Blogging With Photovoice: Sharing Pictures in an Integrated Classroom

Materials and Technology

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Computers with Internet access
  
  
• LCD projector (optional)
  
  
• Digital or disposable cameras

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PRINTOUTS

• Letter to Parents
  
  
• Blogging Instruction Sheet
  
  
• Photovoice Project Instructions
  
  
• Picture Selection Sheet
  
  
• Picture Description Sheet
  
  
• Picture and Blog Entry Rubric
  
  
• Blog Use Rubric
  
  
• Courage Essay Rubric

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WEBSITES

• Blogger
• LiveJournal

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PREPARATION

1.	This lesson should come at the end of a unit or semester, during which time students have completed a required reading list. The final project is to respond to a prompt about an abstract concept (e.g., truth or freedom) by taking photos, posting them to a blog, and then writing an essay that relates back to the texts. This lesson uses What is courage? as an example of a prompt. The list that follows includes potential texts for students to read. All readings should be finished before this prewriting activity is started: Short Stories "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe "A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune" by Chris Crutcher "Amigo Brothers" by Piri Thomas "Shaving" by Leslie Norris "Thank you, M'am" by Langston Hughes Books Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (Penguin, 2002) Jake, Reinvented by Gordon Korman (Hyperion Books for Children, 2003)
2.	Check your school's Internet policy to ensure that you and your students can view and post to a blog and to find out what websites are preferable for you to use.
3.	If you do not have classroom computers with Internet access, reserve four 60-minute sessions in your school's computer lab (see Sessions 1 and 3 through 5). Arrange to use an LCD projector during Sessions 1, 4, and 5 if possible.
4.	If you do not already have a classroom blog, create one that allows pictures to be uploaded and responses given. LiveJournal and Blogger are free resources you can use to do this. Before the lesson begins, post your own pictures responding to the prompt for the students to respond to during Session 1. Give each picture a title, explain why you chose it, and write about how it represents courage for you. Make sure that you include both strong and weak examples.
5.	Send home the Letter to Parents and the Photovoice Project Instructions explaining the assignment and making sure that all students have permission to use the blog you have created. This letter can also help you make certain that all students have access to a camera (see Step 6).
6.	Arrange for all students to have access to a camera, preferably at the same time. If necessary, buy disposable cameras for students who may not have access to a camera or arrange to borrow some digital cameras and have students complete the prewriting assignment in staggered groups. You might try to find a store that is willing to donate either disposable cameras or developing to cut your cost.
7.	Depending on the knowledge level of your students, you may want to teach a quick lesson about blogging that covers what a blog is, how students post to a blog, and what kinds of posts are and are not appropriate. You may also want to print and copy the Blogging Instruction Sheet for students or you can create your own. The Blogging Instruction Sheet uses Blogger as an example, and the sign-in link will depend on whether or not you created the blog using your Google account or not. Students can use the e-mail address with which you set up your account and your password to access the blog.
8.	Make a copy of the Photovoice Project Instructions, the Picture and Blog Entry Rubric, the Picture Description Sheet, and the Picture Selection Sheet for each student in your class.

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