Technology Group Assignment-Digital Camera Thoughts...
In my last post I talked a little about my digital camera usage. I have been trying to incorporate photos of students into our "visual learning" power points to reinforce some of our math skills. Our cameras in the building are not very "updated" and are not always available. (We have over 30 classrooms trying to share several cameras.) Anyway, I thought I might expand more on some of these powerpoint ideas, when another situation came up in my classroom that just screamed..."I need a digital camera in the room all the time"!
Here's what happened, I had planned a somewhat complicated art center. No problem, because I had a para available to work with the kids and take them through the project step by step. Well, due to some schedule changes the para became unavailable at art center time. I could attempt to write out the steps on chart paper and make lame drawings of each and hope the kids get it! But if I had a digital camera I could take a "real" photo of each step, print them in "real' color and post them at the art center. I am sure even my most challenged learners would be able to follow the photo directions.
This of course inspires me to think about all the other places "real" photos would come in handy. We already label a few supply areas with photos and of course use student photos on cubbies, coat hooks, folders and journals. But a lot of the center areas could benefit from photo directions or photos that would be a double check to see if all materials were put away correctly. Allowing for much more independence for students and frees up teacher time too!
Photo labels and/or photo directions is not really a new concept, but one that we have all gotten away from using because it is just too time consuming to take the photo, develop the photo, mount it and then do it all over again the next week. With digital photos, once you have them you can use them over and over again. They are stored right at your finger tips and ready for printing immediately.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a "money" opportunity to come our way to help purchase cameras for each of us, and in my wildest dream it would come with plenty of photo paper and colored ink for our printer too! Think of the fun we could have!
posted by Kim @ 4:12 PM
2 Comments:
I would love to have a digital camera at my fingertips, too. I checked one out from the LMC last year & just kept it with the understanding that if anyone needed it they could get it from me. This was great except that the charger was still in the LMC. This year I thought maybe I would bring my own camera from home, but I don't want it to be left at school & not have it at home when needed. Also, there is the issue of having to use & spend my own money on school supplies again. I have quite a nice library of photos from last year, but hardly any from this year...kind of sad. :o( I took pictures of my literacy centers & had them in the center chart....tons more helpful than just the names for my 1st graders last year. I wonder if Roger will be buying more cameras with the equipment money. Also, wondering about the status of our color printer...that we haven't been able to use for so long. Anyway, here's keeping my fingers crossed that something good will happen in this area soon. Jules
Just a thought, but if you carry a mobile phone it may have a suitable camera to use any time you wish. I have a basic Nokia 6288 which has a 2 megapixel camera. I use it to capture photos of my son wherever we go. Ive also used it in the classroom and upload to my laptop for printing, manipulation etc.
Craig
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