KODAK: Education - Cameras and Careers

Cameras and Careers

Katherine J. Hummel
Carl Sandburg Elementary School, Charleston, Illinois

Subject: Career Education
Grade: 1

"Not that I am prejudiced, but I would rate this project pretty much of a howling success."

Purpose and Description of Project

Katherine Hummel had students photograph their parents (or other adults) on the job, focusing particularly on the place of work, tools and equipment, goods or services produced, and how school subjects relate to the job. Children and adults then worked together to write captions for the photos, and the completed and bound books were read by each first-grade author. The books remain a permanent part of the school library, where the teacher says they are a very hot item not just with her class but others.

Hummel found three main areas of achievement resulting from this project:

The children learned about a variety of careers, developed descriptive writing skills, enhanced both their reading and speaking vocabularies, and learned library skills.
They learned about photography, including how to manipulate the shutter button, compose pictures, and evaluate their own and others' photos.
They learned to appreciate the skills required for various jobs and how academic learning relates to these jobs; were involved in increased communication with both adults and classmates; and gained increased pride and confidence in their capabilities.

Activities

Hummel led off the project with a week's discussion and study of careers that included more than a dozen guest speakers. Among these were a parent who told about his job as a university football coach. He brought two hulking players as Exhibits A and B. A local newspaper reporter and photographer photographed the children in their Occupation Dress-up Day costumes.

The children were introduced to photographic basics, including hands-on practice with empty cameras and an analysis of some of the "goofs" Hummel herself had produced. The students were absolutely enthralled by the idea that they were eventually going to take pictures.

Since she had only 10 cameras for 24 children, Hummel sent them home in waves-armed with camera, flash, and a page of instructions in a plastic bag-and passed along the cameras as they were freed up. As soon as each batch of students had taken photos of a parent or an adult at work and the prints were processed, these were sent home. Adults and children worked on writing narration to accompany the pictures. Along with the prints went a sheet of guidelines for putting together each child's occupation book and a parent/student evaluation of the project.

Once the completed books were returned to school, they were bound, and a room parent helped the children type library cards for the books and the card catalog. Hummel and the children made a special display for their books, which are a permanent part of the library. Each child read his or her book to the entire class. Many volunteered additional interesting facts that they had learned about the occupations covered.

Materials, Resources, and Expenses

According to Hummel, the parents and other adults who allowed themselves to be photographed at their jobs were essential to the success of the project.

Equipment included 10 cameras, which were loaned by Eastern Illinois University's audiovisual department; flash cubes, donated by the General Electric Company of Mattoon; and book-binding materials, including covers, half-lined paper, title pages, stapler, library cards and book pockets, and a typewriter.

Outcomes and Adaptability

The results of the project more than fulfilled Hummel's expectations. Both the student and the parent evaluations were overwhelmingly positive. Hummel found that more than 90 percent of the children's photos were clear and well-composed. Students did their share of writing the narration. Parents reported that their children contributed anywhere from 50 percent to 100 percent of what was used. She also says that the children did a particularly good job of presenting their books to the class, making their way with ease through such difficult terms as anesthesiologist, technician, and tourniquet, which certainly are not in the typical first-grade reader.

Additional outcomes were the laying of a new basis for parent/child communication and the enthusiasm that the project generated in even the shyest child in the class, who had previously declined all inducements to speak before the group. After this child's impressive performance in reading his book and talking about his father's job, reports Hummel, "immediately the class broke into spontaneous applause as I blinked back my tears of joy. A simple camera had released the words within him."

Hummel advises that her project could be adapted to any grade level with only minor changes. For example, any subject-area teacher at junior high or high school level could focus on careers in his or her field. The finished products could be a resource for guidance counselors.

Cameras and Careers

Purpose and Description of Project

Activities

Materials, Resources, and Expenses

Outcomes and Adaptability

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