Document Cameras for Learning and Assessment in Math

TIP Grant ProjectJodi AbelGrade 4/5 Souris School

“It zooms. It helps. It shows.”

How does instant sharing of student work, improve student

reflection and assessment practices for learning for

students of differing abilities?

“Mrs. Abel helps us by showing the textbook stuff we are on so we can do

it”

Mrs. Abel models We do

“It shows what we have to do so school is easier”

“We can all see experiments.”Great for

demonstrationsStudents can also model what they chose to test

“It helps me focus and do what I am supposed to do if I forget”

“It has made my grades go up!”

“I can focus when I can see what is being talked about.”

A visual reminder, not just a verbal explanation

“It improved our education.”

“You can draw on the Smartboard and see it on the document camera.”

Start with a model then student can explain further

Call attention to detail

“The teacher can share the book she is reading so we can all see the illustrations.”

“Nokum is My Teacher” They could see words in Cree but listen in English.

“Terry Fox” Allowed them to see pictures of what was being read.

“I pay attention when I have something to look at.”

“You can see some things to help you know what to do. You can see

counters, blocks, and other small stuff.”

Miras are almost impossible to model without a doc cam

Can see details easily as a class

“You can put anything under it.”

“It has helped me improve because we can see what the teacher is doing and see how to do stuff and what to

do.”Mrs. Abel gave a horrible

example to practice as a class

Students modeled editing parts of their letters while peers gave

feedback

“We can see what the teacher is doing. It helps me learn.”

Actual models vs. Similar models

Guest speakers used it too.

“We use it in every class. Other classes should too.”

“It helps me understand things so I can work and not struggle.”

Not just the end result How do I do that?

“The camera helps us when we don’t have the right answers so we can see what

we could get better at for an ‘M’.”

Students always give stars based on the co-constructed criteria

Only the teacher gets to say a wish, unless the model says it is okay

“In science we show our diagrams, and make sure it has all the parts”

Diagram of an EarIs my diagram

complete?

“It is easier to correct with because I can see my answer and their answer

and we fix together.”Talk about what is

good.How could we make this even

better? Check your own over too.

“When we share our work, we can make it better, so that is technically cheating”Checking against

criteriaMakes us remember what

else we might want to add in

“It helps our reflections when we don’t use all of the words. It helps us to

know what we need to do to get an ‘M’.”

Model recording questions and key words

Students share work and compare with key words, then edit to improve

“My reflection is awesome now!

“It shows me examples so I can see other people’s work.”

“It shows strategies kids used.”

“I write it, then I look at the smart board questions to see if we were the same and

what is different.”

“Now we can all do explanations in math!!”

Very typical of earlier explanations Now

“It helps reading our pioneer stuff.”

Learning to highlight key points

Sharing what they learned from the lesson

“I get to share my ideas.” “I get to share my good work”

Character descriptions for Role Play

Please note that I am only “sometimes mean but not that much”

“We can help kids to learn.

“It gives me different ideas.”

From simple To venturing out

“It is great! I can see different examples of work.”

“It makes me think of new strategies because people share,

then you get new strategies to try.”

Not everyone thinks like the teacher Kids know kids best

“It helps me learn because it gives me examples.”

I show my friends and I explain better than what I put down.

I can make mine better. My friends know how to make theirs better too.

“I get more help from lots of people and I feel better because I went up and helped

too.”

Kids model Kids teach each other

“If you get a question wrong or you get stuck, others can do it with you.”

“It saves pictures of our work”

“It affected my reflections pretty good because I could reflect off of someone else’s

work.”

What makes their work so good?

They want to do that too!

“It shows me how I can improve my work. For next time too.”

“The Epson focuses way better than the SmartCam we had.”

Epson $522.20Smart Cam $845 ( new model price, we tested an old model)

“It is easy as pie to use.” “You just flick a few buttons.”

Green light means on. Zoom to the size you want. Then hit Focus. The lens has a mic for video.

“It is so easy, every one should get one so they improve in their work and get better at school.”

“At first it went black a lot, now we know it like the back of our hand”

2 second fixClick refresh and choose Epson, not webcam. Every student can fix it!

What’s the difference?Epson Smart Cam

Sharper image Good ImageAutomatic light Light can be turned on/off separate Remote- never used  Zoom is closer and clearer Has zoomCapture pictures Captures pictures, as well as pictures with

inkCaptures video New models capture audio and video as

well, ours did notAutofocus button Autofocus buttonCan use with smart board pens Use with all Smartboard toolsRequires help desk install on computer

Plug and play on all division computers

Larger projection area Limited projection area ( still appropriate for classroom use)

Flip between 2 screens quickly for comparison to co-constructed criteria

Pins 2 screens at once for comparing to co-constructed criteria

Camera must be turned on before opening software or reverts to webcam- a 2 second fix every student and teacher can do

Needs smartbook software to run and the camera window open.Posted the smartbook cam page in Assignments out so students can access with substitute

Costs $522 Costs $845

“I would like them to know this thing helps everybody.”

Document Camera = BIG learning and

happy kids

Thank you to these fabulous women for their help and ideas. You rock!

Caroline Gillies- IT Consultant

Delise Pitman- Curriculum Consultant