameras, I manipulate the aperture and shutter so the students have to adjust it in order to take a properly exposed photograph. I explain that their first picture will not be properly exposed, and that the goal is to get it properly exposed by the last one. Before they pass the camera to their group member, they should manipulate the settings so their peer starts from square one. I do not believe many students have ever come back with a properly exposed picture, and that is exactly what I am hoping for. I would rather see the students struggle to get the proper exposure than for me to explain exactly what to do before they leave with the cameras and never really learn for themselves. By using my method, the students become more engaged because they see the lesson as a challenge, rather than a class project.
When the students return, we have a discussion about the assignment. We discuss the challenges with getting proper exposure, the challenges of working within time limits, and most importantly, working with others. As the students explain their frustration with getting the proper exposure, I explain that the lesson had nothing to do with exposure. The entire lesson was about time management, working in a group, and following directions. As we review the photographs, we learn that some students take 20-30 pictures, some take too much time leaving their peers with less time, and the majority often do not finish within the 20-minute time limit.
From this lesson, the students become aware of the soft skills that are required to be successful. These skills are important, as the students have to work independently around the school completing other assignments. Working in a group provides the students the opportunity to become aware of others, including those who do not follow directions, waste time, or do not know how to complete the tasks. Once mastered in a group environment, the students are capable of applying both the technical knowledge and these soft skills independently. By allowing the students to learn photography through hands-on experience, I have the opportunity to impart the 21st century skills that are necessary to exist in today’s digital society. Through this one photography assignment, my students are learning the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills otherwise known as the NETS•S.
