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| Digital
cameras are becoming more and more popular, especially for classroom
use. They have many advantages: pictures are immediately available,
pictures are saved in graphic format, and they are easily transferred
from the camera to the computer.
The purpose
of this web page is to provide some ideas on how to use the digital
camera in the classroom. The ideas have been collected from various
educators. If we have used your idea and not given you credit, please
let us know. Thanks to all who have contributed!
Remember,
it's not really about taking pictures, but using the camera as a tool to
help you explore and understand other subjects!
One important
note: Check with your school's policy before posting ANY pictures of
students on the internet. |
Why Use a
Digital Camera?
| Students
love taking pictures as much as they love being in them. They benefit
from using digital cameras because they learn firsthand the ease and
immediacy of using digicams. Most of my students aren’t aware of the
different types of graphics, but they can understand how it’s much more
convenient to save pictures onto a disk which can be popped into a disk
drive and transferred to a computer right away, as opposed to taking
pictures with a regular camera, sending film to be developed, getting
the pictures back, and then discovering that half of the pictures they
took weren’t usable. They also realize that they’re saved the trouble
of scanning, saving, and doing a lot of editing of photos, since this is
all done on the camera itself. They also learn that pictures can be
easily viewed on a screen or Smart Board, or emailed as attachments.
Using digital
photography helps the student become more involved with the subject. I
guide the younger ones in “deciding” what they will photograph and the
purpose behind the project. Then they are responsible for carrying it
out, with my supervision. Older students can decide for themselves what
the project will be, and after my approval, they complete it. The
process becomes a cognitive one as the students reason and plan what
pictures to take and why those pictures are needed. Random snapshots
are okay sometimes, but the students quickly learn to be selective when
using the camera.
It's also
very easy to simply print out pictures onto paper (laser printers do a
good job of keeping the pictures clear). You can purchase actual
photographic paper to print on, but for most projects copy paper works
just fine.
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Is There
Anything I Should Be Concerned About?
| The main
issue is damage to the camera. Digital cameras are still rather
expensive, and the students MUST be taught proper handling and safety
rules when using the camera. Do training with students one-on-one to
ensure that they understand how to handle the camera. When students
"pass" the required training and demonstrate knowledge of the careful
handling rules, take their picture with the camera, and issue an
"Official Photographer" pass with their picture on the front and the
safety use rules printed on the back as a reminder. Whenever a student
is to use the camera, he or she should show you the pass (just like a
photographer for a newspaper or other press).
The second
most important issue to remember, according to Pam Fields, is ensuring
that students take appropriate photographs. The ease of using a digital
camera also allows students to snap many nonsense pictures (goofy faces,
posture, or catching subjects in awkward situations). Plan on spending
some time going over basic photography rules with students and
explaining how to frame or set up a picture before it's taken. Some
casual snapshots are okay and encouraged, but they need to be aware that
some are inappropriate and be able to judge for themselves what they
should or should not photograph.
A third issue
to keep in mind is privacy when publishing photographs. Some students
do not have permission to be photographed. Be aware of your school’s
policy regarding pictures and publication of pictures. Check with your
principal before publishing any student picture, whether on paper or
online.
When printing
pictures, teach students to be choosy and not to print every single
picture they take. Though paper and ink are less expensive than film
and the cost of developing regular pictures, they can't be wasteful.
|
Where Do I
Start?
| The main tip
for using digital cameras is don’t be afraid! If you’re not sure how to
use the camera, hand it to one of your more responsible students. I
guarantee they will figure out how to use it, and they love the
opportunity to teach the teacher how to do something. Walk around your
classroom with the camera and take snapshots throughout the day to let
the students get used to it. This will stop them from mugging for
pictures every time they see a camera. It also gives you the chance to
become familiar with the camera and how it operates. Don't be afraid to
push buttons to find out what they all do. Scan through the manual or
handbook that comes with your camera, but get your hands on it and USE
it as soon as you can. That's the best way to learn.
The second
tip is to be creative and encourage your students to offer input when
planning digicam projects. We’re just beginning to realize the
potential of what digital photography can do for us. Embrace it and
share your ideas with others who might be hesitant. Brainstorm with
your students and fellow teachers. Then try ideas. Write down what
works and what doesn't. And then brainstorm again.
Once you
learn how to use the camera and want to learn more about actual photo
editing, search online for a good tutorial or check around your school
to see if anyone knows how to do this (cropping, changing photo types
from .bmp to .jpg, etc). The more you learn, the more you will want to
learn about digital photography. |
Lesson
Ideas
| As an
alternative to showing students' faces on the internet, let them draw
caricatures of themselves and paste these over their faces in photos. -
Kenton Letkeman, Tisdale School Division, Tisdale, SK, CA |
| Give
students a portion of a digital picture and have them guess what the
picture is of. A great site with examples of this is:
http://takeacloserlook.homestead.com/ - Paula Fleischer, Peachland
Elementary |
| Give
students a list of items to look for in the classroom or in the school.
They must take pictures and compile a presentation (slide show, web
page, etc.) of the things they found during their scavenger hunt to
prove they found them all. |
| Take
pictures during plays, sporting events, or other special events. Make a
slide show of these activities. |
| Take
pictures of various staff members and teachers. Create a slide show or
digital handbook to give new students. |
| Take
pictures during the day to give a photographic record of classroom
procedures. Print the pictures out and post them so students can review
the procedures as needed. |
| Photograph
places in the community (parks, libraries, etc.). Have students compile
reports to go with the photographs and print a brochure about their
community. |
| First of all
load a variety of bitmaps to you My Documents folder from various
'famous' sites around the world: Eiffel Tower, Wall of China, Buckingham
Palace, Castle at Disney World, etc. Take a photo of the children, one
at a time and then have them import them to the site. Depending on how
well they cut around themselves, it looks like they are actually there.
- Earlene Saulnier, Immaculate Heart of Mary School |
1. Have each
kindergartner choose a letter. Then, go on a walk around the school or
in the neighborhood. When the child finds something that begins with
that letter, take a picture of the child with that object. Use the
pictures to create a class alphabet chart.
2. After a field
trip on which you have taken at least one picture for each child or pair
of children, download the pictures and have the children write a summary
or memories or something else related to that picture. Make a class
book.
3. After a
field trip, immediately download and slide show or use the feature some
cameras have for plugging into a VCR. Use the photos to help you
debrief the field trip.
4. Use the
cameras for a phrenology project. We had a prairie at my last school
and I always wanted the kids to create a field guide for the prairie by
photographing the same plant every month. They'd combine the pictures
from one year onto a single page and include information about the
plant.
5. Use still
photos to create educational iMovies. My current school has a turtle
week to raise funds and raise awareness about the plight of sea
turtles. A fifth grade teacher worked with the high school art teacher
to create a great educational video that was shown to the entire
elementary. Being written by kids, it ended up at the correct level.
6. For years my
colleague has taken lots of pictures throughout the year. At the
December and June portfolio nights he would run a slide show of the
pictures so families could see their child learning. He duplicated and
sold them at cost. Kids would come back many years later and tell him
they still watched their video. - Susan Sedro, Mont'Kiara International
School |
| Take
pictures during students' science experiments. If participating in a
science fair, use the pictures as part of the display boards. You can
also use pictures to give a visual representation of each part of the
scientific process. |
| I use my
Sony Mavica in school. I have a disk wallet with 24 disks and a stack of
sticky notes. The disks are numbered. When we use a disk a brief note
about the pictures is written on the sticky note and that is put on the
disk before it is put back into the wallet. That way when we get back to
the classroom we know who needs which disk to complete their work. For
my own pictures I use the same system sometimes adding a notebook for
more detailed notes. For example on a recent trip I took pictures of
different flowers, fossils, minerals, and historic exhibits (I checked
with museum personnel before taking any photographs.) My notebook has
notes about each picture that I can use to make posters or add to
handouts. I'm burning the pictures to CD for the kids to use in their
reports when they can not get a photograph themselves. - Kimberly
Herbert |
| Take
pictures of your classroom to make a virtual tour. Compile these into a
brochure or slide show or web page. |
| Take
pictures to document other growth, such as plants, butterflies, frogs,
etc. Use these pictures to illustrate life cycles or stages of growth. |
| Take
pictures of objects in the school or familiar places in your community.
Let the kids use the pictures to learn the names for them (i.e. book,
pencil, library). The students can compile these into a book which they
can read. |
| Let students
take pictures of themselves and make trading cards. They love
exchanging these cards with each other. A trading card can easily be
made in Word or other word processing program by making a table with 2
columns. Students should include information about themselves (name,
birthday, favorite class, favorite cartoon, etc.) |
| Take
pictures of students throughout the year to illustrate how they grow.
This is best done outside in full light, with students lined up against
a wall and with another object in the photo or a mark made on the wall
so that difference in sizes through the year can be easily seen. |
| Use the
camera to take pictures of the Students of the Week. Print them out to
display on their certificates. |
| Take lots of
pictures on field trips. Then display the pictures by either printing
them or displaying them on a computer screen or television. Have
students write about these experiences. |
| Take
pictures during open house. Display the pictures in the classroom.
Good way to remember what each students' parents look like until you
become more familiar with them. |
| We take
pictures of school events, classroom projects, art projects, music
programs, and just every day pictures. We have a local cable station
that creates a Power Point type program with captions. The station show
the presentation several times a week. it is great. You might want to
check with your local cable station and see if they will do it. Also,
this coming school year we (which means me) are going to create a Power
Point program ... of different events, classroom projects, etc. When we
have parent teacher conferences we will have TVs set up showing the
presentation of what has been happening in our school. - Sheryl |
I use the
digital camera during the first week of school to take student pictures.
Students then design posters and glue their
pictures on the
posters. Students must discuss what is on their posters and we display
them for the month of September. I use it to take pictures of students
completing activities, such as readers theater, cooperative group
activities, etc. Its instant feedback and students love it. I also take
pictures the last week of school and students complete Venn diagrams on
themselves and share how they are still the same and how they have
changed over the year. Our tech coordinator takes tons of school
activities with the camera and posts the pictures on a bulletin board in
the main lobby. A final thing she did this year was with these pictures
make an 8th grade power point presentation for graduation. What a great
summation of a challenging year! Kids loved this! Just some ways we use
cameras at our school! - Jamie |
| I use my
digital camera to take pictures of my students all year long doing
normal things like working and also on field trips and doing any special
activities. Then at the end of the year I make a power point slide show
of the pictures I took set to music. I hook my computer up to my tv/vcr
and I record the slide show onto a vcr tape then make copies. On the
last day of school I surprise the kids by showing them our class slide
show then when it is over and they are all saying how neat that was I
hand them each their own personal copy as a parting gift to remember
their last year (they leave me and go to middle school) they love this,
and parents love it too. - Maureen |
I use my
digital camera EVERY DAY! I don't know how I'd live without it!
I use digital
pictures to:
- -make locker
magnets
- -make thank
you notes
- -use with pen
pal letters
- -make stickers
with student name and picture
- -make a
monthly bulletin board highlighting special activities
- -make a memory
book for the students for the year
- -publish
student books, they draw pictures and I take pictures of their
illustrations with the digital camera and print them on the same page as
the text.
- -have students
interview each other, take pictures of each other, and print off the
interview and pictures -make a weekly newsletter
- -white out the
background of the student and have them draw a picture around a photo of
themselves -make bookmarks with their picture on it
- -students make
junk sculptures, then write about it and put the picture and writing
together for a class book
- -take pictures
of projects or events to put on the web site
- -take pictures
of the various life stages of butterflies grown in the classroom
- -take pictures
of different stages of a science experiment
- -take pictures
of different places in the community to make a community ABC book
- -use the
pictures of the community to make postcards to be sent to relatives, pen
pals, etc.
The skies the
limit. If the school furnishes you with printer cartridges and paper,
it's a whole lot cheaper than film!
I use the camera
to coordinate as much as possible with writing activities.
- Nancy |
| I use
digital cameras in my classroom all year long. These are some of the
things I did this year: 1) bought seasonal packs with holes in the
center & they took their picture and placed in it in the cut out space
for cute bulletin boards, name tags, etc. 2) used their picture on large
manila envelopes and laminated for take home things, 3) used pictures
all year long and made a Christmas photo album for mom and dad (It was
titled "A Day at School" and I took pictures of them in all their
different classes and they had to write the name of the subject and then
on the next page was them working at a task in that subject. The parents
loved it!). 4) at parties and special things going on, their pictures
would be displayed in the hallway. Some I printed in color and some in
black and white. 5) also used my camera at workshops, etc. to take
pictures of things I wanted to use in my classroom. I have iMacs at
school and took the pictures from the disk to Appleworks and sized them.
I hope this sparks some ideas for you to try. - Joanne |
| In my Middle
School Math Classes I have taken black and white headshots of each
student (with our Sony Mavica), sized it to a quarter page with a box
frame around it ... then added a blank box beside it (the same size as
the framed picture). This would take up the top half of the page. I
would repeat the process with another student's headshot and empty box
below that first one. Then I'd cut the page in half giving each student
their own headshot and blank box on the half-sheet. The students then
draw 1/2 - 1 in. gridlines in pencil on both the headshot and the empty
box next to the headshot. They label the gridlines as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
etc., going each direction. They try to duplicate their pictures by
drawing only what they see in each box. They make amazingly accurate
drawings of themselves! - John Schwartz |
-Take a walk around the
school taking pictures of important areas. Have students draw a map of
the
school, importing the pictures
to show there locations.
-For young students, take a
picture of each student. Write the students name below the picture and
use this
on bulletin boards instead of
the name alone or use it to label the students seat, locker, coat hook,
etc.
-Take pictures of everyone in
your class. Use the photos in a seating chart.
-Have each student take a
picture. Students then trade pictures. Students then need to write a
story to
explain what is happening in
their picture.- Travis |
| We have had great fun with
students at all grade levels using an online service called PhotoIsland
at http://www.photoisland.com
We have kids use the digital
cameras to take head shots of each other. Then we load the photos on
the computer. Using the Internet, go to PhotoIsland. Select Photo
Workshop. There are six neat things to do with the photos. Our
favorites are iMorph (where you morph one photo into another) and
Funhouse (where you insert your face into a character). When
PhotoIsland has created the requested photo, you right click and save
it. Then insert it into another application (often Word) and use it.
It does take several lessons
to complete the assignment first time (1-take photo & load onto
computer, 2-upload, render new photo, and save, 3-complete assignment).
I'm not sure what your time frame is with students. Teachers catch on
very quickly. In addition, once the pictures are taken they can be used
again. After using PhotoIsland, they don't need future instruction. We
use the photos to spark creative writing with the students, look at
historical time periods, and think about future aspirations.
Several cautions... First,
our school is 95% African-American and it is sometimes difficult to find
a photo to match their skin tone. Second, too many users makes the
system run slow. Five to ten at a time seems to work. Finally, there is
an option to be a member and store photos on the Internet. I would not
recommend this because of safety/security issues with student
information/likenesses.- Leigh Forbes |
|
For Kindergarten - Use a digital camera to take pictures of objects in
the school and around the community (representing each shape). Show
the pictures in the classroom and have students correctly name the
shapes. |
| At the beginning of the year, take
each students' picture with a digital camera. During the year, have
them make graphs with these pictures. For example, during your
morning routine, draw a graph on the board with two rows, one for
students who are eating in the lunchroom, one for students who
brought their lunch. Print the picture and put a small magnet on the
back of each one. Have students move their pictures into the
appropriate row depending on what their lunch preference is for the
day. Count the numbers on each row together and tally them. Kids are
learning to ask a question, collect the data, organize it, and
record the results in a practical, personal way. Create word
problems with these pictures and have the children solve them. |
| Let children act out certain skits and photograph
them. For example, one picture of a student running in the hall and
another picture of a student walking obediently; or, one picture of
a student going in the wrong lunch door, causing someone to drop a
tray, and another picture of a student going in the right lunch
door. Talk about the pictures and what has happened in each one.
Make the correlation that rules keep bad things from happening. Make
the pictures into a class book of rules and consequences. |
| Take pictures of community workers if you can't have
them come into your classroom to talk. Discuss the pictures. Take
pictures inside a police station or fire station. Take pictures at a
farm. If you can't take them, find them online and share them with
the class, like a virtual field trip. Explain the things the
students see in the pictures so they can learn about different
community workers. |
| Take a picture of two or three
students lined up. Print the picture out or display it. Have
students talk about similarities and differences (who's largest,
who's smallest). Ask for pictures from when students were babies.
Scan them and then compare those pictures with current ones (side by
side). Have students describe changes and things that have remained
the same. |
| If you have a classroom pet, take
pictures of the proper way to feed, water, and clean the pet's cage.
Take a video of the right way to hold the pet. Post these pictures
at the pet's cage or aquarium as a reminder of the right way to care
for living things. |
| Take pictures of students pushing,
pulling, and rolling things. Let them sort the pictures into piles
that depict pushing, pulling, and rolling. Take a picture of a
straight line and a zigzag line. Take pictures of the students in a
circle. Take one of them running and one of them crawling and one of
them sitting. Label the pictures or print the matching words "fast,
slow, motionless" and let the students match the words with the
correct picture. |
| Take a picture of several students.
Print the picture out or display it. Have students talk about
similarities and differences. |
| Take digital pictures of different
shapes around the classroom or school. Display the pictures and have
students compare and contrast the shapes. |
Have students arrange objects to
represent each element. Take digital pictures of each
representation. For example, one student sitting behind another one.
Have students use the pictures to practice identifying these
elements.
near, far, below, above, up, down, behind, in front of, next to, and
left or right of |
| Go through a science investigation
(for example, have two groups of students make Jell-o to see how it
changes form). Take digital pictures of each step. Make a second
batch of Jell-o, taking pictures of each step. Compare the two sets
of pictures and the results of each to see if everything was done
the same way and if the results were the same. (Thanks to Carol Reed
for this idea!) |
| Have students use a digital camera to take pictures
throughout the school (and outside) of sources of light. Take pictures
of the shadows each source of light makes. |
| Use a digital camera to take pictures
of the parts of something. For instance, the steering wheel of a
car, the tire, an oil filter. Have students look at the pictures and
explain what each one does. Show them a picture of the complete
object and ask them what that object does when the parts are put
together. Guide them in a discussion of the parts and what each
does, and how they are useless unless put together in the right way.
As an extension, have students take pictures of objects around the
classroom and discuss them in the same manner. |
| Have students take pictures of the sun and its
related shadows during the day. Print the pictures and have the students
put them in order (especially the shadows) to show how the shadows
change in response to the sun's position. |
| Have students use a digital camera
and take a trip around the school to take pictures of objects that
show they possess energy by moving but not in a straight line (fan,
car, flag, etc.). Have them take pictures of other objects that push
and pull to create energy of motion. Have them take pictures of
light sources that show light energy. Have them take pictures of
things that give off heat (heat energy). Have them print these
pictures and organize them into "Energy" books. Be sure they label
each type of energy on the pictures. |
| Have students take digital pictures
of themselves pushing and pulling various objects. Have them video
tape themselves pushing and pulling safe objects at various speeds.
Have them insert the videos into PowerPoint presentations to show
how the speed changes the rate of motion. |
| Have students use digital cameras and
video cameras whenever conducting experiments. Have them record
results in Word, Excel, etc. |
| Have students use a
digital camera to take pictures of plants, fungi, and animals on the
school grounds. Have students insert these pictures into a
PowerPoint presentation. Have them look up facts in Yahooligans
about each object in the pictures. They should insert facts into
their presentation. Have them give the presentation in front of the
class. Have them share their presentations with classes in other
third grades throughout Georgia. |
Have
students use a digital camera (or you use one) to take pictures of
the various elements (day/night cycle of the earth, phases of the
moon, revolution of the earth around the sun, size and order from the
sun of the planets). Have students look up information on the Internet
(Yahooligans) to make sure their representations are accurate. Label
where appropriate (waxing crescent, waning crescent, etc.). Have students use the pictures in a PowerPoint
presentation or print them to make a class book. |
| Have students use a digital camera to
take pictures around the school of things that are transparent,
opaque, and translucent. Have them take pictures of reflections that
they see. Have them take pictures of the items that cause
reflections. Compile the pictures into a PowerPoint
presentation, or use the pictures as a sorting/reviewing exercise in
Word or Inspiration. |
| Have students take digital pictures of organisms
around the school area and how they react to the environment.
Students should compile the pictures into a booklet with facts about
the organisms and their interactions. |
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