Taking Photos!

"Can I take a picture?" is a question the Tel Aviv All Star children ask at least twice a day. Most of the time my response is "Yes take 3 or 4 pictures and then please give the camera back to me." When given the camera, the children often use the zoom feature for close-ups of different items around the room. They always take close-ups of different people (a face, hand or nose). They love looking at each photo on the LCD, the screen on the camera right after taking a picture.

In preparation for staff meetings the TBSCC staff is asked to read one chapter a month from Learning Together with Young Children. Each and every chapter is better than the last. It's one of the best teaching books I have ever read! In chapter five the section labeled "Zoom Lens" really hit home for me. As the children take photos on my camera, I have become very curious about the images that end up on my camera after the children use it. I haven't been sure if the children are purposeful in what they select to photograph, or if they just like using the zoom. To find out the answers to my questions, the children and teachers plan to ask Ellen to purchase a camera for our classroom, for the children to share and use on a daily basis.

When the children have their own camera to use, they will have more time and opportunity to take photographs. This will give the teachers insight to some very interesting questions like:

• How do the children see the world around them?
• Do they notice the smaller details more than the fuller picture that adults see?
• What objects and things do they find most interesting?