The Digital Camera: An Educational Tool

  What follows is a list of teacher suggested educational uses for
  a digital   camera.  Thanks go out to all who submitted their ideas.

  From:   Mary O'Reilly 

     Taking pictures which are then put on school server.
   
     The student can then retrieve them and paste them on any
     computer work: language arts, math, etc. 

  TEACHER'S NOTE: I use them for web pages and my electronic grade 
  book. "Making the Grade" even imports pictures and reproduces them 
  on a seating chart.  Unfortunately, with a student load of over 120
  I don't really use this option.  

               


  From:   A. Price 

     Make up a slideshow using the ThumbsPlus program for graduation.
     The parents will love it!

  EDITOR'S NOTE: There are many capture/picture software programs out
  there that you can use.  Most new PCs and MACs come with them in
  the software packages -- Check to see what you can use.

     Create a Preschool Handbook and include pictures of the kids
     "in action" so the new parents can see a little of what goes on
     in the classroom.  I used Microsoft Publisher for that.

     Also, if parents have an e-mail addresses, you can send them
     pictures of their children via e-mail.

     Create a weekly newsletter and include the gifs/jpgs in the letter,
     that way the parents have a view of something the students did
     that week.

  TEACHER'S NOTE: I have been able to get the 3.5 in. discs for FREE
  thanks to rebates from CompUSA and Office Max.
  (We have the Sony that takes the discs, that way I don't have to
  "dump" the pictures onto a laptop when I'm away from the computer!)

  EDITOR'S NOTE:  If you are purchasing a new camera -- it is a good
  decision to spend a few extra dollars to buy the one that takes disks.
  You will never regret it.

                     


  From:  Teachnet Staff 

     We have the Sony Mavica FD-7 with built-in floppy drive. On the
     Mac, I drag an entire folder of images onto a shareware program
     called iView (at http://www.scriptsoftware.com). This app can
     display all images at full screen size in slide show format,
     perfect for parents' night, rotating endlessly at the speed you
     choose.

                         


  From:  Laura Smeltz 

     Take the digital camera on fieldtrips.  Take many pictures of
     the kids involved in different activities.  When you print the
     pictures, have the students work in pairs to write captions for
     them to tell the story of the fieldtrip.

  EDITOR'S NOTE: Such a great idea can also be turned into a mini
  virtual museum and used over again during the year. The pics could
  be added to a web page and the captions added in table form. A great
  way to re-visit topic.

     Take pictures of all of the school helpers, janitor, secretary,
     nurse, librarian etc.  Blow the pictures up and label them on the
     hall bulletin board.
 
     Take pictures of individual students to use on the author page
     of individually published books.

     Use the pictures of the students on the bulletin boards

     ex - a picture of an astronaut with the face cut out and replaced
          with the face of each student when you study space,  
          pilgrims and Natives at thanksgiving, etc.

  TEACHER'S NOTE: The kids love seeing their faces in these "bodies"
  It is fun.  Laura

                            


  From:  Lori ALLENDER 

     Use the Pics for the bulletin board

          " A Picture Perfect Year"

     Rather than taking a roll of film to be developed, use the 
     digital camera.

  TEACHER'S NOTE:  Talk about instant gratification!  It would also
  help spice up those "News Letters", "Student of the Week"....

                            



  From:  Richard and Maura Alves 

     Take individual pictures and use them in 

        Bio Poems,

        About the Authors,

        Holiday Greeting Cards ( I used the Photo Accessory library
        in Print Shop to insert student pictures in wreaths),

        All About Me Math Graphing Cards ( print pictures on labels,
        back with construction paper and laminate). These can be used
        for any graphing activity or for lunch count.

     For Back to School night, take pictures of students throughout
     the school and made a Power Point Presentation entitled "A Day
     in the Life of Your Child"

  TEACHER'S NOTE: When we did animal reports based on the animals in
  Jan Brett's books, I took a picture of each child reading the book
  which contained their animal and used this in their report. I then
  made a Power Point Presentation entitled "The Animals of Jan Brett"

  When the New England Aquarium Tide Pool visited I took pictures of
  the animals for further science exploration.

                                 



  From:   Lisa 

     Take pictures of each student using the digital camera then
     download the pictures on to the afterdark screen saver program
     and have your students pictures as your screen saver.

  TEACHER'S NOTE:  The students and the parents were thrilled to see
  all of the faces ... I had the pictures change every 5 seconds... 
  then as I got good at it, I took the camera on the field trip and
  did the same thing, adding those pictures to the pictures I already
  had of the students. By the end of the year, my screen saver was
  rotating through about 50 or 60 pictures... it was great...

  I did this for other teachers as well, taking pictures of students
  involved in various learning activities in the classroom and put them
  on their computers as well... this is particularl impressive to parents
  if you can get your computer hooked up to your tv and have that playing
  at back to school night or for open house.

                           



  From:  Lelia Cross 

     Take a picture of each of your computer classes at the beginning
     and end of the year.

     Classes can do monthly news letters and use the camera for that.

     Made a class annual.  Each student will have their picture included,
     as well as the teachers and pictures from any field trips, etc.

     Become involved in an e-mail exchange with other school children.
     Each student should take and send a picture.  

                              


  From:  Annette Miller 

     Students use the digital camera to make their own business
     cards.

  TEACHER'S NOTE: I have them bring in samples of business cards and
  we discuss what is found on the cards. Then the students decide what
  they would want their business card to say.

     Students use the digital camera to take pictures of each other
     and import their picture into their wordprocessing document.

     Cards may be laminated cards so students can carry them
     with them.

                            



From: Sally Engle 

  TEACHER'S NOTE: Last year my class was involved
  with e-mail pals. They had a wonderful experience. Since our pals
  were from another country we had each student make up a report about
  their country. 

     1) It was written in sections on the computer. 

     2) In the first section, 

          a) they give their names
          b) use the digital camera to take a picture of each student
          C) insert a frame for that section. 

     3) That way, the e-pals can see what their pal looks like!