Digital Reflections: Expressing Understanding of Content Through Photography

Overview

Featured Resources

From Theory to Practice

 

OVERVIEW

Students explore both facts and feelings about a topic and make self–text–world connections as they prepare a presentation using word-processing and presentation software. Possible topics span many content areas, including science (animals, climate, space), geography (landforms), and historical events. Students select photos from websites that demonstrate their content understanding and communicate their feelings on the topic. They write and record a two-minute descriptive or persuasive script and pair the script with the photos using presentation software. Students and teacher assess the effectiveness of the presentation using the rubric and handouts provided.

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FEATURED RESOURCES

Guidelines for Writing a Digital Reflection Script: Students can use this sheet to find instructions for writing their digital reflection scripts.

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Dillner, M. (2001). Using media flexibly to compose and communicate. Reading Online, 5(1). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=/articles/dillner/index.html

• Literacy includes the ability to understand multimedia including audio, video, hypermedia and hypertext.
  
  
• New technologies are continually being developed to support student communication. Students can be encouraged to use media and new technologies flexibly to compose and communicate their ideas.
  

Kinzer, C.K. (2003). The importance of recognizing the expanding boundaries of literacy. Reading Online, 6(10). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/kinzer/index.html

• The electronic world is transforming the ways in which traditional forms of alphabetic literacy (reading and writing) are used to communicate.
  
  
• Project-based activities in an electronic environment can ground concepts contextually in authentic learning tasks while establishing meaningful communication and social interactions.
  
  
• Teachers need to demonstrate awareness of everyday literacy practices that are important to students by including technology in their literacy teaching.

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