Educational Uses of Webcams

[Demetri Orlando]

In considering our tablet model choice for next year I am thinking about the inclusion of built-in webcams. To justify the additional cost, I would like to build a list of examples of good use of students using webcams. If you have an idea or an example from your experience would you please post it here as a reply? Thank you!

[There is another thread on our site for the potential mis-use of webcams, please feel free to contribute to it as well.]

[Demetri Orlando]

Students working on a collaborative project (within our own school) could teleconference. (e.g. peer editing- to discuss feedback or to plan an approach to a group-created product)

[Demetri Orlando]

Students can skype with far-away relatives or traveling parents

[Demetri Orlando]

Students could arrange to teleconference with students/teachers in other schools/geographic locations to "interview" them or debate them about some topic. [e.g. see: this thread on our ning.]

[Tami Brass]

We use webcams frequently for skits in class (pairs or small groups).

[Tami Brass]

Students use webcams w/tablets to illustrate storytelling projects in their language and social studies classes.

[Jenni Voorhees]

In our 6th/7th one-to-one program our students make productive use of Skype to allow them to collaborate on projects while outside of school. They have also made short video projects using their webcam, edited on the laptop.

[Tami Brass]

Family Skyping in from abroad to watch a student presentation or participate in a celebration.

[Tami Brass]

Students Skyping with soldier actively deployed overseas as part of current events project.

[Demetri Orlando]

Hey Tami & Jenni,
Thank you so much for your examples. I really appreciate it!

Another via twitter:
@jerridkruse @demetri i have students use webcams w/ science investigations, instead of writing about their procedure, they demo it and embed vid in doc

[Matt Montagne]

Demetri,
I think a web cam with an integrated mic is a must have for the student laptops.

Here are a few more ideas:

1. the web cam gives every student a camcorder...this can be used to record video for creating mixed-media essays and narratives.
2. language learning skype buddies from other countries.
3. students who are out for extended periods of time can video conference with teachers, students, etc to keep up with classes.
4. fits in nicely with pandemic planning/preparations for school closures
5. if you get into any online learning with your school (and I'm guessing online learning options in our schools will proliferate over the next 3-5 years), a web cam can be useful for participating in synchronous learning sessions facilitated by platforms like elluminate. These platforms will only improve going forward, which means more remote attendee participation via web cam/built in mic.

hope this helps a bit.

Matt