Pedagogy First!

Flickr and Vocabulary

When uploading pictures, I have used different kinds of online software such as "Picasa". When searching for copy right free “Creative Commons” images, I have used Flickr. After exploring Flickr's annotating tool, I find it very useful to introduce and to practice new vocabulary words. For instance, next week I will be teaching a lesson about identifying furniture and rooms in a house. I was able to search for an image of a living room and with a couple of clicks I was able to label the furniture. I will be using this picture to introduce the target words. Also, I am thinking about having my students work in small groups, and find pictures of rooms in a house, then label the furniture on it.

Flickr in blackboard

I have to admit, I'm not a photographer.   I submitted one of my husband's photos last year for this assignment.   Once I was in Flickr I did start searching for photos I could use.    I teach Kinesiology and it turns out a lot of people like to put pictures of themselves doing exercise on Flickr.    

I was able to use many of these exercise photos each week to spice up the way blackboard looked.  This made my blackboard class look more like a MOODLE class. In addition, this made the class much more user friendly.   Many students get intimidated when they see pages and pages of print.  By inserting applicable photos Blackboard became less intimidating.   One other benefit is that many military people (soldiers and wives) take our online courses.   I used pictures from soldiers exercising overseas.  

             

 Photo from Flickr.com Photographer Gravity Guy

I believe this made them feel 'more welcome' in the class. - Mary Jo Preti

From FlickrPoet to Tag Galaxy

Here's an interesting link to uses of Flickr to enhance language learning:  http://educationaltechnologyinelt.blogspot.com/2010/05/visual-literacy-flickr-fed-web-20-tools.html

Flickr and Teaching

All right. Now I'm really curious about how flickr might be used in teaching. I don't know yet. I'll think it over for the next few days. I'll let you know if I've thought of anything next week...

Perhaps a gallery for a "group" which consists of my students... I suppose the link could be in the syllabus each semester if the gallery had the potential to actually complement the online or on site learning. I'm realizing the seemingly infinite possibilities in teaching online. Initially, I've thought of teaching online as limiting and restrictive. I'm starting to change my mind and it's only been 3 weeks. Yikes.

Michele

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michelebrewster/

 

These are my two daughters (7 yrs and 5 yrs). Just about all of my pictures are of my family, so this is what's available to me. Here's the link to my new flickr site (above). I'm feeling pretty cool about this...

Now I'm wondering about how this applies to my teaching... I'll be reading over your posts to start brainstorming.

Exploring Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54470831@N08/5037770869/ 

 

Everything about this assignment was new for me.  I created a Flickr account, uploaded a photo, and listed a link here in the blog.  I wanted to create the fun comment spaces on the picture like I saw in other blogs, but alas, I haven't figured that out - yet...  I tried finding the Action tab on Flickr so I could add annotations to my blog.  Not yet on that one... And I tried bringing my photo to Mbedr.  According to Mbedr my photo doesn't exist.  So, not yet on that goal either.  I'd much rather be outdoors taking pictures, than uploading them to Flickr, but that is not why I'm here.  I know more today about Flickr than I did yesterday.  I'll persist and explore more tomorrow.  

 

Flickr Post

This is my first experience with Flickr, and while it wasn't a 100% easy or seamless exercise to complete, I did find the majority of the site user-friendly. In fact, my only hang up was adding my annotated image to this site. But, alas! Success! I am thinking about how I can use this site. I like the idea of my students responding to an image in a way that they would usually respond to a text. For example, I could post an open-ended, 'open-for-interpretation' image that could be analyzed in a variety of ways (ie. a picture of a wedding) and ask my students to identify the argument being made and explain how they got there, etc. This way, responses will be varied and will come from a more personal and relative point of view. Some could discuss the arguments surrounding same-sex marriage, some might put forth a religious interpretation, others could make a case regarding ceremony and culture. I think this could definitely be a useful tool in my online comp courses especially because of the fact that my students can approach an image in a way that validates their perspective and encourages critical thinking and analysis without the need for my in-person instruction. (P.S. I posted a picture from my summer vacation to Kauai. It's a magical place :))

For help with annotating Flickr images

Hi! I noticed not everyone had annotated their images. The trick is to use Add Note:

The gives you squares to add annotations to. 

But that only shows when someone is actually IN the Flickr website.

To add the image with the annotations elsewhere you need to use the Mbedr service: click here to get to Mbedr. 

Flickr & MiraCosta Mornings

I took this picture on my phone yesterday.  It was a beautiful morning and I wanted to see if I could capture it.  Who knew it would end up on the single most influential teaching blog as well as on Flickr! 

As far as a tool, it was very easy to find the picture, upload it, and embed it.  I also liked how I was able to resize the picture in the blog so it wasn't so huge. 

Since I took this picture on my phone, one of the options was for Flickr to show the location of the photo on a map.  At first I thought this would be cool, especially since I took this picture at school and it could create some interesting opportunities for other people to go to the exact same spot and see what I saw.  But as I continued reading about what "turning on" this feature would do, I thought about how this is a little bit too public for my liking.  Eventually, I could see myself uploading pictures of my family and friends.  This then would upload the location of my home and the homes of my friends.  Yikes!  No thank you Flickr.  This seems like a fun feature...for someone other than me. 

Blog + Flickr = Blickr?

These are the things I look at when I explore Web 2.0 technologies:

1. Does the login tie to any existing logins that I already have (ex:  Google Docs with Gmail), so I don't have to remember yet another login or password.  Flickr does this with my Yahoo account, so I like it.  I think there must be a hundred other accounts I have out there for various Web 2.0 sites, and I can't remember anyone of them.
2. Is it relatively easy to get started, especially for the basic features, or is the learning curve so intense that I need to spend half of my life learning the material (ex:  Adobe CS5 Production Suite or Final Cut Studio).  Uploading an image into Flickr is a painless process, so I like it.
3. Are menus easy to navigate and does each menu contain just enough selections, or is it littered with path after path navigation.  I'd give Flickr a "B" grade on this. 
4. Can I use what I create to share with others in other sites (Web 2.0 is after all social networking technology). For some darn reason, I had the most difficult time embedding my Flickr image with its notes using Mbedr.  It took me three tries, and I KNOW I didn't do anything differently the third time, but it finally worked.  Still don't know what I did incorrectly the previous two times. 
5. Do I see a use for this in what I do, apart from personal enjoyment.  The Time Warner advertisement comes to mind:  "You first.  The technology follows."  I don't think I am there yet with this one, and I'll be interested in seeing how others employ this technology in their teaching. 

My Blickr