Around the Classroom

While I know my students are creative, I never knew just how creative! The way their minds were able to envision the image they wanted to capture and then successfully achieve their goals amazed me while we were taking the pictures and amazes me now when looking back at them. Below are our first images using our new cameras we won in our grant. Again, THANK YOU to our sponsor Michael Baier with Life Fellowship church and the Foundation for Excellence in Education for giving us the opportunity to "capture" knowledge in Spotlight.

ENJOY!!!!

 Ashton Porter knew just how to capture the ultimate pieces of a chess board. I love everything about this picture.

Beau Gordon got Jordan Riecke's help to "make it rain" using our "Payne Pounds" that are classroom money for good deeds and behavior. He was focusing on motion and capturing the money falling which is no easy task.

Ben Rickman also wanted to capture motion in the classroom. While this looks like a simple shot of feet moving in the floor, it was harder than it looked! Ben had a vision of what he wanted and worked hard until he got it.

Brooke LeGrow worked with the placement of materials on her picture to show something she likes to do. I love how everything looks like it was just thrown together but really was strategically placed.

 You might remember our models we made during our medical unit. Carver Forbes has a great model of his own (someone else photographed it!), but chose to photograph the model someone else made. This is a picture where you have to study it to figure out what it is which makes this photo truly interesting and unique.

In our medical unit we made "body system" t-shirts. Chase Quinton wanted to make sure he took a picture of it for everyone that wasn't grossed out the first time. :)

 Chynna Lee is always optimistic and smiling, and this photo makes you smile. She used pieces from our Mancala game to make this design on the table with encouraging words underneath.

 If someone had mentioned that they were going to photograph my lamp shade, I'd probably have told them to think if they couldn't find something else to photograph. Who knew Cole Scott had a vision of what he wanted and would take an amazing picture.

 This clock rules our day. Everything we do and when we do it is determined by what time it is and how much time we have in our classes. This picture truly looks like the clock is in charge! I love the interesting angle of this photograph by Conner Lawson.

In this photo by Connor Hutto, it is the calm before the storm. I wonder who is going to win this one?

 Courtney South knew that she wanted to fill the frame and make scissors look interesting. Making scissors look interesting is no easy task, but she did it.

Erika Taylor: "Can I photograph her t-shirt?"

Ms. Nelson: "Can you what?"

Erika Taylor: "It's going to be awesome!!"

She was right.

 Can you tell I have a class full of really good chess players? Looks like George Baggett is going to win!

 I knew Haley Parker would want to do something different and I knew I would like it. I was right. Who knew holiday socks would be so photogenic?

 Sherrice Wright was the model for.Jaci Kimble's photograph. She captured Sherrice really focusing on a writing piece. She must have wanted to show everyone how hard we always work in Spotlight!

Jack Codemo decided to really "get on the chess board's level." Looking at his chess skills, I might lay down and do the same!

 Jake Taber really liked the book he was reading- enough to get up close and personal and photograph it!

 Jason Morales made a couple small pieces of plastic from a brainteaser game in our room look like a giant sculpture. He came at this photo at a great angle.

While it looks like Jordan Riecke took a picture of the actual Eiffel Tower, it is really just a model that a student in my class made last year. Not QUITE as big as the real one even thought his great angle made it look that way.

 Joseph Clark was able to capture most of the models from the medical unit. He got the camera, laid down on the floor, took one picture, and said "got it." He sure did. Great planning on his part left him with a cool photograph.

  

Kamren Grady used on of our games to build a giant tower and then took a picture of his hard work. Again, he was one that really got picked the best angle for his photograph.

Katelynn Virgous saw a Halloween card a student had given me that I had on display and made it creative and unique. I love the pictures where I have to study them to see what they photographed when every picture is in my classroom and contains my things that I should know well! 

What a fantastic photo by Katie McDaniel. She made it look so easy to make something as small as a Sorry piece stand out in a photo that contained so many things that could have caught your attention. I love the use of color in this picture.

 Katie Youngblood made a few library books look like a towering work of art. Great picture.
 

What a beautiful angle to view a mancala board from! I love the colors in this photo by Kylen Wicks and the shadows that are in it. 

Luis Gonzalez was another student that wanted to show an ultimate chess take-down. I'd say he did it!

Michael Chrestman wanted to do something different, and he did. A picture of someone taking a picture made this picture original. I like the slight blur that the image has because it makes you look at it twice and study it.

One of the only students to really use the "after" effects that our new cameras have on them was Michael Wilson. He made the colors vibrant not only by taking a great picture but by using the effects that camera had to offer.

When Morgan Atkins asked me if she could sit in my window to take a picture of herself, I didn't think it was possible. With the help of our new tripods, a chair for balance, and a lot of patience she got it. I only wish she looked happier to be in Spotlight! Maybe she was sad about having to leave when the bell rang. :)

Samantha Jeans made my old computer look giant and powerful in her shot. Great angle in this photo.

 I didn't give much instruction before we took these pictures. I did say that "anyone can take a picture of a pencil on a table. Make it unique." I didn't have to tell Savannah Downing twice before she did just that. 

Magnets. I wouldn't have guessed that I would like a picture so much of just a few magnets on my board. Shelby Edwards was the owner of this artistic shot.

Katie Youngblood pretended to fly so Sherrice Wright could capture motion in this creative photo.

The thing I love about all of the chess pictures is how different they all are. This picture by Spencer Bolhuis is of an intense game in action. Can you tell we all like playing chess in Spotlight?

This was the model of Carver Forbes' white blood cells and germs from the medical unit. Tineal Banks liked it as much as I did and chose to photograph it. 

Trey Meucci must have thought Larry Bell (creator of the 12 Powerful Words) needed some credit since we have and use his posters in our classroom.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures! I sure did. More to come!  Next up- we are headed outside.

-Ms. Nelson