Allowing students to learn via visual
content is something that is more prevalent in the 21st century more
than ever before, “students tell us with their body language, their passive
disinterest, or their distracting behavior that they are struggling to be
successful in our text-driven classrooms. (Myatt, 2008, p.187). Flickr is just one tool that can be used in
the classroom to enhance and parallel our teaching as it connects students to
worldly idea’s and images using creative tools and technology.
Before reading this week’s material I merely only heard of the word “Flickr”; which, to me was an empty word as my knowledge of Flickr was non-existent. When I started reading chapter 7 in Richardson’s text and started to learn about the website I instantly became curious in the potential uses. When I learned that Flickr has the ability for annotated features “(which allows you to add notes to parts of the image simply by dragging a box across an area and typing text into a form” {Richardson, 2010, p 104}), the capability to have online discussions about a photo, and connect pictures to Google Maps or Google Earth, I realized that the educational benefits could be endless.
Personally speaking, I am extremely excited to use Flickr when I travel next year, which also speaks upon using Flickr in the educational setting when diving into teaching cultural heritage, diversity, geography etc. Next year while I am in Africa I will be experiencing and taking photographs of images that at times only a picture will be able to speak to. Being able to have my family and friends effortlessly follow my Flickr account, show them where each picture is taken with the Google Maps application, add notes to explain or comment right on the photo, and allow them to comment on my photos is ideal. They not only will follow my story and my life by means of words in a blog, but by my pictures on Flickr as well; which is equally, if not more, informational and intriguing. Just like I will be able to take pictures across the world and have my friends and family instantly be able to access them through Flickr, students can access pictures from anywhere and learn through visual means.
The article The Commons on Flickr, speaks of the special section on Flickr called the Commons. The commons “enables cultural heritage institutions to share photography collections online” (Garvin, 2009, p.45). The Commons is set apart from Flickr because copyright is not allowed or possible. The Commons on the Flickr blog. Yahoo project leader George Oates outlines the intended use of the Commons perfectly as he explains the two main purposes: “…firstly to increase exposure to the amazing content held in the public collection of civic institutions around the world, and secondly, to facilitate the collection of general knowledge about these collections…” (Garvin, 2009, 45). The internet and technology is at a rapid pace and the benefits are not by any means limited in the classroom setting. As educators, we need to embrace these possibilities as the millennial learners are no longer going to the library catalogs to search for a picture, article, quote etc., they are simply searching the web.
Before reading this week’s material I merely only heard of the word “Flickr”; which, to me was an empty word as my knowledge of Flickr was non-existent. When I started reading chapter 7 in Richardson’s text and started to learn about the website I instantly became curious in the potential uses. When I learned that Flickr has the ability for annotated features “(which allows you to add notes to parts of the image simply by dragging a box across an area and typing text into a form” {Richardson, 2010, p 104}), the capability to have online discussions about a photo, and connect pictures to Google Maps or Google Earth, I realized that the educational benefits could be endless.
Personally speaking, I am extremely excited to use Flickr when I travel next year, which also speaks upon using Flickr in the educational setting when diving into teaching cultural heritage, diversity, geography etc. Next year while I am in Africa I will be experiencing and taking photographs of images that at times only a picture will be able to speak to. Being able to have my family and friends effortlessly follow my Flickr account, show them where each picture is taken with the Google Maps application, add notes to explain or comment right on the photo, and allow them to comment on my photos is ideal. They not only will follow my story and my life by means of words in a blog, but by my pictures on Flickr as well; which is equally, if not more, informational and intriguing. Just like I will be able to take pictures across the world and have my friends and family instantly be able to access them through Flickr, students can access pictures from anywhere and learn through visual means.
The article The Commons on Flickr, speaks of the special section on Flickr called the Commons. The commons “enables cultural heritage institutions to share photography collections online” (Garvin, 2009, p.45). The Commons is set apart from Flickr because copyright is not allowed or possible. The Commons on the Flickr blog. Yahoo project leader George Oates outlines the intended use of the Commons perfectly as he explains the two main purposes: “…firstly to increase exposure to the amazing content held in the public collection of civic institutions around the world, and secondly, to facilitate the collection of general knowledge about these collections…” (Garvin, 2009, 45). The internet and technology is at a rapid pace and the benefits are not by any means limited in the classroom setting. As educators, we need to embrace these possibilities as the millennial learners are no longer going to the library catalogs to search for a picture, article, quote etc., they are simply searching the web.
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