4-3 Classroom Connections

(Image taken by a 4 year old on my phone) 

4-3

Digital Photography: Connections to teaching children 

1. It is a very intuitive medium. Young people are taking digital photographs before they are drawing symbols. A 3 year old may not know how the password to an iphone, but they know how to swipe up on the lock screen to open the camera and take photos. Teens are constantly taking digital photos and are deeply engaged in the culture of taking and sharing their photos with their peers. Using digital photography in the curriculum taps into something that the students know, do naturally, and are interested in. This can also encourage them to expand their thinking about a medium that is part of everyday life. 

2. The child's point of view is something that we rarely see or pay attention to, but it is incredibly valuable and different from our own. By giving children the opportunity to take photos and share their point of view without the supervision of a parent/teacher we learn something new about how they see the world. 

3. Digital Photography is a tool and an art form. We can use it and teach it as both in the classroom.