Cycle+1

 **Classroom Research:** 

Upon entering the first grade classroom where I would be conducting my research, I immediately noticed that digital photography was not used purposefully in the learning environment. The non inclusion was evident in multiple ways: charts made by the teacher only sporadically included illustrations that were always hand drawn; pictures were not used for labeling classroom resources; and curriculum material did not include any photographs of students. These omissions provided me with an eclectic approach to introducing digital photography to the students. The following is the procedure I abided by in conducting my research.

Procedure:
//*Please access link to Exhibits on sidebar navigation // 1. Document classroom environment: photograph and document charts, writing folders, excerpts from student writing, shared reading and writing material, and curriculum materials (books, etc.). Exhibit 2: 2. Directly observe how other teachers use digital cameras in the classroom to foster literacy: visit a classroom actively using digital photography; document observations. (including the same materials presented in my research setting.) 3. Research published literature about using digital photography to promote literacy and read about the different methods of introducing digital cameras in the classroom used by others. (see sources.) 3. Confer with students: meet with students one-on-one to ask: A. Do you know what a digital camera is? B. Have you or someone you know ever used a digital camera? C. Did you or your teacher use a digital camera in your kindergarten class? If yes; then… D. What did you take pictures of in your kindergarten class? E. How did the pictures help you to become a better reader and writer? If no; then… F. How can a digital camera help you become a better reader and writer? G. Can you think of things that we can take pictures of in this classroom? (wait for answer) H. How can taking a picture of (student's answer from G) help you to become a better reader and writer? I. Are you excited about using a digital camera in your classroom?
 * Exhibit 1: **
 * Exhibit 3:**
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**Reflection:**

Constructively observing another class already actively implementing digital cameras to promote literacy learning was conducive broadening my idea(s) of how to implement the digital cameras in “this” class. One teacher that I interviewed said, "Digital cameras are a necessity in early childhood classrooms." After conducting my research and reading from a variety of sources, I would certainly agree with her. Yet, due to the lack of exposure my assigned class had with digital cameras and photography, the goals I established for the first cycle became: to properly introduce the students to these cameras; help them understand literacy objectives can be attained, and clarify how such can then promote better reading and writing skills. The following are the initial actions I took in order to meet those goals.

__**Road Map**__:  = = = = = Actio **n One: ** =

**__Shared Writing:__ **
The students have been learning about non-fiction books in Readers Workshop. A recent teaching point was that "readers think of all the things they know about a topic before they read about it." For “today's” shared writing, I wanted the students to think of everything they knew about digital cameras before proceeding with my second action, a shared reading. Activating prior knowledge allows students to bring forward their knowledge, ideas, beliefs, perceptions, and assumptions about our new experience, digital photography. (I then can scaffold the learning so that the students can construct new knowledge and refine previous understandings to gain meaning.)

The students were asked to quietly think to themselves about everything and anything they knew about digital cameras. Before having a chance to move on, a hand was raised and a student asked..."What is a digital camera? Is it different than a camera?" I realized, then, that I erred by assuming that all the students knew what a digital camera was! I explained the difference and, followed immediately by having the children touch their nose if they had ever seen or used a digital camera before. Quickly scanning the room, I quickly observed how many children were so familiar. All children touched their noses; thus, I could move on.

In order to “gain meaning,” the students must be actively engaged in the learning process. My method for such active engagement for today’s lesson was to have the students "stop and jot" how they might use a digital camera in school. They were then requested to tell their partner what they wrote. We continued by making a chart containing the students thoughts and ideas. Finally, we re-read that chart together in order to make the learning "stick."

I concluded by asking the students, as they worked within the classroom, keep thinking of additional ways to use a digital camera (as a tool to become) better readers and writers.



__**Reflection: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">The shared writing experience was most helpful in activating students prior knowledge. One methodology that went exceptionally well was "stop and jot." This fostered students to write and saved valuable class time. Furthermore, I described how digital cameras were used in other classes. My reason for not doing so earlier was that I wanted the students to develop their own resourceful ideas. One innovation I developed was in the use of a digital camera to complete our chart. This will model demonstrate how effective digital cameras can be for process charts. In practice, however, I will wait until the digital cameras are introduced to do so. I think the shared writing was a highly productive introduction to "what's on the horizon for digital cameras in literacy learning.

=<span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Action Two: = <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Shared Reading:__
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a part of the non-fiction unit of study the first graders are currently participating in, I selected a non-fiction text entitled, __<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Click __<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> by: Rhonda Cox. We commenced our task by reviewing what we already knew about digital cameras and photography in order to activate prior knowledge. I directed the learning of the class to listen for new ideas as we read together. The students were encouraged to think about how a new idea might help them with reading and writing. Today's teaching point was: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Readers grow ideas about our nonfiction topics (digital cameras.) **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">

One method I modeled was in the use of a Post-it at the end of main sections in which to write the "big idea" just learned. My goal in doing so was to help the students as they "retell" the non-fiction text to their partners. The active engagement was for students to be able to tell their partner something new they learned from the text. At the conclusion of our reading, we reviewed our Post-its; then shared what we learned while talking about new ways to use digital cameras and thereby improve reading and writing skills. The information gathered was then added to our list, created in Action One. <span style="background-color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Reflection:__ ** <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">The text was slightly above the reading level of some students. It was difficult to find a non-fiction text addressing this subject. The book did, however, perform-to-task by highlighting pivotal points I wanted to introduce. We were also able to analyze the photographs, observing how they aligned with the text. It was helpful to have several non-fiction books about cameras to show the class. Repeatedly seeing the same vocabulary also helped make the learning "stick." I found that due to the excitement of seeing and touching the cameras that the class would be using promoted motivation and ownership of what they had just learned <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
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=<span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Action Three: = <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Vocabulary Lesson:__
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">I linked today’s vocabulary lesson once again to the classes immediate non-fiction unit of study. The class has been focusing upon glossary's, both in Shared Reading and in Writers Workshop. At that time, the students were creating glossary's to accompany "How-to" books they were composing. I explained that they were going to create a glossary of terms that would be helpful in the soon-to-be use of digital cameras.

At the onset, I had a digital camera attached to my wrist in order to model the correct way to hold and care for it. I then identified several digital cameras books for student use. Another teaching point was that often non-fiction texts have bold or colored words that are important to understand.

We selected the words for our glossary using two different methods. The first was through non-fiction texts containing words that were not understood. In order to actively engage the class, the second method of selecting words was accomplished by “constructive creativity!” The students assembled within their previously assigned camera teams to observe different buttons, etc. found on their camera.

After studying the camera, the students had an opportunity to point to an unknown part of the camera. I told them what it was called and then added the term to our glossary. Other significant features omitted were identified and then added to the glossary.

The final step in developing our glossary involved re-reading all of the terms and reviewing their respective definitions as part of shared reading.

**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Reflection:__ ** <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Having a common set of familiar terms will be most helpful as we proceed into cycle two where the students use digital cameras independently. Overall, I was encouraged with how the lesson progressed. They appear to be ready (and anxious) to commence cycle two wherein they begin to use digital cameras. The three actions within this cycle also served the purpose of providing excitement about what is to come and motivation to learn how to use digital cameras. I firmly believe learning and the motivation to do so are inseparable. Learning also requires accepting “ownership.” By keeping the students actively engaged in all three actions, what I anticipated was accomplished. Notwithstanding, I intend on revisiting both our shared writing (action one) and our vocabulary by using them as shared reading material.