News archives 2010-2021

Teaching Tip: PechaFlickr is unique classroom improv tool

August 12, 2014

Marissa Carl

Imagine developing and delivering an on-the-spot presentation based on 20 random photos, each one projecting for 20 seconds.

Sounds like fun, right? But this kind of improvisation also encourages learning by boosting:


  • confidence and understanding of material

  • responsiveness to visual cues

  • spontaneous thinking

  • creativity

  • presentation skills


PechaFlickr, created by Alan Levine and UAF’s Chris Lott, is a great online tool that allows for improvisation in the classroom.

PechaFlickr

HOW IT’S DONE



  1. Go to pechaflickr.net.

  2. Enter a keyword or tag. (The program will randomly pull public photos uploaded to Flickr that have that same tag. The Flickr safe search option is used when searching for images but there are no guarantees.).

  3. Select “Advanced options” to change the number of slides (default is 20) or to change the duration of each slide (default is 20 seconds for a total of 6:40).

  4. Advanced options also give you a link to share, if you choose.

  5. Click "play."


A starting screen will display before the first slide appears, and the fun begins.

When PechaFlickr completes, thumbnails of the images and a list of the image links will display. (Every time a tag is entered, an entirely new set of photos or combination of photos will appear.)

CLASSROOM PRACTICES


PechaFlickr can be used in the classroom in a number of ways:

  • Ice-breaker exercise

  • Presentation skill exercise

  • Writing prompts

  • Foreign language vocabulary and conversation

  • Storytelling

  • Application of theoretical concepts

  • Review for exams

  • Interpretation of social contexts


You can also create your own unique tag for preloading images to Flickr that are pertinent to your discipline.

Incorporating active activities into the classroom has proven beneficial in long-term learning for better understanding and retention.

 

--Teaching Tip by Heidi Olson, learning design coordinator for UAF eLearning.

Read the full post on iTeachU for more on PechaFlickr and how improv can enhance the classroom experience: http://elearning.uaf.edu/go/tt-pechaflickr.

Want to see PechaFlickr live in action? UAF eLearning will host PechaFlickr at Arctic Java on Sept. 12.