Like the microwave is to warming up leftover food, the document camera is to making your lessons sparkle. Confused? Take, for example, when we were kids and our mothers would warm up mashed potatoes in a skillet. Mine would add milk on leftover day one, more milk on leftover day two, and by the fourth day, it was one watery, slippery goo of a mess. It just sat there like a runny mess on our plates. They were soupy, blah, weak–very tasteless and bland. We’d eye our dog sitting under the table, wondering how we could transfer the goo from our plates to him.
It can be the same way with some of our lessons that need perked up. Mrs. G., art teacher at Olive Branch, had a wonderful lesson where she was teaching light source with drawing and painting. Having a stroke of genius as she looked at the confused sixth graders, she arranged a still life in front, plugged the document camera into the Promethean Board, and voila! Instant renewed interest in still life and light sources! Every student could see the same thing from all areas of the room!
Interested in how to use a document camera? Before you check the camera out from the library, you’ll need to see me to schedule training. Be prepared for excitement!
Want some ideas for your classroom?
SCIENCE
–Great to look at all the object with Food Chemistry, MicroWorlds, Ecosystems. Almost like having a projection microscope!
–Zoom in on parts of a thermometer, and ruler, showing the smallest units and degrees.
–Use as a microscope
MATH
–Model what is expected in the steps included in a math concept
–Math tools (rulers, compasses, calculators) show well on the doc. camera and the fact that it shows color makes color-coding much more signifcant.
–As math students are working on problems, share their work with the class. It is immediate feedback for accuracy and completeness.
SOCIAL STUDIES
–Dislay pictures of hsitorical events that you are discussing.
–Use it for political cartoons in Current World Problems discussions
–Use maps to trace historical battles
LANGUAGE ARTS
–Reading picture books to the class has been better for some teachers when the students can see/discuss illustrations.
–Share published books; illustrations improve greatly when they know their peers are going to look at their work!
–It is great for editing writing samples. Children will really write neatly if they know they will get to see their work on TV.
MUSIC/ART/P.E.
–Use sheet music to teach music reading skills
GENERAL
–Demonstrate three dimensional items
–Show off student work
–Go over tests with students to show correct answers
–Show demonstrations
–Invert the camera so children can appear on television as if in a newscast for book reviews, reading, and poetry
–Enlarge text for students with vision impairments
By: Sarah Webb on October 23, 2008 
