I believe that when a technology is simple to use, then teachers will use it. Witness the Smartboard and the Document camera. Simple technologies can be powerful technologies. They do not require thousands of hours of professional development. They do not require long learning curves. Teachers “get it” and can use them. They can involve their students in that technology with minimal prep. I think that often we over look simple technologies like word processing, digital camera, document cameras, and smartboards. Let’s promote technologies that teachers can and will use instead of complex technologies that often require someone else to set things up like videoconferencing. Let’s focus on what teachers have in their classrooms!
Archive for the 'Document camera' Category
Simple yet powerful technology
Published January 24, 2008 Camera , Document camera , Smartboard , technology , Video conference , Videoconference , word process , wordprocess 2 CommentsTags: Class, easy, Education, powerful, simple, Teacher, technology, technology integration
Super-educating a Document Camera/Elmo
Published July 30, 2007 Academic , Document camera , Elmo , learning , Student 1 CommentBack when we had opaque projectors, we were happy to just project a book page, a picture, etc. Now the quality is so much better than you can super-educate with it. Some examples:
Using a pencil or pen point to focus attention on a precise part of an image or passage
Writing on a copy of a student paper as the class suggests comments for improvement.
Using pre-word processed mini-pieces of paper to add higher-level questions or comments to the shown item. Just put the piece of paper above or below the image or passage to be projected.
Using a sheet of paper to reveal line after line as the students read it. A teacher can do focused comprehension questions or improve speed reading.
Having a student draw what you are saying.
How else do you super-educate your use of an document camera or Elmo?
© Harry Grover Tuttle, 2007
Document Camera Research and A Version of an Opaque Projector
Published June 14, 2007 Document camera , learning , Research , Scientific-Based , Teacher , technology Leave a Comment
According to The Journal June 2007, the document camera is the new hot technology. For you younger teachers, this technology in a bulker form existed many many many years ago. It was called an opaque projector. Teachers could put an object, a picture, an article, or a book on it and it would project the object to a huge size. We used it for a myriad of classroom activities from science comparisons to looking at students’ writing. I found a 1964 article on the opaque projector “The opaque projector as used in a kindergarten and first grade”
Do we have information on what the advantages and disadvantage of the opaque project were in class? Do we have “best practices” for using the opaque projector? Or we are starting from scratch in our use of the document camera? If so, why? I thought we were in the age of “scientific-based research”? Why do we get “hype” and not research? Why cannot we instantly start to use the document camera for greater student learning instead of going through the trail and tribulation stage?
© Harry Grover Tuttle, 2007
Education with Technology Harry G. Tuttle 
