Catching up

It's been crazy around here lately! Here are a few updates.

The polls have closed, and my readers have spoken. When asked which of these Kuler themes you liked best, 23% liked LAUGH1, 23% liked Suck it Sideways (although many more commented on the clever name), and an overwhelming 53% liked Swank Factory. Stay tuned to see what I do with these results! :) (And thanks to all who voted!)

Next, I want to share with you a new project I have taken on. I teach 7th grade math in a middle school that houses about 900 6th-8th graders. I decided to start an after-school photography club this year, open to anyone in the school (kids, teachers, etc.) I had such a HUGE response...nearly 80 kids signed up, and about 55 actually came to the first meeting a few weeks ago. (What a scene....kids sitting on the floor in my classroom, standing along the wall, it was wild!) I also had 4 staff members join us, and several more express interest. I showed a powerpoint presentation on basic composition skills (rule of thirds, watch for cluttered background/foreground, no chopping body parts) and used my own work as examples. I gave them a 10-item scavenger hunt list and time to go shoot. It was soooooo neat to see them thinking outside the box! We meet again on Monday and I'm eager to see what they came up with! (If you want to see our list, scroll all the way to the bottom of my blog. I even posted a preview of list #2 for my colleagues who read my blog! :)

I do have a number of students who don't have access to a camera however. If anyone has older equipment that they would be willing to donate, I would be very grateful. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to function. I'll even take film cameras if that's what you can offer. I really don't want to turn anyone away, especially since I have a few kids that have never joined a club before (and are now soooo excited about this one!) You can email me at sme605 [at] hotmail [dot] com if you are able to help. Thanks!

Now hopefully, I'll have some pictures to share later today. (I haven't even started my own challenge!!!)