PhotoVoice Eagles With Cameras: “Project on Identity” Who Are We? Session One

PhotoVoice Eagles With Cameras: “Project on Identity” Who Are We?

Session One

Wednesday was my first day back in front of a classroom of children since my Japan English teaching days. Honest, I started off a bit rusty, I was nervous, tight and a bit on edge. As the class went on I’d like to think my performance improved. The students were there to learn and have fun and I hope that’s exactly what they received out of it. A HUGE thank you to my assistants, Diana, Jessica, Jackie, Domonique, Mr. Stowell and a parent I never had a chance to introduce myself too.

We started off with an overview of the project as a whole and moved into trying to understand how complex identity can be. It was my goal to inspire interactions and dialogue. There were no wrong answers.

The students really seemed to open up during the slide show session where we discussed perception and what stories photo’s were telling. We used everything from the historical photo of JFK in the drop top, Martin and Malcolm’s first meeting and Ali’s triumphant stance over his opponent. I also found current photo’s as well, LeBron James dunking as the Laker team sits back in awh, pictures from the Egyptian revolution, Malala, and a photo from the typhoon in the Philippines. I was surprised at how engaged they were and while I knew they were smart, but still some of their answers blew me away.

Above all the best part for the students seemed to be going into other classrooms at the school and take pictures of other students hard at work, capturing the identity of the classrooms and the entire school. Hands on for the win!

It is my opinion that when we speak about social change it starts from within with identity. Next week we will examine their photo’s and dig deeper into their personal identities and allow students to write out what they believe represents them, their school, and their community. We will also start thinking about what pictures students will want to take for their projects. Stay tuned.

***CREDIT****
The idea for calling the project Eagles With Camera’s was inspired by Prometheus Brown (Blue Scholars) and Thig Nat’s (The Physics) Rappers W/ Camera’s. Northgate Elementary Eagles.

Domonique Meeks
AmbassadorNique Productions
www.AmbassadorNique.com

PREVIOUSLY:

My PhotoVoice Project at Northgate Elementary (Starting November 13, 2013)

Federal Probe Targets Uneven Discipline At Seattle Schools

I guess being a young person of color I understand that this has been going on for YEARS! At least they are doing investigations about it. 

Federal Probe Targets Uneven Discipline At Seattle Schools

Report Criticizes School Discipline Measures Used in Mississippi

This was a really good article. The ‘Know Your Rights’ workshop that I put on back in September with the City of Seattle Human Services Department was primarily focused around this topic. The conference was primarily about informing community organizations, youth service providers, and community members about what was going on and what rights students and their parents had. Along with how Washington State is a right to educate state. Every student has the right to be educated even if they are expelled the state must provide a way for them to continue to be educated either by giving them the work they will miss, night school, online classes and/or an alternative school. 

Furthermore… The reason this is more important than ever… is bc Obama just passed a law putting more armed guards in schools. If they are already putting elementary school kids in jump suits and throwing them in the back of police cars for not wearing belts in schools imagine what will come… 

“The report comes as lawmakers in many states, including Mississippi, are considering plans to place armed officers or guards in every school, a measure that has gained traction since the shootings in Newtown, Conn. While this report does not focus on that issue specifically, its authors suggest that the presence of more police officers could make a bad problem worse.”

Report Criticizes School Discipline Measures Used in Mississippi