Web 2.0 SRR

StrudelMonkeyhttp://flickr.com/photos/trentstrohm/72083021/

Since I’m always in travel mode, the photos I explored  on Flickr are for our next trip, to Ireland. I thought this was a lovely one, typifying the green land and the sea that frame the history and culture of this land. This was my first experience using the site, and it was a visual delight, if not a bit of an overload. With the enormous amount of images posted , one nevers knows what inspiration is just a click away. Concerning its use as a learning tool, it can be very valuable. Instead of using outdated or poor images from printed material, we can choose from this incredible range of recent and very specific images to suit the learning needs of the students.

Switching gears –  David Jake’s presentation on classroom uses of Flickr had some great suggestions. I especially liked several ideas: using photos as creative writing prompts ( one picture may be worth at least a hundred words!; creating a virtual field trip; illustrating student’s own stories. Another idea, to make comments on the works of other, is a a terrific way to stimulate questions and imagination. Any tool that helps students really look at creative work, including photgraphs, and look at them critcically, expands their world. Imagine the possibilities for discussion or essays: what did you like about the photo(s)? what message do you think the person whas trying to convey? what can you tell about her/him by these photographs? what words describe the image?, etc.