ENNIS, County Clare, Ireland—St. Anne's schoolteacher Mary Reid says she's a big believer in hands-on projects. But she hadn't anticipated students' hands appearing front and center in the first set of digital photographs she sent them out into the community to capture.

To teach her nine special-needs students—aged 16 to 18—environmental literacy skills, Reid sent her pupils to the streets of Ennis to find examples of common symbols used in signs. Their assignment was to use a digital camera to capture the sign imagery and any associated visuals—for example, the hazard to which a road sign might be referring.

This activity, Reid explains, meets communications learning goals by which students are required to interpret common signs and symbols.

"Rather than producing a mass of text-based worksheets," she says, "I decided to actually go hunting for real signs and their real-life application. The students' understanding and retention are enhanced by doing the project in a practical rather than a theoretical way."

Reid adds: "Using the digital camera, uploading photographs, and developing the presentation enhanced skills required for their computer literacy portfolio."

The culprit in the too-hands-on outcome of the first photo shoot was the rain, Reid explains. Ennis is a small coastal town with a temperate climate, but some years—like this one—she says, "it feels like the entire Atlantic has been dropped on us." The students had been attempting to shield the camera lens from the constant downpour while taking photos; thus, the appearance of hovering digits in most frames.

But with a little how-to instruction, Reid's students quickly got the hang of using the digital camera, even in foul weather, and came back with a plethora of material. They then used this material to create a visual presentation of their learning, using computer presentation software.

Through the project, Reid says, "students learned the importance of symbols in their everyday lives, the amount of reading that they do naturally and without thinking about it, how symbols communicate messages across all sorts of cultural and linguistic barriers, how effective symbolism can be used as a powerful means of communication, and the necessity of being able to decode symbols."

Reid also reports that students become more aware of the potential hazards on roadways and in the community. "The ability to associate a sign with a real-life example," she says, "is important in helping students to comprehend the dangers referred to."

Additionally, for two of Reid's students, the project has made studying for their driver theory test much easier.

St. Anne's School is a progressive primary and secondary school that caters to the needs of students with learning difficulties. The school has benefited from being a part of the Ennis Information Age Town Project, a program sponsored by Ireland's national telephone company. Through it, a significant investment has been made in technology to benefit the community. St. Anne's 100 students have access to a computer lab with 12 computers, as well as to additional computers in each classroom. The school also has a variety of peripherals, including data projectors, scanners, printers, and digital cameras. Some students have access to PCs at home, while others use those provided by the Library Service in each of its branches.

Reid has been teaching since the early 1980s, receiving her first classroom computer in 1983. Because she was the youngest person on staff at the time, Reid says her colleagues figured she had the best chance of getting the PC up and running. "I put an 11-year-old pupil to the task," she says. "He taught me, and I've never looked back since."