Have a Good Life

As part of the Engaged Classroom project that our district is sponsoring, we got a sweet document camera, the AverVision 300AF+.







It is perhaps the best piece of technology that I have added to my classroom. Here is why:

1. It is easy to use
2. Everyone can use it at the same time (by looking at it, not directly touching/using it)
3. It allows me to model
4. I can record videos
5. I can take pictures of what the camera is seeing
6. The students know exactly what they need to write down at each stage of an assignment
7. Students (in Language Arts class) can receive immediate feedback from all students on their work
8. It is easier for students to keep up and stay engaged in the lesson
   

If you go to my school website, you can see some videos that I have made of reading strategies. They are pretty boring to watch, but my kids love it when I am doing it live.

I did a small, very unscientific test, to see how well using this worked. In one class, I just gave instructions on an assignment with the document camera, and the students understood, had fewer questions, and paid attention for the entire time. With the other class, I delivered the same instruction, but didn't turn on the document camera. That class was more distracted, had more questions, and did the assignment at a lower quality.

The document camera is a simple thing, but it makes a big difference in student understanding.

Anybody else use a document camera? How do you use it? How can I use mine better?

Have a Good Life.