Flickr :)

Flickr is a online library of images uploaded from people all over the world. It is an easy to use web-site and all the pictures could be used for any educational activity. Flickr allows anyone to download and use the images presented on the website the copyright is covered by the creative commons licence. The following picture is one that I downloaded from Flickr.

Flickr, although in itself offers no educational advantages, used in conjunction with other learning activities can add to the visual effectiveness of particular learning objects.

For Example if i was doing an activity with my class on cultures, i could download a number of photos of people from around the world than have my students try and match the pictures of people to their country.

Pictures taken from the Flickr site can also help make tasks more meaningful and authentic to students. Pictures can help students relate concepts to real-life scenarios thus increasing their understanding of the topic. Kearsley and Shneiderman (1998) support this claim with their engagement theory by stating that "for learners to be truly engaged in their learning they need to relate to a real-world, authentic problem or scenario".

Reference:

• Shneiderman, B. Kearsley, G. 1999: Engagement Theory: A Framework for Technology-Based Teaching and Learning. Retrieved 7, July, 2009. From SpryNet Web Site: http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm