As educators, it is crucial that we never forget each child comes into our classroom with a story- a complex web of experiences that shape them into the individuals they are.
Even the youngest of students carry unique sets of intricate encounters with them, as recognized with University of Victoria professor and former teacher Jodi Streelasky. Jodi taught in primary classrooms for many years, and always focussed on the individuality of each child. In her pedagogy and research, she was interested in collapsing the all-too-present barrier between school and home life.
One of the ways that Jodi was able to actualize this was through a sixteen-week photography project with a class of grade one students. Each student had the opportunity to take a digital camera home for a week, after instruction on how to properly hold, point and shoot the devices . They were tasked with taking photographs of aspects from their daily lives that held importance to them. Granting children the right to handle and use cameras showed respect for their capabilities- the students rose to the occasion and no cameras were lost or damaged.
The resulting photographs acted as a set of data that allowed for insight into the lives of Jodi’s students. Not only was she able to realize the vastly different worlds of each child, but the themes that emerged were indicative of certain tropes that hold great relevance for students of that age group. To elaborate, many children took photos of pets (such as cats) and family members. This goes to show that such motifs reign heavy in the minds of grade one children. Such insight is beneficial in designing lesson plans and adjusting our teaching to captivate student interest.
To go further, this task bridged the disconnect that often exists between school and the rest of student’s worlds. Dissociating one’s outside experiences from the events that take place within the classroom stifles the holistic education that benefits students throughout their lives. Once children realize that school and home are not two separate entities, deeper learning can take place.
All in all, Jodi’s grade one photography project acted as a multifaceted medium for deep, engaging teaching. Not only did the students gain a sense of independence and responsibility but their further learning was improved by the insight their teacher gained into their interests. Perhaps most important of all, this task was a huge step towards erasing the arbitrary line children often drawn between home and school.
-Katie
