Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction

Using Photographs for Instruction

Tamison Yancy
MEDT 7490 E02

Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction
Impact Through Images: Exploring Student Understanding of Environmental Science
Through Integrated Place-Based Lessons in the Elementary Classroom
Debbie Muthersbaugh, Anne L. Kern & Rebecca Charvoz
The journal, Impact Through Images: Exploring Student Understanding of
Environmental Science Through Integrated Place-Based Lessons in the Elementary Classroom,
is a qualitative descriptive case study looking at how visual art and photographic images play a
part in students understanding of environmental science. An Integrated Place-Based education
believes that students will be prepared to live and work in the community that they live in,
keeping its culture and integrity. This qualitative study asked three questions: What are
elementary students perception of changes in their environment over time when creating and
viewing images in an integrated place-based unit of study, how does creating and viewing
images of the environment impact student perception of environmental science concepts, and
what are the affordances of the use of images as a tool for students learning environmental
science content? (Muthersbaugh, Kern, & Cahrvoz). The study is using an integrated fourth
grade social studies unit on the Lewis and Clark expedition. The essential question that the
students need to answer in this unit of study is, How has the environment explored by the Lewis
and Clark expedition 200 years ago changed? (Muthersbaugh, Kern, & Cahrvoz). The
participants in this study were 24 students in a fourth grade classroom. The elementary school is
a low socioeconomic status school in a rural area of the Pacific Northwest. There are 13 girls
and 11 boys with 1 teacher. The cultural origins of the students are as follows: 23 white students
and 1 Hispanic. The researcher observed the students and the lessons.
The method used for this study is a descriptive case study methodology. The authors
chose this method because it is a field focused and interpretive of student descriptive and it is a
place within the school, bound by time during a 6 week integrated study
(Muthersbaugh, Kern, & Cahrvoz). This study uses multiple perspectives such as participants,
data sources, interviews, teacher interviews, artifacts, student journals, student-created images,
and researcher journal. The qualitative methods used in this study were classroom observations,
student and teacher interviews, and artifacts. The researcher kept a journal, the first 2 weeks
were observation notes and the next 4 weeks were personal comments including reflections of
the lessons.
This study found three emerging themes from their findings: student self-perceptions,
scientific misconceptions, and critical thinking. The students self-perceptions about
participating in an environmental image project were surprising to the researchers. All 24 of the
student in the study expressed a positive attitude. They were excited to participate in the project
and that many of them really loved art. Many of the students felt a sense of pride and
empowerment because they were a part of the project (Muthersbaugh, Kern, & Cahrvoz). Some
of the scientific misconceptions found during the study dealt with the students understanding of
the sun, plants, space, and animals. The students in this study developed some amazing critical

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Using Photographs for Instruction
thinking skills. The students were able to create a desire to keep our earth clean due to the
changes that they have discovered from this project. The students conversation about the
images shown created a higher level of thinking and questioning.
The conclusion of the study answered the 3 questions. The first question in this study
that was answered was, What are elementary students perceptions of changes in their
environment over time when creating and viewing images in an integrated place-based unit of
study? (Muthersbaugh, Kern, & Cahrvoz). The study found that the students conceptions of
environmental science was not always accurate (Muthersbaugh, Kern, & Cahrvoz). This was
revealed when the researcher reviewed the students journals and interviews. This evidence will
help the teacher reteach the material and correct any of the misconceptions that the students had.
The second question in the study was, How does creating and viewing images of the
environment impact student understanding of environmental science concepts? (Muthersbaugh,
Kern, & Cahrvoz). The study determined that the student-created paintings and viewed images
became a tools for students understanding of environmental science topics and the students
cognitive functioning allowed the images to become a tool to mediate their own understanding
(Muthersbaugh, Kern, & Cahrvoz). Through the images created and viewed, the student gained
a sense of pride and confidence because they had a part in their learning. The third and final
question in this study was, What are the affordances of the use of images as a tool for students
learning environmental science content? (Muthersbaugh, Kern, & Cahrvoz) . The study
allowed students to express ideas related to their perception of the local environment and were
able to critically articulate their thinking about the value they place on the environment in which
they reside (Muthersbaugh, Kern, & Cahrvoz).
I felt that this was a good study. It showed that the students were successful with using
visual images in the classroom. The study was able to create a higher level of thinking in the
classroom. The students could connect what they were learning in the classroom to their
everyday life. This made their learning more relevant to them. The fourth graders were able to
play a major role in their learning. They began to feel a sense of pride about what they were
learning and the ability to facilitate their own learning. Visual images in the classroom do have a
positive impact on student learning. I would have liked this study to include more classrooms in
the same school or to include a different classroom with a different socioeconomic status. It
would be interesting to see if a school with a higher socioeconomic status would produce the
same results. If they added another fourth grade class in the same school, would a different
teacher have an impact on the outcome of the study?

Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction
Reference
Debbie Muthersbaugh, Anne L. Kern, & Rebecca Charvoz (2014) Impact Through Images:
Exploring Student Understanding of Environmental Science Through Integrated Place-Based
Lessons in the Elementary Classroom, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 28.3, 313326

Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction
Improving student writing skills using wordless picture books
Patricia A Carter, Sharon M Holland, Stacey L. Mladic, Gail M. Sarbiewski & Daune M.
Sebastian
The journal, Improving student writing skills using wordless picture books, is an action
research project used to improve writing skills in elementary schools. This study took place in
two different school districts in the suburbs of southwest Chicago, 1998. Both districts were
middle to upper class communities. The districts in this study mirror each other. The major
difference found between the two districts is the pay among teachers and principals. One
districts is compensated a lot more than the other. This study wanted to address the problem that
faces children in education, the ability to communicate through writing. The research states that
there are four probable causes to students inability to communicate in writing. The four
probable causes are: developmental progression of writing skills, development of oral language
skills, required time to teach and evaluate the writing process, and lack of teacher training
(1998). This study looked at five methods to improve writing skills. The five methods are as
follows: the Holistic Model, Process Writing, Uninterrupted Silent Sustained Reading, Power
Writing, and the use of Wordless Picture Books. The researchers chose to study the use of
Wordless Picture Books. Wordless books are read through illustrations and the story is
dependent on what the reader visualizes (1998). The objective of this study was to improve
student writing through Wordless Picture Books. The participants were in grades 2 through 5.
The students were given a pre-test and post-test to measure if there was growth. In between the
pre and post-test, the students were taught with Wordless Picture Books and measured with
writing samples, checklists, rubrics, portfolios, teacher observations, and conferences. The study
looked at three writing skills, sequencing, dialogue, and elaboration.
The study started with a pre-writing assessment that was administered the first day. The
researchers created a rubric to measure the different skills while using the Wordless Picture
Books. There were also two checklists used the target the progress of the students. One
checklist was for peer monitoring and the other checklist was for the teacher during writing
conferences. Students also created a writing portfolio to show their growth during the process.
Finally at the end, the students were given a post-writing assessment. This study took 10 weeks.
The results of the study were positive. This study looked at the overall scores from the
pre-writing assessment and the post-writing assessment. It divided the students into three
groups, low-average, average, and high-average. It also looked at the individual writing skills
and the improvements among different grade levels. For the overall growth, The average
pretest score was 40%, measuring sequencing, elaboration, and dialogue skills. The average post
test score was 59%. An average increase in all skill areas (based on the rubric) was 19%
(1998). For the individual writing skills, there was growth in all three areas. Sequencing, the
average score was 42%. After the implementing the intervention, the average score was 73%.
When the post-test was administered, the average score was 66% (1998). For the writing skill

Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction
elaboration and dialogue, An average score of 40% on elaboration and 6% on dialogue.
Following the intervention, the average score for the skill of elaboration was 45% while the
average score for the skill of dialogue was 10% (1998). On the post-test, the average score for
the skill of elaboration was 69% and the average score for the skill dialogue was 65% (1998).
The students showed a 14% growth for the skill elaboration and a 29% growth for the skill of
dialogue. The study divided the students into three groups. All three groups showed
improvement. The low-average group made a 22% increase, the average group made a 19%
increase, and the high-average group made a 13% increase on the pretest and the post test. The
low-average group made the most gains using the intervention, Wordless Picture Books.
Even though this study is old, I really enjoyed reading about Wordless Picture Books. It
is definitely relevant to students today. Students continue to struggle with communicating
through writing. This study explained what Wordless Picture Books are and the lessons that the
teachers used to teach writing through pictures. The study showed that the students all had
incredible growth in their writing. The students were able to write a story that demonstrated
sequence, elaboration, and dialogue from looking at picture book. I find that my students
struggle with all three of these writing skills. I would like to see this study done on a low
socioeconomic status school and see if the students demonstrate the same amount of growth. I
would hope that with the proper training of teachers and the use of Wordless Picture Books, that
the low socioeconomic would have higher growth than the students in this study from middle to
upper class communities. I would love to implement Wordless Picture Books with my Special
Education Students.

Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction
References
Carter, P. A., Holland, S. M., Mladic, S. L., Sarbiewski, G. M., & Sebastian, D. M. (1998).
Improving student writing skills using wordless picture books.

Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction
How Do Wordless Picture Books Help Develop Writing For All Students?
Shannon Marble
This action research answers the question, How Do Wordless Picture Books Help
Develop Writing For All Students? The journal describes how wordless picture books can help
writing instead of using writing prompts. The pictures in the books can be used as entertainment,
information, and can also create a better understating of the information being presented. It also
says that reading and writing combined will improve the writing skills of students. This study
looks at a literacy program at a small college in Western New York. The literacy program has
about 60 students from kindergarten to twelfth grade. The students come from the surrounding
districts. Fountas and Pinnell is the reading program that the students are assessed on and their
reading levels range from A-Z. The socioeconomic status of the students varies, one-third of the
students come from suburban communities, one-third come from rural communities and onethird come from urban communities. The literacy program works with the students in a small
group to work on guided reading skills, their writing ability, and word study. The students meet
with their tutor once a week for an hour and 45 minutes over a 12 week period. The researcher
chose 1 student, an elementary education teacher, and a college professor.
The researcher used qualitative and quantitative data to answer the question, how do
wordless picture books help develop writing for all students? The data was collected through
writing samples, observation notes, and interviews. A wordless book was continuously used as
a writing prompt for the student The wordless book that was used is called The Mysteries of
Harris Burdick and it is a collection of 13 images that only have a caption (Marble, 2012). The
reader is the person who decides the story. The student was given a pre-assessment in the
beginning and a post-assessment at the end of the program.
The findings of the research created three themes. The first theme showed that wordless
picture books helped encourage students to write more. The second theme revealed that
wordless picture books were a good teaching tool for writing for older students. The final theme
that emerged demonstrated that wordless picture books could help ESL learners with their
writing skills (Marble, 2012). The theme that I am going to discuss is the first theme, that
wordless picture books helped encourage students to write more. The researcher examined the
writing of an elementary school student. His pre-assessment showed little detail. The paper was
scored on the 6+1 Writing Traits Rubric. This rubric looks at the following writing traits, ideas,
organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation. The rubric
rates the six writing traits on a scale from 1 to 5. The students pre-assessment writing scored
between 2s and 4s. His lowest scoring trait was a 2 in voice, with his overall score being a 3.
The student was introduced to the wordless picture book and provided with interventions when
writing. When the student was given the post-assessment, his writing has improved dramatically.
His writing scores improved from 2s and 4s to 4s and 5s. The students writing trait, voice,
improved from a score of a 2 to a score of 5. His overall score improved from a 3 to a 5.

Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction
I did not like this research study. It was very limited. The researcher only looked at one
student in the whole study. There were 60 students in the literacy program at the college. I feel
that she should have grouped the students together by grade and conducted the study across
grade levels. This way the researcher could get a better look at how the wordless picture books
work with students in different grade levels. She could have also broken down her research
based on the students socioeconomic status. I feel that a lot more could have been done with
this research. Her question was great but the method lacked in a lot of areas. I wish there was
more. I believe that wordless picture books improve student writing skills and this study showed
that it improved one students writing.

Reference

Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction
Marble, Shannon, How Do Wordless Picture Books Help Develop Writing For All Students?
(2012). Education Masters. Paper 228.

Overall Reflection

Tamison Yancy MEDT 7490

Using Photographs for Instruction
I liked this research assignment. I had a hard time finding articles and research that
supported the topic I choose. I did find out a lot about wordless picture books and how they can
be used with writing. I never knew that wordless picture books could help with writing skills. I
always assumed that these types of books were helpful with reading comprehension questioning
and higher order thinking not writing.
The first journal I read, Impact Through Images: Exploring Student Understanding of
Environmental Science Through Integrated Place-Based Lessons in the Elementary Classroom,
was eye opening. This journal looked at one fourth grade class and how visual images helped
with science. The students writing improved a lot. They were able to understand the concepts
being taught and relate what they were learning in the classroom to their everyday life. I would
have liked the study to look at more than one classroom and compare the results.
The second journal I read, Improving student writing skills using wordless picture
books, was also a good research journal. I really liked this journal. It was well thought out and
easy to follow. I felt that the participants from the two school districts were an even match and
fair. The results were definitely helpful to the reader. I do wish that this study would have
included students from a low socioeconomic status, to see how their writing would improve.
The third journal I read, How Do Wordless Picture Books Help Develop Writing For All
Students?, I did not like. I felt that the research was not enough. I researcher had plenty of
participants to choose from and compare her results. Instead the researcher chose one student
out of 60 participants in the literacy program and monitored his growth. It was not a well written
article and provided a lot of extra information that was not needed.