you will use photographs to explore and analyze issues related to urban education, social justice, and cultural diversity. By engaging with this project, you will deepen your understanding of how these themes manifest in the physical and social landscapes around you, and connect them to the course materials from Weeks 6-10.
Instead of fieldwork, you will take 3-5 original photographs that represent aspects of urban schooling or the diverse American society of today. After taking the photos, you will analyze and reflect on them, drawing connections between your visual observations and the readings, videos, and discussions from the course.
TEXT TO SELF
Reflection: Set the scene for the photographs you’ve taken, particularly defining your role as an observer and photographer. How did the process of capturing these images influence your understanding of urban education and diverse society?
If you’re a teacher, maybe this is routine for you? What choices did you make to ensure ethics, care, and confidentiality in your photos?
If you took photos outside of a school setting, is this somewhere you frequent often? Then, how does the photographs represent you, your educational experiences, or your identities in this diverse American society?
Reflect on how the photos are a source of knowledge about urban education. Not just the readings as the primary authority of knowledge.
Questions to consider:
What did you notice in the environment or subject matter you chose to photograph? What themes, struggles, or dynamics did you want to highlight through your lens?
How do the photos connect to your own educational background or experience, and how might they differ from the educational settings you’ve encountered before?
What course materials from Weeks 6-10 relate to the photographs you took or the subjects you observed in the field? How do these readings help you interpret the images you captured?
Example:
If you took photos that show the physical environment of an urban school, you might reflect on how your observations connect to Reardon (2016) (School Segregation and Racial Academic Achievement Gaps, Week 7), which discusses the link between segregated schools and unequal educational resources. Do the images reveal any disparities in school facilities or resources? How does your understanding of systemic inequities in urban schools deepen as you examine these images?
If your photos capture moments of community care or student engagement, you might connect them to Watson (2019) (A Love Letter to Babette Edwards: Harlem’s “Othermother”, Week 8), considering how the images reflect the nurturing relationships that educators or mentors form with students in urban contexts. What do these photos reveal about the community dynamics in your setting? Note: if you would like to highlight a local mentor, school leader, or inspirational person, you can take a photograph of something that represents them.
2. TEXT TO TEX
COMPARISON: COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE IDEAS PRESENTED IN TWO (OR MORE) OF THE COURSE READINGS, VIDEOS, OR OTHER MATERIALS (TEXT A, TEXT B, TEXT C, ETC.), AND ANALYZE HOW THESE IDEAS RELATE TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS YOU’VE TAKEN.
Questions to consider:
What similarities or differences do you notice between the theories or perspectives presented in different texts? How do these ideas connect to the photos you’ve captured?
Are there any tensions or contradictions between the ideas in the texts and what is depicted in your photos?
What concepts or themes from the readings do you see represented in your photographs, and how can these ideas be explored further through the images?
Example:
Reardon (2016) (School Segregation and Racial Academic Achievement Gaps, Week 7) vs. Nguyen (2023) (“We Are The Future”: Career Attitudes of MilleniGenZ College Students, Week 8): You could compare how Reardon highlights the achievement gap caused by school segregation with Nguyen’s focus on how Gen Z students view education’s role in their career futures. How do these texts help you interpret the kinds of educational opportunities available to students in the photos you took?
Do the photos reveal how students in your setting are or are not being prepared for future success?
Benjamin (2024) (Imagination | LIVE from NYPL, Week 9) vs. Smitherman (1997) (“The Chain Remains the Same”, Week 10): You could explore how both Benjamin’s emphasis on imagination in education and Smitherman’s discussion of Black communicative practices in hip hop culture might inform your interpretation of the photos you took. Do the images reflect an environment where imagination and creative expression are nurtured? Or do the photos show a more rigid, standardized approach to education?
3. TEXT TO WORLD
Contextualization: Consider how the readings and videos you engaged with in the course have influenced your broader understanding of U.S. public education and the systemic issues affecting urban schools. How do your photos relate to these broader social and educational concerns?Questions to consider:
How do the photos you’ve taken reflect broader issues like educational inequality, community engagement, or systemic racism in U.S. schools?
How do the photos illuminate or challenge the ideas presented in the course readings related to urban education or diversity in American society?
How do you see your photos representing real-world issues in urban schooling or diverse communities? What implications might these issues have for education, policy, or social justice?
Example:
After reading Sanchez et al. (2022) (Latinx Immigrant Parents and Their Children in Times of COVID-19, Week 6), you might analyze how your photos of a school community address issues of immigrant experiences and cultural adaptation. Do the images show evidence of how immigrant families and students are navigating educational inequities or adapting to a post-COVID learning environment?
Reflecting on Marsellas (2019) (Off Scaffolding and into the Deep End, Week 10), you might explore how your photos capture moments of learning scaffolding or the lack thereof. How do the photos show how educators are (or are not) supporting students in overcoming barriers to success?
4. CONCLUSIONS AND PERSONAL REFLECTION
Summarize your key insights from the photo analysis and how your engagement with the course readings has deepened your understanding of urban education and diverse American society. Reflect on how your learning has evolved as a result of this experience and the course content.Questions to consider:
What did you reflect on about the dynamics of urban education, diversity, and inequality through the photos you took and your reflection on them?
How has this assignment influenced or shifted your thinking about what it means to be an educator in urban schools?
Did the photographs help you notice patterns or insights about urban education that you hadn’t considered before?
FORMAT AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Length: The Learning Journal should be 4-6 pages (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins).
Photographs: Attach 3-5 original photographs to the journal that you believe represent aspects of urban schooling or diverse American society. Ensure the photos are clear and thoughtfully composed.
References: Include in-text citations and a reference list for any course readings from Weeks 6-10, as well as any additional sources you reference in your journal.
Last Completed Projects
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