At Union County College in New Jersey, we have begun a "Creative Technologies" project, borrowing ideas from adult educators around the U.S. (including Mariann Fedele at NYC's Literacy Assistance Center and the LaGuardia Community College "Hotel Teach" program which uses MP3 players). 

Our instructors and learners are beginning to use digital cameras (both still cameras and movie cameras), digital audiotape recorders, scanners, and easy-to-use Macintosh software to create their own digital presentations (e.g., PowerPoints, web pages).  These are in some cases posted on web sites. (Go to http://web.mac.com/pjurmo1/iWeb/CEWD%20Learners/Welcome.html ).

By coincidence, one of the web pages on that site has a PowerPoint presentation about "Recycling."  Though the images aren't as visually powerful as those on the Chris Jordan site, they represent a lot of work and thought by our students.  

In this project, we are trying to get away from relying solely on pre-packaged software and instead enable learners to use techologies to engage creatively in project-based learning, investigating issues of interest to them and in the process developing many different EFF skills (e.g., research, speaking, listening, writing, reading, technology, etc.)  

Paul Jurmo
Union County College
Elizabeth, NJ  


-----Original Message-----
From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Gylle Macdonald
Sent: Sat 10/20/2007 6:02 AM
To: The Workplace Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Workplace 1051] Re: powerful pictures
 

Wow - what an amazing website 
 
Gill


Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:02:17 -0400To: workplace at nifl.govFrom: psc3 at psu.eduSubject: [Workplace 1050] Re: powerful picturesThank you Donna for sharing this incredibly powerful website! I think the photos and site have tremendous instructional potential. 

My initial reaction was one of speechlessness. So,  maybe an activity could focus on vocabulary development, especially fact and opinion. For example, students can try to factually describe (spoken or written) a photo or series of photos then describe (spoken or written) their emotional or cognitive reactions to what is depicted. 
Another activity could focus on concepts of scale. 
Students (individuals, pairs, or small groups) could be given disposable cameras (or share a program-owned digital camera) to create a photo essay to share with others. 
Students could observe their own environments (class, home, work) and develop analogies to similar situations in their lives.I think this site should not be limited to use in any type of adult education classroom or with a particular group of students; its instructional power is limitless and I am anxious to hear others' ideas!  Priscilla CarmanOn Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:13:54 -0400 The Workplace Literacy Discussion List wrote:  
Workplace colleague
Did you ever run across a website that was so
powerful that
you just had to figure out a way to use it in your instruction?  I've
run across such a site.  It's the photography of Chris Jordan at http://www.chrisjordan.com . Click on
the selection of pictures called "Running the Numbers: An American
Self-Portrait" and scroll down through.


I'd like some help in figuring out ways that these
pictures could be used in our classes.  I think they could be used in many
kinds of ways as part of an awareness of environmental issues, statistics,
scale,
etc.  Are they useful in workplace literacy, or more useful in some other
area of literacy?  Take a look and see what you think.  Share your
ideas with the discussion list.  Thanks! 

Donna

 

Donna Brian

Moderator, LINCS Workplace Literacy Discussion
List

Priscilla CarmanLiteracy SpecialistInstitute for the Study of Adult LiteracyPenn State University208F Rackley BuildingUniversity Park, PA 16802PH: 814-865-1049 FX: 814-863-6108
_________________________________________________________________
Feel like a local wherever you go.
http://www.backofmyhand.com

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