Flickr in the classroom

Many of us probably use Flickr or other photo sharing sites to post our own pictures to share with family and friends, but how many of us are using Flickr in the classroom? The WORLD MAP feature is a great way to give students some context when viewing photos. When studying the spread of Islam in the Middle Ages, I was able to share this map with students. Not only did they get to see beautiful photographs, but they had an "ah ha!" moment when they could visualize how Islam spread through northern Africa.

Frustratingly, I can't always get this other feature to work, but when it does, it's pretty cool. When you first click on the Flickr world map, you should be brought to the tag map. As you can see, the day I captured this shot, photos from the release of the new Star Trek movie dominated the US tags. It's a great way to get a visual of what is going on in the world, though there is often bizarre stuff that isn't terribly appropriate for school!

Flickr GROUPS are also a great resource for teachers. These are often moderated and have varying criteria for submission and acceptance, so quality and reliability can vary. Some good examples of groups include the National Museum of American History, Vintage Advertising, WW II, and Science Nerd Depot. You can even search within a group. For example, a search of the WW II group for "women" brings up fantastic shots of women working in the factories.

If you are interested in using photos you find on Flickr, you'll need to get permission and cite your source. To locate photos that have already posted their permission status, visit the Creative Commons section of Flickr. There, you'll find a wide variety of photos available for use in print, for presentations, or for web sites.

As always with the web, it's nice to give back. Next time you take a picture worth sharing, post it and tag it on Flickr so others will be able to enjoy it.