7.25.2009

86 ideas for a document camera in the classroom

I plan to use a webcam as a digital document camera this fall, though I haven't found a suitable arm or tripod on which to mount the webcam.Our district is encouraging math teachers to use manipulatives whenever possible, and a document camera can help in a variety of areas: direct instruction, modeling, differentiation, and even classroom management. Also, many of the ideas are simple, easy ways to utilize an interactive white board, too.

I used the following resources to help compile the list below:

Sample activities from the Elmo website

www.umesd.k12.or.us/
www.pre-kpages.com/
www.timbedley.com/
www.pnc.edu/ms/
rrisd-teacherguides.wikispaces.com 1
rrisd-teacherguides.wikispaces.com 2


1.Use your document camera as a center in place of an overhead, no more messing with transparencies or vis-à-vis markers. Decreases prep time (don't have to make overheads, etc.) and supports easy adaptation and differentiation.

2. Enlarging text for students with vision impairments.

3. Create mini thematic word walls in Word using clip art, print and lay under the document camera during writers workshop or journal time so the students can easily see the words if needed.

4. Warm up/TEKS/Student Expectations/Agenda/ELPS

5. Display a variety of examples, shorten lesson planning time, and display student examples.

6. Print your classroom rules in Word using clip art (see resources for free printable rules) Project your rules on the screen using the document camera every time you are getting ready to use the cart or for reminders throughout the day.

7. Do the grades and the daily participation on the wall projected from the document camera - everyday to show missing assignments, absences, tardies.

8. Gives all students a bird's eye view.

9. Math problem solving: I freeze the pane and then I can take the book or materials with me as I walk around the room.

10. Show and Tell : Make a rule that all items need to fit under the document camera, and then let students show their items on the big screen.

11. Magnetic Poetry: Using magnetic words/letters has never been more fun that it is under the document camera!

12. Manipulatives can be placed under the camera for all to see clearly. Consider how easily you can teach using a ruler and protractor as well as base 10 blocks, clock, etc., the possibilities are endless!

13. Place real life Science objects like rocks, leaves, worms, cactus under the document camera to prompt scientific inquiry. When the teacher does a science experiment, point the document camera at the materials for all to see. If your experiment measures liquid in a measuring cup. Tilt the camera so that it points at the side of the cup. Use the document camera to zoom in on parts of a thermometer, and ruler, showing the smallest units and degrees and demo how to use 1/16, 1/8, 1/4 etc.

14. Small books that you couldn't otherwise use in large group are great for showing with the document camera (little readers etc). The document camera is has replaced the need for expensive big books.

15. Using the zoom feature on the document camera place coins under the camera to show detail and prompt discussion. This is especially helpful since many coins are now being re-designed and finding pictures of the new coins is somewhat problematic, especially if one of your objectives is teaching money.

16. You can do your interactive writing on paper under the document camera, no more losing the attention of the kids sitting in the back, now everybody can see. My kids love to see their friends writing on the big screen. You can use pencil pointers, wikki stix, highlighting tape, highlighters, etc to point out features in the writing.

17. Using real texts or student writing you can search for certain letters, spaces between words, words in a sentence, punctuation, show left to right progression, return sweep etc

18. Using the document camera we project student writing in journals or show examples of good work and to point out features of writing. This is a real motivator for writing, you will be surprised how your students will rise to the occasion.

19. Essay Writing Students write for homework. The following day, the teacher randomly selects 3 students' papers. These 3 papers are placed under the document camera one at a time for grading. The teacher does a "think-aloud" grading of each paper, and, when the students are ready, calls on them for input. The assignments are given a letter grade on the spot. These three students receive a grade and all others receive credit/no credit. This procedure sends a clear message to the students, "Your writing may be published at any time, so you better do your best work just in case. The quality of work increases greatly, and the students benefit so much more from the teacher's hard work grading papers. The quality of work increases in spite of the fact that each paper may simply be "stamped" as complete.

20. Dictionary Skills: Teachers and students can easily model dictionary usage, layout, etc. by placing an actual dictionary under the camera.

21. Modeling Writing: Good writing teachers model writing for the students on a regular basis. A document camera makes that modeling very genuine because no longer is the teacher writing on a transparency or a giant piece of paper. She is writing on a paper just like the students will be writing on! She is then able to model correct paper organization, handwriting, etc.

22. Off-Task Students: Have a student who struggles focusing on his/her work do the assignment under the document camera. With a writing assignment, there are no "right" answers, so it doesn't really matter if the other students can see. Using this method, the teacher is able to check progress on this student from anywhere in the room with a quick glance.

23. Whiteboard Lined, graph, grid paper: Project a blank piece of lined, graph, grid or coordinate plane paper onto your white board. Now you and your students can write directly on the whiteboard and keep the writing straight and neat or graph coordinates or draw isometric drawings.

24. Shared Reading: My students can all see the text that I'm reading aloud. They are expected to read along mentally. Every couple of sentences, I drop a word as I'm reading and expect the students to all chorally fill in that word. Every page or so, I stop reading aloud and tell the students to read a certain section mentally. I then hold students accountable for their reading through journal responses, pair share, and whole class discussion. These methods also improve reading fluency as students are encouraged to decode more rapidly than they normally do in order to keep up with the teacher's reading pace. Another bonus is that all students can quickly and easily see the pictures during a read aloud.

25. Worksheets, Forms, Text Book: Rather than wasting precious class time running around making sure all the students know where you are in the book, on the worksheet, etc. you can simply point if you use a document camera. Having the students fill in forms is now a snap as well.

26. Giant Timer Use the document camera to project a countdown timer. Sure you can buy an overhead timer for about $40. But when you have a document camera, the old kitchen timer works just fine. Use it to keep the kids focused on the task, knowing that the clock is ticking, and they will soon be out of time for that assignment.

27. You will no longer need the pull down maps for geography and history discussions. Simply slap a book map under your document camera and away you go!

28. Drama Stage Set: Students can draw the background scenery for a play or skit they will perform in class. Move your projector at a 45 degree angle to the white board. Project the drawing onto the white board, angling it behind the actors. The image will naturally distort, but the overall effectiveness is well worth it.

29. Going over tests

30. Creative writing - add a line

31. Use a blank sheet of paper to go over practice tests/problems highlighting one item at a time

32. Step-by-step math problem solving

33. Comparison activities using split-screen

34. Modeling note-taking

35. Math: Reflections and tesselations

36. Science: Great to look at all the objects with Food Chemistry, MicroWorlds, Ecosystems. Almost like having a projection microscope!

37. Art - show steps (teacher can work on next step while students work)

38. Side by side with project, or interview, and an outline of what is being talked about

39. Demonstration with doc camera doing project, no more big semicircle watching the teacher

40. Visor for predicting outcomes while looking at passages of text or picture books

41. Video streaming (United Streaming and online videos), online disections, microscopes

42. Freezing images so kids aren't bumping and moving the visual

43. Sequence of pictures, time lapse, to demonstrate progression.

44. To work with "at risk" students who require a significant amount of direct instruction.

45. Adding visuals to note outlines.

46. Paperless handouts.

47. Showing hands-on tasks.

48. Compare and Contrast.

49. Step by step instructions.

50. Recording speeches.

51. Group editing.

52. Displaying fragile items or print photographs.

53. Freeze screen if papers keep falling off.

54. Record student speeches or presentations.

55. Choral reading.

56. Science slides.

57. Cloze activities.

58. Labeling activities - project on a white board and label images.

59. Prediction activities.

60. Power writing activities - adding to category.

61. Display maps, charts, gaphs, images from textbooks.

62. Sharing a 3D process.

63. Visualization of verbage.

64. Instant feedback on student work.

65. Use split screen for before/after.

66. Dissecting flowers.

67. Using visor for critical reading and following directions.

68. Using box to single out paragraphs or individual words.

69. Handwriting technique.

70. Descriptive writing activities using image as writing prompt.

71. Puppet shows.

72. Box vocabulary words in contexts.

73. Projecting of actual objects, like an animal heart

74. Visual keywords for reading, keypoints, outlining

75. Side by side, student work and live action editing

76. Rubric next to writing using split screen, and scoring the example

77. Sharing student solved problems and probing why's from student centered approach

78. How to use calculators, rulers, and other tools

79. Student taught lessons

80. Math Games demonstrations

81. Modeling With Clay

82. Notating Music Scores

83. Replace Your Scanner

84. Showing Calculators

85. Use Your Old Transparencies

86. Instead of having to redraw Geometry sketches I project them onto the white board and then work out the problem. Some of our Geometry
sketches can take a lot of time to draw so this is a real time saver. I also put my notes up every day for the students to follow and copy.

2 comments:

Robin Young said...

I had the tech ed teacher make stands for the math teachers on campus to use webcams as document cameras. Here is a link to a picture of the stand: http://www.robinstechtips.com/?p=156. I have also heard of using the metal bookends as a stand. Hope this helps!

Robin

Will said...

Thanks. That is a great looking design. I will probably try the bookend method and see how it works for the particular webcam I have. Did the math teachers have webcams last year, and if they did how did it work out for them?

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