Using digital images with young children: challenges of integration

Abstract

In what ways can information and communications technologies (ICT) be integrated into classroom practice to create a ‘community of learners’? This paper describes an action research project, over a six‐month period, in which a class of seven‐year‐old and eight‐year‐old children in a metropolitan South Australian school created digital images to record perceptions of their school. It examines how the children and their teacher acquired and developed their ICT skills and describes how the teacher, who was not an expert in digital photography and associated software applications, used a network of support staff and colleagues in integrating use of digital images to change ways in which children learn. The paper also discusses challenges of integration confronting the teacher such as time constraints, coping with ICT malfunction, acquiring appropriate support and compilation of a multimedia report of the project.

Keywords:

• Young children
• Digital photography
• Computers in schools
• Visual literacy
• Implementation of change
• Collaborative learning

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Australian Computers in Education Annual Conference, Hobart, July 2002 and is based on an unpublished report submitted in partial fulfillment of the Lillian de Lissa Action Research Scholarship by Beryl Tillett and Kerry‐Ann Kavanagh. The Scholarship was supported through a grant from the Lillian de Lissa and Jean Denton Scholarship Committee: 2001 in Adelaide, South Australia. This support is gratefully acknowledged.

Notes

* Corresponding author: University of Newcastle Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

John Schiller *

* Corresponding author: University of Newcastle Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.