Document cameras are very valuable for lessons and activities in the classroom. They are a useful tool in the classroom for many different reasons. In my experience, I have seen teachers use document cameras more for the highlighting important parts of articles, for modeling how to create graphs, working out math problems, showing readings and books, and show student writing. In investigating more about document cameras and being able to work a Ladibug, I have found that there is so many other ways to use them. As a teacher, you can show objects on the projector in a up-close way. You can show papers and work that the students complete. You can create videos, slideshows, and take pictures. You can show experiments under the camera, use split screen to compare objects and pictures with a Ladibug, show visuals and comics, play games, and more. The document can be used for many different types of activities during instruction in any type of class. In the article by Lumens Document Camera Magic: Eleven Dozen Ways to Transform Teaching, many different ways that you can use the Ladibug document camera is shared. Go take a look at http://www.mckeelschools.com/uploads/ibis/useyourdoccamera.pdf.
Also, go visit this video below that is about how to use a Ladibug document camera to learn more about the workings of this tool:
In my own classroom, I think it would be very fun to have the students be able to be able to use it for a writing project where they are learning to write in second person. The students could work in groups for a project where they do a "How To" presentation. They would plan it out and then show it in a visual way to the class when they present. I would let my students use the document camera to show the steps of what they are doing. If they are cooking something, they can use it to show their steps of how to make it. They could use the document camera to video themselves doing their presentation. If they wanted to show the steps of how to to do it on paper and show what they were doing, they could use split screen (this is if I have a Ladibug, which allows the screen to show two things at once). Or, say they are showing how to DJ, they could show it live under the document camera. Another example would be if they are showing how to play guitar, they could show the chords under the document camera. There are so many ways that the students could use this tool for their presentations of this projects. Then when they write a piece in second person about what they did for the project, they can show it under the document camera. It could just be a paper that they wrote or something like an elaborate "How To" book (such as cookbook). The "ball is in their court" as the saying goes. Either way, this project would be very fun for the students, and the document camera would definitely be an asset to their presentation.
For this lesson, I would use the Colorado Academic Standard #2. Reading for All Purposes for Fourth Grade, where is states: "3. Read a wide range of literary texts to build knowledge and to better understand the human experience" (2020 Colorado Academic Standards Online., 2020). I would also use the ISTE Standard #6. Creative Communicator, that says "Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals" (ISTE., 2016) . With this in mind, I would want my fourth grade students to learn to use different technologies, as well as the document camera, to aid them in their presentations.
How I would start this lesson is by using my document camera to show the students a mentor text. I would first talk about how second person is a point of view that authors use for their writing. Second persons is talking to "you", where they are talking to another character or to the audience. I would also share with them examples of this. I would tell them that there are fiction and narrative books that has second person, such as Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney. I would then tell them that there are also nonfiction books that use second person, that are basically called "How To" books. An example would be cookbooks. I would then share with them that they would be doing a project where they would explore second person writing. They could make commercials where they would talk to the audience. They could make videos cooking something. They could do a step-by-step of them doing something, such as churning butter. They could create a story and then do a video where they act it out with second person point of view. I would share with them that they could do this in any way they would like, as well as use technology to aid their presentations. I would also tell them that they would be doing a writing portion in addition to their presentation, where they would have to write one-to-two page paper that is done in second person.
With this lesson, I think this would be a fun way of incorporating the document camera and including content. Overall, any type of document camera is a very useful instructional tool in the classroom. I think that any teacher should learn to use and incorporate document cameras in their classroom.
Citations:
2020 Colorado Academic Standards Online. (2020). Retrieved March 17, 2019, from https://www.cde.state.co.us/apps/standards/6,7,0
ISTE. (2016). ISTE Standards for Students. Retrieved March 17, 2019, from https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students
Lumens. (2009). Document Camera Magic: Eleven Dozen Ways to Transform Teaching. Retrieved March 17, 2019, from http://www.mckeelschools.com/uploads/ibis/useyourdoccamera.pdf
Putting Ed Tech Into Practice. (n.d.). 5 Ways to Use a Document Camera in the Classroom. Retrieved March 17, 2019, from http://www.teachhub.com/classroom-document-camera-uses
Smith, J. (1970, January 01). Want a CHEAP document camera? Retrieved March 17, 2019, from https://www.thetechieteacher.net/2013/02/want-cheap-document-camera.html
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