Michael Svec, Associate Professor of Education, Furman University This poster describes the creation of a digital archive for use with in-service teachers as a means to engage them in analysis and reflections centering on the culture of their own classrooms. Through comparisons of their space, and materials with those of other schools in different times and countries, teachers examine their underlying cultural messages and then become more deliberate in the creation of their classroom culture.

1. School Cultures: Digital Images and Artifacts from the Classroom
Michael Svec, Ph.D., Furman University, 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville, SC, 29613 michael.svec@furman.edu
ABSTRACT Technology Infrastructure
Furman University’s Library is home to the Digitcenter which helps faculty create
This poster describes the creation of a digital archive for use with in-service collections and customize material to fit instructor’s teaching needs. The Digicenter
teachers as a means to engage them in analysis and reflections centering on also provided copyright policies and digitization standards. Digitized collections are
the culture of their own classrooms. Through comparisons of their space, and made available through a web-based digital asset management system, LUNA
materials with those of other schools in different times and countries, teachers Insight www.lunaimaging.com . Images from the archive were accessed during
examine their underlying cultural messages and then become more deliberate class for analysis and discussion. The search features allowed instant access to
in the creation of their classroom culture. additional images to test tentative claims about values expressed through artifacts
Project Goal in various classrooms.
The pedagogical goal for this digital archive emerged from a graduate course,
Coding
Culture of American Schools, for practicing teachers. The function of the
archive is to provide materials that will be used to engage the teachers in File name Title 2-10 words (native
reflections centering on the culture of their own classrooms. Through language)
comparisons of their space, materials, etc. with those of other schools in Creator Name of photographer Description Paragraph format
different times and countries, teachers can examine their underlying cultural Location City, state, country Date original
messages and then be more deliberate in the creation of their future class Format Subject Broad description,
cultures. The course assumes that artifact analysis is part of a process to help original controlled vocabulary
teachers embrace the centrality of culture in school learning (Hollins). The entrance to one school in South Carolina features winners of the high school’s beauty pageant
Activity Controlled vocabulary Objects Controlled vocabulary
While the entrance to a private high school in Guilin China includes academic achievements. Both
images highlight achievement although they differ in who is highlighted and the expectations for Source Publisher
Freire (2005) explains that “[i]t is necessary, for example, to observe well, to achievement.
compare well, to infer well, to imagine well, to free one’s sensibilities well, and
The artifact assignment was first assigned in the Spring 2012 and has been
to believe others, without believing too much what one may think about others.”
completed. The digital archive is currently being constructed based on the
Woven into the culture course are opportunities to observe, infer, and compare
Spring semester results. The controlled vocabulary is being constructed based
their school and classrooms with others. The classrooms of the teachers in the
on teacher and the instructor’s observations.
course provide one set of comparison, but digital artifacts from European and
Chinese schools as well as historical artifacts provide another source of data. Conclusion
Schools are important cultural institutions, yet the recognition of the influence
The archive consists of 1) images of schools and classrooms, 2) scans of of culture on children and teachers is largely ignored in teacher preparation
classroom documents including sample of student work, parent and professional development. An anthropological perspective on teaching
communications, etc., and 3) movies of instruction and other school activities. and schooling can empower teachers and their students. Exposure to
Materials will be collected from contemporary schools, historic images, and anthropological research helps teachers recognize the role of culture in their
international school settings. classroom and better build a sense of belonging for their students and a
stronger connection to the community. This digital archive provides material
Artifact Analysis for analysis as well as a product that teachers can use to improve the culture
Comparison of an American Biology classroom on the left with a Czech physics lab on the right.
The theory of multimodality (Kress, van Leeuwen 2001) allows for ideas to be of their classrooms to be more inclusive. The archive as well as the teachers’
Teachers noted the class size, orientation of the students toward the teacher, technology, and
represented visually as well as in writing. The artifact analysis combines classroom decorations (attitude posters vs. content posters). classrooms become the data upon which inquiries and reflections emerge
multimodality with ethnography as a method to explore the symbolic and ultimately leading to a transformation of the teachers’ professional practice.
technological expressions of a school or classroom culture. Pahl and Roswell
(2010) articulate a theory of critical artifactual literacy that uses artifacts, spaces Works Cited
and the stories they tell as a means to lever more power for the meaning Freire, P. (2005). Teachers as cultural workers. Boulder Colorado: Westview
makers. Press.
Hollins, E.R. (2008) Culture in school learning (2nd ed). New York:Routledge.
Teachers produce an artifact analysis and share it on a class wiki. In Kress, G.R., & van Leeuwen, T. (2001) Multimodal discourse: The modes and
collaboration with their students, the teachers identify several artifacts in their media of contemporary communication. London: Arnold.
classroom to explore the meaning of those objects. The teacher then continues Pahl, K. & Rowsell, J. (2010) Artifactual Literacies: Every object tells a story.
to analyze how the objects connect the community, lead to discussions, and New York: Teacher College Press.
convey values and beliefs. The inquiry concludes with a reflection on how to
further engage students in defining the classroom culture in part through the Acknowledge
expression of the objects and the stories they tell.
This project and poster were completed with the support of the
Comparison of a Czech 2nd grade classroom on the left with a South Carolina 2nd grade classroom on
The digital archive is used as a source of images and objects for use in class to
the right. The colors, quantity of decorations, technology, and engagement of the students was
Archives that Count project provided by the
develop the skills necessary for the completion of the assignment. In addition noted. American teachers were also concerned by the lack of a visible classroom management plan Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Grant 2011-12.
the objects and images gathered by the teachers are then added to the archive resulting in a discussion of communicating behavior expectations.
to expand the contents of the archive.