Digital Cameras

This week we learned all about the great uses digital cameras have in the classroom. When kids are aloud to use digital cameras in class they get to express their creativity. It also helps them to remember lessons that they took part in. It's an easy way to document experiences they have in class. They can also show learning experiences they learn outside of class. As teachers we can also use digital cameras to teach a lesson. For example, this week we made power point slide shows. We took several pictures to show and teach about the food pyramid.

I never really thought about using a camera in the classroom but this assignment got me thinking about all the get uses. This gives a personal touch to teaching. It also gives the kids a way to teach themselves. They can take pictures of things that interest them and that they, personally want to learn about.

Once kids learn how to take advantages of using digital cameras they can see how learning can apply in the real world. Now I can teach my students for example, about the food pyramid, then ask them to go home and take one picture of food from each group in the food pyramid. That they I can see and know that the children understand what they are learning about. They can also keep this knowledge for years to come so they never forget it. They can learn how they can record their own history.

This weeks video blog was a mashup, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tprMEs-zfQA.
What a mashup is, is a combination of several video clips, songs, etc. This idea is a great one for the use of our classroom. You have the kids make a mashup explaining an idea. That way they will see several examples of this idea and they will learn how to work with technology. In this day and age it is important that kids learn how to work and include technology in their lives.