Can You Picture That? Using digital photography and video to enhance K-12 education AUGUST A T.H.E. Journal white paper sponsored by Canon

Transcription

1 Can You Picture That? Using digital photography and video to enhance K-12 education AUGUST 2012 A T.H.E. Journal white paper sponsored by Canon

2 Table of Contents Introduction 2 Tools for Teachers 2 Student Auteurs 4 Camera Selection Tips 5 Lights, Camera, Interaction 6 Conclusion 6 Resources 7 About Us 8 Introduction In the past decade, digital imaging technology has revolutionized the way people communicate, express themselves, and learn. The availability of digital cameras and camcorders, along with near-universal access to the Web and the rise of social media has made creating and sharing images and video a part of everyday life. While the old saying a picture is worth a thousand words may be a tired cliché, it is nonetheless true in education. Images, whether moving or still, are powerful communication devices and dynamic delivery mechanisms for learning. For an example in contemporary culture, one needs look no further than YouTube, which is filled with instructional videos on every topic imaginable. Digital cameras and editing tools have become so simple and user friendly, anyone can create and share educational video content. Digital imaging has become a central pillar of communication, and also has grown to become a valuable component in K-12 education. Digital imaging opens the doors to a wide world of learning opportunities by giving students a dynamic way to work together and share what they have learned. And for teachers, this technology provides an expanded set of tools that can help them better engage their students, thus furthering the pupils educational development. This white paper will examine some possible applications for digital still imaging and video technology in the K-12 learning environment. Teachers can use these digital cameras to enhance lesson planning and aid professional development, as well to record class projects, guest speakers, and other events. Students can take part in numerous activities that utilize digital imaging as a unique way to learn, collaborate, and express themselves. And for parents, digital photography and video can offer new ways to be active in their children s education. Tool for Teachers Photos and educational films have been part of K-12 education for decades, but the availability of digital video and still cameras in classrooms today opens up a multitude of new doors for teachers. While certainly not a replacement for traditional classroom teaching methods, few would debate the ability of supplementary images and videos to increase student understanding of subject matter. By its very nature, video captures the learner s attention and delivers content in a way that stays with the learner. This concept applies across age groups. Video as a learning tool is just as powerful for teachers as it is for their students. A report by the National Education Association Research Department, titled Teaching for Understanding: A Guide to Video Resources, points out that teachers too often find themselves doing their work in a vacuum, without much access to their colleagues. Video can be a powerful professional development tool for instructors looking to hone their craft. By capturing digital video of a class, a teacher can review his or her work. This allows an opportunity to view their teaching from a fresh perspective and even gauge student reaction in order to sharpen their lessons, try out new things, and make changes going forward. The NEA report poses the idea of teacher clubs, where instructors can meet to share videos of each other s lessons. The group can offer feedback and teachers can learn from the best practices of their colleagues. This allows teachers to reflect on their 2

3 The availability of user-friendly digital camcorders and still cameras also make it possible to record and archive classroom activities or projects for posterity. approach to a lesson, share ideas and techniques, and discuss possible improvements or changes. Creating a video archive of key lessons can also be helpful for lesson planning. A teacher can revisit classes from previous years to prepare for commonly asked questions and refresh themselves on what worked and what didn t. Today s technology makes it very easy to record and then transfer video to a hard drive or server. It is now simple for anyone, whether they define themselves as tech-savvy or not, to work with digital video. The availability of user-friendly digital cameras also make it possible to record and archive classroom activities or projects for posterity. Teachers can capture images of student projects art assignments or poster presentations, for instance to use as examples for future classes. Those photos can then be assembled into a slideshow presentation, or set to music in an edited video. Likewise, individual or group projects can be videotaped and stored. This can help with grading, as it offers teachers a chance to further review the students work. Select videos can be shown to future classes to offer case examples. The videos can even be posted online or distributed to parents so they have the opportunity to see their child s work. Video also gives teachers the chance to get increased mileage out of special guest speakers or presentations given to a particular class. For example, if a speaker comes in to talk about an issue that applies to both current and future classes, the presentation can be recorded. The instructor can then reuse that video in subsequent years to provide a similar learning experience to students who may not have had the opportunity to see that speaker in person. A growing number of resources and tools are emerging online to help teachers make the best of use of classroom videos. TED, a nonprofit dedicated to sharing videos of ideas related to technology, entertainment and design, recently launched an educationspecific component online called TED-Ed ( It encourages teachers to submit lessons, which are animated by professional animators and made into videos with comprehension questions that any instructor can use. TED-Ed also has a feature called Flip This Lesson which allows any video from YouTube to be put into this educational format with lesson questions. Using this feature, any instructor can upload a video of one of their lessons or presentations and make it into something that can be reused and shared through the TED-Ed site. Another good example is SchoolTube ( which provides a moderated platform for user-generated, classroom-appropriate video material. Such web resources offer a great framework for teachers across the country to enhance their classroom learning experience. With more instructors taking advantage of digital video technology to create content to share, the potential catalog of videos will continue to grow and expand. Students will benefit from the wealth of engaging lessons and presentations, and teachers will benefit from connecting with their peers. Sharing and learning from each other s work will only help to propel the profession even further forward and inspire educators. 3

4 Video can also be a powerful tool for increasing comprehension in reading classes. Student Auteurs Today s digital video still cameras, as well as video editing and presentation applications, are easy enough to use so even elementary school students can create presentations and film class projects. There are many ways to incorporate digital imaging into K-12 curricula to enhance student learning. Digital photos can be incorporated into all sorts of student projects and presentations. A report by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) titled Say Cheese! Digital Collections in the Classroom, suggests the idea of digital collection projects. For example, groups of two to three students might be assigned to collect and identify a number of local plants in the area. They can photograph these plants in different settings, and perhaps over the course of days or weeks to track growth. The photos can then be incorporated into a collection they can share in class. Another activity: class trading cards. Students can take headshots of each other and then, using a simple desktop publishing application, create their own trading cards. The front can feature their photo and name, and on the back they can make a list of facts about themselves: favorite class, favorite book, etc. It s a great way for classmates to get to know each other. The project can be expanded, with students assigned to make trading cards of other people in the school, like administrators, librarians, or coaches. A similar lesson could be given to middle school students, who might photograph and interview members of their community or professionals in careers they may be interested in and creating trading cards or dossiers about them. Video also offers a multitude of lesson possibilities in the K-12 classroom. One lesson idea is to break the class up into groups and have each group produce a news broadcast. This project would involve each group designating tasks and researching, writing, and filming a presentation for the class. It should include local, national, and international news, weather, and sports. Students can use a digital camcorder to shoot behind-the-desk reporting and also remote, in-the-field footage to work into the presentation. It s an exciting and hands-on way for students to increase their understanding of current events and local issues, as well as to enhance their presentation skills. The weather segment can even be used to teach a lesson on meteorology and climate. Video can also be a powerful tool for increasing comprehension in reading classes. Students can be tasked with representing a favorite scene in a book or story they are reading. This can be done as a group activity or as an individual project. With groups, students have the option of scripting and acting out a scene, giving them a chance to show their understanding of the subject matter in a way that expresses creativity. In all of these examples, digital imaging gives students a fresh doorway through which to approach traditional material. Whether it s science, social studies, reading, or any other subject matter, the power of images have long been understood to increase learner comprehension. In a report by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) entitled Digital Images and Video for Teaching Science, the authors cite studies going back as far as 1951 to show that photos and films encourage learning, stimulate other learning activities, and facilitate thinking and problem solving. Moving and still images interact with text and lecture to produce higher levels of comprehension and memory. 4

5 More megapixels does not necessarily mean a better camera. Basically, the more megapixels the camera has, the sharper the printed image will appear at larger sizes. And when students can get their hands on the cameras and actually work with the images, it becomes an even more dynamic tool. Not only are students increasing their understanding of a particular lesson or piece of content, they are also learning important presentation skills that will serve them well in the future. In a world increasingly connected by images, those who understand how to communicate their ideas with photos and video will have a real advantage. Camera Selection Tips When choosing digital cameras for your classroom, there are several things to consider. Let s begin with digital still cameras: More megapixels does not necessarily mean a better camera. Basically, the more megapixels the camera has, the sharper the printed image will appear at larger sizes. A 10-megapixel camera is more than enough to print a clear 8-by-10-inch photo. Purchasing a camera with more than 10 megapixels is important only if you are planning to print large posters or use photos in the school paper. If your primary objective consists of creating small prints or using the images online, you will need to shoot at a lower resolution to reduce upload time up to thirty times. Even with compact point-and-shoot cameras, optical zooms of as much as 10X are available. Whether you plan to use zoom or not, image stabilization is an important feature to consider for student cameras. It helps keep the image steady even if the camera isn t. Digital cameras come in varying sizes and weights and, while smaller might be better for personal use, in a classroom with younger students, be sure to choose a camera of sufficient durability and with buttons large enough for young children to use. Most cameras on the market use SD (Secure Digital) cards to store images. These can range from 14GB to 32GB, and extra cards are readily available. The size you need depends on how many photos you plan to shoot in between downloads to your computer or server. Battery life is another important consideration. Most cameras come with their own proprietary rechargeable batteries. The more you use the zoom or the LCD screen on the camera, the faster it will drain the battery. You may prefer a model that uses AA batteries to avoid having to wait for charging. When choosing digital video cameras, consider the following: When looking at zoom specs, pay greater attention to optical zoom, rather than digital zoom. Most digital camcorders have at least a 10X optical zoom. Unlike a traditional optical zoom, digital zoom has a tendency to look a bit grainy since it simply enlarges the image on the screen. Pay attention to the size and weight of the camera. As with still cameras, you don t want the controls be too small or too difficult to operate for young students. It is good to have something that s light enough to be mobile, but not so small as to be fragile. For the LCD screen, pay attention to whether or not the LCD is a touch screen or not. Also be sure to try to view the menu for ease of use before buying. A front-mounted microphone is best for audio. If you do choose one with a top-mounted microphone, check to see if it has an audio zoom feature. Several models allow for external microphones for enhanced audio as well. Most digital cameras (still and video) feature easy connectivity using USB. Make sure the camera you choose will allow you and your students to easily download images and video. Video cameras record in codecs. Some codecs are proprietary so your files may need to be converted before they can be used in certain editors. Ideally, you want a camera that will shoot directly to your desired format so you can plug in an SD card, drag the files to your editor, and start editing. 5

6 Students can open new doors to comprehension and learning by using digital cameras for projects and presentations. Lights, Camera, Interaction Another important element digital photography and video bring to education is the opportunity to create interaction between parents, teachers, and students. Parents who become involved in their child s education play a vital role in reinforcing what is learned in the classroom back at home. In many cases, parents are in a vacuum, with little connection to what their child is learning and doing in school. Using digital photos and video, teachers and parents can better share information and work together to create a better learning experience. Today s social media tools can bring parents closer to the educational experience. Classroom digital cameras, for instance, can be used to capture everything from field trips to student projects and presentations. Those, along with the kinds of video and photo projects suggested above, can be posted online for parents to view and comment on. Parents can see the work their child is doing and better understand what is being taught so lesson concepts can be reinforced at home. Video also offers a way to bridge communication between teachers and parents. A teacher may record a brief, two-minute preview of upcoming lessons for the week and post it to a school or classroom website so parents can check in and know what topics and homework assignments to expect in the coming week. Student projects and assignments using digital photography and video also offer an opportunity for parents to collaborate with their children. Whether it s helping them with the technical aspects of using the digital cameras, giving them tips on the editing or presentation or serving as a sounding board as they work out the content of their photo or video essay, it s a great way for parents to be a part of the learning experience. Conclusion Like any tool, digital cameras and camcorders are as powerful as their users allow them to be. Still and moving images have long been used as a supplement to learning, and new generations of digital cameras puts the creation of those images in the hands of teachers and students in ways that could not have been imagined a generation ago. For teachers, digital imaging offers myriad ways to engage students and improve learning. New online resources make it easier than ever to create and customize videos for use in the classroom. Cameras can be used to record special events and projects and archive lessons for future reference. It can also be used for professional development and sharing ideas and techniques with other teachers. Students can open new doors to comprehension and learning by using digital cameras for projects and presentations. Exciting group projects can be built around photography and video recording, and students can learn valuable presentation skills that will serve them well in the future. Digital imaging offers many hands-on, dynamic ways for students to increase their understanding of subject matter. And for parents, this content can create a window into their child s educational experience. Teachers can record and share student activities, presentations, and 6

7 lessons, allowing parents to reinforce classroom learning at home. Using social media and other online collaboration tools, it is easier than ever for teachers and parents to share information and optimize learning for students. Student projects using digital imaging also provide an opportunity for parents to work with their children and participate in their learning. High-quality, easy-to-use digital cameras and camcorders are readily available for learning institutions of all sizes and budgets. With a little research, the right fit can be found for any classroom. With the proper equipment in place, the creativity of teachers, students, and parents can drive education to the next level. References Segal, Judith W.; Demarest, Elizabeth J.; Prejean, Andrea I.; The National Education Association (NEA) Research Department (2006), Teaching for Understanding: A guide to Video Resources, Guide_To_Video_Resources.pdf Carter, LeAnn; Sumrall, William J.; and Curry, Kristen M.; The National Science Teachers Association (2006), Say Cheese! Digital Collections in the Classroom, publications/news/story.aspx?id=52126 National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), edited by Bell, Randy L.; Gess- Newsome, Julie; and Luft, Julie (2008), Digital Images and Video for Teaching Science, TeachingScience.pdf?utm_source=enewsletter&utm_medium= &utm_ campaign=bookbeataugust2011 Hastings, Bryan; and Moynihan, Tim, PCWorld (2011) How to Buy a Digital Camcorder, html 7

8 About Canon The use of digital imaging in the classroom can touch students on many levels. This includes visual literacy projects for decoding words and sentences while learning languages to more advanced applications that employ the use of images for math and science. Canon has a diverse selection of quality, brand name products to fit any budget. Canon s Education Sales Department is your one stop solution for all of your school s imaging needs. Canon U.S.A., Inc., headquartered in Lake Success, New York, is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2010, with global revenues of more than US $45 billion and is listed as number six in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine s World s Most Admired Companies 2010 list. For more information, visit our website: usa.canon.com/educationsales Canon U.S.A., Inc. One Canon Plaza Lake Success, NY About T.H.E. Journal T.H.E. Journal magazine, website, newsletters and online resources inform and educate K-12 administrators, technologists and educators on the latest strategies and best practices impacting how technology influences the landscape of teaching and administration at schools and districts nationwide. Each T.H.E. Journal asset delivers news, trends, features, case studies and expert advice on vital topics like security, policy and advocacy, smart classrooms, mobile and wireless computing, funding, green technologies, distance learning, administrative and academic computing, plus much more. Free subscriptions are available to all of the resources we offer. To learn more, visit Oakdale Ave. Suite 101 Chatsworth, CA (818)