The Blog
The purpose of this blog is to provide a communal space for students to share their writing and ideas. The contributors are all participants in an intermediate level ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) class for adults. There are about 30 students actively participating. The students represent a broad range of experience with education and technology. For some, this project marks their introduction, maneuvering the mouse, and navigating the keyboard for the first time. For others, computers and web applications are second nature. These students have been instrumental for this project. They have displayed an unfaltering patience as they guide, teach, and tutor their peers.
The Project
The purpose of this project is to explore photography and visual culture through themes of identity. Our primary goal for this semester is for students to create a narrated slide show using the students' own writing and photography. (My example is displayed in the left column of the blog.)
Writing
Students will select 10 aspects of their roles and identities, as they individually determine which roles are most important to their sense of self. From our class discussions, we have concluded that social categories of identity can be limiting and impersonal (categories such as race, nationality, gender, etc.). Therefore, students will work to connect personal details and memories to these roles, to create a more authentic personal history. The writing displayed on the blog exhibits each successive draft from the students as we move forward.
Photography
Students will plan photographs to capture their ideas in images. We have closely examined a variety of images and illustrations from advertisements, web searches, books, and especially the photography of Cindy Sherman from her Untitled Film Stills series. We examine the overall effect and success of photos, as well as some aspects of formal composition. When planning photos, students will consider frame, angle, lighting, and mise en scene (or staging).
Technology
Students will explore basic editing techniques for digital photos, create online web albums, and finally produce a Yodio.
Notes
This project is absolutely a work-in-progress. Almost every component is new for me. This is my first attempt at creating a blog. This is my first attempt teaching the particular technology involved. This is my second attempt at teaching the thematic writing used, as well as my second attempt teaching photography. The photos on this page show show the first stage of this project from the previous semester. The portraits were taken by a professional photographer, a friend of mine.
As the project moves forward, I hope to begin posting lesson plans (successful and not so successful) and resources for interested teachers.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my students for their continued hard work and patience, as we learn how to do this together.
-Eric, ESOL teacher
