Master's Project Proposal

  Designing A Digital Photography Course for Teachers
Lori King
 Kent State University
When high school teachers are tasked with teaching or managing student photographers, they should know how to operate a camera, understand what makes a good photograph, and be aware of basic legal rights and ethical standards of a photographer.  Photography is more than just pointing and shooting a camera to capture a pretty picture.  It is a technical and aesthetic discipline that invokes critical thinking.  This Master of Arts project involves the author creating and teaching a basic photography course to better prepare high school teachers who instruct or manage student photographers. The course, tentatively scheduled for Summer 2013 at Owens Community College in Toledo, Ohio, includes a syllabus and lesson plans, as well as homework assignments tailored to each teacher’s need. The course is developed in accordance with scholarly research that supports using photography as both an art form for expression and a critical thinking tool for learning. 
            Keywords: high school teachers, student photographers, photography course, critical thinking, teaching photograph
  Designing a basic photography course for high school teachers
             High school English, math, science, art, and history teachers all require educational degrees specifically related to their subjects before they can instruct students in the classroom.  History teachers do not cover algebra and science teachers shall not instruct on the Civil War.   So why are English teachers increasingly being tasked to pull double duty and instruct photography, journalism, and yearbook courses?  That question is the inspiration for this Master’s project, which is the creation of a basic photography course for high school teachers who instruct or manage student photographers in some way.
Because of recent national budget and specialized teacher cuts, particularly in the subjects of art and journalism, it is becoming commonplace that photography is being taught, if taught at all, by teachers who do not have the necessary experience or educational backgrounds.  However, for this author’s purpose, it does not matter why this is happening.  What really matters is that it is happening, and it is not fair to the teachers or the students. This proposed photography course is primarily designed for teachers in this predicament, but it will also be open to core academic subject teachers who want to add photography to their curriculum.  Photography, after all, is a powerful critical-thinking tool.
Ultimately, this Master’s project will provide an opportunity for teachers using photography for any subject to learn about the art of photography so they can be better prepared in the classroom.
Literature Review
The greatest obstacle to art education is the financial cost of resources, materials, and faculty (Way, 2006).  In 2011, it was reported that budget cuts targeted art education in public school districts across the nation, including Toledo [Ohio] Public Schools (Brakel, 2011).  Brakel (2011) noted that school administrators and board members frequently value the arts but must balance their budgets at a time when school expenses outpace revenue.  These budget cuts have caused a concentration on spending limited resources on core academic subjects, subsequently causing a reduction in teachers in non-traditional subjects, like photography and journalism (Eisele, 2008).  Cutting back on teachers who specialize in photography and journalism results in teachers in other subject areas unfairly picking up the slack.
It would be odd to expect a teacher to plan a lesson on, for instance, writing reports in science and to evaluate related student assignments, if that teacher is ignorant about writing and about science, and does not understand what student progress in writing science reports might mean (Buckmann, 1984, p. 32).
This logic can certainly be applied to teaching photography.  Indeed, it is odd for an English teacher to prepare lesson plans on photography when that teacher is ignorant of how a camera functions.  Though there is little empirical data to shine a light on how many photography teachers lack proper educational training, theoretical and anecdotal data help illustrate the challenges unprepared teachers face. 
One English teacher has witnessed this dilemma firsthand. M. Davidson (2012) has a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and said he was asked when hired at a Northwest Ohio public school in 2002 to advise his school’s print newspaper.  He also started an Introduction to Journalism course, where prospective student staff members were trained in photography. Though Davidson was prepared to instruct photographers because of his journalism degree, he admits knowing about art, foreign language, and even industrial technology teachers who were asked to advise student media publications (M. Davidson, personal communication, September 7, 2012).
Few have the training or experience to properly advise.  It is only after years of education, training and, experience that advisers can feel comfortable doing what is being asked of them. School administrators have to believe journalism programs hold great educational value to our students because journalism and photography courses are some of the few that truly promote essential skills students need to be independent and critical thinkers.  Unfortunately, I believe administrators do not understand the journalism process, and therefore do not understand its value to students.  When funding is an issue, that makes it easy to see journalism education, including photography, as expendable (M. Davidson, personal communication, September 7, 2012).
Unfortunately, the print and online newspaper, as well as the journalism course at Davidson’s school, have since shut down due to budget cuts.  But funding isn’t the only obstacle for the retention of photography and journalism courses.  Eisele (2008) pointed out that art is suffering as schools concentrate on reading and math, primarily because while the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 lists art as one of the 10 core subjects students need to learn, the legislation only requires schools to report student achievement test results and meet state-determined standards for reading and math. This feared reduction in arts education adversely affects the quality of arts education for students (Brakel, 2011).
Administrators might debate whether art is even an academic subject, compared to English, mathematics, and science, but according to the NCLB, the answer is yes.  The arts is among the NCLB Act’s list of core academic subjects, located in Title IX, Part A, Section 9101 (1)(D)(11), Definitions. It states:
(11) CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECTS - The term core academic subjects 
means English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages,
civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography (Dept. of Education, 2012).
The federal government has put art education in the same category as core academic subjects, but administrators might question whether photography, specifically, is considered art.  This is more of a gray area, considering the NCLB doesn’t provide a definition of the arts. It is actually up to each state to define its arts curriculum (America for the Arts, 2012).  The Ohio Core requires students in grades 7-12 to complete two semesters or equivalent of fine arts to graduate, but it is not specific as to what constitutes fine arts.  However, Ohio does have a licensure requirement for art teachers who teach dance, drama, music, and visual art (ARTS, 2012). Since photography is not specifically mentioned, there is no licensure requirement for photography.
One real example of an ill-prepared art instructor forced to teach photography is that of Ohio public school educator Marino (2008). When Marino was hired as an art instructor, her duties included teaching both a beginner and an advanced photography course for high school students. Marino (2008) posted this online plea for technical and pedagogic help on a public forum:
My question is, does anyone have any tips for me on the following: 1. Some basic steps of teaching photography (such as first, parts of the camera; technical info. Second,...) 2. Some ideas on how to teach beginner and advanced students in the same class 3.  Some lesson plan ideas 4. Any resources that would be helpful for me. This is a lot of information I'm seeking, I appreciate any input I can get. THANK YOU !!!! [sic](Marino, 2008).
Recognizing a need to offer photographic education for teachers faced with similar circumstances as Marino, the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York designed a 468-page curriculum guide called Focus on Photography: A Curriculum Guide. This guide was created as a free resource for teachers because IPC understood the rewards photographic education can give to students (Way, 2006). Way wrote, “As students learn about photography, they benefit from an integrated learning experience that nurtures their minds, hearts, and souls (p.25).”
The ICP Focus syllabus listed three aspects particular to the medium of photographic education:
(1) Active learning: Students must work hands-on with cameras in a setting where they can create images; this encourages students to interact with and know about the world. In contrast, musicians, painters, and writers often can create artwork from their imagination and in the privacy of their rooms.
(2) Point of view: Creating an image with a camera trains the photographer to select a point of view, to frame a picture in the particular way that communicates what he or she wants to say. This has a tremendous personal benefit for students, as they broaden their communication skills and see value in their perspectives.
(3) Applications of the medium: Because the use of photography is widespread in professional, educational, and personal spheres, learning to create and understand images is a powerful, relevant skill. To move beyond the snapshot and comprehend more complex visual statements, such as in advertising and art exhibitions, offers students access to a communication skill that is part of their education, family lives, community history, and future careers (Way, 2006, pp. 7,8).
            Way (2006) acknowledged that this curriculum guide will help educators use photography to enrich students’ learning experiences, and to incorporate photographic education into their teaching. 
            There is no doubt that teaching skill competency in the medium of photography, such as technical knowledge of camera equipment and basic compositional rules, is one of the elements of creative art that must be included in a syllabus, but more important is teaching students how to make images that satisfy cognitively and emotionally because the student photographer is learning to view the world by means of visual ideas the medium makes possible (Richmond, 2004).
One of the great rewards of teaching is seeing the emergence of good individual work, of something that surprises, delights, and inspires the teacher and student. The student is getting the knack of creative work – something similar to learning how and why of things, but also, and more difficult, about finding ways to respond to and nurture the student’s particular creative and aesthetic bent (Richmond, 2004, p. 116).
Statement of the Project
The overall goal of this Master’s project is designed to give educators of all disciplines an opportunity to learn about the technical and aesthetic craft of photography as a tool of personal engagement and conceptual understanding. 
To accomplish this endeavor, the course will provide:
§  hands-on experience with digital camera equipment and photo editing software;
§  discussions of photographic/photojournalism history and theory;
§  opportunities for teachers of all subjects to create individualized lesson plans to utilize with their own students;
§  a better understanding of using visual literacy to inspire critical thinking and learning;
§  a basic knowledge of legal rights and ethical standards for photographers.
Ideally, the course should attract interdisciplinary teachers who have some kind of responsibility or contact with student photographers, particularly those who are considering using photography as a means of stimulating critical thinking in the classroom, as exemplified by the Media-based Inquiry Project (MIP) (see Appendix A for more information on the Media-based Inquiry Project). The MIP involved a team of language arts, science, history, math and special education teachers who used photography as a critical-thinking learning tool (Kannel-Ray and Newlin-Haus, 2009).
Further research strengthens the argument that media-literacy education and core academic subjects complement each other. Sperry (2012) stated, that as a teacher, he feels he must tie his science curriculum to students’ real-life experiences because they live and learn in a media-saturated environment where information abounds. In a media-literacy initiative called Project Look Sharp, Sperry noted most teachers had a concern of taking time out of a science curriculum to incorporate critical thinking through media literacy.
Although most teachers had this concern, they also recognized they would be more successful in teaching core content to more students if they could spark interest, show the ways in which science connected to their students’ lives, and have students apply scientific knowledge and principles to meaningful tasks (Sperry, 2012).
In this increasingly global society where students are engaged with so much visual information on the Internet, Kannel-Ray & Newlin-Haus (2009) reported it is imperative for all teachers to have an instructional strategy that strengthens visual conceptual thinking while actively engaging students on a personally meaningful level.  Stanley (2003) also suggested that engagement is a key to a more genuinely democratic education in which photography plays a leading role.
Combining media literacy to rigid instruction is not a new concept. American philosopher Dewey (1910) believed observation is an active process that demands exploration and inquiry for the sake of discovering something being needed in order to reach some end, practical or theoretical. “Material taught by teachers should be supplied by way of stimulus, not dogmatic finality and rigidity” (Dewey, 1910, pp. 198-199).  Photography, though highly technical, falls into this way of observational thinking.  Photography and Web 2.0 tools, like Facebook and blogs, enhance a student’s learning processes, potentially inspiring students to examine their own lives and out-of-school experiences through exploration and inquiry (Myers, 2009).
They [students] have come to realize that by critically analyzing amateur work and offering constructive criticism, they learn more about photography and composition then they could ever learn from a textbook or by studying the work of professional artists (Myers, 2009, p. 37).
The photography course curriculum will certainly include rigid material, such as tutorials on how to operate a camera and edit photos using Photoshop, but it will also encourage teachers to view photography as an aesthetic way of critical thinking that can be achieved through individual experiences with a camera.
Justification of the Project
Though photography is not a required subject of study, it is such a popular artistic means of expression that it should not be ignored. Consider that the digital age has created an indiscriminate and unlimited amount of photographic images (Robbie & Zeeng, 2008).  In fact, it is estimated that 2.2 million digital cameras were sold in 1999.  In 2000, 85 billion physical photos were taken, and in 1996, 1.2 million digital cameras were sold.  By 2011, 3.5 trillion photos were shot (Reference for Business).  Good (2011) estimated that every two minutes today we snap as many photos as the whole of humanity took in the 1800s. In fact, 10 percent of all the photos we have were taken in the past 12 months.  However, just because lots of people have cameras does not mean they know how to use them; and just because a teacher knows how to teach journalism doesn’t mean he knows how to teach photojournalism. As with any subject, when photography teachers have a background in basic photography, the students benefit. 
Students of this generation deserve to be engaged in ways that are pertinent to their futures, which in this day and age includes teaching Web 2.0 technology, including social media (Myers, 2009). Because of the rapid speed of Web 2.0 technologies, like Flickr, Facebook, blogs and Pinterest, it is critical for teachers to strengthen visual conceptual thinking while actively engaging students on a personally meaningful level (Kannel-Ray & Newlin-Haus, 2009). Engagement may be the key to a more genuinely democratic education in which photography plays a leading role (Stanley, 2003, p. 142).
Myers’ (2009) photography club students use social media to document their own lives for their individual blogs, which are linked to other schools from around the country so they can critique each other’s photographs and learn from one another.
They have come to realize that by critically analyzing amateur work and offering constructive criticism, they learn more about photography and composition than they could ever learn from a textbook or by studying the work of professional artists.  I have learned that, when designed thoughtfully, the blogging environment facilitates student-centered learning, rewards student initiative, and encourages critical thinking (Myers, 2009).
Myers (2009) noted he provided his students, who have gone on to earn degrees related to art and photography, with tangible examples of real-world applications for the photographic skills he is teaching. One of those skills is teaching students how to “see” and use a camera creatively, as well as to think beyond the square, i.e. recreating the 3D world in a 2D space (Robbie & Zeeng, 2008).   
Photography is also powerful visual aid that helps promote media literacy.  Media literacy is a modern approach to education that provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and participate with messages in a variety of forms, from print to video to the Internet.  Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression for citizens of a democracy (CML, 2012).
Photography is not just about technique; it is about perception and communication. Because the power of photography lies in its ability to communicate our perceptions of the world, photography can intersect with many areas of study. Thematic photography projects can impart an understanding of the medium itself as well as reinforce studies in such disciplines as science, social studies, English, and languages (Way, 2006).
This thought opens the door for interdisciplinary interaction between the arts and traditional core subjects. Brakel (2011) wrote that because time devoted to the arts is limited, classroom teachers should integrate the arts into other subjects; but only instruction by specialists, in collaboration with classroom teachers, can give the arts their due as a core subject and achieve state standards for academic content.
This kind of interdisciplinary interaction is exhibited in the Media-based Inquiry Project in Kalamazoo, Mich. (Kannel-Ray & Newlin-Haus, 2009). 
The students used photography as the tool to explore and think critically about profound, sometimes frightening aspects of their lives, and together analyze and create community bulletin boards (Kannel-Ray & Newlin-Haus, 2009).
Overall, Kannel-Ray & Newlin-Haus (2009) stated the project helped to develop a communication ethos among the students and teachers and increased academic learning.
Here are a few other reasons to justify photography in the classroom:
1.     Developing students’ creativity and authentic self-expression in all forms of social media (Hobbs, 2004);
2.     Exploring economic, political, cultural and social media issues in contemporary society through visual literacy (Hobbs, 2004);
3.      Developing character education that introduces students to learning the implications of ethical standards [staging and manipulating photos], and legal rights [invading privacy and copyright infringement]  (M. Hendricks, personal communication, Sept. 11, 2012);
4.     Viewing, discussing, and creating images can be a passage of self-discovery that enhances self-esteem (C. Way, 2006).
Limitations of project
Project creation limitation.  There are numerous photography course syllabi to draw from to create this photography course for teachers, so gathering the necessary elements, such as tutorials and lesson plans, for the course was not a problem. However, this author had difficulty collecting empirical and concrete research data proving two major concerns:
1.     yearbook, journalism, and art teachers who lack photography education or experience are instructing and managing student photographers;
2.     collecting an accurate count of photography instructors who are actually English or non-photography teachers. 
The most accurate way to collect this type of data is to administer a survey to local teachers, but this is not an option due to time constraints.  First, getting the survey back in time from the Kent State University Institute Review Board (IRB) prevents this from happening.  Even if the IRB expedites the survey approval, the next step of choosing a random sample of teachers to fill it out and return it in a timely manner will be very time-consuming.  Survey distribution and response collection for a Master’s project thesis needs to begin at least three months before the project is due, and this project is due in three weeks.
Attendance limitations. The term visual arts casts a wide net.  Unfortunately, it is up to each state, and even each particular school system, to decide whether photography is included in a broad and eroding arts curriculum. Photography is often included in a visual arts program, but it is not always a part of a fine arts curriculum.  Simply put, there is no federal or state mandate to include photography in an arts curriculum. Therefore, the attendance of this proposed course could be low due to lack of photography in the schools. However, encouraging teachers interested in photography to consider it as an additional critical-thinking tool could remedy this. Subject matter should not be a deterrent for attendance.  
There are several ways to rectifying possible low attendance. One way is to offer the course online. Another way is to create a traveling workshop that can be presented to both the teachers and the students at individual schools during the school year. As an incentive to get teachers to enroll in whatever format the course is offered, they can earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which are nationally recognized units of measurement for participation in non-credit continuing education programs.
Resource limitations. (Way, 2006, p. 28) stated, “The greatest obstacle to art education is the financial cost of resources, materials, and faculty.”  Computer and software accessibility in schools and home environments can be a problem, particularly in low-income schools. Photo editing software, such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, and Final Cut Pro for even minimum uploading and editing workflow, is costly.  Even if a school system did have the necessary software and equipment, teachers should know how to use and teach the tools, which tend to be complicated.
Another equipment concern is that not all teachers (nor many students) have DSLR cameras, making it difficult to effectively illustrate the equipment they are attempting to teach. Though cell phone cameras are more accessible, allowing for cell phone photography to be on the rise, even these small devices can be complicated and difficult to understand.
  Methodology
A syllabus, lesson plans and homework assignments will be developed in accordance with scholarly research and scholastic and photography outlets, including, but not limited to, the ICP, The Poytner Institute, and the National Press Photographers Association. The homework assignments will be geared for teachers to use with their own students. 
Though this Master’s project will not include a survey, it would certainly be beneficial to utilize in further research and course development. 
                                                 Conclusion
The primary goal for creating this photography course as my Master’s project is to give local teachers a hands-on approach to learning about photography.  As an experienced photojournalist and community college photography adjunct instructor, I understand how hard it is to fully comprehend camera controls, reciprocity, composition, and image critiquing, let alone teach it. A classroom setting with teachers who can share their experiences will ultimately benefit the teachers and their students.
The intention is for this course to be taught at an accredited higher education institution by Summer 2013.   At this time, Ruth Foote, the photography director at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts at Owens Community College, has verbally approved the use of its facilities and available equipment.  This includes classroom space, MAC computers, and limited checkout of camera equipment. When the student manual is designed and finalized, it will be submitted to OCC for course approval, and then to the Continuing Education office for CEU credit.
 References
ARTS Education Partnership. (2012). Arts State Policy Database Support Generator. Retrieved             from http://tinyurl.com/8cj4f3s
Brakel, T. D., (2011, March 12) Training essential for art teachers. The Toledo Blade. Retrieved from http://www.toledoblade.com/Op-Ed-Columns/2011/03/13/Training-essential-for-art-teachers.html
Buchmann, M. (1984). The priority of knowledge and understanding in teaching.  J. Raths
& L. Katz (Eds.), Advances in teacher education (Vol. 1, pp. 29-48). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Center for Media Literacy. (2002-2011). Media Literacy: A Definition and More. Retrieved from
Dewey, J. (1910). How we think. Boston, New York, Chicago: D.C. Heath & Co.
Eisele, K. (2008, Spring). Art makes all things better. Teaching Tolerance. Retrieved
Good, J. (2011, September 15). How many photos have ever been taken? [Web log post].
Hobbs, R. (2004). A Review of School-based Initiatives in Media Literacy Education. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(1), 42-59. doi: 10.1177/0002764204267250
Kannel-Ray, N. and Newlin-Haus, E. (2009, November). Using Media as Subject Matter to             Teach Thinking. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/8rmpj4g
Marino, R. (2008, August 7).  Help with designing a high school photography curriculum?  [Web             log post] Retrieved from http://photo.net/photography-education-forum/00QRBE
Myers, E. (2009, March-April). Photography Education in a Web 2.0 Classroom. Retrieved from
            http://tinyurl.com/9uju9xo
Newspaper Death Watch. (2012) Retrived from http://newspaperdeathwatch.com/.
Dept. of Education (2012). NCLB Act. Retrieved from             http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html
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Richmond, S. (2004). Thinking Outside of the Rules: Approaches to the Teaching of Photographic Art. Visual Arts Research, Vol. 30, No. 2(59).
Robbie, D. & Zeeng, L. (2008). Engaging Student Social Networks to Motivate Learning: Capturing, Analysing and Critiquing the Visual Image. International Journal of Learning. 15(3), 153-160.
Sperry, C. (2012, Summer) Teaching Critical Thinking Through Media Literacy. Science Scope.
Stanley, N. (2003). Young People, Photography and Engagement. International Journal of
Art & Design Education, 22(2), 134-144, doi: 10.1111/1468-5949.00349
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Way, C. (2006). Focus on Photography: A Curriculum Guide. Retrieved from www.quebecpress.com/pmcodes/fop.pdf


Appendix A
Media-based Inquiry Project

The Media-based Project is a partnership between an interdisciplinary teaching team at a Midwestern urban middle school sixth grade class and Western Michigan University. It is formed through a federal Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant.

            Researchers began this project as a way to engage students in meaningful activities that required them to think critically and to solve problems. The students used photography with a disposable camera to gather data collection, data analysis, decision-making and writing while documenting each student’s own individual social environment.


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