Mental Health Through the Eyes of Adolescents

The project will have students from a mental health classroom (in-patients in the Child and Family Psychiatry Unit of the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital) explore how feelings and emotions can be translated through inanimate objects in digital photography. The photographs will be displayed in the corridors and on the psychiatry unit with descriptors.

Update (April 4, 2012)

Our project began on the Monday after a very restful spring break for us all. Our student teacher, Mr. Robertson, has taken on this project as part of his final practicum. As luck would have it, his major is in CTS and he has a passion for photography. Mr. Robertson started off with having the students explore some fundamentals of digital photography, followed by lots of time to explore the camera.

As the project continues, students will be taught how to look for emotion/feelings in photographs and how to capture emotions/feelings in photography using inanimate objects.

Photos will be posted as soon as students have the opportunity to download and edit some of their shots.

Update (April 19, 2012)

The Mental Health Through the Eyes of Adolescents project has been a collaborative effort between Ms. Carla Babichuk and me. My name is Connor Robertson and I'm a student teacher who has been placed in Ms. Babichuk's classroom for the Winter 2012 semester. We've made decisions together regarding our plans for the project and we've had our students do as much of the work as possible. I can honestly say that our kids have loved this project and I intend to do photography based projects in the future. We've used this as a platform to teach kids about emotional expression, vocabulary and the technical knowledge needed to operate the cameras and the software.

I have taught my students how to correctly use the varied settings on the digital SLR cameras. Each student was responsible for creating and presenting one crucial factor in generating appealing images. They covered topics such as the exposure triangle, the rule of thirds, focal point, depth of field and perspective taking. We have reviewed the validity of how images can inspire an emotion.

Students have been given time to experiment with the functions of a camera and modify their photographs using digital photo editing software. The software that we used was Picasa which is a free software program created by google.

The kids have taken photographs on site at the Glenrose Hospital and they've been given the opportunity to take photographs off site. On Monday April 16th, 2012 we transported the students to the Alberta Legislature grounds for a photography trip. All of the students who have participated in our project have created amazing images. We've had peer critique and review of our photographs. We selected the images to be professionally framed based on a democratic voting technique.

The money provided by Imagineaction has been used to have a professional framer make our images presentable. The pictures taken are intended to be a legacy and dedication to adolescent mental health that our students will be able to leave behind for others to appreciate in the hospital.

I would like to take this time to thank the Canadian Teachers’ Federation / Imagineaction for this amazing opportunity. It has helped me with my development as a teacher and lifelong learner.

Connor Robertson

Update (April 27, 2012)

Our final project was a major success. We had our students reveal their work to their peers, other teachers and the support workers on the nursing unit. All of the projects were well received by those who viewed them. Our students were praised for their excellent efforts and they seemed to be very proud of their work. The products will be left on the unit as a legacy for future generations to enjoy.

There is a potential side project where these images may be used as a fundraiser for the Child and Family Psychiatry Unit at the Glenrose Hospital.

Everyone here at the Glenrose has been so grateful for the opportunity provided by Imagineaction.