Rewriting history: Stan the cameraman.

Lemon, Narelle

This paper will focus on Stan, a 6 year old boy and his transition from being excluded from his learning community to becoming a highly valued member. Stan's remarkable journey grew out of a study I undertook as a teacher/researcher where I got children to photograph their learning environment as a way to explore child voice and reflection. Stan was a child who came to the classroom with a number of unproductive labels as a learner. Stan's story shows his journey of meaning making, discovery of identity, ownership of skills developed through using the digital camera, and belonging to a community that included him.

At the beginning of the school year Stan didn't attend regularly. His mother and I would talk daily about his struggle to want to attend school, the concerns he had about how he was going to be treated by teachers and peers, as well as his awareness around his learning needs. Early in the school year Stan announced:

'I hate school... no one listens to me, looks at me or takes me seriously, they just laugh at me and think I'm no good. I don't like it anymore. I just don't want to be here anymore'.

The study's focus helped to change Stan's position in the classroom and his attitudes about learning. Along with Sam, sixteen other children aged 5 to 7 years participated in the study. These children used a digital camera to photograph what was important to them in relation to their learning. I understood that these were children born into a media, technological and visually savvy world where they interpret their world in multiple ways (Moss, 2007) using multiple resources. The ICT used as part of this study--the digital camera--aligned itself with integration into the early childhood classroom (Snyder, 1999) not replacing the role of the effective teacher or facilitator but rather enhancing what an effective teacher can provide in a learning space. The visual method provided another way to understand knowledge and the voices within the classroom setting while connecting with authentic life long learning.

My reflective practice focus led me to query some of the labels associated with learning ability and attitude that had been given to the children. I began questioning how I was going to work with these children to help them disengage with unproductive labels and also provide an environment that was nurturing, inclusive and enabled all students to succeed. I monitored and regulated actions towards achieving these goals. With this study the children were asked to participate in classroom activities as usual and they were invited to use a digital camera as another way for them to reflect on their learning.

One digital camera was used, and a rotation system was set up for the children to use the camera one at a time. This rotation process allowed students to use the digital camera at different times during the day and over the week at 30 minute intervals. The camera was kept on my desk at the side of the room for easy access. In using the camera the following instructions were agreed upon by all participants:

* When the camera was in use the children were asked to not pose or look at the camera as I wanted to capture the natural occurrences in the classroom.

* Each child decided if they wanted to use the digital camera in their scheduled time. If a child chose not to use the digital camera it would remain on my desk with the opportunity for another child to use it.

* No limit was set as to how many images were to be taken.

* After taking the photographs the child photographer would reflect on the images either through conversation with the teacher and/or peer(s) or by reflection using sentence starters provided or with a graphic organiser. This builds on the notion of photo self elicitation (Harper, 2002)

* Photographs were downloaded onto my laptop for storage and viewing enabling them to be immediately deleted from the digital camera and for another child to use the digital camera. Once the photographs were on my laptop they could be viewed or printed off according to the choice of the child as to how they were going to reflect.

* Some of the following triggers were used to assist in reflection if required:

* Tell me about your photos.

* Why did you take that shot?

* What have you learnt from the photo?

* Is there anything else happening?

* Tell me about yourself in the photo.

* Tell me about what you have learnt in taking these photos

* What do you think this photo can teach us?

Stan is a kinesthetic and visual learner, however in the past he hadn't had the chance to explore this way of learning in a school environment. As his attendance became more regular he began to realise that these qualities would be valued. Stan was intrigued that I too valued these qualities and learnt in these styles. He would often talk to me one-on-one about how I had taught him music the previous year but now was teaching him in year one 'like a real teacher'. The music connection--movement, expression, creativity, and imagination--was an instant connection and one that I used to highlight Stan's strengths. With the introduction of the digital camera to the classroom these elements were also encouraged in all the children but particularly resonated with Stan.

Stan questioned what I do with the photos I take having seen me previously model taking photographs to the class before the study began:

Stan: When you take photos do you talk about them like you get us to?

Well I do look at them and think about what is happening?

Stan: But you don't talk about them?

I don't talk about them every time but I do write notes about the photos and what I see. Sometimes I have lots of questions. I write them down and then I change things with the activity to make it better for you and others in the class.

Stan: So you make changes too? I changed the way I work with my table. I saw a photo that Hannah took and I wasn't really joining in ... you know teamwork. It's good to be in a team, like for basketball. It's lots of fun and you get to make friends.

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Engagement and igniting interest

For some students the possibility to be cameraman, as the participants affectionately called the process, was full of opportunities. The use of the digital camera built confidence and turned some children from quiet, nervous little people into shining lights, passionate, and enthusiastic about learning. The students that stood out in this study were the ones who had been labeled as 'learning needs students' or 'students who found school hard'. For these students the camera became a tool that allowed them to move around the room, interact with peers, talk about what was meaningful to them, and shed unproductive labels. Throughout the process of reflection, many students found they were gaining confidence in expressing themselves. This led to them experimenting while writing about their photographs. Reflection encouraged exploration, confidence and raised self-esteem while developing literacy skills.

Stan connected well with the digital camera--'Can I be cameraman? I'd really like to take the class working so well'. Stan became more confident and with his confidence he was able to interact with others and show them skills and share ideas about how he was using the camera. This highlighted metacognitive skills in thinking about what how to compose photographs to support reflection about learning and teaching.

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Peer Teaching

The role of cameraman became a strong outlet for Stan. He often communicated his understanding of classroom behaviours through his photographs and subsequent reflections.

Stan praised his classmates through his photographs and reflections acknowledging their behaviours that also showed in his own behaviour. Peers began to accept Stan through becoming productively involved in small group work, being able to contribute to class discussions, providing meaningful answers or thought provoking questions, and most of all Stan was able to work independently. His peers noticed the change. Stan was able to change his behaviour by seeing new behaviour through his digital image making. He was able to distinguish between acceptable behaviour in the learning environment and behaviours that inhibited him and others. Throughout this process Stan became 'Stan the Cameraman' to his classmates, and became a valued member of the learning community.

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Within the learning community problem solving skills were explored. Spontaneous learning moments were often captured by the child photographer at the time showing his/her inquiry as well as those around them. A visual narrative produced by Max (Figure 5) shows the story between two peers problem solving to untangle the headphone cords used for the computers in the classroom. Photos taken were interspersed amongst other action in the classroom. The sequence of photographs of Stan and his peer Gemma below demonstrate how Stan's sense of belonging and becoming were developing.

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The children involved in this study used the reflective skills, visual narrative, and use of digital camera skills they had gained in the classroom community and introduced them into their family community. This displayed transformability of authentic learning experiences that were shared with others--parents, siblings, and grandparents. The sharing of their new skills from the classroom learning community was enhanced for several children in the study, particularly Stan.

Stan talked with his father about his use of the digital camera in the classroom and was invited to use his father's camera equipment at home. From their conversations Stan brought the Polaroid camera into class and proceeded to take photographs of what was important to him building on the reflection process that was being carried out within the classroom as part of the curriculum. A photograph taken by Irene (Figure 6) shows Stan waiting for some Polaroid photos he had taken to dry.

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On seeing this image Stan commented:

'I like taking the photos so much with you that I asked my dad if I can use his camera. He gave me this one [Polaroid]. The photo comes out the front and you shake the paper. It's like magic and there is the photo I took. Now I can keep my photos and you can keep yours'.

I wanted to create a classroom community where everyone was valued for what they could offer. I wanted to rewrite history for Stan and the other children in association with their schooling. I was determined that my classroom was going to be one where the children and I could re-invent and create future opportunities and experiences. Stan is a shining example of this quest.

References

Harper, D (2002). Talking about pictures: A case for photo elicitation. Visual Studies. 17 (1), pp 14--26.

Moss, J. (Ed.) (2008). Educational researchers working--visually-digitally-spatially. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publications.

Snyder, I. (1999). Using information technology in language and literacy education: An introduction. pp. 1--10. In Hancock, J. (Ed.). Teaching literacy using information technology: A collection of articles from education (Norwood, NJ, Ablex Publishing Corporation), 15--34.

Narelle Lemon is a Lecturer at RMIT and the Manager of the Bachelor of Education Program in the School of Education.