Digital Cameras Implications for the Classroom By Melissa Wood

Why Use Digital Cameras? Supports the concept of Visual Literacy: The ability to understand and produce visual messages

Visual Literacy Some Implications : Visual skills can be learned Visual skills are not usually isolated from other sensory skills Teachers can provide appropriate learning environments and materials Teachers can allow students to create their own visual messages

Visual Literacy Digital literacies (e.g. computer, visual, audio, print reading, information, multi-media) each require different skills Competency in one literacy does not necessarily transfer to another Visual arts can affect student emotions and aid understanding Students need to learn how to recognize and respond to visual and print messages of humor, irony and metaphor

Visual Literacy Curriculum Benefits : Students can learn better when teachers support a variety of learning styles Students can improve reading and writing skills through the use of visual literacy techniques Visual literacy can contribute to visual-spatial intelligence Source:

How can digital cameras be used in the classroom? Take students on an electronic field trip by showing photos of a distant site. Review field trips with pictures to show all students the sights, discuss learning, share with other groups. Supplement worksheets with pictures specific to your setups.

How can digital cameras be used in the classroom? Create assignments with pictures and processes. For example: lab equipment, measurements, instruments, sports equipment or positions, recipe ingredients, pictures for vocabulary or reading lessons.

How can digital cameras be used in the classroom? Use with lenses or other optics (microscopes, telescopes, etc.) to make images available to the entire class. Customize your displays and bulletin boards with photos from your school, lab, classroom, or images of student performances. Source: o.htm o.htm

What are the advantages of using a digital camera? Speed of getting images Digital images are instantly available for output to print or video tape, or save as an image file. Uses of the image Images can be actually inserted into numerous computer applications like printable documents or presentations Ease of duplication Just copy a computer file or print as often as you like

What are the advantages of using a digital camera? Cost savings -- no film/no developing The images are stored in computer memory or other digital storage. Pictures are printed directly from a computer to a printer. Control over images & quality -- software Software allows images to be changed, cropped, compressed, etc.

What are the disadvantages of using a digital camera? Quality of image Few inexpensive digital cameras produce slide quality photographs You do your own processing work You can’t just drop it off and pick it up later Cost of camera Cost of consumer digital cameras ranges from $100 to $3000. Source:

For more ideas, visit the following links: shs/visual.htm ital/goingdigital.htm