Journal 4

Campbell, L. (2012). If you give a kid a video camera. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(5),  30-33. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx.

This article discusses the ways in which technology, in this case a videocamera, can aid and enhance student learning in the classroom in the areas of science, math, history, and language arts. Campbell offers ideas for how to effectively use a camera in each of the subjects, with ideas of lessons to pair the assignment with. In science class, Campbell offers the idea of documenting each individual step in the experiment or tracking observations that otherwise would take a lot of time to watch. In language arts, Campbell suggests vocabulary videos to help students see the actual vocabulary word but also to associate it with various pictures; for example, if the word is "green" for an elementary school student, the teacher could show different spots in the city or school that are green. For history, Campbell proposes documenting real-life events and their aftermath, with interviews of those involved. She also says that interviews of grandparents and others who have served in wars could start a video library of primary sources for students to use for later projects.

Questions 1,2: How can teachers work to incorporate camera usage in the classroom given that educational time in some states and districts has been reduced because of budget? How can teachers find time in the schedule to teach students the importance of using technology in the classroom? How can teachers provide cameras for students in a time where there is limited funds, and technology is one of the first areas funding gets pulled?

Teachers can model to their students multiple uses of technology in the classroom. For example, instead of always showing powerpoints that contain only information or pictures, they can use infographics- as discussed in journal entry number 3, videos or collages, both of which are more visually stimulating and helpful overall for students to learn than a simple lecture. Teachers could also inspire students or encourage them to give in reports that are not handwritten but instead in a digital form. Although budget constraints are always an issue, the teacher could inquire about inter-district borrowing of sources from the sister elementary, middle, and high schools. Some teachers and schools might want to inquire at local universities to see if there are students needing to complete volunteer hours for a technology class who would be willing to donate time in a K-12 classroom. Teachers can encourage students in the area of this by allowing as much access within the school day for students to use technological equipment, so that students who do not have access at home can still have the same opportunity to submit digitalized projects in leiu of a more formal, written assignment.