“The Photographer of the Day”: Using a Digital Camera in Preschool Classroom
Katerina Dermata
Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece
Abstract
Children use digital cameras from very early age as the progress of technology provides accessible tools such as smartphones and tablets in everyday life. Children use the photographic medium to create their own photos, take photos to represent and explore their environment, to communicate with others, etc. By designing and implementing a visual literacy program focused on the impact of using the photographic medium from preschoolers, the researcher examines how children behave when they use the camera or are photographed in the class environment. The dimensions examined are the role of the child as a photographer and the role as the subject of the photograph and how the medium affects children’s behavior. The results highlight the impact of the medium in preschoolers’ behaviors when using a digital camera, and the importance of the observation in children’s’ reactions for the adults.
Keywords: digital photography, interactions, social development, preschool age