Photosharing

**What Is Photosharing?**
Many websites are available to upload and share photos on. [|Flickr], [|photobucket], and [|picasa] to name a few. Flickr, photobucket and picassa are web hosting sites that allow you to upload, store, edit, create online albums, and share with your friends. media type="custom" key="7075205" align="right"

**How Photosharing Can Support Learning**

 * Demonstrates creativity by using multiple resources and formats
 * Visualize ideas, and sequence them so that they make sense.
 * Develop the ability to discern key ideas and to elimnate those that are not essential
 * Visual elements are effective because they enhance learning by stimulating comprehension and retention of information
 * Incorporate a vast array of skills such as writing, research, organization, technical presentation, problem solving, and speaking skills
 * Create an environment of active participants
 * Encourages students to use technology resources that many students are already familiar with and using for personal purposes

**How Can I Use a Photosharing in the Home-Ec Classroom**

 * Students can take photos of take home cooking and baking assignments. These can be added onto a class stream of photos.
 * Farm to plate digital story
 * Photographical tour
 * Vocabulary prompting with images
 * Storage site for class photos
 * [|Mixbook.] Mixbook is a photobook that allows you to use your photos from flickr, photobucket, and picasa to create beautiful photo albums. Could be used for online scrapbooking or for an end of year album etc.
 * Teach about copyright and appropriate use of images

**Samples**
Here is an [|example of one teacher's photostream]used in the classroom. [|Labelling diagrams] media type="custom" key="7076153" align="right"

**Tips For Educators**

 * First attempts, place students in small collaborative groups
 * Remember when they are first learning the technical aspects of the tools, no matter how easy it is, their focus will be on the tool, not on the content.
 * Choose topics that are fun and not too complex
 * Create an evaulation rubric with the students so everyone is aware of the elements that will be graded such as content, technical aspects, creativity, spelling, and grammar.
 * Discuss intended audience with the students and how to use the tools features to effectively target the audience
 * Teach students to respect copyright: to use their own images, ones from copyright free sites, or [|creative common sites.]

Getting Started

 * Sign up for a free account
 * Search the public database for images to use or view
 * Import images to edit, organizw, or share
 * Upload images and then proceed to add titles, descriptions, tags, or create new

**References and More Information**
[|Think Photo Sharing With Flickr] [|Digital Photography in the Classroom]