Flickr seems like a really good resource to find images online. Students could use this application to help find Creative Commons photographs that are reliable. Another bonus of Flickr is that you can use Flickr Map to explore different areas of the world through photographs. I believe Flickr Map is similar to Google Maps and allows students to click and zoom in on specific areas and explore the surroundings. Flickr would also be a great place for students to collaborate with others by commenting on each other’s photos or using photos as discussion starters in the classroom.
I could use Flickr in my classroom in a few different ways. First, with Flickr Map, I could have students view a city which we are discussing during class. For example, we talked a lot about Paris during the French Revolution, and students could use Flickr Map to view historical landmarks in Paris from the French Revolution. Students could also view historical landmarks in general like the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, or the Pyramids of Giza. I believe this aspect of Flickr is really useful in a social studies classroom because it can help students see history coming alive. Students become more engaged and motivated to learn history especially when they can visually see important historical landmarks.
I also could use Flickr by having students create image portfolios. Students could create image portfolios surrounding a specific historical event or time period. For example, students could find photographs about the Cold War or the Industrial Revolution and create a portfolio. Students then would be required to create captions for each photograph and comment on other students’ portfolios as well. This could be done individually or collaboratively, depending on the learning goal and the length of the portfolio. I like the idea that I could use it for a collaborative project or individual assignment.
The last way I could see using Flickr in my classroom is by having students create a digital museum exhibit with the application. I usually have students make physical museums of artifacts and write descriptions and reasons for why they selected that artifact. With Flickr, I could have students act as museum curators and organize their photographs into a collection. Then the comments they would write could act as their reasoning as to why they were included in the museum. Lastly, I would require students to visit and comment on each other’s museums to ask questions, offer suggestions, or begin discussions. One other way that I would use Flickr is just have students look for reliable images for presentations or other smaller projects. It would be easier and more reliable to use Flickr than just having students research photographs on Google. Flickr seems like a great resource for students to collaborate, find reliable photographs, and complete assignments.
President Of Ukraine. (2022, November 19). Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/president_of_ukraine/52510693253/
Eric –
The ideas you’ve given for using images in the classroom are very engaging! I love the idea of “museum curators”! With the ability to use images from around the world and from any time period, it has all types of integration possibilities for SS / History!
Chris
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on how to use Flickr in the classroom. Even though I’m not a social studies teacher, when I teach American Literature, students need to understand a lot of background knowledge about various time periods and movements in American history to fully understand the novels we are reading. I appreciated hearing your ideas for how to use Flickr in a social studies context to have students create museums of artifacts or image portfolios to discuss different time periods in history, as this would also be something useful in my own classroom.
I also think Flickr would be a great way for students to find images to use in projects and presentations, as it’s very easy to filter search results by the Creative Commons license the image is protected by. This makes it easy to teach students about the different types of Creative Commons licenses and copyright laws, as well as how to appropriately cite images.
I think the Flickr Maps feature would be a great way to help students visualize the places and landmarks that are important to the events and times you are learning about in class. This feature of Flickr could also work in my classroom for a few of the novels we read that take place in a specific location that students could explore (such as how The Great Gatsby takes place in Long Island). Additionally, I teach creative writing classes, and being able to use Flickr to explore different locations around the globe could help my students write more descriptive and specific settings in their creative writing.
Overall, I agree with you that Flickr can be a great resource to help students visualize concepts, places, and events they are learning about in class. I also think you could use a class Flickr group or gallery to help students keep track of the different historical figures you are learning about in class, as you could include a picture with a brief caption/notes about their historical significance. Students could then use the gallery/group as a study or reference guide.
Eric, great idea regarding Flickr map to find different photographs around the world. Would be an excellent way to get some cross curricular activity my music classroom.
Your digital museum idea is another great one. I could see the students having a blast and being able to express their creativity in that activity.