Use of Document Cameras

[1bookman]

Does anyone have any feedback regarding the use of document cameras
as a teaching aide in the classroom? Will be making a presentation on the positives and have not found to much published?..???

[Nicolette Brata]

In my early childhood 1 classroom (3-4 yr) I started using a digital camera to document about everything last year. I could end up with 30 photos a day. I used these photos to help students to reflect on activities/work so they could remember the process and explain why they did things in a certain way. Intensive documentation was made during group projects about water. When the projects were finished the documentation helped the students to explain their project and it's process to their parents during the student led parent conference. This was amazing! All parents were very impressed how well their children could explain the project and process. The photo documentation was very helpful. I made individual digital vaults for the students and at the end of the year, the photo documentation was burned on CD (per child) and added to their portfolio.
This year all these photos help me to introduce and model similar activities to my new students.
If you are looking for more information about the power of documentation you might want to have a look at Reggio Emilia websites. Good luck!

By document cameras do you mean things like Elmos? A bit like an overhead projector, but you don't need a transparency? I think they're great. You can use them to show the class all kinds of things. A page from a book, photographs, 3-D objects ... I saw a 5th grade homeroom using one last week to show off items they had brought in to share - the whole class could see them without having to hand them around. Particularly nice for fragile items. My school system has one for almost every classroom!

I wrote a grant for a document camera last fall and received it in January.
I would not want to have a day without it! Although I teach Math and Science, I use a lot of trade books like the Sir Circumference series, for my very visual learners.... they love being able to see the pictures and read along.

I also use it most days for Science to demo the proper procedures for completing their lab work. One of the biggest advantages is to be able to show things in color MUCH more inexpensively than by making color transparencies for the overhead. We also use it as an ad hoc Magnifier.

Students love the color images and "watching TV" in the classroom. Best of luck in your presentation.

Hi--
I wrote a grant last year for an ELMO. I did find some positive documentation but I don't have it here with me right now. I can forward it to you if you would like. The reason I wrote the grant was to help with the instruction of a math series called: Investigations". In this program, the children have to write the processes that they use to solve math problems in their math journals. As a teacher, I then share the students journals with the class using the ELMO so that other students can learn how to organize information by observing what other children write. We also share examples that are not clear so that children can see what not to do. (Much more effective than having a child hold up his journal or have me copy it to chart paper. I team teach, so sometimes I have 46 kids at once. The ELMO really helps my large group focus in on instruction. We have found other uses for the ELMO: sharing literature with the class, even a small book comes to life for the entire class by placing the book on the ELMO. It's much easier to manage when you are reading to the class than a Big Book.

I use mine most days. I don't even have an overhead in my room this year. I use my overheads with a piece of white paper behind them. You still get to look at your students while you write. My students enjoy being able to see pictures when I read aloud to them.

A document camera is great to use in a science lab because you can put the lens of the camera up to a microscope and display what you are viewing through the microscope to the whole class at once. This is really nice if you have a limited budget that does not allow you to purchase a microscope for every child to use.

Michelle Noble
Instructional Technologist
Colt Elementary School
Marble Falls ISD
Marble Falls, Texas

I would be very intested in receiving a copy of the positive ELMO documentation you spoke of . [email]clanmorrison@gulftel.com[/email]
Thanks

I use one in a computer lab in a unique way. We have our 5th graders run their own parent conferences. They use a PowerPoint Portfolio of their work in all areas. The Document camera is used to turn written work into a digital format for linking to the PowerPoint. Much better than a scanner, faster. Once it is focused in, the process is just place the work, snap the picture and save.

I don't really get what you mean with 'document cameras'. Can anybody explain a bit more or refer to useful URL's? Thanks