Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

The statistics that were shared on the EDM310 home page were not surprising to me at all. I can honestly say that I am one of those people who never lets their smartphone leave their side. If you asked me what I thought the implications for education, school, teachers, and learners that flow from that particular data before taking this class my answer would be completely different. In certain classes I can see where smartphones are a distraction. People are always texting during lecture and checking Facebook and Instagram instead of paying attention to what the teacher is saying, but doesn't that come back to the teaching style these days?

In a PBL based course technology seems to be a major resource and way to explore one's way of learning. People are always on their smartphones so why not bring the smartphones into the classroom in an appropriate way? You can use technology such as iPads in a way that will make it fun to learn. I've always heard people saying that they don't want to go to class and that class is boring, but what if technology is a way to change those perceptions of how the classroom is run. All of the videos I have seen of technology being used in the classroom seems to be a very effective way to teach. More teachers need to open their mind to this idea and use it in an appropriate way without it being a distraction.

The ideas that I would use in my classroom generate from the videos I have seen in this course. I have to thank this course for showing me so many different way to liven up the classroom. This week I watched a video by Ginger Tuck called Poplet. This video was an excellent way to demonstrate using iPads and cameras in the classroom appropriately. Kids would learn about future jobs and research information and take pictures on their iPad to create learning webs. Once they printed out their learning webs, it includes pictures as well as information on the particular subject so that when you show it to someone who has no knowledge of it they will have an idea from the web. To me it is amazing how many little things you can use in your classroom that allow students to learn the things necessary to pass the class but also have fun with technology.