WeAreTeachers Blog

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When Greg Smith, a 40-year veteran math teacher walked into his classroom last year and found that his old overhead projector had been replaced with a brand new Ladibug Document Camera, he was upset. After all, he'd been using his tried-and-true overhead projector for decades and all of his lessons revolved around the methods he had perfected over the years.

But soon, Mr. Smith's was singing a different tune. "I grumbled about being too old to learn about new technology and told my supervisor I wanted my old overhead back. She encouraged me to spend 30 minutes using the document camera and then to read through a quick white paper with ideas on how to integrate a document camera into my classroom before giving up on it. I did. And my classroom was transformed!"

Mr. Smith found that his document camera enabled him to teach the way he always taught—only more efficiently, more precisely and more creatively.

"I'm sold.  Even an old teacher like me can use one—and even with 40 years experience, I'm finding that my lessons this year are my best ones ever." 

Here are five ways Mr. Smith uses his document camera in his classroom every day.

1. Student-Led Instruction.  Before, I was nervous about having students work problems on the board as if they made a mistake or error, it would affect everyone's comprehension. But now I can view student work beforehand to assure accuracy and then allow students to teach other students how to solve problems.
2. Charting, Graphing and Diagrams. I always had trouble with units that involved pie charts, graphs, diagrams and even geometric shapes because I couldn't quickly draw them on the overhead projector—but now, I simply print off my charts, diagraphs and graphs and put them under my document camera and the whole class can easily see and digest the information.
3. Warm-Up Activities. I like to start out my class with a brainteaser or puzzle to get kids thinking. Before, I was limited to simple word problems, but now I put up picture puzzles, patterns, diagrams and more. My kids love the interaction—I love that the wheels in their minds are turning.
4. Games. Playing classroom games can be complicated, but when I have one central place to display answers, instructions, a timer … whatever … it really simplifies things and allows me to be present to assure student learning.
5. Setting Clear Expectations. I love that I can put clear examples of my expectations for an assignment by displaying examples of good student work or a rubric.

Question for you:  How could you use a document camera in your classroom to engage all types of learners?  Tell us and you could win a Ladibug document camera, a cash grant and more!  Click here to learn more.