Welcome Back: Classroom Ideas for Gadgets

Many of you purchased digital cameras and camcorders over the summer and may be wondering how you can use them in your classroom. Here are some ideas for using these gadgets in the classroom.

Digital Camera Ideas:

1. Photos of vocabulary words.
2. Bulletin board photo journal of classroom activities.
3. Create a digital scrapbook of student’s year: art, handwriting, portrait photos, etc.
4. Create a personal or classroom alphabet with pictures.
5. Use pictures for concept illustration (art, math, science).
6. Make an electronic portfolio of student work for Open House or parent review.
7. Create an “About the Author” section of student writing books.
8. Use the camera to create a video yearbook.
9. For math ask students to take pictures of angles in the classroom or school yard.
10. Story Starters: Show a picture and have students write a story based on the picture.
11. Provide a series of photos and have students write a story using what they see.
12. Help students with vowels sounds with pictures
13. Take pictures of objects in different positions to study prepositions
14. Take pictures of objects or students showing different actions for verb identification
15. Take pictures of a tree throughout the year to study growth, seasons, weather...etc.
16. Decisions, decisions. Take a picture of a scene and ask the students to make a decision about what happens next.
17. Take two pictures and compare them using a Venn diagram.
18. Identify the parts of speech in a picture.
19. Create clock "flash cards."
20. What else?
    

Using a Video Camcorder:

1. Record early readers to document progress (share at parent/teacher conference).
2. Create a short video for the manners of the week.
3. Document student behavior for parents, counselors, principal. (positive and negative)
4. Document your teaching for self-improvement.
5. Document experiments for students who were absent.
6. Allow students to interview each other on a topic. (review items for a test)
7. Have students create a "how to" video for a HEPE activity.
8. Have students create safety videos for other students or your school website.
9. Record concerts or school activities for parents or absent students.
10. What else?