BP9_2009103_FlickrLesson

Many of the lesson plans that I found on the Internet using Flickr were centered on using words and pictures. Before I began researching, I had an idea in my head of how I would use Flickr in the classroom. The results of my search supported my general idea. We all can remember the same old vocabulary lessons. The teacher would say, “write the word five times, then write a sentence using the word.” And that homework would be assigned every week with a new set of words. I believe that using Flickr in association with vocabulary would be a great new twist, on a classic, but important, subject. There are a couple of different ways I could see incorporating Flickr in to a vocabulary lesson. The first way may only work if you have the availability of cameras. You could allow them to go around the school and find things to take pictures of, or take pictures of each other putting their vocabulary words in to action. You could include bonus points if students can find ways to “tag” pictures accurately with more than one vocabulary word. If you do not have cameras available, an alternate method would be to allow students search for pictures on the Internet that show examples of the vocabulary word. The catch to this method would be that students would not be allowed to use the actual vocabulary word in the search engine. By not allowing students to use the vocabulary word to search, it forces them to make sure they have a good understanding of what the word means. If they can’t find the right words to search, then they will not be able to find a picture to tag with the vocabulary word. By allowing the students to find pictures and additional words to associate with their vocabulary word, it will allow them to demonstrate understanding of the vocabulary word, without being forced in to the same old routine of sentence writing.